UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectivesTo assess the magnitude of cigarette smuggling after the market opened in Taiwan.MethodsReview of tobacco industry documents for references...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taiwan`s LNG consumption is planned to rise more than threefold over the next four years as medium-term plans to develop power generation facilities increasingly rely on gas-fired combined-cycle stations to avoid the threat of power shortages. State-run Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) expects its LNG consumption to rise from 1.1 mn tonnes in 1996 to 3.4 mn tonnes in the year 2000. By then the first of several gas-fired private power stations is expected to enter service, further increasing Taiwan`s total LNG requirement for power generation. (Author)

Science.gov (United States)

Timber Management by Mississippi Tree Farmer Creates Safe Harbor for Tortoises and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers I...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) developed neoplastic disorders when experimentally exposed both in the laboratory and field to chemically contaminated sediment from Black Rock Harbor (BRH),...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

... PRC's President Jiang Zemin promised, under all circumstances and despite political differences, to protect fully Taiwanese business interests on ...

Science.gov (United States)

Uses a survey of educational attainment in urban Taiwan to explore the effects of ability grouping. Argues that because of the nature of educational institutionalization in Taiwan (universal basic education, a national curriculum, entrance examinations governing access to postcompulsory schooling) tracking reduces rather than accentuates the influence of family background. (MJP)

Science.gov (United States)

... L. (Poaceae), Euphorbia sp., Lepidium densiflorum Schrad. (Brassicacae)., Ipomea sp., Oxalis sp. L. (Oxalidaceae), Ruellia prostrate Poir (Acanthaceae), ... ...

Science.gov (United States)

