A comprehensive examination of temporal-seasonal variations of PM and PM in taiwan before and during the COVID-19 lockdown.

COVID-19 has been a significant global concern due to its contagious nature. In May 2021, Taiwan experienced a severe outbreak, leading the government to enforce strict Pandemic Alert Level 3 restrictions in order to curtail its spread. Although previous studies in Taiwan have examined the effects of these measures on air quality, further research is required to compare different time periods and assess the health implications of reducing particulate matter during the Level 3 lockdown.

Depressive symptoms and daily living dependence in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: the mediating role of positive and negative perceived stress.

Background: Higher stress is associated with higher levels of depression and instrumental-activities-of-daily-living (IADL) dependence, and depression is strongly associated with specific IADL disabilities. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of perceived stress on the association between depression and IADL dependence among older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: We examined baseline data collected from a longitudinal study that recruited 110 patients with DM aged ≥ 65 years from the endocrinology outpatient clinic of a district hospital.

The enrichment process for family caregivers of persons living with dementia: A grounded theory approach.

Aim: Many persons living with dementia (PLWD) reside in the community and are cared for by family members. The aim of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding the enrichment process for family caregivers of PLWD in Taiwan.

Design: A grounded theory approach with face-to-face semi-structured interviews was conducted with family caregivers of PLWD in Taiwan.

Relation of environmental factors with activity limitations and participation restrictions in older adults with diabetes mellitus over time: an international classification of functioning framework perspective.

Background: Activity limitations and participation restrictions were observed in patients with diabetes, which may impact their quality of life. Environmental factors such as seasonal effects, resources and perceived stress may play important role in activity limitations and participation restrictions. In this study, a variant of International Classification of Functioning (ICF) model was used to clarify the associations of function/structure factors, personal factors and environmental factors with activity limitations and participation restrictions.

[Effects of Multicomponent Case Management on the Problem Behaviors of Patients With Dementia and Family Caregivers' Distress, Self-Efficacy, Depression, Burden and Health Promotion Behaviors].

Background: Few of the interventions currently available for family caregivers (FCGs) of persons with dementia (PWDs) with long-term follow-ups have a grounding in theory and incorporate multicomponent case management formats.

Purpose: Based on Pearlin's Caregiving and Stress Process model, this study was developed to examine the effectiveness of a family-centered case management program for PWDs with early to moderate dementia in terms of reducing PWDs behavioral problems and improve FCG outcomes, including distress, self-efficacy, depression, caregiver burden, and health-promoting behaviors.

Methods: This randomized, single-blind, parallel-controlled trial included 76 dyads of PWDs and their FCGs.

Traumatic testicular dislocation: A case report and literature review.

Introduction: Traumatic testicular dislocation is an uncommon complication of blunt scrotal injury and is easily overlooked because of the presence of other severe accompanying injuries. In most cases, an operation is needed for the prevention of malignant change or infertility.

Patient Concerns And Diagnosis: We report a case of traumatic testicular dislocation with pelvic fracture and internal bleeding in a 27-year-old male with testis rupture after a motorcycle collision.

The Mediating Effect of Spiritual Well-Being and Quality of Life for Persons with Parkinson's Disease in Northern Taiwan.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD), a degenerative disease with irreversible motor dysfunction, impacts patients' quality of life (QoL). Spirituality can provide a sense of hope and meaning when individuals are faced with adverse life events, such as a diagnosis of PD. However, few studies have examined the relationship between spiritual well-being and QoL for persons with PD.

Perceptions of community dementia friendliness: A cross-sectional study of people with dementia, family caregivers, service providers, and the general public in Taiwan.

Promoting dementia-friendly communities is an important strategy for improving quality of life for people with dementia and dementia-family caregivers. The process of building dementia-friendly communities should include all people living in the community. The objective of this study was to compare perceived dementia friendliness in the community among people with dementia, family caregivers, service providers, and the general public.

Can We Use Grip Strength to Predict Other Types of Hand Exertions? An Example of Manufacturing Industry Workers.

Background: There are different types of hand motions in people's daily lives and working environments. However, testing duration increases as the types of hand motions increase to build a normative database. Long testing duration decreases the motivation of study participants.

Investigation of the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory activities of ethanol extract of Bombyx mori pupa-incubated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies toward allergic rhinitis.

Cordyceps militaris has been widely studied for its various pharmacological activities such as antitumor, anti-inflammation, and immune regulation. The binding of an allergen to IgE-sensitized mast cells in nasal mucosa triggers allergic rhinitis. We found that oral administration of 300 mg/kg of the ethanol extract prepared from silkworm pupa-cultivated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies significantly alleviated the symptoms of ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis in mice, including sneeze/scratch, mast cell activation, eosinophil infiltration, and Syk activation.

A Pilot Study of Five Types of Maximum Hand Strength among Manufacturing Industry Workers in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study is to collect five types of maximum hand strength among workers in the manufacturing industry in Taiwan. This study is a cross sectional study with a stratified and convenient sample of workers on the production line in manufacturing industries in Central Taiwan. In total, we recruited 198 healthy subjects to participate in this study.

The mediating effects of leisure engagement on relationships between caregiving stress and subjective wellbeing among family caregivers of persons with cognitive impairment: A cross-sectional study.

Family caregivers of persons with cognitive impairment experience changes in reductions in leisure engagement, which can decrease their subjective wellbeing (leisure satisfaction, negative affect and positive affect). We recruited 100 dyads of patients with cognitive impairment and family caregivers by convenience sampling from outpatient memory clinics and daycare centers in northern Taiwan. Hierarchical regression analysis tested the mediating effects of leisure engagement on the relationship between caregiving stress and subjective wellbeing.

Dementia-friendly community indicators from the perspectives of people living with dementia and dementia-family caregivers.

