Presbycusis among older Chinese people in Taipei, Taiwan: a community-based study.

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Chang, Hsin-Pin; Chou, Pesus

2007-12-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and severity of presbycusis in older Chinese people in Taipei, Taiwan. Pure-tone audiometry and a questionnaire were administered to a randomly-recruited cohort of people > 65 years old (n=1221) from a community in Taipei. The study cohort showed pure-tone thresholds worsening, especially at frequencies >2 kHz, with increasing age. The mean pure-tone average at speech frequencies (0.5, 1, and 2 kHz) of the better ear of subjects stratified by five-year age groups ranged from 34.9 dB hearing level (HL) to 46.4 dB HL. The pure-tone average at speech frequency in women was slightly higher than that in men in all age groups. The prevalence of presbycusis (M3 > or = 55 dBHL) was 1.6% (65-69 years), 3.2% (70-74 years), 7.5% (75-79 years), and 14.9% (> or =80 years). Persistent tinnitus was present in 13.9% of subjects, and 18.8% of subjects had a history of vertigo. Of subjects with a clinically evident hearing impairment (M3 > or = 55 dB HL), 18.4% used hearing aids. These data provide estimates of the prevalence and severity of presbycusis in community-dwelling older persons in Taiwan.

Impacts of Typhoon Soudelor (2015) on the water quality of Taipei, Taiwan

OpenAIRE

Hoda Fakour; Shang-Lien Lo; Tsair-Fuh Lin

2016-01-01

Typhoon Soudelor was one of the strongest storms in the world in 2015. The category 5 hurricane made landfall in Taiwan on August 8, causing extensive damage and severe impacts on the environment. This paper describes the changes of trihalomethane (THM) concentrations in tap and drinking fountain water in selected typhoon-affected areas in Taipei before and after the typhoon. Samples were taken from water transmission mains at various distances from the local water treatment plant. The result...

The Measurement of Dry Deposition and Surface Runoff to Quantify Urban Road Pollution in Taipei, Taiwan

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Wang, Yunn-Jinn; Chen, Chi-Feng; Lin, Jen-Yang

2013-01-01

Pollutants deposited on road surfaces and distributed in the environment are a source of nonpoint pollution. Field data are traditionally hard to collect from roads because of constant traffic. In this study, in cooperation with the traffic administration, the dry deposition on and road runoff from urban roads was measured in Taipei City and New Taipei City, Taiwan. The results showed that the dry deposition is 2.01–5.14 g/m2·day and 78–87% of these solids are in the 75–300 µm size range. The heavy metals in the dry deposited particles are mainly Fe, Zn, and Na, with average concentrations of 34,978, 1,519 and 1,502 ppm, respectively. Elevated express roads show the highest heavy metal concentrations. Not only the number of vehicles, but also the speed of the traffic should be considered as factors that influence road pollution, as high speeds may accelerate vehicle wear and deposit more heavy metals on road surfaces. In addition to dry deposition, the runoff and water quality was analyzed every five minutes during the first two hours of storm events to capture the properties of the first flush road runoff. The sample mean concentration (SMC) from three roads demonstrated that the first flush runoff had a high pollution content, notably for suspended solid (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease, Pb, and Zn. Regular sweeping and onsite water treatment facilities are suggested to minimize the pollution from urban roads. PMID:24135820

Risk factors for unfavorable outcome of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults in Taipei, Taiwan.

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Yen, Yung-Feng; Yen, Muh-Yong; Shih, Hsiu-Chen; Deng, Chung-Yeh

2012-05-01

This study was undertaken to identify factors associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Taipei, Taiwan in 2007-2008. Taiwanese adults with culture-positive PTB diagnosed in Taipei during the study period were included in this retrospective cohort study. Unfavorable outcomes were classified as treatment default, death, treatment failure, or transfer. Of 1616 eligible patients, 22.6% (365) had unfavorable outcomes, mainly death. After controlling for patient sociodemographic factors, clinical findings, and underlying disease, independent risk factors for unfavorable outcomes included advanced age, unemployment, end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, malignancy, acid-fast bacilius smear-positivity, multidrug-resistant TB, and notification from ordinary ward or intensive care unit. In contrast, patients receiving directly observed treatment, and with a high school or higher education were significantly less likely to have unfavorable outcomes. This study advanced our understanding by revealing that a high school or higher education might lower the risk of an unfavorable outcome. Our results also confirmed the risk factors for unfavorable outcomes shown in previous research. Future TB control programmes in Taiwan should target particularly high-risk patients including those who had lower educational levels. Copyright © 2012 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical epidemiology of reduced kidney function among elderly male fishing and agricultural population in Taipei, Taiwan.

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Kuo, Chi-Mei; Chien, Wu-Hsiung; Shen, Hsi-Che; Hu, Yi-Chun; Chen, Yu-Fen; Tung, Tao-Hsin

2013-01-01

To quantify the prevalence of and associated factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) among male elderly fishing and agricultural population in Taipei, Taiwan. Subjects (n = 2,766) aged 65 years and over voluntarily admitted to a teaching hospital for a physical checkup were collected in 2010. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate agricultural population.

Relationship between heat index and mortality of 6 major cities in Taiwan.

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Sung, Tzu-I; Wu, Pei-Chih; Lung, Shih-Chun; Lin, Chuan-Yao; Chen, Mu-Jean; Su, Huey-Jen

2013-01-01

Increased mortality, linked to events of extreme high temperatures, is recognized as one critical challenge to the public health sector. Therefore, this ecological study was conducted to assess whether this association is also significant in Taiwan and the characteristics of the relationship. Daily mean heat indices, from 1994 through 2008, were used as the predictor for the risk of increased mortality in populations from 6 major Taiwanese cities. Daily mortality data from 1994 through 2008 were retrieved from the Taiwan Death Registry, Department of Health, Taiwan, and meteorological data were acquired from the Central Weather Bureau. Poisson regression analyses using generalized linear models were applied to estimate the temperature-mortality relationship. Daily mean heat indices were calculated and used as the temperature metric. Overall, increased risk ratios in mortality were associated with increased daily mean heat indices. Significantly increased risk ratios of daily mortality were evident when daily mean heat indices were at and above the 95th percentile, when compared to the lowest percentile, in all cities. These risks tended to increase similarly among those aged 65 years and older; a phenomenon seen in the cities of Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, but not Chiayi. Being more vulnerable to heat stress is likely restricted to a short-term effect, as suggested by lag models which showed that there was dominantly an association during the period of 0 to 3 days. In Taiwan, predicting city-specific daily mean heat indices may provide a useful early warning system for increased mortality risk, especially for the elderly. Regional differences in health vulnerabilities should be further examined in relation to the differential social-ecological systems that affect them. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Factors associated with health-related quality of life among injection drug users at methadone clinics in Taipei, Taiwan

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Yung-Feng Yen

2015-05-01

Conclusion: Poor HRQOL was associated with a number of factors among IDUs at methadone clinics in Taipei, Taiwan. To improve HRQOL in this population, future programs should focus on IDUs with a history of drug overdose. In addition, methadone programs and social support should be integrated to improve HRQOL among this socially marginalized population.

Asian dust storm elevates children's respiratory health risks: a spatiotemporal analysis of children's clinic visits across Taipei (Taiwan.

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Hwa-Lung Yu

Full Text Available Concerns have been raised about the adverse impact of Asian dust storms (ADS on human health; however, few studies have examined the effect of these events on children's health. Using databases from the Taiwan National Health Insurance and Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency, this study investigates the documented daily visits of children to respiratory clinics during and after ADS that occurred from 1997 to 2007 among 12 districts across Taipei City by applying a Bayesian structural additive regressive model controlled for spatial and temporal patterns. This study finds that the significantly impact of elevated children's respiratory clinic visits happened after ADS. Five of the seven lagged days had increasing percentages of relative rate, which was consecutively elevated from a 2-day to a 5-day lag by 0.63%∼2.19% for preschool children (i.e., 0∼6 years of age and 0.72%∼3.17% for school children (i.e., 7∼14 years of age. The spatial pattern of clinic visits indicated that geographical heterogeneity was possibly associated with the clinic's location and accessibility. Moreover, day-of-week effects were elevated on Monday, Friday, and Saturday. We concluded that ADS may significantly increase the risks of respiratory diseases consecutively in the week after exposure, especially in school children.

Investigation for Strong Ground Shaking across the Taipei Basin during the MW 7.0 Eastern Taiwan Offshore Earthquake of 31 March 2002

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Yi-Ling Huang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available According to reconstructed ground motion snapshots of the northern Taiwan area during the MW 7.0 eastern Taiwan offshore earthquake of 31 March 2002, the composite effects indicated complicated wave propagation behavior in the ground motion of the Taipei basin. A major low frequency pulse arose after the S-wave with the duration of about 20 seconds was observed in northern Taiwan and dominated the radial direction. Observed waveforms of a low frequency pulse show amplification during the seismic wave across the Taipei basin from its eastern edge to western portion. This effect has been considered to be generated by an unusual source radiation, deep Moho reflection or basin bottom surface. In this study, recorded ground motions from a dense seismic network were analyzed using a frequency-wavenumber spectrum analysis for seismic wave propagation properties. We investigated temporal and spatial variations in strong shaking in different frequency bands. Results show that a simple pulse incident seismic wave strongly interacts with inside soft sediments and the surrounding topography of the Taipei basin which in turn extends its shaking duration. Evidence showed that seismic waves have been reflected back from its western boundary of basin with a dominant frequency near one Hz. Findings in this study have been rarely reported and may provide useful information to further constrain a three-dimensional numerical simulation for the basin response and velocity structure, and to predict ground motions of further large earthquakes.

Lead Isotope Characterization of Petroleum Fuels in Taipei, Taiwan

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Pei-Hsuan Yao

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Leaded gasoline in Taiwan was gradually phased out from 1983 to 2000. However, it is unclear whether unleaded gasoline still contributes to atmospheric lead (Pb exposure in urban areas. In this study, Pb isotopic compositions of unleaded gasolines, with octane numbers of 92, 95, 98, and diesel from two local suppliers in Taipei were determined by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a two-sigma uncertainty of ± 0.02 %. Lead isotopic ratios of vehicle exhaust (208Pb/207Pb: 2.427, 206Pb/207Pb: 1.148, as estimated from petroleum fuels overlap with the reported aerosol data. This agreement indicates that local unleaded petroleum fuels, containing 10–45 ng·Pb·g−1, are merely one contributor among various sources to urban aerosol Pb. Additionally, the distinction between the products of the two companies is statistically significant in their individual 208Pb/206Pb ratios (p-value < 0.001, t test. Lead isotopic characterization appears to be applicable as a “fingerprinting” tool for tracing the sources of Pb pollution.

Evidence for a magma reservoir beneath the Taipei metropolis of Taiwan from both S-wave shadows and P-wave delays.

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Lin, Cheng-Horng

2016-12-23

There are more than 7 million people living near the Tatun volcano group in northern Taiwan. For the safety of the Taipei metropolis, in particular, it has been debated for decades whether or not these volcanoes are active. Here I show evidence of a deep magma reservoir beneath the Taipei metropolis from both S-wave shadows and P-wave delays. The reservoir is probably composed of either a thin magma layer overlay or many molten sills within thick partially molten rocks. Assuming that 40% of the reservoir is partially molten, its total volume could be approximately 350 km 3 . The exact location and geometry of the magma reservoir will be obtained after dense seismic arrays are deployed in 2017-2020.

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.

Seroprevalence of enterovirus 71 and no evidence of crossprotection of enterovirus 71 antibody against the other enteroviruses in kindergarten children in Taipei city.

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Huang, Wen-Chan; Huang, Li-Min; Kao, Chuan-Liang; Lu, Chun-Yi; Shao, Pei-Lan; Cheng, Ai-Ling; Fan, Tsui-Yien; Chi, Hsin; Chang, Luan-Yin

2012-04-01

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection may cause severe neurological and cardiopulmonary complications, especially in preschool children. This study is to investigate the seroprevalence and seroconversion of EV71, and the crossprotection of EV71 antibody against other enteroviruses among kindergarteners. Overall 228 children in a public kindergarten were enrolled during two academic years, 2006 and 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan and we measured their EV71 neutralizing antibody. When the participants had herpangina; hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD); febrile illness or respiratory symptoms, throat swabs were sampled and processed for viral culture and enterovirus real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Questionnaires, completed by the participants' guardians, surveyed the history of allergy and annual incidence of symptoms related to enterovirus infection. Seropositive rates of EV71 were 20% (32/163) in 2006 and 6% (4/65) in 2007. The rate of EV71 seropositivity increased with age (p Taipei City from September 2006 to June 2008. Presence of EV71 neutralizing antibody was not associated with lower incidence of enterovirus infection caused by non-71 serotypes. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Analysis of Ground Displacements in Taipei Area by Using High Resolution X-band SAR Interferometry

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Tung, H.; Chen, H. Y.; Hu, J. C.

2014-12-01

Located at the northern part of Taiwan, Taipei is the most densely populated city and the center of politic, economic, and culture of this island. North of the Taipei basin, the active Tatun volcano group with the eruptive potential to devastate the entire Taipei is only 15 km away from the capital Taipei. Furthermore, the active Shanchiao fault located in the western margin of Taipei basin. Therefore, it is not only an interesting scientific topic but also a strong social impact to better understand the assessment and mitigation of geological hazard in the metropolitan Taipei city. In this study, we use 12 high resolution X-band SAR images from the new generation COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) constellation for associating with leveling and GPS data to monitor surface deformation around the Shanchiao fault and the Tatun volcano group. The stripmap mode of CSK SAR images provides spatial resolution of 3 m x 3 m, which is one order of magnitude better than the previous available satellite SAR data. Furthermore, the more frequent revisit of the same Area of Interest (AOI) of the present X-band missions provides massive datasets to avoid the baseline limitation and temporal decorrelation to improve the temporal resolution of deformation in time series. After transferring the GPS vectors and leveling data to the LOS direction by referring to continuous GPS station BANC, the R square between PS velocities and GPS velocities is approximate to 0.9, which indicates the high reliability of our PSInSAR result. In addition, the well-fitting profiles between leveling data and PSInSAR result along two leveling routes both demonstrate that the significant deformation gradient mainly occurs along the Shanchiao fault. The severe land subsidence area is located in the western part of Taipei basin just next to the Shanchiao fault with a maximum of SRD rate of 30 mm/yr. However, the severe subsidence area, Wuku, is also one industrial area in Taipei which could be attributed to anthropogenic

Target-aimed versus wishful-thinking in designing efficient GHG reduction strategies for a metropolitan city: Taipei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.-M.; Liou, M.-L.; Yeh, S.-C.; Shang, N.-C.

2009-01-01

In recent years, many national and local governments claim for a specific GHG (greenhouse gas) reduction goal targeted for many years later. In 2005, the Taipei City government announced that Taipei's total GHG emission in 2015 will reach the same level as that in 2005 and then down to 75% of that level at year 2030. However, based on the estimated energy consumption and GHG emission and the proposed emission reduction plans from the local government, it is clear that these goals are not going to be accomplished. In Taipei, the residential and commercial sector contributes more than 78% of the total GHG emission. Thus, in a business as usual scenario, the total GHG emission in 2030 would be 79% more than that in 2005, far more than the target value proclaimed. As many key factors are uncontrollable by the local government, a target-aimed strategy designing process by looking into changes in Taipei and identifying major targets is proposed in this study. It is demonstrated that such a universally applicable approach will give more confidence to the public on working toward the expected GHG reduction goal

The Effects of Coarse Particles on Daily Mortality: A Case-Crossover Study in a Subtropical City, Taipei, Taiwan

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Meng-Hsuan Cheng

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Many studies have examined the effects of air pollution on daily mortality over the past two decades. However, information on the relationship between levels of coarse particles (PM2.5–10 and daily mortality is relatively sparse due to the limited availability of monitoring data. Furthermore, the results are inconsistent. In the current study, the association between coarse particle levels and daily mortality in Taipei, Taiwan’s largest city, which has a subtropical climate, was undertaken for the period 2006–2008 using a time-stratified case-crossover analysis. For the single pollutant model (without adjustment for other pollutants, PM2.5–10 showed statistically significant association with total mortality both on warm and cool days, with an interquartile range increase associated with a 11% (95% CI = 6%–17% and 4% (95% CI = 1%–7% rise in number of total deaths, respectively. In two-pollutant models, PM2.5–10 remained significant effects on total mortality after the inclusion of SO2 and O3 both on warm and cool days. We observed no significant associations between PM2.5–10 and daily mortality from respiratory diseases both on warm and cool days. For daily mortality from circulatory diseases, the effect of PM2.5–10 remained significant when SO2 or O3 was added in the regression model both on warm and cool days. Future studies of this type in cities with varying climates and cultures are needed.

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

75 FR 76023 - Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest

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2010-12-07

... International Co., Ltd. of Taipei Hsien, Taiwan; MSI Computer Corporation of City of Industry, CA; Motorola, Inc..., Switzerland; STMicroelectronics Inc., of Carrollton, TX; Asustek Computer Inc. of Taipei City, Taiwan; Asus Computer International Inc. of Fremont, CA; Audio Partnership PLC of London, United Kingdom; Biostar...

