Empirical research on constructing Taiwan's ecoenvironmental ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this paper, the material flow indicators and ecological footprint approach structured are adopted to construct eco-environmental stress indicators. We use relevant data to proceed with the empirical analyses on environmental stress and ecological impacts in Taiwan between the years of 1998 and 2007. Analysis of ...

Establishing and evaluating FRAX® probability thresholds in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ding-Cheng Chan

2017-03-01

Conclusion: Three FRAX®-based models of alendronate use were established in Taiwan to help optimize treatment strategies. The government is encouraged to incorporate FRAX®-based approaches into the reimbursement policy for antiosteoporosis medicines.

Land, carbon and water footprints in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yung-Jaan

2015-01-01

The consumer responsibility approach uses footprints as indicators of the total direct and indirect effects of a product or consumption activity. This study used a time-series analysis of three environmental pressures to quantify the total environmental pressures caused by consumption in Taiwan: land footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint. Land footprint is the pressure from appropriation of biologically productive land and water area. Carbon footprint is the pressure from greenhouse gas emissions. Water footprint is the pressure from freshwater consumption. Conventional carbon footprint is the total CO 2 emitted by a certain activity or the CO 2 accumulation during a product life cycle. This definition cannot be used to convert CO 2 emissions into land units. This study responds to the needs of “CO 2 land” in the footprint family by applying the carbon footprint concept used by GFN. The analytical results showed that consumption by the average Taiwan citizen in 2000 required appropriation of 5.39 gha (hectares of land with global-average biological productivity) and 3.63 gha in 2011 in terms of land footprint. The average Taiwan citizen had a carbon footprint of 3.95 gha in 2000 and 5.94 gha in 2011. These results indicate that separately analyzing the land and carbon footprints enables their trends to be compared and appropriate policies and strategies for different sectors to be proposed accordingly. The average Taiwan citizen had a blue water footprint of 801 m 3 in 2000 and 784 m 3 in 2011. By comparison, their respective global averages were 1.23 gha, 2.36 gha and 163 m 3 blue water in 2011, respectively. Overall, Taiwan revealed higher environmental pressures compared to the rest of the world, demonstrating that Taiwan has become a high footprint state and has appropriated environmental resources from other countries. That is, through its imports of products with embodied pressures and its exports, Taiwan has transferred the environmental

Land, carbon and water footprints in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yung-Jaan, E-mail: yungjaanlee@gmail.com

2015-09-15

The consumer responsibility approach uses footprints as indicators of the total direct and indirect effects of a product or consumption activity. This study used a time-series analysis of three environmental pressures to quantify the total environmental pressures caused by consumption in Taiwan: land footprint, carbon footprint, and water footprint. Land footprint is the pressure from appropriation of biologically productive land and water area. Carbon footprint is the pressure from greenhouse gas emissions. Water footprint is the pressure from freshwater consumption. Conventional carbon footprint is the total CO{sub 2} emitted by a certain activity or the CO{sub 2} accumulation during a product life cycle. This definition cannot be used to convert CO{sub 2} emissions into land units. This study responds to the needs of “CO{sub 2} land” in the footprint family by applying the carbon footprint concept used by GFN. The analytical results showed that consumption by the average Taiwan citizen in 2000 required appropriation of 5.39 gha (hectares of land with global-average biological productivity) and 3.63 gha in 2011 in terms of land footprint. The average Taiwan citizen had a carbon footprint of 3.95 gha in 2000 and 5.94 gha in 2011. These results indicate that separately analyzing the land and carbon footprints enables their trends to be compared and appropriate policies and strategies for different sectors to be proposed accordingly. The average Taiwan citizen had a blue water footprint of 801 m{sup 3} in 2000 and 784 m{sup 3} in 2011. By comparison, their respective global averages were 1.23 gha, 2.36 gha and 163 m{sup 3} blue water in 2011, respectively. Overall, Taiwan revealed higher environmental pressures compared to the rest of the world, demonstrating that Taiwan has become a high footprint state and has appropriated environmental resources from other countries. That is, through its imports of products with embodied pressures and its exports, Taiwan has

Governance and Economic Transformation in Taiwan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauridsen, Laurids Sandager

2014-01-01

This article analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the developmental-state approach as compared with a broader and more flexible developmental-governance approach – in relation to economic transformation in a single case country, Taiwan. It argues that both approaches have strong and weak points......, and comes down in favour of the view that it is only through a ‘thick’ study of political forces, processes and circumstances that the reasoning behind developmental policies and institutions can be understood and the processes of economic transformation explained....

Climate change impacts in Zhuoshui watershed, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Yi-Chiung; Liu, Pei-Ling; Cheng, Chao-Tzuen; Li, Hsin-Chi; Wu, Tingyeh; Chen, Wei-Bo; Shih, Hung-Ju

2017-04-01

There are 5.3 typhoons hit Taiwan per year on average in last decade. Typhoon Morakot in 2009, the most severe typhoon, causes huge damage in Taiwan, including 677 casualty and roughly NT 110 billion (3.3 billion USD) in economic loss. Some researches documented that typhoon frequency will decrease but increase in intensity in western North Pacific region. It is usually preferred to use high resolution dynamical model to get better projection of extreme events; because coarse resolution models cannot simulate intense extreme events. Under that consideration, dynamical downscaling climate data was chosen to describe typhoon satisfactorily. One of the aims for Taiwan Climate Change Projection and Information Platform (TCCIP) is to demonstrate the linkage between climate change data and watershed impact models. The purpose is to understand relative disasters induced by extreme rainfall (typhoons) under climate change in watersheds including landslides, debris flows, channel erosion and deposition, floods, and economic loss. The study applied dynamic downscaling approach to release climate change projected typhoon events under RCP 8.5, the worst-case scenario. The Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-Based Regional Slope-Stability (TRIGRS) and FLO-2D models, then, were used to simulate hillslope disaster impacts in the upstream of Zhuoshui River. CCHE1D model was used to elevate the sediment erosion or deposition in channel. FVCOM model was used to asses a flood impact in urban area in the downstream. Finally, whole potential loss associate with these typhoon events was evaluated by the Taiwan Typhoon Loss Assessment System (TLAS) under climate change scenario. Results showed that the total loss will increase roughly by NT 49.7 billion (1.6 billion USD) in future in Zhuoshui watershed in Taiwan. The results of this research could help to understand future impact; however model bias still exists. Because typhoon track is a critical factor to consider regional

Re-evaluation of emergency planning zone for 3 NPPS in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiou, S.-T.; Yin, H.-L.; Chen, C.-S.; Shih, C.-L.

2004-01-01

The emergency planning zone for the 3 nuclear power plants in Taiwan are re-evaluated. The analysis is performed by the CRAC2 code and the basic approach follows the NUREG-0396 evaluation procedure. Meteorological data are provided by Taiwan Power Company and reviewed by Taiwan University and Central Weather Bureau. Accident source terms are also provided by Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) by probabilistic risk assessment method with consideration of actual plant system improvement and/or modification. The dose rate distribution, acute and latent cancer fatality are evaluated and compared with proposed EPZ decision criteria including protective action guide dose levels, individual and societal risk safety goal. (author)

Paleotsunamis in Eastern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Jiun-Yee; Yu, Neng-Ti; Hirakawa, Kazuomi; Chyi, Shyh-Jeng; Huang, Shao-Yi

2017-04-01

Although Taiwan is located in the active collision zone between Eurasian and the Philippine Sea plate with very high seismicity in and surrounding the island, and supposedly highly susceptible to tsunami hazard. However, there is no record of tsunami hazard in the past one hundred years, and only very few historical records show some possible extreme event occurred. Therefore study of tsunami was scarce in Taiwan. Although historical records do show possible tsunami events, the records were too sparse and incomplete to confidently reconstruct the paleotsunami events. In the past few years, numerical simulations based on possible tsunami-genic zones near Taiwan show that the island could be affected by the correctly directed tsunami. Nevertheless, there is no detail, scientific research of paleotsunami records yet in Taiwan. Our field survey in eastern Taiwan (facing the western Pacific Ocean) along the coast uncovered several outcrops contain gravels embedded in well-developed soil layers. The rounded meta-sandstone gravels are clearly beach-origin and were brought to their current location upon extreme wave events, which is composed of either volcanic-clastic deposits from nearby hills or organic soil layers formed locally. Our investigation indicates that there are at least 3 events in the northern half of eastern Taiwan and at least 2 events in southern part of eastern Taiwan. Although these outcrops are next to the shoreline and Taiwan is susceptible from typhoons, these gravels could be farther away from the beach at the time of their deposition due to current high retreat rate of the sea cliff. Further investigations are needed to delineate possible sources of tsunamis that caused the deposits.

Use of recurrence plot and recurrence quantification analysis in Taiwan unemployment rate time series

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wei-Shing

2011-04-01

The aim of the article is to answer the question if the Taiwan unemployment rate dynamics is generated by a non-linear deterministic dynamic process. This paper applies a recurrence plot and recurrence quantification approach based on the analysis of non-stationary hidden transition patterns of the unemployment rate of Taiwan. The case study uses the time series data of the Taiwan’s unemployment rate during the period from 1978/01 to 2010/06. The results show that recurrence techniques are able to identify various phases in the evolution of unemployment transition in Taiwan.

Ambient noise levels in the Taiwan region

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, W.; Liu, C.; Chen, R.; Huang, B.; Wu, F. T.; Wang, C.

2008-12-01

To characterize the island-wide background seismic noise in Taiwan, we estimate the power spectral density (PSD) at broadband stations of both the BATS (Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology) and the TAIGER experiment (Apr. 2006~Apr. 2008) for periods ranging from ~0.2 to 100 seconds. A new approach to calculate the probability density functions of noise power (PDFs, MaNamara and Buland, 2004) is used in this study. The results indicate that the cultural noise at higher frequencies is significant at populated area, which shows diurnal and weekly variation as what we expected. The noise power for microseisms centered at a period of ~5 seconds around the western costal plain show ~20dB higher than what observed at eastern Taiwan. This observation supports the inference that the coastal regions having narrow shelf with irregular coastlines are know to be especially efficient at radiating the predominat microseisms. Results from the linear array across central Taiwan demonstrate that the average noise power is quietest at the eastern Central Range. We have mapped the PDF mode for stations at various periods to see the spatial distribution of ambient noise levels, which could be used as the basic information for future station siting. Temporal variation of noise PSD is also present to provide a quantitative description of the seismic data quality collected by both BATS and TAIGER experiment. Some operational problems like base tilt, sensitivity change can be identified easily as well.

Childlessness patterns in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Poston Dl

1988-06-01

Taiwan is a newly developed and industrialized area, and along with Korea, Brazil, Argentina, and a few other countries, belongs in a special class of recently industrialized areas. Taiwan has been undergoing large-scale modernization since the 1950s when the Nationalist government 1st began to implement land reform programs and today is 1 of the showcase of newly developed areas of the world. Demographic transition theory shows that fertility is negatively associated with modernization. During the past 3 decades, fertility in Taiwan has followed this pattern in a dramatic manner. Studies of childlessness conducted in Western countries have shown also that as the modernizing influences continue, fertility declines, and childlessness increases as it becomes more and more voluntary. Subregions with the highest levels of modernization and the lowest fertility rates should therefore be characterized by the highest levels of childlessness, particularly among younger women, and vice versa. Given the levels of socioeconomic and demographic development in Taiwan and its subregions circa 1980, as well as its variability among the hsiens and major cities, the author would expect to find higher levels of childlessness in the more developed localities, and lower levels in the less developed subregions. This hypothesis is tested with data from the 1980 Census of Population and Housing: General Report, Taiwan--Fukien Area (Republic of China, 1982) and the 1980 Taiwan--Fukien Demographic Fact Book (Republic of China, 1980).

HIV/HCV Coinfection in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Ching-Sheng; Kao, Jia-Horng

2016-01-01

Both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are important global public health problems with shared transmission routes. Although HIV/HCV coinfection is not uncommon, the prevalence rates vary significantly across different studies and regions. In Taiwan, injection drug users have become the major contributors to the HIV/AIDS epidemic since 2005. Because the prevalence of HCV infection is high in injection drug users, this HIV epidemic is also associated with a significant increase of HIV/HCV coinfection in Taiwan. To control Taiwan's HIV epidemic, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched a harm-reduction program in 2006. The HIV epidemic, the percentage attributed to injection drug users, and the prevalence of HIV/HCV coinfection gradually declined thereafter. In this article, we aimed to thoroughly examine the current literatures of HIV/HCV coinfection in Taiwan and hope to provide a better understanding of the needs for the management of this coinfection. We conducted a narrative review and searched for literature from PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library database untill August 2015. Studies relevant to the epidemiology and associated risk factors of HIV/HCV coinfection in Taiwan were examined and discussed.

Three Newly Naturalized Plants in Taiwan

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Ming-Jer Jung

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Three newly naturalized plants are reported in this paper. Hypochaeris microcephala (Sch. Bip. Cabrera var. albiflora (Kuntze Cabrera (Asteraceae is naturalized in urban areas of northern Taiwan. Indigofera pseudo-tinctoria Matsum. (Leguminosae is naturalized in low elevations of northern and southern Taiwan and in middle elevations of central Taiwan. Lamium purpureum L. (Laminaceae has become naturalized locally in middle elevations of central Taiwan. Descriptions, illustrations and color photos of these plants are provided.

An evaluation model for low carbon island policy: The case of Taiwan's green transportation policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trappey, Amy J.C.; Trappey, Charles; Hsiao, C.T.; Ou, Jerry J.R.; Li, S.J.; Chen, Kevin W.P.

2012-01-01

Conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions have become the common responsibility of the international community. During the year 2010, the Taiwan government planned a four-year project budgeted at 300 million US dollars, called “The Penghu Low Carbon Island Development Project.” The policy objective is to use Penghu Island (population 85,000) as a test platform to evaluate new ways to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions before attempting to replicate the policies on Taiwan Island. For Taiwan, a zero carbon island green transportation policy will regulate the total number of electric scooters, the total number of gasoline motorcycles, influence government subsidy incentives, and create the need for new motorcycle license issuing and control. These factors interact with each other to form a complex and dynamic system that impacts policy as well as the current way of life. In this study, a system dynamics approach is designed to construct a model for evaluating the green transportation policy on Penghu Island. Simulations are conducted to model green transportation system behavior and related policy effects in a smaller, controlled environment before creating policies for Taiwan Island that will impact the lives of over 23 million people. - Highlights: ► Provides an overview of Taiwan's Penghu Low Carbon Island Development Project. ► Develops a systems dynamics approach for green transportation policy assessment. ► Provides causal analysis of social, economic, and environmental factors. ► Demonstrates that the proposed policy cannot meet the CO 2 reduction goals. ► Alternative policies can be evaluated using the proposed approach.

Review of recycling performance indicators: a study on collection rate in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Lihchyi; Lin, Chun-Hsu; Lee, Soo-Cheol

2009-08-01

The Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan EPA) launched a national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system after integrating eight private recycling organizations in 1998. After that, the environmental performance of the EPR system brought a lot of attention to policy makers. Many studies show positive environmental effects of the EPR system in Taiwan. However, there are controversial questions remained, such as whether the performance indicators used are the right choice to estimate the environmental effects of the recycling policy? Can those estimated results really reflect the performance of the system? This paper would therefore like to more accurately evaluate the performance indicators of the EPR system based on data observed over the past decade in Taiwan. In the process of evaluating the performance indicators, we have found that the collection rates for durable goods are often ignored in countries that pursue a zero waste policy. This may affect the actual recycling outcome and resource direction targeted by producers. However, in order for the collection rate to be adopted as a policy indicator, how to estimate the amounts of retired or waste products during a period is critical. In this paper, we estimate the collection rate for electrical and electronic waste by using the survival analysis and ownership data analysis approaches. We also provide a comparison of both approaches and put forward suggestions for directions in the future in solid waste management.

Review of recycling performance indicators: A study on collection rate in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Lihchyi; Lin Chunhsu; Lee, Soo-cheol

2009-01-01

The Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan EPA) launched a national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system after integrating eight private recycling organizations in 1998. After that, the environmental performance of the EPR system brought a lot of attention to policy makers. Many studies show positive environmental effects of the EPR system in Taiwan. However, there are controversial questions remained, such as whether the performance indicators used are the right choice to estimate the environmental effects of the recycling policy? Can those estimated results really reflect the performance of the system? This paper would therefore like to more accurately evaluate the performance indicators of the EPR system based on data observed over the past decade in Taiwan. In the process of evaluating the performance indicators, we have found that the collection rates for durable goods are often ignored in countries that pursue a zero waste policy. This may affect the actual recycling outcome and resource direction targeted by producers. However, in order for the collection rate to be adopted as a policy indicator, how to estimate the amounts of retired or waste products during a period is critical. In this paper, we estimate the collection rate for electrical and electronic waste by using the survival analysis and ownership data analysis approaches. We also provide a comparison of both approaches and put forward suggestions for directions in the future in solid waste management.

Severe Dengue Fever Outbreak in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sheng-Fan; Wang, Wen-Hung; Chang, Ko; Chen, Yen-Hsu; Tseng, Sung-Pin; Yen, Chia-Hung; Wu, Deng-Chyang; Chen, Yi-Ming Arthur

2016-01-01

Dengue fever (DF) is a vector-borne disease caused by dengue viruses (DENVs). Epidemic dengue occurs intermittently in Taiwan. In 2014, Taiwan experienced its largest DF outbreak. There were 15,732 DF cases reported. There were a total of 136 dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases, of which 20 resulted in death. Most DF cases were reported in southern Taiwan. A total of 15,043 (96%) cases were from Kaohsiung, a modern city in southern Taiwan. This report reviews DF epidemics in Taiwan during 2005-2014. The correlation between DF and DHF along with temperature and precipitation were conjointly examined. We conclude that most dengue epidemics in Taiwan resulted from imported DF cases. Results indicate three main factors that may have been associated with this DF outbreak in Kaohsiung: an underground pipeline explosion combined with subsequent rainfall and higher temperature. These factors may have enhanced mosquito breeding activity, facilitating DENV transmission. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Ophthalmic plastic and orbital surgery in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chi-Hsin; Lin, I-Chan; Shen, Yun-Dun; Hsu, Wen-Ming

2014-06-01

We describe in this paper the current status of ophthalmic plastic and orbital surgery in Taiwan. Data were collected from the Bureau of National Health Insurance of Taiwan, the Bulletin of the Taiwan Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Society, and the Statistics Yearbook of Practicing Physicians and Health Care Organizations in Taiwan by the Taiwan Medical Association. We ascertained that 94 ophthalmologists were oculoplastic surgeons and accounted for 5.8% of 1621 ophthalmologists in Taiwan. They had their fellowship training abroad (most ophthalmologists trained in the United States of America) or in Taiwan. All ophthalmologists were well trained and capable of performing major oculoplastic surgeries. The payment rates by our National Health Insurance for oculoplastic and orbital surgeries are relatively low, compared to Medicare payments in the United States. Ophthalmologists should promote the concept that oculoplastic surgeons specialize in periorbital plastic and aesthetic surgeries. However, general ophthalmologists should receive more educational courses on oculoplastic and cosmetic surgery. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Present state of backend in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2001-01-01

As Taiwan is poor in its energy source as well as Japan is, nuclear power generation is one of important energy sources. Management and disposal (backend) of radioactive wastes accompanied with application to nuclear generation is a large problem for Taiwan which had 36,000 square kilometer of national area (about twice area of Shikoku in Japan) than that for Japan. In Taiwan, as the radioactive waste management policy (RWMP) was established in 1977 to arrange a basic indication of the backend policy, final disposal sites for both low and high level radioactive wastes (spent fuel) are not specified yet. For management of low level radioactive waste, the Taiwan Electric Power Corp. (TPC) reported the most promising area for the final disposal site to Taiwan Committee of Atomic Energy on February, 1998. And, for the high level radioactive waste, TPC intends to specify the final disposal site in 2016, to be under selection of site on aiming at beginning of its operation on 2032. And, on the backend policy in Taiwan its reprocessing option has not been abandoned yet, to remain feasibility of option in disposal of the low level radioactive waste on abroad. Here was introduced on present condition of the backend in Taiwan. (G.K.)

Taiwan Universities: Where to Go?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Ying Kuo

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The dramatic expansion of Taiwan universities/colleges from about 100 to 160 from the late 1980s has encountered problems due to social and global changes. What should Taiwan universities move toward and how? This research relies on secondary data to explore the issues Taiwan universities currently face—a low birth rate and global competition. The decreasing number of incoming students will result in a lower registration rate and less tuition revenue, which will make some universities struggle to survive. Hence, government policies, proposed by the Ministry of Education, have been implemented to assist Taiwan universities to adjust to external changes. The Innovative Transformation Policy, adopted in 2015, consists of strategies for university–industry cooperation, university mergers, university closures, and a re-shaping of the university paradigm. This policy has begun to be implemented and its initial outcome will be continually evaluated. In accordance with the Innovative Transformation Policy, this study encourages Taiwan universities to improve governance, set prominent unique characteristics of development, and enhance global competitiveness.

Large-Scale Seismic Test Program at Hualien, Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, H.T.; Graves, H.L.; Yeh, Y.S.

1991-01-01

The Large-Scale Seismic Test (LSST) Program at Hualien, Taiwan, is a follow-on to the soil-structure interaction (SSI) experiments at Lotung, Taiwan. The planned SSI studies will be performed at a stiff soil site in Hualien, Taiwan, that historically has had slightly more destructive earthquakes in the past than Lotung. The objectives of the LSST project is as follows: To obtain earthquake-induced SSI data at a stiff soil site having similar prototypical nuclear power plant soil conditions. To confirm the findings and methodologies validated against the Lotung soft soil SSI data for prototypical plant condition applications. To further validate the technical basis of realistic SSI analysis approaches. To further support the resolution of USI A-40 Seismic Design Criteria issue. These objectives will be accomplished through an integrated and carefully planned experimental program consisting of: soil characterization, test model design and field construction, instrumentation layout and deployment, in-situ geophysical information collection, forced vibration test, and synthesis of results and findings. The LSST is a joint effort among many interested parties. EPRI and Taipower are the organizers of the program and have the lead in planning and managing the program

Nuclear safeguards implementations in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, R-H.; Chang, C-K.; Lin, C-R.; Gone, J-K.; Chen, W-L.; Yao, D.

2006-01-01

Full text: Now with six Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) units in operation, two Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) units under construction, and other peaceful applications of nuclear and radiation technology expanding in great pace, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) has been focused on reactor safety regulation, radiation protection, radioactive waste administration, environmental monitoring and R and D for technology development and other civilian nuclear applications. Despite Taiwan's departure from the United Nations and therefore its family member International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1971, Taiwan remains its commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). To date, Taiwan is still part of the international nuclear safeguards system and accepts IAEA's inspections in accordance with its regulations on nuclear safeguards. In 1998, Taiwan further agreed, through exchange of letters between the AEC and IAEA, to implementation of the measures provided for in the model Protocol Additional to its safeguards agreement. In this paper, we will introduce Taiwan's nuclear safeguards history and describe some highlights of safeguards implementation in recent years, such as complementary accesses, transparency visits, remote monitoring inspections, unannounced inspections, facility attachment termination for the decommissioned facilities, and annual safeguards implementation meeting with IAEA

History and development of ophthalmology in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Chih Hou

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Western medicine was first introduced to Taiwan by medical missionaries in the mid-19th century. Modernization of medicine was systematically transplanted to Taiwan in the Japanese colonial period, and ophthalmology was established third among hospital departments, following internal medicine and surgery. Dr Hidetaka Yamaguchi, an ophthalmologist, was the first head of the Taihoku Hospital, later known as National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH; Taipei, Taiwan. Ophthalmologists during the colonial period conducted studies on tropical and infectious eye diseases. After World War II, ophthalmologists at NTUH played an important role in medical education, residency training, studies, and teaching. Dr Yan-Fei Yang established the Taiwan Ophthalmological Society in 1960 and instituted its official journal in 1962. Dr Ho-Ming Lin established the Department of Ophthalmology at the Tri-Service General Hospital in the 1950s and the Veterans General Hospital in the 1960s. Taiwan ophthalmologists eradicated trachoma by 1971. Cataract surgery and penetrating keratoplasty were initially performed in the 1960s. Currently, there are about 1600 ophthalmologists in Taiwan conducting an estimated 120,000 cataract surgeries and 600 corneal transplantations annually. Many subspecialty societies have been established recently that serve to educate Taiwanese ophthalmologists and to connect with international ophthalmic societies. Taiwan ophthalmologists continue to contribute to the advancement of ophthalmic knowledge globally.

Factors associated with the decline in suicide by pesticide poisoning in Taiwan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chang, Shu-Sen; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh; Eddleston, Michael

2012-01-01

of the workforce involved in agriculture and unemployment. We compared pesticide products banned by the Taiwanese government with products that remained on the market and pesticides that accounted for the most poisoning deaths in Taiwan. Results. Age-standardised rates of pesticide suicide showed a 67% reduction......, in Taiwan, a rapidly developing East Asian country. Methods. We conducted an ecological study using graphical approaches and Spearman's correlation coefficients to examine trends in pesticide suicide (1987-2010) in Taiwan in relation to pesticide sales, bans on selected pesticides, the proportion....... The reduction was paralleled by a 66% fall in the workforce involved in agriculture but there was no strong evidence for its association with trends in pesticide sales, bans on selected pesticide products or unemployment. The bans mostly post-dated the decline in pesticide suicides; furthermore, they did...

Medical Leaders in Taiwan During Japanese Colonization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Tung Wang

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Japan established the medical system in Taiwan during its 50 years of occupation, which evolved into the present National Taiwan University Hospital system. This paper summarizes the biographies of 97 Japanese leaders in various medical disciplines during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. These leaders were among the elite of Japan, with superior intellectual, social and economic status, who helped to establish the important attributes of medical professionals in Taiwan, such as a good academic background, heritage, and research skills.

Gambling in Taiwan: problems, research and policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Cheng-Fang; Wu, Harry Yi-Jui

2013-03-01

This study provides a systematic review of existing research that has evaluated unique gambling experiences in Taiwan. A comprehensive review of electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Chinese Electronic Periodical Services and the Index to Taiwan Periodical Literature System, was conducted to identify evaluations of gambling experiences in Taiwan. Studies that met inclusion criteria were synthesized and assessed. Various types of gambling are prevalent in Taiwan, even though the laws of Taiwan forbid illegal gambling. Both traditional and novel types of gambling have brought adverse impacts to Taiwanese people in multiple aspects of everyday life. The strategies and attitudes of the government towards gambling have been forced to change as gambling has flourished. Various types of gambling have developed in Taiwan in response to social, economic and cultural changes over time. The psychological aspects of gambling, however, need further study to provide fundamental information for developing intervention models for pathological gambling. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Maternity Leave in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Joyce Yen; Han, Wen-Jui

2010-01-01

Using the first nationally representative birth cohort study in Taiwan, this paper examines the role that maternity leave policy in Taiwan plays in the timing of mothers returning to work after giving birth, as well as the extent to which this timing is linked to the amount of time mothers spend with their children and their use of breast milk…

Professional Counseling in Taiwan: Past to Future

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yuh-Jen; Wang, Shu-Ching; Combs, Don C.; Lin, Yi-Chun; Johnson, Veronica

2013-01-01

Because of the recent introduction of a licensure law, professional counseling has grown rapidly in Taiwan after decades of slow development. The authors provide a historical review of the development of professional counseling in Taiwan and discuss the current status and future trajectory of professional counseling in Taiwan.

Cogeneration in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotard, E. [International Cogeneration Alliance (United States)

2000-10-01

The short article discusses pollution abatement and the potential role of cogeneration in Taiwan. A diagram shows the contributions of various energy sources (coal, oil etc.) from 1979-1999 and the growth of cogeneration between 1979 and 1999. The lack of natural gas or diesel does not help the cause of cogeneration in Taiwan, nor does the structure of the local electricity market. Nevertheless, if the proposed new LNG facilities are built in the North, then the opportunities for cogeneration will be very good.

Non-nuclear, low-carbon, or both? The case of Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yen-Heng Henry

2013-01-01

The Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan has renewed debates on the safety of nuclear power, possibly hurting the role of nuclear power in efforts to limit CO 2 emissions. I develop a dynamic economy-wide model of Taiwan with a detailed set of technology options in the power sector to examine the implications of adopting different carbon and nuclear power policies on CO 2 emissions and the economy. Without a carbon mitigation policy, limiting nuclear power has a small economic cost for Taiwan, but CO 2 emissions may increase by around 4.5% by 2050 when nuclear is replaced by fossil-based generation. With a low-carbon target of a 50% reduction from year 2000 levels by 2050, the costs of cutting CO 2 emissions are greatly reduced if both carbon sequestration and nuclear expansion were viable. This study finds that converting Taiwan's industrial structure into a less energy-intensive one is crucial to carry out the non-nuclear and low-carbon environment. - Highlights: • This study provides an analysis for Taiwan under a low-carbon policy with or without the nuclear option. • A new approach that improves the modeling of non-dispatchable generation is presented. • Emission reduction costs are greatly reduced if both carbon sequestration and nuclear expansion were viable. • A less energy-intensive industrial structure is crucial in pursuing a non-nuclear and low carbon environment

Current situation and industrialization of Taiwan nanotechnology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, H.-N.; Lee, P.-C.; Tsai, M.-H.; Chien, K.-M.

2007-01-01

Nanotechnology is projected to be a very promising field, and the impact of nanotechnology on society is increasingly significant as the research funding and manufactured goods increase exponentially. A clearer picture of Taiwan's current and future nanotechnology industry is an essential component for future planning. Therefore, this investigation studies the progress of industrializing nanotechnology in Taiwan by surveying 150 companies. Along with understanding Taiwan's current nanotechnology industrialization, this paper also suggests ways to promote Taiwan's nanotechnology. The survey results are summarized and serve as the basis for planning a nanotechnology industrialization strategy

From the Teachings of Confucius to Western Influences: How Adult Education Is Shaped in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Victor C. X.; Farmer, Lesley S. J

2010-01-01

This article reports the results of a study designed to determine whether the teachings of Confucius (liberal and behavioral teaching approaches) or Western teaching approaches (humanistic, progressive, radical and analytic teaching approaches) shaped adult education in Taiwan. Thirty-nine randomly selected adult educators from three premium…

Origins of Semisulcospira libertina (gastropoda: semisulcospiridae) in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Yuh-Wen; Bor, Hor; Kuo, Po-Hsun; Hsu, Kui-Ching; Tan, Mian-Shin; Wang, Wei-Kuang; Lin, Hung-Du

2017-07-01

The most accepted hypothesis has suggested that the fauna in Taiwan Island originated from South China, but some studies supported the Japan, Ryukyu Archipelago, and Taiwan Islands as a unique biogeographical district. This study examines whether the populations of freshwater snail Semisulcospira libertina in Taiwan are closer to those in Japan based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Our study shows the populations in North Taiwan originated from Japan and the cyclic glacial caused the migrations among islands and continent repeatedly; the populations in South Taiwan might originate from South China or South Asia. Our results will not only affect the conclusions in phylogeography of freshwater species in Taiwan but also change the sampling plans in the future studies about evolutionary of freshwater species in East Asia.

Higher Education Learning Experiences among Vietnamese Immigrant Women in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ya-Ling; Wu, Hsing-Chen

2015-01-01

Based on a sociocultural approach to adult learning and poststructural feminist theories, this study draws on interviews with 11 married Vietnamese women to explore the higher education learning experiences of Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwan. On the basis of their husbands' permission and support, Vietnamese immigrant women embraced the…

Marine Educational and Research Cruise in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, C.; Lallemand, S.; Wu, F. T.

2009-12-01

During April 2009, we conducted a seismic and ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) cruise as part of the Taiwan mountain building process study, called the TAIGER. The seismic is shot by the US Columbia University’s research vessel Langseth and the OBSs, including Taiwan, French and American OBSs, are carried out by a Taiwanese student training ship, called Yu-Yin (means to educate the young people) No. 2. Both ships take a big number of research scientists and technical staff (15-25 people) to conduct the seismic and OBS survey. In addition, the Yu-Yin No. 2 ship hosts a total of 25 students, both MS and PhD graduate students, from Taiwan, France and USA. The student group consists of 13 from the National Taiwan Ocean University (Taiwan), 1 from the National Central University (Taiwan), 9 from the Montpellier University (France) and 2 from the New York State University. Nearly all the French and American students are on their very first trip to Taiwan. The research activities will be reported in the T25 Tectonophysics Section. This paper only deals with the educational events. The cruise includes two parts: the first mainly to deploy the OBSs and the second to retrieve the OBSs back to the ship. In addition, the French group arranges a field geological trip onshore Taiwan to put into their hands of the actions of Taiwan mountain building processes. The marine educational courses are filled in the daily ship time at 4 hours per day. As a result, we believe that we have achieved the followings: (1) mix the students and encourage a lovely study environment, (2) mix the teachers and enhance their teaching spectrum, (3) stay in a live and work together boat, allowing more and wider culture exchange. In the future, we certainly will use every possible opportunity to promote more Marine Educational and Research Cruises.

Marital role attitudes and expected role behaviors of college youth in mainland China and Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, K H; Burgess, R L

1994-09-01

Mainland China and Taiwan have been politically and physically segregated since 1949, and it was not until the late 1980s that limited contacts and cultural exchanges between the two societies began to take place. During their period of segregation, the two societies adopted different approaches toward gender roles. While gender equality was actively promoted in mainland China, the government in Taiwan lacked the theoretical guidance on how to achieve such equality. Gender egalitarianism in Taiwan therefore remains at the abstract or philosophical level with no specification of what gender equality means in concrete terms. Testing the hypothesis that people in mainland China have become more egalitarian than have people in Taiwan with respect to the division of marital roles, the authors investigated the differences in marital role attitudes and expected behavior among selected college students in mainland China and Taiwan. Survey responses were obtained from 185 male and 154 female students from Taiwan and 150 male and 138 female students from mainland China of different years and majors on four dimensions of marital role attitudes and six areas of traditional husband and wife role behaviors. The dimensions were determined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The data indicate that although most of the hypothesized societal differences are supported, some are not. The authors speculate that possible regressive changes in mainland China and progressive changes in Taiwan during the past decade were responsible for the discrepancy between hypotheses and results.

Discrepancy of cytogenetic analysis in Western and eastern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yu-Hsun; Chen, Pui-Yi; Li, Tzu-Ying; Yeh, Chung-Nan; Li, Yi-Shian; Chu, Shao-Yin; Lee, Ming-Liang

2013-06-01

This study aimed at investigating the results of second-trimester amniocyte karyotyping in western and eastern Taiwan, and identifying any regional differences in the prevalence of fetal chromosomal anomalies. From 2004 to 2009, pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis in their second trimester at three hospitals in western Taiwan and at four hospitals in eastern Taiwan were included. All the cytogenetic analyses of cultured amniocytes were performed in the cytogenetics laboratory of the Genetic Counseling Center of Hualien Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital. We used the chi-square test, Student t test, and Mann-Whitney U test to evaluate the variants of clinical indications, amniocyte karyotyping results, and prevalence and types of chromosomal anomalies in western and eastern Taiwan. During the study period, 3573 samples, 1990 (55.7%) from western Taiwan and 1583 (44.3%) from eastern Taiwan, were collected and analyzed. The main indication for amniocyte karyotyping was advanced maternal age (69.0% in western Taiwan, 67.1% in eastern Taiwan). The detection rates of chromosomal anomalies by amniocyte karyotyping in eastern Taiwan (45/1582, 2.8%) did not differ significantly from that in western Taiwan (42/1989, 2.1%) (p = 1.58). Mothers who had abnormal ultrasound findings and histories of familial hereditary diseases or chromosomal anomalies had higher detection rates of chromosomal anomalies (9.3% and 7.2%, respectively). The detection rate of autosomal anomalies was higher in eastern Taiwan (93.3% vs. 78.6%, p = 0.046), but the detection rate of sex-linked chromosomal anomalies was higher in western Taiwan (21.4% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.046). We demonstrated regional differences in second-trimester amniocyte karyotyping results and established a database of common chromosomal anomalies that could be useful for genetic counseling, especially in eastern Taiwan. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Renewable energy in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Falin; Lu, Shyi-Min; Wang, Eric; Tseng, Kuo-Tung

2010-01-01

With limited indigenous conventional energy resources, Taiwan imports over 99% of its energy supply from foreign countries, mostly from the Middle East. Developing independent renewable energy resources is thus of priority concern for the Taiwanese government. A medium subtropical island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan has enormous potential to develop various renewable energies, such as solar energy, biomass energy, wind power, geothermal energy, hydropower, etc. However, owing to the importance of conventional fossil energy in generating exceptionally cheap electricity, renewable energy has not yet fully developed in Taiwan, resulting from a lack of market competition. Consequently, numerous promotional and subsidy programs have recently been proclaimed by the Taiwanese government, focused on the development of various renewables. This study reviews the achievements, polices and future plans in this area. (author)

Renewable energy in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Falin; Lu, Shyi-Min; Wang, Eric; Tseng, Kuo-Tung [Institute of Applied Mechanics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617 (China)

2010-09-15

With limited indigenous conventional energy resources, Taiwan imports over 99% of its energy supply from foreign countries, mostly from the Middle East. Developing independent renewable energy resources is thus of priority concern for the Taiwanese government. A medium subtropical island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan has enormous potential to develop various renewable energies, such as solar energy, biomass energy, wind power, geothermal energy, hydropower, etc. However, owing to the importance of conventional fossil energy in generating exceptionally cheap electricity, renewable energy has not yet fully developed in Taiwan, resulting from a lack of market competition. Consequently, numerous promotional and subsidy programs have recently been proclaimed by the Taiwanese government, focused on the development of various renewables. This study reviews the achievements, polices and future plans in this area. (author)

Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kan, Shirley

2008-01-01

.... Congress has oversight of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, which has governed arms sales to Taiwan since 1979, when the United States recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) instead of Taiwan...

Child protection medical service demonstration centers in approaching child abuse and neglect in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yu-Ching; Huang, Jing-Long; Hsia, Shao-Hsuan; Lin, Kuang-Lin; Lee, En-Pei; Chou, I-Jun; Hsin, Yi-Chen; Lo, Fu-Song; Wu, Chang-Teng; Chiu, Cheng-Hsun; Wu, Han-Ping

2016-11-01

Child abuse includes all forms of physical and emotional ill treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential harm to the child's health, development, or dignity. In Taiwan, the Child Protection Medical Service Demonstration Center (CPMSDC) was established to protect children from abuse and neglect. We further analyzed and compared the trends and clinical characteristics of cases reported by CPMSDC to evaluate the function of CPMSDC in approaching child abuse and neglect in Taiwan. We prospectively recorded children with reported child abuse and neglect in a CPMSDC in a tertiary medical center from 2014 to 2015. Furthermore, we analyzed and compared age, gender, scene, identifying settings, time of visits, injury type, injury severity, hospital admission, hospitalization duration, and outcomes based on the different types of abuse and the different settings in which the abuse or neglect were identified. Of 361 child abuse cases (mean age 4.8 ± 5.36 years), the incidence was highest in 1- to 6-year-old children (n = 198, 54.85%). Physical abuse and neglect were predominant in males, while sexual abuse was predominant in females (P Neglect was most common (n = 279, 75.85%), followed by physical (n = 56, 15.51%) and sexual abuse (n = 26, 7.2%). The most common identifying setting was the emergency department (n = 320, 88.64%), with neglect being most commonly reported. Head, neck, and facial injuries were more common in physically abused children than in neglected and sexual abused children (P neglect (P abuse, and to increase the rate of registry. Cases of physical abuse had a higher Injury Severity Score, longer duration of hospitalization, and more injuries of head, face, and neck compared with other types of abuse. The reported rate of neglect was highly elevated after the CPMSDC established during the study period. Recognition of neglect is not easy, but the consequent injury, especially

Additional Remarks on Ranunculaceae in Taiwan (8 －Revision of Ranunculaceae in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.Y. Aleck Yang

2008-06-01

Full Text Available This is a taxonomic study of the genera of Ranunculaceae in Taiwan, including Aconitum L., Anemone L., Calathodes L., Cimicifuga Hook.f. & Thomson, Coptis L., Dichocarpum L., Ranunculus L., Semiaquilegea Makino, Thalictrum L. and Trollius L. Anemone vitifolia Buch.-Ham. ex DC. var. matsudae Yamam. is recognized in Taiwan; the concept of the genus Cimicifuga is still accepted, excluding genus Actaea. A key to the genera, keys to the taxa under each genus and synonyms of each taxon are provided. The taxonomic descriptions of taxa are only for those published after 1996. For easy understanding and checking of Taiwanese Ranunculaceae, phenology, distribution and specimens examined in each taxon are also presented. Totally, there are 11 genera and 51 taxa (including 41 species, 2 subspecies and 8 varieties of family Ranunculaceae in Taiwan.

Evaluation of thermal power plant operational performance in Taiwan by data envelopment analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.H.; Lin, Sue J.; Lewis, Charles

2010-01-01

Electricity is essential in the economic development of a nation. Due to the rapid growth of economy and industrial development in Taiwan, the demand for use of electricity has increased rapidly. This study evaluates the power-generation efficiency of major thermal power plants in Taiwan during 2004-2006 using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach. A stability test was conducted to verify the stability of the DEA model. According to the results, all power plants studied achieved acceptable overall operational efficiencies during 2004-2006, and the combined cycle power plants were the most efficient among all plants. The most important variable in this DEA model is the 'heating value of total fuels'. Findings from this study can be beneficial in improving some of the existing power plants and for more efficient operational strategies and related policy-making for future power plants in Taiwan.

The Research of Foreign Exchange Exposures in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Chen, Yi Chen

2006-01-01

The research will be mainly focused on the relationship between the stock returns and the fluctuation of foreign exchange rate exposure in Taiwan listed corporations. Due to the environmental limitations and in sufficient resources, if Taiwan inclines to develop international trade, the exchange market plays an important role in the advances of Taiwan's economy. Therefore, the fluctuations of foreign exchange rate must have a substantially impact on the profitability of industries in Taiwan.

From waste minimization to ISO 14000: Taiwan`s experience and prospects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen-Huei Chen; Wain-Sun Hou [China Technical Consultants, Inc., Taipei (Taiwan, Province of China)

1996-12-31

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 August 1996, respectively. These projects can assist Taiwan`s industries in changing the constitution of their enterprises, enhancing competition in the international market, and helping our nation achieve the forerunner`s profits in sustainable development. 9 refs., 3 figs.

The analysis of Taiwan's residential electricity demand under the electricity tariff policy

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Po-Jui

In October 2013, the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), the monopolized state utility service in Taiwan, implemented an electricity tariff adjustment policy to reduce residential electricity demand. Using bi-monthly billing data from 6,932 electricity consumers, this study examine how consumers respond to an increase in electricity prices. This study employs an empirical approach that takes advantage of quasi-random variation over a period of time when household bills were affected by a change in electricity price. The study found that this price increase caused a 1.78% decline in residential electricity consumption, implying a price elasticity of -0.19 for summer-season months and -0.15 for non-summer-season months. The demand for electricity is therefore relatively inelastic, likely because it is hard for people to change their electricity consumption behavior in the short-term. The results of this study highlight that demand-side management cannot be the only lever used to address Taiwan's forecasted decrease in electricity supply.

Reconstruction and systemization of the methodologies for strategic environmental assessment in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liou, M.-L.; Yeh, S.-C.; Yu, Y.-H.

2006-01-01

This paper discusses the current SEA procedures and assessment methodologies, aiming to propose strategies that can lead to effective improvement in a newly industrialized Asian country, Taiwan. Institutional and practical problems with regard to the regulations and tools of SEA in Taiwan are compared to those in other countries. According to the research results, it is suggested that extra evaluation processes should be incorporated into the current assessment procedures to improve their scientific validity and integrity. Moreover, it is also suggested that the sustainability appraisal approaches be included in the SEA framework. In this phase, revised evaluation indicators associated with corresponding targets can be the first attempt for modifying the SEA system. It is believed that these can promote the operability in practice and also lead the whole assessment procedures to a direction closer to sustainable development. The trails that Taiwan has followed can help other countries that are going to adopt SEA to find a more effective and efficient way to follow

Policies and legislation driving Taiwan's development of renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liou, Hwa Meei

2010-01-01

Under the current wave of international responses to the growing threat of climate change, Taiwan cannot afford to step back from its goal of advancing its renewable energy, strengthening its energy self sufficiency and energy security. This paper will first analyze the high level dependency structure of Taiwan's energy demands; then we will explore Taiwan current situation in terms of renewable energy development; furthermore from an overview of the course of changes and development in Taiwan's energy policy, highlight the commitment to and aims of Taiwan's Renewable Energy Development, made by the government at the Annual National Energy Conference. Fourth, we shall analyse technological R and D, incentives, taxes, market reforms and other related policy tools. Fifth, in light of public announcements and budgets set in recent years for Taiwan's renewable energy research plan, highlight main strategies being given impetus by the government. Sixth, the author will discuss the implications of recent significant legal reforms to the development of renewable energy in Taiwan and from the correlating aspects of industrial structures and energy consumption, take the first steps in emphasizing the urgent need for adjustments to be made to Taiwan's industrial structure. Finally, this paper will conclude by examining current policies, legislation and strategies which are in place to promote this area in Taiwan and discuss the potential competitiveness and future scenarios which the development of Renewable Energy could mean for Taiwan. (author)

Cross-Market Linkages of Taiwan Index Futures Contracts Listed on the Taiwan Futures Exchange and the Singapore Exchange

OpenAIRE

Hung-Gay Fung; Qingfeng "Wilson" Liu; Gyoungsin "Daniel" Park

2007-01-01

Cointegration tests and ex ante trading rules are applied to study cross-market linkages between the Taiwan Index futures contracts listed on the Singapore Exchange and the Taiwan Stock Exchange Capitalization-weighted Stock Index futures contracts listed on the Taiwan Futures Exchange. The exchange rate-adjusted returns of the two futures series do not differ significantly in mean but in variances, and show significant mean-reverting tendencies between them. Our trading strategies are able t...

An Event Study of Chinese Tourists to Taiwan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); S.-H. Hsu (Shu-Han); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

2018-01-01

markdownabstractThe number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan has been closely related to the political relationship across the Taiwan Strait. The occurrence of political events and disasters or accidents have had, and will continue to have, a huge impact on the Taiwan tourism market. To date,

76 FR 13982 - Antidumping Duty Order: Polyvinyl Alcohol From Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-15

...: Polyvinyl Alcohol From Taiwan AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department... on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) from Taiwan. DATES: Effective Date: March 15, 2011. FOR FURTHER... from Taiwan. See Polyvinyl Alcohol From Taiwan: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value...

75 FR 15726 - Polyvinyl Alcohol From Taiwan; Determination

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-30

... an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports from Taiwan of polyvinyl.... industry was materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of PVA from Taiwan... Alcohol From Taiwan; Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject investigation...

Chrysosplenium japonicum (Saxifragaceae, Newly Recorded from Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian-Chuan Hsu

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Chrysosplenium japonicum (Maxim. Makino (Saxifragaceae is newly recorded from northeastern Taiwan. Description, color photos and a key to the Chrysosplenium species in Taiwan are provided.

A Case Study of an Affective Education Course in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chin-Chiang; Ku, Heng-Yu

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the components of a framework for affective education implementation based on a positive psychology approach. A fifth grade class of 31 students in a public rural elementary school in Taiwan participated in a 13-week long affective education course that consisted of six units: Self-discovery, Love and…

Newspaper reporting and the emergence of charcoal burning suicide in Taiwan: A mixed methods approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying-Yeh; Tsai, Chi-Wei; Biddle, Lucy; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Wu, Kevin Chien-Chang; Gunnell, David

2016-03-15

It has been suggested that extensive media reporting of charcoal burning suicide was a key factor in the rapid spread of this novel method in many East Asian countries. But very few empirical studies have explored the relationship between media reporting and the emergence of this new method of suicide. We investigated the changing pattern of media reporting of charcoal burning suicides in Taiwan during 1998-2002 when this method of suicide increased most rapidly, assessing whether the characteristics of media reporting were associated with the changing incidence of suicide using this method. A mixed method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis of newspaper content during 1998-2002 was used. We compared differences in reporting characteristics before and after the rapid increase in charcoal burning suicide. Point-biserial and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to quantify the associations between the media item content and changes in suicide rates. During the period when charcoal burning suicide increased rapidly, the number of reports per suicide was considerably higher than during the early stage (0.31 vs. 0.10). Detailed reporting of this new method was associated with a post-reporting increase in suicides using the method. Qualitative analysis of news items revealed that the content of reports of suicide by charcoal burning changed gradually; in the early stages of the epidemic (1999-2000) there was convergence in the terminology used to report charcoal burning deaths, later reports gave detailed descriptions of the setting in which the death occurred (2001) and finally the method was glamourized and widely publicized (2001-2002). Our analysis was restricted to newspaper reports and did not include TV or the Internet. Newspaper reporting was associated with the evolution and establishment of charcoal burning suicide. Working with media and close monitoring of changes in the incidence of suicide using a new method might help

Taiwan's second remote sensing satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Chern, Jeng-Shing; Ling, Jer; Weng, Shui-Lin

2008-12-01

FORMOSAT-2 is Taiwan's first remote sensing satellite (RSS). It was launched on 20 May 2004 with five-year mission life and a very unique mission orbit at 891 km altitude. This orbit gives FORMOSAT-2 the daily revisit feature and the capability of imaging the Arctic and Antarctic regions due to the high enough altitude. For more than three years, FORMOSAT-2 has performed outstanding jobs and its global effectiveness is evidenced in many fields such as public education in Taiwan, Earth science and ecological niche research, preservation of the world heritages, contribution to the International Charter: space and major disasters, observation of suspected North Korea and Iranian nuclear facilities, and scientific observation of the atmospheric transient luminous events (TLEs). In order to continue the provision of earth observation images from space, the National Space Organization (NSPO) of Taiwan started to work on the second RSS from 2005. This second RSS will also be Taiwan's first indigenous satellite. Both the bus platform and remote sensing instrument (RSI) shall be designed and manufactured by NSPO and the Instrument Technology Research Center (ITRC) under the supervision of the National Applied Research Laboratories (NARL). Its onboard computer (OBC) shall use Taiwan's indigenous LEON-3 central processing unit (CPU). In order to achieve cost effective design, the commercial off the shelf (COTS) components shall be widely used. NSPO shall impose the up-screening/qualification and validation/verification processes to ensure their normal functions for proper operations in the severe space environments.

The development and achievement of a healthy cities network in Taiwan: sharing leadership and partnership building.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Susan C; Kuo, Hsien-Wen

2016-03-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities (HC) projects are the best known of the settings-based approaches to health promotion. They engage local governments in health development through a process of political commitment, institutional change, capacity-building, partnership-based planning and innovative projects. Many cities have promoted HC projects in Taiwan since 2002. In 2008, the Taiwan Alliance for Healthy Cities (TAHC) was launched to assist local governments in effectively establishing, operating and promoting HC projects. In this article, we share our experiences of establishing a platform and network to promote the HC program in Taiwan. Based on individual city profiles and governance in Taiwan, the TAHC developed a well-organized framework and model to encourage strong leadership in local governments and to promote participation and engagement in their communities. In the last 6 years, leaders from Taiwan's local governments in HC networks have integrated the HC concepts into their governance models, actively engaging and combining various resources with practical expertise and private sectors. The network of health in Taiwan allows each city to develop its unique perspective on the HC projects. Using this method, not only local government meets its needs, but also increases governance efficiency and effectiveness, resulting in the promotion of its citizens' overall sustainable urban health development. This HC network in Taiwan has partnerships with government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), with academic support and citizen involvement, a dynamic data collection system and demonstrated leadership in the sharing of information in the Asian region. © The Author(s) 2016.

Dispersal of Airborne Pollen in Chatienshan Nature Reserve, Northern Taiwan, with Emphasis on Taiwan Beech

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuan Ku

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In this first study on the pollen rain in natural forest in Taiwan using pollen traps, the dispersal patterns of airborne pollen were determined, with emphasis on Fagus hayatae and some major plant species, and the relationship between pollen assemblages and vegetation was elucidated. Seventeen pollen traps were installed on the western slope of Mt. Takai, northern Taiwan, from March 21 to May 10, 2008. Pollen and spores belonging to 37 families and 43 genera were identified. The results of correspondence analysis suggested differentiation of three vertical zones of pollen assemblages that corresponded to three vegetation types. Three patterns of occurrence were identified for the major pollen taxa, namely ubiquitous occurrence, local occurrence, and peak occurrence. The pollen influx of F. hayatae, a taxon characterized by local occurrence, was remarkably lower at a distance of over 200 m away from the pure stands. This suggests that pollen-mediated gene flow between the beech populations in Taiwan is unlikely. Besides providing basic data on the pollen dispersal of some important taxa in the middle altitudes of Taiwan, the present study also points out that caution should be taken in interpreting pollen percentage data from sediments.

Emergency nurses' knowledge of perceived barriers in pain management in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Feng-Ching; Tsai, Yun-Fang; Chien, Chih-Cheng; Lin, Chia-Chin

2007-11-01

To explore knowledge of and perceived barriers to pain management among emergency nurses in Taiwan. Pain is the most common patient complaint in emergency departments. Quality care of these patients depends on the pain knowledge and pain management skills of emergency nurses. However, no studies have explored emergency nurses' knowledge of and perceived barriers to pain management in Taiwan. Nurse subjects (n = 249) were recruited from nine hospitals chosen by stratified sampling across Taiwan. Data were collected using the Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey-Taiwanese version, a scale to assess perceived barriers to pain management and a background information form. The overall average correct response rate for the knowledge scale was 49.2%, with a range of 4.8-89.2% for each survey question. The top barrier to managing pain was identified by these nurses as 'the responsibility of caring for other acutely ill patients in addition to a patient with pain. Knowledge of pain management had a significant, negative relationship with perceived barriers to pain management and a significant, positive relationship with extent of clinical care experience and total hours of prior pain management education. In addition, scores for knowledge and perceived barriers differed significantly by the nursing clinical ladder. Perceived barriers also differed significantly by hospital accreditation category. Our results indicate an urgent need to strengthen pain education for emergency nurses in Taiwan. The pain education should target knowledge deficits and barriers to changing pain management approaches for Taiwanese emergency nurses.

Development of Taiwan's strategies for regulating nanotechnology-based pharmaceuticals harmonized with international considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jiun-Wen; Lee, Yu-Hsuan; Huang, Hsiau-Wen; Tzou, Mei-Chyun; Wang, Ying-Jan; Tsai, Jui-Chen

2014-01-01

Nanotechnology offers potential in pharmaceuticals and biomedical developments for improving drug delivery systems, medical imaging, diagnosis, cancer therapy, and regenerative medicine. Although there is no international regulation or legislation specifically for nanomedicine, it is agreed worldwide that considerably more attention should be paid to the quality, safety, and efficacy of nanotechnology-based drugs. The US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency have provided several draft regulatory guidance and reflection papers to assist the development of nanomedicines. To cope with the impact of nanotechnology and to foster its pharmaceutical applications and development in Taiwan, this article reviews the trends of regulating nanotechnology-based pharmaceuticals in the international community and proposes strategies for Taiwan's regulation harmonized with international considerations. The draft regulatory measures include a chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) review checklist and guidance for CMC review of liposomal products. These have been submitted for discussion among an expert committee, with membership comprised of multidisciplinary academia, research institutions, the pharmaceutical industry, and regulators, and are currently approaching final consensus. Once a consensus is reached, these mechanisms will be recommended to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration for jurisdiction and may be initiated as the starting point for regulating nanotechnology-based pharmaceuticals in Taiwan.

