Search

This study tested whether communication neglect (CN) mediated the relationship between caregivers' reports of care receivers' cognitive status and/or problem behavior and thoughts about potential harmful behaviors (PHB) toward their care receiver. It also examined if caregivers' expressed anger and a positive pre-morbid relational history moderated the prediction of CN on PHB. Family caregivers (N = 339) in the U.S. completed the survey via Qualtrics. Results suggested that CN is a meaningful mediator explaining how PHB might occur. Caregiver expressed anger moderated the prediction of CN on PHB/physical abuse. Lastly, caregivers' perceptions of a positive pre-morbid relational history were a potential protective factor against PHB. When caregiver expressed anger was moderate or high, the prediction of CN on PHB/physical abuse was positive, but its strength was reduced as pre-morbid relational history became stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Whether paternal age associated with offspring's epilepsy risk is a cause of de novo mutation as men age, or just an association due to confounding factors, is still unclear. Methods We performed a population-based, multi-generation and sibling comparison study in Taiwan, which included 2 751 232 singletons born in 2001–17 who were followed until 2020. Of these, 819 371/826 087 with information on paternal/maternal grandparents were selected for multi-generation analyses and 1 748 382 with sibling(s) were selected for sibling comparison. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results In the total cohort, there was an increased risk of epilepsy in individuals with advanced paternal age, e.g. the HR for paternal age ≥50 was1.36 (95% CI: 1.15–1.61) compared with paternal age 25–29, and fathers older than mothers, e.g. the HR for parental age difference ≥15 years was 1.29 (95% CI: 1.16–1.43). When accounting for parental age difference, the association between paternal age and epilepsy in offspring was attenuated (HR for paternal age ≥50 was 1.11, 95% CI: 0.93–1.34). Multi-generation analyses did not support the association of advanced grand-paternal age at childbirth of the parent with offspring's risk of epilepsy. Sibling comparison analyses did not support the association of older paternal age with increased risk of epilepsy (HR was 0.96 for per year increase in paternal age, 95% CI: 0.96–0.97). Conclusions These results do not support the hypothesis that advanced paternal age is associated with epilepsy in offspring. Instead, familial factors may explain the observed paternal age association with the offspring's risk of epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laminated composites have been commonly applied to all fields. When made into laminated composites, Kevlar woven fabrics are able to provide the required functions. In this study, two types of TPU are incorporated to improve the intralayer features of Kevlar/TPU laminated composites. Hence, the Kevlar/TPU laminated composites consist of firmly bonded laminates while retaining flexibility of the fabrics. Being the interlayer of the laminated composites, the TPU layer provides adhesion while strengthening the tensile property, dynamic puncture resistance, and buffer strength of Kevlar/TPU laminated composites. The test results indicate that with a blending ratio of two types of TRU being 85/15 wt%, the Kevlar/TPU laminated composites exhibit a tensile strength of 18.08 MPa. When the stacking thickness is 1 mm, the tensile strength is improved to 357.73 N with the buffering strength reaching 4224.40 N. Notably, with a thickness being 1.2 mm, the laminated composites demonstrate a dynamic resistance being 672.15 N. In the meanwhile, functional Kevlar fabrics are allowed to keep the fiber morphology owing to the protection of TPU composite films. Considering the composition of protective gear, Kevlar/TPU laminated composites possess a powerful potential and are worthwhile exploring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the assumptions of intergroup threat theory, this study explored the influence of political identity and outgroup partisan media use on intergroup attitudes (intergroup bias and unwillingness to compromise with the opposing party) during the 2018 U.S. mid-term election and how perceptions of threats posed by the opposing party mediated these relationships. We found that political identity was positively associated with intergroup bias and unwillingness to support compromise, whereas outgroup media exposure was negatively associated with such attitudes. Perceptions of realistic threats posed by the opposing party partially mediated the relationships between party identity and intergroup bias, but not between party identity and unwillingness to support compromise. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migraine is a recurrent headache disease that has been identified as a risk factor for subsequent dementia. The present study collected data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to investigate the incidence of dementia in patients with migraine who did or did not concurrently receive acupuncture treatment. Methods: A 1:1 propensity score method was used to match an equal number of patients (N = 4813) in the acupuncture and nonacupuncture cohorts based on sex, age, migraine diagnosis year, index year, insurance amount, urbanization level, baseline comorbidities, and medication usage. We employed Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate the risk of dementia. Results: Patients with migraine who received acupuncture treatment were found to have a lower risk of dementia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.40– 0.65) than those who did not undergo acupuncture treatment. The cumulative incidence of dementia was significantly lower in the acupuncture cohort than in the nonacupuncture cohort (Log rank test, p < 0.001). This propensity score–matched cohort study demonstrated an association between acupuncture treatment and dementia development in patients with migraine in Taiwan. Conclusion: The results suggest that acupuncture treatment significantly reduced the development of dementia in patients with migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how news audience's predispositions (value and outcome involvement, political and gun ownership identities) predicted perceived media bias in mass shooting coverage against gun owners and intention to participate in discursive activities concerning gun issues. Republicans, strong identifiers of gun ownership, and those who perceived the outcome of tightening gun ownership would affect their lives predicted perceptions of media bias. Strong party identifiers, gun ownership identifiers, and those who displayed outcome involvement predicted intention to participate in discursive activities. Perceived media bias was not found to predict the intention to participate in discursive activities concerning gun issues. The results extended the theoretical discussion of corrective action hypothesis and increased our understanding of both individual-level (personal involvement) and social-psychological level (social identities) factors relevant to biased media perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions in the United States resorted to remote instruction after the disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The disjointed nature of this transition of managing the academic crisis needs to be critically engaged. By examining the experiences of global communication faculty at a midsize Midwestern university, this study attempts to reflect on the circumstances, challenges, and some unexpected outcomes of the phenomenon. Based on testimonies generated from the authors' experiences and interviews conducted with instructors, the study outlines lessons learned from the adoption of media technology and offers insights on reimagining global communication pedagogy in the post-pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging evidence supports a strong association between the skin and the gut. The association between seborrheic dermatitis (SD) and peptic ulcer disease (PUD) was largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association of SD and PUD. Methods: This nationwide population‐based cohort study was conducted using the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 19 445 participants was recruited. Each patient with a diagnosis of incident SD was matched to four patients without SD using propensity scores based on age, gender, index year, insurance amount, urbanisation level, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), the presence of comorbidities and medication use. The primary endpoint was the development of incident PUD. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for PUD occurrence in relation to the presence of SD were calculated. Results: Overall, patients with SD had a significantly higher risk for incident PUD than those without SD in both univariable (crude HR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.38–1.86, P < 0.001) and multivariable (adjusted HR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.36–1.83, P < 0.001) Cox proportional hazard regression models. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that the cumulative incidence of PUD was consistently higher in individuals with SD than those without SD (log‐rank test, P < 0.001). A higher risk of PUD was also found in individuals with SD than those without SD in all stratified analyses by age, gender, CCI and follow‐up time. Conclusion: Patients with SD may have a higher risk for incident PUD. Further studies are warranted to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, long fiber‐reinforced thermoplastics (LFT) and coextrusion are applied to wrap carbon fiber tows in a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) outer layer. In this way, the proposed wrapped yarns have a sheath–core structure. Scanning electron microscopy observation reveals that TPU and carbon fiber tows form a physical combination that allows TPU to further enhance the tensile strength of carbon fiber tows by 35.87%, which is 19.62 ± 1.88 MPa. The tensile strain of carbon fiber tows also improves. LFT and coextrusion are performed to produce successive carbon fiber tows that can be successfully fabricated into textiles, possessing good fabric flexibility. The technique of carbon fiber tows can be applied to mass production feasibility for the field of carbon fiber composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the association between erectile dysfunction and fibromyalgia, and to clarify related comorbidities and treatment modalities. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was carried out using 1 million records in the National Health Insurance Research Database. From 2001 to 2012, a total of 53 678 male patients newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia were recruited as the fibromyalgia cohort, and the same number of the non‐fibromyalgia cohort was enrolled and matched with propensity score with age, income, comorbidities, and prescribed medications. All records were followed up until the end of 2013. The Cox proportional hazards model was carried out to assess the risk of erectile dysfunction among fibromyalgia patients. Results: The incidence rates of erectile dysfunction were 36.86 and 21.15 (per 10 000 person‐years) in the fibromyalgia and non‐fibromyalgia cohorts, respectively, and a significantly increased risk of erectile dysfunction in fibromyalgia patients was noted (adjusted hazard ratio 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.55–1.85, P < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed increased risk of erectile dysfunction in the fibromyalgia cohort regardless of treatment prescriptions of tramadol, antidepressants, gabapentin and non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs. Conclusions: Fibromyalgia was found to be an independent risk factor for the incidence of erectile dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to combine carbon fibers and copper metallic wires using a rotary twister, and the employment of wire coating technique reinforces the mechanical properties of carbon fibers, creating more feasible applications. The proposed carbon (C)/copper (Cu)/polyester (PET)/polypropylene (PP)/acrylic (A) woven fabrics preserve the electrical conductivity of carbon fibers and metallic wires while maintaining the thin and soft features of woven fabrics. In addition to good electrical conductivity, wire coating technique provides the coated wires with greater mechanical properties, including tensile strength, elongation, bending torsion, creep resistance, and wear‐resistant property. The proposed manufacturing design contributes to an innovative production without interfering with the intrinsic properties of materials, which also broadens the application range of the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to improve the mechanical properties, stabilized structures, and light weight plastic packaging materials to realize diverse applications. A sheet extrusion machine is used to fabricate sandwich-structured composites, which are composed of two polymer cover sheets and a nonwoven interlayer. The samples are prepared in two batches with different cover sheets: thermoplastic polyurethane and polypropylene. Moreover, low-melting-point polyester (LMPET) fibers and Kevlar fibers are fabricated into a LMPET/Kevlar nonwoven interlayer. The laminated composites are evaluated in terms of morphologies, mechanical properties, combustion rates, and thermal behavior. Kevlar fibers are flame resistant and mechanically strong. LMPET fibers promote the interfacial bonding between layers. Thus, the laminated composites are good candidates as packaging materials, and they can be made with rigid or soft materials, depending on specified requirements. Rigid materials can provide higher strengths, and the distribution of fibers thus helps the PP-based laminated composites to obtain higher crystal stability. Moreover, using TPU with flexibility contributes to high extensibility, which grants the laminated composites with high toughness, light weight, and low restriction against the morphology. Such manufacturing is also efficient and economical, thereby satisfying the requirements of plastic packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the current study was to examine the roles of communication neglect and caregiver traits (i.e., anger and hostility) in explaining caregivers' tendency to engage in abusive behaviors – specifically, whether such tendency is likely to occur in situations where caregivers perceive older care receivers displaying cognitive impairment or problem behaviors. Two hundred fifty-five informal caregivers completed an online questionnaire via Qualtrics. Treating communication neglect as the mediator, and caregiver anger and hostility as moderators, the results suggested that caregivers who perceived their older care receivers displaying problem behaviors were more likely to engage in communication neglect, which then led to psychological abuse. Moreover, the joint effects of communication neglect and caregiver anger and hostility intensified caregivers' likelihood to commit psychological abuse. These findings provide initial evidence to further investigate the importance of communication neglect and dysfunctional behaviors such as anger and hostility in explaining psychological abuse in informal caregiving for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are commonly used in different fields because the evenly distributed fibers in polymer can efficiently transmit the load of a force and mechanically reinforce the polymer matrices. This study proposes producing composite sandwiches using thermoplastic polyurethane sheets as the top and bottom layers and a polypropylene/Kevlar nonwoven fabric the interlayer. Thermoplastic polyurethane sheets and a polypropylene/Kevlar nonwoven fabric are combined using the sheet extrusion method, during which the polypropylene staple fibers are melted and firmly bond the thermoplastic polyurethane sheets. The mechanical properties, thermal behavior, and surface morphology of composite sandwiches are evaluated, examining the influence of parameters. The test results show that the composite sandwiches are mechanically reinforced as a result of using the nonwoven covers. Moreover, the improved interfacial bonding between the cover layers and the interlayer inhibits delamination, and the stabilized structure subsequently decreases the level of combustion which is in conformity of the