Dose estimation for nuclear power plant 4 accident in Taiwan at Fukushima nuclear meltdown emission level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Mei-Ling; Tsuang, Ben-Jei; Kuo, Pei-Hsuan

2016-01-01

An advanced Gaussian trajectory dispersion model is used to evaluate the evacuation zone due to a nuclear meltdown at the Nuclear Power Plant 4 (NPP4) in Taiwan, with the same emission level as that occurred at Fukushima nuclear meltdown (FNM) in 2011. Our study demonstrates that a FNM emission level would pollute 9% of the island's land area with annual effective dose ≥50 mSv using the meteorological data on 11 March 2011 in Taiwan. This high dose area is also called permanent evacuation zone (denoted as PEZ). The PEZ as well as the emergency-planning zone (EPZ) are found to be sensitive to meteorological conditions on the event. In a sunny day under the dominated NE wind conditions, the EPZ can be as far as 100 km with the first 7-day dose ≥20 mSv. Three hundred sixty-five daily events using the meteorological data from 11 March 2011 to 9 March 2012 are evaluated. It is found that the mean land area of Taiwan in becoming the PEZ is 11%. Especially, the probabilities of the northern counties/cities (Keelung, New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County and Ilan County) to be PEZs are high, ranging from 15% in Ilan County to 51% in Keelung City. Note that the total population of the above cities/counties is as high as 10 million people. Moreover, the western valleys of the Central Mountain Range are also found to be probable being PEZs, where all of the reservoirs in western Taiwan are located. For example, the probability can be as high as 3% in the far southern-most tip of Taiwan Island in Pingtung County. This shows that the entire populations in western Taiwan can be at risk due to the shortage of clean water sources under an event at FNM emission level, especially during the NE monsoon period. - Highlights: • An advanced Gaussian-type trajectory model to evaluate the evacuation zone at Nuclear Power Plant 4 in Taiwan. • Mean land area of Taiwan in becoming the permanent evacuation zone is 11%. • The probabilities of the northern

Dose estimation for nuclear power plant 4 accident in Taiwan at Fukushima nuclear meltdown emission level.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Mei-Ling; Tsuang, Ben-Jei; Kuo, Pei-Hsuan

2016-05-01

An advanced Gaussian trajectory dispersion model is used to evaluate the evacuation zone due to a nuclear meltdown at the Nuclear Power Plant 4 (NPP4) in Taiwan, with the same emission level as that occurred at Fukushima nuclear meltdown (FNM) in 2011. Our study demonstrates that a FNM emission level would pollute 9% of the island's land area with annual effective dose ≥50 mSv using the meteorological data on 11 March 2011 in Taiwan. This high dose area is also called permanent evacuation zone (denoted as PEZ). The PEZ as well as the emergency-planning zone (EPZ) are found to be sensitive to meteorological conditions on the event. In a sunny day under the dominated NE wind conditions, the EPZ can be as far as 100 km with the first 7-day dose ≥20 mSv. Three hundred sixty-five daily events using the meteorological data from 11 March 2011 to 9 March 2012 are evaluated. It is found that the mean land area of Taiwan in becoming the PEZ is 11%. Especially, the probabilities of the northern counties/cities (Keelung, New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County and Ilan County) to be PEZs are high, ranging from 15% in Ilan County to 51% in Keelung City. Note that the total population of the above cities/counties is as high as 10 million people. Moreover, the western valleys of the Central Mountain Range are also found to be probable being PEZs, where all of the reservoirs in western Taiwan are located. For example, the probability can be as high as 3% in the far southern-most tip of Taiwan Island in Pingtung County. This shows that the entire populations in western Taiwan can be at risk due to the shortage of clean water sources under an event at FNM emission level, especially during the NE monsoon period. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A comparison of complex sleep behaviors with two short-acting Z-hypnosedative drugs in nonpsychotic patients

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Chen LF

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Li-Fen Chen,1 Ching-En Lin,1–3 Yu-Ching Chou,4 Wei-Chung Mao,1,5 Yi-Chyan Chen,1–3 Nian-Sheng Tzeng1,6 1Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan; 2Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, The Buddhist Medical Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan; 3School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; 4School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan; 5Institute of Brain Science, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City, Taiwan; 6Student Counseling Center, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan Objective: Complex sleep behaviors (CSBs are classified as “parasomnias” in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Edition (ICSD-2. To realize the potential danger after taking two short-acting Z-hypnosedative drugs, we estimated the incidence of CSBs in nonpsychotic patients in Taiwan. Methods: Subjects (N = 1,220 using zolpidem or zopiclone were enrolled from the psychiatric outpatient clinics of a medical center in Taiwan over a 16-month period in 2006–2007. Subjects with zolpidem (N = 1,132 and subjects with zopiclone (N = 88 were analyzed. All subjects completed a questionnaire that included demographic data and complex sleep behaviors after taking hypnotics. Results: Among zolpidem and zopiclone users, 3.28% of patients reported incidents of somnambulism or amnesic sleep-related behavior problems. The incidence of CSBs with zolpidem and zopiclone were 3.27%, and 3.41%, respectively, which was significantly lower than other studies in Taiwan. Conclusion: These results serve as a reminder for clinicians to make inquiries regarding any unusual performance of parasomnic activities when prescribing zolpidem or zopiclone. Keywords: parasomnia, somnambulism, amnesic sleep-related behavior, sleepwalking, zolpidem, zopiclone

Smart Cities in Taiwan: A Perspective on Big Data Applications

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Shiann Ming Wu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we discuss the concept of a smart city based on information and communication technology (ICT, analyze the objectives of smart city development in Taiwan, and explain the supporting technologies that make such development possible. Subsequently, we propose a hierarchical structure framework of smart city systems with levels of complexity ranging from low to high and interconnections and interactive relationships in five dimensions: the Internet of Things (IoT, cloud computing, Big Data, Mobile Network, and smart business. We integrate each key resource of the core operation systems of cities to promote the innovative operation of cities and further optimize city development. We then propose a Big Data platform data flow framework that uses information from ubiquitous sensor networks and information equipment to analyze the Big Data application process of smart cities and determine the resulting advantages and challenges. Additionally, we analyze the current state of development of smart cities in Taiwan. Finally, we discuss a new philosophy of smart city development and provide a practical blueprint for the formation, operation, and development of the smart cities with the aim of creating a bright future for the smart cities of Taiwan.

The Web 2.0 concept of urban disaster information in Taipei city: Mobile application development

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Yuan-Fan; Chan, Chun-Hsiang; Wang, Han; Pan, Yun-Xing; Lin, Gine-Jie

2014-05-01

In recent years, due to the global warming and global climate anomaly, more and more disasters appear such as flood and debris flow. The disasters always cause loss of life and property. However, the cross-aged invention, smart phone, makes our life more conveniently for delivering lots of information instantly. This study uses Eclipse as the development platform, and designs the urban disaster information mobile Application (APP) which is for debris flow and flood in Taipei city area. In this study, an urban disaster information APP, Taipei Let You Know, has successfully developed under android development environment, combined disaster indicators and the warming value of disaster. In order to ameliorate official information delay problem, this APP not only shows official information, but also offers a WEB 2.0 platform for public users to upload all disaster information instantly. As the result, the losses of life and property can decrease, and the disaster information delivery can be faster and more accurate by utilizing this APP in the future.

Predictive factors warrant screening for obstructive sleep apnea in COPD: a Taiwan National Survey

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Hang LW

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Liang-Wen Hang,1,2 Jeng-Yuan Hsu,3 Chee-Jen Chang,4 Hao-Chien Wang,5,6 Shih-Lung Cheng,7,8 Ching-Hsiung Lin,9 Ming-Cheng Chan,3 Chin-Chou Wang,10 Diahn-Warng Perng,11 Chong-Jen Yu5,6 On behalf of the Taiwan COPD Consortium 1Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Health Care, China Medical University, 2Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, 4Biostatistical Center for Clinical Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch, Guishan Township, Taoyuan County, 5Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, 6Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, Taipei, 7Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, 8Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li City, Taoyuan County, 9Division of Chest Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua City, Changhua County, 10Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 11Department of Chest Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Background and objectives: COPD and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA share similar pathological processes and cardiovascular sequelae. Coexisting OSA in COPD – “overlap syndrome” – has worse prognosis than either condition alone, and appropriate treatment improves survival. Our objectives were to ascertain the frequency at which COPD coexists with the risk of OSA in Taiwan and to compare the risk factors, COPD symptoms, and life quality metrics between COPD subgroups with versus without risk of OSA. Methods: We conducted a random cross-sectional national telephone survey of adults >40 years old in Taiwan. Participants fulfilling an epidemiological case definition of COPD completed a

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

Differences in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage Cases between Urban and Rural Regions of Taiwan: Big Data Analytics of Government Open Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, Hsien-Wei; Chien, Ting-Ying; Lai, K Robert; Pan, Ren-Hao; Wu, Kuan-Hsien; Chen, Jun-Min; Chan, Chien-Lung

2017-12-10

This study evaluated the differences in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) between rural and urban areas of Taiwan with big data analysis. We used big data analytics and visualization tools to examine government open data, which included the residents' health medical administrative data, economic status, educational status, and relevant information. The study subjects included sICH patients of Taipei region (29,741 cases) and Eastern Taiwan (4565 cases). The incidence of sICH per 100,000 population per year in Eastern Taiwan (71.3 cases) was significantly higher than that of the Taipei region (42.3 cases). The mean coverage area per hospital in Eastern Taiwan (452.4 km²) was significantly larger than the Taipei region (24 km²). The residents educational level in the Taipei region was significantly higher than that in Eastern Taiwan. The mean hospital length of stay in the Taipei region (17.9 days) was significantly greater than that in Eastern Taiwan (16.3 days) ( p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in other medical profiles between two areas. Distance and educational barriers were two possible reasons for the higher incidence of sICH in the rural area of Eastern Taiwan. Further studies are necessary in order to understand these phenomena in greater depth.

Differences in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage Cases between Urban and Rural Regions of Taiwan: Big Data Analytics of Government Open Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsien-Wei Ting

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the differences in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH between rural and urban areas of Taiwan with big data analysis. We used big data analytics and visualization tools to examine government open data, which included the residents’ health medical administrative data, economic status, educational status, and relevant information. The study subjects included sICH patients of Taipei region (29,741 cases and Eastern Taiwan (4565 cases. The incidence of sICH per 100,000 population per year in Eastern Taiwan (71.3 cases was significantly higher than that of the Taipei region (42.3 cases. The mean coverage area per hospital in Eastern Taiwan (452.4 km2 was significantly larger than the Taipei region (24 km2. The residents educational level in the Taipei region was significantly higher than that in Eastern Taiwan. The mean hospital length of stay in the Taipei region (17.9 days was significantly greater than that in Eastern Taiwan (16.3 days (p < 0.001. There were no significant differences in other medical profiles between two areas. Distance and educational barriers were two possible reasons for the higher incidence of sICH in the rural area of Eastern Taiwan. Further studies are necessary in order to understand these phenomena in greater depth.

Report on the Taipei CHEP 2010 Conference

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2010-01-01

This year, the 18th Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP) conference has been held at Taipei, Taiwan, from 18-22 October 2010.CHEP conferences provide an international forum to exchange information on computing experience and needs for the High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics communities, and to review recent, ongoing and future activities.The speakers at this Computing Seminar will present their views of the CHEP 2010 conference.

Impacts of Typhoon Soudelor (2015) on the water quality of Taipei, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Fakour, Hoda; Lo, Shang-Lien; Lin, Tsair-Fuh

2016-04-29

Typhoon Soudelor was one of the strongest storms in the world in 2015. The category 5 hurricane made landfall in Taiwan on August 8, causing extensive damage and severe impacts on the environment. This paper describes the changes of trihalomethane (THM) concentrations in tap and drinking fountain water in selected typhoon-affected areas in Taipei before and after the typhoon. Samples were taken from water transmission mains at various distances from the local water treatment plant. The results showed that organic matter increased between pre- and post-typhoon periods with a greater proportion of aromatic compounds. Although drinking fountains showed moderately less total trihalomethane (TTHM) levels than that of tap water, the intake of high turbidity water considerably diminished the efficiency of their purification systems after the typhoon. The percentage distribution of THM species increased throughout the distribution network, probably due to a longer contact time between chlorine and the organic matter in the pipelines. After 2 to 5 min of boiling, THM reduction was considerable in all cases with the greater extent in post-typhoon samples. It is evident that extreme weather conditions may have a severe impact on water quality, and thus more cautious strategies should be adopted in such cases.

Impacts of Typhoon Soudelor (2015) on the water quality of Taipei, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Fakour, Hoda; Lo, Shang-Lien; Lin, Tsair-Fuh

2016-04-01

Typhoon Soudelor was one of the strongest storms in the world in 2015. The category 5 hurricane made landfall in Taiwan on August 8, causing extensive damage and severe impacts on the environment. This paper describes the changes of trihalomethane (THM) concentrations in tap and drinking fountain water in selected typhoon-affected areas in Taipei before and after the typhoon. Samples were taken from water transmission mains at various distances from the local water treatment plant. The results showed that organic matter increased between pre- and post-typhoon periods with a greater proportion of aromatic compounds. Although drinking fountains showed moderately less total trihalomethane (TTHM) levels than that of tap water, the intake of high turbidity water considerably diminished the efficiency of their purification systems after the typhoon. The percentage distribution of THM species increased throughout the distribution network, probably due to a longer contact time between chlorine and the organic matter in the pipelines. After 2 to 5 min of boiling, THM reduction was considerable in all cases with the greater extent in post-typhoon samples. It is evident that extreme weather conditions may have a severe impact on water quality, and thus more cautious strategies should be adopted in such cases.

Assessing the Efficacy of Restricting Access to Barbecue Charcoal for Suicide Prevention in Taiwan: A Community-Based Intervention Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying-Yeh; Chen, Feng; Chang, Shu-Sen; Wong, Jacky; Yip, Paul S F

2015-01-01

Objective Charcoal-burning suicide has recently been spreading to many Asian countries. There have also been several cases involving this new method of suicide in Western countries. Restricting access to suicide means is one of the few suicide-prevention measures that have been supported by empirical evidence. The current study aims to assess the effectiveness of a community intervention program that restricts access to charcoal to prevent suicide in Taiwan. Methods and Findings A quasi-experimental design is used to compare method-specific (charcoal-burning suicide, non-charcoal-burning suicide) and overall suicide rates in New Taipei City (the intervention site, with a population of 3.9 million) with two other cities (Taipei City and Kaohsiung City, the control sites, each with 2.7 million residents) before (Jan 1st 2009- April 30th 2012) and after (May 1st 2012-Dec. 31st 2013) the initiation of a charcoal-restriction program on May 1st 2012. The program mandates the removal of barbecue charcoal from open shelves to locked storage in major retail stores in New Taipei City. No such restriction measure was implemented in the two control sites. Generalized linear regression models incorporating secular trends were used to compare the changes in method-specific and overall suicide rates before and after the initiation of the restriction measure. A simulation approach was used to estimate the number of lives saved by the intervention. Compared with the pre-intervention period, the estimated rate reduction of charcoal-burning suicide in New Taipei City was 37% (95% CI: 17%, 50%) after the intervention. Taking secular trends into account, the reduction was 30% (95% CI: 14%, 44%). No compensatory rise in non-charcoal-burning suicide was observed in New Taipei City. No significant reduction in charcoal-burning suicide was observed in the other two control sites. The simulation approach estimated that 91 (95%CI [55, 128]) lives in New Taipei City were saved during the 20

Does the Short-Term Effect of Air Pollution Influence the Incidence of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Different Patient Groups? Big Data Analysis in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Ting-Ying; Ting, Hsien-Wei; Chan, Chien-Lung; Lai, K. Robert; Hung, Su-In

2017-01-01

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a high mortality rate. Research has demonstrated that the occurrence of sICH is related to air pollution. This study used big data analysis to explore the impact of air pollution on the risk of sICH in patients of differing age and geographic location. 39,053 cases were included in this study; 14,041 in the Taipei region (Taipei City and New Taipei City), 5537 in Taoyuan City, 7654 in Taichung City, 4739 in Tainan City, and 7082 in Kaohsiung City. The results of correlation analysis indicated that there were two pollutants groups, the CO and NO2 group and the PM2.5 and PM10 group. Furthermore, variations in the correlations of sICH with air pollutants were identified in different age groups. The co-factors of the influence of air pollutants in the different age groups were explored using regression analysis. This study integrated Taiwan National Health Insurance data and air pollution data to explore the risk factors of sICH using big data analytics. We found that PM2.5 and PM10 are very important risk factors for sICH, and age is an important modulating factor that allows air pollutants to influence the incidence of sICH. PMID:29232865

Does the Short-Term Effect of Air Pollution Influence the Incidence of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Different Patient Groups? Big Data Analysis in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Ting-Ying; Ting, Hsien-Wei; Chan, Chien-Lung; Yang, Nan-Ping; Pan, Ren-Hao; Lai, K Robert; Hung, Su-In

2017-12-10

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) has a high mortality rate. Research has demonstrated that the occurrence of sICH is related to air pollution. This study used big data analysis to explore the impact of air pollution on the risk of sICH in patients of differing age and geographic location. 39,053 cases were included in this study; 14,041 in the Taipei region (Taipei City and New Taipei City), 5537 in Taoyuan City, 7654 in Taichung City, 4739 in Tainan City, and 7082 in Kaohsiung City. The results of correlation analysis indicated that there were two pollutants groups, the CO and NO₂ group and the PM 2.5 and PM 10 group. Furthermore, variations in the correlations of sICH with air pollutants were identified in different age groups. The co-factors of the influence of air pollutants in the different age groups were explored using regression analysis. This study integrated Taiwan National Health Insurance data and air pollution data to explore the risk factors of sICH using big data analytics. We found that PM 2.5 and PM 10 are very important risk factors for sICH, and age is an important modulating factor that allows air pollutants to influence the incidence of sICH.

75 FR 7358 - Addition of Certain Persons to the Entity List: Addition of Persons Acting Contrary to the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-19

... Company Ltd., 13/F, Number 181, Sec 1, Datong Rd., Sijhih City, Taipei, Taiwan; and (4) Yi-Lan Chen, a.k.a., Kevin Chen, 13/F, Number 181, Sec 1, Datong Rd., Sijhih City, Taipei, Taiwan, and 7th Floor, Number 17... the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (PRA), unless that...

Urban air pollution and meteorological factors affect emergency department visits of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Pei-Hsiou; Wang, Gen-Shuh; Guo, Yue-Leon; Chang, Shuenn-Chin; Wan, Gwo-Hwa

2017-05-01

Both air pollution and meteorological factors in metropolitan areas increased emergency department (ED) visits from people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Few studies investigated the associations between air pollution, meteorological factors, and COPD-related health disorders in Asian countries. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the environmental factors and COPD-associated ED visits of susceptible elderly population in the largest Taiwanese metropolitan area (Taipei area, including Taipei city and New Taipei city) between 2000 and 2013. Data of air pollutant concentrations (PM 10 , PM 2.5 , O 3 , SO 2 , NO 2 and CO), meteorological factors (daily temperature, relative humidity and air pressure), and daily COPD-associated ED visits were collected from Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration air monitoring stations, Central Weather Bureau stations, and the Taiwan National Health Insurance database in Taipei area. We used a case-crossover study design and conditional logistic regression models with odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for evaluating the associations between the environmental factors and COPD-associated ED visits. Analyses showed that PM 2.5 , O 3 , and SO 2 had significantly greater lag effects (the lag was 4 days for PM 2.5 , and 5 days for O 3 and SO 2 ) on COPD-associated ED visits of the elderly population (65-79 years old). In warmer days, a significantly greater effect on elderly COPD-associated ED visits was estimated for PM 2.5 with coexistence of O 3 . Additionally, either O 3 or SO 2 combined with other air pollutants increased the risk of elderly COPD-associated ED visits in the days of high relative humidity and air pressure difference, respectively. This study showed that joint effect of urban air pollution and meteorological factors contributed to the COPD-associated ED visits of the susceptible elderly population in the largest metropolitan area in Taiwan. Government

Urban Air Pollution in Taiwan before and after the Installation of a Mass Rapid Transit System.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Pei-Hsiou; Wang, Gen-Shuh; Chen, Bing-Yu; Wan, Gwo-Hwa

2016-09-01

Urbanization causes air pollution in metropolitan areas, coupled with meteorological factors that affect air quality. Although previous studies focused on the relationships of urbanization, air pollution, and climate change in Western countries, this study evaluated long-term variations of air quality and meteorological factors in Taiwanese metropolitan areas (Taipei area, Taichung City, and Kaohsiung City) and a rural area (Hualien County) between 1993 and 2012. The influence of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system on air quality was also evaluated. Air pollutant concentrations and meteorology data were collected from Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA) air monitoring stations and Central Weather Bureau stations in the surveyed areas, respectively. Analyses indicate that levels of air pollution in metropolitan areas were greater than in the rural area. Kaohsiung City had the highest levels of O, SO, and particulate matter 2.5 or 10 µm in diameter (PM and PM). Clear downward trends for CO, NO, PM, PM, and especially SO concentrations were found in the surveyed areas, whereas O showed no decrease. Both O and PM concentrations showed similar bimodal seasonal distributions. Taiwan's air quality has improved significantly since 1993, indicating the effectiveness of promoting air pollution strategies and policies by the TEPA. Air pollution had an obvious improvement in Taipei area after the MRT system began operations in 1996. Because global climate may potentially affect urban air pollution in Taiwan, further study to clarify the mechanisms by which air pollution may affect human health and other biological effects is warranted. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

A Study of Fifth Graders' Environmental Learning Outcomes in Taipei

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Ching-San

2018-01-01

Environmental education has recently received much more attention than before among elementary school students' science learning in Taiwan. The major purpose of this study is to explore the learning outcomes on environmental education for 5th graders in Taipei. A quasi-experimental design with a single group was used in this study. Students in the…

The study on the evaluation of the pollution control situation of the sewage systems in the counties and cities of Taiwan by applying the VIKOR method.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Jun-Yuan

2017-12-01

County (0.2253) and Kaohsiung City (0.1334). Other cities and counties of Taiwan have good performance in the pollution control of the industrial area sewage systems. The VIKOR value of Kinmen County is 1.0000, which is the worst pollution control among the all public community sewage systems, followed by Hsinchu County (0.7458) and New Taipei City (0.5527). Among the cities and counties with good pollution control of the public community sewage systems, the best is Chiayi County (0.0000), followed by Kaohsiung City (0.0159) and Hsinchu City (0.0352). Chiayi County is a good performance compromise between all VIKOR values (0.0000), whether in industrial or public community area pollution control sewage systems. Yilan County industrial pollution control has the poorest performance of all the industrial area sewage systems in Taiwan, but in the public community, it ranked as fourth place of all the public community area sewage systems in Taiwan. The VIKOR method proposed in this study can effectively evaluate the pollution control situation of the sewage systems, and serve as a reference for the environmental protection authorities in developing the strategies for the pollution control of the sewage systems.