Magnetic properties as tracers for source-to-sink dispersal of sediments: A case study in the Taiwan Strait

Science.gov (United States)

Horng, Chorng-Shern; Huh, Chih-An

2011-09-01

Different lithologies between Taiwan and southeastern China lead to diverse mineralogical composition for weathering products derived from the two shores of the Taiwan Strait. Pyrrhotite and magnetite are respectively the dominant magnetic minerals associated with fluvial sediments from western Taiwan and southeastern China. While magnetite commonly co-exists with pyrrhotite in sediments sourced from Taiwan, pyrrhotite has not been found in sediments sourced from mainland China. Associated with such a distinction are vast differences in magnetic properties, including magnetic susceptibility (χ), SIRM, HIRM and the S-ratio, which can be used to study the provenances of sediments in the Taiwan Strait and adjoining marginal seas. Based on any two of these parameters, the magnetic characteristics of much of the Taiwan Strait sediment can be explained using a two-endmember mixing model. Source-to-sink dispersal of sediments in the Taiwan Strait can then be traced from the distribution of these parameters. The results not only corroborate an earlier study based on radionuclides and particle size distribution ( Huh et al., 2011) but reveal more diagnostic details. Besides spatial distribution based on a large number (216) of surface sediments, we also analyzed temporal variation of magnetic properties in six well-dated cores collected at key sites along the sediment source-to-sink pathways. From profiles of these parameters in cores from the middle of the northern Taiwan Strait, it is calculated that sediment supply from Taiwan has increased substantially in the past five decades, which may very well be related to accelerated land use and increased frequency of intense rainfalls in Taiwan during the same period. The approach described in this work may be extended to other source-to-sink systems around the world and through time, especially the mountainous islands fringing the Pacific and Indian Oceans in southeastern Asia. As with Taiwan, these islands have high

Effects of School Principals' Leadership Behaviors: A Comparison between Taiwan and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yi-Gean; Cheng, Jao-Nan; Sato, Mikio

2017-01-01

This study is a cross-national research in school leadership behaviors. Research subjects in this study include primary and secondary school teachers in Taiwan and northeastern Japan. By referring to "School leadership of the future," this study summarized that school leadership is working toward a team approach to instruction…

Using Response Cards in Teacher Education--A Case Example in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui-Ting

2016-01-01

Using response cards is one strategy to increase active student response. This approach may also satisfy a unique cultural learning need in some cultures like Taiwan where students are hesitant to speak in class. This paper provides a case example of using personal writing boards (PWBs) as an alternative response option to improve student…

Deterministic Approach for Estimating Critical Rainfall Threshold of Rainfall-induced Landslide in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Ming-Chien; Tan, Chih-Hao; Chen, Mien-Min; Su, Tai-Wei

2013-04-01

Taiwan is an active mountain belt created by the oblique collision between the northern Luzon arc and the Asian continental margin. The inherent complexities of geological nature create numerous discontinuities through rock masses and relatively steep hillside on the island. In recent years, the increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme natural events due to global warming or climate change brought significant landslides. The causes of landslides in these slopes are attributed to a number of factors. As is well known, rainfall is one of the most significant triggering factors for landslide occurrence. In general, the rainfall infiltration results in changing the suction and the moisture of soil, raising the unit weight of soil, and reducing the shear strength of soil in the colluvium of landslide. The stability of landslide is closely related to the groundwater pressure in response to rainfall infiltration, the geological and topographical conditions, and the physical and mechanical parameters. To assess the potential susceptibility to landslide, an effective modeling of rainfall-induced landslide is essential. In this paper, a deterministic approach is adopted to estimate the critical rainfall threshold of the rainfall-induced landslide. The critical rainfall threshold is defined as the accumulated rainfall while the safety factor of the slope is equal to 1.0. First, the process of deterministic approach establishes the hydrogeological conceptual model of the slope based on a series of in-situ investigations, including geological drilling, surface geological investigation, geophysical investigation, and borehole explorations. The material strength and hydraulic properties of the model were given by the field and laboratory tests. Second, the hydraulic and mechanical parameters of the model are calibrated with the long-term monitoring data. Furthermore, a two-dimensional numerical program, GeoStudio, was employed to perform the modelling practice. Finally

The market-incentive recycling system for waste packaging containers in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bor Yunchang, Jeffrey; Chien, Y.-L.; Hsu, Esher

2004-01-01

This paper presents a new market-incentive (MI) system to recycle waste-packaging containers in Taiwan. Since most used packaging containers have no or insufficient market value, the government imposes a combined product charge and subsidy policy to provide enough economic incentive for recycling various kinds of packaging containers, such as iron, aluminum, paper, glass and plastic. Empirical results show that the new MI approach has stimulated and established the recycling market for waste-packaging containers. The new recycling system has provided 18,356 employment opportunities and generated NT$ 6.97 billion in real-production value and NT$ 3.18 billion in real GDP during the 1998 survey year. Cost-effectiveness analysis constitutes the theoretical foundation of the new scheme, whereas data used to compute empirical product charge are from two sources: marketing surveys of internal conventional costs of solid-waste collection, disposal and recycling in Taiwan, and benefit transfer of external environmental costs in the United States. The new recycling policy designed by the authors provides a reasonable solution for solid-waste management in a country with limited land resources such as Taiwan

Regulatory oversight on nuclear safety in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, T-T. [Atomic Energy Council, New Taipei City, Taiwan (China)

2014-07-01

Taiwan is a densely populated island and over 98% of its energy is imported, 16.5% of which is nuclear, in the form of materials and services. Ensuring that the most stringent nuclear safety standards are met therefore remains a priority for the government and the operator, Taiwan power Company (Taipower). There are eight nuclear power reactors in Taiwan, six of which are in operation and two are under construction. The first began operating nearly 40 years ago. For the time being the issue of whether to decommission or extend life of the operating units is also being discussed and has no conclusion yet. Nuclear energy has been a hot issue in debate over the past decades in Taiwan. Construction of Lungmen nuclear power plant, site selection of a final low-level waste disposal facility, installation of spent fuel dry storage facilities and safety of the currently operating nuclear power reactors are the issues that all Taiwanese are concerned most. In order to ensure the safety of nuclear power plant, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) has implemented rigorous regulatory work over the past decades. After the Fukushima accident, AEC has conducted a reassessment program to re-evaluate all nuclear power plants in Taiwan, and asked Taipower to follow the technical guidelines, which ENSREG has utilized to implement stress test over nuclear power plants in Europe. In addition, AEC has invited two expert teams from OECD/NEA and ENSREG to conduct peer reviews of Taiwan's stress test national report in 2013. My presentation will focus on activities regulating safety of nuclear power programs. These will cover (A) policy of nuclear power regulation in Taiwan, (B)challenges of the Lungmen Plant, (C) post-Fukushima safety re-assessment, and (D)radioactive waste management. (author)

Status of radioactive waste management in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, C.C.

1993-01-01

Taiwan started to generate nuclear power in 1977. The peaceful uses of nuclear energy generated radwaste. The major radwaste generators are nuclear power plants of Taiwan Power Company (Taipower). The other generators are the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER), industry, medicine, agriculture, and education. Radwaste Administration (RWA), a subsidiary of Atomic Energy Council (AEC), is the regulatory body of radwaste in Taiwan. Radwaste management projects in Taiwan include: (1) construction of a Volume Reduction Center (VRC); (2) construction of a low-level radwaste transport ship; (3) construction of low-level waste final disposal facility; (4) construction of a spent fuel interim storage facility; (5) construction of spent fuel disposal facility. In the near future, final disposal of low-level waste is the most important work of both Taipower and RWA. Both organizations will put much more effort into this work

Taiwan-China: The Gordian Knot Stays Tied

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saša Istenič

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Separated historical, geographical, economic, political, and social processes on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have formed two entirely different political, economic and cultural entities. However, up to now, the governments in Beijing and Taipei have not yet found a common language regarding the questions related to Taiwan’s sovereignty. Whereas for the government in Beijing, Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, the government of the Republic of China who has actually been ruling Taiwan for almost 70 years, regards it as a sovereign, independent country. How to find a manageable political consensus that would please both parties remains a key question. The present article will outline the recent dynamics and illuminate the obstacles on the road toward long-term peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's underwater cultural heritage documentation management

Science.gov (United States)

Tung, Y.-Y.

2015-09-01

Taiwan is an important trading and maritime channels for many countries since ancient time. Numerous relics lie underwater due to weather, wars, and other factors. In the year of 2006, Bureau of Cultural Heritage (BOCH) entrusted the Underwater Archaeological Team of Academia Sinica to execute the underwater archaeological investigation projects. Currently, we verified 78 underwater targets, with 78 site of those had been recognized as shipwrecks sites. Up to date, there is a collection of 638 underwater objects from different underwater archaeological sites. Those artefacts are distributed to different institutions and museums. As very diverse management methods/systems are applied for every individual institution, underwater cultural heritage data such as survey, excavation report, research, etc. are poorly organized and disseminated for use. For better communication regarding to Taiwan's underwater cultural heritage in every level, a universal format of documentation should be established. By comparing the existing checklist used in Taiwan with guidelines that are followed in other countries, a more intact and appropriate underwater cultural heritage condition documentation system can be established and adapted in Taiwan.

ENHANCING EU-TAIWAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung-hung Cho

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The EU’s 2015 new trade strategy: Trade for all: toward a more responsible trade and investment policy, highlights its key role in keeping markets open worldwide and lists the Asia-Pacific region as the priority party for signing Regional Trade Arrangements (RTAs with the EU. The new strategy allows the EU and its member states to initiate talks on economic cooperation agreement (ECA with Taiwan. This article takes the EU-Asia interregional cooperation as a case study while exploring the role of Taiwan in the region. The first section describes the shift in EU’s trade policies and the special features of the types of interregionalism between the EU and Asia. The second section explores the bilateral trade relations. The third section evaluates the opportunities and the internal and external challenges and limitations of an EU-Taiwan ECA, emphasizing the factor of mainland China. The final section provides conclusions on the influence of an EU-Taiwan ECA on the relations of EUTaiwan considering economic and non-economic factor

Graduate Students' Usage of and Attitudes towards E-Books: Experiences from Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-der; Chen, Shih-chuan

2011-01-01

Purpose: University libraries are increasing their e-book collections. The purpose of this study is to investigate graduate students' usage of and attitudes towards e-books at National Taiwan University. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 20 graduate students from the fields of humanities, social sciences, science and technology, and medicine…

Science education reform in Confucian learning cultures: teachers' perspectives on policy and practice in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ying-Syuan; Asghar, Anila

2018-03-01

This empirical study investigates secondary science teachers' perspectives on science education reform in Taiwan and reflects how these teachers have been negotiating constructivist and learner-centered pedagogical approaches in contemporary science education. It also explores the challenges that teachers encounter while shifting their pedagogical focus from traditional approaches to teaching science to an active engagement in students' learning. Multiple sources of qualitative data were obtained, including individual interviews with science teachers and teachers' reflective journals about Confucianism in relation to their educational philosophies. Thematic analysis and constant comparative method were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that Confucian traditions play a significant role in shaping educational practices in Taiwan and profoundly influence teachers' epistemological beliefs and their actual classroom practice. Indeed, science teachers' perspectives on Confucian learning traditions played a key role in supporting or obstructing their pedagogical commitments to inquiry-based and learner-centered approaches. This study draws on the literature concerning teachers' professional struggles and identity construction during educational reform. Specifically, we explore the ways in which teachers respond to educational changes and negotiate their professional identities. We employed various theories of identity construction to understand teachers' struggles and challenges while wrestling with competing traditional and reform-based pedagogical approaches. Attending to these struggles and the ways in which they inform the development of a teacher's professional identity is vital for sustaining current and future educational reform in Taiwan as well as in other Eastern cultures. These findings have important implications for teachers' professional development programs in East Asian cultures.

Improvement of ALARA in Taiwan Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, H. M.; Chang, M.

2006-01-01

Full text: Full text: The ALARA(as low as reasonable achievable ) principle is a basic spirit of radiation safety culture and the most important element of a successful radiation safety program. In recent years, the ALARA principle and practices have been widely applied to the three operating nuclear power plants in Taiwan. Through the effective communication and fully cooperation between the authority and utility, the performance goals of improving radiation safety program have been set, and the implementation plans have been proposed and followed. Taking Chinshan nuclear power station as an example, in 2004, the occupational individual dose was 1.13mSv/ person in average,no one exceeded 20mSv ,and the collective dose was 1.03man-Sv/unit which achieved the best record of BWR plant in Taiwan. The radiation reduction approaches and tools adopted by the plants include removing radiation sources, setting radiation shieding, optimizing and controlling the schedule of radiation practices, considering the occupancy factors, and better administrative management to keep exposure ALARA will be discussed in this paper

Real-Time Surveillance of Infectious Diseases: Taiwan's Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Jian, Shu-Wan; Chen, Chiu-Mei; Lee, Cheng-Yi; Liu, Ding-Ping

Integration of multiple surveillance systems advances early warning and supports better decision making during infectious disease events. Taiwan has a comprehensive network of laboratory, epidemiologic, and early warning surveillance systems with nationwide representation. Hospitals and clinical laboratories have deployed automatic reporting mechanisms since 2014 and have effectively improved timeliness of infectious disease and laboratory data reporting. In June 2016, the capacity of real-time surveillance in Taiwan was externally assessed and was found to have a demonstrated and sustainable capability. We describe Taiwan's disease surveillance system and use surveillance efforts for influenza and Zika virus as examples of surveillance capability. Timely and integrated influenza information showed a higher level and extended pattern of influenza activity during the 2015-16 season, which ensured prompt information dissemination and the coordination of response operations. Taiwan also has well-developed disease detection systems and was the first country to report imported cases of Zika virus from Miami Beach and Singapore. This illustrates a high level of awareness and willingness among health workers to report emerging infectious diseases, and highlights the robust and sensitive nature of Taiwan's surveillance system. These 2 examples demonstrate the flexibility of the surveillance systems in Taiwan to adapt to emerging infectious diseases and major communicable diseases. Through participation in the GHSA, Taiwan can more actively collaborate with national counterparts and use its expertise to strengthen global and regional surveillance capacity in the Asia Pacific and in Southeast Asia, in order to advance a world safe and secure from infectious disease.

Price Limit and Volatility in Taiwan Stock Exchange: Some Additional Evidence from the Extreme Value Approach

OpenAIRE

Aktham I. Maghyereh; Haitham A. Al Zoubi; Haitham Nobanee

2007-01-01

We reexamine the effects of price limits on stock volatility of Taiwan Stock Exchange using a new methodology based on the Extreme-Value technique. Consistent with the advocates of price limits, we find that stock market volatility is sharply moderated under more restrictive price limits.

[Glocalization: the outlook for Taiwan evidence based health care].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chiehfeng

2014-12-01

Public attention to evidence-based health care (EBHC) has increased significantly in recent years. Key problems related to applying EBHC in current healthcare practice include the timely update of up-to-date knowledge and skills and the methodology used to implement EBHC in clinical settings. EBHC has been introduced to the Taiwan healthcare system for the past two decades. The annual EBM (Evidence based medicine) National Competition is a unique and important EBHC activity in Taiwan. EBHC has been promoted widely in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and other professions, and EBHC-related organizations such as the Taiwan Evidence Based Medicine Association (TEBMA), and Taiwan Evidence Based Nursing Association (TEBNA), have increased in number and grown in membership. In addition to domestic developments, Taiwan is also actively involved in global organizations, such as the Cochrane Collaboration, East Asian Cochrane Alliance (EACA), and the International Society for Evidence Based Health Care (ISEHC). In Taiwan, most medical professionals work cooperatively to promote EBHC, which facilitates the gradual improvement of healthcare quality.

Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Recent Developments and Their Policy Implications

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dumbaugh, Kerry

2008-01-01

... that the separately ruled Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, elected on March 22, 2008, in a surprisingly broad electoral victory, has moved quickly to repair Taiwan's relations with the PRC...

Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Recent Developments and Their Policy Implications

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dumbaugh, Kerry

2009-01-01

... that the separately ruled Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, elected on March 22, 2008, in a surprisingly broad electoral victory, has moved quickly to repair Taiwan's relations with the PRC...

Lattice Study for the Taiwan Photon Source

CERN Document Server

Kuo, Chin-Cheng; Chen Chien Te; Luo, Gwo-Huei; Tsai, Hung-Jen; Wang, Min-Huey

2005-01-01

The feasibility study for the new 3.0~3.3 GeV Taiwan synchrotron light source, dubbed Taiwan Photon Source, was initiated in July, 2004. The goal is to construct a high performance light source with extremely bright X-ray in complementary to the existing 1.5 GeV light source in Taiwan. The ring circumference is 518.4 m and a 24-cell DBA lattice structure is chosen. The natural emittance with distributed dispersion is less than 2 nm-rad. A large booster ring of 499.2 m sharing the storage ring tunnel will be adopted.

Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-03

flights and tourism across the Taiwan Strait in July. While the resumption of the cross-strait dialogue for the first time in a decade was welcomed... Taiwan : Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990 Shirley A. Kan Specialist in Asian Security Affairs March 3, 2014 Congressional Research Service 7...number. 1. REPORT DATE 03 MAR 2014 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2014 to 00-00-2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Taiwan : Major U.S. Arms

Seasonal Patterns of Japanese Encephalitis and Associated Meteorological Factors in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Che-Liang; Chang, Hsiao-Ling; Lin, Chuan-Yao; Chen, Kow-Tong

2017-10-29

The persistent transmission of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in Taiwan necessitates exploring the risk factors of occurrence of Japanese encephalitis (JE). The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between meteorological factors and the incidence of JE in Taiwan. We collected data for cases of JE reported to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) from 2000 to 2014. Meteorological data were obtained from the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau. The relationships between weather variability and the incidence of JE in Taiwan were determined via Poisson regression analysis and a case-crossover methodology. During the 15-year study period, a total of 379 cases of JE were reported. The incidence of JE showed significant seasonality, with the majority of cases occurring in summertime (for oscillation, p Taiwan. Therefore, these factors could be regarded as warning signals indicating the need to implement preventive measures.

The Deep Electrical Structure of Southern Taiwan and Its Tectonic Implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Wen Chiang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The Taiwan orogen has formed as a result of the arc-continent collision between the Eurasian continental margin and the Luzon volcanic arc over the last 5 million years and is the type example of an arc-continent collision. The tectonic processes at work beneath Taiwan are still debated; the available data have been interpreted with both thin-skinned and lithospheric collision models. In 2004, the Taiwan Integrated Geodynamical Research (TAIGER project began a systematic investigation of the crustal and upper mantle structure beneath Taiwan. TAIGER magnetotelluric (MT data from central Taiwan favor a thick-skinned model for that region. The Taiwan orogen becomes younger to the south, so the earlier stages of collision were investigated with a 100-km-long MT profile in southern Taiwan at latitude of 23.3¢XN. Data were recorded at 15 MT sites and tensor decomposition and two-dimensional inversion were applied to the MT data. The shallow electrical resistivity structure is in good agreement with surface geology. The deeper structure shows a major conductor in the mid-crust that can be explained by fluid content of 0.4 - 1.4%. A similar feature was observed in central Taiwan, but with a higher fluid content. The conductor in southern Taiwan extends to lower crustal depths and is likely caused by fluids generated by metamorphic reactions in a thickened crust. Together the central and southern Taiwan MT profiles show a crustal root beneath the Central Range.

Taiwan Space Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jann-Yenq

Taiwan space programs consist of FORMOSAT-1, -2, and -3, sounding rockets, and international cooperation. FORMOSAT-1, a low-earth-orbit (LEO) scientific experimental satellite, was launched on January 26, 1999. It circulates with an altitude of 600 km and 35 degree inclination around the Earth every 97 minutes, transmitting collected data to Taiwan's receiving stations approximately six times a day. The major mission of FORMOSAT-1 includes three scientific experiments for measuring the effects of ionospheric plasma and electrodynamics, taking the ocean color image and conducting Ka-band communication experiment. The FORMOSAT- 1 mission was ended by June 15, 2004. FORMOSAT-2, launched on May 21, 2004 onto the Sun-synchronous orbit located at 891 km above ground. The main mission of FORMOSAT-2 is to conduct remote sensing imaging over Taiwan and on terrestrial and oceanic regions of the entire earth. The images captured by FORMOSAT-2 during daytime can be used for land distribution, natural resources research, environmental protection, disaster prevention and rescue work etc. When the satellite travels to the eclipsed zone, it observes natural phenomena of lighting in the upper atmosphere. FORMOSAT-3 is an international collaboration project between Taiwan and the US to develop advanced technology for the real-time monitoring of the global climate. This project is also named Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate, or FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC for short. Six micro-satellites were launched on 15 April 2007 and eventually placed into six different orbits at 700 800 kilometer above the earth ground. These satellites orbit around the earth to form a LEO constellation that receives signals transmitted by the 24 US GPS satellites. The satellite observation covers the entire global atmosphere and ionosphere, providing over 2,500 global sounding data per day. These data distribute uniformly over the earth's atmosphere. The global climate information

[The medical autonomy of elderly in Taiwan].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai-Li; Chen, Ching-Huey

2014-10-01

The elderly population is increasing rapidly in Taiwan. With the average life expectancy on the rise, the elderly have become major consumers of healthcare products and services. Factors that influence respect for autonomy, a core value of medical ethics, may be related to family, society, and the medical culture. Especially in patients who are already elderly, aging causes declines in physical, mental and societal capacities. Practicing a respect for patient autonomy is particularly challenging for healthcare professionals in Taiwan due the unique culture background of elderly Taiwanese patients. This article reviews and integrates the literature related to the issue of patient autonomy and elaborates on medical decision-making among elderly patients in Taiwan in the contexts of: the disadvantages faced by the elderly, the background of Chinese culture, and the current medical decision-making environment. A few suggestions are proposed to help preserve the medical-decision-making autonomy of elderly patients in Taiwan.

Dawning of Hope: Practice of and Reflections on Indigenous Teacher Education in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shanhua

2016-01-01

Teachers more familiar with students' culture tend to use culturally relevant teaching methods to smooth students' learning. Most pre-service teachers in Taiwan lack sufficient training for multicultural competence to enable them to embrace indigenous students' culture and appropriate teaching approaches. In 2013, the Education Act for Indigenous…

Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-27

an impasse over the program start -up costs estimated by the U.S. Navy at $333 million, but offered at $28.5 million by Taiwan . On May 20-23, 2003...Also, after starting in 2003 as the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Bruce Lemkin traveled twice to Taiwan by 2009...he promptly resumed a dialogue with the PRC on June 12-13, resulting in expanded charter flights and tourism across the Taiwan Strait in July

The Distribution and Habitats of the Pteris fauriei Complex in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yao-Moan Huang

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Polyploidization is a significant mode of speciation in plants. Polyploids often occupy habitats different from those of their diploid parents. In Taiwan, two varieties of Pteris fauriei, one diploid and one triploid, have been identified. The number of spores per sporangium and the size of spores are reliable indicators of ploidy. Diploid P. fauriei have 64-spore sporangia and the spores are significantly smaller than spores of triploid plants, which have 32-spore sporangia. Based on these findings, the distribution and habitats of the two cytotypes in Taiwan are characterized from both living plants and herbarium specimens. Altogether, 516 live plants from 32 locations and 76 herbarium specimens were analyzed. In general, diploid plants occur in warmer habitats than triploid plants. Diploid plants are widely distributed in Taiwan and nearby islands, but do not occur in central Taiwan nor in the Matsu islands. In contrast, triploid plants are not found in southern tip of Taiwan nor on islands west of central Taiwan. In northern Taiwan and on the west-central islands, diploids grow most often in exposed sites and grasslands. However, in southern Taiwan and islands Lanyu and Lutao, diploids also occur in woodlands. Triploids are restricted to grassland and woodland habitats in Taiwan, but grow in exposed sites, grassland and woodland habitats in Matsu islands. In general, triploids grow at higher elevations than the diploids.

Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dumbaugh, Kerry

2006-01-01

.... Among other things, President Bush publicly stated in 2001 that the United States would do "whatever it takes" to help Taiwan's defense and approved, in April 2001, a substantial sale of U.S. weapons to Taiwan...

What University Governance Can Taiwan Learn from the United States?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lung-Sheng; Land, Ming H.

2010-01-01

Due to changes from centralization to marketization, Taiwan's university governance must increase its effectiveness. The purpose of this paper was to introduce trends in and issues of Taiwan's university governance, describe university governance in the United States, and draw implications that Taiwan's university governance needs to learn from…

The Past, Present, and Future of Discharge Planning in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shu-Chuan Lin

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Discharge planning is an interdisciplinary approach to provide continuity of care; it is a process that includes identification, assessment, goal setting, planning, implementation, coordination, and evaluation. Discharge planning has been viewed as a major way to enhance a smooth transition for patients from the hospital to home or other chronic care units and as a solution to solve problems associated with postdischarge care. The promotion of discharge planning began in the United States in the 1960s. Nursing scholars from Taiwan learned about the concept of discharge planning from the United States in the early 1980s and subsequently introduced it to Taiwanese medical institutions in 1985. A policy to promote discharge planning in Taiwan was announced by the Executive Yuan, Department of Health in 1993. Following the healthcare reforms in 1995, discharge planning has since been strongly promoted. Studies concerning discharge planning in Taiwan showed some promising results, including increased satisfaction of patients and their families, improved preparation of caregivers, and improved quality of life for patients. However, patients receiving interdisciplinary discharge planning services were still in the minority. There was no standard evaluation procedure for interdisciplinary discharge planning, and a high percentage of patients thought that hospitals handled the postdischarge long-term care services referral procedure inadequately. Despite the positive attitudes toward discharge planning, many physicians still demonstrate an unsatisfactory level of knowledge and behaviors with regard to discharge planning. To enhance the implementation of discharge planning, a standard evaluation procedure for interdisciplinary discharge planning and improved physician awareness concerning the importance of discharge planning are needed. In Taiwan, the improvement of discharge planning in the foreseeable future is promising with the accreditation of the

A network approach for researching political feasibility of healthcare reform: the case of universal healthcare system in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guang-Xu

2012-12-01

This study evaluates the political feasibility of healthcare reform taking place in Taiwan in the past decade. Since Taiwan adopted National Health Insurance (NHI) in 1995, it has provided coverage for virtually all of the island's citizens. However, the imbalance between expenditure and revenue has resulted in a cycle of unsustainable spending which has necessitated financial reforms and political confrontations. By applying social network analysis, this paper examines multiple types of ties between policy elites and power distribution that have evolved in crucial policy events of the NHI's financial reforms between 1998 and 2010. Data sources include official documents and 62 social network interviews that were held with government officials and related unofficial policy participants. Blockmodeling and multidimensional scaling (MDS) are used to determine the major participants and network structures in the NHI domain, as well as the influential policy actors, based on information transmission, resource exchange, reputation attribution and action-set coalition networks in Taiwan's current political situation. The results show that although both public actors and all medical associations are the leading actors in the NHI reform, without good communication with societal actors, the promotion of reform proposals ends in failure. As a tool of political feasibility evaluation, social network analysis can map the political conflict between policy stakeholders systematically when policy makers pursue the result of policy adoption. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Umbrella Sedge in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shih-Huei Chen

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The umbrella sedge Cyperus involucratus was misidentified as C. alternifolius subsp. flabelliformis in Taiwan. The investigation of the status of the umbrella sedge is prompted by the recent discovery of C. alternifolius which was naturalized to eastern Taiwan. Cyperus alternifolius, though similar to C. involucratus in appearance, differs on the fine structure of achene surface, bract margin, etc. In this article, we report the newly naturalized plant, compare the differences of characteristics between the species, and provide the photos of habitat and fine structure for taxonomic identification.

Composition, Endemism and Phytogeographical Affinities of the Taiwan Flora

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang-Fu Hsieh

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The Taiwan vascular flora is exceptionally interesting not only because it is rich and diversified, but because it is of great phytogeographic significance owing to its geographic location. The flora of Taiwan, including naturalized plants, comprises 233 families and 1389 genera with 4216 species. In terms of major growth forms, there are 588 trees, 426 shrubs, 249 lianas, 177 vines, and 2776 herbs or ferns. Approximately 234 species are exotics typically associated with pastures, road clearings and other human disturbances. An extremely large percentage of these naturalized plants are of tropical New World origin. Among the native flora, the Orchidaceae (331 species, Gramineae (249, Compositae (194, Leguminosae (176, Cyperaceae (174, Rosaceae (105, Rubiaceae (93 and Euphorbiaceae (76 rank highest in numbers of species. Clearly, the greatest part of Taiwan's floristics richness comes from a wealth of species in primarily lowland (0–600 m asl. taxa. A total of 2571 species were recorded in the lowlands, whereas only about 251 species occur between 3100-3950 m. Endemic genera are extremely scarce in Taiwan, with only four, namely Sinopanax (Araliaceae, Hayatella (Rubiaceae, Kudoacanthus (Acanthaceae, and Haraella (Orchidaceae. In contrast to the low percentage of generic endemism, there is a remarkably higher specific endemism. About 1041 species (26.1% of indigenous plants are known only from Taiwan. A detailed examination of these species shows that there is a distinct trend of increasing endemism with increasing altitude (r² = 0.99. A survey of indigenous non-endemic species on the basis of their geographical distribution outside Taiwan shows that they can be classified into 6 major categories: 1. pantropical and palaeotropical species (1029 species; 2. species distributed in eastern Asia, from Himalayas through southern & eastern China to Taiwan, with some extending to the Ryukyus and Japan (1075 species; 3. widespread species extending

A pilot experiment with reactor neutrinos in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Henry T.; Li Jin

1999-01-01

A Collaboration comprising scientists from Taiwan, mainland China and the United States has been built up since 1996 to pursue an experimental program in neutrino and astro-particle physics in Taiwan. A pilot experiment to be performed at the Nuclear Power Station II in Taiwan is now under intense preparation. It will make use of a 500 kg CsI(Tl) crystal calorimeter to study various neutrino interactions. Various possible future directions will also be explored. The conceptual design and the physics to be addressed by the pilot experiment are discussed

Chinese isms dimensions in mainland China and Taiwan: Convergence and extension of American isms dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhuo Job; Hsu, Kung-Yu; Zhou, Xinyue; Saucier, Gerard

2017-07-21

Previous studies of American English isms terms have uncovered as many as five broad factors: tradition-oriented religiousness (TR), subjective spirituality (SS), communal rationalism (CR), unmitigated self-interest (USI), and inequality aversion (IA). The present studies took a similar lexical approach to investigate the Chinese-language isms structures in both mainland China and Taiwan. In Study 1, exploratory factor analyses with 915 mainland Chinese subjects uncovered four interpretable factors dimensionalizing 165 mainland Chinese dictionary isms terms. These factors represented contents of a combination of TR and SS, USI, CR, and a culturally unique Communist Party of China (CPC) ideology factor. In Study 2, exploratory factor analyses with 467 Taiwan Chinese subjects revealed four interpretable factors categorizing 291 Taiwan Chinese dictionary isms terms. These factors represented contents of a combination of TR and SS, USI, CR, and a culturally unique dimension expressing aspirations for happiness. The results gave evidence for the existence of the isms factors TR and SS, USI, and CR in Chinese culture. Cultural uniqueness was reflected in the merging of TR and SS into the factor Syncretic Religiousness and the culture-specific factors of CPC ideology in China and Happiness/Peace Promotion in Taiwan. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Seismic safety reexaminations to NPPs in Taiwan. Lessons learned from 20061226 Taiwan Hengchun and 20070716 Japan Niigata-Chuetsu oki earthquakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow Ting; Wu Yuanchieh; Gau Yunchau

2008-01-01

On December 26 2006, a strong earthquake with a local magnitude M L of 7.0 hit the most southern part of Taiwan, Hengchun village, where the Maanshan Nuclear Power Station is located. This is a historic high earthquake ever been experienced to Taiwan's existing nuclear power units, and it raised high public concerns about the seismic safety of the nuclear power plants operation. More recently on July 16 2007, in Japan, where the earthquake focal mechanisms are very similar to those in Taiwan, all 7 nuclear power units in Kashiwazaki-Kariwa site were struck by a more devastating earthquake and as the result, the design earthquakes for all the nuclear units have been exceeded. Therefore, the assurance of good seismic design and the appropriateness of associated post-earthquake actions to the nuclear power units in Taiwan become very urgent topics. Based on the experiences learned from the above mentioned two earthquakes, this paper will focus on the seismic safety reexamination of Taiwan's existing nuclear power plants of the following aspects: (1) current US orientated seismic designs/regulations from earthquake probabilistic risk point of view, (2) earthquake shut-down criterion, especially the CAV parameter and its threshold value, and (3) current post earthquake actions. (author)

The Study of Aeromagnetic Surveys in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Li, P. T.; Tong, L. T.; Lin, W.; Chang, S. F.

2016-12-01

The airborne magnetic survey is a cost-effective method for regional geological investigation. Most of developed countries use aeromagnetic data as important fundamental information for resources development. The first aeromagnetic survey was conducted in the offshore areas of west and southern Taiwan in 1968 by U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office to help Taiwan finding oil. Later, in 2007, a helicopter-borne magnetic survey was proceed in east Taiwan for underground granite bodies. In order to improve better understanding of deep geological structures associated with the Holocene volcanism in Taiwan, we applied helicopter-borne magnetic technique in northern Taiwan include Tatun Volcano Group (TVG) and Kueishan island in 2013 and 2014 to obtain the distribution information of potential magma chamber as well as hydrothermal pathways along regional geological structures. The most important findings of the high-resolution aeromagnetic dataset since 1960's to 2014 acquired include: (1) the distribution of subsurface igneous rocks and the Curie point depth in Tatun Volcano Group, Keelung Volcano Group, and Kueishantao Volcano; (2) the widely distributed NE high-magnetic belts in northern Taiwan may be associated with NE fractures created by long-term subsidence in this area; (3) the high-magnetic belts in south of Lanyang River which is very different from the magnetic characteristics of the Central Range may imply paleo oceanic plate; (4) the NE high-magnetic belts in Penghu area formed by magma intrusion along NE fractures and the dense and high-magnetic anomalies may be associated with the Miocene basaltic lava overlying on the pre-Tertiary igneous dykes and are widely spread in northern Penghu area. The new aeromagnetic survey techniques help us to investigate the areas with steep terrain or covered by dense vegetation which was difficult to obtain reasonable geological understanding, and also provide an opportunity for us to apply the geothermal energy prospecting.

76 FR 13660 - Polyvinyl Alcohol From Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-14

... Taiwan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject investigation, the United... Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)) (the Act), that an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports from Taiwan of polyvinyl alcohol, provided for under subheading 3905.30.00 of...

Modeling the impacts of cetacean-focused tourism in Taiwan: observations from cetacean watching boats: 2002-2005.

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Yung-Ping; Huang, Yu-Chin; Kyle, Gerard T; Yang, Ming-Ching

2011-01-01

Cetacean-focused tourism in Taiwan has grown rapidly since 1997. This development, measured in terms of both number of tour boats and visitors, has resulted in many resource management challenges stemming from the absence of regulation and scientific data. To fill this void in empirical evidence, we used 464 sighting records from 2002 to 2005 to model the impact of cetacean-focused tourism. Cox proportional hazard analysis indicated cetacean avoidance responses to cetacean watching boats were strongly associated with pod size, mother-calf pairs, and cetacean-vessel distances. Mother-calf pairs abandoned their avoidance tactic by 55% compared to noncalf groups when tour boats approached. Second, the hazard ratio of abundance was 0.996, suggesting that the odds of encountering avoidance responses by the cetaceans decreased by 42% for every 100-member increase in the cetacean pod size. Last, distances maintained by boats from the cetaceans was positively related to avoidance responses (i.e., less avoidance behavior with closer interaction). Based on our findings, we have the following recommendations: (a) limit vessels from approaching mothers with calves, (b) limit vessels from approaching small groups of cetaceans, (c) reduced avoidance behavior to boat traffic may be a red flag for potential long-term disturbance, and (d) apply the "precautionary principle" based on the best scientific information available in cetacean-based tourism in Taiwan. These recommendations will help contribute to the sustainable development of cetacean-focused tourism in Taiwan.

Modeling the Impacts of Cetacean-Focused Tourism in Taiwan: Observations from Cetacean Watching Boats: 2002-2005

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Yung-Ping; Huang, Yu-Chin; Kyle, Gerard T.; Yang, Ming-Ching

2011-01-01

Cetacean-focused tourism in Taiwan has grown rapidly since 1997. This development, measured in terms of both number of tour boats and visitors, has resulted in many resource management challenges stemming from the absence of regulation and scientific data. To fill this void in empirical evidence, we used 464 sighting records from 2002 to 2005 to model the impact of cetacean-focused tourism. Cox proportional hazard analysis indicated cetacean avoidance responses to cetacean watching boats were strongly associated with pod size, mother-calf pairs, and cetacean-vessel distances. Mother-calf pairs abandoned their avoidance tactic by 55% compared to noncalf groups when tour boats approached. Second, the hazard ratio of abundance was 0.996, suggesting that the odds of encountering avoidance responses by the cetaceans decreased by 42% for every 100-member increase in the cetacean pod size. Last, distances maintained by boats from the cetaceans was positively related to avoidance responses (i.e., less avoidance behavior with closer interaction). Based on our findings, we have the following recommendations: (a) limit vessels from approaching mothers with calves, (b) limit vessels from approaching small groups of cetaceans, (c) reduced avoidance behavior to boat traffic may be a red flag for potential long-term disturbance, and (d) apply the "precautionary principle" based on the best scientific information available in cetacean-based tourism in Taiwan. These recommendations will help contribute to the sustainable development of cetacean-focused tourism in Taiwan.

[Liability of pediatric nurses for professional negligence in Taiwan: a case study].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hui-Man; Sun, Fan-Ko

2014-04-01

Liability attribution and professional negligence in pediatric nursing are topics that have been neglected in Taiwan. (1) Identify the definitions of related criminal activities in accordance with domestic criminal law; (2) Elucidate the facts and the dispute in a current case involving a pediatric nurse; (3) Elucidate the principle of 'no punishment without law'; (4) Explore the reasons why the pediatric nurse in the current case received a verdict of 'not guilty'. A literature review and case study approach were used to analyze a sentence reconsideration of the first instance No. 1 (2011) issued by the Taiwan high court, Kaohsiung branch court. The conditions for the scrutiny of criminal activity under Taiwan criminal law are statement of facts, illegality (justifiable cause), and liability (excuse). In this case, the pediatric nurse was accused of failing to prevent an infant from suffocation and of not discharging her obligations as a nurse. The pediatric nurse rebutted the charge of criminal negligence. The intervening behaviors of the pediatric nurse were found to be legal and not culpable. In this case, the High Court and Supreme Court made a final criminal judgment based on the presumption of innocence, and the pediatric nurse was pronounced innocent of the charge. This article intends to assist pediatric nurses understand their liabilities under Taiwan's criminal law. Pediatric nurses should gain a better understanding of the nature of liability for professional negligence in order to clarify how actions that may be illegal do not necessarily make nurses culpable.

Educating Students with Learning Disabilities in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Yun-Ju

2011-01-01

In East Asia, Taiwan is one of only a few countries that has a clear definition of learning disabilities (LD) as well as operational criteria for the identification of LD. In Taiwan, special education services for students with LD are mandated in the Special Education Act of 1984. According to the official statistics from the Taiwanese Special…

GHG legislation: Lessons from Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, W.M.; Lee, Grace W.M.

2009-01-01

Taiwan has drafted a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Bill in 2006, which is currently undergoing the legislative process in the Congress. The purpose of this study is to reexamine the legal framework and contents of this Bill, evaluate potential problems and propose recommendations. This study advocates that setting the GHG reduction targets should be settled in this Bill. In addition, based on the analysis of international experiences, it is recommenced that emissions trading scheme in the Bill should be focused on large emission sources and the share of allowance auction should be increased to reduce gratis allocation. Furthermore, from the calculation results based on the long-range energy alternative planning (LEAP) model, a conflict is observed for the existing energy policy and GHG reduction efforts in Taiwan. That is, coal-burning power plants will be the most important source of energy for Taiwan in the future. In order to reduce this conflict, the authors have recommended that the Bill should also be integrated with other relevant existing legislation to achieve a complementary effect.

Gas fuels Taiwan's expansion plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayes, David

2000-01-01

The volume of liquid natural gas (LNG) imported into Taiwan is expected to double over the next ten years as the use of natural gas for power generation increases significantly. The Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) expects to import 4.5 million tonnes of LNG in 2000 compared with 4 million tonnes in 1999. CPC is building an undersea, offshore pipeline from the Yung An LNG terminal in the south of Taiwan up the western coastline to the north. The pipeline will supply gas to power stations in the north and city gas companies in Taipei. Combined cycle power plant units at Tungshiao power station are converting to gas and a new power plant at Changsheng will burn LNG. More LNG power plants are planned. LNG is imported from Indonesia and Malaysia to supplement Taiwan's dwindling reserves of natural gas. As well as expanding the existing terminal at Yung An, the CPC is considering the need for a second import terminal. This would probably be financed and operated by the private sector

Assessment of the feed-in tariff mechanism for renewable energies in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Yun-Hsun; Wu, Jung-Hua

2011-01-01

Due to Taiwan's lack of natural resources, dependence on imported energy, and pursuit of sustainable development, renewable energies are extremely important for Taiwan's future energy supply. Since Taiwan's feed-in tariff (FIT) is still in its initial stage, one must examine whether the current system is compatible with a well-designed FIT scheme. This study examines the main features of Taiwan's FIT system and assesses design options using several criteria. Additionally, one of the most important elements of a FIT scheme, namely, a tariff system, is discussed. Taiwan's FIT scheme has the design options required by well-functioning FITs, and the guaranteed-return tariff system coincides with the spirit underlying leading global FITs; however, many issues, such as setting goals by stages, refinement of the tariff calculation methodology, and elimination of other non-economic barriers, must be addressed to achieve future developmental goals and green industry growth. - Highlights: ► No in-depth study has focused exclusively on Taiwan's FIT design options. ► This study fills this gap in the literature by examining Taiwan's FIT system. ► Assessments demonstrate that Taiwan's FIT scheme has the design options required by well-functioning FITs. ► Four issues are identified that Taiwan's policy makers should address to achieve future developmental goals and expand green industries.

Causal factors of corporate crime in Taiwan: qualitative and quantitative findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Mon, Wei-Teh

2002-04-01

Street crimes are a primary concern of most criminologists in Taiwan. In recent years, however, crimes committed by corporations have increased greatly in this country. Employing the empirical approach to collect data about causal factors of corporate crime, the research presented in this article is the first systematic empirical study concerning corporate crime in Taiwan. The research sample was selected from a corporation with a criminal record of pollution caused by the release of toxic chemicals into the environment and a corporation with no criminal record. Questionnaire survey and interviews of corporate employees and managers were conducted, and secondary data were collected from official agencies. This research indicated the causal factors of corporate crime as follows: the failure of government regulation, lack of corporate self-regulation, lack of public concern about corporate crime, corporate mechanistic structure, and the low self-control tendency of corporate managers.

Energy statistics and the role of nuclear energy in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tseng, T.T.; Chen, Y.B.

1995-01-01

Due to the very limited indigenous energy resources, Taiwan has to import over 95% of the energy from overseas to meet her need. In this paper, the supply and demand of various kind of major energies will be discussed. Also, in order to lessen the environmental burden and increase the energy independence for Taiwan, the so-called quasi-indigenous energy - nuclear energy, will play an important role in Taiwan's future energy mix. The optimal ratios of the mix in the year of 2005 in Taiwan area using multiobjective method by independent research Institute will also be discussed. (author)

An investigation of snakebite antivenom usage in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chih-Chuan; Chaou, Chung-Hsien; Tseng, Chiung-Yao

2016-08-01

Four types of antivenom are used to treat snakebites by the six species of venomous snakes native to Taiwan. Research into antivenom use in Taiwan and its outcomes, as well as the utility of current Taiwan Poison Control Center guidelines for antivenom use, has been limited. We aimed to provide increased understanding by investigating the treatment and outcomes of patients treated for snakebite in Taiwan. On the basis of data collected from the 2009 Taiwan National Health Insurance database, patients with snakebites were identified and categorized into two sets of groups according to types of antivenom administered. The relationships between antivenom types, dosage and the variables of antibiotic use, surgical intervention, acute respiratory failure acute, renal failure, antivenom-related allergic reaction, mortality, need for hospital admission, and length of hospitalization were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The majority of patients were successfully treated by administration of 1 vial of antivenom and discharged without complications. However, patients treated for neurotoxic-type venom snakebite required administration of larger doses of antivenom and > 30% required surgical intervention, particularly those treated for Chinese cobra snakebite. Approximately 10% of patients were administered two types of antivenom. The results partially support Taiwan Poison Control Center guidelines for treating the hemorrhagic-type venom snakebite. However, deficit in the guidelines for treatment of neurotoxic-type venom snakebite is obvious and new guidelines for treatment of neurotoxic-type venom snakebite and diagnosis should be developed. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A material flow of lithium batteries in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, T.C.; You, S.J.; Yu, B.S.; Yao, K.F.

2009-01-01

Li batteries, including secondary and cylindrical/button primary Li batteries, are used worldwide in computers, communications and consumer electronics products. However, there are several dangerous issues that occur during the manufacture, shipping, and storage of Li batteries. This study analyzes the material flow of lithium batteries and their valuable heavy metals in Taiwan for the year 2006 by material flow analysis. According to data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration, Taiwan External Trade Development Council, Bureau of Foreign Trade, Directorate General of Customs, and the Li batteries manufactures/importers/exporters. It was found that 2,952,696 kg of Li batteries was input into Taiwan for the year 2006, including 2,256,501 kg of imported Li batteries and 696,195 kg of stock Li batteries in 2005. In addition, 1,113,867 and 572,215 kg of Li batteries was domestically produced and sold abroad, revealing that 3,494,348 kg of different types of Li batteries was sold in Taiwan. Of these domestically sold batteries, 504,663 and 146,557 kg were treated domestically and abroad. Thus, a total of 2,843,128 kg of Li batteries was stored by individual/industry users or illegally disposed. In addition, it was also observed that 2,120,682 kg of heavy metals contained in Li batteries, including Ni, Co, Al, Cu and Ni, was accumulated in Taiwan, with a recycled value of 38.8 million USD. These results suggest that these heavy metals should be recovered by suitable collection, recycling and reuse procedures

Daily Tourist Arrivals, Exchange Rates and Voatility for Korea and Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Chia-Lin Chang; Michael Mcaleer

2009-01-01

Both domestic and international tourism are a major source of service export receipts for many countries worldwide, and is also increasingly important in Taiwan. One of the three leading tourism source countries for Taiwan is the Republic of Korea, which is a source of short haul tourism. Daily data from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2008 are used to model the Korean Won / New Taiwan $ exchange rate and tourist arrivals from Korea to Taiwan, as well as their associated volatility. The sample ...

Daily Tourist Arrivals, Exchange Rates and Volatility for Korea and Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Chang, C-L.; McAleer, M.J.

2009-01-01

textabstractBoth domestic and international tourism are a major source of service export receipts for many countries worldwide, and is also increasingly important in Taiwan. One of the three leading tourism source countries for Taiwan is the Republic of Korea, which is a source of short haul tourism. Daily data from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2008 are used to model the Korean Won / New Taiwan $ exchange rate and tourist arrivals from Korea to Taiwan, as well as their associated volatility....

75 FR 67110 - Forged Stainless Steel Flanges From India and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

... Stainless Steel Flanges From India and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION... India and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted reviews pursuant to... the antidumping duty orders on forged stainless steel flanges from India and Taiwan would be likely to...

76 FR 57075 - Helical Spring Lock Washers From China and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-15

... Lock Washers From China and Taiwan Scheduling of expedited five-year reviews concerning the antidumping duty orders on helical spring lock washers from China and Taiwan. AGENCY: United States International... China and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a...

76 FR 11268 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

... Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION... Korea and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted reviews pursuant to... the antidumping duty orders on certain polyester staple fiber from Korea and Taiwan would be likely to...

Contribution to a Revised Orchid Flora of Taiwan (IV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Horng-Jye Su

2000-09-01

Full Text Available A new species of Orchidaceae, Listera meifongensis is described from Taiwan. The native species of Galeola in Taiwan are also revised. Illustrations and taxonomic notes are given for these species.

Characteristics and management of infectious industrial waste in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, M.-C.; Lin, Jim Juimin

2008-01-01

Infectious industrial waste management in Taiwan is based on the specific waste production unit. In other countries, management is based simply on whether the producer may lead to infectious disease. Thus, Taiwan has a more detailed classification of infectious waste. The advantage of this classification is that it is easy to identify the sources, while the disadvantage lies in the fact that it is not flexible and hence increases cost. This study presents an overview of current management practices for handling infectious industrial waste in Taiwan, and addresses the current waste disposal methods. The number of small clinics in Taiwan increased from 18,183 to 18,877 between 2003 and 2005. Analysis of the data between 2003 and 2005 showed that the majority of medical waste was general industrial waste, which accounted for 76.9%-79.4% of total medical waste. Infectious industrial waste accounted for 19.3%-21.9% of total medical waste. After the SARS event in Taiwan, the amount of infectious waste reached 19,350 tons in 2004, an increase over the previous year of 4000 tons. Waste minimization was a common consideration for all types of waste treatment. In this study, we summarize the percentage of plastic waste in flammable infectious industrial waste generated by medical units, which, in Taiwan was about 30%. The EPA and Taiwan Department of Health have actively promoted different recycling and waste reduction measures. However, the wide adoption of disposable materials made recycling and waste reduction difficult for some hospitals. It has been suggested that enhancing the education of and promoting communication between medical units and recycling industries must be implemented to prevent recyclable waste from entering the incinerator

Environment-adjusted regional energy efficiency in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Jin-Li; Lio, Mon-Chi; Yeh, Fang-Yu; Lin, Cheng-Hsun

2011-01-01

This study applies the four-stage DEA procedure to calculate the energy efficiency of 23 regions in Taiwan from 1998 to 2007. After controlling for the effects of external environments, only Taipei City, Chiayi City, and Kaohsiung City are energy efficient. Note that Kaohsiung City reaches the efficiency frontier due to the adjustment via partial environmental factors such as higher education attainment and transport vehicles. We also find a worsening trend for Taiwan's energy efficiency. Not only is there a gap of energy efficiency between Taiwan's metropolitan areas and the other regions, but the gap has also widened in recent years. Those inefficient counties should be given priority and the savings potential. Except for road density, the evidence indicates that each environmental factor has partial incremental effects on input slacks. As more cars and motorcycles are unfavorable externalities affecting partial energy efficiency, the central government should help local governments retire inefficient old motor vehicles, encourage energy-saving vehicle models, and provide convenient mass transportation systems. Besides, people with higher education cause industrial energy inefficient in Taiwan. The conscious of effective energy saving is necessary to schools, communities, and employee accordingly.

Utterance-final particles in Taiwan Mandarin : contact, context and core functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lin, Chin-hui

2014-01-01

The use of utterance-final particles (UFPs) is a salient feature of Taiwan Mandarin, a Mandarin variety spoken in Taiwan. Despite their widespread use, Taiwan Mandarin UFPs have not attracted much attention in previous research. One reason for this neglect is that previous studies focus on UFPs that

The potential for the recovery and reuse of cooling water in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

You, Shu-Hai; Tseng, Dyi-Hwa; Guo, Gia-Luen; Yang, Jyh-Jian [Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Chungli (Taiwan, Province of China)

1999-04-01

The cooling water is the major part of industrial water use in Taiwan, either from the view of demand priority or supply volume. In order to save water, the loading of supply system can be reduced if the cooling water can be recovered and reused. For this reason, exploration of the recent operation status of the cooling water system has become essential in Taiwan. This study was initially focused on the current applications and reuse trends of cooling water in oil refineries, chemical industry, steel mills, food industry, electronics works, textile plants and power stations. According to the statistical analysis, the portable water and groundwater are the primary sources of makeup water for cooling systems. The multiple-chemicals method and makeup treatment are increasingly accepted for the reclamation of cooling water. On the other hand, sidestream treatment and blowdown reuse are not popular in Taiwan. The recovery rate of blowdown is only 26.8%. The fact of higher cost is the major reason to depress the willingness of recovery. Some representative plants had been selected for case study. However, most cooling water systems are only operated by operator`s experience according to field investigation. In each case, the water quality indexes were used to evaluate the operational condition of cooling water systems. There was no case plant found to be operated at appropriate cycles of concentration. This paper also presented the bottlenecks of conservation technologies of cooling water in Taiwan. These bottlenecks include increasing the cycles of concentration, the reuse of wastewater, and the blowdown treatment for reuse. This paper also demonstrates that the recovery and reuse of cooling water has great potential and is feasible for the available technologies in present Taiwan, but the industries are still unwilling to upgrade because of initial cost. Finally, some approaches associated with technology, economics, environment and policy are proposed to be a

Influenza A(H6N1) Virus in Dogs, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hui-Ting; Wang, Ching-Ho; Chueh, Ling-Ling; Su, Bi-Ling

2015-01-01

We determined the prevalence of influenza A virus in dogs in Taiwan and isolated A/canine/Taiwan/E01/2014. Molecular analysis indicated that this isolate was closely related to influenza A(H6N1) viruses circulating in Taiwan and harbored the E627K substitution in the polymerase basic 2 protein, which indicated its ability to replicate in mammalian species. PMID:26583707

Revision of Sciaphila (Triuridaceae in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsung-Hsin Hsieh

2003-12-01

Full Text Available The genus Sciaphila (Triuridaceae is revised based on comparative morphological and palynological studies in Taiwan. Four species are recognized, i. E. Sciaphila arfakiana Becc., S. Maculata Miers, S. ramosa Fukuy. & T. Suzuki, and S. secundiflora Thwaites ex Benth. Sciaphila arfakiana and S. maculata are new record to Flora of Taiwan and S. secundiflora distributed in Kueishan Island is a new distribution. SEM micrographs of pollen grains, a key to species, species descriptions, and taxonomic notes are provided.

Induced abortion in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, P D; Lin, R S

1995-04-01

Induced abortion is widely practised in Taiwan; however, it had been illegal until 1985. It was of interest to investigate induced abortion practices in Taiwan after its legalization in 1985 in order to calculate the prevalence rate and ratio of induced abortion to live births and to pregnancies in Taiwan. A study using questionnaires through personal interviews was conducted on more than seventeen thousand women who attended a family planning service in Taipei metropolitan areas between 1991 and 1992. The reproductive history and sexual behaviour of the subjects were especially focused on during the interviews. Preliminary findings showed that 46% of the women had a history of having had an induced abortion. Among them, 54.8% had had one abortion, 29.7% had had two, and 15.5% had had three or more. The abortion ratio was 379 induced abortions per 1,000 live births and 255 per 1,000 pregnancies. The abortion ratio was highest for women younger than 20 years of age, for aboriginal women and for nulliparous women. When logistic regression was used to control for confounding variables, we found that the number of previous live births is the strongest predictor relating to women seeking induced abortion. In addition, a significant positive association exists between increasing number of induced abortions and cervical dysplasia.

