The effects of a web-based supplementary program for facilitating nursing students' basic nursing skills.

This study examined the effects of an asynchronous Web-based supplementary learning program on the performance of nursing students' basic nursing skills. A posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Students in the intervention group (n = 62) were given login information to access the online program, while the control group (n = 99) was not. Data from both groups were collected before and 4 weeks after the intervention. An objective assessment of basic nursing skills was used to evaluate the level of skill demonstrated by the participants. Results indicate that the Web-based supplementary learning program is effective at strengthening students' basic nursing skills (P = .002). The findings also reveal that students in the intervention group showed higher-than-average satisfaction with the supplementary program (mean, 3.80 [SD, 0.81]). Thus, this Web-based program offers a learning opportunity for nursing students to enhance their skills beyond their formal lectures.

Effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for improving depressive mood status among nursing home elders in Taiwan: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) to improve depressive mood status among elders in a nursing home in Taiwan. This was an experimental, pre- and posttest study with 2 groups. Nine subjects in the experimental group received TEAS for 15 minutes, 5 times a week for 1 month. Seven subjects in the control group received social visits for 15 minutes, 5 times a week for 1 month. Results indicated that the posttest depression scores significantly differed between the 2 groups. Subjects in the experimental group showed a statistically significant improvement in depressive mood status, but changes in the depressive mood status of subjects in the comparison group were not statistically significant. In conclusion, TEAS can be a safe, easy, and noninvasive technique for nursing home staff to improve the depressive mood status of elders.

Gamma-H2AX upregulation caused by Wip1 deficiency increases depression-related cellular senescence in hippocampus.

The PP2C family member Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1) critically regulates DNA damage response (DDR) under stressful situations. In the present study, we investigated whether Wip1 expression was involved in the regulation of DDR-induced and depression-related cellular senescence in mouse hippocampus. We found that Wip1 gene knockout (KO) mice showed aberrant elevation of hippocampal cellular senescence and of γ-H2AX activity, which is known as a biomarker of DDR and cellular senescence, indicating that the lack of Wip1-mediated γ-H2AX dephosphorylation facilitates cellular senescence in hippocampus. Administration of the antidepressant fluoxetine had no significant effects on the increased depression-like behaviors, enriched cellular senescence, and aberrantly upregulated hippocampal γ-H2AX activity in Wip1 KO mice. After wildtype C57BL/6 mice were exposed to the procedure of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), cellular senescence and γ-H2AX activity in hippocampus were also elevated, accompanied by the suppression of Wip1 expression in hippocampus when compared to the control group without CUMS experience. These CUMS-induced symptoms were effectively prevented following fluoxetine administration in wildtype C57BL/6 mice, with the normalization of depression-like behaviors. Our data demonstrate that Wip1-mediated γ-H2AX dephosphorylation may play an important role in the occurrence of depression-related cellular senescence.

The effectiveness of a health promotion programme for women in southern Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an 8 week aerobic exercise class for women on changes in their physical activity behaviour. This was a descriptive, retrospective and comparison study. Because the data were collected after an 8 week aerobic exercise class, there were two groups of subjects. Subjects in the exercise group had attended exercise classes, but subjects in the control group had not. Results showed statistically significant differences between the two groups in the frequency/week of moderately intense exercise-related activities, caloric expenditure/week in all exercise-related activities and caloric expenditure/week in moderately intense exercise-related activities. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the frequency/week of all exercise-related activities. The result that women in the exercise group practised physical activities more than women in the control group might be related to their high exercise self-efficacy expectations.