Surveillance of Tuberculosis in Taipei: The Influence of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-Yuan Chiang

Full Text Available Notification of tuberculosis (TB but not nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM is mandatory in Taiwan. Partly due to the strict regulation on TB notification, several patients infected with NTM were notified as TB cases. Notification of patients infected with NTM as TB cases can trigger public health actions and impose additional burdens on the public health system. We conducted a study to assess the influence of NTM infection on surveillance of TB in Taipei.The study population included all individuals with a positive culture for Mycobacterium who were citizens of Taipei City and notified as TB cases in the calendar years 2007-2010. Of the 4216 notified culture-positive tuberculosis (TB cases, 894 (21.2% were infected with NTM. The average annual reported case rate of infection with NTM was 8.6 (95% confidence interval 7.7-9.4 per 100,000 people. The reported case rate of NTM increased with age in both males and females. The proportion of reported TB cases infected with NTM was significantly higher in females than in males (27.6% vs 17.8%, adjusted OR (adjOR 1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI 1.63-2.28; in smear-positive than in smear-negative (23.1% vs 19.2%, adjOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.08-1.47; and in previously treated cases than in new cases (35.7% vs 19.1%, adjOR 2.30, 95% CI 1.88-2.82. The most frequent species was M. avium complex (32.4%, followed by M. chelonae complex (17.6%, M. fortuitum complex (17.0% and M. kansasii (9.8%. Of the 890 notified NTM cases assessed, 703 (79.0% were treated with anti-TB drugs, and 730 (82.0% were de-notified.The influence of NTM on surveillance of TB in Taipei was substantial. Health authorities should take action to ensure that nucleic acid amplification tests are performed in all smear-positive cases in a timely manner to reduce the misdiagnosis of patients infected with NTM as TB cases.

Surveillance of Tuberculosis in Taipei: The Influence of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Chen-Yuan; Yu, Ming-Chih; Yang, Shiang-Lin; Yen, Muh-Yong; Bai, Kuan-Jen

2015-01-01

Notification of tuberculosis (TB) but not nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is mandatory in Taiwan. Partly due to the strict regulation on TB notification, several patients infected with NTM were notified as TB cases. Notification of patients infected with NTM as TB cases can trigger public health actions and impose additional burdens on the public health system. We conducted a study to assess the influence of NTM infection on surveillance of TB in Taipei. The study population included all individuals with a positive culture for Mycobacterium who were citizens of Taipei City and notified as TB cases in the calendar years 2007-2010. Of the 4216 notified culture-positive tuberculosis (TB) cases, 894 (21.2%) were infected with NTM. The average annual reported case rate of infection with NTM was 8.6 (95% confidence interval 7.7-9.4) per 100,000 people. The reported case rate of NTM increased with age in both males and females. The proportion of reported TB cases infected with NTM was significantly higher in females than in males (27.6% vs 17.8%, adjusted OR (adjOR) 1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.63-2.28); in smear-positive than in smear-negative (23.1% vs 19.2%, adjOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.08-1.47); and in previously treated cases than in new cases (35.7% vs 19.1%, adjOR 2.30, 95% CI 1.88-2.82). The most frequent species was M. avium complex (32.4%), followed by M. chelonae complex (17.6%), M. fortuitum complex (17.0%) and M. kansasii (9.8%). Of the 890 notified NTM cases assessed, 703 (79.0%) were treated with anti-TB drugs, and 730 (82.0%) were de-notified. The influence of NTM on surveillance of TB in Taipei was substantial. Health authorities should take action to ensure that nucleic acid amplification tests are performed in all smear-positive cases in a timely manner to reduce the misdiagnosis of patients infected with NTM as TB cases.

Analysis of motorcycle exhaust regular testing data--a case study of Taipei City.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yi-Chi; Chen, Lu-Yen; Jeng, Fu-Tien

2009-06-01

In Taiwan, a continuous increase in the number of motorcycles has made exhaust pollution one of the major emission sources of air pollutants. The regular testing program carried out by the Republic of China Environmental Protection Agency was designed to reduce air pollutant emissions by enhancing maintenance and repair. During the execution period, abundant testing results were accumulated to discuss pollutant emissions from motorcycles. Exhaust testing data of motorcycles in Taipei City from 1996 to 2005 were chosen as the basic data to survey changes in motorcycle exhaust. Effects of motorcycle age and mileage on exhaust pollution were studied. The introduction of advanced emission standards enhances the elimination of high-emitting motorcycles. The testing data indicate that the testing rate rose from approximately 50 to 70% and the failure rate changed from approximately 15 to 10%. The operation cycles of two-stroke motorcycles make them high-emitting vehicles. Concentrations of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons are higher in two-stroke motorcycle exhaust than that in four-stroke motorcycles. In contrast, the concentration of carbon dioxide produced from complete oxidation processes is lower in exhaust from two-stroke motorcycles. Therefore, failure rates of two-stroke motorcycles are higher than those of four-stroke motorcycles and were also observed to deactivate more easily. On the basis of analytical results of testing data, we found that failure rates show a gradually increasing trend for motorcycles older than 3 yr or used for mileages greater than 10,000 km, and failure rates are highly correlated to the age/mileage of motorcycles. We reason that the accumulation of age or mileage means accumulating usage time of engines and emission control systems. Concentrations of pollutant emissions would increase because of engine wear and emission control system deactivation. After discussing changes of failure rates and pollutant emissions, some suggestions are

Surveillance of Tuberculosis in Taipei: The Influence of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria

OpenAIRE

Chiang, Chen-Yuan; Yu, Ming-Chih; Yang, Shiang-Lin; Yen, Muh-Yong; Bai, Kuan-Jen

2015-01-01

Background Notification of tuberculosis (TB) but not nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is mandatory in Taiwan. Partly due to the strict regulation on TB notification, several patients infected with NTM were notified as TB cases. Notification of patients infected with NTM as TB cases can trigger public health actions and impose additional burdens on the public health system. We conducted a study to assess the influence of NTM infection on surveillance of TB in Taipei. Methodology/Principal Fin...

Sexual knowledge, attitudes and activity of older people in Taipei, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tze-Fang; Lu, Chwen-Hwa; Chen, I-Ju; Yu, Shu

2008-02-01

We examined sexual activity and predictive factors among older people in Taipei, Taiwan. We aimed to characterize the older population engaged in sexual activity and determine influencing factors, exploring aspects of sexuality that may influence elders' health and quality of life (QOL). Studies of sexual attitudes and behaviour have found that sexual difficulties are common among mature adults worldwide, influenced in men and women by physical health, ageing, psychosocial and cultural factors. We conducted a community-based retrospective study involving a random sample of 412 men and 204 women over age 65. A questionnaire on demographics and social situations was administered, along with a Sexuality Knowledge and Attitudes Scale; 34 questions evaluated sexual knowledge and 18 evaluated sexual attitudes. Two-hundred and twenty participants were sexually active (35.7%), 185 mainly with spouses (84.1%); frequency was 21.4 (SD 16.9) times per year (range: 1-120). Multiple logistic regressions identified five significant predictors of sexual activity: gender, age, being with spouse, sexual knowledge and sexual attitudes. Sexual activity was significantly associated with higher education levels, lower stress and more self-reported daily activities. Our results agreed with Western studies linking sexual activity with better health and higher QOL in older adults. Older peoples' stress and daily activity levels are recognized quality-of-life measures; lower stress and more daily activities among sexually active older people suggests a connection between sexual activity and higher QOL. Increasing knowledge and improving attitudes about sexuality may help older people build healthier relationships and enhance health and QOL. Relevance to clinical practice. If healthcare professionals possess greater understanding of older peoples' sexuality, healthcare systems may find ways to increase sexual knowledge and foster healthier attitudes and relationships to improve older peoples

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.

Smart Cities in Taiwan: A Perspective on Big Data Applications

OpenAIRE

Shiann Ming Wu; Tsung-chun Chen; Yenchun Jim Wu; Miltiadis Lytras

2018-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the concept of a smart city based on information and communication technology (ICT), analyze the objectives of smart city development in Taiwan, and explain the supporting technologies that make such development possible. Subsequently, we propose a hierarchical structure framework of smart city systems with levels of complexity ranging from low to high and interconnections and interactive relationships in five dimensions: the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing...

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

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Application of a Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Design to Explore the Effects of Air Pollution and Season on Childhood Asthma Hospitalization in Cities of Differing Urban Patterns: Big Data Analytics of Government Open Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Ching-Yen; Pan, Ren-Hao; Chan, Chin-Kan; Wu, Chiung-Yi; Phan, Dinh-Van; Chan, Chien-Lung

2018-03-31

Few studies have assessed the lagged effects of levels of different urban city air pollutants and seasons on asthma hospitalization in children. This study used big data analysis to explore the effects of daily changes in air pollution and season on childhood asthma hospitalization from 2001 to 2010 in Taipei and Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. A time-stratified case-crossover study and conditional logistic regression analysis were employed to identify associations between the risk of hospitalization due to asthma in children and the levels of air pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , O₃, SO₂, and NO₂) in the days preceding hospitalization. During the study period, 2900 children in Taipei and 1337 in Kaohsiung aged ≤15 years were hospitalized due to asthma for the first time. The results indicated that the levels of air pollutants were significantly associated with the risk of asthma hospitalization in children, and seasonal effects were observed. High levels of air pollution in Kaohsiung had greater effects than in Taipei after adjusting for seasonal variation. The most important factor was O₃ in spring in Taipei. In children aged 0-6 years, asthma was associated with O₃ in Taipei and SO₂ in Kaohsiung, after controlling for the daily mean temperature and relative humidity.

Application of a Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Design to Explore the Effects of Air Pollution and Season on Childhood Asthma Hospitalization in Cities of Differing Urban Patterns: Big Data Analytics of Government Open Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Yen Kuo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Few studies have assessed the lagged effects of levels of different urban city air pollutants and seasons on asthma hospitalization in children. This study used big data analysis to explore the effects of daily changes in air pollution and season on childhood asthma hospitalization from 2001 to 2010 in Taipei and Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. A time-stratified case-crossover study and conditional logistic regression analysis were employed to identify associations between the risk of hospitalization due to asthma in children and the levels of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, O3, SO2, and NO2 in the days preceding hospitalization. During the study period, 2900 children in Taipei and 1337 in Kaohsiung aged ≤15 years were hospitalized due to asthma for the first time. The results indicated that the levels of air pollutants were significantly associated with the risk of asthma hospitalization in children, and seasonal effects were observed. High levels of air pollution in Kaohsiung had greater effects than in Taipei after adjusting for seasonal variation. The most important factor was O3 in spring in Taipei. In children aged 0–6 years, asthma was associated with O3 in Taipei and SO2 in Kaohsiung, after controlling for the daily mean temperature and relative humidity.

Seroepidemiology of varicella among elementary school children in northern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ming-Ru; Kuo, Ching-Chia; Hsieh, Yu-Chia; Huang, Ya-Ling; Huang, Yu-Chiau; Hung, Yung-Tai; Huang, Yhu-Chering

2017-06-01

In Taiwan, varicella vaccine was included in the expanded program of immunization since 2004. A seroepidemiologic study in the postvaccine era is helpful to evaluate the efficiency of current varicella vaccination strategies. We used a multistage stratified systematic sampling design to classify 29 administrative districts of New Taipei City into five strata. In 2013, a total of 936 students from 14 primary schools were recruited and had blood drawn for serology tests for varicella-zoster virus-immunoglobulin-G via indirect chemiluminescence immunoassays. A history of clinical varicella and information on varicella vaccination status were obtained. Overall, the seroprevalence was 64.1%. For the five strata, the seropositive rate ranged from 54.2% (Stratum 5) to 71.7% (Stratum 2) with no significant difference. For each participating school, the seropositive rate ranged from 44.4% to 72.9% with a statistically significant difference (p Taiwan, around two-thirds of elementary schoolchildren were seropositive for varicella-zoster virus. Further surveillance studies on clinical varicella cases are worthwhile to determine whether a second dose of varicella vaccine is needed in Taiwan. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Molecular Epidemiology of HIV-1 Infection among Men who Have Sex with Men in Taiwan in 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Szu-Wei; Wang, Sheng-Fan; Cowó, Ángel E.; Chen, Marcelo; Lin, Yu-Ting; Hung, Chun-Po; Chen, Yi-Hsien; Yang, Jyh-Yuan; Tang, Hung-Jen; Chen, Yi-Ming Arthur

2015-01-01

The number of men who have sex with men (MSM) infected with HIV-1 in Taiwan has increased rapidly in the past few years. The goal of this study was to conduct a molecular epidemiological study of HIV-1 infection among MSM in Taiwan to identify risk factors for intervention. Voluntary counseling program and anonymous testing were provided to patrons at 1 gay bar, 7 night clubs and 3 gay saunas in Taipei and New Taipei Cities in 2012. HIV-1 subtypes were determined using gag subtype-specific PCR and phylogenetic analysis by env sequences. Recent HIV-1 infection was determined using LAg-Avidity EIA. In-depth interviews and questionnaires were used to identify risk factors. The prevalence and incidence of HIV-1 among MSM in Taiwan were 4.38% (53/1,208) and 3.29 per 100 person-years, respectively. Of 49 cases genotyped, 48 (97.9%) were infected with subtype B and 1 with CRF01_AE (2%). Phylogenetic analysis of 46 HIV-1 strains showed that 25 (54.4%) subtype B strains formed 9 clusters with each other or with other local strains. The CRF01_AE case clustered with a reference strain from a Thai blood donor with bootstrap value of 99. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors associated with HIV-1 infection included use of oil-based solution as lubricant (vs. saliva or water-based lubricants, OR= 4.23; p Taiwan in 2012. Misuse of oil-based solution as lubricant is a new risk factor identified among MSM in Taiwan. The Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control has created a video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=BinExvvOTMM&feature=iv&src_vid=BW81-PfmY3E&annotation_id=annotation_2436493705) to correct such misconception in its AIDS prevention campaign. PMID:26039757

Challenges to Globalisation, Localisation and Sinophilia in Music Education: A Comparative Study of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Wai-Chung; Law, Wing-Wah

2006-01-01

In the past, the music curricula of Hong Kong (HK), Mainland China and Taiwan have focused on Western music, but with the advent of music technology and the new tripartite paradigm of globalisation, localisation and Sinophilia this has begun to change. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei share a common historical culture and their populations are…

Real-world evaluation of compliance and preference in Alzheimer’s disease treatment: an observational study in Taiwan 

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai TH

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Tzu-Hsien Lai,1,2,* Wen-Fu Wang,3,* Bak-Sau Yip,4 Yu-Wan Yang,5 Giia-Sheun Peng,6 Shih-Jei Tsai,7,8 Yi-Chu Liao,9 Ming-Chyi Pai10,111Section of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei, 2Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, 3Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, 4Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu, 5Department of Neurology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 6Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 7Department of Neurology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 8School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 9Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 10Division of Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology, 11Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this workPurpose: Among the medications approved for Alzheimer’s disease (AD, rivastigmine is the only one available as transdermal patch. The aim of this study was to evaluate compliance and caregivers’ preference with oral and transdermal (rivastigmine monotherapy in patients with mild-to-moderate AD from Taiwan.Methods: Real-world Evaluation of Compliance And Preference in Alzheimer’s disease treatment (RECAP in Taiwan was a prospective, noninterventional, observational study with a 24-week (±8 weeks observational period for each participant. Eligible patients were grouped into one of the two treatment cohorts based on the baseline AD therapy: oral (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, or memantine or transdermal (rivastigmine patch. The primary end points were caregiver preference and caregiver assessment of patients’ compliance to

The continuous field measurements of soluble aerosol compositions at the Taipei Aerosol Supersite, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shih-Yu; Lee, Chung-Te; Chou, Charles C.-K.; Liu, Shaw-Chen; Wen, Tian-Xue

The characteristics of ambient aerosols, affected by solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and gas-aerosol interaction, changed rapidly at different spatial and temporal scales. In Taipei Basin, dense traffic emissions and sufficient solar radiation for typical summer days favored the formation of secondary aerosols. In winter, the air quality in Taipei Basin was usually affected by the Asian continental outflows due to the long-range transport of pollutants carried by the winter monsoon. The conventional filter-based method needs a long time for collecting aerosols and analyzing compositions, which cannot provide high time-resolution data to investigate aerosol sources, atmospheric transformation processes, and health effects. In this work, the in situ ion chromatograph (IC) system was developed to provide 15-min time-resolution data of nine soluble inorganic species (Cl -, NO 2-, NO 3-, SO 42-, Na +, NH 4+, K +, Mg 2+ and Ca 2+). Over 89% of all particles larger than approximately 0.056 μm were collected by the in situ IC system. The in situ IC system is estimated to have a limit of detection lower than 0.3 μg m -3 for the various ambient ionic components. Depending on the hourly measurements, the pollutant events with high aerosol concentrations in Taipei Basin were associated with the local traffic emission in rush hour, the accumulation of pollutants in the stagnant atmosphere, the emission of industrial pollutants from the nearby factories, the photochemical secondary aerosol formation, and the long-range transport of pollutants from Asian outflows.

Music therapy-induced changes in salivary cortisol level are predictive of cardiovascular mortality in patients under maintenance hemodialysis

OpenAIRE

Hou, Yi-Chou; Lin, Yen-Ju; Lu, Kuo-Cheng; Chiang, Han-Sun; Chang, Chia-Chi; Yang, Li-King

2017-01-01

Yi-Chou Hou,1 Yen-Ju Lin,2 Kuo-Cheng Lu,1 Han-Sun Chiang,3 Chia-Chi Chang,4 Li-King Yang1 1Department of Internal Medicine, Cardinal Tien Hospital, School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, 2Department of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, 3Graduate Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, 4School of Gerontology Health Management, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Background:...