An Evaluation of Taiwan Vocational and Technical Education Programs in Agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Meaders, O. Donald; Chi-ho, Hu

Presented in both English and Chinese, this study of the system of agricultural education in Taiwan secondary and postsecondary schools resulted from the author's five-month stay in Taiwan and subsequent visits. Focus of the study is on evaluation of Taiwan's vocational agriculture education programs with information about students, faculties,…

Records of new and rare elasmobranchs from Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Hua Hsun; Joung, Shoou Jeng; Ebert, David A; Lin, Chia Yen

2013-01-01

Five new records of elasmobranchs collected from eastern Taiwan fish markets, Da-xi and Cheng-gong, are presented. Samples were caught by deepsea longliners and bottom trawlers which operate in northeastern waters off Taiwan between 2004 and 2012. These five new species records include the smalltooth sandtiger, Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810) (Lamniformes: Odontaspididae), salamander shark, Parmaturus pilosus Garman, 1906 (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae), leadhued skate Notoraja tobitukai (Hiyama, 1940) (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae), giant skate Dipturus gigas (Ishiyama, 1958) (Rajiformes: Rajidae), and the pelagic stingray Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Bonaparte, 1832) (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae), Diagnostic characteristics for each species are given and a key to the genera Parmaturus and Dipturus from Taiwan is presented.

Intercultural Training for US Business Expatriates in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Tien-Chen; McLean, Gary N.

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to explore the intercultural training needs for US business expatriates on assignment in Taiwan. The study assesses Taiwan culture-specific training needs of US expatriates from the perspectives of both US expatriates and their Taiwanese colleagues and compares the perceived importance of these intercultural training needs…

Adaptation Strategies of Soil and Water Conservation in Taiwan for Extreme Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Wen-Cheng; Lin, Cheng-Yu; Hsieh, Ting-Ju

2016-04-01

Due to global climate change, the impact caused by extreme climate has become more and more compelling. In Taiwan, the total rainfall stays in the same level, but it brings along changes to rain types. The rainfall with high recurrence interval happens frequently, leading to soil loss of slope-land, and it may further result in flooding and sediment hazards. Although Taiwan is a small island, the population density is ranked at the second highest around the world. Moreover, third-fourth of Taiwan is slope-land, so the soil and water conservation is rather important. This study is based on the international trend analysis approach to review the related researches worldwide and 264 research projects in Taiwan. It indicates that under the pressure of extreme climate and social economic changes, it has higher possibility of slope-land to face the impacts from extreme rainfall events, and meanwhile, the carrying capacity of slope-land is decreasing. The experts' brainstorming meetings were held three times, and it concluded the current problems of soil and water conservation and the goal in 2025 for sustainable resources. Also, the 20-year weather data set was adopted to screen out 3 key watersheds with the potential of flooding (Puzih River Watershed), droughts (Xindian River Watershed), and sediment hazards (Chishan River Watershed) according to the moisture index, and further, to propose countermeasures in order to realize the goal in 2025, which is "regarding to climate and socioeconomic changes, it is based on multiple use to manage watershed resources for avoiding disasters and sustaining soil and water conservation." Keyword: Extreme climate, International trend analysis, Brainstorming, Key watershed

The influence of climate change on meteorological drought characteristic in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pao-Shan Yu; Chun-Chao Kuo; Chi-Wen Sung

2004-01-01

Global climate change and its influence on water resource are the worldwide issues. This study aims at investigating the impacts of climate change on drought characteristic in western Taiwan. This analysis on local climate change, may provide the reference for climate change study on Asia region. Thirty-one rainfall stations with at least 80 years records over western Taiwan provide the data set to analysis trend and change in the long term rainfall series. As the area of Taiwan is too small, the GCM is not suitable for our investigation on climate change. Therefore, the statistical methods of Cumulative Deviations test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney-Pettitt test were applied to detect the change points of annual rainfall depth and detect whether the long-term rainfall series exist variation and tendency in the historical records. The analytical results reveal that a significant change point occurs during about 1960s for annual rainfall series. Two samples in the long- tern rainfall series are further divided based on this change point. Yearly rainfall depth increases in northern Taiwan and decreases in middle and southern Taiwan. Average values and standard deviation of monthly rainfall depth in these two samples are compared. A stable reducing tendency of average rainfall in the wet seasons (May to October) is found in middle and southern Taiwan and increasing tendency in northern Taiwan. We further investigate whether drought characteristic is difference before and after 1960. Nine irrigation areas in Taiwan are divided based on its irrigation system. Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is estimated and compared with historical agriculture drought. It is found that 3-month SPI has better characteristic than 1-month SPI to respond the agriculture drought characteristic. Therefore, 3-month SPI for each irrigation area is estimated both before and after 1960. It is found that the frequency and duration of moderate dry (3-month SPI<-1.0) and severely dry

Results from an onshore/offshore seismic transect of southern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, K. D.; van Avendonk, H. J.; Wu, F. T.; Okaya, D. A.; Wang, C.

2010-12-01

The TAIGER project is a large research program focused on the processes and dynamics of arc-continent collision. As part of the project we recorded marine and onshore-offshore seismic data in summer 2009 using the R/V Langseth, ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) from the U.S. OBS instrument pool and from National Taiwan Ocean University, and land instruments from PASSCAL and Taiwan. Because the region from north of Luzon to northern Taiwan encompasses a multiphase transition from oceanic subduction to arc-continent collision, the TAIGER data sets along with state of the art geodynamic modeling are starting to provide fundamental insights into this complex process. This presentation focuses on initial results of an onshore/offshore seismic transect across southern Taiwan. One of the keys to success in studying the arc-continent collision in Taiwan is to document the crustal structure in the developing collision zone of southern Taiwan. This is where we hope to be able to view the transition from what looks like subduction to the south, to the more complex collision zone to the north. In this area we acquired an ~east-west seismic transect using 4 OBSs west of Taiwan, 40 portable land seismometers crossing the island from near Kaohsiung (W) to near Taitung (E) , and 14 OBSs east of Taiwan. As expected, data quality is extremely variable due to local geology at each station and, for land instruments, the level of cultural noise near each station. In fact, some of the land stations show no usable signals from seismic source pulses either east or west of Taiwan. However, other more fortuitously located instrument show clear arrivals at offsets of up to 280 km. As expected, all the best stations are located in mountainous areas where there is a minimum of unconsolidated material and less cultural noise. The land station data include primarily Pg and Pn arrivals, while the OBS data include a full range of reflected and refracted arrivals. The marine wide-angle data will also

The Long Term Features of Tropical Cyclones Nearby Taiwan

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Wu, Yueh-Shyuan; Lee, Cheng-Shang

2017-04-01

Tropical cyclone (TC) activity is affected by several factors. The variability of TC activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) has been examined in the past decade. Previous studies showed that TC activity (such as TC number, intensity and tracks) has multiscale variation or affected by natural oscillation of different scales. However, most of these studies focused mainly on the entire WNP. Very few studies examined the variability of annual TC track or the variability of TC number in the area nearby Taiwan, which caused severe economic loss and life damage to Taiwan in the typhoon season. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the variation of TC activity nearby Taiwan to address its long term features, and also the possible relationship with the associated flow patterns. Preliminary results of wavelet analysis showed that the TC number nearby Taiwan during 1970-2014 had multiscale variations. The following analysis focused on the scale about 4- and 11-year signals, in the targeted area of 118o-125oE, 20o-27oN. The positive phases of both scale 4 and scale 11 showed a tendency of TC tracks toward Taiwan area, while the negative phases showed a lower tendency toward Taiwan. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis was applied on the 4-yr and the 11-yr filtered 500-hPa wind fields and geopotential heights. Results showed that the 4-yr signal was mostly dominated by the 500-hPa U- and V-wind fields, suggesting that the TC track patterns were affected mainly by the midlevel steering flow. On the other hand, the 11-yr signal was mostly dominated by the 500-hPa U-wind field and geopotential anomalies, indicating that the main cause of the difference in TC occurrence nearby Taiwan was the location of TC formation.

SKS Splitting and the Scale of Vertical Coherence of the Taiwan Mountain Belt

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Kuo, Ban-Yuan; Lin, Shu-Chuan; Lin, Yi-Wei

2018-02-01

Many continental orogens feature a pattern of SKS shear wave splitting with fast polarization directions parallel to the mountain fabrics and delay times of 1-2 s, implying that the crust and lithosphere deform consistently. In the Taiwan arc-continent collision zone, similar pattern of SKS splitting exists, and thereby lithospheric scale deformation due to collision has been assumed. However, recent dynamic modeling demonstrated that the SKS splitting in Taiwan can be generated by the toroidal flow in the asthenosphere induced by the subduction of the Philippine Sea plate and the Eurasian plate. To further evaluate this hypothesis, we analyzed a new data set using a quantitative approach. The results show that models with slab geometries constrained by seismicity explain the observed fast splitting direction to within 25°, whereas the misfit grows to 50-60° if the toroidal flow is disrupted by the presence of a sizable aseismic slab beneath central Taiwan as often suggested by tomographic imaging. However, small sized aseismic slab or detached slab fragment can potentially reconcile the splitting observations. We estimated the scale of vertical coherence to be 10-40 km in the lithosphere and 100-150 km in the asthenosphere, making the former unfavorable for accumulating large delay times. The low coherence is caused by the subduction of the Eurasian plate that creates complex deformation different from what characterizes the compressional tectonics above the plate. This suggests that the mountain building in Taiwan is a shallow process, rather than lithospheric in scale.

Leadership styles and nursing faculty job satisfaction in Taiwan.

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Chen, Hsiu-Chin; Beck, Susan L; Amos, Linda K

2005-01-01

To examine nursing faculty job satisfaction and their perceptions of nursing deans' and directors' leadership styles, and to explore how the perceptions of leadership styles relate to faculty job satisfaction in Taiwan. Descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study with self-administered questionnaires. The sample was recruited from 18 nursing programs, and 286 questionnaires were returned. Faculty perceived that Taiwan's nursing deans and directors showed more transformational than transactional leadership. Taiwan's nursing faculty were moderately satisfied in their jobs, and they were more satisfied with deans or directors who practiced the transactional leadership style of contingent reward and the transformational style of individualized consideration. A style with negative effect was passive management by exception. Three types of leadership behaviors explained significant variance (21.2%) in faculty job satisfaction in Taiwan, indicating the need for further attention to training and development for effective leadership behaviors.

Taiwan Teacher Preparation Program Evaluation: Some Critical Perspectives

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Liu, Tze-Chang

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on the influences and changes of recent Taiwan teacher preparation program evaluation (TTPPE) as one of the national evaluation projects conducted by the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan. The main concerns are what kind of ideology is transformed through the policy by means of evaluation, and what…

Science Education Reform in Confucian Learning Cultures: Teachers' Perspectives on Policy and Practice in Taiwan

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Huang, Ying-Syuan; Asghar, Anila

2018-01-01

This empirical study investigates secondary science teachers' perspectives on science education reform in Taiwan and reflects how these teachers have been negotiating constructivist and learner-centered pedagogical approaches in contemporary science education. It also explores the challenges that teachers encounter while shifting their pedagogical…

Reasoning the causality of city sprawl, traffic congestion, and green land disappearance in Taiwan using the CLD model.

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Chen, Mei-Chih; Chang, Kaowen

2014-11-06

Many city governments choose to supply more developable land and transportation infrastructure with the hope of attracting people and businesses to their cities. However, like those in Taiwan, major cities worldwide suffer from traffic congestion. This study applies the system thinking logic of the causal loops diagram (CLD) model in the System Dynamics (SD) approach to analyze the issue of traffic congestion and other issues related to roads and land development in Taiwan's cities. Comparing the characteristics of development trends with yearbook data for 2002 to 2013 for all of Taiwan's cities, this study explores the developing phenomenon of unlimited city sprawl and identifies the cause and effect relationships in the characteristics of development trends in traffic congestion, high-density population aggregation in cities, land development, and green land disappearance resulting from city sprawl. This study provides conclusions for Taiwan's cities' sustainability and development (S&D). When developing S&D policies, during decision making processes concerning city planning and land use management, governments should think with a holistic view of carrying capacity with the assistance of system thinking to clarify the prejudices in favor of the unlimited developing phenomena resulting from city sprawl.

Formulation of marketing information and communication strategies in Taiwan tourism industry

OpenAIRE

Lee, Tzong-Ru; Kuo, Yu-Hsuan; Hilletofth, Per

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to formulate marketing information and communication (ICT) strategies for Taiwan tourism industry. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses a literature review to identify problems and solutions of Taiwan’s tourism industry. One of the identified problems is used as an example to formulate marketing ICT strategies. Findings: This research has identified twenty-five main problems and forty-eight solutions of Taiwan’s tourism industry and formulat...

A Crowdsourcing-based Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting System

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, W. T.; Lee, J. C.; Lee, C. F.

2017-12-01

To collect immediately field observations for any earthquake-induced ground damages, such as surface fault rupture, landslide, rock fall, liquefaction, and landslide-triggered dam or lake, etc., we are developing an earthquake damage reporting system which particularly relies on school teachers as volunteers after taking a series of training courses organized by this project. This Taiwan Scientific Earthquake Reporting (TSER) system is based on the Ushahidi mapping platform, which has been widely used for crowdsourcing on different purposes. Participants may add an app-like icon for mobile devices to this website at https://ies-tser.iis.sinica.edu.tw. Right after a potential damaging earthquake occurred in the Taiwan area, trained volunteers will be notified/dispatched to the source area to carry out field surveys and to describe the ground damages through this system. If the internet is available, they may also upload some relevant images in the field right away. This collected information will be shared with all public after a quick screen by the on-duty scientists. To prepare for the next strong earthquake, we set up a specific project on TSER for sharing spectacular/remarkable geologic features wherever possible. This is to help volunteers get used to this system and share any teachable material on this platform. This experimental, science-oriented crowdsourcing system was launched early this year. Together with a DYFI-like intensity reporting system, Taiwan Quake-Catcher Network, and some online games and teaching materials, the citizen seismology has been much improved in Taiwan in the last decade. All these constructed products are now either operated or promoted at the Taiwan Earthquake Research Center (TEC). With these newly developed platforms and materials, we are aiming not only to raise the earthquake awareness and preparedness, but also to encourage public participation in earthquake science in Taiwan.

77 FR 73424 - Steel Wire Garment Hangers From Taiwan: Antidumping Duty Order

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-10

... materially injuring a U.S. industry, all unliquidated entries of such merchandise from Taiwan, entered or... From Taiwan: Antidumping Duty Order AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration... ``ITC''), the Department is issuing an antidumping duty order on steel wire garment hangers from Taiwan...

A dataset from bottom trawl survey around Taiwan

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Kwang-tsao Shao

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Bottom trawl fishery is one of the most important coastal fisheries in Taiwan both in production and economic values. However, its annual production started to decline due to overfishing since the 1980s. Its bycatch problem also damages the fishery resource seriously. Thus, the government banned the bottom fishery within 3 nautical miles along the shoreline in 1989. To evaluate the effectiveness of this policy, a four year survey was conducted from 2000–2003, in the waters around Taiwan and Penghu (Pescadore Islands, one region each year respectively. All fish specimens collected from trawling were brought back to lab for identification, individual number count and body weight measurement. These raw data have been integrated and established in Taiwan Fish Database (http://fishdb.sinica.edu.tw. They have also been published through TaiBIF (http://taibif.tw, FishBase and GBIF (website see below. This dataset contains 631 fish species and 3,529 records, making it the most complete demersal fish fauna and their temporal and spatial distributional data on the soft marine habitat in Taiwan.

A synthesized biophysical and social vulnerability assessment for Taiwan

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Lee, Yung-Jaan

2017-11-01

Taiwan, located in the Western Pacific, is a country that is one of the most vulnerable to disasters that are associated with the changing climate; it is located within the Ring of Fire, which is the most geologically active region in the world. The environmental and geological conditions in Taiwan are sensitive and vulnerable to such disasters. Owing to increasing urbanization in Taiwan, floods and climate-related disasters have taken an increasing toll on human lives. As global warming accelerates the rising of sea levels and increasing of the frequency of extreme weather events, disasters will continue to affect socioeconomic development and human conditions. Under such circumstances, researchers and policymakers alike must recognize the importance of providing useful knowledge concerning vulnerability, disaster recovery and resilience. Strategies for reducing vulnerability and climate-related disaster risks and for increasing resilience involve preparedness, mitigation and adaptation. In the last two decades, extreme climate events have caused severe flash floods, debris flows, landslides, and other disasters and have had negative effects of many sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure and health. Since climate change is expected to have a continued impact on socio-economic development, this work develops a vulnerability assessment framework that integrates both biophysical and social vulnerability and supports synthesized vulnerability analyses to identify vulnerable areas in Taiwan. Owing to its geographical, geological and climatic features, Taiwan is susceptible to earthquakes, typhoons, droughts and various induced disasters. Therefore, Taiwan has the urgent task of establishing a framework for assessing vulnerability as a planning and policy tool that can be used to identify not only the regions that require special attention but also hotspots in which efforts should be made to reduce vulnerability and the risk of climate-related disaster. To

[Current situation of the standardization of acupuncture and moxibustion in Taiwan].

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Li-Jia; Cui, Rui; Zhan, Bi-Yu; Liao, Cai-Yan; Cao, Qi-Hua; Li, Gui-Lan; Guo, Yi

2012-09-01

The current situation of the standardization of acupuncture and moxibustion in the Taiwan region is introduced in this paper from the three aspects, named the development state of standard of acupuncture and moxibustion in Taiwan, the implementation of Taiwan district standard and the standardization of acupuncture and moxibustion in Taiwan. At present, the relevant standards of acupuncture and moxibustion in Taiwan just include the standard operation procedure of acupuncture and moxibustion, the reference guideline of the safe operation in the medical service centers of traditional Chinese medicine, and the faculty standard of Chinese medicine hospital, etc. It is concluded that the current situation of the standardization of acupuncture and moxibusiton presented the weak awareness of the standardization of acupuncture and moxibustion in the industry, insufficient enterprise standard, less-quantity of the implemented standards and narrow coverage.

Regulatory analysis on the medical use of ephedrine-related products in Taiwan

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Wan-Nan Yu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available To prevent ephedrine-related products from being misused to produce amphetamine and/or its analogs, there's a need for more effective and achievable regulatory mechanisms for the health, police, investigational, prosecution and judiciary authorities in Taiwan. This review was conducted to evaluate the international and Taiwan's regulatory policies and management of medical ephedrine-related products through the corresponding information collected from international and Taiwan government agency authorities. The combat of illegal drugs should involve both supply and demand sides to be successful. Health authorities in Taiwan do not have the investigational power to manage the forbidden transformation, abusing and manufacture of the illegal drugs from ephedrine-related products. Take the judicial interventions in the United States and in Japan as the examples, the organizational cooperation in Taiwan can be one of the main key strategies to combat against illegal drugs from ephedrine-related products. It is necessary to integrate the judicial, police and health agencies to prevent the production of illegal drugs from the ephedrine-related products in Taiwan. The efforts and regulatory control measures should be integrated to speed up the collaboration between different government authorities. It might be achieved through reorganization involving Taiwan Food and Drug Administration. Keywords: Ephedrine-related products, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA, Controlled Drugs Act, Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, Pharmacists Act

Experience and Strategy of Biodiversity Data Integration in Taiwan

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K T Shao

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The integration of Taiwan's biodiversity databases started in 2001, the same year that Taiwan joined GBIF as an associate participant. Taiwan, hence, embarked on a decade of integrating biodiversity data. Under the support of NSC and COA, the database and websites of TaiBIF, TaiBNET (TaiCOL, TaiBOL, and TaiEOL have been established separately and collaborate with the GBIF, COL, BOL, and EOL respectively. A cross-agency committee was thus established in Academia Sinica in 2008 to formulate policies on data collection and integration as well as the mechanism to make data available to the public. Any commissioned project will hereafter be asked to include these policy requirements in its contract. So far, TaiBIF has gained recognition in Taiwan and abroad for its efforts over the past several years. It can provide its experience and insights for others to reference or replicate.

Wintertime sea surface temperature fronts in the Taiwan Strait

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yi; Shimada, Teruhisa; Lee, Ming-An; Lu, Hsueh-Jung; Sakaida, Futoki; Kawamura, Hiroshi

2006-12-01

We present wintertime variations and distributions of sea surface temperature (SST) fronts in the Taiwan Strait by applying an entropy-based edge detection method to 10-year (1996-2005) satellite SST images with grid size of 0.01°. From climatological monthly mean maps of SST gradient magnitude in winter, we identify four significant SST fronts in the Taiwan Strait. The Mainland China Coastal Front is a long frontal band along the 50-m isobath near the Chinese coast. The sharp Peng-Chang Front appears along the Peng-Hu Channel and extends northward around the Chang-Yuen Ridge. The Taiwan Bank Front evolves in early winter. As the winter progresses, the front becomes broad and moves toward the Chinese coast, connecting to the Mainland China Coastal Front. The Kuroshio Front extends northeastward from the northeastern tip of Taiwan with a semicircle-shape curving along the 100-m isobath.

Factors influencing the occupational injuries of physical therapists in Taiwan: A hierarchical linear model approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Yu-Hui; Wu, Yu-Lung; Huang, Wan-Yun

2017-01-01

The evidence literature suggests that physical therapy practitioners are subjected to a high probability of acquiring work-related injuries, but only a few studies have specifically investigated Taiwanese physical therapy practitioners. This study was conducted to determine the relationships among individual and group hospital-level factors that contribute to the medical expenses for the occupational injuries of physical therapy practitioners in Taiwan. Physical therapy practitioners in Taiwan with occupational injuries were selected from the 2013 National Health Insurance Research Databases (NHIRD). The age, gender, job title, hospitals attributes, and outpatient data of physical therapy practitioners who sustained an occupational injury in 2013 were obtained with SAS 9.3. SPSS 20.0 and HLM 7.01 were used to conduct descriptive and hierarchical linear model analyses, respectively. The job title of physical therapy practitioners at the individual level and the hospital type at the group level exert positive effects on per person medical expenses. Hospital hierarchy moderates the individual-level relationships of age and job title with the per person medical expenses. Considering that age, job title, and hospital hierarchy affect medical expenses for the occupational injuries of physical therapy practitioners, we suggest strengthening related safety education and training and elevating the self-awareness of the risk of occupational injuries of physical therapy practitioners to reduce and prevent the occurrence of such injuries.

State Spatiality and Identity Formation in Postwar Taiwan

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Douglas Fix

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Bi-yu Chang, Place, Identity and National Imagination in Postwar Taiwan. New York: Routledge, 2015. 260 pp. $145 (cloth. In her new book, Place, Identity and National Imagination in Postwar Taiwan, Chang Bi-yu argues that, despite this avalanche of publications and websites devoted to Taiwan’s (historical geography and cartography, few publications have offered a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Taiwan’s spatiality, in particular the representations and spatial discourse of nation and homeland that have been propagated and controlled by the Kuomintang (hereafter KMT regime since its retreat to Taiwan in late 1949. To fill that gap in the literature (particularly in the English-language scholarship on Taiwan’s spatiality, Chang has examined the annual Taiwan Yearbook, Taiwan-based cartographic production, elementary-school textbooks, and the 1950s design and construction of Chunghsing New Village (site of the relocated provincial government. Her goal has been a better understanding of the symbolism, construction, visualization, and contested meanings of Taiwan’s geography and political landscape. In this monograph, Chang also seeks to examine the ways in which state spaces are operated, contested, and changed, as well as how power relations are concretized, social alliances established, and cultural changes enacted through state spatiality. Although the central focus is state spatiality, this is also a book about Taiwan’s identity politics and the highly contested postwar power relationships on the island...

Underreporting of maternal mortality in Taiwan: A data linkage study

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Tung-Pi Wu

2015-12-01

Conclusion: Approximately two-thirds of the maternal deaths in Taiwan were unreported in the officially published mortality data. Hence, routine nationwide data linkage is essential to monitor maternal mortality in Taiwan accurately.

Invasive Candidiasis: An Overview from Taiwan

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Sheng-Yuan Ruan

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Invasive candidiasis has emerged as an important nosocomial infection, especially in critically ill patients. We review the epidemiology of invasive candidiasis with an emphasis on data from Taiwan. An increasing incidence of candidemia became apparent from 1980 to the end of the 1990s, followed by relative stability. Crude mortality rates of patients with candidemia were in the range of 35% to 60%. Candida albicans remains the predominant cause of invasive candidiasis in Taiwan and accounts for more than 50% of all cases. Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis are the three most common nonalbicansCandida species that cause invasive candidiasis. The above four Candida species account for more than 90% of invasive candidiasis in Taiwan. Overall, invasive Candida isolates have remained highly susceptible to fluconazole (> 90% susceptibility over the past two decades. However, periodic surveillance is needed to monitor antifungal resistance because reduced fluconazole susceptibility in non-albicans Candida is not an uncommon trend. Voriconazole and echinocandins continue to exhibit excellent in vitro activity against invasive Candida isolates.

Integration of Biodiversity Databases in Taiwan and Linkage to Global Databases

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Kwang-Tsao Shao

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The biodiversity databases in Taiwan were dispersed to various institutions and colleges with limited amount of data by 2001. The Natural Resources and Ecology GIS Database sponsored by the Council of Agriculture, which is part of the National Geographic Information System planned by the Ministry of Interior, was the most well established biodiversity database in Taiwan. But thisThis database was, however, mainly collectingcollected the distribution data of terrestrial animals and plants within the Taiwan area. In 2001, GBIF was formed, and Taiwan joined as one of the an Associate Participant and started, starting the establishment and integration of animal and plant species databases; therefore, TaiBIF was able to co-operate with GBIF. The information of Catalog of Life, specimens, and alien species were integrated by the Darwin core. The standard. These metadata standards allowed the biodiversity information of Taiwan to connect with global databases.

Nursing directors' leadership styles and faculty members' job satisfaction in Taiwan.

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Chen, Hsiu-Chin; Baron, Mark

2006-10-01

Nursing leaders in Taiwan seldom receive the leadership training necessary to lead an academic organization. As a result, leaders may experience burn out, and dissatisfaction among faculty may increase. This study examined nursing faculty members' perceptions of nursing directors' leadership and their job satisfaction levels to understand how perceptions of leadership styles related to job satisfaction in Taiwan. This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study used self-administered questionnaires. Transformational leadership theory supported the research framework. Nine schools with nursing programs awarding diplomas to students participated in this study. A total of 175 questionnaires were returned (72% response rate). The findings indicated that Taiwan's nursing directors tend to display transformational leadership more frequently in their workplaces and that Taiwan's nursing faculty members are moderately satisfied in their jobs. In addition, nursing faculty in Taiwan are more satisfied with directors who practice the leadership style of attributed idealized influence.

Analysis of optoelectronic strategic planning in Taiwan by artificial intelligence portfolio tool

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Rang-Seng

1992-05-01

Taiwan ROC has achieved significant advances in the optoelectronic industry with some Taiwan products ranked high in the world market and technology. Six segmentations of optoelectronic were planned. Each one was divided into several strategic items, design artificial intelligent portfolio tool (AIPT) to analyze the optoelectronic strategic planning in Taiwan. The portfolio is designed to provoke strategic thinking intelligently. This computer- generated strategy should be selected and modified by the individual. Some strategies for the development of the Taiwan optoelectronic industry also are discussed in this paper.

Estimating Source Duration for Moderate and Large Earthquakes in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Wen-Yen; Hwang, Ruey-Der; Ho, Chien-Yin; Lin, Tzu-Wei

2017-04-01

Estimating Source Duration for Moderate and Large Earthquakes in Taiwan Wen-Yen Chang1, Ruey-Der Hwang2, Chien-Yin Ho3 and Tzu-Wei Lin4 1 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC 2Department of Geology, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC 3Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC 4Seismology Center, Central Weather Bureau, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC ABSTRACT To construct a relationship between seismic moment (M0) and source duration (t) was important for seismic hazard in Taiwan, where earthquakes were quite active. In this study, we used a proposed inversion process using teleseismic P-waves to derive the M0-t relationship in the Taiwan region for the first time. Fifteen earthquakes with MW 5.5-7.1 and focal depths of less than 40 km were adopted. The inversion process could simultaneously determine source duration, focal depth, and pseudo radiation patterns of direct P-wave and two depth phases, by which M0 and fault plane solutions were estimated. Results showed that the estimated t ranging from 2.7 to 24.9 sec varied with one-third power of M0. That is, M0 is proportional to t**3, and then the relationship between both of them was M0=0.76*10**23(t)**3 , where M0 in dyne-cm and t in second. The M0-t relationship derived from this study was very close to those determined from global moderate to large earthquakes. For further understanding the validity in the derived relationship, through the constructed relationship of M0-, we inferred the source duration of the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquake with M0=2-5*10**27 dyne-cm (corresponding to Mw = 7.5-7.7) to be approximately 29-40 sec, in agreement with many previous studies for source duration (28-42 sec).

Counseling Psychology Licensure in Taiwan: Development, Challenges, and Opportunities

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Wang, Li-fei; Kwan, Kwong-Liem K.; Huang, Su-Fei

2011-01-01

The development and consequences of licensure for counseling psychologists in Taiwan are presented to promote cross-cultural awareness surrounding issues in the counseling psychology profession. The national licensure statute for counseling psychologists in Taiwan was established by the Taiwanese Legislature in 2001. While the licensing system…

Transformation and Framework of Teacher Professional Development in Taiwan

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Huang, Bo-Ruey

2016-01-01

This article describes the situation of teacher professional development in Taiwan, including the history and the framework of teacher professional development. With diversification of teacher education systems and institutions, teacher professional development in Taiwan is undergoing a gradual governance shift from the model of centralised state…

Teaching Benchmark Strategy for Fifth-Graders in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Der-Ching; Lai, M. L.

2013-01-01

The key purpose of this study was how we taught the use of benchmark strategy when comparing fraction for fifth-graders in Taiwan. 26 fifth graders from a public elementary in south Taiwan were selected to join this study. Results of this case study showed that students had a much progress on the use of benchmark strategy when comparing fraction…

LEARNING AND TEACHING RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IN CHINA AND TAIWAN: PAST AND PRESENT

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Lidiya Z. Tenchurina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the main study results on the analysis of processes of establishing and development of Russian language studies and Russian language training practices in mainland China and Taiwan since the early XVIII century until now. Basing on the postulates of the social-and-cultural, systemic and historical, historiographical and axiological approaches, the authors attempt to describe the development of the theory and practice of teaching and studying Russian as a foreign language (RFL with a view to form a complete picture of the past and present of the Russian language in China and Taiwan, to evaluate the role and importance of the Russian language, primarily, in the socialand-cultural, as well as in the social-and-political and even economic aspects, not only from historic perspectives but also in terms of the future development – basing on evolving cooperation between Russia, on the one hand, and China and Taiwan – on the other. Methods. The main applied research methods are the comparative-historical and historical-and-logical analysis, historical reconstruction methods, systematization, theoretical generalizations and, partly, prediction. Scientific novelty. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time in the broader period (1700–2000 s it offers a generalized description of the establishment and development of Russian studies and practice of teaching the Russian language in China and Taiwan. Practical significance. The implementation of the research outcomes can be useful due to a possibility of carrying on its basis of new studies on the problems of Russian philology and teaching Russian as a foreign language, the history of pedagogy and education, and comparative pedagogy (comparative linguistics.

New Risk Measure and Idiosyncratic Risk in Taiwan Stock Market

OpenAIRE

Yin-Ching Jan; Su-Ling Chiu; Jerry M. C. Wang

2013-01-01

Under the model developed by Merton (1987), the idiosyncratic risk would be important to explain the expected stock return. We follow the approach of Daniel and Titman (1998), and use the risk measure developed by Jan and Wang (2012) to examine whether idiosyncratic risk can play an important role in explaining the expected return in Taiwan stock market. We find that beta can¡¯t explain the expected return, and that idiosyncratic risk has a positive relation to expected returns for stocks wit...

77 FR 27079 - Certain Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents From China and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-08

... industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports from China and Taiwan of certain... Optical Brightening Agents From China and Taiwan Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed... that imports of certain stilbenic optical brightening agents from China and Taiwan were being sold at...

Physician supply and demand in anatomical pathology in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chih-Yi; Jung, Shih-Ming; Chuang, Shih-Sung

2011-02-01

Anatomical pathology was not popular in Taiwan a few decades ago, with a severe shortage of pathologists. However, there has been a steady increase in recent years, and now there is a threat of oversupply We evaluated supply and demand over the past three decades and compared the findings with other countries. We collected the enrollment data of pathologists and physicians from the Taiwan Society of Pathology, the Department of Health, Executive Yuan, and Taiwan Medical Association, and analyzed equivalent data from other countries. We sent questionnaires to pathology chiefs to inquire about future job vacancies. The number of pathologists has increased at an annual rate of 4.93% between 2004 and 2008, in contrast to 3.7% for all physicians. There has been a net annual increase of 12 pathologists in the past 13 years. The estimated average number of consultant posts per year was nine, which was only one-third of the average number of first-year residents (R1s). The number of pathologists/million population in Taiwan was 14.83, which was comparable to that in Japan and South Korea but much smaller than that in Canada and the United States. The ratio of pathologists to physicians in Taiwan was 0.97%, which was higher than that in Japan (0.68%) and South Korea (0.64%), but lower than in Canada (1.32%) and the United States (1.46%). On average, 1.79% of medical graduates chose pathology for their R1 training in Taiwan, which was higher than that in the United States (1.50%) and Canada (1.10-1.20%). Anatomical pathology is no longer a specialty that is facing a physician shortage in Taiwan, and there is now a relatively high pathologist/physician ratio among Asian countries. We suggest that a decrease in the number of R1s in pathology is needed to maintain a balance between supply and demand. Copyright © 2011 Formosan Medical Association & Elsevier. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Response of upper ocean cooling off northeastern Taiwan to typhoon passages

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zhe-Wen; Zheng, Quanan; Gopalakrishnan, Ganesh; Kuo, Yi-Chun; Yeh, Ting-Kuang

2017-07-01

A comprehensive investigation of the typhoon induced upper ocean processes and responses off northeastern Taiwan was conducted. Using the Regional Ocean Modeling System, the upper ocean responses of all typhoons striking Taiwan between 2005 and 2013 were simulated. In addition to Kuroshio intrusion, the present study demonstrates another important mechanism of typhoon induced near-inertial currents over the continental shelf of East China Sea, which can also trigger a distinct cooling (through entrainment mixing) within this region. Results indicate that the processes of typhoon inducing distinct cooling off northeastern Taiwan are conditional phenomena (only ∼12% of typhoons passing Taiwan triggered extreme cooling there). Subsequently, by executing a series of sensitivity experiments and systematic analyses on the behaviors and background conditions of all those typhoon cases, key criteria determining the occurrences of cooling through both mechanisms were elucidated. Occurrences of cooling through the Kuroshio intrusion mechanism are determined mainly by the strength of the local wind over northeastern Taiwan. A distinct cooling triggered by enhanced near-inertial currents is shown to be associated with the process of wind-current resonance. Both processes of Kuroshio intrusion and enhanced near-inertial currents are dominated by wind forcing rather than upper oceanic conditions. Based on the recent findings on the possible dynamic linkage between sea surface temperature near northeast Taiwan and local weather systems, the results elucidated in this study lay the foundation for further improvement in the regional weather prediction surrounding northeast Taiwan.

Book Review: Cooper, John F. Taiwan Nation-State or Province? Boulder: Westview Press, 2009. 288 PP.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ardian Bakhtiar Rivai

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This article aims to describe about my analysis of Cooper (2009 perspective in how we understand Taiwan as identity. There are two perspective that to see Taiwan in recent day. First of all, for nation who believe One China Policy, they assume that Taiwan is a province of People Republic of China which is Taiwan is part of Beijing government. Secondly, for nation who do not believe it, they assume that Taiwan is independence identity, a nation identity, and also sovereign country which is separated from mainland China influences. In this discourse about how we understand Taiwan,  this article is going to review from John F. Cooper which is in his book, Taiwan: nation state or province?. This book not only discuss how we can see Taiwan, however, how Taiwan in the future in political dynamic especially after US president Donald Trump who intent to support Taiwan as independence identity. 

Research on English Teaching and Learning: Taiwan (2004-2009)

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Suchiao; Tsai, Yachin

2012-01-01

This article analyzes research in second/foreign language teaching and learning conducted in Taiwan over the period 2004-2009. Representative articles published in local refereed journals and conference proceedings--not readily accessible outside Taiwan--are reviewed to reflect current trends in English teaching and learning. The main themes…

Diatoms in Liyu Lake, Eastern Taiwan

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Liang-Chi Wang

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This study described the diatoms appeared in the sediments of Liyu Lake, a lowland natural lake situated at Hualen, eastern Taiwan. A total of 50 species was found in the sediments of this eutrophic lake. In them, 8 species were reported for the first time in Taiwan. They are: Cymbella thienemannii, Navicula absoluta, Navicula bacillum, Frustulia rhomboides var. crassinervia, Gyrosigma procerum, Nitzschia paleacea Epithemia smithii and Eunotia subarcuatioides. The ultrastructures of each species were described on the basis of observations under a scanning electron microscope. The ecological implications of the occurrence of these diatom species in this lake were inferred.

Russia-Taiwan Relations: History and Perspectives

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Sergey Vradiy

2017-04-01

Full Text Available From the point of view of potential possibilities for the development of business, scientific and technical cooperation, Taiwan could be considered as a prospective partner for Russian businessmen in East Asia. It is defined by the island’s high degree of import dependence upon main categories of raw material resources and by its leading role in producing a number of articles in the manufacturing industry. The article will briefly review the contemporary history of Russia’s relations with Taiwan. It will also analyze the current status and presume the possibility for future prospects of bilateral economic and trade relations.

Taiwan consensus of pharmacological treatment for bipolar disorder

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Ya-Mei Bai

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Bipolar disorder is an important psychiatric disorder with different disease phases. The pharmacological treatment is complicated, and is updated frequently as new research evidence emerges. For the purpose of international collaboration, research, and education, the Taiwan consensus of pharmacological treatment for bipolar disorders was initiated by the Taiwanese Society of Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology (TSBPN – the Bipolar Chapter, which was established in August 2010 and approved as a member of International Society of Bipolar Disorder. TSBPN is the country member of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP. The development of the Taiwan consensus for bipolar disorder was mainly based on the template of WFSBP Guidelines, with references to other international guidelines including the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments, and British Association for Psychopharmacology. We have also added Taiwanese experts’ experience, Taiwan national health insurance data, and the indications for the pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder given by the Taiwan Department of Health, to emphasize the balance between efficacy and safety, and to make this consensus a concise, empirical, and important reference for clinical psychiatric practice.

Tide-surge Interaction Intensified by the Taiwan Strait

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wen-Zhou; Shi, Fengyan; Hong, Hua-Sheng; Shang, Shao-Ping; Kirby, James T.

2010-06-01

The Taiwan Strait is a long and wide shelf-channel where the hydrodynamics is extremely complex, being characterized by strong tides, and where storm surges frequently occur during the typhoon season. Obvious oscillations due to tide-surge interaction were observed by tide gauges along the northern Fujian coast, the west bank of the Taiwan Strait, during Typhoon Dan (1999). Numerical experiments indicate that nonlinear bottom friction (described by the quadratic formula) is a major factor to predict these oscillations while the nonlinear advective terms and the shallow water effect have little contribution. It is found that the tide-surge interaction in the northern portion of the Taiwan Strait is intensified by the strait. Simulations based on simplified topographies with and without the island of Taiwan show that, in the presence of the island, the channel effect strengthens tidal currents and tends to align the major axes of tidal ellipses along the channel direction. Storm-induced currents are also strengthened by the channel. The pattern of strong tidal currents and storm-induced currents along the channel direction enhances tide-surge interaction via the nonlinear bottom friction, resulting in the obvious oscillations along the northern Fujian coast.

Rhododendron farrerae Tate ex Sweet (Ericaceae, a Reconfirmed Species in Taiwan

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Sheng-You Lu

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Rhododendron farrerae Tate ex Sweet was first recorded in Taiwan by Kawakami in 1910. Since then, this species has been grouped with R. tashiroi Maxim. due to insufficient reports and specimens, and was eliminated from Flora of Taiwan in 1998. By examining all the specimens preserved in Taiwan herbaria and documents, we confirm that the native population of R. farrerae is actually distributed in southern Taiwan, ranging from Peitawushan to Tajen Township, in the southern part of the Central Mountain Range. The diagnostic character distinguishing R. farrerae from R. tashiroi and R. mariesii Hemsl. & E. H. Wils. is that R. tashiroi and R. mariesii bear 2-3 flowers from each bud at anthesis; in contrast, R. farrerae bears only one flower during the flowering period. We provide in this paper a detailed taxonomic treatment, morphological description, distribution map, line drawing, and a comparison table of these three species of Taiwan, together with photographs.

Inclusive Higher Education for Students with Disabilities in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Hua-Kuo

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper was intended to present the current status of inclusive higher education for students with disabilities in Taiwan. Literature review, documentary analysis, and field observation were used to collect the needed information. The history for educating students with disabilities in higher education institutions in Taiwan has…

Kindergarten Teachers' Experience with Reporting Child Abuse in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Jui-Ying; Huang, Tzu-Yi; Wang, Chi-Jen

2010-01-01

Objective: The objectives were to examine factors associated with reporting child abuse among kindergarten teachers in Taiwan based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Method: A stratified quota sampling technique was used to randomly select kindergarten teachers in Taiwan. The Child Abuse Intention Report Scale, which includes demographics,…

Incidence of eye cancer in Taiwan: an 18-year review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, C-Y; Hsu, W-M

2004-02-01

To describe the incidence and histologic patterns of eye cancers in Chinese in Taiwan. Beginning in 1979, cases of cancer in Taiwan were reported to the Taiwan National Cancer Registry. Information on all Chinese patients diagnosed with eye malignancies under the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, site 190, was retrieved for analysis from the data bank of the Taiwan National Cancer Registry. In all, 733 cases with primary eye cancers were identified from 1979 to 1996, an 18-year period. The average annual age-standardized incidence of eye cancers was 2.46 per million population (2.57 for male and 2.33 for female). For cases less than 15 years of age, the most common eye malignancy was retinoblastoma (86.0%), followed by rhabdomyosarcoma (3.9%) and lymphoma (2.8%). For cases 15 years of age or older, the most common eye malignancy was melanoma (28.6%), followed by squamous cell sarcoma (21.0%) and lymphoma (20.8%). The time trends of the incidence of eye cancers were relatively stable over the 18-year period in Taiwan. Retinobalstoma, melanoma, and lymphoma were the three most common eye cancers in this Chinese population.

Reconstruction of the coastal morphodynamics of the Fulong-beach dune field in north-eastern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Dörschner, Nina; Böse, Margot; Frechen, Manfred

2010-05-01

The Fulong-beach dune field is located at the north-eastern coast of Taiwan. Built up of medium and fine grained quartz rich sand, it represents a unique feature of only few kilometres along the east coast of Taiwan. This unique sedimentological regime makes the area most perfectly suitable for age estimations by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). The dune field is crossed by the Shuangsi-river, which flows into the Pacific Ocean. The coastal area is subjected to very dynamic conditions in the transition zone between land and sea. Due to the constant force of marine and aeolian processes from tides, weather and sediment accumulation by rivers, it is a continuously changing area. Taiwan is located in a very active tectonic zone with high elevation rates, which reach from 4 mm per year at the east coast up to 7 mm per year in the southern parts of the island. Furthermore Taiwan is affected by medial 3.8 typhoons per year and minor earthquakes nearly occur every day (LIN ET AL. 2006). The consequences are high rates of erosion and sediment transport during very short time periods. The Fulong-beach coastal area is densely populated and proud for being a tourism destination. At the northern end of the dune field the Lungmen nuclear power plant is currently under construction. Four separate dune ridges could be identified from a digital elevation model and from field mapping. During the field campaign in October and November 2009 17 samples were taken for OSL-dating (MURRAY ET AL. 1995) out of the four dune ridges as well as out of a more than 30 m high elevated outcrop cut by the Shuangsi-river. The measurement and the evaluation of the OSL-samples will provide us an insight into the duration and intensity of the processes affecting the coastal area of Taiwan during the Holocene. We will give an outline during the poster presentation of the methodical approach and the morphodynamical processes affecting the Fulong-beach dune field in north-eastern Taiwan

Space programs in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lou-Chuang; Chang, Guey-Shin; Ting, Nan-Hong

2013-10-01

Taiwan's current and future space programs are briefly introduced in this paper. The National Space Organization (NSPO) in Taiwan has successfully carried out three satellite programs (FORMOSAT-1, 2, &3) since its establishment in 1991. FORMOSAT-1 is a scientific satellite performing three scientific experiments for measuring the density, velocity and temperature of ionospheric plasmas, taking the ocean color image, and conducting Ka-band communication experiments. Equipped with a 2m ground resolution remote sensing instrument, FORMOSAT-2 operates in a sun-synchronous orbit with revisit time equal to one day. This unique feature of the daily revisit capability is significantly useful for post disaster assessment and environmental monitoring. FORMOSAT-2 also carries a scientific payload "Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL)". ISUAL provides the world's first long-term satellite observations on the lighting phenomenon in the earth's upper atmosphere. FORMOSAT-3 is a constellation of six micro-satellites to collect atmospheric and ionospheric data for weather prediction and for climate, ionosphere, and geodesy research. FORMOSAT-3 has demonstrated the ability to significantly increase the accuracy of weather forecasting by utilizing the GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) technique. Currently, NSPO is pursuing the follow-on space missions of FORMOSAT-5 and FORMOSAT-7. FORMOSAT-5 will be the first to utilize a CMOS detector on a high-resolution earth-observation camera. FORMOSAT-7 is a joint mission of Taiwan/US to deploy a 12-satellite constellation operational system to provide dense and timely GNSS RO data to the global communities for real-time weather forecast as well as space science research.

The key for competitive nuclear power, a view from Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, J.

2000-01-01

The article mainly deals with the current situation of nuclear power generation in Taiwan. The development of nuclear power has been long and punctilious, whereas the contribution to meet the power demand in the lean resource country is prodigious. This article delineate the structure of power generation costs with coal, petroleum oil, and nuclear reactors in Taiwan in the recent 20 years, which highlights the superiority of nuclear application. However, as we see it from Taiwan, the nuclear power could have been better if we can simplify the design and regulation of the reactor. (author)

Climate protection laws in Taiwan; Klimaschutzrecht in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, Yen-Lin Agnes [Fu Jen Catholic Univ., Taipei, Taiwan (China). School of Law

2014-07-01

The contribution on climate protection laws in Taiwan is first describing the international position and cooperation with UNFCCC, The national climate protection policy covers energy and industry, trading and economy, forestry and agriculture, traffic and local affairs, society and education. The description of the actual legislation includes the constitutional framework, environmental legislation, air pollution legislation, environmental compatibility regulations, renewable energy development legislation, energy management laws, legal drafts concerning reduction of greenhouse gas emission and energy taxes. Finally the competences and responsibilities of authorities are summarized.

Notes on Zygomycetes of Taiwan (III: Two Blakeslea Species (Choanephoraceae New to Taiwan

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Hsiao-Man Ho

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Two species of Blakeslea (Choanephoraceae, Mucorales are reported as new records for Taiwan. They are Blakeslea monospora B. S. Mehrotra & Baijal and B. trispora Thaxter isolated from soil and fallen flowers. The morphological characters of both fungi are described.

Impacts of Tides and Typhoon Fanapi (2010) on Seas Around Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Dong S. Ko; Shenn-Yu Chao; Chun-Chieh Wu; I-I Lin; Sen Jan

2016-01-01

We used satellite data, typhoon-resolving atmospheric forcing and a data assimilating ocean model, the East Asian Seas Nowcast/Forecast System (EASNFS), to investigate circulation and three upwelling regions perturbed by tides and Typhoon Fanapi (2010) in the seas around Taiwan. The three upwelling areas located off northeast Taiwan, off southeast China and over the Penghu Channel off southwest Taiwan are normally limited in expanse before Fanapi. The tidal currents enhance all three. To cope...

Higher Education Research Community in Taiwan: An Emerging Field

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Sheng-Ju; Chan, Ying

2015-01-01

This paper aims to explore the evolution and characteristics of the higher education research community in Taiwan. In echoing the development of the East Asian region, Taiwan has made substantial progress during the past two decades. The massification of higher education itself has played a major role in promoting the academic differentiation or…

The Buddha and the Computer: Career Guidance in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Martin R.

Career decision making in Taiwan was examined in the context of a society undergoing dynamic change as modern entrepreneurial values are accommodated in a cherished traditional culture. Especially during the past 20 years, the economy of Taiwan has changed from agriculture to technology. At the same time, the educational needs of students have…

Teacher Preparation for Early Childhood: Special Education in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Hua-Kuo

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is intended to present the current model of teacher preparation for early childhood special education in Taiwan. Documentary analysis was conducted in the study to collect and analyze the obtained data. The main features of teacher preparation policies for early childhood special education in Taiwan could be summarized…

Factors associated with Taiwan anesthesiologists' intention to leave anesthesia practice

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Ju-O Wang

2015-06-01

Conclusion: Unfavorable working conditions were considered to lower the satisfaction of anesthesiologists in Taiwan. In particular, an inability to take care of the family and a low salary were major factors in deterring anesthesiologists in Taiwan from continuing in anesthesia.

Health Risk-Based Assessment and Management of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil Sites in Taiwan

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Zueng-Sang Chen

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Risk-based assessment is a way to evaluate the potential hazards of contaminated sites and is based on considering linkages between pollution sources, pathways, and receptors. These linkages can be broken by source reduction, pathway management, and modifying exposure of the receptors. In Taiwan, the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGWPR Act uses one target regulation to evaluate the contamination status of soil and groundwater pollution. More than 600 sites contaminated with heavy metals (HMs have been remediated and the costs of this process are always high. Besides using soil remediation techniques to remove contaminants from these sites, the selection of possible remediation methods to obtain rapid risk reduction is permissible and of increasing interest. This paper discusses previous soil remediation techniques applied to different sites in Taiwan and also clarified the differences of risk assessment before and after soil remediation obtained by applying different risk assessment models. This paper also includes many case studies on: (1 food safety risk assessment for brown rice growing in a HMs-contaminated site; (2 a tiered approach to health risk assessment for a contaminated site; (3 risk assessment for phytoremediation techniques applied in HMs-contaminated sites; and (4 soil remediation cost analysis for contaminated sites in Taiwan.

Health Risk-Based Assessment and Management of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Soil Sites in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Hung-Yu; Hseu, Zeng-Yei; Chen, Ting-Chien; Chen, Bo-Ching; Guo, Horng-Yuh; Chen, Zueng-Sang

2010-01-01

Risk-based assessment is a way to evaluate the potential hazards of contaminated sites and is based on considering linkages between pollution sources, pathways, and receptors. These linkages can be broken by source reduction, pathway management, and modifying exposure of the receptors. In Taiwan, the Soil and Groundwater Pollution Remediation Act (SGWPR Act) uses one target regulation to evaluate the contamination status of soil and groundwater pollution. More than 600 sites contaminated with heavy metals (HMs) have been remediated and the costs of this process are always high. Besides using soil remediation techniques to remove contaminants from these sites, the selection of possible remediation methods to obtain rapid risk reduction is permissible and of increasing interest. This paper discusses previous soil remediation techniques applied to different sites in Taiwan and also clarified the differences of risk assessment before and after soil remediation obtained by applying different risk assessment models. This paper also includes many case studies on: (1) food safety risk assessment for brown rice growing in a HMs-contaminated site; (2) a tiered approach to health risk assessment for a contaminated site; (3) risk assessment for phytoremediation techniques applied in HMs-contaminated sites; and (4) soil remediation cost analysis for contaminated sites in Taiwan. PMID:21139851

The Boletes of Taiwan (XI

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Chien-Ming Chen

2000-06-01

Full Text Available Three boletes are recorded as new to Taiwan. They are Boletinus asiaticus Singer, Boletus balloui Peck and Fuscoboletinus glandulosus (Peck Pomerleau & Smith, respectively. The specimens are described and illustrated.

Transmission Modes of Melioidosis in Taiwan

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Pei-Tan Hsueh

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In Taiwan, melioidosis is an emerging disease that suddenly increased in the Er-Ren River Basin, beginning in 2005 and in the Zoynan region during 2008–2012, following a typhoon. Additionally, the disease sporadically increased in a geography-dependent manner in 2016. Subcutaneous inoculation, ingestion, and the inhalation of soil or water contaminated with Burkholderia pseudomallei are recognized as the transmission modes of melioidosis. The appearance of environmental B. pseudomallei positivity in northern, central and southern Taiwan is associated with disease prevalence (cases/population: 0.03/100,000 in the northern region, 0.29/100,000 in the central region and 1.98/100,000 in the southern region. However, melioidosis-clustered areas are confined to 5 to 7.5 km2 hot spots containing high-density populations, but B. pseudomallei-contaminated environments are located >5 km northwestern of the periphery of these hot spots. The observation that the concentration of B. pseudomallei-specific DNA in aerosols was positively correlated with the incidence of melioidosis and the appearance of a northwesterly wind in a hot spot indicated that airborne transmission had occurred in Taiwan. Moreover, the isolation rate in the superficial layers of a contaminated crop field in the northwest was correlated with PCR positivity in aerosols collected from the southeast over a two-year period. The genotype ST58 was identified by multilocus sequence typing in human and aerosol isolates. The genotype ST1001 has increased in prevalence but has been sporadically distributed elsewhere since 2016. These data indicate the transmission modes and environmental foci that support the dissemination of melioidosis are changing in Taiwan.

Establishment of Vespa bicolor in Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, I-Hsin; Lu, Sheng-Shan; Chao, Jung-Tai; Yeh, Wen-Chi; Lee, Wei-Jie

2014-01-01

Abstract The establishment of a hornet, Vespa bicolor F., in Taiwan was confirmed based on successful field collection of adults of both sexes and two subterranean colonies. Information on nesting habitat, nest measurement, and colony composition of this species are provided in this article. V. bicolor is the ninth hornet species ever recorded from Taiwan. Possible pathway for the introduction of this alien species is also discussed. PMID:25434034

Linking the Taiwan Fish Database to the Global Database

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Kwang-Tsao Shao

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Under the support of the National Digital Archive Program (NDAP, basic species information about most Taiwanese fishes, including their morphology, ecology, distribution, specimens with photos, and literatures have been compiled into the "Fish Database of Taiwan" (http://fishdb.sinica.edu.tw. We expect that the all Taiwanese fish species databank (RSD, with 2800+ species, and the digital "Fish Fauna of Taiwan" will be completed in 2007. Underwater ecological photos and video images for all 2,800+ fishes are quite difficult to achieve but will be collected continuously in the future. In the last year of NDAP, we have successfully integrated all fish specimen data deposited at 7 different institutes in Taiwan as well as their collection maps on the Google Map and Google Earth. Further, the database also provides the pronunciation of Latin scientific names and transliteration of Chinese common names by referring to the Romanization system for all Taiwanese fishes (2,902 species in 292 families so far. The Taiwanese fish species checklist with Chinese common/vernacular names and specimen data has been updated periodically and provided to the global FishBase as well as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF through the national portal of the Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF. Thus, Taiwanese fish data can be queried and browsed on the WWW. For contributing to the "Barcode of Life" and "All Fishes" international projects, alcohol-preserved specimens of more than 1,800 species and cryobanking tissues of 800 species have been accumulated at RCBAS in the past two years. Through this close collaboration between local and global databases, "The Fish Database of Taiwan" now attracts more than 250,000 visitors and achieves 5 million hits per month. We believe that this local database is becoming an important resource for education, research, conservation, and sustainable use of fish in Taiwan.

Taiwan: Overall Developments and Policy Issues in the 109th Congress

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dumbaugh, Kerry

2008-01-01

U.S. officials saw relations with Taiwan as especially troubled during the 109th Congress in 2005-2006, beset by the increasing complexity and unpredictability of Taiwan's democratic political environment...

Research on Basis and Method of Fujian-Taiwan Cultural Creative Industry Connection

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Li Hao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available deepening Fujian-Taiwan cultural creative industry connection cooperation is of great importance to close Fujian-Taiwan relationship, forge new economic growth points, optimize and adjust industrial structure. In this paper, the opportunities, potential, basis and conditions for Fujian-Taiwan cultural creative industry connection cooperation are analyzed, and countermeasures and suggestions to deepen the connection cooperation are proposed.