differential scanning calorimetry results. The manufacturing is creative and efficient due to one-step shaping, creating a refined composite sandwich with good mechanical properties and combustion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes using polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride (MA) to improve the interfacial compatibility between modified impact-resistant polypropylene (MPP) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The melt-compounding and injection method is used to prepare MPP/TPU/MA blends. The blending morphology, tensile behavior, flexural behavior, and impact behavior of blends are evaluated in terms of the content of TPU and MA. The SEM images show the positive influence of using MA on the compatibility between MPP and TPU, and only 1 wt% of it can efficiently decrease the difference in polarity and interfacial tension. As MA is an additional reinforcement, 100 wt% of the blends are made of MPP and TPU, indicating that more TPU means less MPP. When the blends are made of more TPU, the tensile strength of the control group (pure MPP/TPU blends) shows a decreasing trend. By contrast, MPP80/TPU20/MA3 blends have a tensile strength of 28 MPa and Young's modulus of 927 MPa, while MPP90/TPU10/MA1 blends have the optimal flexural stress of 53.99 MPa and flexural modulus of 1493.61 MPa. Exception for MPP60/TPU40/MA1 blends, all the other experimental groups have greater impact strength as a result of using 1 wt% of MA. Specifically, MPP90/TPU10/MA1 blends have the maximum impact strength of 105.28 J/ m. The addition of MA has proven to efficiently improve the compatibility and interfacial adhesion between MPP and TPU, thereby forming an extraordinary bonding with a stabilized phase where a stress can be efficiently distributed. This study expects to design and adjust the performance of the composite blends according to the test results of SEM observation, tensile strength test, and impact strength test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study investigates the mechanical properties and damage behavior of flexible laminated composites. Needle punching is performed to combine woven Kevlar fabric and two nonwoven low-melting point polyester (LMPET) fabrics into a fabric interlayer. A sheet-extrusion machine is used to bond two thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sheets on each side of a fabric interlayer. The tensile strength, peel load, and static puncture resistance of the flexible laminated composites are evaluated, and the influences of needle-punching rates and depths are examined. Test results show that a high needle-punching rate or depth positively affects tensile strength by promoting fiber entanglement. The tensile strength of the 300-15 group reaches 24.70 MPa. Moreover, when the needle-punching depth does not exceed 11 mm, melted LMPET fibers help bond two-phase materials and thus increase the peel loads of the final composites. The 200-11 group has an optimal puncture resistance of 5.86 N. The combination of TPU sheets and woven Kevlar fabrics yields flexible laminated composites with good static puncture resistance. The results of this study can be applied to improve the performance of flexible laminated composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laminated composites are subject to delamination. This study aims to address this drawback and obtain structurally stable, lightweight, thin laminated composites through a novel manufacturing method that involves blending thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), low‐melting polyester (LMPET), and Kevlar. Nonwoven LMPET/Kevlar fabrics are first processed through a nonwoven technique and then combined twice with TPU sheets through the sheet extrusion method. The mechanical properties, thermal behavior, and combustion resistance of the laminated TPU/LMPET/Kevlar composites are then evaluated. Results show that LMPET fibers strengthen adhesion between TPU and nonwoven laminates, and the addition of a small amount of TPU increases the peeling strength of the laminated TPU/LMPET/Kevlar composites by 1.9‐fold. The distribution of Kevlar fibers enhances the tensile properties and flame resistance of the laminated composites. Specifically, the tensile strength of the laminated TPU/LMPET/Kevlar composites reaches 18.85 MPa, and their combustion rate is significantly reduced. The proposed manufacturing design efficiently reduces delamination, thus extending the application range of laminated TPU/LMPET/Kevlar composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E550–E558, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the literature on family violence, intergenerational communication, and elder abuse, and the communication accommodation theory, this study tested a revised model of communication-based model of elder abuse and neglect. Treating perceptions of elderly care receiver’s under-accommodative behaviors (i.e., communication problems, painful self-disclosure, and patronizing talk) as moderators, relationships between family caregiver’s characteristics and forms of elder abuse/neglect were examined. Adult family caregivers (N = 220) were surveyed. The results suggested partial support of the proposed model. Caregivers’ perceptions of their elderly care receivers’ under-accommodation significantly moderated the relationships between different caregiver characteristics and all three forms of abuse. Discussion focused on the theoretical contribution of the findings, and the potential influence of the three under-accommodative behaviors in the family caregiving context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonwoven fabrics were used as reinforcement to laminated composites to improve the mechanical properties and damage behaviors. The needle-punched Kevlar/LMPET nonwoven interlayer and two TPU covers were combined via thermal bonding to form the laminated composites. Tensile strength, peel load, and static puncture resistance of the laminated composites were evaluated in terms of needle punching rate and depth of the nonwoven interlayer. Results showed that tensile strength and static puncture resistance depended on the needle punching depth, primarily on the tangled fiber points. The peel load was dependent on the needle punching rate, especially on the resulting melted LMPET fibers. The laminated composites exhibited desirable tensile properties, peel load, and static puncture resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The co‐occurrence of depression and diabetes mellitus has been linked to an increased risk of developing cancer. This study aimed to investigate whether depression further amplifies the risk of cancer among individuals with diabetes. Methods: This population‐based matched cohort study utilized Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims database. A total of 85,489 newly diagnosed diabetic patients with depressive disorders were selected, along with 427,445 comparison subjects. The matching process involved age, sex, and the calendar year of diabetes onset. The average follow‐up duration for the two cohorts was 6.4 and 6.5 years, respectively. The primary outcome of interest was the occurrence of overall cancer or cancer at specific anatomical sites. Results: The adjusted hazard ratios for overall cancer incidence were 1.08 (95% CI, 1.05–1.11). For site‐specific cancers, depression exhibited significant associations with oropharyngeal, esophageal, liver, gynecological, prostate, kidney, and hematologic malignancies among patients with diabetes. Notably, a severity‐response relationship was observed, indicating that patients with recurrent episodes of major depressive disorders exhibited a higher incidence of cancer compared to those diagnosed with dysthymia or depressive disorder not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the strength of the association between depression and cancer risk was more pronounced among younger patients with diabetes as opposed to older adults. However, no significant relationship was observed between adherence to antidepressant treatment and cancer risk. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate a significant association between depression and an elevated risk of cancer among individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Future investigations should replicate our findings, explore the effects of pharmacological and non‐pharmacological treatments on cancer risk, and identify the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is conducted with an attempt to explore the influences of PEO (2, 4, 6 wt%) and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (100, 125, 150, and 175 mg/mL) over the antibacterial and other performances of wound dressings. The PEO/ Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge mixtures are formed into wound dressings via the electrospinning. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, fiber diameter analysis, water contact angle measurement, and antibacterial assay are performed to investigate the properties of wound dressings. The properties of nanofiber membranes are correlated with PEO concentration, and the antibacterial property of nanofiber membranes is dependent on the Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge concentration, which makes the optimal Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge/PEO ratio being 175/6. The optimal diameter of nanofibers is 239.00 ± 361 nm while the maximal diameter of inhibition zone is 11.50 mm. To sum up, the Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge-loaded wound dressings exhibit the optimal water contact angle, antibacterial property, and nanofiber diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viewing a hostile media bias against one’s group (e.g., political party) is a perceptual effect of media use. When it comes to the portrayal of political parties in the United States, prior research suggests that both Democrats and Republicans see mainstream media coverage as favoring the other side, regardless of the orientation of the political news coverage. Although prior research has not identified all factors that make this perceptual bias more likely, or at explaining how or why this perceptual effect occurs, we do know that it is related to one’s group identity. In this study, we examined salient predictors of hostile media bias during the 2012 presidential campaign. Individual (i.e., political cynicism) and group identity related (i.e., group status, intergroup bias, political ideology) differences of media users predicted such perceptions. But, the medium selected for political information about the campaign also mattered. The use of two media in particular—TV and social networking sites—appear to have blunted hostile media bias perceptions, whereas the use of two other media—radio and video sharing sites—appear to have accentuated perceptions that the media were biased against one’s party [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study focused on the use of reflective learning e-journals in a university web-based English as a foreign language (EFL) course. In the study, a multimedia-based English programme comprising fifteen different units was delivered online as a one-semester instructional course. Ninety-eight undergraduate students participated, and they were divided into two groups: the treatment group used reflective learning e-journals, while the control group completed content-related exercises. The study investigated the effects of reflective learning e-journals and how students used them to aid learning. Results show that when learning from web-based instruction, students who used reflective learning e-journals outperformed students who did not do so in terms of reading comprehension. Using reflective e-journals improved the academic performance of learners in the online course. In addition, journal writing students claimed that they also improved their organisational skills and writing abilities through their reflective learning e-journal writing and found the journal writing to be a very helpful tool in reviewing the course and preparing for the exam. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study proposes the composites with a sandwich structure that is primarily made by the multi-step foaming process. The staple material is polyurethane (PU) foam that is combined with carbon fibers, followed by a Kevlar woven fabric. The composites are evaluated in terms of puncture resistance, buffer absorption, and electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness (EMSE). The manufacturing process provides the composites with a stabilized structure efficiently. Serving the interlayer, a Kevlar woven fabric are sealed between a top and a bottom layer consisting of both PU foam and an aluminum film in order, thereby forming five-layered composites. Namely, the upper and lower surfaces of the five-layered sandwiches are aluminum films which is laminated on a purpose for the EMSE reinforcement. The test results indicate that the PU foam composites are well bonded and thus acquire multiple functions from the constituent materials, including buffer absorption, puncture resistance, and EMSE. There is much prospect that the PU foam composites can be used as a protective material in diverse fields owing to a flexible range of functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, shape memory polyurethane (SMP) foaming material is used as the main material that is incorporated with carbon fiber woven fabrics via two-step foaming method, forming sandwich-structured composite planks. The process is simple and efficient and facilitates any composition as required. The emphasis of this study is protection performances, involving puncture resistance, buffer absorption, and electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness. The proposed soft PU foam composite planks consist of the top and bottom PU foam layers and an interlayer of carbon fiber woven fabric. Meanwhile, PU foam is incorporated with carbon staple fibers and an aluminized PET film for reinforcement requirements and electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness, respectively. Based on the test results, the two-step foaming process can provide the PU foam composite planks with excellent buffer absorption, puncture resistance, and electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness; therefore, the proposed composite planks contribute a novel structure composition to SMP, enabling it to be used as a protective composite. In addition, the composites contain conductive material and thus exhibit a greater diversity of functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This experimental study aimed to investigate the effect of enhanced structured web discussion on EFL students'' language production. This effect was measured by the number of T units and by students'' use of the cognitive skills identified by Hunt (1965). A total of 27 college students participated in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: the control group, the affective enhancement group and the cognitive enhancement group. Although the students in these groups received different treatment during the study, all of the students received the same instructional materials from the same instructor. The study was divided into three stages, and students'' discussion messages from the first and the last stage were collected and analysed. An ANOVA test was used to compare the mean differences among the three groups. The results showed that cognitive enhancements were beneficial both to students'' language production and their application of cognitive skills. Although the results from the affective enhancement group were not as significant as those from the cognitive enhancement group, the students from the affective enhancement group also experienced improvement in both language production and the use of cognitive skills. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present research systematically examines cognitive representations of stereotypes of old age and young adults' and older adults' perceptions of their own communication accommodative behaviors, emotions, and communication satisfaction when a particular Intergenerational Communication Schema is activated. Taiwanese respondents show both congruent and incongruent patterns of responding: Some schemas yield consistently positive or negative responses across dependent variables, whereas others yield mixed and apparently inconsistent patterns. Respondents from the USA show that a helping orientation, when it is associated with different schemas (positive, very sympathetic, or negative) may result in different overall evaluations of the intergenerational conversation experience. Results are discussed in relation to the Communication Predicament of Aging Model and Chinese cultural values of intergenerational communication. Limitations are acknowledged and future studies are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was carried out in order to compare and establish the changes in physicochemical properties of starch from four different cultivars of yam at various stages of maturity during growth. The results showed that the starch content of the four yam tubers increased as growth progressed and were in the range of 70.5–85.3% on a dry basis. The shapes of the starch granules were round to oval or angular in the four yams and the size of starch granule increased with growth time ranging from 10 to 40μm. The X-ray diffraction patterns could be classified as typical of B-type starch for the four cultivars of yam starch. The transition temperature of gelatinization of the four yam starches decreased during maturity. The RVA parameters suggested that yam starch paste showed a lower breakdown at an early harvest time. It appeared to be thermo-stable during heating but had a high setback after cooling, which might result in a tendency towards high retrogradation. The results for pasting behaviors showed that higher amylose content was associated with a lower pasting temperature and a higher peak viscosity in these starches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examined intergenerational communication schemas by investigating young adults' cognitive representations of communication with older adults in Taiwan. Forty-one Taiwanese college students described conversations with an older adult in response to a variety of interviewer prompts. Transcripts were read and content analyzed by the first two authors. To capture the characteristics of the conversation descriptions, eleven coding dimensions were generated based on schema theory, and all conversation descriptions were coded along these dimensions. Coding results were submitted to hierarchical cluster analysis, yielding five schemas: Mutually satisfying, helping, mixed feelings, small talk, and mutually unpleasant conversations. Results are discussed in terms of similarities and differences from Harwood, McKee and Lin's (2000) study, schema theory, intergenerational communication, and Chinese cultural norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how age identities are presented in an on-line discussion forum for older adults. On-line messages (N=550) were examined using discourse and content analyses. Evidence of a tension between positive and negative age identities emerged in the analysis. Positive themes included a mind-over-body attitude, active engagement, wisdom and maturity, and the freedom of age. Negative themes involved physical decline, a sense of loss, and resistance to aging. Positive age identity themes were more frequently presented in these on-line messages than negative themes, and health-related messages were the most common. The central communication features and framing tactics of each age identity theme are discussed. Implications for theoretical perspectives on discourse and social identity, the limitations of this study, and directions for future research are addressed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article investigated college students' and their grandparents' (n = 103 dyads) reports of topics in conversation with each other. For grandparents and grandchildren, family and education were the two most frequently mentioned topics. Other popular topics were leisure and friendship for both grandparents and grandchildren. A cluster analysis was performed to group the grandparent-grandchild dyads according to their topic reports. Four dyadic clusters were identified: family relationships, social activity talk, social and work talk, and impersonal events. Grandparents and grandchildren demonstrated moderate levels of agreement in the topics they reported. No association was found between reports of topics and communication satisfaction whether the reported topics were treated individually or dyadically. Theoretical implications for the literature on intergenerational communication both within and outside of family contexts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a Ti3C2 MXene@g-C3N4 composite powder (TM-CN) was prepared by the ultrasonic self-assembly method and then loaded onto a carbon nanofiber membrane by the self-assembly properties of MXene for the treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater. The characterization of the TM-CN and the C-TM-CN was conducted via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) to ascertain the successful modification. The organic dye degradation experiments demonstrated that introducing an appropriate amount of Ti3C2 MXene resulted in the complete degradation of RhB within 60 min, three times the photocatalytic efficiency of a pure g-C3N4. The C-TM-CN exhibited the stable and outstanding photocatalytic degradation of the RhB solution over a wide range of pH values, indicating the characteristics of the photodegradation of organic pollutants in a wide range of aqueous environments. Furthermore, the results of the cyclic degradation experiments demonstrated that the C-TM-CN composite film maintained a degradation efficiency of over 85% after five cycles, thereby confirming a notable improvement in its cyclic stability. Consequently, the C-TM-CN composite film exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance and is readily recyclable, making it an auspicious eco-friendly material in water environment remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research investigating incident malignancy risk in erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent (ESA) users with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is lacking. We aimed to compare the incident cancer risk between ESA and non‐ESA users with CKD or end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). In this retrospective cohort study, all adults newly diagnosed with CKD or ESRD between 2000 and 2012 were enrolled. The study population included 98,748 patients. After case–control matching, 7115 patients were included. The defined daily dose (DDD) of ESA was used as the unit for measuring the amount of ESA prescribed. The primary outcome was the risk of incident malignancy. The secondary outcomes were incident malignancy risk in different tertiles of cumulative ESA doses and the risk of different types of cancers. The risk of incident malignancy was 1.84 times higher with ESA treatment than without ESA treatment (hazard ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.43–2.36; p < 0.001). The malignancy risk was positively correlated with the cumulative dose of ESA (p‐for‐trend = 0.001) and a significant difference in the high annual cumulative DDD cohort (hazard ratio [HR], 2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76–3.25; p < 0.001). The risk of genitourinary malignancy was 12.55 times higher with ESA treatment than without ESA treatment (HR, 12.55; 95% CI, 5.78–27.24; p < 0.001). ESA usage is associated with an increased risk of malignancy, particularly genitourinary cancers, in patients with CKD or ESRD. Clinicians should be aware of the occurrence of malignancy, and keep ESA dosage as low as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk of peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) in patients with lower leg fracture who underwent fixation procedures is not yet completely understood. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the risk of subsequent PAOD in patients with lower leg fracture who received fixation and non-fixation treatments. Methods: We included 6538 patients with lower leg fracture who received non-fixation treatment and a matched cohort comprising 26152 patients who received fixation treatment from the National Health Insurance Database. Patients were frequency matched according to age, sex, and index year. The incidence and risk of PAOD in patients with lower leg fracture who received fixation and non-fixation treatments were evaluated via the stratification of different characteristics and comorbidities. Results: Non-fixation treatment, male sex, older age (≥ 50 years old), diabetes mellitus, and gout were associated with a significantly higher risk of lower extremity PAOD compare to each comparison group, respectively. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between fixation treatment and a lower risk of lower extremity PAOD in women (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.38–0.90), women aged > 50 years (aHR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.38–0.96), and patients with coronary artery disease (aHR = 0.43, 95% CI = (0.23–0.81). Further, patients with fixation treatment had a significantly lower risk of lower extremity PAOD within 2 years after trauma (aHR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.34–0.97). The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of PAOD was significantly higher in the non-fixation treatment group than in the fixation treatment group at the end of the 10-year follow-up period (log-rank test: P = 0.022). Conclusion: Patients with lower leg fracture who received non-fixation treatment had a significantly higher risk of PAOD than those who received fixation treatment. Moreover, the risk of PAOD was higher in women aged > 50 years, as well as in coronary artery disease patients who received non-fixation treatment than in those who received fixation treatment. Therefore, regular assessment of vessel patency are recommended for these patients. Nevertheless, further studies must be conducted to validate the results of our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HSAB principle in designing Bis(imino)acenaphthene N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) palladium complexes is presented. N‐donor ligands serve as hard bases to enhance the catalytic activities of NHC Pd complexes in Suzuki and Buchwald–Hartwig amination reactions. The Pd complex bearing tertiary amine ligands exhibited higher performance in coupling reactions than those exhibited by other soft base ligands reported in literature. 48 coupling products were generated in moderate‐to‐complete yields in the presence of aryl chlorides as substrates for Suzuki and amination reactions in air under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia affects elderly males, with progression presenting the risk of urinary complications and eventual surgical intervention. We aimed to evaluate the effects of Chinese herbal medicine in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2001 to 2013. A total of 4142 patients newly diagnosed as benign prostatic hyperplasia were enrolled and divided into cohorts of Chinese herbal medicine users and nonusers by performing 1:1 propensity score matching. The risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related complications was assessed by the Cox proportional hazard model. The cumulative incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related surgeries was assessed by Kaplan–Meier method. Results: During the study period, the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related complications was lower in the Chinese herbal medicine cohort than non‐Chinese herbal medicine cohort with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.73–0.92) after controlling for multiple variables. Subgroup analysis revealed that Chinese herbal medicine users had a significantly lower risk of urinary tract infection (adjusted hazard ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.50–0.89) and urinary retention (adjusted hazard ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.72–0.97). In addition, Chinese herbal medicine users also had a lower incidence rate of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related surgery (32.14 vs 40.20, adjusted hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.61–0.89) and a longer surgery‐free interval than non‐Chinese herbal medicine users (3.98 vs 3.00 mean person‐year, P < 0.001). Data revealed Salviae miltiorrhizae and Ji‐Sheng‐Shen‐Qi‐Wan as the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal medicine by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicine might have effects in the benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related complications and surgeries in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Studying the causes of death among deceased spouses and surviving partners may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of the association between widowhood and mortality. This study investigated the mortality risk of widowhood in Taiwan, examined the association of the cause of death between widowed individuals and their deceased spouses and explored potential modifying effects by age, gender and duration after widowhood. Methods This matched cohort study utilized Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims database and National Death Registry. In total, 204 010 widowed men and 596 136 widowed women were identified with a mean follow-up period of 6.9 and 7.9 years, respectively, and 816 040 comparison men and 2 384 544 comparison women were selected. Results Widowhood was associated with an increased mortality risk, with widowed men having a 1.32 increased risk and widowed women having a 1.27 increased risk. Age at spousal death and duration modified the associations after widowhood. The widowed individuals are more likely to die by the same cause as the deceased spouse if they died by suicide, accident, endocrine, gastrointestinal disorders or infection. Conclusions The study suggests that healthcare policies and interventions should be developed to improve widowed individuals' health and overall welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces functional composite boards, combining nano carbon yarns, stainless steels, and far-infrared (FIR) polypropylene (PP). Stainless steel filaments are wrapped in nano carbon fibers to form yarns, which are then woven into knitted fabrics. These fabrics are laminated at various angles and combined with FIR powder and PP pellets to create functional slabs. These slabs are hot-pressed to form the composite boards. The boards are tested for various properties, leading to the identification of optimal parameters: 2.5 wt% FIR powder content and a lamination angle of 0°/45°/90°. The optimal boards demonstrate high tensile strength, impact resistance, bending capacity, EMI shielding, and FIR release. Thus, the boards with these parameters offer the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes composite stents with core–shell structure. Biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) yarns are twisted and then coated with polycaprolactone/polyethylene glycol (PEG) blends. The coated yarns are weft knitted into braids and then thermally treated to form composite stents with core–shell structure. The morphological, mechanical, and biological characteristics of the formed composite stents are evaluated to determine the effects of PEG concentration. Results show that composite stents acquire the flexibility of PVA yarns and elasticity of weft knits. The presence of PEG positively influences composite stent performance. When the PEG concentration is 30 wt%, composite stents exhibit a compressive strength of 6.15 N and cell viability of 97.32% after a 24 h of culture. The selected materials are biodegradable, and the novel structure meets the requirements of bioresorbable vascular stent, which suggests that the proposed composite stents have good potential for advancement. • The stent is composed of core–shell structure includes fiber and polymers. • The stent uses the twisted PVA fiber as the core layer. • The stents acquire the flexibility of PVA yarns and elasticity of weft knits. • The biological activity test results showed no toxicity. • The components of the stent are all degradable materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known regarding the association of non-lactational mastitis women with breast cancer risk. This population-based cohort study examined the breast cancer risk in women with non-lactational mastitis. We identified 3,091 women with non-lactational mastitis between 2000 and 2011 using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We performed 1:4 propensity score matching by age, socioeconomic status and comorbidities and identified 12,364 women without non-lactational mastitis. The mean age of women with non-lactational