Comparison of the landslide susceptibility models in Taipei Water Source Domain, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

WU, C. Y.; Yeh, Y. C.; Chou, T. H.

2017-12-01

Taipei Water Source Domain, locating at the southeast of Taipei Metropolis, is the main source of water resource in this region. Recently, the downstream turbidity often soared significantly during the typhoon period because of the upstream landslides. The landslide susceptibilities should be analysed to assess the influence zones caused by different rainfall events, and to ensure the abilities of this domain to serve enough and quality water resource. Generally, the landslide susceptibility models can be established based on either a long-term landslide inventory or a specified landslide event. Sometimes, there is no long-term landslide inventory in some areas. Thus, the event-based landslide susceptibility models are established widely. However, the inventory-based and event-based landslide susceptibility models may result in dissimilar susceptibility maps in the same area. So the purposes of this study were to compare the landslide susceptibility maps derived from the inventory-based and event-based models, and to interpret how to select a representative event to be included in the susceptibility model. The landslide inventory from Typhoon Tim in July, 1994 and Typhoon Soudelor in August, 2015 was collected, and used to establish the inventory-based landslide susceptibility model. The landslides caused by Typhoon Nari and rainfall data were used to establish the event-based model. The results indicated the high susceptibility slope-units were located at middle upstream Nan-Shih Stream basin.

Climate variability of heat wave and projection of warming scenario in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, C. Y.; Chien, Y. Y.; Su, C. J.

2017-12-01

This study examined the climate variability of heat wave (HW) according to air temperature and relative humidity to determine trends of variation and stress threshold in three major cities of Taiwan, Taipei (TP), Taichung (TC) and Kaohsiung (KH), during in the past four decades (1971-2010). According to data available, the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) heat stress for the three studied cities was also calculated for the past (2003-2012) and simulated under the projected warming scenario for the end of this century (2075-2099) using ECHAM5/MPIOM-WRF (ECW) dynamic downscaling 5-km resolution Analysis showed that past decade (2001-2010) saw increase not only in number of HW days in all three cities but also the duration of each HW event in TP and KH. Simulation results revealed that ECW captures well the characteristics of data distribution in these three cities during 2003-2012. Under the A1B projection, ECW yielded higher WBGT in all three cities for 2075-2099. The WBGT in TP indicated that the heat stress for 50% of the days in July and August by 2075-2099 will be at danger level (WBGT ³ 31 °C). Even the median WBGT in TC and KH (30.91°C and 30.88°C, respectively), are close to 31°C. Hence, the heat stress in all three cities will either exceed or approach the danger level by the end of this century. Such projection under the global warming trend would necessitate adaptation and mitigation, and the huge impact of dangerous heat stress on public health merits urgent attention for Taiwan.

No gynecologist in town: the gynecological care of women in rural Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai LJ

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Li-Jung Lai,1 Chia-Lin Chou,2 H Irene Su,3 Tzeng-Ji Chen,1,4 Li-Fang Chou,5 Yueh-Ching Chou,2,6,7 Shinn-Jang Hwang,1,8 Hann-Chin Yu9,10 1Department of Family Medicine, 2Department of Pharmacy, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; 4Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, 5Department of Public Finance, National Chengchi University, 6Department and Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, 7College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, 8Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 9Taipei Veterans General Hospital Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu County, Taiwan; 10Department of Healthcare Management, Yuanpei University, Hsinchu, Taiwan Background: A shortage of gynecologists exists in many countries. Even within an affluent country, gynecological clinics might not be evenly distributed. The purpose of the study was to investigate the disparity in gynecological care between adult women living in towns with and without gynecologists in Taiwan.Methods: Data sources were the cohort datasets of the National Health Insurance Research Database, with claims data of 1 million beneficiaries in 2010. A woman’s residency was operationally inferred from the locations where she had most frequently visited physicians’ clinics or local community hospitals within the year.Results: In Taiwan, 145 (39.4% of 368 towns had no practicing gynecologist. Of 382,167 women with health care use in the datasets, 21,794 (5.7% lived in towns without a gynecologist. The overwhelming majority of these towns lay in sparsely populated, rural areas. During the year, 132,702 women (34.7% had sought medical help for gynecological diseases and 113,698 (29.8% had visited gynecologists for gynecological diseases. Women in towns without a gynecologist were less

Molecular Epidemiology of HIV-1 Infection among Men who Have Sex with Men in Taiwan in 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Szu-Wei; Wang, Sheng-Fan; Cowó, Ángel E; Chen, Marcelo; Lin, Yu-Ting; Hung, Chun-Po; Chen, Yi-Hsien; Yang, Jyh-Yuan; Tang, Hung-Jen; Chen, Yi-Ming Arthur

2015-01-01

The number of men who have sex with men (MSM) infected with HIV-1 in Taiwan has increased rapidly in the past few years. The goal of this study was to conduct a molecular epidemiological study of HIV-1 infection among MSM in Taiwan to identify risk factors for intervention. Voluntary counseling program and anonymous testing were provided to patrons at 1 gay bar, 7 night clubs and 3 gay saunas in Taipei and New Taipei Cities in 2012. HIV-1 subtypes were determined using gag subtype-specific PCR and phylogenetic analysis by env sequences. Recent HIV-1 infection was determined using LAg-Avidity EIA. In-depth interviews and questionnaires were used to identify risk factors. The prevalence and incidence of HIV-1 among MSM in Taiwan were 4.38% (53/1,208) and 3.29 per 100 person-years, respectively. Of 49 cases genotyped, 48 (97.9%) were infected with subtype B and 1 with CRF01_AE (2%). Phylogenetic analysis of 46 HIV-1 strains showed that 25 (54.4%) subtype B strains formed 9 clusters with each other or with other local strains. The CRF01_AE case clustered with a reference strain from a Thai blood donor with bootstrap value of 99. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors associated with HIV-1 infection included use of oil-based solution as lubricant (vs. saliva or water-based lubricants, OR= 4.23; p watch?v=BinExvvOTMM&feature=iv&src_vid=BW81-PfmY3E&annotation_id=annotation_2436493705) to correct such misconception in its AIDS prevention campaign.

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.

Job coach factors associated with community-based employment service programme outcome measures for people with disabilities--a Taiwan case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun-Tung, Wang

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore whether/which job coach factors were significantly associated with the community-based employment service (CBES) programme outcome measures in Taiwan. This study used the 2003-2005 CBES programme for People with Disabilities Database in Taipei City in Taiwan (n = 3924) to do a secondary data analysis using hierarchical multiple linear regression. This study found that 'occurrences of the services provided by the job coaches' variable was definitely the dominant predictor and explained additional 19.6% and 27.8% of the variances of annual salary and annual working month outcome measures, respectively. In addition, among six composition variables of 'occurrences of the services provided by the job coaches', 'occurrences of follow-up guidance', 'occurrences of intensive guidance', and 'occurrences of consultation before interviews with employer/director of human resources' were more powerful than the other three in predicting outcomes. Job coach factors in this study were significantly correlated with CBES programme outcome measures for people with disabilities in Taiwan after controlling for the socio-demographic variables. It indicates that the more inputs in the people with disabilities made by job coaches equates to better outcomes in this Taiwan case study.

Estimation of Fine Particulate Matter in Taipei Using Landuse Regression and Bayesian Maximum Entropy Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Ming Kuo

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5 has adverse effects on human health. Assessing the long-term effects of PM2.5 exposure on human health and ecology is often limited by a lack of reliable PM2.5 measurements. In Taipei, PM2.5 levels were not systematically measured until August, 2005. Due to the popularity of geographic information systems (GIS, the landuse regression method has been widely used in the spatial estimation of PM concentrations. This method accounts for the potential contributing factors of the local environment, such as traffic volume. Geostatistical methods, on other hand, account for the spatiotemporal dependence among the observations of ambient pollutants. This study assesses the performance of the landuse regression model for the spatiotemporal estimation of PM2.5 in the Taipei area. Specifically, this study integrates the landuse regression model with the geostatistical approach within the framework of the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME method. The resulting epistemic framework can assimilate knowledge bases including: (a empirical-based spatial trends of PM concentration based on landuse regression, (b the spatio-temporal dependence among PM observation information, and (c site-specific PM observations. The proposed approach performs the spatiotemporal estimation of PM2.5 levels in the Taipei area (Taiwan from 2005–2007.

Estimation of fine particulate matter in Taipei using landuse regression and bayesian maximum entropy methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hwa-Lung; Wang, Chih-Hsih; Liu, Ming-Che; Kuo, Yi-Ming

2011-06-01

Fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) has adverse effects on human health. Assessing the long-term effects of PM2.5 exposure on human health and ecology is often limited by a lack of reliable PM2.5 measurements. In Taipei, PM2.5 levels were not systematically measured until August, 2005. Due to the popularity of geographic information systems (GIS), the landuse regression method has been widely used in the spatial estimation of PM concentrations. This method accounts for the potential contributing factors of the local environment, such as traffic volume. Geostatistical methods, on other hand, account for the spatiotemporal dependence among the observations of ambient pollutants. This study assesses the performance of the landuse regression model for the spatiotemporal estimation of PM2.5 in the Taipei area. Specifically, this study integrates the landuse regression model with the geostatistical approach within the framework of the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) method. The resulting epistemic framework can assimilate knowledge bases including: (a) empirical-based spatial trends of PM concentration based on landuse regression, (b) the spatio-temporal dependence among PM observation information, and (c) site-specific PM observations. The proposed approach performs the spatiotemporal estimation of PM2.5 levels in the Taipei area (Taiwan) from 2005-2007.

Reinvigorating Ethnic Cultural Identity Through Mother-Tongue-Teaching Materials in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Su-chiao

1996-01-01

Explores to what extent a mother-tongue educational program can reinvigorate Taiwan's ethnic cultural identity. Content of mother-tongue materials used in Taipei county for Taiwanese, Hakka, and Ataylic students is analyzed, and interviews with members from each ethnic group are also conducted as a supplement. (JL)

Integration of multidisciplinary technologies for real time target visualization and verification for radiotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang WC

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Wen-Chung Chang,1,* Chin-Sheng Chen,2,* Hung-Chi Tai,3 Chia-Yuan Liu,4,5 Yu-Jen Chen3 1Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Automation Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan  *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The current practice of radiotherapy examines target coverage solely from digitally reconstructed beam's eye view (BEV in a way that is indirectly accessible and that is not in real time. We aimed to visualize treatment targets in real time from each BEV. The image data of phantom or patients from ultrasound (US and computed tomography (CT scans were captured to perform image registration. We integrated US, CT, US/CT image registration, robotic manipulation of US, a radiation treatment planning system, and a linear accelerator to constitute an innovative target visualization system. The performance of this algorithm segmented the target organ in CT images, transformed and reconstructed US images to match each orientation, and generated image registration in real time mode with acceptable accuracy. This image transformation allowed physicians to visualize the CT image-reconstructed target via a US probe outside the BEV that was non-coplanar to the beam's plane. It allowed the physicians to remotely control the US probe that was equipped on a robotic arm to dynamically trace and real time monitor the coverage of the target within the BEV during a simulated beam-on situation. This target visualization system may provide a direct remotely accessible and real time way to visualize, verify, and ensure tumor targeting during radiotherapy. Keywords: ultrasound, computerized tomography

76 FR 384 - Certain Semiconductor Chips and Products Containing Same; Notice of Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-04

... Industry, CA 91748. Biostar Microtech International Corp., 2 Fl., 108-2, Ming Chuan Road, Hsin Tien, Taiwan... Chiang Road, Hsin-Tien, Taipei 231, Taiwan. Gracom Technologies LLC, 1214 John Reed Ct., City of Industry.... Patent No. 7,715,494 (``the `494 patent''). The complaint further alleges that an industry in the United...

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).

Directly observed therapy reduces tuberculosis-specific mortality: a population-based follow-up study in Taipei, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Yung-Feng; Yen, Muh-Yong; Lin, Yi-Ping; Shih, Hsiu-Chen; Li, Lan-Huei; Chou, Pesus; Deng, Chung-Yeh

2013-01-01

To determine the effect of directly observed therapy (DOT) on tuberculosis-specific mortality and non-TB-specific mortality and identify prognostic factors associated with mortality among adults with culture-positive pulmonary TB (PTB). All adult Taiwanese with PTB in Taipei, Taiwan were included in a retrospective cohort study in 2006-2010. Backward stepwise multinomial logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with each mortality outcome. Mean age of the 3,487 patients was 64.2 years and 70.4% were male. Among 2471 patients on DOT, 4.2% (105) died of TB-specific causes and 15.4% (381) died of non-TB-specific causes. Among 1016 patients on SAT, 4.4% (45) died of TB-specific causes and 11.8% (120) died of non-TB-specific causes. , After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio for TB-specific mortality was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.30-0.69) among patients treated with DOT as compared with those on self-administered treatment. Independent predictors of TB-specific and non-TB-specific mortality included older age (ie, 65-79 and ≥80 years vs. 18-49 years), being unemployed, a positive sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli, and TB notification from a general ward or intensive care unit (reference: outpatient services). Male sex, end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, malignancy, and pleural effusion on chest radiography were associated with increased risk of non-TB-specific mortality, while presence of lung cavities on chest radiography was associated with lower risk. DOT reduced TB-specific mortality by 55% among patients with PTB, after controlling for confounders. DOT should be given to all TB patients to further reduce TB-specific mortality.

Bulletin of Materials Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lunghwa ...

Molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Taipei

OpenAIRE

Su Ih-Jen; Lee Shi-Yi; Tsai Wen-Shing; Sun Jun-Ren; Chang Jia-Ru; Lin Chih-Wei; Tseng Fan-Chen; Dou Horng-Yunn; Lu Jang-Jih

2008-01-01

Abstract Background The control of tuberculosis in densely populated cities is complicated by close human-to-human contacts and potential transmission of pathogens from multiple sources. We conducted a molecular epidemiologic analysis of 356 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from patients presenting pulmonary tuberculosis in metropolitan Taipei. Classical antibiogram studies and genetic characterization, using mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (M...

Dengue outbreak investigations in a high-income urban setting, Kaohsiung City in Taiwan, 2003-2009

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Chia-Hsien; Schiøler, Karin Linda; Jepsen, Martin Rudbeck

2012-01-01

Kaohsiung City, a modern metropolis of 1.5 million persons, has been the focus of dengue virus activity in Taiwan for several decades. The aim of this study was to provide a temporal and spatial description of dengue virus epidemiology in Kaohsiung City by using data for all laboratory-confirmed ...

Autophagy: A double-edged sword in Alzheimer's disease

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; Institute of Zoology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; School of Pharmacy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan; Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University ...

Enhancing contrast of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DTPA), a recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, in hepatobiliary system of patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: Liver cirrhosis patients that underwent contrast MRI examination at Renai Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan were ...

Indoor air quality in hairdressing salons in Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, C-J; Cheng, S-F; Chang, P-T; Tsai, S-W

2018-01-01

To improve indoor air quality and to protect public health, Taiwan has enacted the "Indoor Air Quality Act (IAQ Act)" in 2012. For the general public, the indoor air quality in hair salons is important because it is a popular location that people will often visit for hair treatments. However, only a few exposure assessments regarding air pollutants have previously been performed in hair salons. To assess the air quality of hairdressing environments in Taipei, ten hairdressing salons were included for a walk-through survey in this study. In addition, the airborne concentrations of formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO 2 , and phthalate esters were also determined in 5 salons. Charcoal, XAD-2, and OVS-Tenax tubes were used for the air sampling, while the samples were analyzed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometer. It was found that the products used in hair salons contained various chemicals. In fact, from the walk-through survey, a total of 387 different ingredients were found on 129 hair product labels. The hair salons were not well ventilated, with CO 2 levels of 600 to 3576 ppm. The formaldehyde concentrations determined in this study ranged from 12.40 to 1.04 × 10 3  μg m -3 , and the maximum level was above the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US OSHA). Additionally, 83% of the samples were with levels higher than the standard regulated by Taiwan's IAQ Act. The concentrations of VOCs and phthalate esters were below the occupational exposure limits (OELs), but higher than what was found in general residential environments. The hair products were considered as the major source of air pollutants because significantly higher concentrations were found around the working areas. The number of perming treatments, the number of workers, and the frequency of using formaldehyde releasing products, were found to be associated with the levels of formaldehyde. This study indicates that efforts are

75 FR 63857 - In the Matter of: Certain Digital Televisions and Components Thereof; Notice of Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-18

..., CA 92618. AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd., 17f, 268, Lien Cheng Rd., Chungho City, Taipei, 23553, Taiwan... right to appear and contest the allegations of the complaint and this notice, and to authorize the...

Culture Studies and Motivation in Foreign and Second Language Learning in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Meng-Ching

1998-01-01

Investigated the potentiality that culture studies has to motivate Tawainese junior-high-school pupils to learn English, and tried to establish the relations between pupil interests in culture studies and their orientations, attitudes, and motivation toward learning English. Grade 1 and 2 students (n=480) from Taipei City and Taipei County…

Molecular Epidemiology of HIV-1 Infection among Men who Have Sex with Men in Taiwan in 2012.

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Szu-Wei Huang

Full Text Available The number of men who have sex with men (MSM infected with HIV-1 in Taiwan has increased rapidly in the past few years. The goal of this study was to conduct a molecular epidemiological study of HIV-1 infection among MSM in Taiwan to identify risk factors for intervention. Voluntary counseling program and anonymous testing were provided to patrons at 1 gay bar, 7 night clubs and 3 gay saunas in Taipei and New Taipei Cities in 2012. HIV-1 subtypes were determined using gag subtype-specific PCR and phylogenetic analysis by env sequences. Recent HIV-1 infection was determined using LAg-Avidity EIA. In-depth interviews and questionnaires were used to identify risk factors. The prevalence and incidence of HIV-1 among MSM in Taiwan were 4.38% (53/1,208 and 3.29 per 100 person-years, respectively. Of 49 cases genotyped, 48 (97.9% were infected with subtype B and 1 with CRF01_AE (2%. Phylogenetic analysis of 46 HIV-1 strains showed that 25 (54.4% subtype B strains formed 9 clusters with each other or with other local strains. The CRF01_AE case clustered with a reference strain from a Thai blood donor with bootstrap value of 99. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors associated with HIV-1 infection included use of oil-based solution as lubricant (vs. saliva or water-based lubricants, OR= 4.23; p <0.001; exclusively receptive role (vs. insertive role, OR= 9.69; p <0.001; versatile role (vs. insertive role, OR= 6.45; p= 0.003; oral sex (vs. insertive role, OR= 11.93; p= 0.044; times of sexual contact per week (2-3 vs. zero per week, OR= 3.41; p= 0.021; illegal drug use (OR= 4.12; p <0.001; and history of sexually transmitted diseases (OR= 3.65; p= 0.002. In conclusion, there was no new HIV-1 subtype or circulating recombinant form responsible for the increase of HIV-1 among MSM in Taiwan in 2012. Misuse of oil-based solution as lubricant is a new risk factor identified among MSM in Taiwan. The Taiwan's Centers for Disease

History and development of ophthalmology in Taiwan

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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.