Aims: To identify dementia-friendly communities' indicators and their current conditions in Taiwan from the perspectives of people with dementia and dementia-family caregivers.

Design: This qualitative study explored the opinions and experiences of people with dementia and dementia-family caregivers regarding dementia-friendly communities.

Methods: Participants (16 people with dementia and 20 family caregivers) were recruited from neurological clinics, day care centres for people with dementia and support groups for family caregivers in the Taipei community from July - October, 2016.

Experiences of Living in the Community for Older Aboriginal Persons With Dementia Symptoms in Taiwan.

Background And Objectives: Improving quality of life for community-dwelling older persons with dementia symptoms (PWDS) and family caregivers requires promoting dementia-friendly communities (DFC). However, little is known regarding older Taiwanese Aboriginal PWDS' experiences of living in the community. We explored these experiences for older Atayal PWDS and their families in Taiwan.

Caregiving demands, job demands, and health outcomes for employed family caregivers of older adults with dementia: Structural equation modeling.

Many family caregivers are also employed full- or part-time and are known to be affected by job demands. This study explored the mediating effect of job demands on the relationship between caregiving demands and caregiver health outcomes in primary family caregivers of older persons with dementia in Taiwan (N = 214). A cross-sectional design using a self-completed structured questionnaire was implemented.

Risky wandering behaviors of persons with dementia predict family caregivers' health outcomes.

Objectives: To examine the relationships between dementia persons' risky wandering behaviors and family caregivers' physical and mental health.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using the original cross-sectional data from180 dyads. The Risky Wandering and Adverse Outcome model assessed behaviors of eloping and getting lost outside the house for dementia persons.

Protective preparation: a process central to family caregivers of persons with mild cognitive impairment.

Unlabelled: ABSTRACTBackground:To develop a theoretical model explaining the longitudinal changes in the caregiving process for family caregivers of persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Taiwan.

Methods: A longitudinal, grounded theory approach using in-depth face-to-face interviews and an open-ended interview guide. We conducted 42 interviews over a two-year period; each participant was interviewed at least once every six months.

[Reducing the Care-Related Burdens of a Family Caregiver of a Person With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Home-Based Case Management Program].

The long-term care of cognitively impaired patients with concomitant behavioral problems brings great stress and burdens to family caregivers. The present article describes a family caregiver with multiple chronic diseases who concurrently shouldered primary care responsibilities for her husband, a patient with mild cognitive impairment, problematic behaviors, and medication non-adherence issues. The period of care was between September 23rd and December 29th, 2015.

The co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment and its relationship with self-care behaviors among community dwelling older adults with diabetes.

Aims: The aims of the present study were to investigate the co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment in community dwelling older adults with diabetes and its relationship with specific diabetes self-care behaviors.

Methods: We analyzed data from two national samples of older adults (65years or older) with self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes (N=1034), who participated in the 2005 or 2009 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan. The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to assess cognitive function.

Predictors of self- and caregiver-rated quality of life for people with dementia living in the community and in nursing homes in northern Taiwan.

Background: Factors affecting quality of life (QOL) ratings for people with dementia (PWD) have been well studied, but few studies have examined the effect of residence on PWD- and caregiver-rated QOL for PWDs. We designed this study to determine the factors related to PWD- and caregiver-rated QOL in dementia as well as factors related to the discrepancy in these ratings.

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from a convenience sample of 106 PWD-family caregiver dyads (58 community-dwelling dyads and 48 nursing-home dyads).

Leisure-time physical activity and neuropsychiatric symptoms of community-dwelling persons with cognitive impairment.

Physical activities are recommended to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of nursing home residents with mild dementia. However, relevant information is not available for community-dwelling persons with cognitive impairment. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examined the effects of leisure-time physical activities on cognitively impaired persons' neuropsychiatric symptoms and their family caregivers' distress.

Family caregivers' sleep disturbance and its associations with multilevel stressors when caring for patients with dementia.

Objective: We tested a stress process model of multilevel stressors on sleep disturbance for family caregivers (FCG) of persons with dementia (PWD).

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, trained research assistants collected data from a purposive sample of 180 PWD-FCG dyads at two teaching hospitals, two local hospitals, and two community long-term care service programs in northern Taiwan. PWDs' neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Chinese Neuropsychiatric Inventory (CNPI), FCGs' distress by CNPI Caregiver Distress Scale, physical fatigue by Visual Analogue for Fatigue Scale, mental fatigue by Attentional Function Index, depressive symptoms by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale - Short Form, and sleep disturbance by the General Sleep Disturbance Scale.

A home-based training program improves caregivers' skills and dementia patients' aggressive behaviors: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate the effects of an individualized, home-based caregiver-training program for caregivers of elderly patients with dementia and behavioral problems.

Methods: Using a randomized clinical trial in the neurologic clinics of two hospitals and a community care management center in northern Taiwan, we tested an individualized home-based caregiver-training program for managing behavioral problems, with referrals to community services and telephone consultation. Participants were patients with dementia and their caregivers (N = 129): 63 in the intervention group and 66 in the control group.

The effects of participation in leisure activities on neuropsychiatric symptoms of persons with cognitive impairment: a cross-sectional study.

Background: People with cognitive impairment have been shown to engage in few structured activities. During periods of unoccupied time or boredom, these patients most likely manifest neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to (1) describe the leisure-activity indicators (variety in leisure activities, appraisal of each activity's restorative function, and leisure dysfunction, i.

Luminescence properties, crystal structure and LED package of potential blue-emitting phosphors--Ca2BN2F:Eu2+.

A blue-emitting phosphor - Ca2BN2F:Eu2+ was synthesized by a solid state reaction. Ca2BN2F crystallizes in the orthorhombic system with space group Pnma (No. 62) and Z = 4.