... Harbor Township Vineland Voorhees Pediatric Partner Hospitals AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center- City Campus, Atlantic City AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center - ...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raltegravir is the first integrase inhibitor approved for treatment of HIV-infected patients harboring multiresistant viruses.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundUse of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important category of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), has increased substantially in Western countries during...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Among 235 extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL) isolates collected from a nationwide surveillance performed in Taiwan, 102 (43.4%) were...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taiwan has completed a very successful five-year industrial waste minimization (IWM) demonstration and promotion project sponsored by the government. From 1990 to 1995, the project successfully disseminated the IWM concept of pollution prevention (P2) to industries. It effectively reduced industrial waste while significantly benefitting the economy by assisting industries in implementing in-plant IWM programs. In July 1995, the second stage of the five-year IWM and ISO 14000 promotion project was initiated for further promoting the IWM, P2, and cleaner production and, in particular, coping with the upcoming international environmental management standards (ISO 14000). To assist industries in establishing an environmental management system (EMS) and accumulating related experience, an EMS pilot demonstration project of five model industries and an ISO 14001 EMS demonstration and promotion project for 22 factories in 13 industries were initiated in October 1995 and ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The fungal pathogen Candida albicans is one of the leading causative agents of death in immunocompromised individuals. It harbors an arsenal of cell wall anchored factors that are implicated...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Mice harboring a null mutation in Abca4/Abcr serve as a model of autosomal recessive Stargardt disease. Consistent with the human retinal disorder, deficiency...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The long term goal is to determine the ecological importance of specific toxic metals (copper and zinc) in harbors, through an understanding of their chemistry and biological effects at the base of marine food chains. This work provides information on potential problems with Zn and Cu, which may help to foresee problems in the future. Anthropogenic inputs of both metals are increasing; they are derived from diverse sources and are a simple function of population growth in coastal regions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This Reference Book contains a current copy of the Clean Water Act (Section 404) and the Rivers and Harbors Act (Sections 9 and 10) and those regulations that implement those sections of the statutes and appear to be most relevant to DOE activities. The document is provided to DOE and contractor staff for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal guidance. Updates that include important new requirements will be provided periodically. Questions concerning this Reference Book may be directed to Mark Petts, IH-231 (FTS 896-2609 or Commercial 202/586-2609).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In recent years, cobia has become an emerging farmed species in Asia due to its quick growth and high economic value. This study collects biological and economic data affecting the economic performance of cobia farming in three countries, namely Taiwan, China, and Vietnam. The data are collected by questionnaire sampling and analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis in order to compare the key factors affecting the production and economy of cobia farming in these three countries. The results show that Taiwan, China, and Vietnam have significant differences in input intensities and profitability. China has the highest input intensity (3372.42?TWD/m3), as its high stocking density increases feed input. Taiwan has the highest unit input cost (103.44?TWD/kg), as the high quality of the pro...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Research and bioethical policies are increasingly seen to facilitate, rather than to impede, scientific progress. Bioethical structures, nonetheless, often fail to account for or to shape the specific social surrounds in which scientific research is conducted. In Taiwan, a perceived shortage in human biological donations threatens to hamper stem cell research progress. This paper considers the stalled national biobank project and the lack of a reliable embryo supply for stem cell research, and suggests that one must look beyond regulatory structures in seeking explanations for such shortages. Specific aspects of Taiwan's democratization and social changes combine with problematic relations between patients and physicians to shape the terrain upon which human biologicals are given or withhe...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the mental health status, and the risk factors associated with mild psychiatric disorders, of female foreign spouses (from Vietnam,...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This article examines the potential threat of marine pollution caused by offshore oil and gas development activities in the disputed areas of the South China Sea (SCS) and the Spratly Islands. After addressing the potential threat of marine pollution, it discusses the legal obligations and political commitment of the SCS littoral states regarding the protection of the marine environment in the area. The role that Taiwan can play in these matters is also examined.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Love Canal episode began the long battle on hazardous wastes in the United States. Obviously, the potential danger of hazardous wastes is one of the hottest issues among environmental professionals as well as the public. The problems of hazardous wastes in economically booming Taiwan are also alarming. Several farmlands in northern Taiwan were contaminated heavily by industrial effluents containing heavy metals (cadmium and lead) in the early 1980s. Regardless of the many studies that have been conducted about these polluted farmlands, there has not been any remediation - just a passive abandonment of farming activities with minimal compensation. This paper addresses a heavy-metal-contaminated fanning area. A pollution profile across time is delineated using information from the abundance of reports, and the contamination is modeled mathematically. The past, the present, and future exposures are also modeled. The results are presented in ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The Bacillus anthracis Sterne plasmid pXO1 was sequenced by random, “shotgun” cloning. A circular sequence of 181,654 bp was generated. One hundred forty-three open...Full Text Available

Wastenet

...Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland, USA September 18-20, 2011 XX HELSINKI DRUG RESEARCH CONGRESS Helsinki, Finland October 23-27, 2011 2011 AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition Washington Convention Center Washington, DC June 26-29 2012 10th International Symposium on Pharmaceutical Sciences Ankara, Turkey Printer-friendly version Home | Elsevier ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