Identification of overexpressed cytokines as serum biomarkers of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Yomi

Taiwan. 4Division of Gastroenterology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 5Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Taoyuan, Taiwan. 6Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. 7Division of Hepatology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General ...

The impact of an emerging port on the carbon dioxide emissions of inland container transport: An empirical study of Taipei port

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, C.-H.; Tseng, P.-H.; Cullinane, Kevin; Lu, C.-S.

2010-01-01

This study analyzes the changes in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions resulting from the movement of containers from established ports through the emerging port of Taipei in Northern Taiwan. An activity-based emissions model is used to estimate the CO 2 emissions of container transport under four scenarios where there are switches of market share from existing ports to the emerging port. The results show that there are greater reductions in CO 2 when transhipment routes are changed from the ports of Kaohsiung, Taichung and Keelung to the emerging port of Taipei. The paper concludes that the analytical approach adopted in the paper can help decision-makers understand potential CO 2 emissions reduction strategies in the route selection of inland container transportation and such consideration should provide a broader and more meaningful basis for the socio-economic evaluation of port investment projects.

Improvement of urban water environment of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, by ecotechnology.

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Yang, Lei

2012-01-01

Kaohsiung City is the second largest city in Taiwan and suffers from serious floods during the wet season, but it also badly needs water during the dry season. As economic development advances and pollutants increase, water pollution and shortage of water resources become issues of concern for local people in Kaohsiung. A project has been proposed by the city government and executed by the authors to establish a system of sustainable water management in urban areas. In this system, the Caogong Canals, irrigation channels which were established 170 years ago during the Ching Dynasty of China and are still used today for irrigation, were renovated to bring stable and clean water to the urban areas. It is planned to pump clean water into the canal from a river near the city. In this project, 12 constructed wetland systems, functioning as wetland parks, stormwater storage tanks or eco-detention ponds, were built in the city, and the Caogong Canals are planned to connect all these urban constructed wetlands in the second stage of the project.

The maternal and child healthcare needs of new immigrants in Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mei-Ju; Tang, Chao-Hsiun; Jeng, Huey-Mei; Chiu, Allen Wen-Hsiang

2008-12-01

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the maternal and child healthcare needs of new immigrants in Taiwan. Results will be used to reflect upon the services which the government is currently providing, and to determine if further investigation may be required to establish whether or not the health care quality currently provided by public health nurses succeeds in meeting the needs of new immigrants. Face-to-face interviews were undertaken by public health nurses on 1,068 women from Mainland China, and a further 1,068 women from other Southeast Asian countries, all of whom were randomly selected from the 12 administrative districts of Taipei. Information on the healthcare information needs of mothers and children (10 items), psychological distress variables, health status and socio-demographic variables of both the new immigrants and their Taiwanese spouses were collected via a structured questionnaire, of which a total of 1,829 completed copies were returned. Chi-square tests were performed to examine differences in both healthcare needs and psychological distress levels amongst different new immigrant ethnic groups. Logistic regressions were subsequently performed with the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) then being calculated to examine the differential effects of the healthcare needs of the different ethnic groups of new immigrants. The needs of the Vietnamese immigrants were found to be significantly different from those of the Mainland Chinese immigrants in all items, with the former needing Chinese communication assistance particularly at those times when they received medical treatment (p Cultural competence in public health nursing education should not be deemphasized in Taiwan. Within the public sector, there is a clear need to create and implement partnerships between the public and private sectors on the overall issue of new immigrants within the community. Results strongly suggest that public health nurses should be aware of how to meet the

Assessment of PM10 enhancement by yellow sand on the air quality of Taipei, Taiwan in 2001.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shuenn-Chin; Lee, Chung-Te

2007-09-01

The impact of long-range transport of yellow sand from Asian Continent to the Taipei Metropolitan Area (Taipei) not only deteriorates air quality but also poses health risks to all, especially the children and the elderly. As such, it is important to assess the enhancement of PM(10) during yellow sand periods. In order to estimate PM(10) enhancement, we adopted factor analysis to distinguish the yellow-sand (YS) periods from non-yellow-sand (NYS) periods based on air quality monitoring records. Eight YS events were identified using factor analysis coupling with an independent validation procedure by checking background site values, examining meteorological conditions, and modeling air mass trajectory from January 2001 to May 2001. The duration of each event varied from 11 to 132 h, which was identified from the time when the PM(10) level was high, and the CO and NOx levels were low. Subsequently, we used the artificial neural network (ANN) to simulate local PM(10) levels from related parameters including local gas pollutants and meteorological factors during the NYS periods. The PM(10) enhancement during the YS periods is then calculated by subtracting the simulated PM(10) from the observed PM(10) levels. Based on our calculations, the PM(10) enhancement in the maximum hour of each event ranged from 51 to 82%. Moreover, in the eight events identified in 2001, it was estimated that a total amount of 7,210 tons of PM(10) were transported by yellow sand to Taipei. Thus, in this study, we demonstrate that an integration of factor analysis with ANN model could provide a very useful method in identifying YS periods and in determining PM(10) enhancement caused by yellow sand.

Population aging and its impacts: strategies of the health-care system in Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ming-Hsien; Chou, Ming-Yueh; Liang, Chih-Kuang; Peng, Li-Ning; Chen, Liang-Kung

2010-11-01

Taiwan is one of the fastest aging countries in the world. As such, the government has developed various strategies to promote an age-friendly health-care system. Health services are supported by National Health Insurance (NHI), which insures over 97% of citizens and over 99% of health-care institutes. The current health-care system has difficulties in caring for older patients with multiple comorbidities, complex care needs, functional impairments, and post-acute care needs. Taipei, an international metropolis with a well-preserved tradition of filial piety in Chinese societies, has developed various strategies to overcome the aforementioned barriers to an age-friendly health-care system. These include an emphasis on general medical care and a holistic approach in all specialties, development of a geriatrics specialty training program, development of post-acute services, and strengthening of linkages between health and social care services. Despite achievements thus far, challenges still include creating a more extensive integration between medical specialties, promotion of an interdisciplinary care model across specialties and health-care settings, and integration of health and social care services. The experiences of Taipei in developing an age-friendly health-care service system may be a culturally appropriate model for other Chinese and Asian communities. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of commuting mode on air pollution exposure and cardiovascular health among young adults in Taipei, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wen-Te; Ma, Chih-Ming; Liu, I-Jung; Han, Bor-Cheng; Chuang, Hsiao-Chi; Chuang, Kai-Jen

2015-05-01

The association between traffic-related air pollution and adverse cardiovascular effects has been well documented; however, little is known about whether different commuting modes can modify the effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system in human subjects in urban areas with heavy traffic. We recruited 120 young, healthy subjects in Taipei, Taiwan. Each participant was classified with different commuting modes according to his/her own commuting style. Three repeated measurements of heart rate variability (HRV) indices {standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) and the square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals (r-MSSD)}, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), temperature, humidity and noise level were conducted for each subject during 1-h morning commutes (0900-1000 h) in four different commuting modes, including an electrically powered subway, a gas-powered bus, a gasoline-powered car, and walking. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the association of PM2.5 with HRV indices. The results showed that decreases in the HRV indices were associated with increased levels of PM2.5. The personal exposure levels to PM2.5 were the highest in the walking mode. The effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular endpoints were the lowest in the subway mode compared to the effects in the walking mode. The participants in the car and bus modes had reduced effects on their cardiovascular endpoints compared to the participants in the walking mode. We concluded that traffic-related PM2.5 is associated with autonomic alteration. Commuting modes can modify the effects of PM2.5 on HRV indices among young, healthy subjects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

An Investigation of the Methods of Logicalizing the Code-Checking System for Architectural Design Review in New Taipei City

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Wei-I Lee

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The New Taipei City Government developed a Code-checking System (CCS using Building Information Modeling (BIM technology to facilitate an architectural design review in 2014. This system was intended to solve problems caused by cognitive gaps between designer and reviewer in the design review process. Along with considering information technology, the most important issue for the system’s development has been the logicalization of literal building codes. Therefore, to enhance the reliability and performance of the CCS, this study uses the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM on the basis of design thinking and communication theory to investigate the semantic difference and cognitive gaps among participants in the design review process and to propose the direction of system development. Our empirical results lead us to recommend grouping multi-stage screening and weighted assisted logicalization of non-quantitative building codes to improve the operability of CCS. Furthermore, CCS should integrate the Expert Evaluation System (EES to evaluate the design value under qualitative building codes.

Growth Normal Faulting at the Western Edge of the Metropolitan Taipei Basin since the Last Glacial Maximum, Northern Taiwan

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Chih-Tung Chen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Growth strata analysis is an useful tool in understanding kinematics and the evolution of active faults as well as the close relationship between sedimentation and tectonics. Here we present the Shanchiao Fault as a case study which is an active normal fault responsible for the formation of the 700-m-thick late Quaternary deposits in Taipei Basin at the northern tip of the Taiwan mountain belt. We compiled a sedimentary record, particularly the depositional facies and their dated ages, at three boreholes (SCF-1, SCF-2 and WK-1, from west to east along the Wuku Profile that traverses the Shanchiao Fault at its central segment. By incorporating the global sea level change curve, we find that thickness changes of sediments and changes of depositional environments in the Wuku area are in a good agreement with a rapid sea level rise since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM of about 23 ka. Combining depositional facies changes and their ages with their thickness, we are able to introduce a simple back-stripping method to reconstruct the evolution of growing strata across the Shanchiao Fault since the LGM. We then estimate the vertical tectonic slip rate since 23 ka, which exhibits 2.2 mm yr-1 between SCF-2 and WK-1 and 1.1 mm yr-1 between SCF-1 and SCF-2. We also obtain the Holocene tectonic subsidence rate of 2.3 mm yr-1 at WK-1 and 0.9 mm yr-1 at SCF-2 since 8.4 ka. We thus conclude that the fault zone consists of a high-angle main fault to the east between SCF-2 and WK-1 and a western lower-angle branch fault between SCF-1 and SCF-2, resembling a tulip structure developed under sinistral transtensional tectonism. We find that a short period of 600-yr time span in 9 - 8.4 ka shows important tectonic subsidence of 7.4 and 3.3 m for the main and branch fault, respectively, consistent with possible earthquake events proposed by previous studies during that time. A correlation between geomorphology and subsurface geology in the Shanchiao Fault zone shows

Pseudomembranous colitis within radiotherapy field following concurrent chemoradiation therapy: a case report

OpenAIRE

Hsieh, Chen-Hsi; Shen,Bing-Jie; Lin,Shih-Chiang; Shueng,Pei-Wei; Tseng,Li-Ming; Chou,

2013-01-01

Bing-Jie Shen,1 Shih-Chiang Lin,2 Pei-Wei Shueng,1,3 Yueh-Hung Chou,4 Li-Ming Tseng,5 Chen-Hsi Hsieh1,6,71Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Division of Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Department of Anatomical Pathology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5...

76 FR 5826 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-Advanced Media...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-02

... Salvador Villa Vidaller, Madrid, SPAIN, have been added as parties to this venture. Also, 3T Technology, Taipei City, TAIWAN; Blue Order Technologies, Kaiserslautern, GERMANY; Harmonic, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA; Integrated Media Technologies, Hollywood, CA; Open Text Media Group, Reading, Berkshire, UNITED KINGDOM...

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

[Review of the CD Betel Nuts by Christopher Roberts (1996)

OpenAIRE

Senft, G.

2001-01-01

(TMCD 9602). Taipei: Trees Music & Art, 12-1, Lane 10, Sec. 2, Hsin Yi Rd. Taipei, TAIWAN. Distributed by Sony Music Entertainment (Taiwan)Ltd.,6th fl. No 35 , Lane 11, Kwang-Fu N. Rd., Taipei TAIWAN (CD accompanied by a full color bucklet)

A low-pH medium in vitro or the environment within a macrophage ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, ...

Dilemma of prescribing aripiprazole under the Taiwan health insurance program: a descriptive study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsu YC

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Yi-Chien Hsu,1,2 Yu-Ching Chou,3 Hsin-An Chang,1,2,4 Yu-Chen Kao,1,2,5 San-Yuan Huang,1,2 Nian-Sheng Tzeng1,2,4 1Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 2School of Medicine, 3School of Public Health, 4Student Counseling Center, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Song-Shan Branch, Taipei, Taiwan Objectives: Refractory major depressive disorder (MDD is a serious problem leading to a heavy economic burden. Antipsychotic augmentation treatment with aripiprazole and quetiapine is approved for MDD patients and can achieve a high remission rate. This study aimed to examine how psychiatrists in Taiwan choose medications and how that choice is influenced by health insurance payments and administrative policy.Design: Descriptive study.Outcome measures: Eight questions about the choice of treatment strategy and atypical antipsychotics, and the reason to choose aripiprazole.Intervention: We designed an augmentation strategy questionnaire for psychiatrists whose patients had a poor response to antidepressants, and handed it out during the annual meeting of the Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry in October 2012. It included eight questions addressing the choice of treatment strategy and atypical antipsychotics, and the reason whether or not to choose aripiprazole as the augmentation antipsychotic.Results: Choosing antipsychotic augmentation therapy or switching to other antidepressant strategies for MDD patients with an inadequate response to antidepressants was common with a similar probability (76.1% vs 76.4%. The most frequently used antipsychotics were aripiprazole and quetiapine, however a substantial number of psychiatrists chose olanzapine, risperidone, and sulpiride. The major reason for not choosing aripiprazole was cost (52.1%, followed by insurance official policy audit and deletion in the claims review system (30.1%.Conclusion: The prescribing

Occupational hand dermatitis in a tertiary referral dermatology clinic in Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, C C; Guo, Y L; Lin, R S

1995-12-01

Occupational skin disease is one of the most common occupational diseases. The hand is the most frequent site of involvement in occupational skin disease. We interviewed and examined patients seen in the Contact Dermatitis Clinic of the National Taiwan University Medical Center, a tertiary referral center in Taipei City. For patients suspected of having allergic skin diseases, patch testing was carried out using the European standard series and suspected allergens. Occupational hand dermatitis (OHD) was diagnosed according to medical history, work exposure, physical examination, and patch test findings. 36% of patients seen were diagnosed as having OHD. Electronics, hairdressing, medical, chemical, and construction were the most important industries causing OHD. In the 164 patients with OHD, 58.5% had irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and 41.5% allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Dorsal fingers, nail folds, and dorsal hands were most frequently involved in patients with ACD; dorsal fingers, volar fingers and fingertips were most frequently involved in those with ICD. Using logistic regression analysis, we were able to identify the most important clinical presentations that predicted the types of OHD, ACD versus ICD. Patients with atopic history and palm involvement were more likely to have ICD, and those with nail fold involvement more likely to have ACD. In patients with ACD, the most important allergens were dichromate, nickel, cobalt, fragrance mix, epoxy resin, thiuram mix, and p-phenylenediamine. In this study, we identified the important industries and causal agents for OHD. Future preventive measures focused on these industries and agents to reduce OHD will be warranted.

Work-related fatigue among medical personnel in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jung-Chun Ho

2013-10-01

Conclusion: We identified factors associated with work-related fatigue among hospital workers in Taipei City. These findings can be applied toward on-the-job training and the development of preventive measures for occupational safety in general hospitals.

Depressive symptoms of elderly Chinese in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Daniel W L

2009-09-01

Understanding the socio-cultural context is an important pre-requisite for understanding global aging and mental health. This study aimed to examine the variation in the types of depressive symptoms of aging Chinese in three ethnic Chinese societies. Data were based on a mixed purposive and random sample of aging Chinese in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei. The 891 Chinese participants of 65 years or older were included. Depressive symptoms were measured by a Chinese 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Factor analysis was used to identify the factor structure of the scale when used with elderly Chinese in the three cities. There are 'within-ethnic group' differences in manifestation of depressive symptoms. Symptoms of the elderly Chinese in Guangzhou and Hong Kong were similarly related to items that indicate uncertainty and disinterest in living. The ones in Taipei expressed symptoms indicating disinterest and a negative mood. These differences were probably due to the variations in the socio-cultural, demographic, and structural characteristics among the three cities. Depressive symptoms can be culturally related and manifested differently by people sharing a similar ethnicity. The same ethnicity does not mean homogeneity. The findings should be useful for mental health practitioners in Western societies working with older Chinese immigrants. Knowing the mental health characteristics of these client groups will facilitate the designing of appropriate assessment and intervention tools to fit the culturally unique mental health needs of different subgroups in these ethno-cultural communities.

Received, Understanding and Satisfaction of National Health Insurance Premium Subsidy Scheme by Families of Children with Disabilities: A Census Study in Taipei City

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jin-Ding; Lin, Ya-Wen; Yen, Chia-Feng; Loh, Ching-Hui; Chwo, Miao-Ju

2009-01-01

The purposes of the present study are to provide the first data on utilization, understanding and satisfaction of the National Health Insurance (NHI) premium subsidy for families of children with disabilities in Taipei. Data from the 2001 Taipei Early Intervention Utilization and Evaluation Survey for Aged 0-6 Children with Disabilities were…

Direct Bandgap Group IV Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-21

AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2017-0049 Direct Bandgap group IV Materials Hung Hsiang Cheng NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY Final Report 01/21/2016 DISTRIBUTION A...NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY 1 ROOSEVELT RD. SEC. 4 TAIPEI CITY, 10617 TW 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING...14. ABSTRACT Direct bandgap group IV materials have been long sought for in both academia and industry for the implementation of photonic devices

Seroepidemiology of pertussis among elementary school children in northern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Ching-Chia; Huang, Yhu-Chering; Hsieh, Yu-Chia; Huang, Ya-Ling; Huang, Yu-Chiau; Hung, Yung-Tai

2017-06-01

Pertussis has been considered a vaccine-preventable "childhood disease", but a shift in age distribution has been reported worldwide. We conducted a seroepidemiological study in 2013 in Taiwan to elucidate the seroprevalence of pertussis among elementary school children. With a multilevel randomized method, which included 14 variables (4 population variables, 4 socio-educational variables, and 6 medical facilities' variables), the 29 executive districts of New Taipei City, Taiwan, were categorized into five strata. From each stratum, the number of school children as well as the number of elementary schools were proportionally selected. Enzyme immunoassay was applied for pertussis immunoglobulin-G measurement. A total of 936 children from 14 schools were recruited. Most participants (98.89%) received at least three doses of acellular diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine. The overall seropositive rate for pertussis was 33.97%. The seropositive rate was highest for students in Grade 1 (49.36%) and then declined with time, except for Grade 6 students. Students from Grade 1 to Grade 4 had a significant higher seropositive rate (37.18% vs. 27.56%, p = 0.002) than those from Grade 5 to Grade 6, but a lower geometric mean titer (18.71 NovaTec Unit/mL vs. 20.04 NovaTec Unit/mL, p = 0.20). For the class grades, geometric mean titers were positively correlated with seroprevalence (p Taiwan were seropositive for pertussis, a rate lower than expected. Seroprevalence declined with increasing class grades except for Grade 6. The current national immunization program may not provide adequate protection for children against pertussis. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

78 FR 64248 - Notice Pursuant to The National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993; DVD Copy Control...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-28

...; CyberLink Corporation, Shindian City, Taipei, TAIWAN; D&M Holdings Inc., Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN; Daesung..., SINGAPORE; Dell Products, L.P., Round Rock, TX; Deluxe Digital Studios, Inc., Burbank, CA; Denso Corporation, Kariya, Aichi-ken, JAPAN; Diamondking Inc., Chino, CA; digiCon AG, Kornwestheim, GERMANY; Huawei Device...

