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This research aimed to study the impact of context on the status of empathy in terms of emotion judgment towardsothers. Specifically, how empathy would be mediated by different conditions was further investigated. Descriptions ofmoral/unmoral conditions were designed and hypothesized to influence the status of empathy accordingly. Study partic-ipants were instructed to rate pictures using TAPS (Taiwan Affective Picture System) for judging the emotion valenceand arousal of human facial expression. As a result, low-level empathy group was found to show an alternation for theiremotion judgments on both valence and arousal as the picture context changed, especially in the moral situation. Onthe contrary, high-level group only show an alternation for their emotion judgments on valence, in the unmoral situationthe most. The findings indicated that different status of empathy might be determined the emotion judgments under thecontexts where other social cues are presented.

The effects of a group music-based intervention on attachment and psychosocial adaptation in adolescents with parental attachment insecurity were examined in Taiwan. A randomized controlled trial with a pre–post and follow-up design was performed. The music group (N = 28) attended a 40-min session twice weekly for 10 weeks. The nonmusic group (N = 28) received health education. The groups underwent a parental attachment and psychosocial adaptation assessment before and after the music intervention and at the 1-week follow-up. The results were analyzed using paired-samples t -tests and a mixed analysis of variance. Fifty-four participants completed both the pre- and posttests and were included in the final data analysis. The interaction effect was statistically significant, parental attachment, F (1.07, 25.81) = 8.18, p <.005, η 2 =.14; and psychosocial maladaptation, F (1.30, 31.93) = 8.01, p <.01, η 2 =.13, scores, implying a successful intervention. A significant difference in the postintervention parental attachment, F (1.03, 25.81) = 19.19, p <.001, and psychosocial maladaptation, F (1.28, 31.93) = 14.22, p <.001, scores was found between the music and nonmusic groups. The present study confirmed that group music-based interventions may effectively improve adolescents' parental attachment and mitigate their psychosocial maladaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The 43-item Stressors in Nursing Students (SINS) scale has been evaluated among nursing students in several countries, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Pakistan, and Spain. However, the original four-factor structure has not been consistently replicated in all of these populations. The aim of this study was to develop a brief version of the traditional Chinese SINS (TC-SINS) scale and to validate it in Taiwanese nursing students. Materials and Methods: Data obtained from a cross-sectional survey study of 814 nursing students in a nursing college and a university in Taiwan were randomly divided into two parts. The first part was used to conduct an exploratory factor analysis using principal axis factoring with oblique rotation. After the removal of cross-loading items, the resulting scale was validated with the data from the second part using confirmatory factor analysis. Results: A three-factor solution (social, clinical, and education) with 23 items accounting for 54.5% of variance was obtained in the exploratory factor analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis further reduced the number of items to 20. The goodness-of-fit indexes were good (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.075 and Comparative Fit Index = 0.90). Conclusions: The number of items in the TC-SINS could be reduced from 43 to 20, without sacrificing its psychometric properties. The brief version of TC-SINS might be able to reduce respondent burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliable multilayer coating scheme for corrugated quantum well infrared photodetectors (C-QWIP) is developed using polyimide as the dielectric for detector array applications. Results showed that C-QWIP structures have no additional leakage current from applying the planarization procedure and the advantages of the coupling scheme are preserved. Hence, C-QWIP can be used for broad band and multicolor infrared detection.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify determinants within the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a conceptual framework regarding the quality of life of older long-term care facility residents. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional design was conducted. All participants (n = 210) completed a questionnaire that included the Sheltered Care Environmental Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Short Physical Performance Battery, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale. The outcome was assessed using mixed-design multiple regression with a covariance model and hierarchical regression. Results: Personal factors, environmental factors, body function and structures, and activity and participation explained 35.9%, 18.5%, 25.2%, and 52.1% of the variability in quality of life, respectively. The hierarchical model included 10 variables and explained 84.3% of the total variability in quality of life. Conclusions: Activity and participation showed high explanatory power for the quality of life of older long-term care facility residents. The influence of activity and participation in the older population is an important issue, although these factors remain relatively unexplored. This exploratory study used the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a conceptual framework to provide a more sophisticated understanding of quality of life. Although the viewpoint of quality of life involves many more factors than an understanding of an individual disease or disability condition, activity and participation were found to be the most important factors. Simple clinical measures, such as activity limitations and participation restrictions, can be used as clinical markers of quality of life, thus enabling rehabilitation professionals to determine the quality of life of older people in institutions. The conceptual framework of determinants of quality of life that this study reports may be helpful for rehabilitation professionals to explore with patients to implement interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To explore and describe the experience of social adjustment of adolescents with Tourette syndrome in Taiwan. Background: Although Tourette syndrome is a non‐life‐threatening disease, the inherent difficulties in controlling tics and comorbidities can cause long‐term physical and psychological issues, as well as social maladjustment among adolescents. Good social adjustment can promote mental health among adolescents. Currently, it is not clear how adolescents with Tourette syndrome can self‐adjust and maintain harmonious social interaction with others. Design: Descriptive phenomenological approach was used in this study. Four criteria were applied to establish the trustworthiness or methodological rigour. Methods: Sixteen adolescents with Tourette syndrome were recruited by purposive sampling from a medical centre in Northern Taiwan. Semistructured one‐on‐one interviews were performed from March 2014–April 2015 for data collection. Every participant was interviewed once or twice, and each interview lasted for duration of around 60–90 min. Data were analysed with Giorgi's phenomenological method for data analysis. Results: Three themes were identified from the adolescent' interviews. The themes were included visible and invisible destitution, moulding a socially acceptable self and coexisting friends and foes. Conclusions: Adolescents with Tourette syndrome experienced that tics are often not understood nor accepted during social interactions with others. However, with age and autonomy of adolescents, they were able to adjust and develop a socially acceptable body image and maintain amicable social interactions with others. Accompanied by positive thinking, support from friends and families, the adolescents could achieve good social adjustments for living with Tourette syndrome. Relevance to clinical practice: The experiences and feelings highlighted in this study can bring awareness to nurses and healthcare professionals for developing interventions that promote healthy social adjustment and mental health for adolescents with Tourette syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]