HEW is operating one of the biggest district heating networks of the Federal Republic of Germany. The paper discusses a number of projects which in recent years have been engaged in extensive air pollution abatement measures to make district heating an environmentally compatible energy source. Emphasis is placed on the hot gas cleanup system of block 2 of the harbor power plant. The system is the first of its kind to have realized an SCR system connected with the desulfurization system for industrial denitrification purposes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) developed neoplastic disorders when experimentally exposed both in the laboratory and field to chemically contaminated sediment from Black Rock Harbor (BRH), Bridgeport, Connecticut. Neoplasia was observed in oysters after 30 or 60 days of continuous exposure in a laboratory flow-through system to a 20 mg/L suspension of BRH sediment plus postexposure periods of 3, 30, or 60 days. Composite tumor incidence was 13.6% for both exposures. Tumor occurrence was highest in the renal excretory epithelium, followed in order by gill, gonad, gastrointestinal, heart, and embryonic neural tissue. Regression of experimental neoplasia was not observed when the stimulus was discontinued. In field experiments, gill neoplasms developed in oysters, deployed in cages for 30 days at BRH and 36 days at a BRH dredge material disposal area in Central Long Island Sound, and kidney and gastrointestinal neoplasms developed in caged oysters deployed ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This study was designed to identify the relationship between free time management and quality of life, exploring whether the amount of free time or the way people using their free time relates to their quality of life. Data were collected from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. Of the 500 questionnaires distribute, 403 usable questionnaires were received with an 81% response rate. The result has found a positive relationship between free time management and quality of life. Contrary to this, there was no significant relationship between time allocation and quality of life. Results might indicate that people who manage their free time well lead to better quality of life. Suggestions based on the observed relationship and directions for future researches were d...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Experience with the identification and tuning of exciter constants for a generating unit as the Second Nuclear Power Plant of Taiwan Power Company is reported. Field test is first performed on the excitation system with the generator open-circuited. Since the field test results differ from the computer simulation results using manufacturer's constants, the authors first modify the manufacturer's constants based on their previous experience to reach a preliminary set of parameters for the excitation system. Then a hybrid nonlinear simulation-sensitivity matrix method is developed to further refine the excitation system parameters. The exciter constants are tuned in order to give better dynamic response before a power system stabilizer is applied to the generator. Field tests are then performed in order to compare the dynamic response of the generator without and with power system stabilizer.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Phage display is effective in screening peptides that mimic venom's neutralizing epitopes. A phage display cyclized heptapeptide library (C7C library) was panned with purified divalent antivenin IgG, which neutralizes Naja naja atra venom (NAV) and Bungarus multicinctus venom (BMV). The selected heptapeptide sequences were aligned with known protein sequences of NAV and BMV in GenBank. One of the four consensus sequences, L/PKSSLL, mimicked the crucial epitope on Loop III of Taiwan cobra cardiotoxin that is associated with the venom's lethal potency. In dot blot analysis, several clones showed varying reactivities for NAV monovalent antivenin and lesser cross-reactions with BMV monovalent antivenin. The KSSLLRN-carrying phage occurred four times in selected clones and showed the strongest ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