[The parenting practices of transnational marriage mothers in Taiwan].

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Li-Yu; Shu, Bih-Ching; Huang, Chiung-Chen

2013-02-01

Childhood experience is a cornerstone of personality development. A child's cognitive function, self-concept, and behavioral development relate significantly to parental attitudes as well as to the way they were treated during childhood. The literature suggests a significant association between parenting practices and the mental health of the parents, temperament of the child, and socio-cultural factors. Raising children is typically central to the life of transnational marriage women living in Taiwan. They view parenting children as a life transforming experience. However, they must invest more effort than local mothers to survive in Taiwan. Thus, it is worth investigating the parenting practices of this significant subset of Taiwan's population. This paper applied parenting concepts to describe the condition and possible problems of immigrant women in parenting children. Based on study results, we summarize transnational marriage and its impact on parenting practices. The authors hope this paper provides information useful to identifying parenting difficulties faced by immigrant mothers so that healthcare professionals can provide relevant information and assistance to improve overall parenting practices and benefit the development of Taiwan's youngest generation.

Quality of Care for Lung Cancer in Taiwan: A Pattern of Care Based on Core Measures in the Taiwan Cancer Database Registry

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Chun-Ru Chien

2008-08-01

Conclusion: It is very likely that significant variation in QOC for lung cancer in Taiwan exists among different types but not locations of hospitals, at least in the diagnostic domain. The introduction of internal benchmarking (TCDB and core measures was associated with some changes, at least in some diagnostic domains, which may lead to improvement in QOC for lung cancer in Taiwan.

Improving the Taiwan Military’s Disaster Relief Response to Typhoons

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

circulation, are mostly westbound. When they reach the vicinity of Taiwan or the Philippines , which are always at the edge of the Pacific subtropical high...passes directly over Taiwan. The complexity of the Taiwan terrain and the diversity of the typhoon paths have resulted in significant variations in...files from the POM base case model, one set for each design point. To automate the process of running all the GAMS files, a Windows batch file ( BAT

The deregulation of Taiwan electricity supply industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, K.M.

2006-01-01

Taiwan is on the brink of embarking on an ambitious reform in the electricity sector. The future electricity market of Taiwan will be operated under the framework set out in the Electricity Act Amendment. Independent system operator (ISO) will be the core body of the future market operations and its establishment will therefore be the key to the liberalization. This paper presents the proposed implementation plan based on diverse factors considered by the officials. A three steps phased introduction of Taiwan ISO is discussed. During the proposed Phase I interim market arrangements, Taipower's System Operation Department will assume the role of System Operator for the market. The dispatch rules are largely based on the existing Taipower internal procedure. As competition increases, the need for increased transparency will necessitate the establishment of a fully independent ISO in Phase II to provide the real time dispatch services. This will be completed within 2 years after the passage of the Electricity Act Amendment Bill. In the last phase of the deregulation process a multilateral market arrangement for managing energy imbalance and transmission constraints will result in better outcomes in relation to the policy objectives of security and economic efficiency. The 2-year timeframe stipulated in the Electricity Act Amendment Bill is a challenge for the Government and the industry. However, a smoothly functioning Taiwan ISO will bring benefits to the industry and the country in general

Harm avoidance and depression, anxiety, insomnia, and migraine in fifth-year medical students in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Chen CY; Yu NW; Huang TH; Wang WS; Fang JT

2018-01-01

Ching-Yen Chen,1–3 Nan-Wen Yu,2–4 Tien-Hao Huang,4 Wei-Shin Wang,4 Ji-Tseng Fang2,3,5 1Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 2School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 3Medical Education Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 4Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan; 5Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan Purpose: During medical school tra...

Harm avoidance and depression, anxiety, insomnia, and migraine in fifth-year medical students in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Chen,Ching-Yen; Yu,Nan-Wen; Huang,Tien-Hao; Wang,Wei-Shin; Fang,Ji-Tseng

2018-01-01

Ching-Yen Chen,1–3 Nan-Wen Yu,2–4 Tien-Hao Huang,4 Wei-Shin Wang,4 Ji-Tseng Fang2,3,5 1Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 2School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 3Medical Education Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 4Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan; 5Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan Purpose: During medical sc...

77 FR 72884 - Steel Wire Garment Hangers From Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-06

... From Taiwan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject investigation, the... Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)) (the Act), that an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports of steel wire garment hangers from Taiwan, provided for in subheading 7326.20...

Levels of dioxin-like compounds in Taiwan foodstuffs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, M.S.; Wang, S.M.; Chou, U.; Chen, S.Y.; Huang, N.C.; Liao, G.Y.; Yu, T.P.; Ling, Y.C. [National Tsing Hua Univ., Hsinchu (Taiwan)

2004-09-15

Food is the major route of human intake of toxic dioxin-like compounds (DLCs), which include PolyChlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (PCDDs), PolyChlorinated DibenzoFurans (PCDFs), and WHO PolyChlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Approximately 95% of human DLCs exposure derives from food, with nearly 80% coming from food of animal origin. The DLCs levels in foodstuffs and the consumption rate of foodstuffs are essential to evaluate health risk posing to humans. The lack of DLCs levels in foodstuffs increases the population risk to DLCs exposure. The Department of Health, Taiwan has entrusted us to conduct a comprehensive monitoring program on PCDD/Fs levels in Taiwan foodstuffs in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, the program has extended the analytes to include 12 WHO-PCBs. The DLCs levels in Taiwan foodstuffs is, therefore, being surveyed for the first time.

Relations Across the Taiwan Strait: A New Era

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tang Shaocheng

2009-10-01

Full Text Available El autor analiza las relaciones Taiwan-RPCh del nuevo gobierno de Ma Ying-jeou desde la perspectiva tanto internacional como bilateral. Las posiciones de los EEUU y la UE presentan buenos augurios. Junto con el compromiso del "consenso de 1992", la concepción de Ma de una "relación especial" no ha sido rechazada por Pekín a pesar de cierta desconfianza latente hacia Taiwan. Así las experiencias de Alemania, donde el concepto de "relación especial" surgió, podrían ser usadas como referencia para las relaciones Taiwan-RPCh, si bien sólo de manera selectiva. Podría servir como una buena base para un ulterior desarrollo de las relaciones entre ambas partes. Por tanto, las posibilidades de mejores relaciones, por lo menos a corto plazo, parecen prometedoras.

Estimation of biogenic volatile organic compounds emissions in subtropical island--Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ken-Hui; Chen, Tu-Fu; Huang, Ho-Chun

2005-06-15

Elevated tropospheric ozone is harmful to human health and plants. It is formed through the photochemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NO(x)). The elevated ozone episodes occur mainly in summer months in the United States, while the high-ozone episodes frequently occur during the fall in Taiwan. The unique landscape of Taiwan produces tremendous amounts of biogenic VOCs in the mountain regions that are adjacent to concentrated urban areas. The urban areas, in turn, generate prodigious amounts of anthropogenic emissions. Biogenic VOC emissions have direct influence on tropospheric ozone formation. To explore the air quality problems in Taiwan, this study attempts to develop a biogenic VOC emission model suitable for air quality applications in Taiwan. The emission model is based on the Biogenic Emissions Inventory System Version 2 and coupled with a detailed Taiwan land use database. The 1999 total Taiwan biogenic VOC emissions were estimated at 214,000 metric tons. The emissions of isoprene, monoterpenes, and other VOCs were about 37.2%, 30.4%, and 32.4% of total biogenic VOC emissions, respectively. The annual total biogenic VOC emission per unit area was more than two times the value of that in any European country, implying that detailed emissions estimates in any size of region will benefit the global biogenic emission inventories.

Geranium pusillum L. (Geraniaceae: A Newly Naturalized Plant in Taiwan

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Chih-Hsiung Chen

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Geranium pusillum L., an annual or biennial herb mainly native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, has recently become naturalized in mountain regions of central Taiwan at about 1,800-2,300 m in elevation. This species is very similar to G. molle, which was also recently found to have become naturalized in Taiwan; however, the former has smaller flowers and scabrous fruits. In the present work, we provide a taxonomic description, an illustration, photographs, and scanning electron micrographs to facilitate identification. Furthermore, a key to the taxa of the genus Geranium in Taiwan is also provided.

Taiwan's Travel and Border Health Measures in Response to Zika

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Ho, Li-Li; Tsai, Yu-Hui; Lee, Wang-Ping; Liao, Szu-Tsai; Wu, Li-Gin

2017-01-01

Zika virus has recently emerged as a worldwide public health concern. Travel and border health measures stand as one of the main strategies and frontline defenses in responding to international epidemics. As of October 31, 2016, Taiwan has reported 13 imported cases, 5 of which were detected through routine entry screening and active monitoring at international airports. This article shares Taiwan's disease surveillance activities at designated points of entry and travel and border health measures in response to Zika. The Taiwan government collaborates with its tourism industry to disseminate information about precautionary measures and encourages tour guides to report suspected individuals or events to activate early response measures. Taiwan also engages in vector control activities at points of entry, including targeting aircraft from countries where vector-borne diseases are endemic, implementing mosquito sweep measures, and collecting vector surveillance data. In future emerging and reemerging disease events, entry surveillance at designated points of entry may enable early detection of diseases of international origin and more rapid activation of public health preparedness activities and international collaboration. Taiwan will continue to maximize border and travel health measures in compliance with IHR (2005) requirements, which rely on continued risk assessment, practical implementation activities, and engagement with all stakeholders. PMID:28418744

Taiwan's Travel and Border Health Measures in Response to Zika.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Li-Li; Tsai, Yu-Hui; Lee, Wang-Ping; Liao, Szu-Tsai; Wu, Li-Gin; Wu, Yi-Chun

Zika virus has recently emerged as a worldwide public health concern. Travel and border health measures stand as one of the main strategies and frontline defenses in responding to international epidemics. As of October 31, 2016, Taiwan has reported 13 imported cases, 5 of which were detected through routine entry screening and active monitoring at international airports. This article shares Taiwan's disease surveillance activities at designated points of entry and travel and border health measures in response to Zika. The Taiwan government collaborates with its tourism industry to disseminate information about precautionary measures and encourages tour guides to report suspected individuals or events to activate early response measures. Taiwan also engages in vector control activities at points of entry, including targeting aircraft from countries where vector-borne diseases are endemic, implementing mosquito sweep measures, and collecting vector surveillance data. In future emerging and reemerging disease events, entry surveillance at designated points of entry may enable early detection of diseases of international origin and more rapid activation of public health preparedness activities and international collaboration. Taiwan will continue to maximize border and travel health measures in compliance with IHR (2005) requirements, which rely on continued risk assessment, practical implementation activities, and engagement with all stakeholders.

Empirical Site Amplification Factors Incorporating Soil Nonlinearity in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, C. H.; Chung, C. H.; Che-Min, L.; Huang, J. Y.; Wen, K. L.

2017-12-01

Characteristics of site amplifications caused by both crustal and subduction earthquakes are important in Taiwan. For example, seismic waves were amplified and led to significant building damages in the Taipei Basin by the 1986 Hualien offshore (subduction interface) and the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquakes (crustal), for which the epicentral distances were about 100 km. To understand local site amplifications in Taiwan, empirical site amplification factors for horizontal ground motions are studied using recently constructed strong motion and site databases for the free-field TSMIP stations in Taiwan. Records of large magnitude earthquakes of ML larger than six from 1994 to 2014 were selected for this study. Site amplification factors at site conditions with Vs30 of 120 m/s to 1500 m/s and base accelerations up to 0.7g were inferred from intensity ratios of station pairs within specific distances. The reference site condition is assumed as Vs30 of 760 m/s (B/C boundary). Preliminary results indicate: 1. Soil nonlinearity is more obviously at short periods (PGA, Sa0.3) than long periods (PGV, Sa1.0). 2. Soil nonlinearity is significant for stations belong to site classes of B, C, D, and E in Taiwan. 3. Effect of station-pair distance is seen at short periods (PGA and Sa0.3). 4. No significant different is found in site amplifications of crustal and subduction earthquakes. The result could be a reference for the Fa and Fv in Taiwan's building code.

Earthquake Probability Assessment for the Active Faults in Central Taiwan: A Case Study

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Yi-Rui Lee

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Frequent high seismic activities occur in Taiwan due to fast plate motions. According to the historical records the most destructive earthquakes in Taiwan were caused mainly by inland active faults. The Central Geological Survey (CGS of Taiwan has published active fault maps in Taiwan since 1998. There are 33 active faults noted in the 2012 active fault map. After the Chi-Chi earthquake, CGS launched a series of projects to investigate the details to better understand each active fault in Taiwan. This article collected this data to develop active fault parameters and referred to certain experiences from Japan and the United States to establish a methodology for earthquake probability assessment via active faults. We consider the active faults in Central Taiwan as a good example to present the earthquake probability assessment process and results. The appropriate “probability model” was used to estimate the conditional probability where M ≥ 6.5 and M ≥ 7.0 earthquakes. Our result shows that the highest earthquake probability for M ≥ 6.5 earthquake occurring in 30, 50, and 100 years in Central Taiwan is the Tachia-Changhua fault system. Conversely, the lowest earthquake probability is the Chelungpu fault. The goal of our research is to calculate the earthquake probability of the 33 active faults in Taiwan. The active fault parameters are important information that can be applied in the following seismic hazard analysis and seismic simulation.

Achieving organizational change: findings from a case study of health promoting hospitals in Taiwan.

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Lee, Chiachi Bonnie; Chen, Michael S; Powell, Michael; Chu, Cordia Ming-Yeuk

2014-06-01

The Taiwanese Network of Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) has been in place since 2006 and developing rapidly. The criticism of inadequate evaluation of the HPH approach taken elsewhere also holds true for the Taiwan HPH Network. Organizational change is a key to sustainable and effective health promotion, and it is also an important aspect in the European HPH movement. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate changes in organizational capacity for the implementation of HPH in Taiwan. All 55 HPH coordinators were invited to participate in the study, and 52 of them completed the questionnaires. The survey covered seven dimensions of HPH organizational capacity, and a total score of each dimension was calculated and converted to a figure on a scale of 10. This study has shown that HPH made a positive impact on HP hospitals in Taiwan regarding organizational change in capacity building for HPH. Leadership, organization culture and mission and strategy received the top three highest mean scores (8.19 ± 1.25, 8.08 ± 1.39, 7.99 ± 1.42), while staff participation received the lowest score (7.62 ± 1.26). The high level of organizational change was associated with the high satisfaction levels of organizational support from the viewpoint of the HPH coordinators. Based on a cluster analysis, a majority of the HP hospitals in Taiwan seemed to have adopted the addition model in putting the HPH initiative into practice; a few hospitals appeared to have accepted HPH initiative well through the integration model. These results presented evidence that HPH contributed to organizational capacity building of hospitals for health promotion.

Population Structure and Historical Demography of the Oriental River Prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) in Taiwan

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Chu, Ta-Jen; Wang, Daryi; Lee, Ying-Chou; Tzeng, Tzong-Der

2015-01-01

The oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) is a non-obligatory amphidromous prawn, and it has a wide distribution covering almost the entire Taiwan. Mitochondrial DNA fragment sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rRNA were combined and used to elucidate the population structure and historical demography of oriental river prawn in Taiwan. A total of 202 individuals from six reservoirs and three estuaries were separately collected. Nucleotide diversity (π) of all populations was 0.01217, with values ranging from 0.00188 (Shihmen Reservoir, SMR, northern Taiwan) to 0.01425 (Mingte Reservoir, MTR, west-central Taiwan). All 76 haplotypes were divided into 2 lineages: lineage A included individuals from all sampling areas except SMR, and lineage B included specimens from all sampling locations except Chengching Lake Reservoir (CLR) and Liyu Lake Reservoir (LLR). All F ST values among nine populations were significantly different except the one between Jhonggang River Estuary (JGE, west-central Taiwan) and Kaoping River Estuary (KPE, southern Taiwan). UPGMA tree of nine populations showed two main groups: the first group included the SMR and Tamsui River Estuary (TSE) (both located northern Taiwan), and the second one included the other seven populations (west-central, southern and eastern Taiwan). Demographic analyses implied a population expansion occurred during the recent history of the species. The dispersal route of this species might be from China to west-central and west-southern Taiwan, and then the part individuals belonging to lineage A and B dispersed southerly and northerly, respectively. And then part individuals in west-central Taiwan fell back to and stay at estuaries as the sea level rose about 18,000 years ago. PMID:26716687

Space programs in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Lou-Chuang [Academia Sinica, Institute of Earth Sciences, 128, Sec. 2, Academia Road, Nangang, Taipei 115, Taiwan (China); Institute of Space Science, National Central University, 300, Jhongda Rd., Jhongli City, Taoyuan County 32001, Taiwan (China); Chang, Guey-Shin, E-mail: gschang@nspo.narl.org.tw [National Space Organization, 8F, 9 Prosperity 1st Rd., Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu 30078, Taiwan (China); Ting, Nan-Hong [National Applied Research Laboratories, 3F, 106, Sec. 2, Hepin East Rd., Taipei 10622, Taiwan (China)

2013-10-15

Taiwan's current and future space programs are briefly introduced in this paper. The National Space Organization (NSPO) in Taiwan has successfully carried out three satellite programs (FORMOSAT-1, 2, and 3) since its establishment in 1991. FORMOSAT-1 is a scientific satellite performing three scientific experiments for measuring the density, velocity and temperature of ionospheric plasmas, taking the ocean color image, and conducting Ka-band communication experiments. Equipped with a 2m ground resolution remote sensing instrument, FORMOSAT-2 operates in a sun-synchronous orbit with revisit time equal to one day. This unique feature of the daily revisit capability is significantly useful for post disaster assessment and environmental monitoring. FORMOSAT-2 also carries a scientific payload “Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL)”. ISUAL provides the world's first long-term satellite observations on the lighting phenomenon in the earth's upper atmosphere. FORMOSAT-3 is a constellation of six micro-satellites to collect atmospheric and ionospheric data for weather prediction and for climate, ionosphere, and geodesy research. FORMOSAT-3 has demonstrated the ability to significantly increase the accuracy of weather forecasting by utilizing the GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) technique. Currently, NSPO is pursuing the follow-on space missions of FORMOSAT-5 and FORMOSAT-7. FORMOSAT-5 will be the first to utilize a CMOS detector on a high-resolution earth-observation camera. FORMOSAT-7 is a joint mission of Taiwan/US to deploy a 12-satellite constellation operational system to provide dense and timely GNSS RO data to the global communities for real-time weather forecast as well as space science research.

Space programs in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Lou-Chuang; Chang, Guey-Shin; Ting, Nan-Hong

2013-01-01

Taiwan's current and future space programs are briefly introduced in this paper. The National Space Organization (NSPO) in Taiwan has successfully carried out three satellite programs (FORMOSAT-1, 2, and 3) since its establishment in 1991. FORMOSAT-1 is a scientific satellite performing three scientific experiments for measuring the density, velocity and temperature of ionospheric plasmas, taking the ocean color image, and conducting Ka-band communication experiments. Equipped with a 2m ground resolution remote sensing instrument, FORMOSAT-2 operates in a sun-synchronous orbit with revisit time equal to one day. This unique feature of the daily revisit capability is significantly useful for post disaster assessment and environmental monitoring. FORMOSAT-2 also carries a scientific payload “Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL)”. ISUAL provides the world's first long-term satellite observations on the lighting phenomenon in the earth's upper atmosphere. FORMOSAT-3 is a constellation of six micro-satellites to collect atmospheric and ionospheric data for weather prediction and for climate, ionosphere, and geodesy research. FORMOSAT-3 has demonstrated the ability to significantly increase the accuracy of weather forecasting by utilizing the GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) technique. Currently, NSPO is pursuing the follow-on space missions of FORMOSAT-5 and FORMOSAT-7. FORMOSAT-5 will be the first to utilize a CMOS detector on a high-resolution earth-observation camera. FORMOSAT-7 is a joint mission of Taiwan/US to deploy a 12-satellite constellation operational system to provide dense and timely GNSS RO data to the global communities for real-time weather forecast as well as space science research

Risk and Outbreak Communication: Lessons from Taiwan's Experiences in the Post-SARS Era.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Yu-Chen; Chen, Yu-Ling; Wei, Han-Ning; Yang, Yu-Wen; Chen, Ying-Hwei

In addition to the impact of a disease itself, public reaction could be considered another outbreak to be controlled during an epidemic. Taiwan's experience with SARS in 2003 highlighted the critical role played by the media during crisis communication. After the SARS outbreak, Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) followed the WHO outbreak communication guidelines on trust, early announcements, transparency, informing the public, and planning, in order to reform its risk communication systems. This article describes the risk communication framework in Taiwan, which has been used to respond to the 2009-2016 influenza epidemics, Ebola in West Africa (2014-16), and MERS-CoV in South Korea (2015) during the post-SARS era. Many communication strategies, ranging from traditional media to social and new media, have been implemented to improve transparency in public communication and promote civic engagement. Taiwan CDC will continue to maintain the strengths of its risk communication systems and resolve challenges as they emerge through active evaluation and monitoring of public opinion to advance Taiwan's capacity in outbreak communication and control. Moreover, Taiwan CDC will continue to implement the IHR (2005) and to promote a global community working together to fight shared risks and to reach the goal of "One World, One Health."

SWOT Analysis on Educational Systems on the Two Sides of the Taiwan Strait

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, I-Ming; Shieh, Chich-Jen

2005-01-01

It was an important, historic phenomenon for Taiwan to separate from mainland China in 1949. Mainland China and Taiwan were originally a unified country, using the same language and same alphabet characters. Now there are still similarities in many aspects; the differences are primarily governmental. Taiwan has become more Westernized and more…

Cosmic-ray neutron simulations and measurements in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Wei-Lin; Jiang, Shiang-Huei; Sheu, Rong-Jiun

2014-01-01

This study used simulations of galactic cosmic ray in the atmosphere to investigate the neutron background environment in Taiwan, emphasising its altitude dependence and spectrum variation near interfaces. The calculated results were analysed and compared with two measurements. The first measurement was a mobile neutron survey from sea level up to 3275 m in altitude conducted using a car-mounted high-sensitivity neutron detector. The second was a previous measured result focusing on the changes in neutron spectra near air/ground and air/water interfaces. The attenuation length of cosmic-ray neutrons in the lower atmosphere was estimated to be 163 g cm -2 in Taiwan. Cosmic-ray neutron spectra vary with altitude and especially near interfaces. The determined spectra near the air/ground and air/water interfaces agree well with measurements for neutrons below 10 MeV. However, the high-energy portion of spectra was observed to be much higher than our previous estimation. Because high-energy neutrons contribute substantially to a dose evaluation, revising the annual sea-level effective dose from cosmic-ray neutrons at ground level in Taiwan to 35 μSv, which corresponds to a neutron flux of 5.30 x 10 -3 n cm -2 s -1 , was suggested. The cosmic-ray neutron background in Taiwan was studied using the FLUKA simulations and field measurements. A new measurement was performed using a car-mounted high-efficiency neutron detector, re-coding real-time neutron counting rates from sea level up to 3275 m. The attenuation of cosmic-ray neutrons in the lower atmosphere exhibited an effective attenuation length of 163 g cm -2 . The calculated neutron counting rates over predicted the measurements by ∼32 %, which leaded to a correction factor for the FLUKA-calculated cosmic-ray neutrons in the lower atmosphere in Taiwan. In addition, a previous measurement regarding neutron spectrum variation near the air/ground and air/water interfaces was re-evaluated. The results showed that the

Towards Marine Spatial Planning in Southern Taiwan

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Meng-Tsung Lee

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Due to population growth, rapid economic development and inadequate marine control, the use of ocean and coastal regions in Taiwan has become more frequent and intense in recent years. However, the lack of comprehensive marine and coastal planning in this island nation has led to many conflicts over space and resources and limited its ability to prepare for and respond to environmental hazards, thus threatening national security as well as the safety and property of its citizens. This study proposes a marine zoning scheme for southern Taiwan. The results show that many important habitats in the southern sea areas have not been properly protected due to the extremely small size of the marine protected area. Furthermore, the majority of the conflicts derive from the exclusive fishing right vs. other uses such as marine conservation. Therefore, it is crucial to establish the marine spatial planning (MSP for the Southern Taiwan to deal with the conflicts of use seas and uncertainties associated with complex, heterogeneous, and dynamic marine system.

Perspectives for solar thermal applications in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Keh-Chin; Lin, Wei-Min; Leu, Tzong-Shyng; Chung, Kung-Ming

2016-01-01

Taiwan has long depended on imported fossil energy. The government is thus actively promoting the use of renewable energy. Since 2000, domestic installations of solar water heaters have increased substantially because of the long-term subsidies provided for such systems. However, data on the annual installation area of solar collectors in recent years indicated that the solar thermal industry in Taiwan has reached a bottleneck. The long-term policy providing subsidies must thus be revised. It is proposed that future thermal applications in Taiwan should focus on building-integrated solar thermal, photovoltaic/thermal, and industrial heating processes. Regarding building-integrated solar thermal systems, the current subsidy model can be continued (according to area of solar collectors); nevertheless, the application of photovoltaic/thermal and industrial heating systems must be determined according to the thermal output of such systems. - Highlights: •The long-term subsidization for solar water heaters has lost effectiveness. •Solar thermal applications include BIST, PV/T and industrial heating process. •A performance-based subsidy policy should be implemented.

GIS Adoption among Senior High School Geography Teachers in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lay, Jinn-Guey; Chen, Yu-Wen; Chi, Yu-Lin

2013-01-01

This article explores the adoption of geographic information system (GIS) knowledge and skills through in-service training for high school geography teachers in Taiwan. Through statistical analysis of primary data collected from a census of Taiwan's high school geography teachers, it explores what motivates these teachers to undertake GIS…

Management consensus guideline for hepatocellular carcinoma: 2016 updated by the Taiwan Liver Cancer Association and the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan

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Sheng-Nan Lu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in Taiwan. To help clinical physicians to manage patients with HCC, the Taiwan Liver Cancer Association and the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan produced the management consensus guideline for HCC. Methods: The recommendations focus on nine important issues on management of HCC, including surveillance, diagnosis, staging, surgery, local ablation, transarterial chemoembolization/transarterial radioembolization/hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, systemic therapy, radiotherapy, and prevention. Results: The consensus statements were discussed, debated and got consensus in each expert team. And then the statements were sent to all of the experts for further discussion and refinement. Finally, all of the experts were invited to vote for the statements, including the level of evidence and recommendation. Conclusion: With the development of the management consensus guideline, HCC patients could benefit from the optimal therapeutic modality. Keywords: Diagnosis, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Staging, Surveillance, Treatment

Luxury fashion brands: factors influencing young female consumers’ luxury fashion purchasing in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Wu, Meng-Shan Sharon; Chaney, Isabella; Chen, Cheng-Hao Steven; Nguyen, Bang; Melewar, T. C.

2015-01-01

Purpose - Against the background of increasing consumption of luxury fashion brands by young female consumers in Asian countries, this paper offers insights into the consumption motives and purchasing behaviour of that market segment in Taiwan.\\ud \\ud Design/methodology/approach - Analysis of data collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with twenty-three 18-32 year-old fashion-conscious females was completed and new empirical insights are offered.\\ud \\ud Findings - The study f...

Taiwan's industrial heavy metal pollution threatens terrestrial biota

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, M.J.; Selvaraj, K.; Agoramoorthy, G.

2006-01-01

The bioconcentration levels of essential (Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Zn) and non-essential (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sn) elements have been investigated in different terrestrial biota such as fungi, plant, earthworm, snail, crab, insect, amphibian, lizard, snake, and bat including the associated soil, to investigate the ecosystem health status in Kenting National Park, Taiwan. High bioconcentrations of Cd, Hg, and Sn in snail, earthworm, crab, lizard, snake, and bat indicated a contaminated terrestrial ecosystem. High concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Sn in plant species, effective bioaccumulation of Cd by earthworm, snail, crab and bat, as well as very high levels of Hg found in invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles revealed a strong influence from industrial pollution on the biotic community. This study for the first time presents data on the impact of heavy metal pollution on various terrestrial organisms in Taiwan. - Metal effects occur at any terrestrial levels in Taiwan

Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in aboriginal peoples of Taiwan, 2006-2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yih-Yuan; Chang, Jia-Ru; Huang, Wei-Feng; Kuo, Shu-Chen; Yeh, Jun-Jun; Lee, Jen-Jyh; Jang, Chang-Sheng; Sun, Jun-Ren; Chiueh, Tzong-Shi; Su, Ih-Jen; Dou, Horng-Yunn

2014-04-01

Previous research revealed a 6-fold higher incidence of tuberculosis (TB) amongst aborigines compared to Han Chinese in Taiwan. To investigate the reasons for this disparity, we genotyped Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains obtained from members of different aboriginal tribes in different geographical regions of Taiwan by using molecular methods. In total, 177 isolates of MTB collected from patients at four hospitals in Taiwan from January 2006 to December 2011 were analysed by spoligotyping, mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing. The most prevalent strains in the eastern and central regions of Taiwan were Beijing (45.7% in eastern) and Haarlem (39.1% in eastern, 37.1% in central) lineages, whereas in southern regions the most prevalent strains were EAI (47.7%) and Haarlem (20.5%) lineages. The high prevalence of EAI in southern Taiwan aborigines may be closely associated with Austronesian culture. This study provides a first overview of the M. tuberculosis strains circulating in aboriginal populations in Taiwan. The high prevalences of certain MTB lineages within aboriginal sub-populations suggest that transmission of MTB may have been restricted to close contacts. Copyright © 2013 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New genotypes of Orientia tsutsugamushi isolated from humans in Eastern Taiwan.

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Hui-Hua Yang

Full Text Available Scrub typhus, an acute febrile illness, is caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi. In our study, O. tsutsugamushi was rapidly detected and typed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP analysis of the 56-kDa type-specific antigen (TSA gene. To investigate the genotypes of clinical variants of O. tsutsugamushi, we collected 3223 blood samples from eastern Taiwanese patients with suspected scrub typhus from 2002 to 2008. In total, 505 samples were found to be positive for scrub typhus infection by PCR, and bacteria were isolated from 282 of them. Four prototype genotype strains (Karp, Kato, Kawasaki and Gilliam and eleven different Taiwanese genotype isolates (Taiwan-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, -G, -H, -J, -N, -O and -P were identified by RPLF analysis. Taiwan-H, the major genotype in eastern Taiwan, exhibited prevalence and isolation rates of 47.3% (239/505 and 42.6% (120/282, respectively. We also assessed the genetic relatedness of the 56-kDa TSA gene among eight Taiwan-H isolates, thirteen other Taiwanese isolates and 104 DNA sequences deposited in the GenBank database using MEGA version 5.0 and PHYLIP version 3.66. We found that the Taiwan-H isolates formed into a new cluster, which was designated the Taiwan Gilliam-variant (TG-v cluster to distinguish it from the Japanese Gilliam-variant (JG-v cluster. According to Simplot analysis, TG-v is a new recombinant strain among Gilliam, Ikeda and Kato. Moreover, the Gilliam-Kawasaki cluster had the highest percentage of RFLP cases and was the most frequently isolated type in eastern Taiwan (50.1%, 253/505; 44.0%, 124/282. These findings shed light on the genetic evolution of O. tsutsugamushi into different strains and may be useful in vaccine development and epidemic disease control in the future.

New Genotypes of Orientia tsutsugamushi Isolated from Humans in Eastern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chin-Hui; Chen, Tren-Yi; Chen, Li-Kuang

2012-01-01

Scrub typhus, an acute febrile illness, is caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi. In our study, O. tsutsugamushi was rapidly detected and typed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the 56-kDa type-specific antigen (TSA) gene. To investigate the genotypes of clinical variants of O. tsutsugamushi, we collected 3223 blood samples from eastern Taiwanese patients with suspected scrub typhus from 2002 to 2008. In total, 505 samples were found to be positive for scrub typhus infection by PCR, and bacteria were isolated from 282 of them. Four prototype genotype strains (Karp, Kato, Kawasaki and Gilliam) and eleven different Taiwanese genotype isolates (Taiwan-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, -G, -H, -J, -N, -O and -P) were identified by RPLF analysis. Taiwan-H, the major genotype in eastern Taiwan, exhibited prevalence and isolation rates of 47.3% (239/505) and 42.6% (120/282), respectively. We also assessed the genetic relatedness of the 56-kDa TSA gene among eight Taiwan-H isolates, thirteen other Taiwanese isolates and 104 DNA sequences deposited in the GenBank database using MEGA version 5.0 and PHYLIP version 3.66. We found that the Taiwan-H isolates formed into a new cluster, which was designated the Taiwan Gilliam-variant (TG-v) cluster to distinguish it from the Japanese Gilliam-variant (JG-v) cluster. According to Simplot analysis, TG-v is a new recombinant strain among Gilliam, Ikeda and Kato. Moreover, the Gilliam-Kawasaki cluster had the highest percentage of RFLP cases and was the most frequently isolated type in eastern Taiwan (50.1%, 253/505; 44.0%, 124/282). These findings shed light on the genetic evolution of O. tsutsugamushi into different strains and may be useful in vaccine development and epidemic disease control in the future. PMID:23071693

Life cycle assessment of palm-derived biodiesel in Taiwan

KAUST Repository

Maharjan, Sumit

2016-10-01

In Taiwan, due to the limited capacity of waste cooking oil, palm oil has been viewed as the potential low-cost imported feedstock for producing biodiesel, in the way of obtaining oil feedstock in Malaysia and producing biodiesel in Taiwan. This study aims to evaluate the cradle-to-grave life cycle environmental performance of palm biodiesel within two different Asian countries, Malaysia and Taiwan. The phases of the life cycle such as direct land-use-change impact, plantation and milling are investigated based on the Malaysia case and those of refining, and fuel production as well as engine combustion is based on Taiwan case. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and energy consumption for the whole life cycle were calculated as −28.29 kg CO2-equiv. and +23.71 MJ/kg of palm-derived biodiesel. We also analyze the impacts of global warming potential (GWP) and the payback time for recovering the GHG emissions when producing and using biodiesel. Various scenarios include (1) clearing rainforest or peat-forest; (2) treating or discharging palm-oil-milling effluent (POME) are further developed to examine the effectiveness of improving the environmental impacts © 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

[Japanese who affected modern medicine in Taiwan: obstetrics and gynecology].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ming-Tung

2009-12-01

This text describes the leaders who established the modem obstetrics and gynecology for Taiwan. during the Japan-colonizing period (1895-1945). These leaders are Mr. Kawasoye, M., Mr. Mukae K., and Mr. Magara M. The lives of these leaders were different, but they all strongly contributed to the development of modem obstetrics and gynecology in Taiwan. With regard to the passage of time, Mr. Kawasoye contributed the initial efforts, Mr. Mukae worked during the flourishing period of the clinic; and Mr. Magara worked during the mature period, emphasizing research. These three periods are closely correlated with the course of the development of modem obstetrics and gynecology in Taiwan.

Stress test of the nuclear power plants performed in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, C.H.; Teng, W.C.; Chang, S.; Chen, Y.B.

2014-01-01

In the wake of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants event, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) has asked Taiwan's Nuclear Power Plant operator (TPC) to re-examine and re-evaluate the vulnerabilities of its nuclear units, and furthermore, take possible countermeasures against extreme natural disasters, including earthquake, tsunami and rock-and-mud slide. The evaluation process should be based on both within and beyond Design Basis Accidents, by reference to the actions recommended by the world nuclear authorities and groups, namely, IAEA, USNRC, NEI, ENSREG and WANO. Taiwan is a very densely populated region of the world. Furthermore, like Japan, due to its geophysical position, Taiwan is prone to large scale earthquakes, and although historically rare, Taiwan also faces the potential risk of tsunamis. AEC also asked TPC to perform the stress test following the specification given by WENRA (later ENSREG) and conducted in all the EU's nuclear reactors. After completion of the stress test for all the nuclear power plants, AEC was trying to have the reports peer reviewed by international organizations, as EU did. The OECD/NEA accepted AEC's request and formed a review team specific to the review of Taiwan's National Report for the Stress Test. There were 18 follow-up items after the NEA's review. Based on these items, AEC developed five orders to require TPC further enhancing their capabilities to cope with extreme natural hazards. The ENSREG also formed a nine-expert review team for Taiwan's Stress Test in response to AEC's request almost at the same time as the OECD/NEA. The ENSREG review team began their works in June 2013 by desktop review, and ended in early October 2013 by country visit to Taiwan. While the assessment of post-Fukushima evaluation reveals neither immediate nuclear safety concerns nor threats to the public health and safety, AEC requested that TPC focus on strengthening its re-evaluation on design

Stress test of the nuclear power plants performed in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, C.H.; Teng, W.C.; Chang, S.; Chen, Y.B. [Atomic Energy Council, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

2014-07-01

In the wake of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants event, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) has asked Taiwan's Nuclear Power Plant operator (TPC) to re-examine and re-evaluate the vulnerabilities of its nuclear units, and furthermore, take possible countermeasures against extreme natural disasters, including earthquake, tsunami and rock-and-mud slide. The evaluation process should be based on both within and beyond Design Basis Accidents, by reference to the actions recommended by the world nuclear authorities and groups, namely, IAEA, USNRC, NEI, ENSREG and WANO. Taiwan is a very densely populated region of the world. Furthermore, like Japan, due to its geophysical position, Taiwan is prone to large scale earthquakes, and although historically rare, Taiwan also faces the potential risk of tsunamis. AEC also asked TPC to perform the stress test following the specification given by WENRA (later ENSREG) and conducted in all the EU's nuclear reactors. After completion of the stress test for all the nuclear power plants, AEC was trying to have the reports peer reviewed by international organizations, as EU did. The OECD/NEA accepted AEC's request and formed a review team specific to the review of Taiwan's National Report for the Stress Test. There were 18 follow-up items after the NEA's review. Based on these items, AEC developed five orders to require TPC further enhancing their capabilities to cope with extreme natural hazards. The ENSREG also formed a nine-expert review team for Taiwan's Stress Test in response to AEC's request almost at the same time as the OECD/NEA. The ENSREG review team began their works in June 2013 by desktop review, and ended in early October 2013 by country visit to Taiwan. While the assessment of post-Fukushima evaluation reveals neither immediate nuclear safety concerns nor threats to the public health and safety, AEC requested that TPC focus on strengthening its re-evaluation on design

Education of biomedical engineering in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Kang-Ping; Kao, Tsair; Wang, Jia-Jung; Chen, Mei-Jung; Su, Fong-Chin

2014-01-01

Biomedical Engineers (BME) play an important role in medical and healthcare society. Well educational programs are important to support the healthcare systems including hospitals, long term care organizations, manufacture industries of medical devices/instrumentations/systems, and sales/services companies of medical devices/instrumentations/system. In past 30 more years, biomedical engineering society has accumulated thousands people hold a biomedical engineering degree, and work as a biomedical engineer in Taiwan. Most of BME students can be trained in biomedical engineering departments with at least one of specialties in bioelectronics, bio-information, biomaterials or biomechanics. Students are required to have internship trainings in related institutions out of campus for 320 hours before graduating. Almost all the biomedical engineering departments are certified by IEET (Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan), and met the IEET requirement in which required mathematics and fundamental engineering courses. For BMEs after graduation, Taiwanese Society of Biomedical Engineering (TSBME) provides many continue-learning programs and certificates for all members who expect to hold the certification as a professional credit in his working place. In current status, many engineering departments in university are continuously asked to provide joint programs with BME department to train much better quality students. BME is one of growing fields in Taiwan.

The Re-Emergence and Emergence of Vector-Borne Rickettsioses in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas T. Minahan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Rickettsial diseases, particularly vector-borne rickettsioses (VBR, have a long history in Taiwan, with studies on scrub typhus and murine typhus dating back over a century. The climatic and geographic diversity of Taiwan’s main island and its offshore islands provide many ecological niches for the diversification and maintenance of rickettsiae alike. In recent decades, scrub typhus has re-emerged as the most prevalent type of rickettsiosis in Taiwan, particularly in eastern Taiwan and its offshore islands. While murine typhus has also re-emerged on Taiwan’s western coast, it remains neglected. Perhaps more alarming than the re-emergence of these rickettsioses is the emergence of newly described VBR. The first case of human infection with Rickettsia felis was confirmed in 2005, and undetermined spotted fever group rickettsioses have recently been detected. Taiwan is at a unique advantage in terms of detecting and characterizing VBR, as it has universal health coverage and a national communicable disease surveillance system; however, these systems have not been fully utilized for this purpose. Here, we review the existing knowledge on the eco-epidemiology of VBR in Taiwan and recommend future courses of action.

Childhood Atopic Dermatitis in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I-Jen Wang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD appears to have increased dramatically over the past decades. It is generally believed that such rapid increase in prevalence cannot be explained fully by genetic factors. Environmental factors might play a role in such an increment. Children with AD are most likely to suffer considerable school absences, family stress, and health care expenditures. Because the onset of AD occurs relatively early in life, identification of early life risk factors and early management for AD to prevent the development of atopic march are of critical importance. However, there is still no consensus on coordinated prevention and management for AD in Taiwan. In this review, we discuss the specific risk factors of AD and important results of recent articles on AD from Taiwan. The management and prevention strategies of AD for Asian skin are also discussed.

Effective Regulatory Control of Radioactive Sources in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, W.; Yuan, C.; Fan, S.; Su, S.

2004-01-01

Since the incident of radioactively contaminated buildings first surfaced in Taiwan in 1992, efforts have been made by AEC (Atomic Energy Council) of Taiwan to prevent recurrence of similar incidents involving radioactive materials and to achieve effective regulatory control over radioactive sources. The most important milestone is when AEC began to enforce IRPA he Ionizing Radiation Protection Act with the promulgation of 18 relevant regulations on Feb. 1, 2003. In order to enhance accountability of radioactive material and equipment capable of producing ionizing radiation, AEC develops and begins implementing a RPCS Radiation Protection Control System which is a powerful tool in controlling radiation safety and security. In addition, AEC develops a monthly registration program via internet, an o n-line reporting system f or owners/operators of radioactive sources, to improve monitoring of sealed sources (in-use and not-in-use). The registration requirement applies to 469 licensees possessing about 3,000 sealed sources in Taiwan. Because of the threat of orphan sources, AEC has made great efforts in preventing their contamination of construction steel material by establishing and enforcing the RPMMPIRCB Regulation for Preventive Measures and Management Plans for Incident of Radioactively Contaminated Buildings. To comply with this regulation, all 19 of Taiwan's steel factories with melting furnace have installed portal-type radiation detection system to monitor incoming scrap metal. (Author)

Incidence trends of human papillomavirus-related head and neck cancer in Taiwan, 1995-2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Tzer-Zen; Hsiao, Jenn-Ren; Tsai, Chia-Rung; Chang, Jeffrey S

2015-07-15

Recent studies suggested that human papillomavirus (HPV) is an emerging risk factor of head and neck cancer (HNC), particularly for oropharyngeal cancer. Studies from the West showed a rising trend of HPV-related HNC despite a decrease of the overall HNC incidence. In contrast, the overall HNC incidence in Taiwan has continued to rise. It is not clear whether the incidence trends of HPV-related HNC in Taiwan have a similar pattern to those from countries with an overall decreasing incidence of HNC. This study examined the incidence trends of HPV-related and HPV-unrelated HNC in Taiwan using data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry. Our results showed that the incidence trends of HPV-related and HPV-unrelated HNC in Taiwan both rose during 1995-2009. The incidence of HPV-related HNC (1.3 per 100,000 in 1995 to 3.3 in 2009, annual percentage change (APC) = 6.9, p Taiwan has continued to increase, the most rapid rise is in the HPV-related HNC. This suggests that similar to the Western world, HPV-related HNC is becoming an important public health issue in Taiwan. © 2014 UICC.

Free-Air Gravity Map of Taiwan and Its Applications

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Horng-Yuan Yen

1990-01-01

Full Text Available An island-wide gravity in Taiwan was conducted by the Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, between 1980 and 1987. The 603 stations at which the gravity values were determined included 308 points in the 500 m or higher mountain range where few readings were available previously. The average spacing of the stations in the present survey is about 7 km apart. A new Free-air gravity anomaly map has been constructed based on these values. The map is dominated by a NNE-SSW gravity high trend with a maximum value of 300 mgal, that follows closely the Central Range, a folded and faulted mountain belt with many peaks 3000 m or higher. The magnitude of the Free-air anomaly in the Taiwan area is quite large compared to that elsewhere in the world. The good correlation between the Free-air anomaly and elevation suggests that the Taiwan area is not in isostatic equilibrium. An average surface rock density of 2.57 g cm-3 is estimated from the Free-air gravity data by using the least-squares method. This value can be used for both terrain and Bouguer corrections. The undulation of the geoid and the deflections of the vertical in the Taiwan area are also calculated by using the Free-air anomaly data. The geoid undulation is not rugged over the Taiwan area. The maximum difference is about 5 m. And the deflection of the vertical seems mainly to be affected by both land and submarine topographies.

Laportea aestuans (L. Chew (Urticaceae, a Newly Recorded Plant in Taiwan

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Tsai-Wen Hsu

2003-03-01

Full Text Available Laportea, comprising ca. 22 species, is a genus of the Urticaceae. Two species were previously recorded in the 2nd edition of Flora of Taiwan. In the course of our botanical inventory, one additional weedy species, namely Laportea aestuans (L. Chew, was found in the central Taiwan. Morphologically, L. aestuans is closely related to L. interrupta (L. Chew by sharing ovate leaves. Branched racemes of L. aestuans are distinct from the unbranched racemes of L. interrupta. Laportea aestuans is a species mainly distributed at low elevations in central Taiwan.

Value-Based Approaches to Healthcare Systems and Pharmacoeconomics Requirements in Asia: South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan

OpenAIRE

Isao Kamae

2010-01-01

Asian healthcare systems are very diverse, representing cultures, political systems and economies from more than 30 countries with varying histories. Despite the diversity in the region, there has been enormous growth in health economics and outcomes research since the beginning of the 21st century. Whilst Japan has seen very limited use of health technology assessment (HTA), South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand have had remarkable success in establishing government agencies for HTA, employing HT...

Remarks on the Species of Gomphrena (Amaranthaceae of Taiwan

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Shih-Huei Chen

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Gomphrena serrata, an Amaranthaceous species of tropical origin, was recently found naturalized in disturbed sites of Taiwan. This species has been confused with G. celosioides, widespread on this island. The present study gives a key and useful characters to differentiate the present species from the latter. A taxonomic treatment of the two species in Taiwan, line drawings and other relevant information are provided.

75 FR 81309 - Stainless Steel Plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-27

... (Second Review)] Stainless Steel Plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan AGENCY: United... on stainless steel plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The... on stainless steel plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan would be likely to lead...

75 FR 59744 - Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-28

... (Second Review)] Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan AGENCY: United..., and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it will proceed with full reviews... antidumping duty orders on stainless steel plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan would be...

Equal, global, local: discourses in Taiwan's international medical graduate debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Ming-Jung; Shaw, Kevin; Liu, Tzu-Hung; Norris, Jessie; Chiu, Yu-Ting

2015-01-01

With the globalisation of medicine, the role of international medical graduates (IMGs) has expanded. Nonetheless, the experiences of native-born IMGs remain under-researched. In Taiwan, public controversy has unfolded around IMGs educated in Poland, calling into question the meaning(s) of equality in policy and medicine. In focusing on the return of IMGs to their countries of origin, this study adds to the growing literature concerning equality and globalisation in medical education. The primary research aim was to analyse how stakeholders in the IMG debate use equality in their arguments. The authors set out to frame the dispute within the recent history of Taiwanese medical governance. An overarching objective was to contribute a critical, historical view of how discourses of globalisation and equality construct different policy approaches to international medical education. The authors performed a critical discourse analysis of a public policy dispute in Taiwan, assembling an archive from online interactions, government reports and news articles. Coding focused on stakeholders' uses of equality to generate broader discourses. International and domestic Taiwanese students conceived of equality differently, referencing both 'equality of opportunity' and 'equality of outcome' within localisation and globalisation frameworks, respectively. The dominance of localisation discourse is reflected in hostile online rhetoric towards Poland-educated IMGs. Rhetorical disagreements over equality in medical education trace shifting state policies, from earlier attempts to remove barriers for IMGs to the present-day push to regulate IMGs for acculturation and quality assurance. The global Internet had a double-sided influence, facilitating both democratic political mobilization and the spread of hate speech. The policy debate in Taiwan mirrors discourses in Canada, where IMGs are likewise conceived either as globally competent physicians or as lacking in merit and technical

The impact of the cigarette market opening in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, C P; Cheng, T Y; Eriksen, M P; Tsai, S P; Hsu, C C

2005-06-01

To assess the effect of the opening of the Taiwanese cigarette market on cigarette consumption, changes in market share, and the effects on tobacco control efforts. With the use of key word "Taiwan", the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library of the University of California, San Francisco, was searched for internal documents related to smuggling activities, promotion of light cigarettes, and market share analyses in Taiwan. Age adjusted smoking rates and cigarette and betel quid consumption before and after market opening were compared. By 2000, the market share of imported cigarettes increased from less than 2% in 1986 to nearly 50%, and per capita cigarette consumption increased 15% following market opening. Because of the sharp increase in smuggling, with contraband cigarettes being as popular as legal imports, and the rapid proliferation of retail outlets, such as betel quid stalls, the market penetration by foreign tobacco companies was greater in Taiwan than among the other Super 301 Asian countries. Aggressive cigarette marketing strategies were associated with a 6% increase in adult male smoking prevalence, and with a 13% increase in the youth rate, within three years after market opening. The market opening also had an incidental effect on increasing the popularity of betel quid. Betel quid chewing has since become a major public health problem in Taiwan. The opening of the cigarette market in 1987 had a long lasting impact on Taiwan. It increased smoking prevalence and the market has become dominated by foreign companies. The seriousness of smuggling and its associated loss of revenue by the government, the extent of increased youth smoking and its associated future health care costs, and the increased use of betel quid and the associated doubling of oral cancer mortality rates each pose significant problems to Taiwan. However, the market opening galvanised anti-smoking sentiment and forced the government to initiate and intensify a series of tobacco control

Open data mining for Taiwan's dengue epidemic.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, ChienHsing; Kao, Shu-Chen; Shih, Chia-Hung; Kan, Meng-Hsuan

2018-07-01

By using a quantitative approach, this study examines the applicability of data mining technique to discover knowledge from open data related to Taiwan's dengue epidemic. We compare results when Google trend data are included or excluded. Data sources are government open data, climate data, and Google trend data. Research findings from analysis of 70,914 cases are obtained. Location and time (month) in open data show the highest classification power followed by climate variables (temperature and humidity), whereas gender and age show the lowest values. Both prediction accuracy and simplicity decrease when Google trends are considered (respectively 0.94 and 0.37, compared to 0.96 and 0.46). The article demonstrates the value of open data mining in the context of public health care. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Education and training in nuclear science/engineering in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, C.

1994-01-01

The present status of nuclear education and training in Taiwan is reviewed. The nuclear science/engineering program has been established in Taiwan under the College of Nuclear Science at the National Tsing Hua University since 1956; it remains the only program among 123 universities and colleges in Taiwan where education and training in nuclear fields are offered. The program, with 52 faculty members, offers advanced studies leading to BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees. Lectures and lab classes are given to 600 students currently registered in the program. Career placement program geared for the 200 graduate and 400 undergraduate students is to orientate them into the local nuclear power utilities as well as agricultural, medical, industrial, academic and governmental sectors where nuclear scientists and engineers at all levels are needed. 8 refs., 1 fig

75 FR 53714 - Stainless Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

...)] Stainless Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From Japan, Korea, and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International... stainless steel butt-weld pipe fittings from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives... butt-weld pipe fittings from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or...

ANALYSISTHE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS OF ANTI-INCOME TAX AVOIDANCE SYSTEM BETWEEN TAIWAN ANDCHINA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Jen Chang

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This study found that the main reasons, which lead to a more stringent Anti-Income Tax Avoidance in China than in Taiwan, are as follows by analysis thedifferences of Cross-Strait (Taiwan and China Anti-Income Tax Avoidancepolicies and the process of law regulation. First, the executive department inChina has higher autonomy to regulate Anti-Income Tax Avoidance; whereasTaiwan’s regulations need to reflect citizens’ demand. Second, foreign-fundedenterprises have less impact on Anti-IncomeTax Avoidance in China; however,multinational enterprises in Taiwan have strong influence on it. Third, China hasthe large scale of domestic market, but Taiwan is a typical export-orientedeconomic system. Forth, most multinational enterprises in China are belonged tocentral government. Nevertheless, they are private-owned in Taiwan.

Geographic Variation in Cancer Incidence among Children and Adolescents in Taiwan (1995–2009)

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Giun-Yi; Horng, Jiun-Lin; Yen, Hsiu-Ju; Lee, Chih-Ying; Lee, Yu-Sheng

2015-01-01

Background Evidence from our recent study suggested that the overall trend for cancer incidence in children and adolescents has been increasing in Taiwan. Methods To analyze geographic variations in this trend, cancer frequencies and incidence rates of disease groups were quantified according to geographic areas among 12,633 patients aged Taiwan Cancer Registry. Three geographic levels were defined, namely county or city, region (Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan), and local administrative area (special municipality, provincial city, county-administered city, township, and aboriginal area). Results Of the regions, Northern Taiwan had the highest incidence rate at 139.6 per million person-years, followed by Central (132.8), Southern (131.8), and Eastern (128.4) Taiwan. Significantly higher standardized rate ratios (SRRs) were observed in Northern Taiwan (SRR = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.10) and at the township level (SRR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03–1.11). Of the cities or counties, New Taipei City yielded the highest SRR (1.08), followed by Taipei City (SRR = 1.07). A comparison of the rates in the four regions and the remainder of Taiwan according to cancer type revealed that only the rate of neuroblastomas in Eastern Taiwan was significantly low. Trend analysis showed that the most significant increase in incidence rate was observed at the township level, with an annual percent change of 1.8% during the 15-year study period. Conclusions The high rate of childhood cancer in Northern Taiwan and at the township level deserves further attention. The potential impacts of environmental factors on the upward trend of childhood cancer incidence rate in townships warrant further investigation. PMID:26192415

An integrated approach for improving occupational health and safety management: the voluntary protection program in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Teh-Sheng; Tsai, Way-Yi; Yu, Yi-Chun

2005-05-01

A voluntary compliance program for occupational health and safety management, Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), was implemented with a strategy of cooperation and encouragement in Taiwan. Due to limitations on increasing the human forces of inspection, a regulatory-based guideline addressing the essence of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) was promulgated, which combined the resources of third parties and insurance providers to accredit a self-improving worksite with the benefits of waived general inspection and a merit contributing to insurance premium payment reduction. A designated institute accepts enterprise's applications, performs document review and organizes the onsite inspection. A final review committee of Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) confers a two-year certificate on an approved site. After ten years, the efforts have shown a dramatic reduction of occupational injuries and illness in the total number of 724 worksites granted certification. VPP worksites, in comparison with all industries, had 49% lower frequency rate in the past three years. The severity rate reduction was 80% in the same period. The characteristics of Taiwan VPP program and international occupational safety and health management programs are provided. A Plan-Do-Check-Act management cycle was employed for pursuing continual improvements to the culture fostered. The use of a quantitative measurement for assessing the performance of enterprises' occupational safety and health management showed the efficiency of the rating. The results demonstrate that an employer voluntary protection program is a promising strategy for a developing country.

