[The physical, psychological, social, and spiritual impacts of malignant fungating wounds on cancer patients].

Malignant fungating wounds (MFW) are accompanied by odor, secretions, bleeding and pain. Cancer patients must not only suffer the physical, psychological, social and spiritual impacts on their disease, but also experience considerable change in health-related quality of life. Palliative health care aims to provide comprehensive services to patients and their families.

Ankle eversion to inversion strength ratio and static balance control in the dominant and non-dominant limbs of young adults.

The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare unilateral ankle eversion to inversion strength ratio (E/I R) and static balance control in the dominant and non-dominant limbs and (2) determine the relationship between ankle E/I R and static balance control in the dominant and non-dominant limbs. Twenty-eight young, healthy adults without any physical training experience participated in this study. Ankle E/I R was measured by an isokinetic dynamometer at speeds of 30 degrees s(-1) and 120 degrees s(-1).

Using wound bed preparation to heal a malignant fungating wound: a single case study.

Full healing was achieved within eight weeks in a malignant fungating wound using the principles of the TIME paradigm. This concept appears to provide a structured and systematic approach for managing such non-healing wounds.

Urocortin modulates inflammatory response and neurotoxicity induced by microglial activation.

Microglia are the major inflammatory cells in the brain. Recent studies have highlighted the reciprocal roles of other brain cells in modulating the microglial inflammatory responses. Urocortin (UCN) is a member of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family of neuropeptides that function to regulate stress responses.

[Grandparents health in the grandparent-grandchild households].

Grandparents raising grandchildren is a widespread phenomenon that has continued to increase during the last decade. The responsibility for raising grandchildren is a challenge to grandparents, not only in terms of financial burdens but also of attendant health problems. The purpose of this paper was to describe from a nursing perspective the health of grandparents in grandparent-grandchild households.

Hormone therapy use and prescription durations of menopausal women in Taiwan: a 5 years' National Cohort study.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence and associated factors of hormone replacement therapy (HRT)-related utilization in a national representative fixed cohort in Taiwan.

Method: The study population are women aged 40 years and over in Taiwan. Our data, provided by National Health Research Institutes, are the sampled registry information of 37,315 beneficiaries of National Health Insurance from 2000 to 2004.

Gonadal hormones-mediated effects on the stimulation of dopamine turnover in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems by cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptide in male rats.

Estradiol and testosterone modulated behavioral and neurochemical activities in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems have been reported. We examined whether estradiol and testosterone affect stimulation of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptide in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems in this study. Intracerebroventricular administration of CART peptide increased dopamine turnover in the nucleus accumbens and striatum in male rats.

[Concept analysis of susceptibility].

This conceptual analysis of susceptibility used the method described by Walker & Avant (1995) to analyze the attributes, antecedent and consequence of susceptibility. By review and analysis of the related literature we found that the defined characteristics of susceptibility were the following: (1) A person (or a group of people) has some specific characteristics. (2) A person (or a group of people) has a relatively high degree of probability of experiencing influences while being exposed at a certain time point to a certain environment.

The role of self-efficacy in older people's decisions to initiate and maintain regular walking as exercise -- Findings from a qualitative study.

Objective: To study the role of self-efficacy within the process of initiating and maintaining regular walking as exercise for older people.

Methods: A post-trial interview study was carried out among a sub-sample of participants from a trial to evaluate the effect of a self-efficacy walking intervention for older Taiwanese people with moderate hypertension. To fit the study objective purposive sampling was used to sample those participants who were potentially information rich.

[The principles of chronic wound assessment and measurement].

The management of chronic diseases in the elderly population is a major challenge for professional nurses. Chronic wounds, such as pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, venous ulcers, and arterial ulcers are common problems among patients with chronic diseases. This article aims to improve the knowledge base of nurses who assess and identify the etiology of chronic wounds, in the hope that an improved pool of knowledge can be drawn upon and applied in clinical practice.

Construct validity and physical performance of older adults in different hierarchical physical-disability level.

The purpose of this study was to test the construct validity of the hierarchical levels of self-reported physical disability using health-related variables and physical-performance tests as criteria. The study participants were a community-based sample of 368 adults age 60 years or older. These older adults were grouped into 4 levels according to their physical-disability status (able, mildly disabled, moderately disabled, and severely disabled groups) based on their self-reported measures on the mobility, instrumented activity of daily living (IADL), and activities of daily living (ADL) domains.

[Application of massage therapy in premature infant nursing care].

Massage therapy has been used in the care of premature infants for many years in western countries, and a significant body of research has already shown the effectiveness of massage therapy in significantly increasing body weight, decreasing infant hospital durations, enhancing bone formation, and improving behavior. Key considerations when applying massage therapy on premature infants include gestational age, bodyweight, and physical condition. Nurses can teach parents to administer massage therapy on their premature infants to enhance parent-child attachment and interaction.