ABSTRACT Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, this study postulates a model of online social support. The model is empirically tested using data from undergraduates in Taiwan regarding their usage of instant messaging (IM). The test results indicate that all model paths are significant, except that the path between online social support and facilitating conditions is insignificant. This study offers limitations and implications.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tohoku Electric Power Co., Ltd., is now building an LNG-fired No. 4 System (combined cycle of 1.61-million kW) for its Higashi Niigata Thermoelectric Power Station sited in the Niigata East Harbor industrial zone. This is a unit that aims at a thermal efficiency of 50% first in the world by using high-efficiency gas turbines, etc. After the completion of the No. 4 System, the station (No. 1 Machine, No. 2 Machine; No. 3 System, No. 4 System; Harbor No. 1 Machine, Harbor No. 2 Machine) will be generating a total power of 4.6kW, providing the company with its maximum power source which ranks among the largest-grade thermoelectric power stations in this country. Since the construction work was started in April, 1996, approximately 40% had been completed as of March-end, 1997, including foundations for the power station main building, stack, etc. The power station main building uses a raft foundation while the boilers and stack ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A transient stability program was developed for the Taiwan Power Company, which has a high proportion of nuclear generation in its power system. This program offers a new territory to investigate nuclear plant effects on the power system transient stability. This program also provides a high speed tool for the Taipower system operational planning. A generalized procedure of synchronous machine modeling for a large-scale stability study is presented. The merits and weaknesses of machine modeling can be comprehended through each item of this procedure. Three types of nonlinear synchronous machine modeling implemented into this stability program are derived by following this procedure. A robust subroutine was derived to perform the fourth order Runge-Kutta integration method, making the software programming neat and systematical. For simulating the nuclear plant influence on the system, this program implemented an additional four functions: load-limit operation ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The fourth in a series of international Leak-Before-Break (LBB) Seminars supported in part by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission was held at the National Central Library in Taipei, Taiwan on May 11 and 12, 1989. The seminar updated the international polices and supporting research on LBB. Attendees included representatives from regulatory agencies, electric utilities, nuclear power plant fabricators, research organizations, and academic institutions. Regulatory policy was the subject of presentations by Mr. G. Arlotto (US NRC, USA) Dr. B. Jarman (AECB, Canada), Dr.P. Milella (ENEA-DISP, Italy), Dr. C. Faidy (EDF/Septen, France ), and Dr. K. Takumi (NUPEC, Japan). A paper by Mr. K. Wichman and Mr. A. Lee of the US NRC Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation is included as background material to these proceedings; it discusses the history and status of LBB applications in US nuclear power plants. In addition, several papers on the supporting research programs ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of psychological contracts on the adjustment and organisational commitment of expatriates during international business assignments. The study also aims to investigate the influence of psychological barriers to expatriate adjustment. Design/methodology/approach - A unique survey questionnaire was developed to collect data from 219 Taiwanese business expatriates during the first quarter of 2007. A LISREL analysis is used to test the hypotheses of the research framework. Findings - The study finds that: perceived fulfilment of the psychological contracts of expatriates significantly influences both their adjustment to foreign situations and their organisational commitment; psychological barriers to adjustment have a negat...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Typhoons Aere (2004) and Matsa (2005) caused high nephelometric turbidity in the Shihmen reservoir in northern Taiwan, jeopardizing the operation of the reservoir for several days, and ultimately impacting the living conditions and economy of the downstream residents. The torrential rains caused landslides and debris flows in upland areas, and flowed into riverbeds, likely contributing significantly to the suspended sediment yields in the reservoir. This investigation elucidates how upland landslides affect sediment attributes in the reservoir basin. Study methods including field observations, spatial analysis in GIS and aerial photo interpretation are adopted to trace the sediment sources and contributing factors to the landslide. Torrential rains induced landslides and debris-flows uplan...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), the most frequent mitochondrial disorder, is mostly due to three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in respiratory chain complex I subunit genes: 3460/ND1, 11778/ND4 and 14484/ND6. Despite considerable clinical evidences, a genetic modifying role of the mtDNA haplogroup background in the clinical expression of LHON remains experimentally unproven. We investigated the effect of mtDNA haplogroups on the assembly of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes in transmitochondrial hybrids (cybrids) harboring the three common LHON mutations. The steady-state levels of respiratory chain complexes appeared normal in mutant cybrids. However, an accumulation of low molecular weight subcomplexes suggested a complex I assembly/stability defect, which was ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Implementation of Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 830, Subpart B Nuclear Safety Management (1) was accomplished at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in a timely and efficient manner. The primary reason the transition went smoothly was that the existing safety analysis was relatively new, initially developed in 1995, and written in accordance with the safe harbor document DOE-STD-3009 (2). The WIPP Safety Analysis Report (SAR) (3) is kept up-to-date with the unreviewed safety question (USQ) process and thorough oversight and input provided by DOE-Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) documented in the annual safety evaluation report (SER) process.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor gating, a pre-attentional inhibitory brain mechanism that filters extraneous stimuli. Prepulse inhibition is correlated with measures of cognition and executive functioning, and is considered an endophenotype of schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses in which patients show PPI impairments. As a first step toward identifying genes that regulate PPI, we performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) screen of PPI phenotypes in a panel of mouse chromosome substitution strains (CSSs). We identified five CSSs with altered PPI compared with the host C57BL/6J strain: CSS-4 exhibited decreased PPI, whereas CSS-10, -11, -16 and -Y exhibited higher PPI compared with C57BL/6J. These data indicate that A/J chromosomes 4, 10, 11, 16 and Y harbor...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Alcoa World Alumina Australia mines bauxite under lease agreements with the Government of Western Australia. The leases lie in the Darling Range to the east of Perth, the capital and major population center. In addition to bauxite and other mineral ores, the Darling Range is a major potable water source and harbors a species-rich forest dominated by Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), a significant commercial timber. Conservation and recreation are important land uses in the region. Social and political pressures have led to stringent governmental requirements for restoration. In addition, a summer drought period, a soil deficient in most nutrients, water management challenges, an introduced disease, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, and a post-mining ecosystem that must be condu...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Recent reports showed many patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) harbor a retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus (XMRV), in blood; other studies could not replicate this finding. A useful next step would be to examine cerebrospinal fluid, because in some patients CFS is thought to be a brain disorder. Finding a microbe in the central nervous system would have greater significance than in blood because of the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. We examined cerebrospinal fluid from 43 CFS patients using polymerase chain reaction techniques, but did not find XMRV or multiple other common viruses, suggesting that exploration of other causes or pathogenetic mechanisms is warranted. Ann Neurol 2011;