Introgression Between Cultivars and Wild Populations of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Pei-Chun; Tsai, Chi-Chu; Chou, Chang-Hung; Chiang, Yu-Chung

2012-01-01

The landrace strains of Momordica charantia are widely cultivated vegetables throughout the tropics and subtropics, but not in Taiwan, a continental island in Southeast Asia, until a few hundred years ago. In contrast, the related wild populations with smaller fruit sizes are native to Taiwan. Because of the introduction of cultivars for agricultural purposes, these two accessions currently exhibit a sympatric or parapatric distribution in Taiwan. In this study, the cultivars and wild samples from Taiwan, India, and Korea were collected for testing of their hybridization and evolutionary patterns. The cpDNA marker showed a clear distinction between accessions of cultivars and wild populations of Taiwan and a long divergence time. In contrast, an analysis of eight selectively neutral nuclear microsatellite loci did not reveal a difference between the genetic structures of these two accessions. A relatively short divergence time and frequent but asymmetric gene flows were estimated based on the isolation-with-migration model. Historical and current introgression from cultivars to wild populations of Taiwan was also inferred using MIGRATE-n and BayesAss analyses. Our results showed that these two accessions shared abundant common ancestral polymorphisms, and the timing of the divergence and colonization of the Taiwanese wild populations is consistent with the geohistory of the Taiwan Strait land bridge of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Long-term and recurrent introgression between accessions indicated the asymmetric capacity to receive foreign genes from other accessions. The modern introduction of cultivars of M. charantia during the colonization of Taiwan by the Han Chinese ethnic group enhanced the rate of gene replacement in the native populations and resulted in the loss of native genes. PMID:22754378

Introgression between cultivars and wild populations of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Pei-Chun; Tsai, Chi-Chu; Chou, Chang-Hung; Chiang, Yu-Chung

2012-01-01

The landrace strains of Momordica charantia are widely cultivated vegetables throughout the tropics and subtropics, but not in Taiwan, a continental island in Southeast Asia, until a few hundred years ago. In contrast, the related wild populations with smaller fruit sizes are native to Taiwan. Because of the introduction of cultivars for agricultural purposes, these two accessions currently exhibit a sympatric or parapatric distribution in Taiwan. In this study, the cultivars and wild samples from Taiwan, India, and Korea were collected for testing of their hybridization and evolutionary patterns. The cpDNA marker showed a clear distinction between accessions of cultivars and wild populations of Taiwan and a long divergence time. In contrast, an analysis of eight selectively neutral nuclear microsatellite loci did not reveal a difference between the genetic structures of these two accessions. A relatively short divergence time and frequent but asymmetric gene flows were estimated based on the isolation-with-migration model. Historical and current introgression from cultivars to wild populations of Taiwan was also inferred using MIGRATE-n and BayesAss analyses. Our results showed that these two accessions shared abundant common ancestral polymorphisms, and the timing of the divergence and colonization of the Taiwanese wild populations is consistent with the geohistory of the Taiwan Strait land bridge of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Long-term and recurrent introgression between accessions indicated the asymmetric capacity to receive foreign genes from other accessions. The modern introduction of cultivars of M. charantia during the colonization of Taiwan by the Han Chinese ethnic group enhanced the rate of gene replacement in the native populations and resulted in the loss of native genes.

Transcultural spirituality: the spiritual journey of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chun-Tien; Narayanasamy, Aru; Chang, Sung-Ling

2012-02-01

The aim of this study was to explore how hospitalization and the diagnosis of schizophrenia have an impact on Taiwanese patients' spiritual life. Psychiatric nurses tend to construe patients' spiritual issues as pathological problems and consequently are reluctant to address patient's spirituality, which results in spirituality being overlooked in mental illness. An individual's spiritual journey is dependent upon their cultural background and beliefs; however, the professional's preconceived ideas suppress the voice of patients with schizophrenia to share their experiences of their spiritual journey. The lack of research exploring spirituality in mental illness in Taiwan means that spiritual care is overlooked in practice. This study sets out to explore spirituality from the perspectives of patients in two mental hospitals in Taiwan. Using a qualitative approach, 22 long-term hospitalized patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were interviewed. Several themes from the data were identified using Ritchie and Spencer's (1994) five stages analytical framework. The study was carried out from 2006 to 2008. Patients revealed spiritual distress as a consequence of prolonged hospitalization. They used referents consistent with traditional Chinese philosophical perspectives derived from Taoism and Confucianism to describe various features of their spiritual distress and their longing for spiritual revival, transcendence and to be accepted as normal persons. In this age of globalization, nurses need to be fully cognisant of the cultural aspects of patients to respond to a mental health patient's spirituality. Clinical and educational guidelines and policies could be developed for spiritual care in Taiwan. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Social Context, Parental Exogamy and Hakka Language Retention in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Jan, Jie-Sheng; Kuan, Ping-Yin; Lomeli, Arlett

2016-01-01

The Hakka people, the largest ethno-linguistic minority group in Taiwan, have found their ethnic language retention diminishing. Using the data collected by the Taiwan Education Panel Survey and Beyond in 2010, we are the first to study its reason for decrease. Results indicate that out-marriage amongst Hakka people and losing ethnic concentration…

The Formation of Gender Education Policies in Taiwan, 1995-1999

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao-Chin, Hsieh; Shu-Ching, Lee

2014-01-01

This article discusses the formation of gender equity education policies in Taiwan between 1995 and 1999. The first part of the article presents a general description of Taiwan's women's movement, the education reform movement, and the development of women's/gender studies after the lifting of martial law in 1987. The second part of the article…

Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (Crassulaceae, a Newly Naturalized Herb in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mong-Huai Su

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Sedum sarmentosum Bunge (Crassulaceae, a newly naturalized fleshy herb in Taiwan, is reported here. The taxonomic description, line drawing, and photographs are provided. The population is colonized on Mt. Tatun, Yangmingshan National Park, north Taiwan. Since this species was reported being invasive, its impacts on the local ecosystem should be concerned.

China-Taiwan: What Kind of Unification

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wynnyczok, Martha-Jean H

1994-01-01

.... This paper will review the nature of recent economic development in China, the potential impact of that development on the political unity of China, Taiwan's contribution to the mainland's economy...

Overview of Taiwan's indigenous ethnopharmacology in the perspective of traditional knowledge protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jing-jing; Pan, Wei; Chen, Mei-wan; Wang, Chun-ming; Wang, Yi-tao

2015-12-01

Ethnopharmacology, the study of ethnic use of drugs, opens up the crucial gateway to understanding and promoting traditional medicine in the new age. Taiwan is a unique region where traditional medicine and herbal therapeutics have been benefiting its people of multiple races for centuries. This article overviews Taiwan's indigenous traditional medicine and the emerging status of ethnopharmacology study, and outlines the global scenario of the inheritance and development of traditional medicine. In such a scope of knowledge protection, this article particularly highlights the challenges with bioprospecting and biopiracy, and summarizes the current measures for protection of traditional knowledge in Taiwan. Finally, based upon these analyses, we propose rational strategies for promoting Taiwan's ethnopharmacology, from multiple angles of resource, economy, policy and law. We conclude that four measures, namely (1) protecting the natural environment of biodiversity, (2) avoiding unnecessary conflicts caused by bioprospecting and biopiracy, (3) strengthening the international collaboration, and (4) upgrading the legal system of traditional intelligence, would be the right paths for Taiwan to protect its invaluable heritage of traditional medicine and the knowledge of ethnopharmacology therein.

Meet the winner artists of Accelerate@CERN Taiwan | 3 February

CERN Multimedia

2016-01-01

The winners of Accelerate@CERN Taiwan are WenChi Su (left) and Pei-Ying Lin (right). Accelerate@CERN is the country-specific, one-month research award for artists who have never been in a science laboratory before. Accelerate@CERN Taiwan, is funded by the Ministry of Culture for Taiwan. From within thirty outstanding applicants, the winners of Accelerate@CERN Taiwan are WenChi Su - dancer and choreographer - and Pei-Ying Lin - digital artist. This is the first opportunity for two talented artists to work and research together on the joint creation of a new dance project which engages with the digital realm and is inspired by the world of particle physics. In the past month they have been exploring CERN together, and now they are working on their project. Meet the artists on Wednesday 3 February at 4:30 p.m. in Restaurant 1. For more information on Accelerate@CERN, see here. Follow the artists blog to know what they have been doing for the past month at CERN.

On summer stratification and tidal mixing in the Taiwan Strait

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jia; Hu, Jianyu; Liu, Zhiyu

2013-06-01

On continental shelves, a front that separates the sea into well-mixed and stratified zones is usually formed in warm seasons due to spatial variations of tidal mixing. In this paper, using eight years of in situ hydrographic observations, satellite images of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll- a (Chl- a) concentration, and results of a tidal model, we investigate summer stratification in the Taiwan Strait and its dependence on tidal mixing, upwelling, and river diluted water plumes. In most regions of the strait the dominant role of tidal mixing in determining the thermohaline structure is confirmed by the correlation between the two; there are some regions, however, where thermohaline structure varies in different ways owing to significant influences of upwelling and river diluted water plumes. The well-mixed regions are mainly distributed on the Taiwan Bank and in the offshore regions off the Dongshan Island, Nanao Island, and Pingtan Island, while the northern and central Taiwan Strait and the region south of the Taiwan Bank are stratified. The critical Simpson-Hunter parameter for the region is estimated to be 1.78.

Aboriginal fractions: enumerating identity in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jennifer A

2012-01-01

Notions of identity in Taiwan are configured in relation to numbers. I examine the polyvalent capacities of enumerative technologies in both the production of ethnic identities and claims to political representation and justice. By critically historicizing the manner in which Aborigines in Taiwan have been, and continue to be, constructed as objects and subjects of scientific knowledge production through technologies of measuring, I examine the genetic claim made by some Taiwanese to be "fractionally" Aboriginal. Numbers and techniques of measuring are used ostensibly to know the Aborigines, but they are also used to construct a genetically unique Taiwanese identity and to incorporate the Aborigines within projects of democratic governance. Technologies of enumeration thus serve within multiple, and sometimes contradictory, projects of representation and knowledge production.

Vaginal birth after cesarean section—The world trend and local experience in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Hsiu-Ting Tsai; Chia-Hsun Wu

2017-01-01

Objective: The trend of increasing cesarean section rates had evoked worldwide attention. Many approaches were introduced to diminish cesarean section rates. Vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) is a route of delivery with diverse agreements. In this study, we try to reveal the world trend in VBAC and our experience of a 10-year period in a medical center in northern Taiwan. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study of all women who underwent elective repeat cesarean deli...

Perceptions of Clostridium difficile infections among infection control professionals in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Yuan-Pin; Lee, Jen-Chieh; Lin, Hsiao-Ju; Chiu, Chun-Wei; Wu, Jia-Ling; Liu, Hsiao-Chieh; Huang, I-Hsiu; Tsai, Pei-Jane; Ko, Wen-Chien

2017-08-01

High Clostridium difficile colonization and infection rates among hospitalized patients had been noted in Taiwan. Nevertheless, the cognition about clinical diagnosis and management of CDI among infection control professionals in Taiwan is not clear. A 24-item survey questionnaire about the diagnosis, therapy, or infection control policies toward CDI was distributed in the annual meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of Taiwan (IDST) in October 2015 and Infectious Control Society of Taiwan (ICST) in April 2016. Totally 441 individuals responded to the survey, and 280 (63.5%) participants would routinely monitor the prevalence of CDI and 347 (78.7%) reported the formulation of infection control policies of CDI in their hospital, including contact precaution (75.7%), wearing gloves (88.9%) or dressing (80.0%) at patient care, single room isolation (49.7%), preference of soap or disinfectant-based sanitizer (83.2%) and avoidance of alcohol-based sanitizer (63.3%), and environmental disinfection with 1000 ppm bleach (87.1%). For the timing of contact precaution discontinuation isolation for CDI patients, most (39.9%) participants suggested the time point of the absence of C. difficile toxin in feces. To treat mild CDI, most (61.9%) participants preferred oral metronidazole, and for severe CDI 26.1% would prescribe oral vancomycin as the drug of choice. There were substantial gaps in infection control polices and therapeutic choices for CDI between international guidelines and the perceptions of medical professionals in Taiwan. Professional education program and the setup of guideline for CDI should be considered in Taiwan. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Dynamical Competition of IC-Industry Clustering from Taiwan to China

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Bi-Huei; Tsai, Kuo-Hui

2009-08-01

Most studies employ qualitative approach to explore the industrial clusters; however, few research has objectively quantified the evolutions of industry clustering. The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively analyze clustering among IC design, IC manufacturing as well as IC packaging and testing industries by using the foreign direct investment (FDI) data. The Lotka-Volterra system equations are first adopted here to capture the competition or cooperation among such three industries, thus explaining their clustering inclinations. The results indicate that the evolution of FDI into China for IC design industry significantly inspire the subsequent FDI of IC manufacturing as well as IC packaging and testing industries. Since IC design industry lie in the upstream stage of IC production, the middle-stream IC manufacturing and downstream IC packing and testing enterprises tend to cluster together with IC design firms, in order to sustain a steady business. Finally, Taiwan IC industry's FDI amount into China is predicted to cumulatively increase, which supports the industrial clustering tendency for Taiwan IC industry. Particularly, the FDI prediction of Lotka-Volterra model performs superior to that of the conventional Bass model after the forecast accuracy of these two models are compared. The prediction ability is dramatically improved as the industrial mutualism among each IC production stage is taken into account.

Cloud Image Data Center for Healthcare Network in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Shao-Jen; Lai, Lai-Shiun; Gotcher, Donald; Wu, Hsin-Hung; Xu, Yeong-Yuh; Yang, Ching-Wen

2016-04-01

This paper investigates how a healthcare network in Taiwan uses a practical cloud image data center (CIDC) to communicate with its constituent hospital branches. A case study approach was used. The study was carried out in the central region of Taiwan, with four hospitals belonging to the Veterans Hospital healthcare network. The CIDC provides synchronous and asynchronous consultation among these branches. It provides storage, platforms, and services on demand to the hospitals. Any branch-client can pull up the patient's medical images from any hospital off this cloud. Patients can be examined at the branches, and the images and reports can be further evaluated by physicians in the main Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) to enhance the usage and efficiency of equipment in the various branches, thereby shortening the waiting time of patients. The performance of the CIDC over 5 years shows: (1) the total number of cross-hospital images accessed with CDC in the branches was 132,712; and (2) TVGH assisted the branches in keying in image reports using the CIDC 4,424 times; and (3) Implementation of the system has improved management, efficiency, speed and quality of care. Therefore, the results lead to the recommendation of continuing and expanding the cloud computing architecture to improve information sharing among branches in the healthcare network.

76 FR 8773 - Forged Stainless Steel Flanges From India and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-15

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 731-TA-639 and 640 (Third Review)] Forged Stainless Steel Flanges From India and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION... Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury. On January 31, 2011, the...

75 FR 32503 - Stainless Steel Wire Rod From Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-08

... Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the...)] Stainless Steel Wire Rod From Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, and Taiwan Determinations On the basis of the..., and Taiwan: Investigation Nos. 731-TA-770-773 and 775 (Second Review). By order of the Commission...

Internet Service Cognition and Use, and Their Promotion of Quality of Life in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Te-Hsin

2011-01-01

The "e-Taiwan Program" implemented by Taiwan government is aimed at showing the e-advantage in people's life and bring about essential benefits. This research follows the e-Life indicators of the Quality of Life measurement system developed by "e-Taiwan Program", which including four major dimensions of e-Daily Life,…

Rivina humilis L. (Phytolaccaceae, a Newly Naturalized Plant in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yen-Hsueh Tseng

2008-12-01

Full Text Available A newly naturalized plant, Rivina humilis L., was found recently in the central part of Taiwan. This plant represents a new record of this genus and species for Taiwan. This Neotropical plant, native to the southern USA, Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and Central and South America, is described and illustrated in this report.

A Taiwan Study Abroad Program on Aging, Culture, and Healthcare

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Su-I

2018-01-01

This article introduces a Taiwan Study Abroad program on aging, culture, and healthcare. The program is a short-term academic summer program (6 credits) to bring U.S. students to Taiwan. During 2011 ~ 2015, a total of four groups including over 54 students and faculty members participated. This program partnered with multiple universities,…

Characteristics of Broadband Seismic Noise in Taiwan and Neighboring Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ching-Wei; Rau, Ruey-Juin

2017-04-01

We used seismic waveform data from 115 broad-band stations of BATS (Institute of Earth Science, Academia Sinica) and Central Weather Bureau Seismic Network from 2012 to 2016 for noise-level mapping in Taiwan and neighboring islands. We computed Power Spectral Density (PSD) for each station and analyzed long-term variance of microseism energy and polarizations of noise for severe weather events. The island of Taiwan is surrounded by ocean and the Central Range which has the highest peak Jade Mountain at 3,952 meters height occupies more than 66% of the island and departs it into the east and west coasts. The geographic settings then result in the high population density in the western plain and northern Taiwan. The dominant noise source in the microseism band (periods from 4-20 seconds) is the coupling between the near-coast ocean and sea floor which produces the high noise of averaging -130 dB along the west coastal area. In the eastern volcanic-arc coastal areas, the noise level is about 7% smaller than the west coast due to its deeper offshore water depth. As for the shorter periods (0.1-0.25 seconds) band, the so-called culture noise, an anthropic activity variance with the highest -103 dB can be identified in the metropolitan areas, such as the Taipei city and the noise level in the Central Range area is averaging -138 dB. Moreover, the noise also shows a daily and temporal evolution mainly related to the traffic effect. Furthermore, we determined the noise level for the entire island of Taiwan during 26-28 September, 2016, when the typhoon Megi hit the island and retrieved the enhancement of secondary microseism energy for each stations. Typhoon Megi landed in eastern and central Taiwan and reached the maximum wind speed of 45m/s in the surrounded eyewall. The Central Range, as a barrier, decreased the wind speed in southern Taiwan making an enhancement less than 10 dB, while in northern Taiwan where the direction the typhoon headed to, can reach more than 35

The long-term forecast of Taiwan's energy supply and demand: LEAP model application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Yophy; Bor, Yunchang Jeffrey; Peng, Chieh-Yu

2011-01-01

The long-term forecasting of energy supply and demand is an extremely important topic of fundamental research in Taiwan due to Taiwan's lack of natural resources, dependence on energy imports, and the nation's pursuit of sustainable development. In this article, we provide an overview of energy supply and demand in Taiwan, and a summary of the historical evolution and current status of its energy policies, as background to a description of the preparation and application of a Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) model of Taiwan's energy sector. The Taiwan LEAP model is used to compare future energy demand and supply patterns, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, for several alternative scenarios of energy policy and energy sector evolution. Results of scenarios featuring 'business-as-usual' policies, aggressive energy-efficiency improvement policies, and on-schedule retirement of Taiwan's three existing nuclear plants are provided and compared, along with sensitivity cases exploring the impacts of lower economic growth assumptions. A concluding section provides an interpretation of the implications of model results for future energy and climate policies in Taiwan. - Research highlights: → The LEAP model is useful for international energy policy comparison. → Nuclear power plants have significant, positive impacts on CO 2 emission. → The most effective energy policy is to adopt demand-side management. → Reasonable energy pricing provides incentives for energy efficiency and conservation. → Financial crisis has less impact on energy demand than aggressive energy policy.

A comparative study of energy utilization efficiency between Taiwan and China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeh Tsailien; Chen Tseryieth; Lai Peiying

2010-01-01

This paper employs data envelopment analysis to evaluate energy utilization efficiency between China and Taiwan from 2002 to 2007. The most important contributions of this paper are the clear description of the systematic process of energy utilization efficiency, the efficiency comparison between China and Taiwan, the remarkable demonstration of their outputs through two non-desirable outputs (CO 2 emissions and SO 2 emissions) in the data envelopment analysis framework, and the valuable results and insights gained from the application of economic development and environmental protection. Empirical results show that the Eastern region of China enjoy higher energy utilization efficiency than the Western region. Energy utilization efficiency in Taiwan is higher than that in the Eastern region of China. In China, CO 2 emissions were 11.28% greater than they should be (from 2002 to 2007). By contrast, CO 2 emissions in Taiwan were only 1.50% in excess of what they should be since Taiwan began conducting an uninterrupted energy-saving policy and a CO 2 emission regulation policy. Finally, this study employs the business strategy matrix constructed by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG Matrix) to illustrate individual evidence of the relationship between economic development efficiency and greenhouse gas efficiency.

Herbal Medicine Research in Taiwan *Appropriate person among the authors to be in contact for any further information on the status of CHM research in Taiwan and for opportunities to study and conduct research in the field of TCM in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishna Kaphle

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Of all the countries in the world, why did you choose Taiwan to pursue your study? It is a question that I (comments of the first author have answered a thousand times. My first visit to a laboratory at National Taiwan University opened my eyes to the possibilities of herbal medicine research, especially in the area of veterinary medicine. It became my ambition to link the knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM and Ayurveda from the Indian subcontinent and their integration with other systems of medicine, including Western medicine (WM, to achieve the concept of Sustainable Medicine, firstly for animals and then for humans. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA has implemented a technology development program to quickly establish the key technologies, and this is a moment of opportunity for Taiwan's traditional herbal medicine industry to upgrade and transform itself. This paper, initially intended to be a student's narration, has evolved into a multi-author treatise on the present state and likely future scenario of herbal medicine research in Taiwan.

Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

An-Yuan Tsai Wen-Cheng Huang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper establishes a comprehensive assessment model to measure the regional impact of climate change on Taiwan¡¦s water resources. Working from future rainfall data simulated by Japan¡¦s high-resolution GCM model JMA/MRI TL959L60 in a SRES-A1B scenario, we first apply climate change to an assessment model of renewable water resources to estimate the volume of renewable water resources on a regional basis. We then conduct a water resources system simulation based on estimates of future water needs, regional reservoir effective capacity and renewable water resource volume. This paper uses three water resource assessment indicators: the annual water utilization ratio indicator, the water shortage indicator and the extreme event occurrence indicator. Through fuzzy comprehensive assessment, we divide the evaluation set into five levels: very good (L1, good (L2, fair (L3, poor (L4 and very poor (L5. Results indicate that, given the effects of future climate change (2080 - 2099 and the increase in water demand, future water resources conditions in northern and eastern Taiwan will not be significantly different from historical levels (1979 - 1998 and will maintain a ¡§good¡¨ level (L2, while the conditions in southern Taiwan will visibly deteriorate from its historical ¡§fair¡¨ level (L3 to ¡§poor¡¨ (L4; and the future conditions for central Taiwan will be ¡§poor¡¨ (L4. The initiation of adaptation options for water management in southern and central Taiwan would be needed by increasing reservoir capacity and reducing overall water use.

A Firm-Level Analysis of Productivity and the Export Market in Taiwan

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kerkman, Adam

2000-01-01

Over the past four decades Taiwan has experienced tremendous economic growth. Much of the debate surrounding Taiwan's success has focused on its trade policies and the relationship between export-orientation and high output growth...

Occupational Neurotoxic Diseases in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Hung Liu

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Occupational neurotoxic diseases have become increasingly common in Taiwan due to industrialization. Over the past 40 years, Taiwan has transformed from an agricultural society to an industrial society. The most common neurotoxic diseases also changed from organophosphate poisoning to heavy metal intoxication, and then to organic solvent and semiconductor agent poisoning. The nervous system is particularly vulnerable to toxic agents because of its high metabolic rate. Neurological manifestations may be transient or permanent, and may range from cognitive dysfunction, cerebellar ataxia, Parkinsonism, sensorimotor neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction to neuromuscular junction disorders. This study attempts to provide a review of the major outbreaks of occupational neurotoxins from 1968 to 2012. A total of 16 occupational neurotoxins, including organophosphates, toxic gases, heavy metals, organic solvents, and other toxic chemicals, were reviewed. Peer-reviewed articles related to the electrophysiology, neuroimaging, treatment and long-term follow up of these neurotoxic diseases were also obtained. The heavy metals involved consisted of lead, manganese, organic tin, mercury, arsenic, and thallium. The organic solvents included n-hexane, toluene, mixed solvents and carbon disulfide. Toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide were also included, along with toxic chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls, tetramethylammonium hydroxide, organophosphates, and dimethylamine borane. In addition we attempted to correlate these events to the timeline of industrial development in Taiwan. By researching this topic, the hope is that it may help other developing countries to improve industrial hygiene and promote occupational safety and health care during the process of industrialization.

Langage corporel et interculturalité. Une étude de cas à Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serge Dreyer

2013-11-01

Body language is often neglected in theory and practice in the field of teaching French as a foreign language. This happens in spite of its importance in the many aspects of miscommunication between people of different cultures. This article deals with an original approach of body language by using various stage arts in the class of French. Exercises of clown, mime, catwalking and taiji quan (a Chinese martial art are used to train students from Taiwan in the practice of oral discourse while focusing on body language.

A trend analysis of ergonomic research themes in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chih-Long

2015-01-01

This paper examines the development of ergonomics in Taiwan by analysing 1404 scientific articles published by 113 permanent members of the Ergonomics Society of Taiwan (EST). Each article was classified by key words and abstract content. Each article was also coded by period of publication (1971-1992 (first period), 1993-1997 (second period), 1998-2002 (third period), 2003-2007 (fourth period), and 2008-2012 (fifth period), and against 13 topic categories. The results show that rate of publication has increased by approximately 100 articles every five years since 1993.The most popular topic was ergonomics assessment and analysis techniques in the first period, force exertion-related research in the second period, product design and evaluation in the third period, occupational safety and health in the fourth period and human-computer interface in the fifth period. Each of these is highly relevant to current contemporary issues around the world. Finally, potential areas for future ergonomics research in Taiwan are discussed. This study investigates the trends in academic papers published by members of the EST. Over time, topics have shifted from ergonomics evaluation methods to occupational safety and health, and human–computer interaction. The findings should be considered as important references for planning the future of ergonomics in Taiwan.

Historical overview of Taenia asiatica in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ooi, Hong Kean; Ho, Chau-Mei; Chung, Wen-Cheng

2013-02-01

An overview of the epidemiological, biological, and clinical studies of Taenia and taeniasis in Taiwan for the past century is presented. The phenomenal observations that led to the discovery of Taenia asiatica as a new species, which differ from Taenia solium and Taenia saginata, are described. Parasitological surveys of the aborigines in Taiwan revealed a high prevalence of taeniasis, which might be due to the culture of eating raw liver of hunted wild boars. Chemotherapeutic deworming trials involving many patients with taeniasis were discussed. Praziquantel was found to be very effective, but sometimes complete worms could not be recovered from the feces after treatment, probably due to the dissolution of the proglottids. Atabrine, despite some side effects, can still be used, in properly controlled dosages, as the drug of choice for human T. asiatica infection if we need to recover the expelled worms for morphological examinations. Research results on the infection of T. asiatica eggs from Taiwan aborigines in experimental animals were also noted. Since the pig serve as the natural intermediate host of T. asiatica and the predilection site is the liver, a differential comparison of other parasitic pathogens that might cause apparently similar lesions is also presented.

Transformation of Taiwan's Upper Secondary Education System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hueih-Lirng Laih

1998-09-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the policy issues circling around the structural "transition" in upper secondary education implicit in the twenty-year increase in secondary and third-level school enrollment rates in Taiwan. This expansion has taken place within a secondary school system which is rigidly divided into both general, i.e., academic, and vocational tracks and into public and private sectors: the majority of students are enrolled in the private vocational sector which is only loosely articulated with the university sector. These features of the school system are analysed against the background of social and economic developments in Taiwan as well as public opinion. The analysis suggests that the present structures of school must be "reformed" in ways that will result in a more unified secondary system with both greater public funding and better articulation of all school types with the third level. The policy options that circle around the possibility of such reforms in the areas of curriculum, examination structures and second level-third level articulation are discussed and a policy framework for the reform of the Taiwan secondary education sector is outlined.

Fatal occupational injuries in Taiwan, 1994-2005.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Shu-Chen; Wang, Li-Yu; Ho, Chi-Kung; Yang, Chun-Yuh

2010-04-01

This study examines the trends in rates of fatal occupational injuries in Taiwan by demographic group and occupation for 1994-2005. Data on deaths due to injuries at work from 1994 through 2005 were obtained from the Department of Health which is responsible for the death registration system in Taiwan. Employment data, which were used as the denominators of fatality rates in this study, were retrieved from the Directorate-General of Budget and Accounting Statistics 'Employment and Earnings' database. A Poisson regression model was used to examine the trends in rates of fatal occupational injuries in various occupations while controlling for demographic characteristics. Overall fatal occupational injury rates declined during the study period among all demographic groups and occupations. Adjusted annual changes in rates of fatal injuries ranged from a decrease of 13.6% a year in machine operators/related workers to a decrease of 35.9% in clerks. The annual decrement was faster for males than for females and for older workers compared to young workers. Despite declining rates, the number of fatal occupational injuries in Taiwan remains significant because of the growing work force. Future research should focus on the disparities in fatal injury trends.

Genetic diversity and stock identification of small abalone (Haliotis diversicolor) in Taiwan and Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Te-Hua; Gwo, Jin-Chywan

2017-01-01

Small abalone (Haliotis diversicolor) is a commercially valuable species for both fisheries and aquaculture. The production of annual farmed small abalone in Taiwan, once the highest in the world, has dramatically decreased in the past 15 years, and currently, the industry is close to collapse. Understanding the genetic diversity of small abalone and developing stock identification methods will be useful for genetic breeding, restoring collapsed stocks, managing stocks, and preventing illegal trade. We investigated 307 cultured and wild individuals from Taiwan, Japan, and Bali Island (Indonesia) by using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Network analysis of mtDNA COI gene sequences revealed that the individuals collected from Taiwan, Japan, and Indonesia could be identified, and showed significant genetic divergence. In addition, the Indonesian population (Haliotis diversicolor squamata) was significantly different from the other populations and might need to be considered a separate species. We discovered a single nucleotide polymorphism marker in the mtDNA COI gene that can be used to distinguish the Taiwan population from the Japan population. We also developed a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method for rapid detection. Furthermore, we could identify the cultured stocks, wild population, and hybrid stocks by using 6 microsatellites and amplified fragment length polymorphism. This study contributes useful tools for stock identification and the production of high-disease resistant small abalone strains (Japan × Taiwan or Taiwan × Japan). Efforts should be made to avoid unintentional random genetic mixing of the Taiwan population with the Japan population and subsequent breakdown of population differentiation, which impair local adaptation of the Taiwan wild population. Molecular markers revealed a split between the Taiwan and Japan populations, and the existence of a possible barrier to the free

Microzonation of Seismic Hazard Potential in Taipei, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, K. S.; Lin, Y. P.

2017-12-01

The island of Taiwan lies at the boundary between the Philippine Sea plate and the Eurasia plate. Accordingly, the majority of seismic energy release near Taiwan originates from the two subduction zones. It is therefore not surprising that Taiwan has repeatedly been struck by large earthquakes such as 1986 Hualien earthquake, 1999 Chi Chi and 2002 Hualien earthquake. Microzonation of seismic hazard potential becomes necessary in Taipei City for the Central Geological Survey announced the Sanchiao active fault as Category II. In this study, a catalog of more than 2000 shallow earthquakes occurred from 1900 to 2015 with Mw magnitudes ranging from 5.0 to 8.2, and 11 disastrous earthquakes occurred from 1683-1899, as well as Sanchiao active fault in the vicinity are used to estimate the seismic hazard potential in Taipei City for seismic microzonation. Furthermore, the probabilities of seismic intensity exceeding CWB intensity 5, 6, 7 and MMI VI, VII, VIII in 10, 30, and 50-year periods in the above areas are also analyzed for the seismic microzonation. Finally, by comparing with the seismic zoning map of Taiwan in current building code that was revised after 921 earthquakes, Results of this study will show which areas with higher earthquake hazard potential in Taipei City. They provide a valuable database for the seismic design of critical facilities. It will help mitigate Taipei City earthquake disaster loss in the future, as well as provide critical information for emergency response plans.

Coal consumption and economic growth in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, H.Y.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the causality issue between coal consumption and economic growth for Taiwan. The co-integration and Granger's causality test are applied to investigate the relationship between the two economic series. Results of the co-integration and Granger's causality test based on 1954--1997 Taiwan data show a unidirectional causality from economic growth to coal consumption with no feedback effects. Their major finding supports the neutrality hypothesis of coal consumption with respect to economic growth. Further, the finding has practical policy implications for decision makers in the area of macroeconomic planning, as coal conservation is a feasible policy with no damaging repercussions on economic growth

Daily tourist arrivals, exchange rates and volatility for Korea and Taiwan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

2009-01-01

textabstractBoth domestic and international tourism are a major source of service export receipts for many countries worldwide, and is also increasingly important in Taiwan. One of the three leading tourism source countries for Taiwan is the Republic of Korea, which is a source of short haul

Daily Tourist Arrivals, Exchange Rates and Volatility for Korea and Taiwan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

2009-01-01

textabstractBoth domestic and international tourism are a major source of service export receipts for many countries worldwide, and is also increasingly important in Taiwan. One of the three leading tourism source countries for Taiwan is the Republic of Korea, which is a source of short haul

International Ranking of Infant Mortality Rates: Taiwan Compared with European Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fu-Wen Liang

2016-08-01

Conclusion: The ranking of Taiwan was similar (11th vs. 12th according the two definitions. However, after consideration of the confidence interval, only six countries (Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Austria, and Germany had infant mortality rates statistically significantly lower than those of Taiwan in 2004.

Factors Influencing Junior High School Students’ English Language Achievement in Taiwan: A Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Yi Kung

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to construct a social profile of Taiwanese students’ English language achievement by employing Bronfenbrenner’s perspectives. Data were collected on a sample of 709 ninth graders in central Taiwan via survey questionnaires and were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that, first, a Taiwanese Students' English Language Achievement model was constructed by parental involvement, teachers’ beliefs/attitudes, parent–teacher interaction, and mass media/the Internet. Second, mass media/the Internet significantly predicted parental involvement and teachers’ beliefs/attitudes; parental involvement and teachers’ beliefs/attitudes significantly predicted students’ English language achievement; the correlation between parental involvement and teachers’ beliefs/attitudes was significant. Third, the completely mediating effects of parental involvement and teachers’ beliefs/attitudes in predicting students’ English language achievement from mass media/the Internet were supported, and the effect of teachers’ beliefs/attitudes tended to be stronger than parental involvement. These findings were in line with Bronfenbrenner’s theory and demonstrate that the influence of the mass media/the Internet (exosystem in students’ English language achievement conveyed the degree of parental involvement (microsystem, teachers’ beliefs/attitudes (microsystem, and the interaction between parents and teachers (mesosystem, especially within the context of the socio-cultural atmosphere in Taiwan (macrosystem. Implications and suggestions were discussed and provided to enhance students’ English language learning.

Strategic planning of developing automatic optical inspection (AOI) technologies in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, K C; Hsu, C

2005-01-01

In most domestic hi-tech industries in Taiwan, the automatic optical inspection (AOI) equipment is mostly imported. In view of the required specifications, AOI consists of the integration of mechanical-electrical-optical-information technologies. In the past two decades, traditional industries have lost their competitiveness due to the low profit rate. It is possible to promote a new AOI industry in Taiwan through the integration of its strong background in mechatronic technology in positioning stages with the optical image processing techniques. The market requirements are huge not only in domestic need but also in global need. This is the main reason to promote the AOI research for the coming years in Taiwan. Focused industrial applications will be in IC, PCB, LCD, communication, and MEMS parts. This paper will analyze the domestic and global AOI equipment market, summarize the necessary fish bone technology diagrams, survey the actual industrial needs, and propose the strategic plan to be promoted in Taiwan

Strategic planning of developing automatic optical inspection (AOI) technologies in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, K. C.; Hsu, C.

2005-01-01

In most domestic hi-tech industries in Taiwan, the automatic optical inspection (AOI) equipment is mostly imported. In view of the required specifications, AOI consists of the integration of mechanical-electrical-optical-information technologies. In the past two decades, traditional industries have lost their competitiveness due to the low profit rate. It is possible to promote a new AOI industry in Taiwan through the integration of its strong background in mechatronic technology in positioning stages with the optical image processing techniques. The market requirements are huge not only in domestic need but also in global need. This is the main reason to promote the AOI research for the coming years in Taiwan. Focused industrial applications will be in IC, PCB, LCD, communication, and MEMS parts. This paper will analyze the domestic and global AOI equipment market, summarize the necessary fish bone technology diagrams, survey the actual industrial needs, and propose the strategic plan to be promoted in Taiwan.

Measurements of environmental radioactivity and radiation in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Yuming; Huang Chingchung

1993-01-01

Established in 1974, the Taiwan Radiation Monitoring Center (TRMC) is responsible for the environmental radiation surveillance and related fields in Taiwan. Its environmental radiation monitoring programs can be categorized into two parts: surveillance of natural ionizing radiation and surveillance of man-made ionizing radiation. For natural ionizing radiation, surveillance programs are mainly to establish the radiation baseline data including radon. For man-made ionizing radiation, surveillance programs include the radio-fallout surveillance and the environmental radiation monitoring around the nuclear facilities. This article summarizes the relevant studies carried out by TRMC in the recent years

Nitrates in drinking water and risk of death from rectal cancer in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Hsin-Wei; Wu, Trong-Neng; Yang, Chun-Yuh

2007-10-01

The relationship between nitrate levels in drinking water and rectal cancer development has been inconclusive. A matched case-control and nitrate ecology study was used to investigate the association between mortality attributed to rectal cancer and drinking-water nitrate exposure in Taiwan. All deaths due to rectal cancer of Taiwan residents from 1999 through 2003 were obtained from the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Taiwan Provincial Department of Health. Controls were deaths from other causes and were pair matched to the cancer cases by gender, year of birth, and year of death. Each matched control was selected randomly from the set of possible controls for each case. Data on nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) levels in drinking water throughout Taiwan were collected from Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The municipality of residence for cancer cases and controls was assumed to be the source of the subject's nitrate exposure via drinking water. The adjusted odds ratios for rectal cancer death for those with high nitrate levels in their drinking water, as compared to the lowest tertile, were 1.22 (0.98-1.52) and 1.36 (1.08-1.70), respectively. The findings of this study warrant further investigation of the role of nitrates in drinking water in the etiology of rectal cancer in Taiwan.

Image of «Economic Miracle of Taiwan» in Perception of Russian Society in 1990s

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Дмитрий Игоревич Петров

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines the formation process of the image of Taiwan that was developed in the public opinion in Russia in 1991–2000. This image has become the base for the future Russian-Taiwanese economic and trade relations. In that period the stereotypes of Taiwan that appeared in the Soviet times underwent fundamental changes, and there appeared a new concept of «economic miracle of Taiwan». This completely different image of Taiwan greatly influenced the economic ties between Russia and Taiwan, and it was considered to be the most suitable model for the Russian economic development.

Seasonal Prediction of Taiwan's Streamflow Using Teleconnection Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chia-Jeng; Lee, Tsung-Yu

2017-04-01

Seasonal streamflow as an integrated response to complex hydro-climatic processes can be subject to activity of prevailing weather systems potentially modulated by large-scale climate oscillations (e.g., El Niño-Southern Oscillation, ENSO). To develop a seamless seasonal forecasting system in Taiwan, this study assesses how significant Taiwan's precipitation and streamflow in different seasons correlate with selected teleconnection patterns. Long-term precipitation and streamflow data in three major precipitation seasons, namely the spring rains (February to April), Mei-Yu (May and June), and typhoon (July to September) seasons, are derived at 28 upstream and 13 downstream catchments in Taiwan. The three seasons depict a complete wet period of Taiwan as well as many regions bearing similar climatic conditions in East Asia. Lagged correlation analysis is then performed to investigate how the precipitation and streamflow data correlate with predominant teleconnection indices at varied lead times. Teleconnection indices are selected only if they show certain linkage with weather systems and activity in the three seasons based on previous literature. For instance, the ENSO and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, proven to influence East Asian climate across seasons and summer typhoon activity, respectively, are included in the list of climate indices for correlation analysis. Significant correlations found between Taiwan's precipitation and streamflow and teleconnection indices are further examined by a climate regime shift (CRS) test to identify any abrupt changes in the correlations. The understanding of existing CRS is useful for informing the forecasting system of the changes in the predictor-predictand relationship. To evaluate prediction skill in the three seasons and skill differences between precipitation and streamflow, hindcasting experiments of precipitation and streamflow are conducted using stepwise linear regression models. Discussion and suggestions for coping

Opportunity recognition for small businesses in medical tourism in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hung Ying-Hsun

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Medical tourism has become an investment focus for many Asian countries. For example, India, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, and Malaysia have governmental projects to foster this emerging industry, and successfully attract millions of medical tourists each year. Medical tourism consists of diverse industries that can provide abundant opportunities of new businesses. Currently Taiwan is trying to catch up in this trend by making national development policies, setting up institutions, modifying laws and regulations, and encouraging investment of private sector. The purpose of this study is to analyze the status quo of international medical tourism in Taiwan, and identify several opportunities for small businesses to catch and to participate in forming a solid medical tourism industry for Taiwan.

Prediction of Meiyu rainfall in Taiwan by multi-lead physical-empirical models

Science.gov (United States)

Yim, So-Young; Wang, Bin; Xing, Wen; Lu, Mong-Ming

2015-06-01

Taiwan is located at the dividing point of the tropical and subtropical monsoons over East Asia. Taiwan has double rainy seasons, the Meiyu in May-June and the Typhoon rains in August-September. To predict the amount of Meiyu rainfall is of profound importance to disaster preparedness and water resource management. The seasonal forecast of May-June Meiyu rainfall has been a challenge to current dynamical models and the factors controlling Taiwan Meiyu variability has eluded climate scientists for decades. Here we investigate the physical processes that are possibly important for leading to significant fluctuation of the Taiwan Meiyu rainfall. Based on this understanding, we develop a physical-empirical model to predict Taiwan Meiyu rainfall at a lead time of 0- (end of April), 1-, and 2-month, respectively. Three physically consequential and complementary predictors are used: (1) a contrasting sea surface temperature (SST) tendency in the Indo-Pacific warm pool, (2) the tripolar SST tendency in North Atlantic that is associated with North Atlantic Oscillation, and (3) a surface warming tendency in northeast Asia. These precursors foreshadow an enhanced Philippine Sea anticyclonic anomalies and the anomalous cyclone near the southeastern China in the ensuing summer, which together favor increasing Taiwan Meiyu rainfall. Note that the identified precursors at various lead-times represent essentially the same physical processes, suggesting the robustness of the predictors. The physical empirical model made by these predictors is capable of capturing the Taiwan rainfall variability with a significant cross-validated temporal correlation coefficient skill of 0.75, 0.64, and 0.61 for 1979-2012 at the 0-, 1-, and 2-month lead time, respectively. The physical-empirical model concept used here can be extended to summer monsoon rainfall prediction over the Southeast Asia and other regions.

Eocene Acritarchs of Taiwan

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Cheng-Long Shaw

2001-03-01

Full Text Available Four new taxa (Multiplicisphaeridium taiwanianum C. L. Shaw sp. nov., Trichosphaeridium taiwanianum C. L. Shaw sp. nov., Tylosphaeridium taiwanianum C. L. Shaw sp. nov., and Cymatiosphaera taiwaniana C. L. Shaw sp. nov. of the fossil acritarchs obtained from Eocene sediments from offshore of the Keelung area in northern Taiwan are reported. They belong to two subgroups, four genera.

The service industry strategy-A case study of tourism hotel in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chunwei; Huang, Jui-Chan; Wen, Hao-Ming; Hairui, Ji

2017-06-01

Regarding to raising living standard in Taiwan, service industry had stand more than 65% GDP and manufacturing is around 35% recently. The data from Council for Economic Planning and Development of Taiwan, in 2015, the service industry stand more than 73% of GDP, and the tourism industry has played one of the most important rules. In service industry, recently, the policy of Taiwan government encourages overseas tourists come to Taiwan for resort and it made many new tourism hotels built, and they also had to do the overall reform to satisfy their customers of global, especially respecting on Eastern Asia. In this study, experts and scholars in the fields of industry academia were interviewed. Survey were issued to the object companies and a comparative case study was conducted to analyze the influencing factors and extent to which differences on the competitive edge and strategies of Taiwan tourism hotels and those which benefit most or least from business operation current situation that conducted with governments' support and internal management. By primary data and literature reviews, this study hope that an effective reference for improving industrial competitiveness and models of competitiveness could be available for the governments and the companies.

Environmental radioactivity and dose evaluation in Taiwan after the Chernobyl accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, C.E.

1989-01-01

A substantial increase in fission product activity was observed in various environmental samples taken in Taiwan after the Chernobyl accident. The concentration of long-lived fission products in air above ground, precipitation, grass, vegetation and milk were monitored in the next 7 wk. The individual effective dose equivalent committed by the first year of exposure and intake following the accident were evaluated. Average individual doses for the population in Taiwan are estimated at 0.9 microSv due to global fallout from the Chernobyl accident. This value is lower than that reported in neighboring countries in the Far East and poses no increased health impact to the public in Taiwan

Biogeochemical cycling in the Taiwan Strait

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Naik, H.; Chen, C-T.A.

Based on repeat observations made during 2001-2003 along two transects in the Taiwan Strait this study aims at understanding factors controlling primary productivity with an emphasis on biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen, the major bio...

Frailty and Its Contributory Factors in Older Adults: A Comparison of Two Asian Regions (Hong Kong and Taiwan).

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ruby; Wu, Wan-Chi; Leung, Jason; Hu, Susan C; Woo, Jean

2017-09-21

This study aimed to compare the prevalence of frailty across three Chinese populations: Hong Kong, Taiwan-urban and Taiwan-rural. Contributing factors to disparities in frailty were also examined. Data were derived from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOs) and Women (MsOs) (Hong Kong) Study ( n = 4000) and the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging ( n = 2392). Frailty was defined as an index calculated from 30 multiple deficits. The ratio of the frailty index to life expectancy at birth (FI/LE) was used as an indicator of compression of morbidity. Frailty was more prevalent in Taiwan-urban (33.1%) and Taiwan-rural (38.1%) compared to Hong Kong (16.6%, p Taiwan-urban and Taiwan-rural (both 0.27) compared to Hong Kong (0.20, p Taiwan-urban populations, but not in Taiwan-rural. Living alone was associated with frailty in Hong Kong men, but not in Hong Kong women or Taiwanese people. For all study populations, older age and being a woman constituted the highest attributable factor. This comparison provides useful data to inform government policies.

77 FR 9701 - Steel Wire Garment Hangers From Taiwan And Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-17

...)] Steel Wire Garment Hangers From Taiwan And Vietnam Determinations On the basis of the record \\1...)) (the Act), that there is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports from Taiwan and Vietnam of steel wire garment hangers, provided for in...

Decomposition and decoupling effects of carbon dioxide emission from highway transportation in Taiwan, Germany, Japan and South Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, I.J.; Lin, Sue J.; Lewis, Charles

2007-01-01

We adopted the Divisia index approach to explore the impacts of five factors on the total carbon dioxide emissions from highway vehicles in Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan during 1990-2002. CO 2 emission was decomposed into emission coefficient, vehicle fuel intensity, vehicle ownership, population intensity and economic growth. In addition, the decoupling effects among economic growth, transport energy demand and CO 2 emission were analyzed to better understand the fuel performance and CO 2 mitigation strategies for each country. From our results, we suggest that the rapid growths of economy and vehicle ownership were the most important factors for the increased CO 2 emissions , whereas population intensity contributed significantly to emission decrease. Energy conservation performance and CO 2 mitigation in each country are strongly correlated with environmental pressure and economic driving force, except for Germany in 1993 and Taiwan during 1992-1996. To decouple the economic growth and environmental pressure, proponents of sustainable transport policy in Taiwan should focus on improving the operation and energy use of its highway transportation system by implementing an intelligent transportation system (ITS) with demand management, constructing an integrated feeder system, and encouraging the use of green transport modes

Estimation of Rice Crop Yields Using Random Forests in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, C. F.; Lin, H. S.; Nguyen, S. T.; Chen, C. R.

2017-12-01

Rice is globally one of the most important food crops, directly feeding more people than any other crops. Rice is not only the most important commodity, but also plays a critical role in the economy of Taiwan because it provides employment and income for large rural populations. The rice harvested area and production are thus monitored yearly due to the government's initiatives. Agronomic planners need such information for more precise assessment of food production to tackle issues of national food security and policymaking. This study aimed to develop a machine-learning approach using physical parameters to estimate rice crop yields in Taiwan. We processed the data for 2014 cropping seasons, following three main steps: (1) data pre-processing to construct input layers, including soil types and weather parameters (e.g., maxima and minima air temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation) obtained from meteorological stations across the country; (2) crop yield estimation using the random forests owing to its merits as it can process thousands of variables, estimate missing data, maintain the accuracy level when a large proportion of the data is missing, overcome most of over-fitting problems, and run fast and efficiently when handling large datasets; and (3) error verification. To execute the model, we separated the datasets into two groups of pixels: group-1 (70% of pixels) for training the model and group-2 (30% of pixels) for testing the model. Once the model is trained to produce small and stable out-of-bag error (i.e., the mean squared error between predicted and actual values), it can be used for estimating rice yields of cropping seasons. The results obtained from the random forests-based regression were compared with the actual yield statistics indicated the values of root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) achieved for the first rice crop were respectively 6.2% and 2.7%, while those for the second rice crop were 5.3% and 2

Long-term variation of atmospheric beryllium-7 in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu-Ming Lin; Chi-Chang Liu; Ching-Jiang Chen

1996-01-01

Taiwan Radiation Monitoring Center (TRMC) has measured the concentration of atmospheric 7 Be at tile four stations on Taiwan for almost twenty years. Gamma emitting nuclides have been collected by air samplers and measured by gamma spectrometry. Cosmogenic 7 Be and other man-made radionuclides produced by Chinese nuclear weapon testings have been detected. Compared with 7 Be, man-made nuclides vanished quickly because of their short half life. The behaviour of 7 Be in long-term concentration variation is different between northern and southern Taiwan because of local meteorological conditions. Tile results of Fourier analysis show that washout effect of rainfalls and transportation from stratosphere to troposphere are closely related to tile variation of 7Be concentration in near surface air. All the measured data of 7 Be show that tile characteristic of yearly data coincides with tile 11-year solar cycle. (author)

Development of Safe Taiwan Information System (SATIS for Typhoon Early Warning in Taiwan

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Wen-Ray Su

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Due to the particular geographical location and geological condition, Taiwan is constantly attacked by typhoons, flood, landslides, debris flows, and earthquakes. Those natural hazards had caused huge loss of lives and properties. To reduce the damages and losses caused by the natural hazards, an integrated and complete decision support system for decision makers is necessary. In this study, Safe Taiwan information system (SATIS, which includes two subsystems, response operation subsystem for staff members and decision support subsystem for commanders, is developed for preparedness and response of typhoon hazards. It is based on the Web- GIS framework that the disaster information can be distributed via internet technology. When typhoon is approaching, response operation subsystem is used by National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR staffs to integrate real-time monitoring information, hazard models and graphical user interfaces to analyze and manage the disaster information such as the current position and possible path of typhoon, the spatial distribution of rainfalls, and potential areas of flooding, landslides and debris flows. The input data of this subsystem includes the basic maps, the real-time information of typhoon and rainfall issued by the Central Weather Bureau, the real-time water information from the Water Resources Agency, and the hazard maps indicating areas of potential landslide, debris flow and flooding made by NCDR herself to estimate endangered areas under the current typhoon. There are four main modules integrated into the subsystem including the rainfall monitoring and forecasting, the estimation of potential inundation areas, the estimation of potential landslide and debris flows, and the management of disaster information. The results of hazard risk analysis which include potential rainfall distribution, inundation and landslide risk areas, early warning messages, and total suggestion over the

Early Childhood Education in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, Lisa K.

1989-01-01

Describes early childhood education in Taiwan, focusing on living patterns and child care arrangements, the position of the individual within the family and community, and the application of cultural norms to early childhood education. Compares the behavior of Chinese preschool children to that of American preschool children. (RJC)

Impacts of Climatic Variability on Vibrio parahaemolyticus Outbreaks in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Hsin-I Hsiao; Man-Ser Jan; Hui-Ju Chi

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate and quantify the relationship between climate variation and incidence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Taiwan. Specifically, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models (including autoregression, seasonality, and a lag-time effect) were employed to predict the role of climatic factors (including temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, ocean temperature and ocean salinity) on the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus in Taiwan between 2000 and 201...

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) national favourability studies: Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-12-01

Taiwan is an island of 36,000 sq km located 160 km east of mainland China. Geologically, the oldest rocks are Tertiary, and the only igneous rocks on the island are Quaternary andesites and basalts. Copper, gold, and silver are the only known metallic minerals produced. Uranium occurrences and exploration efforts are unknown. The potential uranium resource of Taiwan is considered a category 1 resource. (author)

A Cross-Cultural Study on Behaviors When Death Is Approaching in East Asian Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Shao-Yi; Suh, Sang-Yeon; Morita, Tatsuya; Oyama, Yasuhiro; Chiu, Tai-Yuan; Koh, Su Jin; Kim, Hyun Sook; Hwang, Shinn-Jang; Yoshie, Taeko; Tsuneto, Satoru

2015-01-01

Abstract The primary aim of this study was to explore common beliefs and practices when death is approaching in East-Asian countries. A cross-sectional survey was performed involving palliative care physicians in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Measurement outcomes were physician-perceived frequencies of the following when patient death was approaching: (1) reluctance to take part in end-of-life discussions, (2) role of family members, (3) home death, and (4) circumstances surrounding death. A total of 505, 211, and 207 responses were obtained from Japanese, Korea, and Taiwan physicians, respectively. While 50% of the Japanese physicians reported that they often or very often experienced families as being reluctant to discuss end-of-life issues, the corresponding figures were 59% in Korea and 70% in Taiwan. Two specific reasons to avoid end-of-life discussion, “bad things happen after you say them out loud” and “a bad life is better than a good death” were significantly more frequently observed in Taiwan. Prioritizing the oldest of the family in breaking bad news and having all family members present at the time of death were significantly more frequently observed in Korea and Taiwan. Half of Taiwanese physicians reported they often or very often experienced the patients/family wanted to go back home to die because the soul would not be able to return from the hospital. In all countries, more than 70% of the physicians reported certain family members were expected to care for the patient at home. At the time of death, while no Japanese physicians stated that they often experienced patients wanted a religious person to visit, the corresponding figure in Korean and Taiwan was about 40%. Uncovered expression of emotion was significantly frequently observed in Korean and Taiwan, and 42% of the Japanese physicians reported family members cleaned the dead body of the patient themselves. There seem to be significant intercountry differences in beliefs and practices when

76 FR 58040 - Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-19

... Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea and Taiwan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the... antidumping duty orders on certain polyester staple fiber from Korea and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably...

77 FR 3497 - Light-Walled Rectangular Pipe and Tube From Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-24

... Rectangular Pipe and Tube From Taiwan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject... order on light-walled rectangular pipe and tube from Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time. \\1...

76 FR 72722 - Helical Spring Lock Washers From China and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-25

... Spring Lock Washers From China and Taiwan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the... antidumping duty orders on helical spring lock washers from China and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably...

Exploring the Destination Image of Mainland China Tourists to Taiwan by Word-of-Mouth on Web

OpenAIRE

Y. R. Li; Y. Y. Wang

2013-01-01

After allowing direct flights from Mainland China to Taiwan, Chinese tourists increased according to Tourism Bureaustatistics. There are from 0.19 to 2 million tourists from 2008 to 2011. Mainland China has become the main source of Taiwan developing tourism industry. Taiwanese government should know more about comments from Chinese tourists to Taiwan in order toproperly market Taiwan tourism and enhance the overall quality of tourism. In order to understand Chinese visit...