Tuberculosis outcomes in Taipei: factors associated with treatment interruption for 2 months and death.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, C-Y; Lee, J-J; Yu, M-C; Enarson, D A; Lin, T-P; Luh, K-T

2009-01-01

All individuals reported as being treated for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among citizens of Taipei City, Taiwan, in 2003. To investigate risk factors associated with treatment interruption for at least 2 consecutive months and death. The outcome of PTB cases was determined by consulting medical charts. Of 1127 PTB patients registered, 824 (73.1%) were successfully treated, 189 (16.8%) died, 65 (5.8%) interrupted treatment, 17 (1.5%) were still on treatment 15 months after commencing treatment and 32 (2.8%) failed. The only significant factor associated with treatment interruption was visits to other health facilities after commencing tuberculosis (TB) treatment. TB patients had a standardised mortality ratio of 8.7 (95%CI 7.5-10.0). Factors significantly associated with death were age (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] 1.06. 95%CI 1.05-1.08), sputum culture not performed/unknown (adjHR 2.07, 95%CI 1.47-2.92), and comorbidity with respiratory disease (adjHR 1.68, 95%CI 1.24-2.27), infectious disease (adjHR 2.80, 95%CI 2.07-3.78), renal disease (adjHR 2.58, 95%CI 1.82-3.66) or cancer (adjHR 3.31, 95%CI 2.35-4.65), compared with other patients. Visits to other health facilities were associated with interruption of treatment for at least 2 months. A high proportion of deaths was due to old age and comorbidity.

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Author Affiliations. Fan-Lun Liu1 Ting-Yi Liu1 Fan-Lu Kung1 2. School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051( Taiwan, R.O.C.; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051( Taiwan, R.O.C ...

Indoor Air Quality in the Metro System in North Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

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.

Exploring Antecedents of Green Tourism Behaviors: A Case Study in Suburban Areas of Taipei, Taiwan

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Judith Chen-Hsuan Cheng

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Understanding user behaviors is the foundation to support the design and development of a sustainably built environment. This exploratory study used a mixed method to explore people’s perception, motivation, intention, and behaviors of green tourism in Taiwan. The qualitative approach explored intrinsic and extrinsic factors that could influence people’s intention to participate in green tourism. The quantitative approach provided evidence of influencing factors of green tourism. The findings suggested that variables, such as perception, attitudes, and self-efficacy, can indirectly influence green tourism behaviors through behavioral intention. This study suggests that government agencies should emphasize environmental education regarding the relationship between climate change and people’s life; therefore, people will increase their environmental awareness regarding the urgent conditions of the environment, in addition to supporting green tourism and being more responsible for their tourism behaviors. For cities intending to accommodate tourism or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs that are interested in promoting green tourism, it is critical to incorporate relevant factors, such as destination services and educational elements, into the design and development principles to built environment that supports green tourism activities.

Age-associated decrease in global DNA methylation in patients with major depression

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Tseng PT

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Ping-Tao Tseng,1,2,* Pao-Yen Lin,1,3,* Yu Lee,1 Chi-Fa Hung,1 For-Wey Lung,4,5 Cheng-Sheng Chen,6,7 Mian-Yoon Chong1 1Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 2Department of Psychiatry, Tsyr-Huey Mental Hospital, Kaohsiung Jen-Ai’s Home, Taiwan; 3Center for Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 4Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Graduate Institute of Medical Science, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 7Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Evidence has supported a role of DNA methylation in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. The purpose of the current study is to examine 5-methylcytosine (5-mc and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmc levels in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD at different disease states.Methods: Forty-nine patients with MDD and 25 healthy control subjects were included. The severity in the disease was assessed by using the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression (HAM-D (HAM-D ≥19 for severe MDD and HAM-D ≤7 for remitted MDD. The 5-mc and 5-hmc levels in leukocyte DNA were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based method.Results: We found a significant decrease in 5-hmc and trends of decreasing 5-mc levels in patients with severe MDD compared to healthy controls (P=0.059 for 5-mc and P=0.013 for 5-hmc. The decrease in the level exists only in the older age group (P=0.035 for 5-mc and P=0.002 for 5-hmc but not in the younger age group (P=0.077 for 5-mc and P=0.620 for 5-hmc. In addition, the 5-mc level was found to be inversely correlated with disease severity (P=0.011.Conclusion: Our

Induced abortion in Taiwan.

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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.

Characterizing Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Thermal Environment and Air Quality in Taipei Metropolitan Area

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Juang, J. Y.; Sun, C. H.; Jiang, J. A.; Wen, T. H.

2017-12-01

The urban heat island effect (UHI) caused by the regional-to-global environmental changes, dramatic urbanization, and shifting in land-use compositions has becoming an important environmental issue in recent years. In the past century, the coverage of urban area in Taipei Basin has dramatically increasing by ten folds. The strengthen of UHI effect significantly enhances the frequency of warm-night effect, and strongly influences the thermal environment of the residents in the Greater Taipei Metropolitan. In addition, the urban expansions due to dramatic increasing in urban populations and traffic loading significantly impacts the air quality and causes health issue in Taipei. In this study, the main objective is to quantify and characterize the temporal and spatial distributions of thermal environmental and air quality in the Greater Taipei Metropolitan Area by using monitoring data from Central Weather Bureau, Environmental Protection Administration. In addition, in this study, we conduct the analysis on the distribution of physiological equivalent temperature in the micro scale in the metropolitan area by using the observation data and quantitative simulation to investigate how the thermal environment is influenced under different conditions. Furthermore, we establish a real-time mobile monitoring system by using wireless sensor network to investigate the correlation between the thermal environment, air quality and other environmental factors, and propose to develop the early warning system for heat stress and air quality in the metropolitan area. The results from this study can be integrated into the management and planning system, and provide sufficient and important background information for the development of smart city in the metropolitan area in the future.

The Perceptions and Experiences of Taiwanese Parents Who Have Children with an Intellectual Disability

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Chang, Mei-Ying; McConkey, Roy

2008-01-01

Most research into family care-giving has been undertaken in western, English-speaking societies with little cognisance taken of possible differences across cultures. Home-based interviews were conducted with 117 mothers and fathers in Taipei City, Taiwan and five main themes were identified using content analysis. Three themes expressed the…

Lifestyle and Addictive Behaviors Among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Wuhan, and Zhuhai-a First Cross-subculture Assessment.

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Chen, Xinguang; Lau, Maggie; Kan, Ming Yue; Chiang, I-Chyun; Hu, Yih-Jin; Gong, Jie; Li, Lue; Ngok, King-Lun

2016-10-01

This study aimed at assessing the differences in prevalence rates of common health behavior among adolescents in the five Chinese cities and the influential factors at the contextual and individual levels. We compared the standardized rates of three lifestyle behaviors (sedentary, dietary, and physical activity) and three addictive behaviors (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and participation in gambling) among a sample of 13,950 adolescents. The sample was randomly selected from five cities, including Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Zhuhai, and Wuhan. Population size, GDP per capita, and literacy at the city level as well as parental monitoring and school performance at the student's level were assessed. Multi-level mixed effect models were used to examine the interaction of individual level factors with study sites. The six health behaviors differed significantly across sites with the highest rates of alcohol consumption in Hong Kong (39.5 %), of cigarette smoking in Macau (9.8 %), and of gambling in Taipei (37.1 %) and Hong Kong (35.9 %). The city-level measures were associated with only a few behavioral measures. Relative to Hong Kong, parental monitoring had stronger association with the three addictive behaviors in the other sites. Findings suggest that although the study sites share similar Chinese culture, students in the five cities differed from each other with regard to levels of health behaviors. Relative to the broad socioeconomic development, differences in parental monitoring played a significant role in explaining the observed difference.

Predictive factors for early menarche in Taiwan.

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Chie, W C; Liu, Y H; Chi, J; Wu, V; Chen, A

1997-06-01

The rapid increase of breast cancer in Taiwan has prompted the authors to evaluate the predictive factors of early menarche among contemporary Taiwanese girls. A total of 895 four-grade girls from eight elementary schools in Taipei City and County were identified as a closed cohort from the first semester of 1993. Data were collected from self-administered questionnaires and school records. A total of 799 girls who had not menstruated in the first year remained in the group through 1994. The effects of potential predictive factors were assessed by logistic regression. Among the 799 girls followed, 69 (8.6%) had first menstruation between the fourth and fifth grades. Height, weight, body mass index and maternal early onset of menarche were positively related to the onset of menarche within the preceding year. Energy consumption during exercise showed only moderate association after being adjusted for age and weight. Calorie intake from junk food was not associated with early menarche within the preceding year. Poor interpersonal family relationships and stressful life events also showed a moderate association with early menarche. The data obtained supported the hypothesis that height, weight, body mass index and maternal early menarche are positive predictive factors of early menarche. The effects of exercise and childhood stress are less prominent.

How does traditional Confucian culture influence adolescents' sexual behavior in three Asian cities?

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Gao, Ersheng; Zuo, Xiayun; Wang, Li; Lou, Chaohua; Cheng, Yan; Zabin, Laurie S

2012-03-01

To investigate whether and how the presence of Confucian cultural norms influences the sexual behaviors of adolescents and young adults in three Asian cities experiencing different levels of economic development. Data for this article were drawn from the international cross-sectional survey on sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years in three Asian cities (Hanoi, Shanghai, and Taipei), conducted in 2006. The original sample consisted of a representative group of 17,016 adolescents; while in this study, 16,554 never-married adolescents were included in the analysis. Both face-to-face interview and computer-assisted self-interview approaches were adopted in the survey. Exposure to family concepts, self-cultivation values, gender role concepts, and sexual values were the main measures of traditional Confucian cultural influence. Sexual and intimate behaviors were the main outcome measures, and multi-Cox regression models were used to assess the association between traditional cultural concepts and values and sexual behavior after adjusting for potentially confounding factors. Data were analyzed with SAS software 9.1. The traditional Confucian cultural norms were not weakening evenly, with more entrenchment in Hanoi than in Shanghai and Taipei. Prevalence of sexual coitus among adolescent and young adults was lowest in Hanoi and highest in Taipei, while similar profiles of other intimate behaviors were displayed in the three cities. Associations between respondents' sexual behavior and their cultural concepts and values differed by city. In Hanoi, for all four cultural measures, respondents with more traditional views were less likely to engage in sexual activity. This was also true in Shanghai and Taipei with respect to traditional sexual values and self-cultivation values. However, there was an inverse relationship between sexual behavior and traditional family concepts and gender roles in Shanghai and Taipei; those with more

Rural older people had lower mortality after accidental falls than non-rural older people

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Huang JW

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Jen-Wu Huang,1,2 Yi-Ying Lin,2,3 Nai-Yuan Wu,4 Yu-Chun Chen5–7 1Department of Surgery, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, Yilan, Taiwan; 2Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Pediatrics, Heping Fuyou Branch, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Medical Research and Education, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan; 6Faculty of Medicine and School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 7Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mortality rate after falls of rural and non-rural older people and to explore the risk factors of mortality after falls among older people. Patients and methods: This population-based case–control study identified two groups from a nationwide claim database (National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan: a rural group and a non-rural group, which included 3,897 and 5,541 older people, respectively, who were hospitalized for accidental falls (The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification: E880–E888 during 2006–2009. Both groups were followed up for 4 years after falls. Four-year cumulative all-cause mortality rate after falls was calculated, and the demographic factor, comorbidity, and medications were considered as the potential risk factors of mortality after falls. Results: The rural group had a significantly higher frequency of fall-related hospitalizations (7.4% vs 4.3%, P<0.001, but a lower 4-year cumulative all-cause mortality rate after falls than the non-rural group (8.8% vs 23.4%, P<0.001. After adjusting for age, gender, comorbidity, and medication use, the rural group had

Development strategy of green energy industry for Taipei—A modern medium-sized city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Shyi-Min; Huang, May-Yao; Su, Pu-Ti; Tseng, Kuo-Tung; Chen, Falin

2013-01-01

Taipei, a subtropical modern medium city, is essentially featured with high population density, scarce land, and large traffic flow. Moreover, there are abundant green energy resources reserved in Taipei. If they were fully developed, there would be 13,040 GWh electricity generated per year, resulting in a total of 9.37 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions abatement. The development of the green energy industry in this city not only can bring significant energy-saving and carbon-reducing benefits, but also may create huge derivative business opportunities. For example, the total output values of the solar PV and electric vehicles industries would be as high as 700 billion yuan. In this study, through Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, we concluded that the top priorities for Taipei for the development of green energy industries are building energy conservation and electrified transportation, specifically, the following four items: electric vehicles, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, inverter air conditioning, and Energy Service Company (ESCO). Meanwhile, Taipei is a domestic and international key of politics, transportation, technology, commerce, and finance. Taipei is very likely to become an internationalized green energy industrial hub, achieving the “3E” goals of economic prosperousness, environmental protection, and energy security. -- Highlights: •Building energy conservation and electrified transportation are top priorities. •SWOT analysis applied to systematically conclude four green energy industrial items for Taipei. •Specifically, electric vehicles, LED lighting, inverter air conditioning, and ESCO. •13,040 GWh electricity would be generated per year from Taipei's rich renewables. •The derivative business opportunities would exceed 700 billion yuan

Role of resilience and social support in alleviating depression in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis

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Liu YM

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Yueh-Min Liu,1 Hong-Jer Chang,2 Ru-Hwa Wang,3 Li-King Yang,4 Kuo-Cheng Lu,4 Yi-Chou Hou4 1Department of Nursing, Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Long-Term Care, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei City, Taiwan; 3Department of Nursing, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 4Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Cardinal Tien Hospital, School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan Background: Patients who undergo hemodialysis encounter challenges including role changes, physical degeneration, and difficulty in performing activities of daily living (ADLs and self-care. These challenges deteriorate their physiological and psychosocial conditions, resulting in depression. High resilience (RES and social support can alleviate stress and depression. This study evaluated the importance of RES and social support in managing depression in elderly patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD. Patients and methods: In this descriptive, correlational study, 194 older patients undergoing HD were enrolled from the HD centers of three hospitals in northern Taiwan. The Barthel ADL Index, RES scale, Inventory of Socially Supportive Behavior, and Beck Depression Inventory-II were used. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied to evaluate the interaction of RES and social support with illness severity, demographics, and ADLs. Results: Of the total participants, 45.9% experienced depressive symptoms. Demographic analysis showed that men and those with high educational level and income and financial independence had less depression (p<0.01. Patients with a higher Barthel Index (n=103, RES scale (n=33, and social support (n=113 showed less depressive symptoms (p<0.01. We found a significant negative correlation between depressive symptoms and social support (r=-0.506, p<0.01 and RES (r=-0.743, p<0.01. Hierarchical regression analysis showed

Effects of Cloud-Based m-Learning on Student Creative Performance in Engineering Design

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Chang, Yu-Shan; Chen, Si-Yi; Yu, Kuang-Chao; Chu, Yih-Hsien; Chien, Yu-Hung

2017-01-01

This study explored the effects of cloud-based m-learning on students' creative processes and products in engineering design. A nonequivalent pretest-posttest design was adopted, and 62 university students from Taipei City, Taiwan, were recruited as research participants in the study. The results showed that cloud-based m-learning had a positive…

The Consumers Characteristics Analysis of Low Temperature Home Delivery

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Shu-Fang Lai

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Because of technological advancements and the popularity of the Internet, online shopping has become an important shopping channel for consumers. Because people increasingly eat out, more consumers shop online, and food products are collected from convenience stores, or frozen food home delivery services are used. This study used questionnaire surveys to analyze the consumption habits of residents who shop online for frozen foods in the urban areas of northern Taiwan (Taipei City and New Taipei City. We distributed and collected 548 questionnaires, of which 484 were valid. Descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, and logistics regression analysis were used to analyze consumer characteristics, as well as important influential factors. The research results indicated that most online shoppers were women, and the top 3 factors influencing their purchasing decisions were freshness, delivery convenience, and ordering convenience. Participants in the age group of 40-49 years old, living in the urban area of New Taipei City, without junior college education, and with less than 10,000 NTD monthly incomes, were less likely to purchase frozen foods using low-temperature logistics services.

Estimation of heat rejection based on the air conditioner use time and its mitigation from buildings in Taipei City

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsieh, Chun-Ming; Aramaki, Toshiya; Hanaki, Keisuke [The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Japan). Department of Urban Engineering

2007-09-15

The main work in the research focuses on the analysis and mitigation of the anthropogenic heat discharged from buildings, which is one of the main reasons leading to the heat island effect. The residential and commercial buildings, divided into 10 categories, with HVAC systems were analyzed by the building energy program, EnergyPlus. With the help of GIS, the heat rejection of all the residential and commercial buildings in DaAn Ward of Taipei City were evaluated, in which the spatial data and diurnal variation of the heat rejection were described by 3-h time periods. Furthermore, the effect of mitigation strategies was discussed. The first strategy was to change the wall/roof material of building envelope. The second and third strategies, from the viewpoint of energy saving, were to change the temperature setting of air conditioners and to turn off the lighting and equipment when not in use. The fourth strategy was to use a better efficiency of the cooling systems. Finally, the evaluation of installing the water-cooled cooling system, which discharges heat in the form of sensible and latent heat, was also included. (author)

78 FR 1248 - Certain Computing Devices With Associated Instruction Sets and Software; Notice of Commission...

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2013-01-08

..., 24 and 28-30 of U.S. Patent No. 7,155,598. The notice of institution named as respondent Apple Inc., a/k/a Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, California (``Apple''). On November 19, 2012, VIA and Apple... on behalf of VIA Technologies, Inc. of New Taipei City, Taiwan; IP-First, LLC of Fremont, California...

Traumatic osteoarthritis-induced persistent mechanical hyperalgesia in a rat model of anterior cruciate ligament transection plus a medial meniscectomy

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Tsai HC

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Hsiao-Chien Tsai,1–3 Ta-Liang Chen,2–4 Yu-Pin Chen,5 Ruei-Ming Chen1,3,6 1Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Anesthesiology and Health Policy Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Comprehensive Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Background: Osteoarthritis (OA is a degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage degeneration, subchondral bone changes, osteophyte formation, and synovitis. A major symptom is pain that is triggered by peripheral and central changes within the pain pathways. Some surgery-induced joint instability rat models of OA were described to mimic traumatic OA. Several behavioral tests were developed to access OA-induced pain. However, follow-up in most studies usually only occurred for about 4 weeks. Since traumatic OA is a chronic disease which gradually develops after trauma, the pattern of pain might differ between early and late stages after the trauma. Purpose: To observe the time-dependent development of hypersensitivity after traumatic OA and to determine the best timing and methods to investigate traumatic OA-induced pain.Methods: Anterior cruciate ligament transection plus medial meniscectomy was used to induce traumatic OA in Sprague-Dawley rats. Traumatic OA-induced pain was evaluated using four different behavioral tests for 15 weeks.Results: A significant difference in mechanical hypersensitivity developed throughout the observational period. It was worst in the first 3 weeks after the operation, then became less significant

Numerical solution of optimal departure frequency of Taipei TMS

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Young, Lih-jier; Chiu, Chin-Hsin

2016-05-01

Route Number 5 (Bannan Line) of Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is the most popular line in the Taipei Metro System especially during rush hours periods. It has been estimated there are more than 8,000 passengers on the ticket platform during 18:00∼19:00 at Taipei main station. The purpose of this research is to predict a specific departure frequency of passengers per train. Monte Carlo Simulation will be used to optimize departure frequency according to the passenger information provided by 22 stations, i.e., 22 random variables of route number 5. It is worth mentioning that we used 30,000 iterations to get the different samples of the optimization departure frequency, i.e., 10 trains/hr which matches the practical situation.

Molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Taipei.

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Dou, Horng-Yunn; Tseng, Fan-Chen; Lin, Chih-Wei; Chang, Jia-Ru; Sun, Jun-Ren; Tsai, Wen-Shing; Lee, Shi-Yi; Su, Ih-Jen; Lu, Jang-Jih

2008-12-22

The control of tuberculosis in densely populated cities is complicated by close human-to-human contacts and potential transmission of pathogens from multiple sources. We conducted a molecular epidemiologic analysis of 356 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from patients presenting pulmonary tuberculosis in metropolitan Taipei. Classical antibiogram studies and genetic characterization, using mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing and spoligotyping, were applied after culture. A total of 356 isolates were genotyped by standard spoligotyping and the strains were compared with in the international spoligotyping database (SpolDB4). All isolates were also categorized using the 15 loci MIRU-VNTR typing method and combin with NTF locus and RD deletion analyses. Of 356 isolates spoligotyped, 290 (81.4%) displayed known spoligotypes and 66 were not identified in the database. Major spoligotypes found were Beijing lineages (52.5%), followed by Haarlem lineages (13.5%) and EAI plus EAI-like lineages (11%). When MIRU-VNTR was employed, 140 patterns were identified, including 36 clusters by 252 isolates and 104 unique patterns, and the largest cluster comprised 95 isolates from the Beijing family. The combination of spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR revealed that 236 (67%) of the 356 isolates were clustered in 43 genotypes. Strains of the Beijing family was more likely to be of modern strain and a higher percentage of multiple drug resistance than other families combined (P = 0.08). Patients infected with Beijing strains were younger than those with other strains (mean 58.7 vs. 64.2, p = 0.02). Moreover, 85.3% of infected persons younger than 25 years had Beijing modern strain, suggesting a possible recent spread in the young population by this family of TB strain in Taipei. Our data on MTB genotype in Taipei suggest that MTB infection has not been optimally controlled. Control efforts should be reinforced in view of the

Integration of School Features into Taiwanese Elementary School New English Curriculum

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Chien, Chin-Wen

2014-01-01

Elementary school English activation curriculum, an additional two culture classes, has been implemented only in New Taipei City in Taiwan starting from 2010, so only a few studies focus on it. This is a case study of an English teacher's integration of a school's features into the activation curriculum in a rural elementary school. This study…

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

2000-08-11

Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria;. 'Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica. Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. Department of Chemistry. National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. ROC. (Received August 11, 2000; revised January 17, 2001). ABSTRACT. A trace amount of n-BuLi at -78 C initiates a chemical ...

Digital collaborative consumption and social issues: The clash of taxi and Uber driver in Surabaya and Taipei

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Kholifatus Saadah

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Since the occurrence of application-based taxi, phenomenon and resistance have emerged in metropolitan cities around the world. One of the main issues highlighted is digital collaborative consumption which emerges as the consequences of globalization. As an interpretive case study research, this paper aims to analyze the use of Uber as an alternative to public transportation in Taipei and Surabaya. Authors discuss the issue by comparing the reaction toward the occurrence of Uber and Taipei and Surabaya. Authors apply the theory from Hegre, Gissinger, & Gledtisch (2002 about globalization and social conflict to explain social issues as the consequences of digital collaborative consumption as the new consumption model. According to the theory, globalization creates a deprivation which makes the struggle to access source of capital become more intense. Poverty is the main generator of radical action and violence. Analyzing the phenomena of Uber usage and the resistance from traditional taxi businessmen in Taipei and Surabaya, the authors argue that globalization reflected on digital collaborative consumption could lead to social unrest for parties who cannot adapt to the changes in economic practice. As shown by many cases of app-based rejection taxi in public places such as airport, train station and bus station; the traditionalists show resistance towards globalization and the economic shift of public transportation business model.

Short-term population-based non-linear concentration-response associations between fine particulate matter and respiratory diseases in Taipei (Taiwan): a spatiotemporal analysis.

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Yu, Hwa-Lung; Chien, Lung-Chang

2016-01-01

Fine particulate matter respiratory disease remain inconsistent. The short-term, population-based association between the respiratory clinic visits of children and PM2.5 exposure levels were investigated by considering both the spatiotemporal distributions of ambient pollution and clinic visit data. We applied a spatiotemporal structured additive regression model to examine the concentration-response (C-R) association between children's respiratory clinic visits and PM2.5 concentrations. This analysis was separately performed on three respiratory disease categories that were selected from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance database, which includes 41 districts in the Taipei area of Taiwan from 2005 to 2007. The findings reveal a non-linear C-R pattern of PM2.5, particularly in acute respiratory infections. However, a PM2.5 increase at relatively lower levels can elevate the same-day respiratory health risks of both preschool children (increase from 0.76 to 7.44 μg/m(3), and in schoolchildren, same-day health risks rise when concentrations increase from 0.76 to 7.52 μg/m(3). Changes in PM2.5 levels generally exhibited no significant association with same-day respiratory risks, except in instances where PM2.5 levels are extremely high, and these occurrences do exhibit a significant positive influence on respiratory health that is especially notable in schoolchildren. A significant high relative rate of respiratory clinic visits are concentrated in highly populated areas. We highlight the non-linearity of the respiratory health effects of PM2.5 on children to investigate this population-based association. The C-R relationship in this study can provide a highly valuable alternative for assessing the effects of ambient air pollution on human health.

Empirical Site Amplification Factors Incorporating Soil Nonlinearity in Taiwan

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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.

Adolescents' and young adults' perception of homosexuality and related factors in three Asian cities.

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Feng, Yongliang; Lou, Chaohua; Gao, Ersheng; Tu, Xiaowen; Cheng, Yan; Emerson, Mark R; Zabin, Laurie S

2012-03-01

Adolescents' and young adults' perception of homosexuality plays an important role in the marginalization and stigmatization of the homosexual, thereby influencing his or her health. This article aims to study that perception and to examine its predictors in three Asian cities that are culturally dominated by Confucianism. From May 2006 to January 2007, a cross-sectional survey of 17,016 adolescents and young adults, aged 15-24 years old, in both urban and rural sites of three Asian cities (Hanoi in Vietnam, Shanghai in the mainland of China, and Taipei in Taiwan) was conducted through interview and computer-assisted self-interview for sensitive questions. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify the predictors for their perception of homosexuality. The percentage of adolescents and young adults who hold a positive view of homosexuality (i.e., thought it was normal and/or acceptable) was low, especially in Hanoi and Shanghai; these figures increased from Hanoi to Shanghai to Taipei for both males and females. Overall, those factors significantly associated with adolescents' and young adults' perception of homosexuality included individuals' demographic characteristics (urban/rural, age, economic status, student status, and educational level), preferred origin of movies/videos, self-identified sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health knowledge, family values, gender role values, and attitudes toward premarital sex. In these three Asian cities composed of populations whose views are largely influenced by Confucianism, adolescents and young adults mainly hold a negative perception of homosexuality. The most common and important predictors for a respondent's perception of homosexuality were his or her knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and how traditional his/her values may be. Greater attention needs to be paid to the popularization of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health including homosexuality

Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Perception of Homosexuality and Related Factors in Three Asian Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yongliang; Lou, Chaohua; Gao, Ersheng; Tu, Xiaowen; Cheng, Yan; Emerson, Mark R.; Zabin, Laurie S.

2014-01-01

Purpose Adolescents’ and young adults’ perception of homosexuality plays an important role in the marginalization and stigmatization of the homosexual, thereby influencing his or her health. This article aims to study that perception and to examine its predictors in three Asian cities that are culturally dominated by Confucianism. Methods From May 2006 to January 2007, a cross-sectional survey of 17,016 adolescents and young adults, aged 15–24 years old, in both urban and rural sites of three Asian cities (Hanoi in Vietnam, Shanghai in the mainland of China, and Taipei in Taiwan) was conducted through interview and computer-assisted self-interview for sensitive questions. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify the predictors for their perception of homosexuality. Results The percentage of adolescents and young adults who hold a positive view of homosexuality (i.e., thought it was normal and/or acceptable) was low, especially in Hanoi and Shanghai; these figures increased from Hanoi to Shanghai to Taipei for both males and females. Overall, those factors significantly associated with adolescents’ and young adults’ perception of homosexuality included individuals’ demographic characteristics (urban/rural, age, economic status, student status, and educational level), preferred origin of movies/videos, self-identified sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health knowledge, family values, gender role values, and attitudes toward premarital sex. Conclusions In these three Asian cities composed of populations whose views are largely influenced by Confucianism, adolescents and young adults mainly hold a negative perception of homosexuality. The most common and important predictors for a respondent's perception of homosexuality were his or her knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and how traditional his/her values may be. Greater attention needs to be paid to the popularization of knowledge about sexual and

Pseudomembranous colitis within radiotherapy field following concurrent chemoradiation therapy: a case report

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Shen BJ

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Bing-Jie Shen,1 Shih-Chiang Lin,2 Pei-Wei Shueng,1,3 Yueh-Hung Chou,4 Li-Ming Tseng,5 Chen-Hsi Hsieh1,6,71Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Division of Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Department of Anatomical Pathology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 7Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, TaiwanAbstract: Development of nonantibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis has been reported in patients receiving chemotherapy. Herein, we report a case of a 70-year-old man with diabetes mellitus and hypertension who received concurrent chemoradiation therapy after surgery for stage III pT3N1M0 rectal cancer. After completion of the therapy, the patient presented with a 2-week history of intermittent watery diarrhea (seven to nine times per day. However, the patient was afebrile and laboratory examination revealed no evidence of leukocytosis. Computed tomography disclosed inflammation of the sigmoid colon, infiltrative changes around the anastomotic site, and edematous changes straddling the serosal surface. Colonoscopic examination revealed multiple whitish patches within the radiation field, a finding suggestive of pseudomembranous colitis. No concomitant antibiotics were used during the period of concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Empirical oral metronidazole (500 mg every 8 hours was administrated for 2 weeks. At the end of this treatment, stool culture was negative for Clostridium difficile. Physicians should be aware of the potential for the development of

Medical Evacuation from Vietnam of an Elderly with Tuberculosis Spondylitis

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Ying-Hua Shieh

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Despite the growth in economy in Vietnam, the infrastructure of dependable medical care is still lacking. Therefore, aeromedical evacuation of patients to other countries for further medical interventions has become an important medical service in the region. We report a case where an elderly man who was aeromedically evacuated from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Taipei Medical University–Municipal Wan Fang Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. The patient developed a sudden onset of quadriplegia because of an epidural abscess at the cervical spine C6–C7. Antituberculous medication was prescribed for suspected tuberculous spondylitis, because his cerebral spinal fluid showed elevated white blood cells with a predominance of lymphocytes, and mildly elevated total protein. However, whole body tumor scan (67Ga mCi and whole body bone scan (99mTc methylene diphosphonate, 25 mCi did not reveal any specific results. Surgical intervention was arranged because of cervical spine instability and the need for a diagnostic biopsy. Adenocarcinoma of the prostate was found incidentally and was treated with bilateral orchiectomy and radiation therapy. This was the first medical evacuation by the Family Medical Practice group in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Taiwan.

A study on fire spreading model for the safety distance between the neighborhood occupancies and historical buildings in Taiwan

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Chen, C. H.; Chien, S. W.; Ho, M. C.

2015-08-01

Cultural heritages and historical buildings are vulnerable against severe threats from fire. Since the 1970s, ten fire-spread events involving historic buildings have occurred in Taiwan, affecting a total of 132 nearby buildings. Developed under the influence of traditional Taiwanese culture, historic buildings in Taiwan are often built using non-fire resistant brick-wood structure and located in proximity to residential occupancies. Fire outbreak in these types of neighborhood will lead to severe damage of antiquities, leaving only unrecoverable historical imagery. This study is aimed to investigate the minimal safety distance required between a historical building and its surroundings in order to reduce the risk of external fire. This study is based on literature analysis and the fire spread model using a Fire Dynamics Simulator. The selected target is Jingmei Temple in Taipei City. This study explored local geography to identify patterns behind historical buildings distribution. In the past, risk reduction engineering for cultural heritages and historical buildings focused mainly on fire equipment and the available personnel with emergency response ability, and little attention was given to external fire risks and the affected damage. Through discussions on the required safety distance, this research provides guidelines for the following items: management of neighborhoods with historical buildings and consultation between the protection of cultural heritages and disaster prevention, reducing the frequency and extent of fire damages, and preserving cultural resource.

Effects of traditional and cyber homophobic bullying in childhood on depression, anxiety, and physical pain in emerging adulthood and the moderating effects of social support among gay and bisexual men in Taiwan

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Wang CC

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Chien-Chuan Wang,1,2 Huang-Chi Lin,2,3 Mu-Hong Chen,4,5 Nai-Ying Ko,6,7 Yu-Ping Chang,8 I-Mei Lin,9 Cheng-Fang Yen2,3 1Zuoying Branch of Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 2Department of Psychiatry, Graduate Institute of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 3Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 4Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; 7Nursing Department and Center for Infection Control, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan; 8School of Nursing, The State University of New York, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; 9Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Objective: This study examined the differences in the current levels of depression, anxiety, and physical pain in emerging adulthood among gay and bisexual men with various experiences of traditional and cyber homophobic bullying based on gender role nonconformity and sexual orientation and the moderating effects of family and peer support.Methods: A total of 500 gay or bisexual men (age 20–25 years in Taiwan were recruited from August 2015 to July 2017. The levels of depression, anxiety, and physical pain among gay or bisexual men who had experienced both traditional and cyber homophobic bullying (n=109, only traditional or cyber bullying (n=173, and neither traditional nor cyber bullying during childhood (n=218 were compared. The moderating effects of family and peer support on the effects of homophobic bullying victimization on depression, anxiety, and physical pain

Characteristics of the first human milk bank in Taiwan.

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Chang, Fang-Yuan; Cheng, Shao-Wen; Wu, Tsung-Zu; Fang, Li-Jung

2013-02-01

The benefits of feeding human milk to infants, even in prematurity, have been well documented. Well-organized donor milk processing has made the milk bank a good source of nutrition for premature or sick infants if their own mother's milk is not sufficient or suitable. The Taipei City Hospital Milk Bank was established in 2005 and is the first nonprofit human milk bank to operate in Taiwan. The milk bank has adopted standards of practice laid down by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America and United Kingdom Association for Milk Banking. The clinical characteristics of the eligible milk donors, the recipients, and the donor milk were reviewed retrospectively. In the past 6 years, 816 eligible donors donated a total or 13,900 L (mean 17.03 L/donor) of breast milk. The mean age of these donors was 31.3 years, and 79.7% of them had college education. Most had term delivery (91.2%), with mean birth weight of their babies being 3120 g; 68.9% of the donors were primiparas. A total of 551 infants had received bank milk, with these indications: prematurity (65.4%), malabsorption (7.6%), feeding intolerance (7.2%), maternal illness (5.1%) and post-surgery (4.6%). The pass rate of raw donor milk was around 72.1%. The most common reasons to discard raw milk were Gram-negative rods contamination (72.8%) and ≥10 colony-forming units/mL of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (62.3%). Only 0.63% of donor milk post pasteurization showed bacterial growth. Proper management and operation of a human milk bank can support breastfeeding, and provide a safe alternative to artificial formula for feeding preterm or ill infants in Taiwan. Sustainability of the milk bank needs more propagation and financial support by health authorities. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Copper Balance of Cities: Exploratory Insights into a European and an Asian City.

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Kral, Ulrich; Lin, Chih-Yi; Kellner, Katharina; Ma, Hwong-Wen; Brunner, Paul H

2014-05-01

Material management faces a dual challenge: on the one hand satisfying large and increasing demands for goods and on the other hand accommodating wastes and emissions in sinks. Hence, the characterization of material flows and stocks is relevant for both improving resource efficiency and environmental protection. This article focuses on the urban scale, a dimension rarely investigated in past metal flow studies. We compare the copper (Cu) metabolism of two cities in different economic states, namely, Vienna (Europe) and Taipei (Asia). Substance flow analysis is used to calculate urban Cu balances in a comprehensive and transparent form. The main difference between Cu in the two cities appears to be the stock: Vienna seems close to saturation with 180 kilograms per capita (kg/cap) and a growth rate of 2% per year. In contrast, the Taipei stock of 30 kg/cap grows rapidly by 26% per year. Even though most Cu is recycled in both cities, bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration represents an unused Cu potential accounting for 1% to 5% of annual demand. Nonpoint emissions are predominant; up to 50% of the loadings into the sewer system are from nonpoint sources. The results of this research are instrumental for the design of the Cu metabolism in each city. The outcomes serve as a base for identification and recovery of recyclables as well as for directing nonrecyclables to appropriate sinks, avoiding sensitive environmental pathways. The methodology applied is well suited for city benchmarking if sufficient data are available.

General cognitive status among Baby boomers and pre-boomers in Taiwan: the interplay between mid-life socioeconomic status and city residence.

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Chiao, Chi

2017-05-25

This study seeks to assess the interaction between mid-life socioeconomic status (SES) and city residence on the cognitive status of Baby Boomers and pre-Boomers in Taiwan, a non-Western society with a distinct cultural and family context, taking apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymophism and life stressors into consideration. The data used was from the Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study (SEBAS) collected in Taiwan during 2006, this involved 1245 individuals from 23 communities and used multilevel regression. General cognitive status was assessed by ten questions via personal interviews. The questions were part of the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, a 10-item free-recall and immediate recall test. Mid-life SES was defined by education and major mid-life occupation of the participant and/or their partner. Mid-life SES was positively associated with cognitive status among both Baby Boomers and pre-Boomers, even after adjusting for APOE polymorphism and stressor covariates. For Baby Boomers, city residents were more likely than town residents to show better cognition (β = 1.47, p interaction effect between mid-life SES and city residence was observed (β = -2.12, p < 0.01). While both the Baby Boomer and pre-Boomer cohorts who lived with a partner were reported better cognition, the effects of depressive symptoms and ethnicity differed by cohort. Having a high level of mid-life SES and living with a partner are associated with better cognition for both cohort groups. An interplay effect between mid-life SES and place of residence on cognition was only found for Baby Boomers. On the other hand, being psychologically depressed was associated with poorer cognition among pre-Boomers. These results underscore the specific roles of mid-life SES, city residence, and life stressors with regard to the cognitive status of Baby Boomers and pre-Boomers in Taiwan.