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that affect the adoption of cloud computing by firms belonging to the high-tech industry. The eight factors examined in this study are relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, top management support, firm size, technology readiness, competitive pressure, and trading partner pressure. Design/methodology/approach - A questionnaire-based survey was used to collect data from 111 firms belonging to the high-tech industry in Taiwan. Relevant hypotheses were derived and tested by logistic regression analysis. Findings - The findings revealed that relative advantage, top management support, firm size, competitive pressure, and trading partner pressure characteristics have a significant effect on the adoption of cloud computing...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Terror management theory (TMT) proposes that people who are reminded of their mortality should be motivated to defend their cultural worldview. Studies 1 and 2 examined whether the TMT worldview defence-buffering effect found in Western cultures could be generalized to Asians in Taiwan. No such effect was found in the present studies. This non-significant result was robust when either a stronger distraction task was used (study 1) or when a subliminal manipulation of mortality salience was utilized (study 2). A meta-analysis, including 24 TMT experiments in East Asia, was also conducted (study 3). The average effect size (d = 0.11, r = 0.055) of worldview defence among these experiments was not significantly different from zero. Study 4 found that mortality salience manipulation also did n...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose - Customer relationship management (CRM) indicates a comprehensive strategy and an interactive process intended to achieve an optimum balance between corporate investment and the satisfaction of customer needs to generate the maximum profit. E-CRM refers to CRM using internet technology plus a database, OLAP, data warehouse, data mining, etc. In order to gain an understanding of the efficiency of implementing an e-CRM system within the library context, to develop theoretically and empirically an evaluation process for the e-CRM system and survey its impact on service quality, a pilot scheme was initiated in 2004. The pilot scheme was to design and implement an e-CRM prototype system for a particular academic library in Taiwan and to survey the system's performances. This paper aims...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background: While waiting for surgery, patients often exhibit fear and anxiety. Music is thought to be an alternative to medication to relieve anxiety. However, due to concerns about infection control, devices other than headphones may be considered for this purpose. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the anxiety-relieving effect of broadcast versus headphone music playing for patients awaiting surgery. Design: A randomized controlled clinical study. Setting: The waiting area of an operating theater of a metropolitan teach hospital in Taiwan. Participants: Alert adult with age between 20 and 65 years old waiting for surgery without premedications. Methods: A total of 167 patients were randomly assigned to the headphone, broadcast and control groups. Both the headphone a...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The operation of pumped-storage plants (PSP) is based on the daily load variations of power demand. It performs power generation at peak load times during the day, and pumps water up into the reservoir during the off-peak times at night. In the Taipower system in Taiwan, there are two pumped storage plants with ten units. These had a total installed capacity of 2,602 MW or a 12 percent capacity at the end of 1995. The plants were able to reduce system generation costs and improve reliability. A Pumped-Storage Plant Benefit Analysis (PSPBA) program was established using the principle of economic dispatch in 1985. This paper explains the rules of the program, the analysis results of the past 10 years, and a a cost benefit evaluation. It was found that the advantages of PSP are not only in supplying the power for peak load, but also in decreasing the total fuel cost. 5 figs., 4 refs.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this study we investigated cultural, familial, and individual beliefs that influenced international students? perceptions of therapy and help-seeking behaviors. Included were changes in perception or behavior before and after the students came to the US, and factors that influenced help-seeking behaviors. Six international students from East Asian countries where English is a foreign language, including Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, and South Korea, were interviewed. We used semi-structured interviews and participant observations for collecting data. The findings indicated changes after students came to the US. Further discussions focus on encouraging and discouraging factors relative to seeing therapists, and culturally sensitive interventions for family therapy clinicians.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In order to achieve efficient d-lactic acid fermentation from a mixture of xylose and glucose, the xylose-assimilating xylAB operon from Lactobacillus pentosus (PXylAB) was introduced into an l-lactate dehydrogenase gene (ldhL1)-deficient Lactobacillus plantarum (?ldhL1-xpk1::tkt-?xpk2) strain in which the phosphoketolase 1 gene (xpk1) was replaced with the transketolase gene (tkt) from Lactococcus lactis, and the phosphoketolase 2 (xpk2) gene was deleted. Two copies of xylAB introduced into the genome significantly improved the xylose fermentation ability, raising it to the same level as that of ?ldhL1-xpk1::tkt-?xpk2 harboring a xylAB operon-expressing plasmid. Using the two-copy xylAB integrated strain, successful homo-d-lactic acid production was achieved from a mixture of 25?g/l xylos...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A collaboration initiated in 1989 between Judy Lachvayder and Chris Cullis in response to an application for a Christa McCauliffe Fellowship has grown into a substantial program. A one week course in biotechnology, using the Cold Spring Harbor Vector van, was run in 1990. A similar one week summer course was run by Cullis for high school freshmen and sophomores. Both programs (teachers and students) have continued with support from the Edison Biotechnology Center (EBTC), U.S. Biochemical, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and CWRU. A core of teachers from these courses were brought together by the EBTC and the Cleveland Regional Area of Biologists (CRABS) was formed. This group holds regular meetings and develops new classroom exercises. A group of master teachers from the participants have also held their own workshops at local and national meetings. A Science and Society Symposium was held in February 1994 and an equipment loan program for teachers has been ...