The status of energy conservation in Taiwan's cement industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Te-Li; Chan, David Yih-Liang; Hung, Ching-Yuan; Hong, Gui-Bing

2013-01-01

The cement industry represents one of the most energy intensive sectors in Taiwan. Energy audits are the direct tools which are employed to help reduce energy consumption. The objectives of energy audits are to establish energy audit systems, provide on-site energy audit service and reduce production cost. This study summarized the energy savings implemented in Taiwan's cement industry; the data were obtained from the on-line Energy Declaration System in 2010. The total implemented energy savings amounted to 68,512 kilo liter of crude oil equivalent (KLOE). The energy audit group audited seven Taiwanese cement plants in 2011 and revealed an energy saving potential of 2571.6 MWh of electricity and 1002.8 KLOE of thermal energy. The total potential energy saving was 1708.5 KL of crude oil equivalent (KLOE), equivalent to a 4560 t reduction in CO 2 emissions, representing the annual CO 2 absorption capacity of a 122 ha forest plantation. - Highlights: • This study summarizes the energy savings implemented in Taiwan's cement industry from the on-line Energy Declaration System. • The energy audit group audited seven Taiwanese cement plants in 2011 and revealed energy saving potential was 1708.5 KLOE. • This work aims to examine what Taiwan has done and also describes the current status in cement industry. • In addition, some potential energy conservation opportunities or measures are revealed in this paper

Energy Usage of Residents on Offshore Islands in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szu-Cheng Lu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A field study was conducted through interviews on offshore islands in Taiwan to investigate the energy usage of local residents. A comparison of household appliance usage in mainland Taiwan with that on the offshore islands revealed that, overall, the most commonly used household appliances are steam cookers/rice cookers, water dispensers, and washing machines. For other household appliances, Levels 2 and 3 offshore isles have lower use penetration rates compared with those in mainland Taiwan and on Level 1 offshore isles, particularly for the use of computers. By contrast, the use penetration rate for chest freezers on Levels 2 and 3 offshore isles is high, and each household has one or more freezers on average. This appliance is not a commonly observed household product in mainland Taiwan or on Level 1 offshore isles. Furthermore, because of the government policy, every household on parts of Level 2 offshore isles and on all Level 3 offshore isles has a fixed monthly charge of electricity. The transportation of liquefied petroleum gas is also inconvenient, and the gas price is slightly higher, leading to the tendency of residents to consume excessive amounts of electrical energy, which does not correspond with the aim of the government to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions; thus, the relevant authorities’ review and improvement on energy consumption on Levels 2 and 3 offshore isles are required.

Regulatory governance of telecommunications liberalisation in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Kuo-Tai; Hebenton, Bill

2008-01-01

This paper examines the changing role of government and market in regulating the telecommunications sector from since 1996 in Taiwan. It contextualises the theoretical aspects of regulatory governance for institutional design and practices, and reviews the concepts and mechanisms for appraising privatisation and regulatory systems. Using a conceptual framework for researching privatisation and regulation, it describes the process and issues pertinent to telecommunications liberalisation and privatisation in Taiwan, supported by a brief presentation of theoretical points of view as well as practitioners' views. The paper presents results concerning criteria for appraising privatisation and regulatory governance and considers policy lessons that can be learned from the experiences of the Taiwanese telecommunications sector's liberalisation. (author)

Regulatory governance of telecommunications liberalisation in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Kuo-Tai [Department of Regional Studies in Humanity and Social Sciences, National Hsin-Chu University of Education, No. 521 Nan-Da Road, Hsin-Chu 300 (China); Hebenton, Bill [School of Law, University of Manchester, M13 9PP (United Kingdom)

2008-12-15

This paper examines the changing role of government and market in regulating the telecommunications sector from since 1996 in Taiwan. It contextualises the theoretical aspects of regulatory governance for institutional design and practices, and reviews the concepts and mechanisms for appraising privatisation and regulatory systems. Using a conceptual framework for researching privatisation and regulation, it describes the process and issues pertinent to telecommunications liberalisation and privatisation in Taiwan, supported by a brief presentation of theoretical points of view as well as practitioners' views. The paper presents results concerning criteria for appraising privatisation and regulatory governance and considers policy lessons that can be learned from the experiences of the Taiwanese telecommunications sector's liberalisation. (author)

Management of Poisonous Snake Bites in Southern Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kao-Ping Chang

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Snake bite envenomation is not uncommon in Taiwan. This study focuses on the pattern of poisonous snake bites and their management in southern Taiwan over a 5-year period. The case histories of 37 patients with poisonous snake bites admitted to the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital between June 2001 and July 2005 were analyzed retrospectively. Three patients, bitten by unknown species of venomous snakes, were excluded from this study. The frequency of snake bites from each species of snake, the local and systemic manifestations of snake bite, treatment of complications and final outcomes were analyzed. Of the remaining 34 patients, 11 (32.4% were bitten by bamboo vipers, 10 (29.4% by Russell's pit vipers, 8 (23.5% by Taiwan cobras and 5 (14.7% by Taiwan Habu. The majority of snake bites (28 occurred between May and November. Those affected were mainly outdoor hikers (14 and workers (9. The antivenin requirements for treatment in the emergency room were in accordance with standard procedures. No mortality was noted among those envenomed by poisonous snakes. Although poisonous snake bite is not a common life-threatening emergency in the study area, we observed both an environmental risk and a seasonal incidence of snake bite. Keeping the varied clinical manifestations of snake bite in mind is important for effective management. Ready availability and appropriate use of antivenin, close monitoring of patients, institution of ventilatory support and early referral to a larger hospital when required, all help reduce mortality.

Historical Overview of Taenia asiatica in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Chau-Mei; Chung, Wen-Cheng

2013-01-01

An overview of the epidemiological, biological, and clinical studies of Taenia and taeniasis in Taiwan for the past century is presented. The phenomenal observations that led to the discovery of Taenia asiatica as a new species, which differ from Taenia solium and Taenia saginata, are described. Parasitological surveys of the aborigines in Taiwan revealed a high prevalence of taeniasis, which might be due to the culture of eating raw liver of hunted wild boars. Chemotherapeutic deworming trials involving many patients with taeniasis were discussed. Praziquantel was found to be very effective, but sometimes complete worms could not be recovered from the feces after treatment, probably due to the dissolution of the proglottids. Atabrine, despite some side effects, can still be used, in properly controlled dosages, as the drug of choice for human T. asiatica infection if we need to recover the expelled worms for morphological examinations. Research results on the infection of T. asiatica eggs from Taiwan aborigines in experimental animals were also noted. Since the pig serve as the natural intermediate host of T. asiatica and the predilection site is the liver, a differential comparison of other parasitic pathogens that might cause apparently similar lesions is also presented. PMID:23467308

Influencing Factors of the Body Mass Index of Elementary Students in Southern Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Na Chou

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The body mass index (BMI of school children in Taiwan is markedly increasing. According to statistical data from the Taiwan Ministry of Education, the prevalence of obesity in school children from the southern part of the country is the highest in Taiwan. Thus, exploring the factors influencing BMI in elementary school children from southern Taiwan is crucial. This study investigated the influencing factors including physical activity levels, sedentary behaviors, dietary habits, and perceived body shape on the BMIs of elementary school children from southern Taiwan. A cross-sectional design was used, and the participants consisted of 3251 fifth-grade students (1628 boys, 50.1%; 1623 girls, 49.9%. The average BMI values for boys and girls were 19.69 and 18.70 (kg/cm respectively. Statistically significant associations were observed between BMI and sex, 31–60 min of daily vigorous or moderate physical activities levels, length of time spent watching television, time spent on video games or the computer, and intake of vegetable or meat gravy with rice (p < 0.001. Perceived body shape also affected the BMI of school children. The results of this study enable educational institutions in Taiwan to understand the factors affecting the BMI of school children and use this information as the basis for future healthy body weight policies.

A new species Cotoneaster chingshuiensis (Rosaceae from Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun-Cheng Chang

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Cotoneaster chingshuiensis Kun C. Chang & Chih C. Wang, a new species from Taiwan is described. A taxonomic treatment, line drawings, color photos, and SEM micrographs of pollen are also provided in the paper. Cotoneaster chingshuiensis is found at Mt. Chingshui of Taroko National Park, at 2,100 m altitude in Northern Taiwan. It is similar to C. konishii Hayata, but can be distinguished by the 1-3-flowered inflorescence, shorter pedicel (0.5-1.5 mm, smaller leaves (6-28 × 4-15 mm and the lower surface of leaf with densely yellowish villus.

Persistence Probability Analyzed on the Taiwan STOCK Market

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, I.-Chun; Chen, Hung-Jung; Tseng, Hsen-Che

We report a numerical study of the Taiwan stock market, in which we used three data sources: the daily Taiwan stock exchange index (TAIEX) from January 1983 to May 2006, the daily OTC index from January 1995 to May 2006, and the one-min intraday data from February 2000 to December 2003. Our study is based on numerical estimates of persistence exponent θp, Hurst exponent H2, and fluctuation exponent h2. We also discuss the results concerning persistence probability P(t), qth-order price-price correlation function Gq(t), and qth-order normalized fluctuation function fq(t) among these indices.

Development and issues of nuclear industry in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuangchi Liu

1994-01-01

Industrial and economic developments in Taiwan have achieved a so-called 'miracle' in the last decades. Endeavors by the private enterprise, prudent planning by the government, and the devoted efforts by the diligent and creative labor forces have been credited jointly with the result. To develop a sustainable nuclear industry in support of an efficient and safe power generation and other applications of nuclear energy in Taiwan, continuing efforts from the private industry, government and each individual of the nuclear industry will be required. In this paper, milestones of the past and major issues for future developments will be discussed

Taiwan: refined need for consuming population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayes, David.

1995-01-01

A brief discussion is given of the oil and gas industry in Taiwan. Topics covered include the possibility of privatization, refineries and refining contracts overseas, plans for a new petrochemical complex and an offshore submarine transmission pipeline. (UK)

Quantitative estimation of land surface evapotranspiration in Taiwan based on MODIS data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Che-sheng Zhan

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Land surface evapotranspiration (ET determines the local and regional water-heat balances. Accurate estimation of regional surface ET provides a scientific basis for the formulation and implementation of water conservation programs. This study set up a table of the momentum roughness length and zero-plane displacement related with land cover and an empirical relationship between land surface temperature and air temperature. A revised quantitative remote sensing ET model, the SEBS-Taiwan model, was developed. Based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS data, SEBS-Taiwan was used to simulate and evaluate the typical actual daily ET values in different seasons of 2002 and 2003 in Taiwan. SEBS-Taiwan generally performed well and could accurately simulate the actual daily ET. The simulated daily ET values matched the observed values satisfactorily. The results indicate that the net regional solar radiation, evaporation ratio, and surface ET values for the whole area of Taiwan are larger in summer than in spring, and larger in autumn than in winter. The results also show that the regional average daily ET values of 2002 are a little higher than those of 2003. Through analysis of the ET values from different types of land cover, we found that forest has the largest ET value, while water areas, bare land, and urban areas have the lowest ET values. Generally, the Northern Taiwan area, including Ilan County, Nantou County, and Hualien County, has higher ET values, while other cities, such as Chiayi, Taichung, and Tainan, have lower ET values.

MSW management for waste minimization in Taiwan: The last two decades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, L.-T.; Hsiao, T.-Y.; Shang, N.-C.; Yu, Y.-H.; Ma, H.-W.

2006-01-01

Taiwan is the second most densely populated country in the world; its 22.604 million residents (2002) live in an area of 35,967 km 2 (628 people/km 2 ). Taiwan's economy has grown rapidly during the last 20 years, resulting in a corresponding increase in the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW). This study describes and evaluates the municipal solid waste management system in Taiwan. The study's results indicate that the amount of MSW began to decline after 1997, when the government enforced aggressive MSW management policies. By 2002, total MSW production had dropped by 27%, and the average daily per capita weight of MSW had fallen from 1.14 kg in 1997 to 0.81 kg in 2002. Summarizing the successful experience of MSW reduction in Taiwan, the most important factor was the government's combining of the MSW collection system with reduction/recycling programs. The second most important factor was the policy of extended producer responsibility, which laid a foundation of recycling by producers and retailers and promoted public recycling

Sustainable transport strategy for promoting zero-emission electric scooters in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Jenn Jiang [Department of Greenergy, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700 (China)

2010-06-15

In Taiwan, the government considers the zero-emission scooters to be a sustainable form of transport like walking, cycling and public transport, which play a vital role to support sustainable urban mobility. Therefore, the development of zero-emission scooters is an important strategy in constructing the sustainable transport network of Taiwan. It is also the government's priorities about the policy of emission-reduction and energy-conservation in the transportation sector. Recently, Taiwan launched a new program for subsidy of purchasing zero-emission scooters, which aimed to shift the petroleum-powered scooters to the electric scooters. The present paper is providing an update review of the promotional programs in developing zero-emission scooters in Taiwan. It introduces the status of the establishment and progress of policy, standards, subsidies to users and manufacturers, practice infrastructure, and technology development. Moreover, the contribution of replacing petrol scooters by zero-emission scooters such as battery-powered electric scooters and fuel cell scooters to reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and improvement in energy efficiency is evaluated. (author)

MSW management for waste minimization in Taiwan: the last two decades.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Li-Teh; Hsiao, Teng-Yuan; Shang, Neng-Chou; Yu, Yue-Hwa; Ma, Hwong-Wen

2006-01-01

Taiwan is the second most densely populated country in the world; its 22.604 million residents (2002) live in an area of 35,967 km2 (628 people/km2). Taiwan's economy has grown rapidly during the last 20 years, resulting in a corresponding increase in the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW). This study describes and evaluates the municipal solid waste management system in Taiwan. The study's results indicate that the amount of MSW began to decline after 1997, when the government enforced aggressive MSW management policies. By 2002, total MSW production had dropped by 27%, and the average daily per capita weight of MSW had fallen from 1.14 kg in 1997 to 0.81 kg in 2002. Summarizing the successful experience of MSW reduction in Taiwan, the most important factor was the government's combining of the MSW collection system with reduction/recycling programs. The second most important factor was the policy of extended producer responsibility, which laid a foundation of recycling by producers and retailers and promoted public recycling.

Creating comprehensive Mandarin training model for Taiwanese industry: An anticipation of Taiwan ‘Southbound policy

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Y.; Mursitama, T. N.; Sofi; Anggreani, L.

2018-03-01

The study discusses the effort of preparing human resources in mastering Mandarin for Taiwan industry as the anticipation of Southbound policy created by Taiwan government. In this point, the Southbound policy represents Taiwan’s government strategy in 2016-2020 which encourages multilateral and bilateral cooperation with ASEAN and South Asian countries. One of the most important elements in the program centers as the Internship Scholarship Program in Taiwan. Utilizing qualitative research methods, researchers collected secondary data from various available official resources. The publications, documents, books, and websites contain the policy and mechanism of the internship scholarship program. On the other hand, this study conducted interviews with senior high school and vocational high school stakeholders to create synergy in the program. This study offers a model of cooperation between junior high school/vocational school and the candidates of the employer in the Taiwan industry. The contribution of this research is to create a comprehensive cooperative model that includes preparing human resources before leaving for Taiwan, providing teachers and supplying training materials that are relevant to the needs of industry players in Taiwan eventually.

Planning an energy-conserving policy for Taiwan based on international examples of success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, S.-M.; Huang, Y.-S.; Lu, J.-M.

2008-01-01

Taiwan lacks indigenous energy resources and imports 99% of its energy supply. This heavy energy-dependence represents a hidden threat for Taiwan's energy security and economic development. The most effective solution thus is to adopt an energy-conservation policy, similar to those successfully implemented in certain highly developed countries, such as the UK, the USA, Japan, and Germany. From the successful experiences of these countries, this study proposes a general mechanism of increasing energy efficiency by 2% annually, together with an executive master plan, followed by a scenario breakdown for energy-conserving policy in Taiwan. The feasibility of these proposals has been confirmed by the finding that their achievements in terms of energy saving and CO 2 emission reduction conform to the goals of the 'Taiwan National Energy Conference 2005'

Nurses' beliefs, experiences and practice regarding complementary and alternative medicine in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Graeme D; Wu, Shu-Chen

2012-09-01

To gain an insight into this issue, this study used a qualitative approach and aims to explore and describe nurses' beliefs, experiences and practice regarding complementary and alternative medicine in Taiwan. The integration of complementary and alternative medicine with conventional medicine has become more common worldwide in recent years. An increase in patient use and an expansion of nurses using complementary and alternative medicine has spawned further investigation. Most published studies have concentrated on the usage of complementary and alternative medicine in western societies and have focused principally on physicians' attitudes and practice patterns in this regard. Despite the large amount of time and the unique relationship that nurses share with their patients, little research has investigated the nurse's attitudes and practice regarding complementary and alternative medicine. Moreover, there has been no previous research into understanding this issue from the Taiwanese nursing perspective. A qualitative research design. By using an exploratory, descriptive, qualitative approach, data were collected from 11 registered nurses. The methods of the data collection were in-depth, semi-structured interviews, field notes and memos and the data were analysed using the constant comparative method. Three major categories emerged from the data; namely, a 'lack of clear definition', 'limited experience' and 'high interest' towards complementary and alternative medicine. These results suggest that the definition of complementary and alternative medicine is often unclear for nurses in Taiwan. Due to the organisational policies and personal knowledge base, very few nurses integrate complementary and alternative medicine into their daily practice. However, the nurses in Taiwan show a great desire to participate in complementary and alternative medicine continuing education programmes. This study is not only significant in filling the gap in the existing literature

Lyssavirus in Japanese Pipistrelle, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Shu-Chia; Hsu, Chao-Lung; Lee, Ming-Shiuh; Tu, Yang-Chang; Chang, Jen-Chieh; Wu, Chieh-Hao; Lee, Shu-Hwae; Ting, Lu-Jen; Tsai, Kwok-Rong; Cheng, Ming-Chu; Tu, Wen-Jane; Hsu, Wei-Cheng

2018-04-01

A putative new lyssavirus was found in 2 Japanese pipistrelles (Pipistrellus abramus) in Taiwan in 2016 and 2017. The concatenated coding regions of the virus showed 62.9%-75.1% nucleotide identities to the other 16 species of lyssavirus, suggesting that it may be representative of a new species of this virus.

Reconstructing Transition Knowledge in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Chen-chen

2012-01-01

Taking a post-colonial stand and using school to work transition as an example, the author re-examines the special education discourses in Taiwan and attempts to construct alternate understandings of transition from sociological and cultural perspectives. A review of past transition literature and a survey of the educational background of the…

Enabling School Structure, Collective Responsibility, and a Culture of Academic Optimism: Toward a Robust Model of School Performance in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jason H.; Hoy, Wayne K.; Tarter, C. John

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is twofold: to test a theory of academic optimism in Taiwan elementary schools and to expand the theory by adding new variables, collective responsibility and enabling school structure, to the model. Design/methodology/approach: Structural equation modeling was used to test, refine, and expand an…

77 FR 27419 - Certain Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents From Taiwan: Amended Final Determination of Sales at...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-10

... are materially injuring a U.S. industry, all unliquidated entries of such merchandise from Taiwan... Brightening Agents From Taiwan: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Antidumping... Taiwan. In addition, the Department is amending its final determination to correct a ministerial error...

Use of Facebook by Hospitals in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Po-Chin Yang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Social media advertising has become increasingly influential in recent years. Because Facebook has the most active users worldwide, many hospitals in Taiwan have created official Facebook fan pages. Our study was to present an overview of official Facebook fan pages of hospitals in Taiwan. Methods: All 417 hospitals were surveyed about their use of Facebook fan pages in December 2017. The last update time, posts in the past 30 days, number of “Likes”, and other features were analyzed and stratified according to the accreditation statuses of the hospitals. Results: In Taiwan, only 51.1% (n = 213 of the hospitals had an official Facebook fan page. Among these hospitals, 71.8% (n = 153 had updated their pages in the past 30 days, although 89.2% (n = 190 provided online interactions. Academic medical centers tended to have more “Likes” than regional and local community hospitals (on average 5947.4, 2644.8, and 1548.0, respectively. Conclusions: In spite of the popularity of Facebook among the general population, most hospitals in Taiwan do not seem to make good use of this kind of social media. The reasons for the use and nonuse of Facebook on the part of both hospitals and patients deserve further investigation.

Use of Facebook by Hospitals in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Po-Chin; Lee, Wui-Chiang; Liu, Hao-Yen; Shih, Mei-Ju; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chou, Li-Fang; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

2018-06-06

Background : Social media advertising has become increasingly influential in recent years. Because Facebook has the most active users worldwide, many hospitals in Taiwan have created official Facebook fan pages. Our study was to present an overview of official Facebook fan pages of hospitals in Taiwan. Methods : All 417 hospitals were surveyed about their use of Facebook fan pages in December 2017. The last update time, posts in the past 30 days, number of “Likes”, and other features were analyzed and stratified according to the accreditation statuses of the hospitals. Results : In Taiwan, only 51.1% ( n = 213) of the hospitals had an official Facebook fan page. Among these hospitals, 71.8% ( n = 153) had updated their pages in the past 30 days, although 89.2% ( n = 190) provided online interactions. Academic medical centers tended to have more “Likes” than regional and local community hospitals (on average 5947.4, 2644.8, and 1548.0, respectively). Conclusions : In spite of the popularity of Facebook among the general population, most hospitals in Taiwan do not seem to make good use of this kind of social media. The reasons for the use and nonuse of Facebook on the part of both hospitals and patients deserve further investigation.

Identifying key factors and strategies for reducing industrial CO2 emissions from a non-Kyoto protocol member's (Taiwan) perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Sue J.; Lu, I.J.; Lewis, Charles

2006-01-01

In this study we use Divisia index approach to identify key factors affecting CO 2 emission changes of industrial sectors in Taiwan. The changes of CO 2 emission are decomposed into emission coefficient, energy intensity, industrial structure and economic growth. Furthermore, comparisons with USA, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands and South Korea are made to have a better understanding of emission tendency in these countries and to help formulate our CO 2 reduction strategies for responding to the international calls for CO 2 cuts. The results show that economic growth and high energy intensity were two key factors for the rapid increase of industrial CO 2 emission in Taiwan, while adjustment of industrial structure was the main component for the decrease. Although economic development is important, Taiwan must keep pace with the international trends for CO 2 reduction. Among the most important strategies are continuous efforts to improve energy intensity, fuel mix toward lower carbon, setting targets for industrial CO 2 cuts, and advancing green technology through technology transfer. Also, the clean development mechanism (CDM) is expected to play an important role in the future

A study of assessment indicators for environmental sustainable development of science parks in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Han-Shen; Chien, Li-Hsien; Hsieh, Tsuifang

2013-08-01

This study adopted the ecological footprint calculation structure to calculate the ecological footprints of the three major science parks in Taiwan from 2008 to 2010. The result shows that the ecological footprints of the Hsinchu Science Park, the Central Taiwan Science Park, and the Southern Taiwan Science Park were about 3.964, 2.970, and 4.165 ha per capita. The ecological footprint (EF) of the Central Taiwan Science Park was the lowest, meaning that the influence of the daily operations in the Central Taiwan Science Park on the environment was rather low. Secondly, the population density was relatively high, and the EF was not the highest of the Hsinchu Science Park, meaning that, while consuming ecological resources, the environmental management done was effective. In addition, the population density in Southern Taiwan Science Park is 82.8 units, lower than that of Hsinchu Science Park, but its ecological footprint per capita is 0.201 units, higher than Hsinchu, implying its indicator management has space for improvement. According to the analysis result above, in the science parks, the percentages of high-energy-consuming industries were rather high. It was necessary to encourage development of green industries with low energy consumption and low pollution through industry transformation.

Ozone Production and Control Strategies for Southern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Shiu, C.; Liu, S.; Chang, C.; Chen, J.; Chou, C. C.; Lin, C.

2006-12-01

An observation-based modeling (OBM) approach is used to estimate the ozone production efficiency and production rate of O3 (P(O3)) in southern Taiwan. The approach can also provide an indirect estimate of the concentration of OH. Measured concentrations of two aromatic hydrocarbons, i.e. ethylbenzene/m,p-xylene, are used to estimate the degree of photochemical processing and the amounts of photochemically consumed NOx and NMHCs. In addition, a one-dimensional (1d) photochemical model is used to compare with the OBM results. The average ozone production efficiency during the field campaign in Kaohsiung-Pingtung area in Fall 2003 is found to be about 5, comparable to previous works. The relationship of P(O3) with NOx is examined in detail and compared to previous studies. The derived OH concentrations from this approach are in fair agreement with values calculated from the 1d photochemical model. The relationship of total oxidants (e.g. O3+NO2) versus initial NOx and NMHCs suggests that reducing NMHCs are more effective in controlling total oxidants than reducing NOx. For O3 control, reducing NMHC is even more effective than NOx due to the NO titration effect. This observation-based approach provides a good alternative for understanding the production of ozone and formulating ozone control strategy in urban and suburban environment without measurements of peroxy radicals.

75 FR 81308 - Stainless Steel Sheet And Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, And Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-27

...)] Stainless Steel Sheet And Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, And Taiwan AGENCY: United States... and strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives... strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or...

75 FR 59744 - Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-28

...)] Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan AGENCY: United States... duty orders on stainless steel sheet and strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan... stainless steel sheet and strip from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan would be likely to...

Cyber Conflict Between Taiwan and China; Strategic Insights, Spring 2011

OpenAIRE

Chang, Yao-chung

2011-01-01

This article appeared in Strategic Insights, Spring 2011 The Republic of China (Taiwan hereafter) and the People’s Republic of China (China hereafter) are two particularly attractive targets for internet hackers. Reports have found that, compared to other countries in the Asia and Pacific regions, China and Taiwan rank as the top two countries in terms of malicious computer activity. Reports have also shown that most hacking into Taiwanese computer systems is initiated from wit...

Observation of a "holiday effect ": a case of Chinese New Year in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Pei-Hua; Chou, Chia; Chen, Pen-Yuan; Sun, Chen-Yi; Wu, Bo-Lin

2010-05-01

Our study was an attempt to conduct a comprehensive and systematical examination of the 'holiday effect', defined as the difference in air pollutant concentrations between holiday and non-holiday periods. This holiday effect can be applied to other countries with similar national or cultural holidays. Hourly and daily surface measurements of six major air pollutants from fifty-four air quality monitoring stations of the Environmental Protection Administration in Taiwan during the Chinese New Year (CNY) and non-Chinese New Year (NCNY) periods of 1994-2008 were used. The air pollutant concentrations were significantly different between holidays (CNY) and non-holidays (NCNY), in almost all the Taiwan area, except CO in the eastern part which is a relatively less-developed area. The industrial development of Taiwan extends from the north to the south; and then from the west to the east, due to the inconvenient transportation in the east. The difference percentage, defined as the concentration difference of CNY minus NCNY relative to the NCNY concentration, is highly related to the degree of industrialization. The difference percentages of NOx, CO, NMHC, O3, SO2, and PM10 are more in the west than in the east. Over the western part of Taiwan, the difference percentages of NOx, CO, NMHC and O3 are more in the north than in the south; that of SO2basically follows a similar trend but is more in the middle Taiwan, which might be related to emission change of a major coal-fired power plant. The difference percentage of PM10 over the western Taiwan is more in the south than in the north, probably due to stronger dust storm impacts on the northern Taiwan, where the dust storm sometimes occurs to 'pollute' the clean air during the CNY period, and then causes fewer difference percentage.

The Development of Educational Gerontology in Taiwan: An Interpretive and Critical Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chin-Shan

2010-01-01

Educational gerontology is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon. Taiwan, a small island in the western Pacific Ocean, has responded to its aging population with the development of the studies and practices of educational gerontology. This study, first, traces the development of educational gerontology in Taiwan, based on Peterson's definition…

76 FR 30967 - Certain Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents From China and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-27

... Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents From China and Taiwan Determinations On the basis of the record \\1... is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports from China and Taiwan of certain stilbenic optical brightening agents, provided for in subheadings...

The off-shore Transport of China Coastal Current over Taiwan Bank in Winter

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, E.; Yan, X. H.; Oey, L. Y.; Jiang, Y.

2016-12-01

In winter, an off-shore flow of China Coastal Current can be inferred from satellite and in-situ data over the Taiwan Bank. The dynamics related to this off-shore flow have not been previously explained and are examined here using observations and model. Influenced by southward wind stress and opposing pressure gradient, currents over the Taiwan Bank can be classified into three regimes. The southward China Coastal Current flows pass the Taiwan Bank when the wind stress is stronger than a critical value which depends on the opposite pressure gradient force. The coastal current turns northward under a weak wind stress. Two opposite currents converge over the bank and a branch of the coastal current then turns into the northward warm current when these two forces are in balance. Analysis of the vorticity balance shows that the cross-isobath movement is related to a negative bottom stress curl over the Taiwan Bank. Both bottom Ekman transport and shear and curvature vorticity related to the weak bottom slope over the Taiwan Bank contribute to the bottom stress curl. Composite analyses using observations tend to support the model results.

Titanium-nickel shape memory alloys development in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, S. K.; Lin, H. C.

1997-01-01

In Taiwan, many groups engage in the development of TiNi SMAs. The two-stage martensitic transformations of B2 R-phase B19' and B2 B19 B19' have been clarified for both TiNi binary and ternary alloys. The deformation behaviours have been investigated by cold-rolling, hot-rolling and wire drawing. Both shape memory effect and pseudoelasticity can be improved by some thermo-mechanical treatments. The damping characteristics of TiNi and TiNiX SMAs have also been systematically studied. Both B19'/B19 martensite (M) and R-phase (R) have high damping capacities due to stress induced movement of twin boundaries. Meanwhile, the addition of third elements, Fe and Cu, can largely increase the damping capacity. Recently, some high temperature shape memory alloys of TiNiPd and TiNiAu SMAs and thin films of TiNi and TiNiX alloys have also been intensively studied in Taiwan. All these potential investigations on the TiNi SMAs in Taiwan have attracted much attention and their important characteristics will be applied widely in the near future. (author)

Development and implementation of Strategic Environmental Assessment in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liou, M.-L.; Yu, Y.-H.

2004-01-01

Taiwan is one of the few Asian countries to have officially adopted Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as one important means towards the achievement of environmental conservation and sustainable development. Despite implementation almost a decade ago, SEA remains premature in its development. This paper analyzes the progress and characteristics of SEA in Taiwan and, through examination of its limited case studies, reveals the positive and apparent influence of SEA on policy making. This paper also identifies the barriers hindering SEA's advancement and concludes with recommendations on strategies to overcome these obstacles

International Relations of Taiwan : the Republic of China in the International Setting

OpenAIRE

Brull Carrera, Mariona

2015-01-01

Per analitzar les relacions internacionals de Taiwan, el projecte ha de presentar la complexitat de la identitat de l'illa de Taiwan a través de la seva història i aclarir quina definició de "estat" s'utilitzarà per a dur a terme l'anàlisi. El projecte introduirà la història de les relacions internacionals de Taiwan, resumint una línia de temps que abasta des de la concepció d'un organisme governamental a l'illa fins a la inclusió de la República de la Xina a les Nacions Unides. El projecte a...

Tourism climate and thermal comfort in Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tzu-Ping; Matzarakis, Andreas

2008-03-01

Bioclimate conditions at Sun Moon Lake, one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist destinations, are presented. Existing tourism-related climate is typically based on mean monthly conditions of air temperature and precipitation and excludes the thermal perception of tourists. This study presents a relatively more detailed analysis of tourism climate by using a modified thermal comfort range for both Taiwan and Western/Middle European conditions, presented by frequency analysis of 10-day intervals. Furthermore, an integrated approach (climate tourism information scheme) is applied to present the frequencies of each facet under particular criteria for each 10-day interval, generating a time-series of climate data with temporal resolution for tourists and tourism authorities.

76 FR 76437 - Certain Welded Stainless Steel Pipe From Korea and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-07

... Welded Stainless Steel Pipe From Korea and Taiwan Determination On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed... antidumping duty orders on certain welded stainless steel pipe from Korea and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a...

Perforated peptic ulcer in southeastern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chin-Hsien; Chang, Wen-Hsiung; Shih, Shou-Chuan; Lin, Shee-Chan; Bair, Ming-Jong

2010-09-01

No studies focus on the population with perforated peptic ulcer in southeastern Taiwan. The present study aimed to assess the differences between the different races and the risk factors related to mortality and morbidity in postoperative patients in southeastern Taiwan. The medical records of 237 patients were reviewed retrospectively. The following factors were analyzed: patient profiles, coexisting illnesses, diagnostic method, fever, preoperative shock, clinical data at emergency room, delay operation, site of perforation, operative method, positive ascites culture, species of microbes in ascites culture, postoperative complications, death and the length of hospital stay. Aborigines were significantly different from non-aborigines in the ratio of female cases and in the habits of alcohol drinking and betel nut chewing. There were also four significantly different variables between them: fever, hemoglobin value, site of perforation and operative method. Total postoperative complication rate was 41.3% and 39 patients (16.6%) died. In multivariate analysis, age > or = 65 years, lipase > upper normal limit and preoperative shock were independent predictors of mortality. Significant risk factors associated with morbidity were NSAIDs use, creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL and preoperative shock. Aborigines were different from non-aborigines in several categories. In southeastern Taiwan, NSAIDs use, creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL and preoperative shock were independent risk factors of morbidity, and age > or = 65 years, lipase > upper normal limit and preoperative shock were independent risk factors of mortality in postoperative perforated peptic ulcer. Lipase > upper normal limit is needed for further research on the influence on mortality.

Ecology and control of dengue vector mosquitoes in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y R; Hwang, J S; Guo, Y J

1994-12-01

Due to rapid urbanization, industrialization and social changes in recent years, the use of packing materials and tires has dramatically increased in the Taiwan area. What is more is that some parts of southern Taiwan are short of water resources and water preservation with huge containers becomes part of custom in those areas. Storage water containers, waste vessels and tires are good habitats for Aedes. Meanwhile, some persons traveling to dengue endemic countries bring the dengue disease back to Taiwan. Surveys taken since 1988 show that dengue occurs mainly in the urban and coastal areas where Aedes aegypti is prevalent. This species is the most important, if not the only, vector of dengue in Taiwan. It appears that the types of Aedes breeding have changed quickly. In dengue fever epidemic areas, the most popular breeding sites are ornamental containers (38.8%), storage water containers (30.1%), discarded containers (25.4%), receptacles (3.3%) and water collection in the basement (2.2%). In dengue fever epidemic areas, those building basements, huge water containers, waste vessels and waste tires in open fields are most difficult to clean up and manage and become the most popular Aedes habitats. We established a waste recycling system and promoted a breeding site reduction campaign for waste management, including the application of Temephos in containers to kill larvae. For the drinking water management, fish were released in water containers to prevent larval breeding. It should be mentioned that with the integrated pest control and regular inspections of Aedes larvae in Taiwan the density figures 1, 2-5, and 6 or above for Aedes aegypti were 38.7%, 42.9%, and 18.4%, respectively, in 1988, and in 1993 were 90.8%, 9.2% and 0%. The incidence of dengue fever cases has 98% decreased since 1988. In 1990 and 1993, there was no indigenous cases. We have concluded that integrated pest control is the best and most effective method for dengue fever control, including

The occurrence and geochemistry of arsenic in groundwaters of Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, W.; Lu, H.; Liu, T.

2008-12-01

Blackfoot disease caused by digesting water with high concentration (>0.3 mg/L) of arsenic from deep wells affected thousands of people in Chianan of Taiwan during 1930 to 1960. Drinking water with arsenic, even in a lower concentration (0.1-0.01 mg/L) increase risk of cancer that had been demonstrated by a number of studies on Taiwan. By concerning the effects of long-term chronic exposure to arsenic, the EPA of United States had revised the regulatory limit of arsenic for drinking water from 0.05 to 0.01 mg/L in 2006. Many researches have investigated on the occurrence and chemistry of the arsenic-contained groundwater and its health effects in Chianan of Taiwan. However, there are only a few studies on the other groundwater basins of Taiwan that providing about one third of water supplies for a population of 21 million. In this study, we investigate the occurrence and redox geochemistry of arsenic in nine major groundwater basins of Taiwan. The values and concentrations of pH, Eh, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, sulfate, iron, methane, sulfide, bicarbonate and ammonium in groundwaters were determined with a total of 610 monitoring wells in 2006. More than 60% of wells in the GW6 basin with a concentration of arsenic exceed 0.05 mg/L. The groundwaters in GW6 basin also have the highest average arsenic concentration. The exceeding percent (>0.05 mg/L) of wells for GW7, GW5, GW9 and GW8 basins are 30%, 20%, 18% and 8%, respectively. All of arsenic concentrations in groundwaters of GW1 to GW4 basins are lower than 0.05 mg/L, but some samples are higher than 0.01 mg/L. The exceeding percent of samples for arsenic 0.01 mg/L in GW3, GW1, GW2 and GW4 basins are 28%, 24%, 23% and 6%, respectively. Our results suggest that the concentrations of arsenic as well as iron in groundwaters of Taiwan were elevated by the iron-reducing process in aquifers. Samples, especially those with higher concentration of bicarbonate (> 400 mg/L) and oversaturated methane, mostly in the GW6 basin

Tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from birds in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Chien Kuo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A variety of human diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors, including ticks, are emerging around the globe. Birds are known to be hosts of ticks and can disperse exotic ticks and tick-borne pathogens. In Taiwan, previous studies have focused predominantly on mammals, leaving the role of birds in the maintenance of ticks and dissemination of tick-borne pathogens undetermined. Methods Ticks were collected opportunistically when birds were studied from 1995 to 2013. Furthermore, to improve knowledge on the prevalence and mean load of tick infestation on birds in Taiwan, ticks were thoroughly searched for when birds were mist-netted at seven sites between September 2014 and April 2016 in eastern Taiwan. Ticks were identified based on both morphological and molecular information and were screened for potential tick-borne pathogens, including the genera Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia, Ehrlichia and Rickettsia. Finally, a list of hard tick species collected from birds in Taiwan was compiled based on past work and the current study. Results Nineteen ticks (all larvae were recovered from four of the 3096 unique mist-netted bird individuals, yielding a mean load of 0.006 ticks/individual and an overall prevalence of 0.13%. A total of 139 ticks from birds, comprising 48 larvae, 35 nymphs, 55 adults and one individual of unknown life stage, were collected from 1995 to 2016, and 11 species of four genera were identified, including three newly recorded species (Haemaphysalis wellingtoni, Ixodes columnae and Ixodes turdus. A total of eight tick-borne pathogens were detected, with five species (Borrelia turdi, Anaplasma sp. clone BJ01, Ehrlichia sp. BL157-9, Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia monacensis not previously isolated in Taiwan. Overall, 16 tick species of five genera have been recorded feeding on birds, including nine species first discovered in this study. Conclusion Our study demonstrates the paucity of information on ticks of

Establishing a Measurement Tool for a Nursing Work Environment in Taiwan.

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Lin, Li-Chiu; Lee, Huan-Fang; Yen, Miaofen

2017-02-01

The nursing work environment is a critical global health care problem. Many health care providers are concerned about the associations between the nursing work environment and the outcomes of organizations, nurses, and patients. Nursing work environment instruments have been assessed in the West but have not been considered in Asia. However, different cultures will affect the factorial structure of the tool. Using a stratified nationwide random sample, we created a measurement tool for the nursing work environment in Taiwan. The Nursing Work Environment Index-Revised Scale and the Essentials of Magnetism scale were used to examine the factorial structure. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to examine the hypothesis model and generate a new factorial structure. The Taiwan Nursing Work Environment Index (TNWEI) was established to evaluate the nursing work environment in Taiwan. The four factors were labeled "Organizational Support" (7 items), "Nurse Staffing and Resources" (4 items), "Nurse-Physician Collaboration" (4 items), and "Support for Continuing Education" (4 items). The 19 items explained 58.5% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit to the model (x2/df = 5.99; p nurses' work environment in Taiwan.

Modeling Evaluation of Tidal Stream Energy and the Impacts of Energy Extraction on Hydrodynamics in the Taiwan Strait

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Ming-Hsi Hsu

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Tidal stream speeds in straits are accelerated because of geographic and bathymetric features. For instance, narrow channels and shallows can cause high tidal stream energy. In this study, water level and tidal current were simulated using a three-dimensional semi-implicit Eulerian-Lagrangian finite-element model to investigate the complex tidal characteristics in the Taiwan Strait and to determine potential locations for harnessing tidal stream energy. The model was driven by nine tidal components (M2, S2, N2, K2, K1, O1, P1, Q1, and M4 at open boundaries. The modeling results were validated with the measured data, including water level and tidal current. Through the model simulations, we found that the highest tidal currents occurred at the Penghu Channel in the Taiwan Strait. The Penghu Channel is an appropriate location for the deployment of a tidal turbine array because of its deep and flat bathymetry. The impacts of energy extraction on hydrodynamics were assessed by considering the momentum sink approach. The simulated results indicate that only minimal impacts would occur on water level and tidal current in the Taiwan Strait if a turbine array (55 turbines was installed in the Penghu Channel.

Taiwan's industrial heavy metal pollution threatens terrestrial biota

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, M.J. [Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan (China); Selvaraj, K. [Institute of Marine Geology and Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan (China); Agoramoorthy, G. [Department of Pharmacy, Tajen University, Yanpu, Pingtung 907, Taiwan (China)]. E-mail: agoram@mail.tajen.edu.tw

2006-09-15

The bioconcentration levels of essential (Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Zn) and non-essential (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sn) elements have been investigated in different terrestrial biota such as fungi, plant, earthworm, snail, crab, insect, amphibian, lizard, snake, and bat including the associated soil, to investigate the ecosystem health status in Kenting National Park, Taiwan. High bioconcentrations of Cd, Hg, and Sn in snail, earthworm, crab, lizard, snake, and bat indicated a contaminated terrestrial ecosystem. High concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Sn in plant species, effective bioaccumulation of Cd by earthworm, snail, crab and bat, as well as very high levels of Hg found in invertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles revealed a strong influence from industrial pollution on the biotic community. This study for the first time presents data on the impact of heavy metal pollution on various terrestrial organisms in Taiwan. - Metal effects occur at any terrestrial levels in Taiwan.

Impacts of Climatic Variability on Vibrio parahaemolyticus Outbreaks in Taiwan

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Hsiao, Hsin-I; Jan, Man-Ser; Chi, Hui-Ju

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate and quantify the relationship between climate variation and incidence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Taiwan. Specifically, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models (including autoregression, seasonality, and a lag-time effect) were employed to predict the role of climatic factors (including temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, ocean temperature and ocean salinity) on the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus in Taiwan between 2000 and 2011. The results indicated that average temperature (+), ocean temperature (+), ocean salinity of 6 months ago (+), maximum daily rainfall (current (−) and one month ago (−)), and average relative humidity (current and 9 months ago (−)) had significant impacts on the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus. Our findings offer a novel view of the quantitative relationship between climate change and food poisoning by V. parahaemolyticus in Taiwan. An early warning system based on climate change information for the disease control management is required in future. PMID:26848675

Predictive susceptibility analysis of typhoon induced landslides in Central Taiwan

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Shou, Keh-Jian; Lin, Zora

2017-04-01

Climate change caused by global warming affects Taiwan significantly for the past decade. The increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events, in which concentrated and intensive rainfalls generally cause geohazards including landslides and debris flows. The extraordinary, such as 2004 Mindulle and 2009 Morakot, hit Taiwan and induced serious flooding and landslides. This study employs rainfall frequency analysis together with the atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) downscaling estimation to understand the temporal rainfall trends, distributions, and intensities in the adopted Wu River watershed in Central Taiwan. To assess the spatial hazard of the landslides, landslide susceptibility analysis was also applied. Different types of rainfall factors were tested in the susceptibility models for a better accuracy. In addition, the routes of typhoons were also considered in the predictive analysis. The results of predictive analysis can be applied for risk prevention and management in the study area.

Impacts of Climatic Variability on Vibrio parahaemolyticus Outbreaks in Taiwan

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Hsin-I Hsiao

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate and quantify the relationship between climate variation and incidence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Taiwan. Specifically, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA models (including autoregression, seasonality, and a lag-time effect were employed to predict the role of climatic factors (including temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, ocean temperature and ocean salinity on the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus in Taiwan between 2000 and 2011. The results indicated that average temperature (+, ocean temperature (+, ocean salinity of 6 months ago (+, maximum daily rainfall (current (− and one month ago (−, and average relative humidity (current and 9 months ago (− had significant impacts on the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus. Our findings offer a novel view of the quantitative relationship between climate change and food poisoning by V. parahaemolyticus in Taiwan. An early warning system based on climate change information for the disease control management is required in future.

Impacts of Climatic Variability on Vibrio parahaemolyticus Outbreaks in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Hsin-I; Jan, Man-Ser; Chi, Hui-Ju

2016-02-03

This study aimed to investigate and quantify the relationship between climate variation and incidence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Taiwan. Specifically, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models (including autoregression, seasonality, and a lag-time effect) were employed to predict the role of climatic factors (including temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, ocean temperature and ocean salinity) on the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus in Taiwan between 2000 and 2011. The results indicated that average temperature (+), ocean temperature (+), ocean salinity of 6 months ago (+), maximum daily rainfall (current (-) and one month ago (-)), and average relative humidity (current and 9 months ago (-)) had significant impacts on the incidence of V. parahaemolyticus. Our findings offer a novel view of the quantitative relationship between climate change and food poisoning by V. parahaemolyticus in Taiwan. An early warning system based on climate change information for the disease control management is required in future.

Remapping Englishness--the Impact of Globalization on College English Instruction in Taiwan

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Lee, Jade Tsui-yu

2008-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of globalization upon the college-level instruction of English/American literature in Taiwan. The examination will be centered upon the subject of Englishness as demonstrated in the courses of English/American Literature taught in Taiwan. By focusing on the term "Englishness," the paper…

Religiosity influences on bereavement adjustments of older widows in Taiwan.

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Shih, Shaw-Nin; Turale, Sue; Shih, Fu-Jin; Tsai, Jen-Chen

2010-03-01

To describe difficulties encountered by older widows in Taiwan and the impact of intrinsic or extrinsic religiosity on their coping strategies during early widowhood. There is very limited information about how Taiwan's widows cope with their bereavement and no studies reporting the relationship between religious beliefs and healthy adjustment during this distressing period. Between-method qualitative and quantitative triangulation was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed data were analysed by critical thematic analysis. Twenty women in Taiwan, >65 years old, (mean = 72.95) were interviewed within three years of being widowed. There were two informant groups: those with intrinsic religious beliefs and those with extrinsic religious beliefs. They all reported intrapersonal and interpersonal problems. Several major coping strategies arose: 'practising positive or negative attitudes for adaptation'; 'using person-focused actions'; and 'taking the initiative or passively seeking help from others or helping others'. Informants with intrinsic religious beliefs reported fewer coping problems by holding positive attitudes and taking multiple actions for adaptation. The extrinsic religious group had more negative adaptation attitudes, such as withdrawal and low self-esteem and practised less faith religious activities in worshipping ancestors, experiencing fatalism and using divination. They reported more coping problems than the intrinsic religious group. Widows in Taiwan have different coping problems and strategies in postbereavement adjustment, affected by their different religious beliefs systems. More research is required to establish the generalisabilty of these findings. Widows in Taiwan need to be assessed for their religious belief systems and how this affects their ability to cope during bereavement. Clinicians should actively provide grief support and encourage new methods of social adaptation, especially with widows with extrinsic

Grey forecasting model for CO2 emissions: A Taiwan study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chiun-Sin; Liou, Fen-May; Huang, Chih-Pin

2011-01-01

Highlights: → CO 2 is the most frequently implicated in global warming. → The CARMA indicates that the Taichung coal-fired power plants had the highest CO 2 emissions in the world. → GM(1,1) prediction accuracy is fairly high. → The results show that the average residual error of the GM(1,1) was below 10%. -- Abstract: Among the various greenhouse gases associated with climate change, CO 2 is the most frequently implicated in global warming. The latest data from Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA) shows that the coal-fired power plant in Taichung, Taiwan emitted 39.7 million tons of CO 2 in 2007 - the highest of any power plant in the world. Based on statistics from Energy International Administration, the annual CO 2 emissions in Taiwan have increased 42% from 1997 until 2006. Taiwan has limited natural resources and relies heavily on imports to meet its energy needs, and the government must take serious measures control energy consumption to reduce CO 2 emissions. Because the latest data was from 2009, this study applied the grey forecasting model to estimate future CO 2 emissions in Taiwan from 2010 until 2012. Forecasts of CO 2 emissions in this study show that the average residual error of the GM(1,1) was below 10%. Overall, the GM(1,1) predicted further increases in CO 2 emissions over the next 3 years. Although Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations and is not bound by the Kyoto Protocol, the findings of this study provide a valuable reference with which the Taiwanese government could formulate measures to reduce CO 2 emissions by curbing the unnecessary the consumption of energy.

Summer nitrogenous nutrient transport and its fate in the Taiwan Strait: A coupled physical-biological modeling approach

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Wang, Jia; Hong, Huasheng; Jiang, Yuwu; Chai, Fei; Yan, Xiao-Hai

2013-09-01

In order to understand the fate of nutrients in the Taiwan Strait during summer, we built a coupled physical-biological numerical ocean model, which can capture the basic hydrographic and biological features within the strait. The nutrient that we chose to model is dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). The model includes individual reservoirs for nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4). Both the observational evidence and model results show that NO3 in the strait originates primarily from the upwelling subsurface water in the northern South China Sea (SCS) that enters the strait via the eastern and western routes separated by the Taiwan Bank. The coupled physical and biological effects on the NO3 transport at these two routes are highlighted in the study. For the western route, the shallow topography and the coastal upwelling intensify the biological uptake of NO3 in the whole water column. Consequently, the nitrogenous contribution by this route is mainly in form of the particulate organic nitrogen (PON). In contrast, NO3 is transported conservatively below the nitricline at the deep eastern route, contributing the whole NO3 supply in the TWS. The model estimates the fluxes of DIN and PON into the TWS, from the northern SCS, are 1.8 and 4 kmol s-1, respectively. Over half (˜1 kmol s-1) of the DIN is synthesized into PON by the phytoplankton in the strait. Overall, this study estimates the physical and biological effects on the nutrient transport in the TWS during summer.

The long-term forecast of Taiwan's energy supply and demand: LEAP model application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Yophy, E-mail: yohuanghaka@gmail.com [Deptartment of Public Finance and Tax Administration, National Taipei College of Business, Taipei Taiwan, 10051 (China); Bor, Yunchang Jeffrey [Deptartment of Economics, Chinese Culture University, Yang-Ming-Shan, Taipei, 11114, Taiwan (China); Peng, Chieh-Yu [Statistics Department, Taoyuan District Court, No. 1 Fazhi Road, Taoyuan City 33053, Taiwan (China)

2011-11-15

The long-term forecasting of energy supply and demand is an extremely important topic of fundamental research in Taiwan due to Taiwan's lack of natural resources, dependence on energy imports, and the nation's pursuit of sustainable development. In this article, we provide an overview of energy supply and demand in Taiwan, and a summary of the historical evolution and current status of its energy policies, as background to a description of the preparation and application of a Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) model of Taiwan's energy sector. The Taiwan LEAP model is used to compare future energy demand and supply patterns, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, for several alternative scenarios of energy policy and energy sector evolution. Results of scenarios featuring 'business-as-usual' policies, aggressive energy-efficiency improvement policies, and on-schedule retirement of Taiwan's three existing nuclear plants are provided and compared, along with sensitivity cases exploring the impacts of lower economic growth assumptions. A concluding section provides an interpretation of the implications of model results for future energy and climate policies in Taiwan. - Research Highlights: > The LEAP model is useful for international energy policy comparison. > Nuclear power plants have significant, positive impacts on CO{sub 2} emission. > The most effective energy policy is to adopt demand-side management. > Reasonable energy pricing provides incentives for energy efficiency and conservation. > Financial crisis has less impact on energy demand than aggressive energy policy.

The impact of foreign caregiving on depression among older people in Taiwan: model testing.

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Chiao, Chia-Yi; Schepp, Karen G

2012-05-01

  This article is a report of a study of predicting the factors that influence depression in the older people in Taiwan. Background.  In 1991, Taiwan opened the labour market to foreign caregivers for the older people who needed long-term care. With the differences in language, culture and lifestyle between foreign caregivers and older people in Taiwan, it was hypothesized that the older people would not be able to relate to them, and therefore become depressed.   The data were collected from 116 Taiwanese older people from July to September, 2005. Path analysis using multiple regression analyses was conducted to estimate the direct and indirect effects of caregiving communication, activities of daily living, income and social support on depression among older people in Taiwan. To evaluate the hypotheses for this research, bi-variate linear regression and multiple regression analyses were used.   The results indicated that the level of activities of daily living (β = -0·201, P = 0·010), care-giving communication (β = -0·272, P = 0·002) income (β = -0·305, P = 0·000) and social support (β = -0·276, P = 0·002) were the predictors of depression in older people in Taiwan. Social support was a mediating factor for caregiving communication and depression. Furthermore, foreign caregiver care was not correlated with depression among older people in Taiwan.   The findings influence the public awareness of depression in older people, and provide the foundational information to influence the policy makers of Taiwan to evaluate the foreign caregiver policy. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Study on occupational safety and health strategy for Taiwan.

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Chuang, Kuen-Yuan; Su, Teh-Sheng; Kuo, Chao-Yin; Lin, Chien-Liang; Lin, Han-Yu; Yu, Yi-Chun

2009-12-01

The aim of this study was to establish a set of occupational safety and health (OSH) issues and development policies suitable for adoption in Taiwan. A survey was conducted on a sample of 102 experts and 235 industrial work safety personnel in Taiwan for statistical analysis of the general consensus, with the results showing such consensus in 104 individual policy indicators. Our results reveal that the most appropriate targets were considered to be annual 10% reductions in the 'occupational accident disability rate', 'occupational accident injury rate' and 'occupational diseases before 2010'. Responding to the specific question of the appropriate method of achieving a reduction in the number of accidents in Taiwan, the primary consideration for 13.4% of the experts and 10.6% of the industry personnel was 'promoting OSH awareness and enhancing the overall safety culture'. As regards the current OSH policy focus, 11.2% of the experts considered 'improving OSH legislation, standards and systems' to be the most important, whilst 8.9% of the industry personnel felt that 'recognizing work stress, overwork and emerging OSH issues' were the most important.