mastitis was 37.9 years; these women had a higher breast cancer risk than the comparison group (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.94, 95% confidence interval: 1.30–2.90). The incidence rates of breast cancer in women with non-lactational mastitis and the comparison group were 14.79 and 7.57 per 10,000 person-years, respectively. Furthermore, non-lactational mastitis was a risk factor for breast cancer in women aged <50 years, women with lower socioeconomic status and women with hormonal medication (p < 0.05). Women who had more episodes of non-lactational mastitis had a higher risk of developing a breast cancer. Thus, the risk of breast cancer in women with non-lactational mastitis is significantly higher than those without non-lactational mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The research is to explore the association between nontyphoidal salmonellosis (NTS) and subsequent gastric cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study by analyzing hospitalization dataset from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Patients aged 20 years and older with NTS (n = 9 097) admitted between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012, were enrolled and followed up until December 31, 2013. The primary outcome was the incidence of gastric cancer. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the risk of malignancy, accounting for the competing risk of death. In addition, we conducted a sensitivity analysis by propensity score matching and exclusion of malignancy within 1 year observation to minimize measurable confounding and protopathic bias. Negative controls were applied to examine the presence of possible unmeasured confounders in the study. Results: The study included 18 194 patients (9097 in each NTS and non-NTS group). The median follow-up time was 7 years. The incidence density rate of gastric cancer was 0.72 per 1000 person-years for the NTS group and 0.40 per 1000 person-years for the non-NTS group. The NTS group had a modestly higher risk of gastric cancer (aHR, 2.02; 95% CI 1.18–3.45) than the non-NTS group. The sensitivity analyses revealed consistent results. Conclusions: Patients with NTS are associated with increased risk of subsequent gastric cancer compared with non-NTS patients. Future research is needed to examine whether NTS is parallel, reactive or causative to gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), glycemic control is usually suboptimal. Methods: This study compared the risks of mortality and cardiovascular events in insulin-treated patients adding or not adding alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs). Results: This cohort study included data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. In total, 17,417 patients newly diagnosed as having T2DM and undergoing insulin therapy during 2000–2012 were enrolled. Overall incidence rates of all-cause mortality, hospitalized coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and heart failure were compared between 4165 AGI users and 4165 matched nonusers. The incidence rates of all-cause mortality were 17.10 and 19.61 per 1000 person-years in AGI nonusers and users, respectively. Compared with nonusers, AGI users had a higher mortality risk [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05–1.40; p = 0.01]. Regarding AGI use, aHRs (95% CI) for cardiovascular death, non-cardiovascular death, hospitalized CAD, stroke, and heart failure were 1.20 (0.83–1.74), 1.27 (1.07–1.50), 1.12 (0.95–1.31), 0.98 (0.85–1.14), and 1.03 (0.87–1.22) respectively. Conclusion: AGI use was associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality and non-cardiovascular death in insulin-treated patients with T2DM. Therefore, adding AGIs in insulin-treated patients may not be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to develop coronary artery stents using a spray-coating method. Chitosan is coated onto the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers in order to form PVA/CS coronary artery stents. The formation of chitosan is evaluated, examining the influences on the PVA/CS stents. The stents are evaluated using surface observation, scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, thickness measurement, mesh size measurement, braid angle measurement, strut coverage rate measurement, compression strength test, and Fourier transforms infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The test results show that the spray-coating method successfully coats chitosan layer over the PVA/CS stents without sealing the mesh. Moreover, a longer spray coating span improves the compression resistance and maintains the perfect biocompatibility of the PVA/CS stents. This study successfully prepares PVA/CS coronary artery stents that are in a reticular, tubular manner, and coated with a well-formed chitosan layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore whether newly diagnosed iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is associated with subsequent systemic autoimmune disease onset.Methods: The study identified 22,440 patients who received a diagnosis of IDA between 2000 and 2012 from a random sample of 1 million people from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. The patients with IDA were randomly matched with 89,528 patients with no IDA by age, gender, and index year. We followed the 2 groups until systemic autoimmune disease onset. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to determine autoimmune disease risk by age, gender, and comorbidities, in terms of hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: Adjusted HR (95% CI) of autoimmune disease in the IDA group was 2.37 (1.92-2.92) compared with the non-IDA group. The subgroup analysis indicated that a patient with IDA had a significantly greater risk of autoimmune disease if they were female or had the comorbidities of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cancer, allergic rhinitis, urticaria, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or chronic liver disease. The autoimmune disease was significantly more likely to occur within 2 years after a new diagnosis of IDA.Conclusions: IDA significantly increases autoimmune disease risk, particularly in female patients and patients with certain comorbidities. Clinicians should conduct further clinical evaluations and laboratory tests of autoimmune disease in patients with IDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-ceramic hydroxyapatite (HA) coating has been commonly used to repair the bones or as the functionalized surface of bone substitutes due to its excellent biocompatibility, superior osteo-inductivity, and great corrosion resistance. Among many other methods for synthesizing HA coating, coating via the electrochemical deposition has a high degree of crystallinity and purity, which fits the nonlinear, complex, and rugged substrates. Furthermore, HA coating can be adjusted in terms of coating morphology, thickness, and chemical component via changing the parameters, such as electrolyte ion concentration, electrolyte composition, deposition current density, and deposition time, etc. Nevertheless, the properties of electrodeposited HA coating highly pertain to the bubbles generated by water electrolysis on the substrate surface as well as the concentration polarization of electrolyte ions near the cathode during the electrodeposition process. In this study, the critical factors and mechanisms of HA coating using the electrochemical deposition method are comprehensively evaluated, thereby examining the effects of parameter optimization (i.e., current mode, ultrasonic treatment, and postprocessing). Finally, the influences of ion substitution and HA composite coating on the surface structure and properties of the HA-based coatings are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of urinary incontinence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database. From a cohort of 1 million records between 1996 and 2013, a total of 202 279 patients with newly onset chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were initially recruited. We matched with propensity score 3967 patients who received Chinese herbal medicine by age, sex, year of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosis, urbanization, comorbidities and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medications. All participants received follow‐up visits until the end of 2013 to record the incidence rate of urinary incontinence. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to assess the association between Chinese herbal medicine use and the risk of urinary incontinence among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Results: The incidence rates of urinary incontinence were 57.33 and 108.15 (per 10 000 person‐years) in the Chinese herbal medicine and non‐Chinese herbal medicine cohorts, respectively, showing a significantly lower risk of urinary incontinence in Chinese herbal medicine users (aHR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.45–0.69, P < 0.001). The Chinese herbal medicine prescription pattern analysis showed that Fritillariae thunbergii bulbus (Zhebeimu), Semen armeniacae amarum (Kuxingren), Platycodonis radix (Jiegeng), Xiao Qing Long Tang and Ding Chuan Tang constituted the core of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions applied to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusion: The use of Chinese herbal medicine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients can reduce their risk of urinary incontinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many research papers calculate corporate social performance (CSP) with the net score method, i.e., by subtracting the number of concerns from the number of strengths. Although widely adopted, this method implies, perhaps mistakenly, that each indicator is of equal importance and that however serious the social misconduct a firm may have engaged in, it can be completely offset by some positive social action. The method also implies that a given firm that has done both a lot of harm and a lot of good will have CSP similar to that of another firm that has done little harm and little good. In this study, however, we question the appropriateness of the net score method in terms of its ability to truly reflect CSP and truly identify the real effects of CSP on various characteristics. We therefore propose a data envelopment analysis-based methodology that adopts the assurance region approach for evaluating CSP, through which various CSP indicators are converted into a single composite measure of CSP. Our findings show that our proposed methodology consistently performs better than the net score method in evaluating CSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iron deficiency is associated with decreased cellular immunity, which may predispose patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) to increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). This study investigated the relationship between newly diagnosed IDA and TB infection in Taiwan. Methods: The study included data on 21,946 patients with incident IDA and 87,555 non-IDA controls from a national database covering the period 2000–2012. IDA and non-IDA subjects were matched 1:4 on age, gender, and index year. The follow-up period was defined as the time from the initial IDA diagnosis to the date of developing TB or 31 December 2013. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals, with the control group as the reference. Results: The adjusted hazard ratio of TB for the IDA group was 1.99 (95% confidence interval, 1.77–2.25) compared with the control group. The subgroup analysis showed that for both genders, all age groups, and patients with diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hepatitis B virus infection, the IDA group had significantly higher TB incidence. The association was significantly stronger within the 5 years after new IDA diagnosis for both genders and all age groups. Conclusions: Higher TB incidence was discovered in the IDA group, especially for patients with comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing evidence on the contextual influence of the availability of local facilities for physical activity on the cognitive health of elderly residents is sparse. This study examined the association between neighborhood physical activity facilities and cognitive health in older individuals. A cohort study of community-dwelling older adults was performed using baseline data and follow-up data from the Taiwan Biobank. Cognitive health was measured in 32,396 individuals aged 60–70 years using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) with follow-up information on 8025 participants. The district was used as the proxy for local neighborhood. To determine neighborhood physical activity facilities, school campuses, parks, activity centers, gyms, swimming pools, and stadiums were included. Multilevel linear regression models were applied to examine the associations of neighborhood physical activity facilities with baseline MMSE and MMSE decline during follow-up, with adjustment for individual factors and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. Multilevel analyses revealed that there was a neighborhood-level effect on cognitive health among older adults. After adjusting for compositional and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics, baseline MMSE was higher in individuals living in the middle- (beta = 0.12, p -value = 0.140) and high-density facility (beta = 0.22, p -value = 0.025) groups than in the low-density group (p -value for trend-test = 0.031). MMSE decline during follow-up was slower in the middle- (beta = 0.15, p -value = 0.114) and high-density facility (beta = 0.27, p-value = 0.052) groups than in the low-density group (p-value for trend-test = 0.032). Greater neighborhood availability of physical activity facilities was associated with better cognitive health among older residents. These findings have implications for designing communities and developing strategies to support cognitive health of an aging population. • There was a community-level effect on cognitive health among elderly residents. • 6.3% of the variance in the cognitive performance occurs at the local community. • Higher community physical activity facility was associated with better cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The previous research on energy security performance (ESP) has often treated the energy security system as a "black box," meaning that it has not explored the internal composition structure of the system or the linking relationships of the energy supply chain. This study proposes a comprehensive evaluation framework and a comparative study of ESP evaluation in 32 OECD countries over 20 years, dividing the energy system into four processes. A dynamic network Data Envelopment Analysis (DNDEA) model is used to analyze the energy system's overall performance and each process's performance, considering their internal structure and dynamic characteristics. The ESP results show that half of the 32 OECD countries had perfect efficiency scores, while the other half had scores ranging from 0.0222 to 0.74. The study also found more progress in the second half of the 20-year period. In terms of the four individual processes, the total primary energy supply (TPES) and total final energy consumption (TFEC) processes had consistently high scores, while the secondary energy resources (SER) process had room for improvement. Based on a cross-check of the various ESP results over the past 20 years, as well as the ESP in the most recent decade, seven countries (Austria, Canada, Finland, South Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, and Switzerland) were identified as benchmarks for their strong performance, and the study examined the indicators underlying their success. The study also identifies areas for improvement in underperforming countries and determines future directions for improvement. • A comprehensive and unified ESP evaluation framework was proposed. • The internal structure of constituent processes inside the energy system, as well as the dynamic characteristics , were considered in the framework. • A first study to incorporate he energy system diagram into the ESP. • Seven countries that have performed well in both the long-term and short-term and continued to progress were recognized as the benchmark. • Common indicators that benchmarking countries have performed well, as well as the indicators with the most needed improvement were summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]