Psychometric properties of the Berg Balance Scale in a community-dwelling elderly resident population in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: To investigate the psychometric properties (acceptability, internal consistency reliability, interrater reliability, construct validity) and identify the most challenging items of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) for elderly people living in the community.

Methods: A total of 268 community-dwelling adults 65 years of age or older volunteered to participate in this study. Each subject's performance was assessed with the BBS, timed up and go (TUG) test, and usual gait speed.

Evaluating a community-based walking intervention for hypertensive older people in Taiwan: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To study the effect of a community-based walking intervention on blood pressure among older people.

Method: The study design was a randomized controlled trial conducted in a rural area of Taiwan between October 2002 and June 2003. A total of 202 participants aged 60 years and over with mild to moderate hypertension was recruited.

[Application of music therapy for managing agitated behavior in older people with dementia].

Older people with dementia may display negative emotions, memory problems, sleep disturbance, and agitated behavior. Among these symptoms, agitated behavior has been identified by families and nursing staff as the care problem that presents the greatest challenge. Several studies have found that music therapy reduced agitated behaviors in those with dementia and recommended use of music as an effective strategy in managing this behavioral problem.

Taiwanese nurses' attitudes towards and use of complementary and alternative medicine in nursing practice: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Increasingly, nurses in Western countries express positive attitudes to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) but lack knowledge, access to education and organisational policy to guide practice. It is unclear whether nurses in developed Asian countries mirror or differ from this profile.

Objectives: To determine the attitudes towards and use of CAM by registered nurses in Taiwan.

G-CSF protects dopaminergic neurons from 6-OHDA-induced toxicity via the ERK pathway.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is known to have various functions such as induction of survival, proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Recently, this factor has also been shown to exhibit neuroprotective effects in rat ischemic brain. In the present study, we first demonstrated that both G-CSF and G-CSF receptor were expressed in dopaminergic neurons in the adult substantia nigra and mesencephalic cultures, suggesting that G-CSF might exert its neuroprotective effects in dopaminergic neurons.

Alcohol-related Injuries at an emergency department in Eastern Taiwan.

Background/purpose: Injuries are major causes of mortality and morbidity in Taiwan. Alcohol involvement often plays a role in injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol-related injuries at an emergency department in Eastern Taiwan and their associated factors.

The effects of group music with movement intervention on agitated behaviours of institutionalized elders with dementia in Taiwan.

Background: Agitated behaviours are identified by caregivers as the most challenging in dementia care. Alternative approaches reducing occurrence of agitated behaviours and the need for chemical or physical restraints become valuable for institutionalized elders with dementia.

Objective And Setting: This study was to evaluate the effects of group music with movement intervention on occurrence of agitated behaviours of institutionalized elders with dementia in Taiwan.

Translational event mediates differential production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in hyaluronan-stimulated microglia and macrophages.

Recent evidence has demonstrated that hyaluronan synthase 2 mRNA is up-regulated after brain ischemia. After a cerebral ischemic event, microglia and macrophages are the major inflammatory cells and are activated by hyaluronan (HA). However, it is unclear how these cells compare with regard to HA responsiveness.

[Music therapy and child care].

Music therapy was shown many years ago to have positive effects in various age groups of patients in the Western world. Music can produce physiological and psychological effects, including changes in the vital signs, reductions in anxiety, improvements in the immune system, decreases in cortisol levels, the reduction of stress and the promotion of well-being. Music therapy is an inexpensive and effective intervention for nurses to apply to patients.

[Ethical issues in nursing leadership].

Social transition causes shifts and changes in the relationship between health professionals and their patients. In their professional capacity, it is important today for nurses to handle ethical dilemmas properly, in a manner that fosters an ethical environment. This article investigates the ethical concerns and decision processes of nurses from a knowledge construction perspective, and examines such issues as patient needs, staff perceptions, organizational benefits, and professional image.

Use of preferred music to decrease agitated behaviours in older people with dementia: a review of the literature.

Aims And Objectives: This paper reviews study findings of preferred music on agitated behaviours for older people with dementia and provides implications for future research and practice.

Background: Music has been suggested as a feasible and less costly intervention to manage agitated behaviours in older people with dementia. However, no review of the literature focusing on study findings of preferred music on agitated behaviours in older people with dementia had been reported.

Factors associated with career decision in Taiwanese nursing students: a questionnaire survey.

The vocational decisions of nursing students have always been a concern for nursing educators and administrators. It is unclear, however, what factors play a role in determining the professional choices made by these students. Limited research into this area has been undertaken in Taiwan.

Working in long-term care settings for older people with dementia: nurses' aides.

Aim: This paper reports a study exploring the reasons for continuing to work among nurse aides who cared for older people with dementia in long-term care settings in Taiwan.

Background: High nurse aide turnover has been a major problem for many managers of long-tem care facilities in Taiwan. Most studies on nurse aide turnover have focused on the factors on why they left, but little is known about their reasons for continuing to work in long-term care settings in Taiwan.