Science.gov (United States)

The surveillance systems have been widely used in automatic teller machines (ATMs), banks, convenient stores, etc. For example, when a customer uses the ATM, the surveillance systems will record his/her face information. The information will help us understand and trace who withdrew money. However, when criminals use the ATM to withdraw illegal money, they usually block their faces with something (in Taiwan, criminals usually use safety helmets or masks to block their faces). That will degrade the purpose of the surveillance system. In previous work, we already proposed a technology for safety helmet detection. In this paper, we propose a mask detection technology based upon automatic face recognition methods. We use the Gabor filters to generate facial features and utilize geometric analysis algorithms for mask detection. The technology can give an early warning to save-guards when any "customer" or "intruder" blocks his/her face information with a mask. Besides, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A nation-wide survey of natural radioactivity in building materials was conducted during 1982-1984. Samples including industrial wastes, by-products and common building materials were collected from main building material manufactories in 29 provinces except Taiwan. The results of exposure rates, specific activities and release rate for "2"2"2Rn are presented. The specific activities of common materials are listed in declining order as follows: clay bricks > common concrete and sandstones > limes and ordinary cement. The highest level was found in breeze bricks made of stone coal, phosphogypsum and red mud with high intrinsic radioactivity. Therefore, these raw materials should be strictly controlled in manufacturing building materials. The measurement results also showed that the typical specific activities of common building materials in our country were "2"2"6Ra 50 Bq/kg, "2"3"2Th 50 Bq/kg and "4"0K 500 Bq/kg. Based on the surveyed results and foreign ...