Assessment of renewable energy reserves in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Falin; Lu, Shyi-Min; Tseng, Kuo-Tung; Wang, Eric; Lee, Si-Chen

2010-01-01

Since Taiwan imports more than 99% of energy supply from foreign countries, energy security has always been the first priority for government to formulate energy policy. The development of renewable energy not only contributes to the independence of energy supply, but also achieves benefits of economic development and environmental protection. Based upon information available to public, the present paper reassesses reserves of various renewable energies in Taiwan. The assessment includes seven kinds of renewable energies, namely, solar energy, wind power, biomass energy, wave energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy and hydropower, which are all commercialized and matured in terms of current technologies. Other renewable energies, which have not proven as matured as the aforementioned ones, are only assessed preliminarily in this paper, such as second generation of biomass, deep geothermal energy, the Kuroshio power generation and ocean thermal energy conversion. According to the estimation of this paper, the reserve of wind energy, up to 29.9 kWh/d/p (i.e., kWh per day per person), is the largest one among seven kinds of renewable energies in Taiwan, followed by 24.27 kWh/d/p of solar energy, 4.55 kWh/d/p of biomass, 4.58 kWh/d/p of ocean energy, 0.67 kWh/d/p of geothermal energy and 16.79 kWh/d/p of hydropower. If regarding biomass as a primary energy, and assuming 40% being the average efficiency to convert primary energy into electricity, the total power of the seven kinds of renewable energy reserves is about 78.03 kWh/d/p, which is equal to 2.75 times of 28.35 kWh/d/p of national power generation in 2008. If the reserves of 54.93 kWh/d/p estimated from other four kinds of renewable energies that have not technically matured yet are also taken into account, it will result that the reserves of renewable energy in Taiwan can be quite abundant. Although the results of the assessment point out that Taiwan has abundant renewable energy resources, the four inherent

The characteristics of patient safety culture in Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

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Fujita, Shigeru; Seto, Kanako; Ito, Shinya; Wu, Yinghui; Huang, Chiu-Chin; Hasegawa, Tomonori

2013-01-14

Quality and safety issues are receiving growing attention. Patient safety culture (PSC) plays an important role in patient safety. The characteristics of PSC in various countries, each with a different set of values, have not been determined sufficiently. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of PSC in Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Japan and Taiwan using the Hospital Survey on PSC (HSOPS) questionnaire developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Data from Japan and Taiwan were also compared with the U.S. "2010 HSOPS Comparative Database" provided by AHRQ. Valid response rates in Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. were 66.5% (6,963/10,466), 85.7% (10,019/11,692) and 35.2% (291,341/827,424), respectively. The proportion of respondents with some experience of event reporting during the past 12 months was highest in Japan. In general, U.S. healthcare workers were likely to evaluate their PSC higher than that in Japan or Taiwan. The attitude of continuous improvement in Japan and event reporting of near misses in Taiwan were rated as low. In the U.S., staffing was rated as high. The results suggest that PSC varies among different countries, and the cultural setting of each country should be given special consideration in the development of effective intervention plans to improve PSC. Additional investigations with improved methodology and a common protocol are required to accurately compare PSCs among countries.

Surface wind energy trends near Taiwan in winter since 1871

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Lei Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The tropical surface wind speed in boreal winter reaches a maximum near Taiwan. This stable wind resource may be used for future clean energy development. How this surface wind energy source has changed in past 141 years is investigated using the 20th century reanalysis dataset and CMIP5 models. Our observational analysis shows that the surface wind speed experienced a weakening trend in the past 141 years (1871 - 2010. The average decreasing rate is around -1.4 m s-1 per century. The decrease is primarily attributed to the relative sea surface temperature (SST cooling in the subtropical North Pacific, which forces a large-scale low-level anti-cyclonic circulation anomaly in situ and is thus responsible for the southerly trend near Taiwan. The relative SST trend pattern is attributed mainly to the greenhouse gas effect associated with anthropogenic activities. The southerly trend near Taiwan is more pronounced in the boreal winter than in summer. Such seasonal difference is attributed to the reversed seasonal mean wind, which promotes more efficient positive feedback in the boreal winter. The CMIP5 historical run analysis reveals that climate models capture less SST warming and large-scale anti-cyclonic circulation in the subtropical North Pacific, but the simulated weakening trend of the surface wind speed near Taiwan is too small.

Health Expenditure Growth under Single-Payer Systems: Comparing South Korea and Taiwan.

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Cheng, Shou-Hsia; Jin, Hyun-Hyo; Yang, Bong-Min; Blank, Robert H

2018-05-03

Achieving universal health coverage has been an important goal for many countries worldwide. However, the rapid growth of health expenditures has challenged all nations, both those with and without such universal coverage. Single-payer systems are considered more efficient for administrative affairs and may be more effective for containing costs than multipayer systems. However, South Korea, which has a typical single-payer scheme, has almost the highest growth rate in health expenditures among industrialized countries. The aim of the present study is to explicate this situation by comparing South Korea with Taiwan. This study analyzed statistical reports published by government departments in South Korea and Taiwan from 2001 to 2015, including population and economic statistics, health statistics, health expenditures, and social health insurance reports. Between 2001 and 2015, the per capita national health expenditure (NHE) in South Korea grew 292%, whereas the corresponding growth of per capita NHE in Taiwan was only 83%. We find that the national health insurance (NHI) global budget cap in Taiwan may have restricted the growth of health expenditures. Less comprehensive benefit coverage for essential diagnosis/treatment services under the South Korean NHI program may have contributed to the growth of out-of-pocket payments. The expansion of insurance coverage for vulnerable individuals may also contribute to higher growth in NHE in South Korea. Explicit regulation of health care resource distribution may also lead to more limited provisioning and utilization of health services in Taiwan. Under analogous single-payer systems, South Korea had a much higher growth in health spending than Taiwan. The annual budget cap for total reimbursement, more comprehensive coverage for essential diagnosis and treatment services, and the regulation of health care resource distribution are important factors associated with the growth of health expenditures. Copyright © 2018

Trade pattern change impact on industrial CO2 emissions in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jung-Hua; Huang, Yun-Hsun; Chen, Yen-Yin

2007-01-01

Input-output structural decomposition analysis (I-O SDA) is applied in this paper to analyze the sources of change in industrial CO 2 emissions in Taiwan from 1989 to 2001. Owing to the fact that Taiwan is an export-oriented, trade-dependent economy, the focus is on trade transformation over the past decade and its effect over industrial CO 2 emissions. Change in trade patterns has significantly impacted many aspects of the Taiwan economy, subsequently resulting in various influences on industrial CO 2 emissions, as shown by empirical analysis results. Change in export level increased industrial CO 2 emissions, above all other effects, by 72.1%. However, changes in export mix and import coefficients imposed effects of dragging down industrial CO 2 emissions by 5.7% and 11.7%, respectively. (author)

Introgression Between Cultivars and Wild Populations of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae in Taiwan

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Yu-Chung Chiang

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The landrace strains of Momordica charantia are widely cultivated vegetables throughout the tropics and subtropics, but not in Taiwan, a continental island in Southeast Asia, until a few hundred years ago. In contrast, the related wild populations with smaller fruit sizes are native to Taiwan. Because of the introduction of cultivars for agricultural purposes, these two accessions currently exhibit a sympatric or parapatric distribution in Taiwan. In this study, the cultivars and wild samples from Taiwan, India, and Korea were collected for testing of their hybridization and evolutionary patterns. The cpDNA marker showed a clear distinction between accessions of cultivars and wild populations of Taiwan and a long divergence time. In contrast, an analysis of eight selectively neutral nuclear microsatellite loci did not reveal a difference between the genetic structures of these two accessions. A relatively short divergence time and frequent but asymmetric gene flows were estimated based on the isolation-with-migration model. Historical and current introgression from cultivars to wild populations of Taiwan was also inferred using MIGRATE-n and BayesAss analyses. Our results showed that these two accessions shared abundant common ancestral polymorphisms, and the timing of the divergence and colonization of the Taiwanese wild populations is consistent with the geohistory of the Taiwan Strait land bridge of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM. Long-term and recurrent introgression between accessions indicated the asymmetric capacity to receive foreign genes from other accessions. The modern introduction of cultivars of M. charantia during the colonization of Taiwan by the Han Chinese ethnic group enhanced the rate of gene replacement in the native populations and resulted in the loss of native genes.

Clinical Presentation of Pediatric Myocarditis in Taiwan

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Hsiang-Ju Hsiao

2011-06-01

Conclusions: Pediatric myocarditis presents primarily with gastrointestinal symptoms in Taiwan. Careful check of heart rhythm may provide a useful objective marker of myocarditis. The predictors of a poor prognosis were gastrointestinal symptoms, hepatomegaly, and hypotension.

Hepatoblastoma incidence in Taiwan: A population-based study

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Giun-Yi Hung

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: The incidence of hepatoblastoma is not well known in Taiwan. The goal of this study was to investigate the incidence rates of hepatoblastoma by age and sex. Methods: The data of patients with hepatoblastoma diagnosed from 1995 to 2012 were obtained from the population-based Taiwan Cancer Registry. Incidence rates of hepatoblastoma according to sex and age were analyzed. This study employed the published methods of International Agency for Research on Cancer to calculate the age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs, standard errors, 95% confidence intervals (CIs, and standardized incidence rate ratios (SIRRs. Results: In total, 211 patients were diagnosed with hepatoblastoma during the 18-year study period. The ASIR was 0.76 per million person-years. Hepatoblastoma was predominantly diagnosed in children (n = 184, 87.2%. By contrast, adolescents/adults (n = 10, 4.7% and elderly people (n = 17, 8.1% were rarely affected. The incidence peaked at ages 0–4 years with corresponding ASIR of 7.3 per million person-years. A significant male predilection was only found in children and elderly people, with male-to-female SIRRs of 1.23 and 1.89, respectively. During 1995–2012, the overall incidence of hepatoblastoma significantly increased only in children (annual percent change: 7.4%, 95% CI 3.9%–11.1%, p < 0.05 and specifically in boys (annual percent change: 6.5%, 95% CI 1.9%–11.2%, p < 0.05. Conclusion: Only 27 patients aged ≥ 15 years with hepatoblastoma were identified in this study, the existence of adult hepatoblastoma still requires novel molecular tools to elucidate. The association between the upward trend of hepatoblastoma incidence in boys and increased survival of prematurity in Taiwan warrants further investigations. Keywords: Hepatoblastoma, Incidence, Taiwan

Shallow Crustal Thermal Structures of Central Taiwan Foothills Region

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Shao-Kai Wu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Crustal thermal structures are closely related to metamorphism, rock rheology, exhumation processes, hydrocarbon maturation levels, frictional faulting and other processes. Drilling is the most direct way to access the temperature fields in the shallow crust. However, a regional drilling program for geological investigation is usually very expensive. Recently, a large-scale in-situ investigation program in the Western Foothills of Central Taiwan was carried out, providing a rare opportunity to conduct heat flow measurements in this region where there are debates as to whether previous measured heat flows are representative of the thermal state in this region. We successfully collected 28 geothermal gradients from these wells and converted them into heat flows. The new heat flow dataset is consistent with previous heat flows, which shows that the thermal structures of Central Taiwan are different from that of other subduction accretionary prisms. We then combine all the available heat flow information to analyze the frictional parameters of the Chelungpu fault zone that ruptured during the 1999, Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake. The heat flow dataset gave consistent results compared with the frictional parameters derived from another independent study that used cores recovered from the Chelungpu fault zone at depth. This study also shows that it is suitable for using heat-flow data obtained from shallow subsurface to constrain thrusting faulting parameters, similar to what had been done for the strike-slip San Andreas Fault in California. Additional fieldworks are planned to study heat flows in other mountainous regions of Taiwan for more advanced geodynamic modeling efforts.

Prediction of Flood Warning in Taiwan Using Nonlinear SVM with Simulated Annealing Algorithm

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Lee, C.

2013-12-01

The issue of the floods is important in Taiwan. It is because the narrow and high topography of the island make lots of rivers steep in Taiwan. The tropical depression likes typhoon always causes rivers to flood. Prediction of river flow under the extreme rainfall circumstances is important for government to announce the warning of flood. Every time typhoon passed through Taiwan, there were always floods along some rivers. The warning is classified to three levels according to the warning water levels in Taiwan. The propose of this study is to predict the level of floods warning from the information of precipitation, rainfall duration and slope of riverbed. To classify the level of floods warning by the above-mentioned information and modeling the problems, a machine learning model, nonlinear Support vector machine (SVM), is formulated to classify the level of floods warning. In addition, simulated annealing (SA), a probabilistic heuristic algorithm, is used to determine the optimal parameter of the SVM model. A case study of flooding-trend rivers of different gradients in Taiwan is conducted. The contribution of this SVM model with simulated annealing is capable of making efficient announcement for flood warning and keeping the danger of flood from residents along the rivers.

Helianthus debilis Nuttall subsp. cucumerifolius (Torrey & A. Gray Heiser (Asteraceae, a Newly Naturalized Plant in Taiwan

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Yen-Hsueh Tseng

2008-09-01

Full Text Available We document the naturalization of the New World Helianthus debilis Nuttall subsp. cucumerifolius (Torrey & A. Gray Heiser in central Taiwan. A taxonomic treatment, line drawings, and color photographs of this species from the wild are provided to aid in identification. This represents the first report of Helianthus species in Taiwan. The colony of H. debilis subsp. cucumerifolius was first observed in Taiwan in 1999. During our field survey in 2007 we witnessed the significant range expansion though the coast of Changhua County. The potential of H. debilis subsp. cucumerifolius to become an invasive species in Taiwan is worthy of attention.

Understanding the Development of School Psychology Services in the Republic of Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuanyuan; D'Amato, Rik Carl

2013-01-01

School psychology is one of the most important fields within applied psychology, which is closely related to education and as a developing specialty it is important to be considered. Taiwan is an important Western ally and is highly developed in many ways. Taiwan is influenced by both Western and Eastern cultures, and this has inevitably impacted…

Dendrobium okinawense Hatusima & Ida (Orchidaceae: A Newly Recorded Species in Taiwan

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Shih-Wen Chung

2007-03-01

Full Text Available A newly recorded species, Dendrobium okinawense Hatusima & Ida, in Taiwan is described and illustrated. This species is rare and endemic to Ryukyu Islands. We recently found it in the mountains along the coast of southeastern Taiwan. Although the flower of D. okinawense is somewhat structurally similar to that of D. moniliforme, they are evidently different from each other in floral dimension, petals, lip shape and floral color.

76 FR 64312 - Light-Walled Welded Rectangular Carbon Steel Tubing From Taiwan: Final Results of the Expedited...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-18

... Rectangular Carbon Steel Tubing From Taiwan: Final Results of the Expedited Sunset Review of the Antidumping... the antidumping duty order on light-walled welded rectangular carbon steel tubing from Taiwan pursuant... steel tubing from Taiwan pursuant to section 751(c) of the Act. See Initiation of Five-Year (``Sunset...

Additional slipper lobsters of the subfamily Scyllarinae Latreille, 1825 (Crustacea, Achelata, Scyllaridae) from Taiwan.

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Yang, Chien-Hui; Lin, Chia-Wei; Chan, Tin-Yam

2014-08-15

Five scyllarine lobsters are recorded from Taiwan for the first time. They are Bathyarctus rubens (Alcock & Anderson, 1894), Biarctus sordidus (Stimpson, 1860), Chelarctus aureus (Holthuis, 1963), Crenarctus bicuspidatus (De Man, 1905) and Petrarctus veliger Holthuis, 2002. The distributions of B. rubens, C. aureus and P. veliger are extended northwards to Taiwan. Distinguishing characters of these five species are illustrated and color photographs of all but B. sordidus are provided. Altogether, nine genera and 17 species of scyllarine lobsters are now known from Taiwan. 

A novel economy reflecting short-term load forecasting approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Cheng-Ting; Chou, Li-Der

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We combine MA line of TAIEX and SVR to overcome the load demands over-prediction problems caused by the economic downturn. ► The Taiwan island-wide electricity power system was used as the case study. ► Short- to middle-term MA lines of TAIEX are found to be good economic input variables for load forecasting models. - Abstract: The global economic downturn in 2008 and 2009, which was spurred by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, sharply reduced the demand for electricity load. Conventional load-forecasting approaches were unable to respond to sudden changes in the economy, because these approaches do not consider the effect of economic factors. Therefore, the over-prediction problem occurred. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a novel, economy-reflecting, short-term load forecasting (STLF) approach based on theories of moving average (MA) line of stock index and machine learning. In this approach, the stock indices decision model is designed to reflect fluctuations in the Taiwan Stock Exchange Capitalization Weighted Stock Index (TAIEX) series, which is selected as an optimal input variable in support vector regression load forecasting model at an appropriate timing. The Taiwan island-wide hourly electricity load demands from 2008 to 2010 are used as the case study for performance benchmarking. Results show that the proposed approach with a 60-day MA of the TAIEX as economic learning pattern achieves good forecasting performance. It outperforms the conventional approach by 29.16% on average during economic downturn-affected days. Overall, the proposed approach successfully overcomes the over-prediction problems caused by the economic downturn. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to apply MA line theory of stock index on STLF.

78 FR 42041 - Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan, and Korea

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-15

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to... Foreign Commercial Service is amending notice for the Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan... executive lead the Travel and Tourism Trade Mission to Taiwan, Japan and Korea, March 10-14, 2014, published...

Indoor Air Quality in the Metro System in North Taiwan.

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Chen, Ying-Yi; Sung, Fung-Chang; Chen, Mei-Lien; Mao, I-Fang; Lu, Chung-Yen

2016-12-02

Indoor air pollution is an increasing health concern, especially in enclosed environments such as underground subway stations because of increased global usage by urban populations. This study measured the indoor air quality of underground platforms at 10 metro stations of the Taipei Rapid Transit system (TRTS) in Taiwan, including humidity, temperature, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), ozone (O₃), airborne particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ), bacteria and fungi. Results showed that the CO₂, CO and HCHO levels met the stipulated standards as regulated by Taiwan's Indoor Air Quality Management Act (TIAQMA). However, elevated PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels were measured at most stations. TVOCs and bacterial concentrations at some stations measured in summer were higher than the regulated standards stipulated by Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration. Further studies should be conducted to reduce particulate matters, TVOCs and bacteria in the air of subway stations.

Decadal fluctuations in the western Pacific recorded by long precipitation records in Taiwan

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Huang, Wan-Ru; Wang, S.-Y. Simon; Guan, Biing T.

2018-03-01

A 110-year precipitation record in Taiwan, located at the western edge of the subtropical North Pacific, depicts a pronounced quasi-decadal oscillation (QDO). The QDO in Taiwan exhibits a fluctuating relationship with the similar decadal variations of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the central equatorial Pacific, known as the Pacific QDO. A regime change was observed around 1960, such that the decadal variation of Taiwan's precipitation became more synchronized with the Pacific QDO's coupled evolutions of SST and atmospheric circulation than before, while the underlying pattern of the Pacific QOD did not change. Using long-term reanalysis data and CMIP5 single-forcing experiments, the presented analysis suggests that increased SST in the subtropical western Pacific and the strengthened western extension of the North Pacific subtropical anticyclone may have collectively enhanced the relationship between the Taiwan precipitation and the Pacific QDO. This finding provides possible clues to similar regime changes in quasi-decadal variability observed around the western Pacific rim.

A study on the development of the “Taiwan project management competence scale”

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Kao I-Chan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available On the basis of the 46 competence elements in the International Project Management Association (IPMA ICB Version 3.0 and the PMP competence guidelines in PMBOK® Guide -- Fifth Edition by the Project Management Institute, this study formulates a “Preliminary Draft of the Taiwan Project Management Competence Scale”. After expert review, a pretest was developed for the Taiwan Project Management Competence Scale. With adult students in adult education institutions as the respondents, a pretest was conducted in order to collect data. Confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis were then conducted to construct the “Taiwan Project Management Competence Scale”, which covers the four dimensions of project management of cognitive and conceptual competences, behavioral and technical competences, contextual competences, and moral and ethical competences. It is intended that this scale could be used as reference in future investigations into and measurement of project management competence in Taiwan, thus, facilitating the diagnosis, improvement, and refinement of performance in terms of project management competence.

Sedimentological characteristics and seafloor failure offshore SW Taiwan

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Chih-Chieh Su

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, analysis results reveal two main deposition zones are located at the flank of upper Gaoping Submarine Canyon and Lower Fangliao Basin offshore SW Taiwan. The non-event related sediments deposited in past 150 years (i.e., 632 Mt km-2 was delivered and transported from Gaoping River by suspension process with tides and coastal currents and gradually spread out offshore. Meanwhile, the total mass of accumulation sediments is 1922 Mt km-2, accounting for 40% Gaoping River’s sediment load and suggesting that the deposition process is mainly controlled by natural hazards. Sedimentation rates in much of the study area, except in the main deposition zones, are less than 0.5 cm yr-1 (5 m kyr-1. Compared with the studies at the instability seafloor caused by high sedimentation rates (~30 m kyr-1, the offshore southwestern Taiwan is relatively stable. In this study, we also discovered a series of sediment waves located on the upper continental slope between Gaoping and Fangliao Submarine Canyons, which is related to the creeping process on seafloor. In summary, our results reveal the fluid activities, existence of weak layers and earthquake triggering are potential factors which might induced seafloor failures offshore southwestern Taiwan.

Seismotectonics of Taiwan Shoal region in northeastern SCS: Insights from crustal structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kuiyuan, Wan; Jinlong, Sun; Shaohong, Xia; Xiaoling, Xie; Xiang, Zhang; Huilong, Xu; Jinghe, Cao

2017-04-01

A seismicity cluster and a great 16 September 1994 earthquake occur in the Taiwan Shoal region, outer rise of the Manila subduction zone. To understand what mechanisms control and generate the earthquake cluster, it is important to investigate the deep crustal structure of the Taiwan Shoal region. We present a 2-D seismic tomographic image of the crustal structure along the OBS2012 profile based on ocean bottom seismographic (OBS) data. The structure exhibits that a high velocity anomaly in the upper crust beneath the Taiwan Shoal is flanked by lower velocity anomalies. Based on the crustal structure, we study the 765 earthquakes, which occurred in the period 1991-2015. These epicenters, combined with the regional faults, and crustal structure, allow us to better understand the nature of the active tectonics in this region. The high velocity area is interpreted as representing stronger, defining major asperities where stress is concentrated corresponding to the location of the earthquake cluster. The earthquake cluster is influenced by the fault interactions. However, the 16 September 1994 earthquake is independents of the seismic activities but associated with the reactivation of the preexisting fault. In Taiwan region, the slab-pull was resisted by the exposed pre-collision accretionary prism and the resistive force caused the in-plane compressive stress accumulation. This condition may favor the triggering of future damaging earthquakes in this region. Key words: earthquake cluster; crustal structure; fault interactions; outer rise; Taiwan Shoal

Effect of Floodplain Inundation on River Pollution in Taiwan's Strong Monsoonal Climate

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Hester, E. T.; Lin, A. Y. C.

2017-12-01

River-floodplain interaction provides important benefits such as flood mitigation, provision of ecological habitat, and improved water quality. Human actions have historically reduced such interaction and associated benefits by diking, floodplain fill, and river regulation. In response, floodplain restoration has become popular in North America and Europe, but is less practiced in Asia. In Taiwan, unusually strong monsoons and steep terrain alter floodplain dynamics relative to elsewhere around the world, and provide a unique environment for floodplain management. We used numerical models of flow, transport, and reaction in river channels and floodplains to quantify the effect of river-floodplain interaction on water quality in Taiwan's strong monsoon and high topographic relief. We conducted sensitivity analyses of parameters such as river slope, monsoon severity, reservoir operation mode, degree of floodplain reconnection, contaminant reaction rate, and contaminant reaction type on floodplain connectivity and contaminant mitigation. We found significant differences in floodplain hydraulics and residence times in Taiwan's steep monsoonal environment relative to the shallower non-monsoonal environment typical of the eastern USA, with significant implications for water quality. For example, greater flashiness of floodplain inundation in Taiwan provides greater challenges for reconnecting sufficient floodplain volume to handle monsoonal runoff. Yet longer periods when floodplains are reliably dry means that such lands may have greater value for seasonal use such as parks or agriculture. The potential for floodplain restoration in Taiwan is thus significant, but qualitatively different than in the eastern USA.

Herbal Medicine Research in Taiwan *Appropriate person among the authors to be in contact for any further information on the status of CHM research in Taiwan and for opportunities to study and conduct research in the field of TCM in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Kaphle, Krishna; Wu, Leang-Shin; Yang, Nai-Yen Jack; Lin, Jen-Hsou

2006-01-01

Of all the countries in the world, why did you choose Taiwan to pursue your study? It is a question that I (comments of the first author) have answered a thousand times. My first visit to a laboratory at National Taiwan University opened my eyes to the possibilities of herbal medicine research, especially in the area of veterinary medicine. It became my ambition to link the knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda from the Indian subcontinent and their integration with o...

A multicenter surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Serratia marcescens in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Liou, Bo-Huang; Duh, Ruay-Wang; Lin, Yi-Tsung; Lauderdale, Tsai-Ling Yang; Fung, Chang-Phone

2014-10-01

Serratia marcescens is an important nosocomial pathogen and the characteristic property of resistance conferred by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase or a novel AmpC cephalosporinase was not unusual in Taiwan. This study investigated the trends in antimicrobial resistance in S. marcescens from a nationwide surveillance in Taiwan. S. marcescens isolates were collected biennially between 2002 and 2010 from medical centers and regional hospitals throughout Taiwan, as part of the Taiwan Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance program. Minimal inhibitory concentrations were determined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute reference broth microdilution method. A total of 403 nonduplicate S. marcescens isolates were collected, mostly from respiratory samples (157, 39.0%), followed by the urinary tract samples (90, 22.3%). Overall, 99.3% isolates were susceptible to imipenem, 93.8% to ceftazidime, 89.2% to minocycline, 87.8% to amikacin, 86.8% to cefepime, 82.9% to aztreonam, 73.2% to ceftriaxone, 72.7% to levofloxacin, 63.8% to ciprofloxacin, 60.8% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), and 59.6% to gentamicin. A significantly increased susceptibility rate after 2004 was observed for the following antibiotics: amikacin (73.8% vs. 97.1%), gentamicin (40.0% vs. 72.4%), ciprofloxacin (53.8% vs. 70.4%), ceftriaxone (53.8% vs. 86.0%), cefepime (74.4% vs. 95.1%), aztreonam (72.5% vs. 89.7%), and TMP/SMX (41.3% vs. 73.7%). In this 8-year study, the susceptibility of S. marcescens to ceftazidime and imipenem remained consistently high in Taiwan. S. marcescens isolates demonstrated relatively higher resistance to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, and therefore continued surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, especially for fluoroquinolone, is warranted. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

High Prevalence of Rickettsia spp. Infections in Small Mammals in Taiwan

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Kuo, Chi-Chien; Shu, Pei-Yun; Mu, Jung-Jung

2015-01-01

Abstract Surveillance for Rickettsia spp. is urgently needed due to the recent emergence of many novel rickettsioses around the globe, but previous studies in Taiwan have been limited to small areas and no investigation of infections in vertebrate hosts has ever been attempted. We surveyed rickettsial infections systematically in small-mammal hosts trapped between 2006 and 2010 throughout Taiwan. Fragments of ompB and gltA genes in the liver, spleen, and kidney of mammals were targeted by nested polymerase chain reaction. We trapped 1375 individuals of 10 species, among which Rattus losea was the most common (54.6%), followed by Suncus murinus (20.6%) and Mus caroli (10.6%). The overall rate of Rickettsia infections in the liver, spleen, or kidney of 309 assayed small mammals was 60.5%, with a rate of infection ≥50% for each mammal species. DNA nucleotide sequences of 184 successfully sequenced genes were most similar to nine Rickettsia species: Rickettsia conorii, R. felis, R. japonica, R. raoultii, R. rickettsii, Rickettsia sp. IG-1, Rickettsia sp. TwKM01, Rickettsia sp. TwKM02, and R. typhi. Our results suggest that several novel Rickettsia spp. are common and widespread across various habitats throughout Taiwan and suggest the need for further study of emerging rickettsioses in Taiwan. PMID:25629776

Seismic Evidence of Ancient Westward Residual Slab Subduction Beneath Southern Taiwan

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Cheng-Horng Lin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The northeastern convergence of the Philippine Sea plate toward the Eurasian plate causes the major western Philippine Sea plate boundary to subduct toward the northwest or west directions. However, this phenomenon is not clearly observed along the plate boundary between Luzon and Taiwan. Careful examination of deep seismicity in the southern Taiwan area from the earthquake catalog reported by the Central Weather Bureau shows two seismic zones dipping toward the opposing directions. The first dips toward the east from the surface down to 150 km in depth, while the second dips westward at depths between 150 and 200 km. These two seismic zones are confirmed further by seismogram observation and modeling results generated by two deep faults in the southern Taiwan area. The eastward seismic zone clearly results from the Eurasia plate subduction along the Manila trench, while a small section of the westward seismic zone might likely be a residual slab from the ancient subducted Philippine Sea plate. Based on the subduction speed obtained from GPS observations and the subducted Eurasian plate geometry, we can further estimate the eastward Eurasian plate subduction started at least 3.35 million years ago. This result is roughly consistent with the volcanic ages (3 - 4 Ma observed in the arc between Luzon and Taiwan.

The Most Familiar Stranger: The Acculturation of Mainland Chinese Students Studying in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Ren-Fang; Yen, Jih-Rong

2018-01-01

Mainland China and Taiwan have a homogenous macroculture, but a heterogenous microculture. To understand the acculturation of students from mainland China to Taiwan, the present study applies Berry's (1997) two-dimensional model of acculturation, together with the concept of cultural types as its analytical framework, using focus group interviews…

Decomposition of SO2, NOx and CO2 emissions from energy use of major economic sectors in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sue J. Lin; Tzu C. Chang

1996-01-01

In this paper we use the Divisia index approach to decompose emission changes of SO 2 , NO, and CO 2 from major economic sectors in Taiwan during 1980 to 1992. The study highlights the interrelationships between energy use and environmental quality, and provides insights for policy making. The emission changes are decomposed into five components-pollution coefficient, fuel mix, energy intensity, economic growth and industrial structure. Of all components analyzed, economic growth had the largest positive effect on emission changes for Taiwan's major economic sectors. Emissions of SO 2 in industry and other sectors showed a decreasing trend due to fuel quality improvements antipollution control. However, NO, and CO 2 emissions increased sharply in all sectors. Comparisons were also made with Germany, Japan and USA. This study has shown that improvement in energy efficiency, pollution control and fuel substitution are major options to reduce SO 2 , NO, and CO 2 emissions

Outlook for solar water heaters in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Keh-Chin; Lee, Tsong-Sheng; Chung, Kung-Ming; Lin, Wei-Min

2008-01-01

The share of indigenous energy supply continuously decreases over the last two decades in Taiwan. The development and use of renewable energy sources and technologies are becoming vital for the management of energy supply and demand. For promotion of solar water heaters, the incentive programs were firstly initiated in the period of 1986-1991 and re-initiated from 2000 to the present. These programs create an economic incentive for the end users and have a drastic effect on the popularization of solar water heaters. To further promote solar water heaters during the current incentive program period, several key factors are addressed. In addition to the cost of solar water heaters and energy price index, the potential market of solar water heaters in Taiwan is associated with the climatic conditions, population structure, urbanization, building type of housing and status of new construction. (author)

Outlook for solar water heaters in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Keh-Chin [Department of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Kueijen, Tainan, Taiwan 711 (China); Lee, Tsong-Sheng; Chung, Kung-Ming [Aerospace Science and Technology Research Center, National Cheng Kung University, Kueijen, Tainan, Taiwan 711 (China); Lin, Wei-Min [Tainan University of Technology (China)

2008-01-15

The share of indigenous energy supply continuously decreases over the last two decades in Taiwan. The development and use of renewable energy sources and technologies are becoming vital for the management of energy supply and demand. For promotion of solar water heaters, the incentive programs were firstly initiated in the period of 1986-1991 and re-initiated from 2000 to the present. These programs create an economic incentive for the end users and have a drastic effect on the popularization of solar water heaters. To further promote solar water heaters during the current incentive program period, several key factors are addressed. In addition to the cost of solar water heaters and energy price index, the potential market of solar water heaters in Taiwan is associated with the climatic conditions, population structure, urbanization, building type of housing and status of new construction. (author)

Innovative Design of Agricultural Cross-border E-commerce Management Platform Construction between Hainan and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jun; Gao, Yanli

2018-02-01

The essay is based on the subject research between Hainan and Tai league, by analyzing the comparison of agricultural development between Hainan and other Chinese areas, finds that Hainan agricultural develops slowly. Meanwhile, by using the experience and technology of Taiwan agricultural development for reference, taking full advantage of modern internet technology, we try to find the complementary opportunity of agricultural technology, experience in agricultural development between Hainan and Taiwan. Therefore, by combining the existing resources of Hainan and Taiwan, following the thoughts of the “Internet+ Agriculture”, the essay tries to work out an innovative designation of agricultural cross-border e-commerce management platform, integrate the resource advantages of Hainan and Taiwan, specify the functions of newly designed management platform.

The Quality of Life in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Grace; Cheng, Yen-Pi; Cheng, Chiao-Pi

2009-01-01

The AsiaBarometer survey of 1,006 respondents shows that in Taiwan, people have access to modern utilities and digital media, signs of materialistic achievement, and yet are more concerned with physical security and financial safety than with personal growth. Regardless of their demographic backgrounds and value priorities, the Taiwanese, like…

Development and perspective of promising energy plants for bioethanol production in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Sin-Yie; Lin, Chien-Yih

2009-01-01

The global energy crisis and continual soaring prices of fossil fuels force people to seek the new and recycled alternative energy sources hard. Biodiesel oil as well as bioethanol fuel, as two new and clean fuels for environmental protection, have already been approved as substitutes for fuel or fuel additive. Some common bottlenecks for production of biodiesel crops have been found. However, developing bioethanol crops in Taiwan has many benefits. Four most promising alcohol crops in Taiwan, i.e., sweet potato, maize, sugarcane, and sweet sorghum have been discussed. Sweet sorghum can be strongly recommended as a key alcohol crop in Taiwan, because of its short growing period, low water requirement, large amount of biomass and alcohol produced, and greater income obtained from sweet sorghum cultivation. (author)

Frailty and Its Contributory Factors in Older Adults: A Comparison of Two Asian Regions (Hong Kong and Taiwan

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Ruby Yu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to compare the prevalence of frailty across three Chinese populations: Hong Kong, Taiwan-urban and Taiwan-rural. Contributing factors to disparities in frailty were also examined. Data were derived from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOs and Women (MsOs (Hong Kong Study (n = 4000 and the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (n = 2392. Frailty was defined as an index calculated from 30 multiple deficits. The ratio of the frailty index to life expectancy at birth (FI/LE was used as an indicator of compression of morbidity. Frailty was more prevalent in Taiwan-urban (33.1% and Taiwan-rural (38.1% compared to Hong Kong (16.6%, p < 0.05 and was higher in women (22.6–49.7% than in men (10.5–27.5%, p < 0.05. The ratios of FI/LE were higher in Taiwan-urban and Taiwan-rural (both 0.27 compared to Hong Kong (0.20, p < 0.05. Multivariate analyses revealed that older age, being a woman and low levels of physical activity were common risk factors for frailty across the three populations. Alcohol use was inversely associated with frailty in both Hong Kong and Taiwan-urban populations, but not in Taiwan-rural. Living alone was associated with frailty in Hong Kong men, but not in Hong Kong women or Taiwanese people. For all study populations, older age and being a woman constituted the highest attributable factor. This comparison provides useful data to inform government policies.

Implementing Reflective Portfolios for Promoting Autonomous Learning among EFL College Students in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Ya-Fen

2010-01-01

This article depicts challenges for students and teachers involved in developing a reflective portfolio to promote autonomous learning in Taiwan. One hundred and one students in a Taiwan university completed their individual portfolio projects. A pre-course questionnaire, post-course self-evaluation, and the instructor's field notes were the data…

Molecular and epidemiological study of enterovirus D68 in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yuan-Pin; Lin, Tsuey-Li; Lin, Ting-Han; Wu, Ho-Sheng

2017-08-01

As an immunofluorescence assay for enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is not available in the enteroviruses surveillance network in Taiwan, EV-D68 may be the actual pathogen of untypeable enterovirus-suspected isolates. The untypeable isolates collected from 2007 through 2014 were identified by nucleic acid amplification-based methods and sequencing of the VP1 region to analyze the phylogeny and epidemiology of EV-D68 in Taiwan. Twenty-nine EV-D68 isolates were sequenced, including 15 Cluster 3 and 14 Cluster 1 viruses. Approximately 41% of the patients were children under 5 years of age and their infections peaked in August. The ratio of male to female patients was 1.5 and 3.67 for Cluster 3 and Cluster 1, respectively. Fever and respiratory symptoms were commonly reported in EV-D68-infected patients. The results of phylogenetic analyses showed that EV-D68 isolates between 2007 and 2014 belonged to different clusters and existed for years, indicating that endemic circulation of EV-D68 existed in Taiwan. This study showed that EV-D68 has been endemic in Taiwan for some years despite a small number of positive cases. The continuous monitoring and efforts towards the improvement of diagnostic techniques are required to complete the surveillance system. This study provided the genetic and epidemiological information which could contribute to understanding the etiology and epidemiology of EV-D68. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hospital-based school for children with chronic illness in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Der-Fang; Tsai, Tsuen-Chiuan; Su, Yu-Tsun; Lin, Chi-Wei

2015-10-01

To provide educational support and avoid unwanted damage that may impede learning for children with chronic illness, the learning environment should be friendly and safe. There is a need to establish schools inside hospitals, however, which may be neglected in a highly efficient health care system. A study was conducted to identify hospital-based schools for sick children in Taiwan, and to explore the barriers for implementation. The data were collected by structured telephone interview and retrieval of hospital web information. The study targeted social workers and nurses in the pediatric wards of 29 hospitals, plus officials from the Education Bureau in Taiwan. The interviewers inquired about the availability of a formal educational program inside hospitals and the barriers (if any) in providing educational supports. Taiwan has only one hospital-based informal school and eight hospitals with rotating bedside teachers. Education inside hospitals occurs mostly through voluntary teaching in informal education models. Information about special educational resources has not been widely distributed to patients and health care providers. Professional personnel in Taiwan are not well aware of the needs to establish a hospital-based school. The educational needs of children with chronic illness can be easily neglected even in an industrialized country. The establishment of policy and the enrichment of professional education on advocacy are necessary to eliminate educational inequities and benefit sick children. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Widespread Rickettsia spp. Infections in Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Chi-Chien; Shu, Pei-Yun; Mu, Jung-Jung; Lee, Pei-Lung; Wu, Yin-Wen; Chung, Chien-Kung; Wang, Hsi-Chieh

2015-09-01

Ticks are second to mosquitoes as the most important disease vectors, and recent decades have witnessed the emergence of many novel tick-borne rickettsial diseases, but systematic surveys of ticks and tick-borne rickettsioses are generally lacking in Asia. We collected and identified ticks from small mammal hosts between 2006 and 2010 in different parts of Taiwan. Rickettsia spp. infections in ticks were identified by targeting ompB and gltA genes with nested polymerase chain reaction. In total, 2,732 ticks were collected from 1,356 small mammals. Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides Supino (51.8% of total ticks), Haemaphysalis bandicota Hoogstraal & Kohls (28.0%), and Ixodes granulatus Supino (20.0%) were the most common tick species, and Rattus losea Swinhoe (44.7% of total ticks) and Bandicota indica Bechstein (39.9%) were the primary hosts. The average Rickettsia infective rate in 329 assayed ticks was 31.9% and eight Rickettsia spp. or closely related species were identified. This study shows that rickettsiae-infected ticks are widespread in Taiwan, with a high diversity of Rickettsia spp. circulating in the ticks. Because notifiable rickettsial diseases in Taiwan only include mite-borne scrub typhus and flea-borne murine typhus, more studies are warranted for a better understanding of the real extent of human risks to rickettsioses in Taiwan. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nitrate in drinking water and risk of death from pancreatic cancer in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chun-Yuh; Tsai, Shang-Shyue; Chiu, Hui-Fen

2009-01-01

The relationship between nitrate levels in drinking water and risk of pancreatic cancer development remains inconclusive. A matched case-control and nitrate ecology study was used to investigate the association between mortality attributed to pancreatic cancer and nitrate exposure from Taiwan's drinking water. All pancreatic cancer deaths of Taiwan residents from 2000 through 2006 were obtained from the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the Taiwan Provincial Department of Health. Controls were deaths from other causes and were pair-matched to the cases by gender, year of birth, and year of death. Each matched control was selected randomly from the set of possible controls for each case. Data on nitrate-nitrogen (NO(3)-N) levels of drinking water throughout Taiwan were collected from Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The municipality of residence for cancer cases and controls was assumed to be the source of the subject's nitrate exposure via drinking water. The adjusted odds ratios and confidence limits for pancreatic cancer death for those with high nitrate levels in their drinking water, as compared to the lowest tertile, were 1.03 (0.9-1.18) and 1.1 (0.96-1.27), respectively. The results of the present study show that there was no statistically significant association between the levels of nitrate in drinking water and increased risk of death from pancreatic cancer.

Spatial Temporal Dynamics and Molecular Evolution of Re-Emerging Rabies Virus in Taiwan

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Yung-Cheng Lin

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Taiwan has been recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health as rabies-free since 1961. Surprisingly, rabies virus (RABV was identified in a dead Formosan ferret badger in July 2013. Later, more infected ferret badgers were reported from different geographic regions of Taiwan. In order to know its evolutionary history and spatial temporal dynamics of this virus, phylogeny was reconstructed by maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods based on the full-length of glycoprotein (G, matrix protein (M, and nucleoprotein (N genes. The evolutionary rates and phylogeographic were determined using Beast and SPREAD software. Phylogenetic trees showed a monophyletic group containing all of RABV isolates from Taiwan and it further separated into three sub-groups. The estimated nucleotide substitution rates of G, M, and N genes were between 2.49 × 10−4–4.75 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year, and the mean ratio of dN/dS was significantly low. The time of the most recent common ancestor was estimated around 75, 89, and 170 years, respectively. Phylogeographic analysis suggested the origin of the epidemic could be in Eastern Taiwan, then the Formosan ferret badger moved across the Central Range of Taiwan to western regions and separated into two branches. In this study, we illustrated the evolution history and phylogeographic of RABV in Formosan ferret badgers.

COPD in Taiwan: a National Epidemiology Survey

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Cheng SL

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Shih-Lung Cheng,1,2 Ming-Cheng Chan,3 Chin-Chou Wang,4 Ching-Hsiung Lin,5 Hao-Chien Wang,6 Jeng-Yuan Hsu,3 Liang-Wen Hang,7,8 Chee-Jen Chang,9 Diahn-Warng Perng,10,* Chong-Jen Yu6,* On behalf of the Taiwan COPD Consortium 1Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, 2Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li City, Taoyuan County, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 4Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 5Division of Chest Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua City, Changhua County, 6Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 7Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine Center, China Medical University Hospital, 8Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Health Care, China Medical University, Taichung, 9Biostatistical Center for Clinical Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch, Guishan Township, Taoyuan County, 10Department of Chest Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objectives: To determine the prevalence of COPD in Taiwan and to document the disease characteristics and associated risk factors.Methods: We conducted a random cross-sectional national survey of adults older than 40 years in Taiwan. Respiratory health screening questions identified subjects with diagnosed COPD or whose reported symptoms also fulfilled an epidemiological case definition; these were eligible to complete the survey, which also included indices of symptom severity and disability and questions on comorbidities, medical treatments, smoking habits, and occupations potentially harmful to respiratory health. Subjects with diagnosed COPD were subdivided by smoking status. Subjects who fulfilled the case definition

Exotic Amphibians in the Pet Shops of Taiwan

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Ping-Chun Lucy Hou

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Pet trade is an important mechanism for introducing alien species. We surveyed a total of 434 pet shops in major cities of Taiwan and found 49 species of alien amphibians belonging to 14 families and 31 genera. Two of the alien species, Rana catesbeiana and Kaloula pulchra, have established in the fields and the other three, Bufo marinus, Xenopus laevis, and Dendrobates auratus, have invasion records in other countries. There were 16 CITES Appendix II species. The most frequently displayed species were the horned frogs, eratophrys spp. And the most abundant species was the American Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. We urge the authority of Taiwan establishing regulations on pet trade and enforcing the wildlife conservation law to reduce the risks of alien species invasions.

The association of hospital governance with innovation in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chen-Wei; Yan, Yu-Hua; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Inamdar, Syeda Noorein; Lin, Hsien-Cheng

2018-01-01

Hospitals in Taiwan are facing major changes and innovation is increasingly becoming a critical factor for remaining competitive. One determinant that can have a significant impact on innovation is hospital governance. However, there is limited prior research on the relationship between hospital governance and innovation. The purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual framework to hypothesize the relationship between governance mechanisms and innovation and to empirically test the hypotheses in hospital organizations. We examine the relationship between governance mechanisms and innovation using data on 102 hospitals in Taiwan from the Taiwan Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation and Quality Improvement. We model governance mechanisms using board structure, information transparency and strategic decision-making processes. For our modeling and data analysis we use measurement and structural models. We find that in hospital governance, information transparency and strategic decision making did impact innovation. However, governance structure did not. To facilitate innovation, hospital boards can increase information transparency and improve the decision-making process when considering strategic investments in innovative initiatives. To remain competitive, hospital boards need to develop and monitor indices that measure hospital innovation to ensure ongoing progress. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Impact of China on Stock Returns and Volatility in the Taiwan Tourism Industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); H-K. Hsu (Hui-Kuang); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

2013-01-01

textabstractThis paper investigates the stock returns and volatility size effects for firm performance in the Taiwan tourism industry, especially the impacts arising from the tourism policy reform that allowed mainland Chinese tourists to travel to Taiwan. Four conditional univariate GARCH models

75 FR 56982 - Narrow Woven Ribbons With Woven Selvedge From Taiwan and the People's Republic of China: Amended...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-17

...: Margin Exporter or producer (percent) Taiwan Roung Shu Industry Corporation 4.37 All Others 4.37 Margin... Ribbons With Woven Selvedge From Taiwan and the People's Republic of China: Amended Antidumping Duty...: Notice of amended antidumping duty orders. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Holly Phelps (Taiwan), AD/CVD...

Analysis of hydrologic variation under climate change environment in southern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yung-Chau; Chen, Yu-Chin; Chen, Wen-Fu

2014-05-01

Impact and adaptation is an important issue in response to climate change. We need to know the affections of climate change on hydrologic characteristics before estimating the impacts and making adaptation strategies of concerned area. The wet and dry seasons of southern Taiwan are significant. In addition, the amount of average annual rainfall is about 2,100mm in southern Taiwan. Most of rainfalls happen in wet season and are caused by cyclones (typhoons) or thunderstorms in wet season. It implies that both quantity and intensity of rainfall are large in wet season, while they are small in dry season. Corresponding to the phenomena, the possibility of flood in wet season and draught in dry season is high. This means significant hydrologic variations may cause disasters. The purpose of this study is to analyze hydrologic variation due to recent climate changes in southern Taiwan, and provide decision makers some information to understand possible impacts and make adaptation strategies. Before typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan, southern Taiwan was suffering from aridity. As usual, people were expecting the rainfall accompanied with typhoons will resolve the drought in this area. However, it fell down huge amount of water within a short period of time and the rain became a big disaster in this area. The rainfall is an over 200-year event, a record breaker. The data used in this research is based on the records of Taiwan Central Weather Bureau at Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hengchun station, respectively. The trends of temperature, amount of rainfall, and number of rainy days are examined. Both Mann-Kendall trend test and linear regression method are chosen as the means to do trend examination.The results show that annual mean temperatures at Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hengchun have raised 0.5~0.9°C during past decades under the impact of global warming. The amount of annual rainfall does not appear statistically significant trend. However, the number of annual rainy

Recent achievements in regulating nuclear power activities in taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang, M.S.

2006-01-01

Full text: The energy resources in Taiwan are very scarce with more than 98% of the fuel sources imported from foreign countries. The nuclear power became essential because of its stability and economy in price. There are six operating nuclear power units in Taiwan, and two more advanced boiling water reactor units under construction. As the country's nuclear power still plays an important role, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) devotes its great efforts working on reactor safety regulation, radiation protection, nuclear security, nuclear emergency preparedness, nuclear waste management and environmental monitoring. Recent achievements of AEC on the above mentioned topics will be covered in this presentation

Happiness and social determinants across age cohorts in Taiwan.

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Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Chang, Wen-Chiung; Chong, Young-Sook; An, Jeong Shin

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine happiness and social determinants across age cohorts in Taiwan. The data were obtained from the 2011 Taiwan Social Change Survey (aged 18 +, n = 2,199). The social determinants of happiness included socioeconomic status and social connection. Happiness was not different across the age groups. Receiving less family support, less formal support, more social trust and more control over life were significant for the younger group. Being married and having more social participation were significant for the middle-aged. Receiving less family support and having a higher economic status were significant for the older group. © The Author(s) 2015.

A study of the talent training project management for semiconductor industry in Taiwan: the application of a hybrid data envelopment analysis approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, Ling-Jing; Chiu, Shu-Yu; Ko, Hsien-Tang

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the training institution performance and to improve the management of the Manpower Training Project (MTP) administered by the Semiconductor Institute in Taiwan. Much literature assesses the efficiency of an internal training program initiated by a firm, but only little literature studies the efficiency of an external training program led by government. In the study, a hybrid solution of ICA-DEA and ICA-MPI is developed for measuring the efficiency and the productivity growth of each training institution over the period. The technical efficiency change, the technological change, pure technical efficiency change, scale efficiency change, and the total factor productivity change were evaluated according to five inputs and two outputs. According to the results of the study, the training institutions can be classified by their efficiency successfully and the guidelines for the optimal level of input resources can be obtained for each inefficient training institution. The Semiconductor Institute in Taiwan can allocate budget more appropriately and establish withdrawal mechanisms for inefficient training institutions.

Regulatory System of Radiation Protection in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, F. T.; Huang, C. C.

2004-01-01

After the radioactive contaminated buildings incident occurred in Taiwan in 1993, the competent authority for radiation protection the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) started to review the structured problem of radiation protection regulatory system. Through several years' investigation and study, the AEC has improved two important tools in radiation protection regulatory system, i.e., control regulations and actual practice, and made them more rigorous and efficient. This paper will make a brief introduction of the efforts that Taiwan has made in this respect. Taiwan's radiation protection control was based on the Atomic Energy Law promulgated in 1968, but the control idea and authorization scope were not sufficient to appropriately respond to the highly developed economy and democracy in Taiwan. After several years' legislative process, the Ionizing Radiation Protection Law (IRP Law) was promulgated and entered into force on February 1, 2003. This IRP Law specifically emphasizes categorized risk management of radiation sources, establishment of personnel licenses and training system, enhancement of public safety control, and implementation of quality assurance program for medical exposure. The Legislative Yuan (Congress) fully authorized the competent authority to establish various technological control regulations according to control necessity without prior review by the Legislative Yuan in advance. As to the penalties of the violations of the IRP Law, the AEC adopts high-rated administrative fines and applies the Criminal Law to those who seriously contaminate the environment. In actual practice, the AEC has constructed a Radiation Protection Control Information System compatible with the IRP Law that fully combines the functions of computers and Internet. The information of facility operators who own radiation sources, radiation protection specialists, and operating personnel are entered into this system, starting from the submission of application of the

A Case Study of the Activity Gravitational Deformation Slate Slope on One Newly Rebuild Highway Bridge in Taitung Longitudinal Valley of Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Pei-Chen; Weng, Cheng-Hsueh; Lu, An; Lin, Ming-Lang

2017-04-01

There are many landslide hazards induced by typhoon and earthquake in Taiwan because Taiwan is located in active orogen zone, where the Taitung Longitudinal Valley is the plate boundary, and also many typhoons hit Taiwan and bring much precipitation. In Japan, where also is located in orogen zone, the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake caused a large landslide which destroyed the Great Aso Bridge. It shows that landslides might have huge influence on the safety of bridges. In Sep. 2016, Typhoon No.14 (Meranti) hit Taiwan and caused a slate slope failure which located in Taitung Longitudinal Valley. It cut the approach road of a highway bridge called Songfeng Bridge and the maximum displacement is about 2 meters. The landslide body might include the bridge, and if this landslide continued move the bridge structure might be destroyed. The attitude of cleavage and joints measured in site investigation are complex and confused, it imply that this landslide event is not only controlled by gravitational deformation, but also affected by release joint and river erosion because the site is located on confluence of two river. The target of site investigation in this research includes finding the border of failure surface and the measurement of cleavage and joints. In this research, we compare the result of site investigation and numerical model to find the mechanism of failure, and try to analysis the possible influence on the bridge structure.

75 FR 34282 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2009-014, New Designated Country-Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-16

... Government Procurement. DATES: Effective Date: June 16, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lori... Government Procurement. The interim rule added Taiwan to the list of World Trade Organization Government... seq., because, although this rule opens up Government procurement to the goods and services of Taiwan...

How fast is the denudation of the Taiwan Mountains? (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Siame, L. L.; Derrieux, F.; KANG, C.; Bourles, D. L.; Braucher, R.; Léanni, L.; Chen, R.; Lee, J.; Chu, H.; Chang, C.; Byrne, T. B.

2013-12-01

Orogenic settings are particularly well suited to study and quantify the coupling relations between tectonics, topography, climate and erosion since they record tectonic evolution along convergent margins and the connection between deep and surface processes. However, the interaction of deep and shallow processes is still poorly understood and the role they play in the exhumation of rocks, the structural and kinematic evolution of orogenic wedges, and the relation between tectonics and climate-dependent surface processes are still debated. Therefore, quantification of denudation rates in a wide range of climatic and tectonic settings, as well as at various time and space scales, is a critical step in calibrating and validating landscape evolution models. In this study, we focus on the mountains of the arc-continent collision in Taiwan, which serve as one of the best examples in the world to understand and study mountain building processes. We investigate the pattern and magnitude of denudation rates at the scale of the orogenic system, deriving denudation rates from in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclide 10Be concentrations measured in (1) river-borne quartz minerals sampled at major watersheds outlets, and (2) bedrock outcrops along ridge crests and at summits located along the major drainage divide of the belt. We determined a denudation pattern showing a clear discrepancy between the western (1.7×0.2 mm/yr) and eastern (4.1×0.5 mm/yr) sides of the range. Conversely, bedrock denudation determined along ridge crests, summits and flat surfaces preserved at high elevations are characterized by significantly lower denudation rates on the order of 0.24×0.03 mm/yr. Altogether, the cosmogenic-derived denudation pattern at the orogen-scale reflects fundamental mountain building processes from frontal accretion in the Western Foothills to basal accretion and fast exhumation in the Central Range. Applied to the whole orogen, such field-based approach thus provides

Factors Related to Parenting Practices in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fu-Mei; Luster Tom

2002-01-01

This study examined factors related to authoritarian and authoritative parenting practices among 463 Chinese mothers with preschoolers in Taiwan. Questionnaire findings suggested that maternal depression, child temperament, and degree of parenting daily hassles might have cross-culturally universal influence on parenting practices. Chinese…

Large-Scale Processes Associated with Inter-Decadal and Inter-Annual Early Spring Rainfall Variability in Taiwan

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Jau-Ming Chen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Early spring (March - April rainfall in Taiwan exhibits evident and distinct inter-annual and inter-decadal variability. The inter-annual varibility has a positive correlation with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation while the inter-decadal variability features a phase change beginning in the late 1970s, coherent with the major phase change in the Pacific decadal oscillation. Rainfall variability in both timescales is regulated by large-scale processes showing consistent dynamic features. Rainfall increases are associated with positive sea surface temperature (SST anomalies in the tropical eastern Pacific and negative SST anomalies in the tropical central Pacific. An anomalous lower-level divergent center appears in the tropical central Pacific. Via a Rossby-wave-like response, an anomalous lower-level anticyclone appears to the southeast of Taiwan over the Philippine Sea-tropical western Pacific region, which is accompanied by an anomalous cyclone to the north-northeast of Taiwan. Both circulation anomalies induce anomalous southwesterly flows to enhance moisture flux from the South China Sea onto Taiwan, resulting in significant moisture convergence nearby Taiwan. With enhanced moisture supplied by anomalous southwesterly flows, significant rainfall increases occur in both inter-annual and inter-decadal timescales in early spring rainfall on Taiwan.

