Enhancing Cognitive Function in Older Adults through Processing Speed Training: Implications for Cognitive Health Awareness.

It may be possible to enhance adults' cognitive health and promote healthy aging through processing speed training using the Useful Field of View (UFOV) related activities and software. This study investigated the impact of utilizing UFOV on processing speed improvement in older adults in response to the growing global attention on cognitive health and aging issues. In this quasi-experimental study, 22 individuals (mean age ± SD = 71.

The thermal degradation and soil recovery of thermal treatment of field-weathered decabrominated diphenyl ether-contaminated soil.

A farm at Taoyuan in Taiwan was highly contaminated with decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209), a widely used commercial brominated flame retardant and persistent in the environment, more than 10 years. Since crops are able to absorb and accumulate BDE-209 from soils in our previous research, posing a hazardous risk for humans, it is essential to develop a practical method of soil treatment. Thermal treatment was studied among different approaches.

Digital and physical factors influencing an individual's preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan: A perspective based on the S-O-R model.

COVID-19 has caused considerable stress to individuals and communities. Daily press briefings on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased individuals' feelings of social pressure. Abrupt changes to a person's immediate environment, such as the changes caused by COVID-19, can substantially affect their mental health and cognitive adjustment.

Ionomer Membranes Produced from Hexaarylbenzene-Based Partially Fluorinated Poly(arylene ether) Blends for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

In this study, a series of high molecular weight ionomers of hexaarylbenzene- and fluorene-based poly(arylene ether)s were synthesized conveniently through condensation and post-sulfonation modification. The use a of blending method might increase the stacking density of chains and affect the formation both of interchain and intrachain proton transfer clusters. Multiscale phase separation caused by the dissolution and compatibility differences of blend ionomer in high-boiling-point solvents was examined through analysis and simulations.

The European Union's development assistance for health (DAH) in Vietnam: any other purposes than health improvement?

Development Assistance for health (DAH) has increased dramatically these last two decades. While according to the official rhetoric, it aims at 'health improvement' and 'poverty reduction', such apolitical purposes have been questioned by scholars who identified other major objectives. However, few studies have sought to uncover the motivations behind EU's health assistance.

Piezoelectric Sensor for the Monitoring of Arterial Pulse Wave: Detection of Arrhythmia Occurring in PAC/PVC Patients.

Previous studies have found that the non-invasive blood pressure measurement method based on the oscillometric method is inaccurate when an arrhythmia occurs. Therefore, we propose a high-sensitivity pulse sensor that can measure the hemodynamic characteristics of the pulse wave and then estimate the blood pressure. When an arrhythmia occurs, the hemodynamics of the pulse wave are abnormal and change the morphology of the pulse wave.

Enterovirus board game for elementary school children: A pilot study.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of an enterovirus board game on improving knowledge of enterovirus for elementary school children in Taiwan.

Design: A pilot study with a one-group pretest-posttest design.

Sample: Using convenience sampling, 27 children were recruited from a single elementary school in Taiwan in June 2020.

Indoor Positioning Using Magnetic Fingerprint Map Captured by Magnetic Sensor Array.

By collecting the magnetic field information of each spatial point, we can build a magnetic field fingerprint map. When the user is positioning, the magnetic field measured by the sensor is matched with the magnetic field fingerprint map to identify the user's location. However, since the magnetic field is easily affected by external magnetic fields and magnetic storms, which can lead to "local temporal-spatial variation", it is difficult to construct a stable and accurate magnetic field fingerprint map for indoor positioning.

A Novel Dentary Bone Conduction Device Equipped with Laser Communication in DSP.

In this study, we designed a dentary bone conduction system that transmits and receives audio by laser. The main objective of this research was to propose a complete hardware design method, including a laser audio transmitter and receiver and digital signal processor (DSP) based digital signal processing system. We also present a digital filter algorithm that can run on a DSP in real time.

Framing and self-responsibility modulate brain activities in decision escalation.

Background: Escalation of commitment is a common bias in human decision making. The present study examined (1) differences in neural recruitment for escalation and de-escalation decisions of prior investments, and (2) how the activations of these brain networks are affected by two factors that can arguably modulate escalation decisions: (i) self-responsibility, and (ii) framing of the success probabilities.

Results: Imaging data were obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) applied to 29 participants.

Mercury distribution and speciation in two lagoons with different pollution and eutrophication conditions in Taiwan.

This study explored biogeochemical processes controlling the distribution of mercury (Hg) species in two lagoons with different pollution and eutrophication conditions in southwestern Taiwan. The eutrophication and pollution levels were higher in the Dapeng Bay than in the Chiku Lagoon, engendering a higher particulate Hg concentration and enrichment factor in the Dapeng Bay. The concentration range of total dissolved Hg (Hg) and reactive Hg (Hg) was comparable between the lagoons, but the concentration of particulate Hg (Hg) was higher in the Dapeng Bay.

Biofilm Formation in : Genotype-Phenotype Correlation.

Strains of are commensal and opportunistic pathogens that have emerged as problematic hospital pathogens due to its biofilm formation ability and multiple antibiotic resistances. The biofilm-associated pathogens usually exhibit dramatically decreased susceptibility to antibiotics. This study was aimed to investigate the correlation of biofilm-forming ability, antibiotic resistance and biofilm-related genes of 154 isolates which were collected from a teaching hospital in Taiwan.

Genetic variation of the land-locked freshwater shrimp Caridina pseudodenticulata (Decapoda: Atyidae: Caridina) in Taiwan.

Caridina pseudodenticulata is a land-locked freshwater shrimp, which is endemic to North and West Taiwan. It is listed as Vulnerable under criteria A1ce in the IUCN Red List. Our study used mitochondrial DNA fragment sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to examine its genetic structure.

Investigation on critical structural motifs of ligands for triggering glucocorticoid receptor nuclear migration through molecular docking simulations.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a transcription factor regulating gene expression in a ligand-dependent fashion, is known for flexibility in adapting various ligands with their structures ranging from steroid to non-steroid. However, in our previous study, GR shows a stringent discrimination against a set of steroid ligands with highly similar structures for triggering its nuclear migration. In order to resolve this puzzle, we employed molecular docking simulations to investigate the origin of this structural discrimination.

The changes in shoulder rotation strength ratio for various shoulder positions and speeds in the scapular plane between baseball players and non-players.

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effect of shoulder positions and speeds on internal and external rotation torque of college baseball players and age-matched non-players. [Subjects] Twenty first-level collegiate baseball players and 19 college students were recruited. [Methods] A dynamometer system was used to evaluate the shoulder rotation strength in sitting postures.

[Human capital vs. manpower: fostering a greater global perspective within the nursing profession in Taiwan].

Nursing today is an occupation greatly influenced and shaped by global standards and internationally recognized standard practices and requirements. Therefore, cultivating nursing capital and ensuring nursing manpower requires an international perspective. Nursing migration is currently a popular approach used by many developed countries to address domestic shortfalls in nursing manpower.

Can Facebook use induce well-being?

Over the past few decades, the widespread phenomenon of Internet abuse has gained attention from the public, academia, and the media. In a departure from this negative viewpoint, however, researchers and educators have devoted considerable effort in attempting to understand the influence of online communication on people's psychological well-being. This study focuses specifically on Facebook, and proposes a research model to examine the relationships among Facebook use, online social support, general social support, and psychological well-being.