CERN Multimedia

IMPORTANT REMINDER If you have just come back from one of the regions identified by the WHO as being infected with SARS, it is essential to monitor your state of health for ten days after your return. The syndrome manifests itself in the rapid onset of a high fever combined with respiratory problems (coughing, breathlessness, breathing difficulty). Should these signs appear, you must contact the CERN Medical Service as quickly as possible on number 73802 or 73186 during normal working hours, and the fire brigade at all other times on number 74444, indicating that you have just returned from one of the WHO-identified areas with recent local transmission.China: Beijing, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region), Guangdong Province, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi Province, Tianjin ProvinceTaiwan:TaipeiMoreover, until further notice the CERN Management requests that all trips to these various regions of the world be reduced to a strict minimum and then only with the consent ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The economies of East Asia are predominantly export based and, therefore, place special emphasis on the security of the sea lines of communication (SLOCs). Due to economic globalization, the United States shares these concerns. Cooperative measures by the concerned parties could reduce the potential for disruption by maritime conflicts. Primary threats against the SLOCs are disputes over the resources under the seas, disputes over some small island groups, disputes between particular parties (China-Taiwan and North-South Korea), or illegal activities like smuggling, piracy, or terrorism. This paper provides an overview on these threats, issue by issue, to identify common elements and needed cooperation. Cooperation on other topics such as search and rescue, fisheries protection, and oil spill response may help support improved relations to prevent maritime conflicts. Many technologies can help support maritime cooperation, including improved communications links, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It has recently been found that many buildings in Taiwan were constructed with radioactively contaminated rebar, which raised great concern among the residents as well as governmental officials. In order to investigate the possible cytogenetic damage to the residents of contaminated buildings, a G-banding method was carried out on the lymphocytes of 30 radiation-exposed individuals from four families and one office building, as well as 15 control individuals from laboratory personnel. The estimated cumulative radiation doses for the exposed people range from 19.63 to 280.50 mSv. Altogether, 13 females and 17 males belonging to the radiation-exposed group, and 7 females and 8 males in the control group, were included in this study. With the exception of one sample, at least 500 metaphase spreads were scored and analyzed for each individual. All the recognizable structural aberrations of chromosomes or chromatids were recorded and statistically analyzed. Comparison ...

CERN Document Server

A reactor-neutrino experiment, Daya Bay, has been proposed to determine the least-known neutrino mixing angle theta_13 using electron antineutrinos produced at the Daya Bay nuclear power complex in China. Daya Bay is an international collaboration with institutions from China, the United States, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Russia, and Taiwan. The experiment will use eight identical detectors deployed at three different locations optimized for monitoring the antineutrino rates from the six reactors and for detecting any rate deficit and spectral distortion near the first oscillation maximum. The overburden of the under ground experimental halls, connected with tunnels, ranges from about 250 to 900 meters-water-equivalent so that the cosmogenic background is small compared to the number of observed antineutrino events. Civil construction of tunnels and experimental facilities is planned to start in 2007, with detector construction beginning in 2008. The experiment ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crenarchaea are ubiquitous and abundant microbial constituents of soils, sediments, lakes and ocean waters, yet relatively little is known about their fundamental evolutionary, ecological, and physiological properties. To better describe the ubiquitous nonthermophilic Crenarchaea, we analyzed the genome sequence of one representative, the uncultivated sponge symbiont, Cenarchaeum symbiosum. C. symbiosum genotypes coinhabiting the same host partitioned into two dominant populations, corresponding to previously described a- and b-type ribosomal RNA variants. Although synthetic, overlapping a- and b-type ribotypes harbored significant genetic variability. A single tiling path comprising the dominant a-type genotype was assembled, and used to explore the biological properties of C. symbiosum and its planktonic relatives. Out of a total of 2,066 predicted open reading frames, 36% were more highly conserved with other Archaea. The remainder partitioned between bacteria ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