TIPdb: A Database of Anticancer, Antiplatelet, and Antituberculosis Phytochemicals from Indigenous Plants in Taiwan

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Ying-Chi Lin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The unique geographic features of Taiwan are attributed to the rich indigenous and endemic plant species in Taiwan. These plants serve as resourceful bank for biologically active phytochemicals. Given that these plant-derived chemicals are prototypes of potential drugs for diseases, databases connecting the chemical structures and pharmacological activities may facilitate drug development. To enhance the utility of the data, it is desirable to develop a database of chemical compounds and corresponding activities from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A database of anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan was constructed. The database, TIPdb, is composed of a standardized format of published anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A browse function was implemented for users to browse the database in a taxonomy-based manner. Search functions can be utilized to filter records of interest by botanical name, part, chemical class, or compound name. The structured and searchable database TIPdb was constructed to serve as a comprehensive and standardized resource for anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis compounds search. The manually curated chemical structures and activities provide a great opportunity to develop quantitative structure-activity relationship models for the high-throughput screening of potential anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis drugs.

TIPdb: a database of anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ying-Chi; Wang, Chia-Chi; Chen, Ih-Sheng; Jheng, Jhao-Liang; Li, Jih-Heng; Tung, Chun-Wei

2013-01-01

The unique geographic features of Taiwan are attributed to the rich indigenous and endemic plant species in Taiwan. These plants serve as resourceful bank for biologically active phytochemicals. Given that these plant-derived chemicals are prototypes of potential drugs for diseases, databases connecting the chemical structures and pharmacological activities may facilitate drug development. To enhance the utility of the data, it is desirable to develop a database of chemical compounds and corresponding activities from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A database of anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan was constructed. The database, TIPdb, is composed of a standardized format of published anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis phytochemicals from indigenous plants in Taiwan. A browse function was implemented for users to browse the database in a taxonomy-based manner. Search functions can be utilized to filter records of interest by botanical name, part, chemical class, or compound name. The structured and searchable database TIPdb was constructed to serve as a comprehensive and standardized resource for anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis compounds search. The manually curated chemical structures and activities provide a great opportunity to develop quantitative structure-activity relationship models for the high-throughput screening of potential anticancer, antiplatelet, and antituberculosis drugs.

A total diet study to estimate dioxin-like compounds intake from Taiwan food

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, M.S.; Wang, S.M.; Chou, U.; Chen, S.Y.; Huang, N.C.; Liao, G.Y.; Yu, T.P.; Ling, Y.C. [National Tsing Hua Univ., Hsinchu (Taiwan)

2004-09-15

Food is the major route of human intake of toxic dioxin-like compounds (DLCs), which include PolyChlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (PCDDs), PolyChlorinated Dibenzo-p-Furans (PCDFs), and PolyChlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Approximately 95% of human DLCs exposure derives from food, with nearly 80% coming from food of animal origin. The DLCs levels in foodstuffs and the food consumption rate are essential to evaluate health risk posing to humans. The lack of DLCs levels in food increases the population's risk to DLCs exposure. The Department of Health, Taiwan has entrusted us to conduct a comprehensive monitoring program on PCDD/Fs levels in Taiwan food (not including plant origin) in 2001 and 2002, In 2003, the program has extended the analytes to include 12 WHO-PCBs. A total diet study (TDS) of DLCs intake from Taiwan food is, therefore, conducted for the first time. The DLCs concentrations in food of animal origin and the food consumption rate are collected. The average daily intake (ADI) and average weekly intake (AWI) of DLCs from food by Taiwan adults is determined.

Phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Juang, Y Y; Liu, C Y

2001-12-01

This study was designed to assess the phenomenology, comorbidities, correlation with depressive disorders, and gender differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in Taiwan. Two hundred outpatients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of OCD according to DSM-IV were included. Patient characteristics, age at onset, symptom profile, and Axis I comorbidity were recorded. Gender differences, age at onset, and comorbidity of depressive disorders among different subtypes of OCD were compared. The most common obsession was contamination, followed by pathological doubt, and need for symmetry. The most common compulsion was checking, followed by washing, and orderliness compulsions. More men than women presented with the obsession of need for symmetry. Eighty-three (41.5%) subjects had comorbid depressive disorders. Women had more major depressive disorder. Patients with somatic obsessions were more likely to have major depressive disorder. Most clinical characteristics of OCD in Taiwan were similar to that of previous studies in other countries.

The feasibility of QR-code prescription in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, C-H; Tsai, F-Y; Tsai, W-L; Wen, H-W; Hu, M-L

2012-12-01

An ideal Health Care Service is a service system that focuses on patients. Patients in Taiwan have the freedom to fill their prescriptions at any pharmacies contracted with National Health Insurance. Each of these pharmacies uses its own computer system. So far, there are at least ten different systems on the market in Taiwan. To transmit the prescription information from the hospital to the pharmacy accurately and efficiently presents a great issue. This study consisted of two-dimensional applications using a QR-code to capture Patient's identification and prescription information from the hospitals as well as using a webcam to read the QR-code and transfer all data to the pharmacy computer system. Two hospitals and 85 community pharmacies participated in the study. During the trial, all participant pharmacies appraised highly of the accurate transmission of the prescription information. The contents in QR-code prescriptions from Taipei area were picked up efficiently and accurately in pharmacies at Taichung area (middle Taiwan) without software system limit and area limitation. The QR-code device received a patent (No. M376844, March 2010) from Intellectual Property Office Ministry of Economic Affair, China. Our trial has proven that QR-code prescription can provide community pharmacists an efficient, accurate and inexpensive device to digitalize the prescription contents. Consequently, pharmacists can offer better quality of pharmacy service to patients. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Factors associated with the decline in suicide by pesticide poisoning in Taiwan: a time trend analysis, 1987-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shu-Sen; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh; Eddleston, Michael; Konradsen, Flemming; Sterne, Jonathan A C; Lin, Jin-Jia; Gunnell, David

2012-07-01

Pesticide self-poisoning accounts for one-third of suicides worldwide, but few studies have investigated the national epidemiology of pesticide suicide in countries where it is a commonly used method. We investigated trends in pesticide suicide, and factors associated with such trends, in Taiwan, a rapidly developing East Asian country. We conducted an ecological study using graphical approaches and Spearman's correlation coefficients to examine trends in pesticide suicide (1987-2010) in Taiwan in relation to pesticide sales, bans on selected pesticides, the proportion of the workforce involved in agriculture and unemployment. We compared pesticide products banned by the Taiwanese government with products that remained on the market and pesticides that accounted for the most poisoning deaths in Taiwan. Age-standardised rates of pesticide suicide showed a 67% reduction from 7.7 per 100,000 (42% of all suicides) in 1987 to 2.5 per 100,000 (12% of all suicides) in 2010, in contrast to a 69% increase in suicide rates by other methods. Pesticide poisoning was the most commonly used method of suicide in 1987 but had become the third most common method by 2010. The reduction was paralleled by a 66% fall in the workforce involved in agriculture but there was no strong evidence for its association with trends in pesticide sales, bans on selected pesticide products or unemployment. The bans mostly post-dated the decline in pesticide suicides; furthermore, they did not include products (e.g. paraquat) that accounted for most deaths and were mainly restricted to selected high-strength formulated products whilst their equivalent low-strength products were not banned. Access to pesticides, indicated by the size of agricultural workforce, appears to influence trends in pesticide suicide in Taiwan. Targeted bans on pesticides should focus on those products that account for most deaths.

Institutional Approach to Anti-corruption Efforts in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China: Improving the Norms, Strengthening the Ethics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Yurievna Adams

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper explores institutional and normative developments in the area of anti-corruption efforts in three Chinese-speaking countries/territories with the latest emphasis on fostering all-encompassing corruption-intolerable environment. Hong Kong’s experience is often regarded as the high standard in establishing efficient anti-corruption institutions in inhospitable conditions. Over relatively short period of time – Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC was established in 1974 – the city made great strides against official corruption and has upheld its clean reputation ever since. ICAC’s former Deputy Commissioner and Head of Operations cites the 2000 public opinion poll in which Hong Kong residents named ICAC’s establishment the 6th most important event in the city’s 1 50-year history. ICAC is an example of a successful reactive approach to anti-corruption. Taiwan has its own success story. The Control Yuan – part of a unique five-branch government structure – combines watchdog and ombudsman functions which nowadays are considered prerequisite for successful fight against corruption and even more important for preventive efforts. This institution – supported by legitimacy of tradition – has a potential to become a coordinating center for comprehensive anti-corruption policy with more specialized agencies handling various aspects of corruption and economic crimes. Lately the Control Yuan’s role in Taiwan’s political structure has been debated, but it remains an example of effective proactive approach to fighting malfeasance. China’s anti-corruption strategy for 2013-17 aims to put forth a “dense net” of regulations, institutions and ethic norms towards country-wide corruption-intolerable environment. Preventive measures that include citizens’ awareness-raising and increasing ethical requirements of government workers warrant additional attention.

Analysis of intelligent green building policy and developing status in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo, Chung-Feng Jeffrey; Lin, Chieh-Hung; Hsu, Ming-Wen

2016-01-01

In 2010, Taiwan launched a program dubbed “four emerging intellectual industries” that lists intelligent green buildings. The aim of promoting of intelligent green building is to stimulate the architecture technology industry. This has been combined with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the concept of green building to provide a safe and healthy living environment. While doing this it will also aim to reduce carbon emissions and save energy. This study investigates intelligent green building policies and the promotion of progress in Taiwan. It probes into cases from 1988 to 2014. Key success factors are derived from analyzing and summarizing intelligent green building experiences in Taiwan. This is done through Secondary Data Analyses by: 1. Establishing clear norms and standards for intelligent green building design and improvement; 2. First carrying out policies in public sector, in order to provide field trial and safeguarded market opportunities for industries; 3. Implementing rating-based assessments, in order to raise the quality of design; 4. Mandatory or incentive policies are introduced, depending on local specialties and conditions; 5. Respectively planning incentives for relevant interested parties in industrial chain; 6. Strengthening marketing efforts and proactively promoting policies. - Highlights: •Aggregate and analyze the results of Intelligent Green Building policy in Taiwan. •Chi-square Test of Independence is used for inspecting successful factors. •Organize experiences and propose recommended feasible scheme for future.

Epidemiology of Enterovirus 71 Infections in Taiwan

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Min-Yuan Chia

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Enterovirus 71 (EV71 was first described in USA in 1969 but retrospective studies in The Netherlands further detected EV71 in the clinical specimens collected in 1963. EV71 has one single serotype measured by using hyperimmune animal antisera but can be phylogenetically classified into three genogroups (A, B, and C including 11 genotypes (A, B1–B5, C1–C5. In Taiwan, EV71 caused a large-scale nationwide epidemic in 1998. Retrospective studies further detected EV71 in clinical specimens collected from hand–foot–mouth disease patients in 1980 and 1986. Therefore, EV71 may have circulated in Taiwan prior to 1980. Since 1998, EV71 has cyclically caused nationwide epidemics with different predominant genotypes in 1998 (genotype C2, 2000–2001 (B4, 2005 (C4, 2008 (B5, and 2012 (B5. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C4 viruses isolated in 2005 were probably from China, B5 viruses isolated in 2008 were probably from South Eastern Asia, and B5 viruses isolated in 2012 were probably from Xiamen, China. Several studies have collected postinfection sera from children to measure cross-reactive neutralizing antibody titers against different EV71 genotypes and found that antigenic differences between genogroup B and C viruses did not have a clear pattern but that genotype A virus was antigenically different from genogroup B and C viruses. In conclusion, EV71 cyclically caused nationwide epidemics through international importations. EV71 surveillance in Taiwan should combine genetic and serological methods.

The trafficking of women and girls in Taiwan: characteristics of victims, perpetrators, and forms of exploitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lanying

2017-11-09

Prior to the passing of 2009 Human Trafficking Prevention Act (HTPA), human trafficking was underestimated in Taiwan. In the past, domestic trafficking in women and girls often targeted vulnerable groups such as young girls from poor families or minority groups. Since the 1990s, an increasing flow of immigrant women, mainly from Vietnam and Indonesia and some from China, into Taiwan has created a new group of Human Trafficking victims. The current study intends to identify, describe, and categorize reported and prosecuted human trafficking cases involving women and girls according to the HTPA in Taiwan. Using the court proceedings of prosecuted trafficking in women and girls cases under Taiwan's HTPA from all 21 districts in Taiwan from 2009 to 2012 under the title keyword of 'Human Trafficking', this current study aims to categorize different patterns of existing trafficking in women and girls in Taiwan. The analysis is based on 37 court cases, involving 195 victimized women and girls and 118 perpetrators. This study identifies six forms of Human Trafficking victims according to their country of origin, vulnerability status, and means of transport. This study found that women and girls suffer from both labor and sexual exploitation, from mainly domestic male perpetrators. While sexual exploitation is more evenly distributed among citizens and immigrants and affects both adults and minors, labor exploitation seems to be an exclusive phenomenon among women immigrant workers in the data. Human Trafficking cases in Taiwan share many of the similarities of Human Trafficking in other regions, which are highly associated with gender inequality and gender-based vulnerability.

Development of STS and CAPS markers for variety identification and genetic diversity analysis of tea germplasm in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chih-Yi; Tsai, You-Zen; Lin, Shun-Fu

2014-12-01

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is an important economic crop in Taiwan. Particularly, two major commercial types of tea (Paochong tea and Oolong tea) which are produced in Taiwan are famous around the world, and they must be manufactured with specific cultivars. Nevertheless, many elite cultivars have been illegally introduced to foreign countries. Because of the lower cost, large amount of "Taiwan-type tea" are produced and imported to Taiwan, causing a dramatic damage in the tea industry. It is very urgent to develop the stable, fast and reliable DNA markers for fingerprinting tea cultivars in Taiwan and protecting intellectual property rights for breeders. Furthermore, genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship evaluations of tea germplasm in Taiwan are imperative for parental selection in the cross-breeding program and avoidance of genetic vulnerability. Two STS and 37 CAPS markers derived from cytoplasmic genome and ESTs of tea have been developed in this study providing a useful tool for distinguishing all investigated germplasm. For identifying 12 prevailing tea cultivars in Taiwan, five core markers, including each one of mitochondria and chloroplast, and three nuclear markers, were developed. Based on principal coordinate analysis and cluster analysis, 55 tea germplasm in Taiwan were divided into three groups: sinensis type (C. sinensis var. sinensis), assamica type (C. sinensis var. assamica) and Taiwan wild species (C. formosensis). The result of genetic diversity analysis revealed that both sinensis (0.44) and assamica (0.41) types had higher genetic diversity than wild species (0.25). The close genetic distance between the first (Chin-Shin-Oolong) and the third (Shy-Jih-Chuen) prevailing cultivars was found, and many recently released varieties are the descents of Chin-Shin-Oolong. This implies the potential risk of genetic vulnerability for tea cultivation in Taiwan. We have successfully developed a tool for tea germplasm discrimination and genetic

Sediment Budget in the Taiwan Strait with High Fluvial Sediment Inputs from Mountainous Rivers: New Observations and Synthesis

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Shuh-Ji Kao

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The shallow Taiwan Strait at the southern opening of the East China Sea (ECS receives abundant sediments from turbid mountainous rivers in Taiwan. The volume of sediment is among the highest sediment yields on the global surface. This large amount of sediment discharged from modern Taiwan (range: 175 - 380 Mt y-1 based on 50-yr data is comparable to that discharged from Changjaing (500 Mt y-1-decreasing in recent decades, underscoring the importance of sediment budget in the Taiwan Strait and sediment flux from Taiwan into the ECS.We documented fluvial mud and sand concentrations during flash flooding with our observations indicating that fluvial materials in Taiwan¡¦s rivers are chiefly composed of mud (> 70 and up to 98 . By contrast, sand fraction dominates (> 85 for most stations surface sediments in the Taiwan Strait. Super typhoon Herb alone delivered 130 Mt of sediments from Choshui, the largest river in Taiwan, yet only insignificant amounts of mud were found at the river mouth six months later. The actions of waves, tides, and currents apparently prevent the deposition of fine grained sediments. Assuming sand occupied 30 (the maximum of the 60 Mt y-1 total sediment input from major western Taiwanese rivers, our annual budget estimate shows that the amount of sand input (18 5 Mt y-1 is comparable to the burial output of sand (12 10 Mt y-1. However, mud burial (6 5 Mt y-1 in the strait is far below the estimated mud input (42 11 Mt y-1, resulting in a significant shortfall. Hydrodynamic conditions were synthesized to explain the distribution pattern of limited mud patches in the strait and to reveal potential pathways by which fine-grain sediment transportation takes place in the seas surrounding Taiwan. A significant shortfall in the mud budget in the Taiwan Strait suggests that ~85 of the fluvial mud left the strait. Alternatively, the 50-year modern sediment flux data used in this study reflects exacerbated sediment flux due to human

75 FR 76025 - Stainless Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-07

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 731-TA-376 and 563-564 (Third Review)] Stainless Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From Japan, Korea, and Taiwan AGENCY: United States International... steel butt-weld pipe fittings from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or...

76 FR 50495 - Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

... Review] Stainless Steel Plate From Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan Determinations On the... Africa, and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time.\\2\\ The Commission further determines...

E-Learning in Supplemental Educational Systems in Taiwan: Present Status and Future Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ke; Hung, Jui-Long

2009-01-01

As Taiwan's full-scale e-learning initiatives moved to the seventh year in 2009, the current status and challenges of e-learning development there are yet to be fully understood. Further extending Zhang and Hung's (2006) investigation on e-learning in all universities and colleges in Taiwan, this study investigated the after-school programs (ASPs)…

Public opinion regarding earmarked cigarette tax in Taiwan

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Yang Chung-Lin

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cigarette taxation has been perceived by academics and policy-makers as one of the most effective ways of reducing the use of cigarettes. On January 1 2002, the Taiwan government imposed a New Taiwan (NT $5 per pack tax earmarked for the purpose of tobacco control. This study uses a survey collected prior to taxation to assess public attitudes toward cigarette taxation, public beliefs about the effectiveness of cigarette taxation at reducing cigarette use and public opinions about the allocation of this tax revenue. Methods Data were drawn from a national face-to-face interview on cigarette consumption in 2000. A total of 3,279 adults were aged 18 to 64 years; 49.9% of whom were male and 50.1% female, and with a smoking prevalence of 49.1% and 4.1%, respectively. The attitudes toward cigarette tax were analysed using multi-logit regressions. We analysed by logistic regression the potential changes in smoking behaviour that smokers might make in response to the five NT (New Taiwan dollar earmarked tax on cigarettes per pack. We summarized public opinions about the allocation of earmarked tax revenue using descriptive statistics. Results Current smokers (OR = 0.34 and former smokers (OR = 0.68 were less likely to support the cigarette tax than non-smokers. A favourable attitude toward the tax was positively associated with personal monthly income, especially among females. Among male smokers, the possibility of reducing/quitting smoking in response to the five-NT-dollar tax was negatively associated with the monthly expense for smoking. The two most frequently-suggested areas to receive money from the revenue collected from the earmarked tax were health education and cancer subsidy. Conclusions Smoking status and economic factors determine the attitude and potential responses of people toward the cigarette tax. Taiwan's five NT-dollar earmarked tax for cigarettes may have only a limited effect upon the reduction in cigarette

Distribution and quantity of microplastic on sandy beaches along the northern coast of Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunz, Alexander; Walther, Bruno A; Löwemark, Ludvig; Lee, Yao-Chang

2016-10-15

Plastic pollution is now ubiquitous in the world's oceans, and studies have shown macroplastic and microplastic pollution of beaches in several East Asian countries. However, to our knowledge, no study of microplastic pollution has been conducted in Taiwan yet. Therefore, we collected sand samples from four beaches along the northern coast of Taiwan in 2015 and extracted microplastic particles using a saturated NaCl solution. Microplastic particles were identified using synchrotron-based FTIR spectroscopy. We recovered 4 to 532 particles from eight 0.0125m(3) samples, with a total of 1097 particles weighing 0.771g. A negative trend between the size of the particles and their numbers was documented. We thus established that microplastic pollution was ubiquitous along Taiwan's northern coast. Future research should more comprehensively sample beaches around the entirety of Taiwan's coast, and special emphasis should be placed on identifying different sources and movements of microplastic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Financial assessment of government subsidy policy on photovoltaic systems for industrial users: A case study in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Shuo-Yan; Nguyen, Thi Anh Tuyet; Yu, Tiffany Hui-Kuang; Phan, Nguyen Ky Phuc

2015-01-01

Due to Taiwan's limited energy resources, the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) in Taiwan has become one of the most important solutions for meeting future energy supply needs and ensuring environmental protection. A huge amount of researches about renewable energy sources has emerged recently in response to these issues. However, the amount of researches considering the effects of various influential parameters on the efficiency and performance of PV systems remains small, and is still limited to some specific parts of PV systems. In particular, researches considering thoughtfully the influence of government subsidies on PV financial assessment are still in development. This paper proposes an approach to analyze the benefit of installing a PV system under the impact of government financial subsidies, focusing especially on feed-in-tariff (FIT) and tax abatement policies for industrial users in Taiwan. In addition, a method for selecting the most appropriate policies is proposed for the government through the analysis of both user demand and the government's PV installation capacity target. - Highlights: • Analyzing the benefit of installing a PV system impacted by the government subsidy. • Analyzing the role of policy in the financial model of PV system. • Estimating the performance of PV system under the real weather condition. • Methods to select the policies which satisfy demands of both government and users. • Methods to select the policies which ensure cost-effectiveness of government's support.

Predictability of Technical Trading Rules: Evidence from the Taiwan Stock Market

OpenAIRE

Kung, James J.

2009-01-01

Using the Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index from the first trading day in 1975 to the last trading day in 2007, we investigate the predictability of two popular technical rules (variable-length moving average and trading range breakout) in the Taiwan stock market and assess its bearing on market efficiency. Our results show that, for the two rules, returns from buy signals are generally higher than those from sell signals. In addition, they exhibit considerable predictive power over 1975-1...

Four new species of the genus Mannerheimia Mäklin, 1880 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae) from south-western China and Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Shavrin, Alexey V

2018-04-12

Four new species of the genus Mannerheimia Mäklin, 1880 from south-western China and Taiwan are described and illustrated: M. grandilobata Shavrin, sp.n. (China: Yunnan), M. emeishanensis Shavrin, sp.n. (China: Sichuan), M. maculata Shavrin, sp.n. (China: Yunnan) and M. taiwanica Shavrin, sp.n. (Taiwan: Taichung Hsien, Nantou Hsien), the first records of the genus from China and Taiwan. A key to species known from China and Taiwan and distributional maps for each species are provided.

Dissemination of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii with new plasmid-borne bla(OXA-72) in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Shu-Chen; Yang, Su-Pen; Lee, Yi-Tzu; Chuang, Han-Chuan; Chen, Chien-Pei; Chang, Chi-Ling; Chen, Te-Li; Lu, Po-Liang; Hsueh, Po-Ren; Fung, Chang-Phone

2013-07-13

The systemic surveillance of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (IRAB) from multicenters in Taiwan revealed the emergence of isolates with bla(OXA-72). This study described their genetic makeup, mechanism of spread, and contribution to carbapenem resistance. Two hundred and ninety-one non-repetitive isolates of A. baumannii were collected from 10 teaching hospitals from different geographical regions in Taiwan from June 2007 to September 2007. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by agar dilution. Clonality was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Plasmid was extracted and digested by restriction enzymes, and subsequently analyzed by electrophoresis and Southern blot for bla(OXA-72). The flanking regions of bla(OXA-72) were determined by inverse PCR. The contribution of bla(OXA-72) to imipenem MIC was determined by transforming plasmids carrying bla(OXA-72) into imipenem-susceptible A. baumannii. Among 142 IRAB in Taiwan, 27 harbored bla(OXA-72); 22 originated from Southern Taiwan, 5 from Central Taiwan, and none from Northern Taiwan. There were two major clones. The bla(OXA-72) was identified in the plasmids of all isolates. Two genetic structures flanking plasmid-borne bla(OXA-72) were identified and shared identical sequences in certain regions; the one described in previous literature was present in only one isolate, and the new one was present in the remaining isolates. Introduction of bla(OXA-72) resulted in an increase of imipenem MIC in the transformants. The overexpression of bla(OXA-72) mRNA in response to imipenem further supported the contribution of bla(OXA-72). In conclusion, isolates with new plasmid-borne blaOXA-72 were found to be disseminated successfully in Southern Taiwan. The spread of the resistance gene depended on clonal spread and dissemination of a new plasmid. Bla(OXA-72) in these isolates directly led to their imipenem-resistance.

The possible impact of an alcohol welfare surcharge on consumption of alcoholic beverages in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Chun-Yuan; Ho, Li-Ming; Lee, Jie-Min; Hwang, Jhe-Yo

2013-09-08

The abuse of alcoholic beverages leads to numerous negative consequences in Taiwan, as around the world. Alcohol abuse not only contributes to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer, but it is also an underlying cause of many other serious problems, such as traffic accidents, lost productivity, and domestic violence. International leaders in health policy are increasingly using taxation as an effective tool with which to lower alcohol consumption. In this study, we assessed how consumption patterns in Taiwan would be affected by levying a welfare surcharge on alcoholic beverages of 20%, 40% or 60% in accordance with the current excise tax. We also assessed the medical savings Taiwan would experience if consumption of alcoholic beverages were to decrease and how much additional revenue a welfare surcharge would generate. We estimated the elasticity of four types of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, whisky and brandy) using the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Demand Model. Specifically, we estimated alcohol's price elasticity by analyzing the sales prices and time statistics of these products from 1974 to 2009. Alcoholic beverages in Taiwan have the following price elasticities: beer (-0.820), wine (-0.955), whisky (-0.587), brandy (-0.958). A welfare surcharge tax of 40% in accordance with the excise tax would decrease overall consumption of beer, wine, whisky and brandy between 16.24% and 16.42%. It would also generate New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) revenues of 5.782 billion to 5.993 billion. Savings in medical costs would range from NT$871.07 million to NT$897.46 million annually. A social and welfare surcharge of 40% on alcoholic beverages in Taiwan would successfully lower consumption rates, decrease medical costs, and generate revenue that could be used to educate consumers and further decrease consumption rates. Consequently, we strongly recommend that such a tax be imposed in Taiwan.

Investigation of floristic similarities between Taiwan and terrestrial ecoregions in Asia using GBIF data.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Chi-Cheng; Chen, Chih-Hui

2017-12-01

Floristic compositions of non-endemic plants of continental islands were related to the neighboring continents because non-endemic plant species had historically migrated to continental islands from source areas. This study attempts to identify source areas of a continental island by means of floristic analysis and to assess possible migration routes on the basis of geographical distribution ranges of plants. Large quantities of angiosperm data records were downloaded from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Similarity index and cluster analysis were used to identify the floristic similarities among 22 geographical localities of Taiwan (GLTs) and 34 terrestrial ecoregions in Asia. Geographical distribution ranges of non-endemic angiosperm species in Taiwan (NEASTs) were evaluated to mirror the possible migration routes from different source areas to Taiwan. There are 3275 angiosperm species in Taiwan derived from the dataset of GBIF. Among them, 847 are endemic and 2428 are NEASTs. Geographical distribution ranges of the 2428 NEASTs were categorized into 7 distribution groups. They were widely distribution from equator to Siberia (27 species), tropical ecoregions (345 species), tropical and subtropical ecoregions (663 species), tropical to temperate ecoregions (591 species), subtropical ecoregions (265 species), subtropical to temperate ecoregions (387 species), and temperate ecoregions (150 species). Results of similarity indices and cluster analysis demonstrated that high floristic similarities were observed among GLTs at lowland and southern Taiwan and tropical and subtropical ecoregions in Asia. GLTs at high mountains were assumed to have floristic similarity with temperate ecoregions in Asia, whereas the assumption was not supported by our analysis. It is partly because of that angiosperms with tropical and subtropical distributions extend their ranges from low to high elevations in Taiwan. Subtropical ecoregions at southern China and tropical

Women's Aspirations for Graduate Education in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Meng-Jie

2011-01-01

This study investigates female undergraduates' aspirations for master's and doctoral degree programs in Taiwan's universalized and stratified higher education system. It considers the potential effects of economic prospects, parental attitudes, and gender values. First, graduate education is perceived as a means to enhance one's comparative…

The Emergence and Challenging Growth of the Bio-Ethanol Innovation System in Taiwan (1949-2015).

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Chao-Chen; Yang, Siang-Cing

2016-02-19

This study explores the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan from the perspective of a technology innovation system (TIS). Taiwan is a newly industrialized country and is not currently a main producer of bio-ethanol. This study analyzes the evolution of bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan and places a particular emphasis on challenges that present policies face in the context of potential long-term bio-ethanol development. Through an evaluation of the consistency of the present research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI) policies as well as the influence of these policies on the functional dynamics of bio-ethanol innovation system, mechanisms prohibiting the system from flourishing are determined. It is suggested that the production of bio-ethanol in Taiwan would be achieved if the government: (1) fixes long-term targets for both domestic bio-ethanol development and emission reduction; and (2) comprehensively designs a set of interrelated RTDI policies in accordance with the functional pattern of the bio-ethanol innovation system and consistently implements these policies. If such measures were implemented, it is considered that the bio-ethanol innovation system in Taiwan would flourish.

Genetic Evaluation of Children with Global Developmental Delay—Current Status of Network Systems in Taiwan

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Yong-Lin Foo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This review article aims to introduce the screening and referral network of genetic evaluation for children with developmental delay in Taiwan. For these children, integrated systems provide services from the medical, educational, and social welfare sectors. All cities and counties in Taiwan have established a network for screening, detection, referral, evaluation, and intervention services. Increased awareness improves early detection and intervention. There remains a gap between supply and demand, especially with regard to financial resources and professional manpower. Genetic etiology has a major role in prenatal causes of developmental delay. A summary of reports on some related genetic disorders in the Taiwanese population is included in this review. Genetic diagnosis allows counseling with regard to recurrence risk and prevention. Networking with neonatal screening, laboratory diagnosis, genetic counseling, and orphan drugs logistics systems can provide effective treatment for patients. In Taiwan, several laboratories provide genetic tests for clinical diagnosis. Accessibility to advanced expensive tests such as gene chips or whole exome sequencing is limited because of funding problems; however, the service system in Taiwan can still operate in a relatively cost-effective manner. This experience in Taiwan may serve as a reference for other countries.

Workplace smoking related absenteeism and productivity costs in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, S P; Wen, C P; Hu, S C; Cheng, T Y; Huang, S J

2005-06-01

To estimate productivity losses and financial costs to employers caused by cigarette smoking in the Taiwan workplace. The human capital approach was used to calculate lost productivity. Assuming the value of lost productivity was equal to the wage/salary rate and basing the calculations on smoking rate in the workforce, average days of absenteeism, average wage/salary rate, and increased risk and absenteeism among smokers obtained from earlier research, costs due to smoker absenteeism were estimated. Financial losses caused by passive smoking, smoking breaks, and occupational injuries were calculated. Using a conservative estimate of excess absenteeism from work, male smokers took off an average of 4.36 sick days and male non-smokers took off an average of 3.30 sick days. Female smokers took off an average of 4.96 sick days and non-smoking females took off an average of 3.75 sick days. Excess absenteeism caused by employee smoking was estimated to cost USD 178 million per annum for males and USD 6 million for females at a total cost of USD 184 million per annum. The time men and women spent taking smoking breaks amounted to nine days per year and six days per year, respectively, resulting in reduced output productivity losses of USD 733 million. Increased sick leave costs due to passive smoking were approximately USD 81 million. Potential costs incurred from occupational injuries among smoking employees were estimated to be USD 34 million. Financial costs caused by increased absenteeism and reduced productivity from employees who smoke are significant in Taiwan. Based on conservative estimates, total costs attributed to smoking in the workforce were approximately USD 1032 million.

Policy progress in mitigation of climate change in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Jenn Jiang; Chang, Wei Ru

2011-01-01

To make an active contribution to the global effort in mitigation of climate change, Taiwan government has implemented the 'Frameworks for Sustainable Energy Policy-An Energy-Saving and Carbon-Reduction Action Plan' in June 2008. It has made a commitment of a stepwise reduction of nationwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which returns the nationwide GHG emission to 2008 levels by 2020, then reduces to 2000 levels by 2025, and finally cuts 50% of 2000 levels by 2050. The fundamental strategy is to reduce the GHG emission under acceptable economic development and energy security to achieve generation-spanning triple-win in energy, environment and economy. The major policy instruments such as 'Statute for Renewable Energy Development', 'GHG Reduction Law (draft),' 'Regulation for Energy Tax (draft),' and 'Energy Management Act' have been either implemented or scheduled for legislative reviewing. The purpose of this paper is to present an updated review of the outcomes of GHG emission reduction in Taiwan. In addition, the progress and priority of policy instruments in GHG emission reduction are analyzed as well. - Research highlights: →Taiwan has made a commitment of stepwise targets of GHG emission reduction to contribute to the global efforts in combating climate change in 2008. →The near-term target returns the nationwide GHG emissions back to 2008 levels during years of 2016-2020. Then, emission levels are cut to 2000 levels by 2025, and finally 50% of 2000 levels by 2050. →In addition to finish legislative review of the 'GHG Reduction Act', Taiwan has prepared a comprehensive action plan to reduce the national GHG emissions, involving improvement of the efficiency in energy use, development of the sustainable energy, and taxation of carbon on fossils.

The influence of employees’ parents on work-family balance in Taiwan: implications for organisational behaviour and wellbeing

OpenAIRE

Wu, Chih-Ying

2015-01-01

Work-family research in Chinese societies often directly adopts the Western work-family model and rarely attempts to consider cultural differences in the importance of employees’ parents. Researchers infrequently address the role of parents in the work-family field. The aim of this thesis was to understand the influence of employees’ parents on work-family balance and its related outcomes in a Chinese society, Taiwan. A multi-method approach was employed consisting of three studies. First, th...

Event Hiburan bagi Tki di Taiwan sebagai Pencitraan pada Anggota Komunitas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulani Yunus

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Event is still a useful media for building good image for certain communities. In addition to functioning as a media ritual, an event which is published through a live broadcast mass media will also increase the brand image of a particular product. Research question in this article is: what are the kinds of the TKI Event held in Taiwan in 2013 and what elements of the event that brings TKI enthusiastic in Taiwan? The method used in this study is a qualitative interpretive. The data was collected through direct observations and impressions of social media such as youtube as well as literature from the source journal from previous research literature or books that support research topic. Conclusion of the study states that the type of event held by workers in Taiwan is a talent contest and stage entertainment. While elements of the event that brings enthusiastic for workers is an event that displays imagery figure, and the appearance of celebrities. 

Taiwan in 2004: Elections, Referenda, and Other Democratic Challenges

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dumbaugh, Kerry

2005-01-01

.... In both the presidential and legislative election campaigns, Chen emphasized gaining a separate international identity for Taiwan -- an emphasis to which Beijing strenuously objected as dangerously...

Maximum mouth opening of ethnic Chinese in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuang-Ta Yao

2009-03-01

Conclusion: Within the limits of this study, we concluded that both sex and age have significant influences on the MMO value of ethnic Chinese in Taiwan, and age is a significant predictor of MMO measurements.

Recent research and development of functional food in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun Hwang, Lucy

2007-08-01

As the living standard rises, people are more concerned with the health benefits of foods. Functional foods are, therefore, receiving increasing attention worldwide. The functional food market in Taiwan reached 1.78 billion US dollars in 2005. Only those which have been certified by the Department of Health can claim their health benefits. Until January 2007, only 88 functional foods have received the certificates. In addition to the product development in the food industry, research institutes and universities are also actively engaged in the technology development and basic research of functional foods. Many raw materials harvested in Taiwan, including edible plants, herbs, medicinal mushrooms, and sea foods, are investigated for their health benefits, bioactive components and suitable processing technologies.

Soil dioxins levels at agriculture sites and natural preserve areas of Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Jou, Jin-juh; Lin, Kae-Long; Chung, Jen-Chir; Liaw, Shu-Liang

2007-08-17

In this study, agriculture soil in Taiwan has been sampled and analyzed to determine the background level of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/DF) in the agricultural and nature preserve areas. Another objective is to investigate relationship between soil characteristics and air deposition in Taiwan. The results indicate that in nature preserve areas the topsoil shows an extraordinary profile of PCDD/DF compared to that in the air deposition. The PCDD/DF levels of the low-contaminated agricultural soils are compatible with those of the nature preserves soils. However, in the highly-contaminated agricultural soils, there is an abrupt jump in their concentrations, 10-100 times higher. The overall I-TEQ values of the background topsoils range from 0.101 to 15.2 ng I-TEQ/kg. Near industrial/urban areas in Taiwan the PCDD/DF are slightly higher compared to those in the low concentration group. Typically, the PCDD/DF background values found in this survey fall in the 90% confidence interval and can thus, be deemed the background levels in Taiwan. Ninety-five percent of these data are below the European and American soil standard of 10 ng I-TEQ/kg d.w. The PCDD/DF profile with one neighborhood soil sample was shown no significant difference.

The Asymmetric Effects of Monetary Policy and Bank Credits in Taiwan Banking Industry - A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

OpenAIRE

Jui-Chuan Chang; Ching-Chuan Tsong; Chieh-Tsung Wu

2010-01-01

This paper investigates whether distributional effect arising from the impact of monetary policy on bank credits will be different when monetary policy is asymmetric. Methodologically, we use a set of high frequency panel data for Taiwan commercial banks and adopt Arellano and Bond's (1991) generalized method of moments approach to conduct our empirical analysis. First of all, we investigate whether there exist the distributional effects of monetary policy on bank lending behavior which is as...

The Heterogeneity of the Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS of rDNAs in Imperata cylindrica in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Chu Tsai

2000-09-01

Full Text Available Ribosomal DNA for internal transcribed spacers ITS, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA gene, ITS2 and the adjoining regions of the 17S and 25S rRNA genes were obtained from 45 individuals of Imperata cylindrica (Cogongrass in Taiwan via PCR amplification. The length of each PCR product was 692 bp, except for one sample (about 702 bp. All ITS DNA fragments were digested with EcoRV, CfoI, BanI, HaeIII, MspI, HinfI, BstOI, Sau96I, StyI and Eco109I, respectively. The ITS, including ITS1, 5.8S rRNA gene and ITS2, were very heterogeneous within an individual of Cogongrass in Taiwan. Of 45 individuals of Cogongrass in Taiwan, the ITS1 and ITS2 regions showed at least eight type variants, and 5.8S rRNA gene showed at least five type variants among Cogongrass population in Taiwan based on PCR-amplified RFLP. In conclusion, the ITS repeat sequences from Cogongrass in Taiwan was very high heterogeneous.

Notes on Alien Bromus Grasses in Taiwan

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Ming-Jer Jung

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Bromus carinatus Hook. & Arn., Bromus hordeaceus L., Bromus pubescens Muhl. ex Willd. and Bromus secalinus L. were recently found at middle elevations of southern and central Taiwan, respectively. We present taxonomic treatments, distribution map, and line-drawings of these introduced alien brome grasses.

Statistical Modelling of Extreme Rainfall in Taiwan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L-F. Chu (Lan-Fen); M.J. McAleer (Michael); C-C. Chang (Ching-Chung)

2012-01-01

textabstractIn this paper, the annual maximum daily rainfall data from 1961 to 2010 are modelled for 18 stations in Taiwan. We fit the rainfall data with stationary and non-stationary generalized extreme value distributions (GEV), and estimate their future behaviour based on the best fitting model.

Statistical Modelling of Extreme Rainfall in Taiwan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L. Chu (LanFen); M.J. McAleer (Michael); C-H. Chang (Chu-Hsiang)

2013-01-01

textabstractIn this paper, the annual maximum daily rainfall data from 1961 to 2010 are modelled for 18 stations in Taiwan. We fit the rainfall data with stationary and non-stationary generalized extreme value distributions (GEV), and estimate their future behaviour based on the best fitting model.

The Workforce Education and Development in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lung-Sheng

2012-01-01

Workforce education and development (WED) can be broadly defined as those formal, informal and nonformal activities that prepare people for work. In Taiwan, it includes technological and vocational education (TVE), human resource development (HRD), public vocational training and adult education. In order to promote information exchanges and…

Urban and Education Disparity for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Taiwan Birth Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lung, For-Wey; Chiang, Tung-Liang; Lin, Shio-Jean; Shu, Bih-Ching

2017-01-01

This study aimed to determine the optimal cut-off for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening in 66-month-old children, and to explore the distribution of ASD screening and diagnosis in Taiwan. The Taiwan Birth Cohort Study dataset was used (N = 20,095). The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) cut-off point of 13/14 was considered…

Investigation of gastrointestinal parasites of dairy cattle around Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chiu-Chen; Wang, Lian-Chen; Pan, Chien-Hung; Yang, Cheng-Hsiung; Lai, Cheng-Hung

2014-02-01

Parasitic nematodes are one of the most important causes of production losses in most cattle-producing countries of the world. The aim of the present study is to make a through estimate of helminth and protozoan infection prevalence in dairy cattle around Taiwan. Coprological techniques, including direct fecal smear, simple flotation, and simple sedimentation, were used to detect gastrointestinal helminths and protozoan in dairy cattle. A total of 1259 rectal fecal samples were collected from Holstein dairy cattle at 94 farms in 13 counties in Taiwan. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection was 86.9%. The infection rates of protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes were 81.3%, 7.9%, 1.6%, and 0.6%, respectively. Among all parasites, Buxtonella sulcata (61.7%) was the most predominant one, followed with Cryptosporidium spp. (32.6%) and Eimeria spp. (11.8%). There were significant differences in the prevalence of protozoa and nematodes between different age groups and distributional area groups. The present study demonstrated that gastrointestinal parasitic infections occur frequently in dairy cattle around Taiwan, especially protozoan infections. The results indicated that a superior management system and regular anthelmintic treatment should be used for the control of parasitic infections in dairy cattle farms. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Crops and food security--experiences and perspectives from Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chen-Te; Fu, Tzu-Yu Richard; Chang, Su-San

2009-01-01

Food security is an important issue that is of concern for all countries around the world. There are many factors which may cause food insecurity including increasing demand, shortage of supply, trade condition, another countries' food policy, lack of money, high food and oil prices, decelerating productivity, speculation, etc. The food self-sufficiency ratio of Taiwan is only 30.6% weighted by energy in 2007. Total agriculture imports and cereals have increased significantly due to the expansion of livestock and fishery industries and improve living standard. The agriculture sector of Taiwan is facing many challenges, such as: low level of food self-sufficiency, aging farmers, large acreage of set-aside farmlands, small scale farming, soaring price of fertilizers, natural disasters accelerated by climate change, and rapid changes in the world food economy. To cope with these challenges, the present agricultural policy is based on three guidelines: "Healthfulness, Efficiency, and Sustainability." A program entitled "Turning Small Landlords into Large Tenants" was launched to make effective use of idle lands. Facing globalization and the food crisis, Taiwan will secure stable food supply through revitalization of its set-aside farmlands and international markets, and provide technical assistance to developing countries, in particular for staple food crops.

Are stock market returns related to the weather effects? Empirical evidence from Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Tsangyao; Nieh, Chien-Chung; Yang, Ming Jing; Yang, Tse-Yu

2006-05-01

In this study, we employ a recently developed econometric technique of the threshold model with the GJR-GARCH process on error terms to investigate the relationships between weather factors and stock market returns in Taiwan using daily data for the period of 1 July 1997-22 October 2003. The major weather factors studied include temperature, humidity, and cloud cover. Our empirical evidence shows that temperature and cloud cover are two important weather factors that affect the stock returns in Taiwan. Our empirical findings further support the previous arguments that advocate the inclusion of economically neutral behavioral variables in asset pricing models. These results also have significant implications for individual investors and financial institutions planning to invest in the Taiwan stock market.

"Foreign brides" meet ethnic politics in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Ming-Chang

2011-01-01

A great number of women from China, Vietnam, and Indonesia recently arrived in Taiwan to marry men of lower social strata. Such an unusual pattern of migration has stimulated debates about the status and the citizenship of the new arrivals. This study analyzes Taiwanese responses toward these marriage migrants by using a national survey conducted in 2004. Three aspects of restrictive attitudes were tapped concerning these newcomers: (1) rights to work; (2) access to public health insurance; and (3) full citizenship. Immigrants from China were most opposed, compared to women with other origins (Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe, and the US). The seemingly unrelated regression estimation regression results do not support the split labor market hypotheses, as marriage migrants do not appear to be economic threats toward members of the lower classes. In contrast, ethnic nationalism plays a key role in determining the natives’ restrictive attitudes. The case of Taiwan represents a special genre, where ethnic politics selectively arouses the social rejection of women immigrants of certain origins.

Surrogate mothers: aboriginal grandmothers raising grandchildren in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yu-Ting; Hayter, Mark

2011-05-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of Taiwanese aboriginal grandmothers when raising their grandchildren. Adopting a phenomenological approach, interviews were conducted with 15 Taiwanese aboriginal grandmothers who served as primary caregiver to a grandchild or grandchildren. Data were analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological method. Four themes emerged from the data analysis, reflecting the parenting experience of grandmothers: using aged bodies to do energetic work: represented the physical effects of raising grandchildren; conflicting emotions: reflected the psychological effects of raising grandchildren; lifelong and privative obligation: described the cultural and societal beliefs of raising grandchildren; and coping strategies for raising grandchildren outlined methods the grandmothers used to cope with parenting their grandchildren. The results of this study offers insights into surrogate parenting within an underresearched group in Taiwan and will enable health care providers to be more aware of the physical, emotional, and social effects of the role of grandparent parenting.

The Development of Digital Collections and Resources Organization Related Projects in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsueh-Hua Chen

2001-12-01

Full Text Available With the development of Internet, digital libraries/museums have received worldwide attention and many developed countries are doing extensive researches on digital libraries/museums. In Taiwan, many institutions have digitized their rare collections. This paper introduces the recent development of digital projects in Taiwan, including: Digital Museum Project, National Digital Collection Project and National Culture Database Project, and also especially introduces some resources organization related projects. [Article content in Chinese

REEXAMINING THE EXPIRATION DAY EFFECTS OF STOCK INDEX DERIVATIVES: EVIDENCE FROM TAIWAN

OpenAIRE

Chin-Lin Chuang; Dar-Hsin Chen; Chung-Hsien Su

2008-01-01

This study examines whether the expiration of derivative contracts affects the underlying spot assets in Taiwan. The expiration effect refers to abnormal return, price reversal, abnormal return volatility, and abnormal volume in underlying spot stock markets as derivatives contracts expire. Due to the unique settlement procedure in the Taiwan Futures Exchange, this study also examines if the expiration effects occur on the settlement day which is the next business day after the expiration day...

[A Long Stream: The Historical Influence of Peking Union Medical College on the Development of Modern Nursing Education in Taiwan].

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Duu-Jian; Lee, Meng-Chih

2017-10-01

The faculty of Peiping Union Medical College (PUMC) formatively influenced the development of modern nursing in Taiwan. PUMC, which retreated with the national government to Taiwan from Mainland China in 1949, was initially established earlier in that century by enthusiastic medical missionaries and later reformed by the Rockefeller Foundation. After relocating to Taiwan, PUMC teachers and graduates have provided critical leadership in disseminating modern nursing education in Taiwan and in integrating public health and clinical services to establish a solid foundation for Taiwanese nursing education. To highlight the significant contributions of PUMC alumni in Taiwan, this article explores three dimensions as follows: 1) Establishing the foundation of modern nursing education in Taiwan; 2) Channeling aids from the United States and the international communities to improve nursing education; and 3) Raising the international profile and influence of the Taiwan nursing society. In celebration of the centennial anniversary of PUMC, we encourage in the spirit of PUMC congeniality greater Cross-Strait collaboration among elite professionals in order to further advance PUMC leadership in Asian medical education and cultural enlightenment.

Trends in intensive care unit admissions of COPD patients from 2003 to 2013 in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liao KM

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Kuang-Ming Liao,1 Yi-Chen Chen,2 Kuo-Chen Cheng,3 Jhi-Joung Wang,2 Chung-Han Ho2,4 1Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Chiali, Taiwan; 2Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; 4Department of Hospital and Health Care Administration, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the trends in COPD patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU in Taiwan from 2003 to 2013. Patients and methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the available data in the National Health Insurance Research Database compiled by the Taiwan Department of Health. We selected patients admitted to the ICU nationwide from 2003 to 2013. Patients older than 40 years with a diagnosis of COPD were enrolled. The ICU admission date was used as the index date. Baseline comorbidities existing before the index date were identified. The comorbidities of interest included diabetes, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, stroke, dyslipidemia, cancer, and end-stage renal disease. Results: The number of COPD patients in the ICU increased from 12,384 in 2003 to 13,308 in 2013 (P<0.0001. The mean age of patients and SD was 76.66±9.48 and 78.32±10.59 in 2003 and 2013, respectively. The percentage of COPD patients aged ≥70 years in the ICU decreased markedly. COPD patients per 10,000 ICU patients decreased for both males and females. The length of ICU stays, and in-hospital mortality increased from 21.58 to 23.14 days and 14.97% to 30.98% from 2003 to 2013, respectively. Conclusion: The number of COPD patients admitted to the ICU in Taiwan increased over the 11-year study period. Increased mean patient age, length of ICU stays, hospital mortality, and comorbidities were observed. The use of a nationwide population-based database allowed for a

78 FR 48651 - Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip From Taiwan; Preliminary Results of Antidumping...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-09

... duty order on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip (PET Film) from Taiwan. The period of.... (SMTC) (collectively, Shinkong), producer and exporter of PET Film from Taiwan. The Department...: Milton Koch, AD/CVD Operations, Office 6, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S...

Exchange Rate Pass-through and Industry Characteristics: The Case of Taiwan's Exports of Midstream Petrochemical Products

OpenAIRE

Kuo-Liang Wang; Chung-Shu Wu

1996-01-01

Based on 1986-1992 survey data of 22 midstream petrochemical industries in Taiwan, the empirical results of the export price, the markup ratio and the price-cost margin equations in this study show that Taiwan's petrochemical firms absorb only a small portion of a given weighted exchange rate change in their export prices, markup ratios and price-cost margins. It implies that Taiwan's petrochemical firms have a weak pricing-to-market pattern. The empirical results may be explained by the vola...

Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language in Taiwan: A Socio-Cultural Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Kung, Fan-Wei

2017-01-01

This article examines the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context in Taiwan based on Vygotsky's (1978) socio-cultural framework. The historical context is provided after some delineations of the educational system in Taiwan with regard to its foreign language instruction policy and development. Based upon the proposed socio-cultural framework,…

Pro-colonial or Postcolonial? Appropriation of Japanese Colonial Heritage in Present-day Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshihisa Amae

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Since the end of World War II, the Kuomintang (KMT (Guomindang government has erased all traces of Japanese rule from public space, deeming them “poisonous” to the people in Taiwan. This frenzy, often termed “de-Japanization” or qu Ribenhua in Chinese, included the destruction and alteration of Japanese structures. Yet, with democratization in the 1990s, the Japanese past has been revisited, and many Japa-nese structures have been reconstructed and preserved. This paper examines the social phenomenon of preserving Japanese heritage in present-day Taiwan. It mainly investigates religious/ spiritual architecture, such as Shinto shrines and martial arts halls (Butokuden, war monuments and Japanese statues and busts. A close investigation of these monuments finds that many of them are not restored and preserved in their original form but in a deformed/ transformed one. This finding leads the paper to conclude that the phenomenon is a postcolonial endeavour, rather than being “pro-colonial”, and that the preservation of Japanese heritage contributes to the construction and consolidation of a Taiwan-centric historiography in which Taiwan is imagined as multicultural and hybrid.

Chinese Parenting Reconsideration: Parenting Practices in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fu-mei; Luster, Tom

This study examined authoritative and authoritarian parenting and specific parenting practices among Chinese mothers with preschoolers. The final sample consisted of 463 mothers with their 3 to 7 year-olds from 11 preschools, in Taiwan. Mothers completed a Chinese translation of the Parenting Behavior Questionnaire that assessed their parenting…

Industrialization and Household Complexity in Rural Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavely, William

1990-01-01

In 274 Taiwanese townships, farm household complexity in 1960 and 1970 was positively related to the proportion of the labor force in nonagricultural occupations. The close proximity of industry to family farms in Taiwan has reduced rural to urban migration usually associated with industrialization. Contains 46 references. (Author/SV)

75 FR 61175 - Polyvinyl Alcohol From Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-04

... Taiwan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Scheduling of the final phase of an.... 1673d(b)) (the Act) to determine whether an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially...

Two Newly Discovered Plants in Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Tian-Chuan Hsu; Jia-Jung Lin; Shih-Wen Chung

2009-01-01

Two herbs are newly discovered in Taiwan. Limnophila fragrans (G. Forst.) Seem. (Scrophulariaceae), native in SE Asia, is recognized from southern lowlands. Anagallis minima (L.) E. H. L. Krause (Primulaceae), native in N America and Europe, was found from northern mountainous region at low altitudes. In this study, descriptions, line drawings, color photos and a distribution map of the two species are provided.

Harm avoidance and depression, anxiety, insomnia, and migraine in fifth-year medical students in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen CY

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Ching-Yen Chen,1–3 Nan-Wen Yu,2–4 Tien-Hao Huang,4 Wei-Shin Wang,4 Ji-Tseng Fang2,3,5 1Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan; 2School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 3Medical Education Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 4Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan; 5Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan Purpose: During medical school training, increased stress, depression, and anxiety are common. Certain personality traits, particularly harm avoidance (HA, may increase the risk of psychopathological disorders, insomnia, and migraine among medical students. This study evaluated the role HA may play on levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia among Taiwanese medical students starting their fifth and final year of medical school.Patients and methods: A series of self-report questionnaires were used to measure the severity of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, as well as somatic symptoms, particularly migraine headache, among 143 Taiwanese fifth-year medical students (94 males and 49 females. Most had normal or mild levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and migraine.Results: HA personality trait was significantly associated with depression (all P ≤ 0.001 after adjusting for other factors. HA was not significantly associated with anxiety, insomnia, or migraine headache days.Conclusion: HA personality trait was significantly associated with depression among fifth-year medical students in Taiwan. Keywords: anxiety, depression, harm avoidance, psychological stress, sleep initiation and maintenance disorders, migraine, students, medical

Problem-based learning in pharmacology:a survey of department heads in Taiwan, China

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ying-tung LAU

2004-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) requires active student participation and the use of clinical cases as a trigger to learn within a given area. It has gained much attention as a pedagogic alternative in the course of reform in medica education due to information overload. From discipline-based consideration, it is interesting to understand the views of department heads of pharmacology about implementing PBL for their medical students. According to a general survey from the heads of the department of pharmacology across medical schools in Taiwan, we found that although serious reservation about the approach remains, many departments indeed look forward to including PBL component in their pharmacology curriculum.

Large-Scale Seismic Test Program at Hualien, Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, H.T.; Graves, H.L.; Chen, P.C.

1992-01-01

The Large-Scale Seismic Test (LSST) Program at Hualien, Taiwan, is a follow-on to the soil-structure interaction (SSI) experiments at Lotung, Taiwan. The planned SSI studies will be performed at a stiff soil site in Hualien, Taiwan, that historically has had slightly more destructive earthquakes in the past than Lotung. The LSST is a joint effort among many interested parties. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Taipower are the organizers of the program and have the lead in planning and managing the program. Other organizations participating in the LSST program are US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, the Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique, Electricite de France and Framatome. The LSST was initiated in January 1990, and is envisioned to be five years in duration. Based on the assumption of stiff soil and confirmed by soil boring and geophysical results the test model was designed to provide data needed for SSI studies covering: free-field input, nonlinear soil response, non-rigid body SSI, torsional response, kinematic interaction, spatial incoherency and other effects. Taipower had the lead in design of the test model and received significant input from other LSST members. Questions raised by LSST members were on embedment effects, model stiffness, base shear, and openings for equipment. This paper describes progress in site preparation, design and construction of the model and development of an instrumentation plan