Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Health Care Workers: A Cohort Study at a Designated COVID-19 Hospital in Taiwan.

Objectives: This cohort study aimed to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among health care workers at a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Taiwan.

Methods: This study recruited 397 health care workers who completed health checkups before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The differences of MetS and its components prevalence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared using the paired samples t tests for normally distributed variables, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for nonnormally distributed variables.

Indonesian Christian nurses' perspectives on peaceful death: A qualitative study.

Background: Death is a natural part of life that no one can avoid. Listening to patients and supporting their needs during the dying process is crucial. However, dying patients are often not given a voice or choices regarding their care plans.

Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord serves as a natural biomaterial to promote osteogenesis.

Various factors can contribute to bone damage or loss, presenting challenges for bone regeneration. Our study explores the potential clinical applications of two processed forms of Wharton's jelly of the human umbilical cord for treating bone loss. Wharton's jelly from fresh umbilical cords underwent two distinct processes: (1) frozen Wharton's jelly (WJF), preserved with cryoprotective agents, and (2) decellularized Wharton's jelly matrix (WJD), prepared only lyophilization without cryoprotectants.

Installation of Public Access Defibrillators for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests: Identifying Suitable Locations by Using a Geographic Information System.

Background: Survival following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest depends on prompt defibrillation. Despite the efforts made to install automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in crowded areas, their usage rate remains suboptimal. This study evaluated the efficiency of installing AEDs at key landmarks in Taoyuan City to enhance accessibility and usage.

Effects of Somatosensory Games on Heart Rate Variability and Sleep-Related Biomarkers in Menopausal Women With Poor Sleep Quality.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 12-week somatosensory games on heart rate variability and sleep-related biomarkers in middle-aged women with poor sleep quality.

Research Design And Methods: Twenty-nine women with poor sleep quality were recruited as participants randomly assigned into ring fit adventure exergame group (RFA,  = 15) and control group (CON,  = 14). The RFA group received ring fit adventure exergame for 60 min each time, 2 times a week, for 12 weeks.

[Promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: An Example of the COVID-19 Pandemic].

Healthcare systems must embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and, in the event of unfairness, appropriate policies / countermeasures should be enacted. The healthcare system response to the COVID-19 pandemic not only highlighted how socioeconomic disparities affect mortality risk but also posed significant challenges to the successful practice of EDI in healthcare. In light of this, this article was written to provide an overview of EDI, analyze the international efforts to promote it, and suggest strategies for promoting EDI in infectious disease healthcare using COVID-19 as an example.

[Analysis of the Effectiveness of a Fall Prevention Program Incorporating an Interprofessional Team Collaboration Model on Reducing Fall Risk in Elderly Living in Long-term Care Facilities].

Background: Concurrent with population ageing, falls have become a significantly more challenging public health issue among older adults. Three years of data collected recently from a nursing home in northern Taiwan reveals an increasing trend in fall density that is primarily associated with aging, physiological decline, chronic diseases, polypharmacy, osteoporosis, and lack of exercise. The percentage of nursing home residents at high risk of falls is currently at 12.

[Improving the Accuracy of Patient Self-Care After Joint Replacement Surgery].

Background & Problems: Joint replacement wound stitches are typically not removed until two weeks after the operation. Therefore, patients with joint replacement must be able to execute proper wound care after discharge from the hospital to reduce the risk of wound infection. Prior data from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital's orthopedics ward indicate only 69% of joint-replacement patients are able to perform wound care properly at home.

Predictors of Coping Strategies in Caregivers of Family Members with a Brain Tumor: A Correlational Study.

Background/objectives: Brain tumor patients confront numerous challenges arising from diagnosis and treatment, and these impact the patient's physical, mental, and social functions at all levels. Primary informal caregivers assume a pivotal role in home-based patient care. Of particular importance are the coping strategies employed by family caregivers, as they can influence both their own health and the overall quality of home care.

Co-exposure to different bacterial species' lipopolysaccharides with the NASH diet exacerbates NASH and liver fibrosis progression in mice.

Background And Aim: With the obesity epidemic, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a public health concern, but its progression mechanism remains unclear. Experimental models mimicking human NAFLD/steatohepatitis (NASH) are crucial. This study simulates gut microbiota imbalance effects on NASH and liver fibrosis.

Survival After the Diagnosis of Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Dementia: A 15-Year National Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Objectives: Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are mostly designed for patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. Long-term case management and planning for the remainder of life with disability require an estimation of the survival duration.

Methods: This cohort study utilized data from the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan, to identify incident cases of mild-to-moderate AD dementia diagnosed from 2000 to 2002, followed through December 31, 2017.

A Simple, Fast, and Reliable Method for the Identification of .

Background: Candida is one of the common pathogens in nosocomial infections. Culture is the gold standard for diagnosing candidemia. is identified via the germ tube test, which uses serum as the culture medium, which is costly and time-consuming.

Analyzing sex-specific differences in sleep quality, resilience, and biomarkers among older adults in the Gan-Dau Healthy Longevity Plan.

Background: Limited knowledge exists regarding the interrelations between sleep quality and resilience within the demographic of healthy, community-residing middle-aged and older adults, with a particular dearth of information regarding sex-specific associations. This study aimed to examine the sex-specific associations between sleep quality, resilience, and biomarkers in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2022 Gan-Dau Healthy Longevity Plan survey initiated by the locality-based community hospital, Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital (TMGDH).

How grit mediates depressive symptoms with life and job satisfaction in full-time employed adults with congenital heart disease.

Background: Technological advancements have extended the lifespan of individuals with congenital heart disease (CHD), but physical and mental health issues can affect their life and job satisfaction.

Aims: This study examined whether grit can protect full-time employed adults with CHD from depression by exploring its mediating role between depressive symptoms and life or job satisfaction.

Methods: A cross-sectional design involved 181 adults with CHD assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire, Grit-10, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction at Work Scale.

Large language multimodal models for new-onset type 2 diabetes prediction using five-year cohort electronic health records.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent health challenge faced by countries worldwide. In this study, we propose a novel large language multimodal models (LLMMs) framework incorporating multimodal data from clinical notes and laboratory results for diabetes risk prediction. We collected five years of electronic health records (EHRs) dating from 2017 to 2021 from a Taiwan hospital database.