Background: The duration and vigour of physical exercise are widely considered to be critical elements that may positively or negatively affect physical health and immune response. Objectives: To investigate the effect of a 12 week programme of regular tai chi chuan exercise (TCC) on functional mobility, beliefs about benefits of exercise on physical and psychological health, and immune regulation in middle aged volunteers. Methods: This quasi-experimental research design involving one group with testing before and after the programme was conducted to measure the effect of 12 weeks of TCC exercise in 14 men and 23 women from the normal community. Results: Regular TCC exercise had a highly significant positive effect on functional mobility (p = 0.001) and beliefs about the health benefits of exercise (p = 0.013) in the 37 participants. Total white blood cell and red blood cell count did not change significantly, but a highly significant (p,0.001) decrease in monocyte count occurred. A significant (p = 0.05) increase in the ratio of T helper to suppressor cells (CD4:CD8) was found, along with a significant (p = 0.015) increase in CD4CD25 regulatory T cells. Production of the regulatory T cell mediators transforming growth factor b and interleukin 10 under specific antigen stimulation (varicella zoster virus) was also significantly increased after this exercise programme. Conclusions: A 12 week programme of regular TCC exercise enhances functional mobility, personal health expectations, and regulatory T cell function.

Empathy is central to a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. Valid and reliable Chinese instruments to assess nursing students' empathy are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (C-JSE-HPS) among Taiwanese undergraduate nursing students. A convenience sample of 613 Taiwanese nursing students participated in the study. Content validity, construct validity, internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were examined. Content validity was confirmed by a content validity index of 0.89. Factor analysis yielded three components of perspective taking, compassionate care and standing in the patient's shoes, explaining 57.14% of total variance. Women scored higher on empathy than men. Also, students who were enrolled in the 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) indicated greater empathy degrees than those in the 2-year Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN). Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the test-retest reliability were 0.93 and 0.92 respectively. A C-JSE-HPS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties to measure empathy of undergraduate nursing students. Educators may use this instrument to assess empathic qualities among students and design effective empathy-oriented nursing curricula to improve the quality of nursing care.

Family demographics, family demands and social support appear to be important factors that may play a critical role in how Taiwanese families respond to the birth of a child with DS. Care of children with DS and their families is likely to be more effective if professionals working with these families are aware of factors that contribute to healthy family functioning.