As part of an ongoing strategic research project to find barrels of radioactive waste off San Francisco, the U.S. Navy (USN), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) pooled their expertise, resources, and technology to form a partnership to verify new computer enhancement techniques developed for detecting targets the size of 55 gallon barrels on sidescan sonar images. Between 1946 and 1970, approximately 47,800 large barrels and other containers of radioactive waste were dumped in the ocean west of San Francisco; the containers litter an area of the sea floor of at least 1400 km {sup 2} knows as the Farallon Island Radioactive Waste Dump. The exact location of the containers and the potential hazard the containers pose to the environment is unknown. The USGS developed computer techniques and contracted with private industry to enhance sidescan data, collected in cooperation with the GFNMS, to detect objects as small as 55 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuronal cell death induced by oxidative stress is correlated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and stroke. The causes of sporadic forms of age-related neurodegenerative diseases are still unknown. Recently, a correlation between paraquat exposure and neurodegenerative diseases has been observed. Paraquat, a nonselective herbicide, was once widely used in North America and is still routinely used in Taiwan. We have used differentiated Human Neuroblastoma (SHSY-5Y) cells as an in vitro model to study the mechanism of cell death induced by paraquat. We observed that paraquat-induced oxidative stress in differentiated SHSY-5Y cells as indicated by an increase in the production of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, apoptosis was evident as indicated by cellular and nuclear morphology and DNA fragmentation. Interestingly, pretreatment of SHSY-5Y cells with water-soluble Coenzyme ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The waste tail gas fuel emitted from refinery plant in Taiwan e.g. catalytic reforming unit, catalytic cracking unit and residue desulfurization unit, was recovered and reused as a replacement fuel. In this study, it was slowly added to the fuel stream of a heater furnace to replace natural gas for powering a full-scale distillation process. The waste tail gas fuel contained on average 60 mol% of hydrogen. On-site experimental results show that both the flame length and orange-yellowish brightness decrease with increasing proportion of waste gas fuel in the original natural gas fuel. Moreover, the adiabatic flame temperature increases as the content of waste gas fuel is increased in the fuel mixture since waste gas fuel has a higher adiabatic flame temperature than that of natural gas. The complete replacement of natural gas by waste gas fuel for a heater furnace operating at 70% loading (i.e. 3.6 x 10{sup 7} kcal/h of combustion capacity) will save 5.8 x 10{sup 6} ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We present a detailed investigation of SBS 1150+599A, a close binary star hosted by the planetary nebula PN G135.9+55.9 (TS 01). The nebula, located in the Galactic halo, is the most oxygen-poor known to date and is the only one known to harbor a double degenerate core. We present XMM-Newton observations of this object, which allowed the detection of the previously invisible component of the binary core, whose existence was inferred so far only from radial velocity (RV) and photometric variations. The parameters of the binary system were deduced from a wealth of information via three independent routes using the spectral energy distribution (from the infrared to X-rays), the light and RV curves, and a detailed model atmosphere fitting of the stellar absorption features of the optical/UV component. We find that the cool component must have a mass of 0.54 #+-# 0.2 M_s_u_n, an average effective temperature, T_e_f_f, of 58,000 #+-# 3000 K, a mean radius of 0.43 #+-# ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beach rocks are observed frequently on the tropical and subtropical sandy beaches where they express thin beds dipping seaward at less than 15 degrees. They consist of beach sediments including fossil shells, fragments of corals, diatoms and other biocarbonates, and are well cemented within the inter-tidal zone with calcium carbonate originated in sea water. Therefore, they are not only good indicators which show the past sea level, but also provide good sample material for radiocarbon dating. The locations of beach rocks give us an optimum condition studying a carbon cycle between land and marine environment by analyzing their isotope fractionations. In order to estimate the origin of calcium carbonate which worked as an adhesive when beach rocks were formed and to estimate the formative ages of beach rocks, a total of 330 fossil corals, fossil shells and calcarenite or calcirdite samples were collected from 128 sites of 16 islands consisting of the Nansei Islands, southwest of Japan. ...