Shi Cihang 航慈釋. The First Case of Mummified Buddhist in Taiwan

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Stefania Travagnin

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Shi Cihang 航慈釋 (1895-1954, is one of the eminent figures in the so-called Modern Buddhism in Taiwan. Engaged in improving education and training of Buddhist monks and nuns, and promoter of the so-called renjian fojiao 教佛間人 (Buddhism for the Human Realm, which refuses any sort of superstitious understanding and practice of Buddhism and calls for the return to the original and pure essence of the Dharma, Cihang is also the first Buddhist monk in Taiwan who attempted to, and eventually succeeded in, preserving his body afterdeath. Nowadays, the gilded relic-body of Cihang is enshrined and venerated in Xizhi, Taipei county, as well as being included in the list of the roushen pusa 薩菩身肉 (flesh-body Bodhisattvas who appeared in the history of Chinese Buddhism. This paper analyses Cihang’s relic-body as case-study of Chinese mummified Buddhist in the scene of contemporary Taiwan and modern Taiwanese Buddhim, discussing the Buddhist significance, sociological implications and eventual impact of mummification within the reality of the new renjian fojiao.

Psychological symptoms among hospital nurses in Taiwan: a cross sectional study.

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Chen, Mei-Ju; Weng, Shiue-Shan

2017-11-07

A considerable number of studies have identified the risk factors attributable to job-related stress among nurses. However, studies investigating psychological symptoms among hospital nurses is still lacking, especially in Taiwan, where the average patient to nurse ratio is among the highest in the world. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of self-rated health status, self-reported diseases, and utilization of occupational health checks in psychological symptoms among Taiwanese nurses. A cross-sectional design was conducted from September through December 2013. Data were collected through online self-administered questionnaire among 697 registered nurses in seven regional hospitals governed by the Taipei City Government. Nurses with fair or poor self-rated health, lower education, psychological symptoms. A trend toward significance was also noticed for those aged 30-39. Importantly, low back pain was the most common disease among nurses in self-reported diseases and half of the nurses reported not utilizing the occupational health examination for the last 5 years. To alleviate or prevent the psychological symptoms, psychosocial support, and awareness program on prevention of occupational injuries should be offered to nurses younger than 39 years old and having lower educational levels. Moreover, underutilization of occupational health examination among nurses deserves more attention.

A novel two – factor high order fuzzy time series with applications to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Daily average temperatures of Taipei and Taiwan Futures Exchange (TAIFEX) are used as benchmark data. Average forecasting error performance of 0.85% was obtained for Taipei Temperature forecast. Mean squared error performance of 199.57 was obtained for Taiwan Futures Exchange forecast. The forecasting ...

The Copper Balance of Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Kral, Ulrich; Lin, Chih-Yi; Kellner, Katharina; Ma, Hwong-wen; Brunner, Paul H

2014-01-01

Material management faces a dual challenge: on the one hand satisfying large and increasing demands for goods and on the other hand accommodating wastes and emissions in sinks. Hence, the characterization of material flows and stocks is relevant for both improving resource efficiency and environmental protection. This article focuses on the urban scale, a dimension rarely investigated in past metal flow studies. We compare the copper (Cu) metabolism of two cities in different economic states, namely, Vienna (Europe) and Taipei (Asia). Substance flow analysis is used to calculate urban Cu balances in a comprehensive and transparent form. The main difference between Cu in the two cities appears to be the stock: Vienna seems close to saturation with 180 kilograms per capita (kg/cap) and a growth rate of 2% per year. In contrast, the Taipei stock of 30 kg/cap grows rapidly by 26% per year. Even though most Cu is recycled in both cities, bottom ash from municipal solid waste incineration represents an unused Cu potential accounting for 1% to 5% of annual demand. Nonpoint emissions are predominant; up to 50% of the loadings into the sewer system are from nonpoint sources. The results of this research are instrumental for the design of the Cu metabolism in each city. The outcomes serve as a base for identification and recovery of recyclables as well as for directing nonrecyclables to appropriate sinks, avoiding sensitive environmental pathways. The methodology applied is well suited for city benchmarking if sufficient data are available. PMID:25866460

a Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Urban Heat Island in Basin City Utilizing Remote Sensing Techniques

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Chang, Hsiao-Tung

2016-06-01

Urban Heat Island (UHI) has been becoming a key factor in deteriorating the urban ecological environment. Spatial-temporal analysis on its prototype of basin city's UHI and quantitatively evaluating effect from rapid urbanization will provide theoretical foundation for relieving UHI effect. Based on Landsat 8, ETM+ and TM images of Taipei basin areas from 1900 to 2015, this article has retrieved the land surface temperature (LST) at summer solstice of each year, and then analysed spatial-temporal pattern and evolution characters of UHI in Taipei basin in this decade. The results showed that the expansion built district, UHI area constantly expanded from centre city to the suburb areas. The prototype of UHI in Taipei basin that showed in addition to higher temperatures in the centre city also were relatively high temperatures gathered boundaries surrounded by foot of mountains side. It calls "sinking heat island". From 1900 to 2000, the higher UHI areas were different land use type change had obvious difference by public infrastructure works. And then, in next 15 years till 2015, building density of urban area has been increasing gradually. It has the trend that UHI flooding raises follow urban land use density. Hot spot of UHI in Taipei basin also has the same characteristics. The results suggest that anthropogenic heat release probably plays a significant role in the UHI effect, and must be considered in urban planning adaptation strategies.

What are the educational and curriculum needs for emergency medical technicians in Taiwan? A scoping review

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Chang YT

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Yu-Tung Chang,1,2 Kuang-Chau Tsai,2 Brett Williams1 1Department of Community Emergency Health and Paramedic Practice, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia; 2Emergency Medicine Department, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan Purpose: The development of emergency medical services (EMS training in Taiwan is in a transitional phase because of increasing demand for, and advancements in, clinical skill sets. The aim of this study is to review the current literature to compare the key factors of EMS training and education development in different countries in order to provide a new curricula blueprint for the Taiwanese EMS training system.Method: The method follows Arksey and O’Malley’s six stages of scoping review.Results: Five databases were searched for relevant articles: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database; Education Resources Information Center, and Google Scholar. The initial search of five databases produced 1,230 articles, of which title and abstract screening excluded 1,156 articles. The 74 remaining articles underwent a full-text screening process, which further reduced the number of articles to 22. Researching references and citations produced an additional 23 articles, national curriculum standards produced a further six documents, and one article derived from emergency medical technician (EMT regulation in Taiwan. In total, 52 articles were included in the study, categorized by competency and standards, EMT education and learning environment, curriculum design, and teaching and learning method.Conclusion: This study reviewed international EMS training and education literature and documents to summarize the essential elements for developing an EMS education system: for example, core competencies and standards, education environment, curriculum design, and teaching and learning method. By

ONR Tropical Cyclone Motion Research Initiative; First-Year Review, Discussion and Tentative Hypotheses.

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1988-02-01

Division ,, e,,science AOML/NOAA .. National Taiwan University 3401 Rickenbacker Causeway .-. Taipei, Taiwan Miami, FL 33149 Dr. Mike Fiorino Dr. Peter...Atmospheric Sciences Herb Hunter Nanjing University Nichols Research Corporation Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 4040 S. Memorial Parkway People’s Republic...Computer Center Otemachi 1-3-4, Chiyodaku Central Weather Bureau Tokyo 100 Japan 64 Kung Yuan Road Taipei, Taiwan 100 Dr. Lim Joo Tick Republic of

The feasibility of QR-code prescription in Taiwan.

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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.

A Comparative Study of the International Perspectives of Six-Graders in Taipei and Shanghai

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Yueh-Chun Huang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available With the emergence of globalization, it has become increasingly important for all citizens to possess an international perspective. The trend of internationalizing educational systems has also emerged in various countries. Thus, to explore the degree to which students can possess international perspectives is an important topic worthy of studying. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to investigate the current status of the international perspectives of and the differences between sixth graders in Taipei and Shanghai. A total of 1,300 sixth -graders were randomly stratified from the two cities, with 1,111 valid questionnaires returned for further analysis. A significant difference was found in sixth graders’ international perspectives between the two cities. Differences of their demographic characteristics were also identified. More similarities than differences in their backgrounds and experiences were identified. Both similarities and differences were also found in their parents’ level of education and occupation.

Antiglycation, radical scavenging, and semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase inhibitory activities of acetohydroxamic acid in vitro

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Liu YH

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Yuh-Hwa Liu,1,2,* Yeh-Lin Lu,3,* Der-Zen Liu,4 Wen-Chi Hou5 1Division of Gastroenterology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of General Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs can promote intracellular reactive oxygen species production, and the levels of AGEs are highly correlated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes complications. Acetohydroxamic acid (acetH is a bacterial urease inhibitor drug used to treat kidney stones and infections in the urinary tract, and hydroxyurea (HU is a drug used for antineoplasm and sickle cell diseases. Both acetH and HU are hydroxamic acid derivatives. It was found that acetH and HU at 2.5 or 5 mM showed anti-AGE formation by lowering the AGEs’ fluorescent intensities and Nε-(carboxymethyllysine formation in bovine serum albumin/galactose models, and both showed better and significant differences (P<0.05 compared to the positive control of aminoguanidine. Regarding radical scavenging activities, the half-inhibition concentrations (IC50 of acetH against α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl radical and hydroxyl radical were 34.86 and 104.42 µM, respectively. The IC50 of acetH against semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase was 10.56 µM, and acetH showed noncompetitive inhibition respective to the substrates (benzylamine. The antiglycation, antioxidant, and semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase inhibitory activities of acetH prove that it has the potential for treating cardiovascular disease and diabetes complications and it needs further investigation in animal models. Keywords: acetH, AGEs, Nε

Analysis of Taipei Basin Response for Earthquakes of Various Depths and Locations Using Empirical Data

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Vladimir Sokolov

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The response of Taipei basin upon earthquake excitation was studied using records of recent earthquakes. The strong-motion database includes records obtained at 32 stations of the Taipei TSMIP net work from 83 deep and 142 shallow earthquakes (M > 4.0 that occurred in 1992 - 2004. The characteristics of frequency-de pendent site response were obtained as spectral ratios between the actual earthquake records (horizontal components and those modelled for a hypothetical Very Hard Rock (VHR condition. The models for VHR spectra of Taiwan earthquakes had been recently proposed by Sokolov et al. (2005b, 2006. Analysis of site response characteristics and comparison with simple 1D models of the soil column resulted in the following conclusions: (1 The spectral ratios through out the basin obtained from deep earth quakes (depth > 35 km exhibit good agreement with the theoretical ratios calculated using the 1D models constructed using avail able geological and geotechnical data. (2 The spectral ratios obtained from shallow earth quakes show influence of: (a surface waves generated when travelling from distant sources to the basin and (b relatively low-frequency (< 1 - 2 Hz waves generated within the basin. (3 Some shallow earth quakes pro duce extremely high amplification at frequencies 0.3 - 1 Hz within the basin that may be dangerous for high-rise buildings and high way bridges. (4 The obtained results may be used in probabilistic seismic microzonation of the basin when many possible earth quakes located at various distances are considered. 2D and 3D simulation is necessary to model the seismic influence from particularly large earthquakes.

Cooling effect of rivers on metropolitan Taipei using remote sensing.

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Chen, Yen-Chang; Tan, Chih-Hung; Wei, Chiang; Su, Zi-Wen

2014-01-23

This study applied remote sensing technology to analyze how rivers in the urban environment affect the surface temperature of their ambient areas. While surface meteorological stations can supply accurate data points in the city, remote sensing can provide such data in a two-dimensional (2-D) manner. The goal of this paper is to apply the remote sensing technique to further our understanding of the relationship between the surface temperature and rivers in urban areas. The 2-D surface temperature data was retrieved from Landsat-7 thermal infrared images, while data collected by Formosat-2 was used to categorize the land uses in the urban area. The land surface temperature distribution is simulated by a sigmoid function with nonlinear regression analysis. Combining the aforementioned data, the range of effect on the surface temperature from rivers can be derived. With the remote sensing data collected for the Taipei Metropolitan area, factors affecting the surface temperature were explored. It indicated that the effect on the developed area was less significant than on the ambient nature zone; moreover, the size of the buffer zone between the river and city, such as the wetlands or flood plain, was found to correlate with the affected distance of the river surface temperature.

Comparative effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers on the risk of pneumonia and severe exacerbations in patients with COPD

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Lai CC

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Chih-Cheng Lai,1 Ya-Hui Wang,2 Cheng-Yi Wang,3 Hao-Chien Wang,4 Chong-Jen Yu,4 Likwang Chen5 On behalf of the Taiwan Clinical Trial Consortium for Respiratory Diseases (TCORE 1Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Liouying, Taiwan; 2Medical Research Center, Cardinal Tien Hospital and School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Cardinal Tien Hospital and School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 4Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEis and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs on the risk of pneumonia and severe exacerbations in patients with COPD.Patients and methods: All patients with COPD who used ACEis and ARBs for >90 days between 2000 and 2005 were recruited. Pairwise matching (1:1 of the ACEi and ARB groups resulted in two similar subgroups, with 6,226 patients in each. The primary outcomes were pneumonia and COPD exacerbations, and the secondary outcome was death.Results: During the follow-up period, the incidence of pneumonia was 7.20 per 100 person-years in the ACEi group and 5.89 per 100 person-years in the ARB group. The ACEi group had a higher risk of pneumonia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.15–1.29 than the ARB group. The incidence of severe exacerbations was 0.65 per person-year for the patients receiving ACEis and 0.52 per person-year for those receiving ARBs. The patients receiving ACEis had a higher risk of severe exacerbations (aHR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.16–1.21 than those receiving ARBs. Similar trends were noted in terms of severe exacerbations requiring

A Tale of One China: How and Why Has the Efficacy of United States Arms Sales to Taiwan Changed Since 1990

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

Col Timothy M. Cullen , Ph.D. Date ii DISCLAIMER The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those...thesis. I am also greatly indebted to Colonel Timothy Cullen , Ph.D., and Dr. Mark Conversino, for their guidance and mentorship, not only on this...http://articles.latimes.com/2001/apr/22/news/ mn-54114. 7 William Lowther, “Taiwan Still a Top Buyer of US Arms,” Taipei Times, 22 December 2011

Stereotactic body radiation therapy via helical tomotherapy to replace brachytherapy for brachytherapy-unsuitable cervical cancer patients – a preliminary result

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Hsieh CH

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Chen-Hsi Hsieh,1–3 Hui-Ju Tien,1 Sheng-Mou Hsiao,4 Ming-Chow Wei,4 Wen-Yih Wu,4 Hsu-Dong Sun,4 Li-Ying Wang,5 Yen-Ping Hsieh,6 Yu-Jen Chen,3,7–9 Pei-Wei Shueng1,101Department of Radiation Oncology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Medicine, 3Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Senior Citizen Service Management, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan; 7Department of Radiation Oncology, 8Department of Medical Research, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 9Graduate Institute of Sport Coaching Science, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan; 10Department of Radiation Oncology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, TaiwanAim: To review the experience and to evaluate the results of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT via helical tomotherapy (HT, for the treatment of brachytherapy-unsuitable cervical cancer.Methods: Between September 1, 2008 to January 31, 2012, nine cervical cancer patients unsuitable for brachytherapy were enrolled. All of the patients received definitive whole pelvic radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, followed by SBRT via HT.Results: The actuarial locoregional control rate at 3 years was 78%. The mean biological equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions of the tumor, rectum, bladder, and intestines was 76.0 ± 7.3, 73.8 ± 13.2, 70.5 ± 10.0, and 43.1 ± 7.1, respectively. Only two had residual tumors after treatment, and the others were tumor-free. Two patients experienced grade 3 acute toxicity: one had diarrhea; and another experienced thrombocytopenia. There were no grade 3 or 4 subacute toxicities. Three patients suffered from manageable rectal bleeding in

Seasonal variations of ultra-fine and submicron aerosols in Taipei, Taiwan: implications for particle formation processes in a subtropical urban area

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H. C. Cheung

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to investigate the seasonal variations in the physicochemical properties of atmospheric ultra-fine particles (UFPs, d ≤ 100 nm and submicron particles (PM1, d ≤ 1 µm in an east Asian urban area, which are hypothesized to be affected by the interchange of summer and winter monsoons. An observation experiment was conducted at TARO (Taipei Aerosol and Radiation Observatory, an urban aerosol station in Taipei, Taiwan, from October 2012 to August 2013. The measurements included the mass concentration and chemical composition of UFPs and PM1, as well as the particle number concentration (PNC and the particle number size distribution (PSD with size range of 4–736 nm. The results indicated that the mass concentration of PM1 was elevated during cold seasons with a peak level of 18.5 µg m−3 in spring, whereas the highest concentration of UFPs was measured in summertime with a mean of 1.64 µg m−3. Moreover, chemical analysis revealed that the UFPs and PM1 were characterized by distinct composition; UFPs were composed mostly of organics, whereas ammonium and sulfate were the major constituents of PM1. The seasonal median of total PNCs ranged from 13.9  ×  103 cm−3 in autumn to 19.4  ×  103 cm−3 in spring. Median concentrations for respective size distribution modes peaked in different seasons. The nucleation-mode PNC (N4 − 25 peaked at 11.6  ×  103 cm−3 in winter, whereas the Aitken-mode (N25 − 100 and accumulation-mode (N100 − 736 PNC exhibited summer maxima at 6.0  ×  103 and 3.1  ×  103 cm−3, respectively. The change in PSD during summertime was attributed to the enhancement in the photochemical production of condensable organic matter that, in turn, contributed to the growth of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. In addition, clear photochemical production of particles was observed, mostly in the summer season

Lifetime risks, loss of life expectancy, and health care expenditures for 19 types of cancer in Taiwan

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Wu TY

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Tzu-Yi Wu,1 Chia-Hua Chung,2 Chia-Ni Lin,3 Jing-Shiang Hwang,2 Jung-Der Wang3,4 1Institute of Economics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; 4Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan Background: The mortality rates for different cancers are no longer an efficient tool for making national policy. The purpose of this study were to quantify the lifetime risks, life expectancies (LEs after diagnosis, expected years of life lost (EYLL, and lifetime health care expenditures for 19 major cancers in Taiwan. Methods: A total of 831,314 patients with 19 pathologically proven cancers were abstracted from the Taiwan Cancer Registry from 1998 to 2012. They were linked to the National Mortality Registry (1998–2014 and National Health Insurance reimbursement database (1998–2013 for survival and health care costs. We estimated the cumulative incidence rate for ages 0–79 years and the lifetime survival function for patients with different cancer sites. The EYLL was calculated by subtracting the LE of each cancer cohort from that of the age- and sex-matched referents simulated from national life tables. The estimated lifetime cost was calculated by adding up the product of survival probability and mean cost at the corresponding duration-to-date after adjustment for the inflation to the year of 2013. Results: There were 5 cancers with a lifetime risk exceeding 4%: colorectal, liver, lung, and prostate in males, and breast and colorectal in females. Cancers with EYLL of >10 years were: esophageal, intrahepatic bile ducts, liver, pancreas, oral, nasopharyngeal, leukemia, lung, and gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts and biliary tract in males, and intrahepatic bile ducts

Domestic decision-making power, social support, and postpartum depression symptoms among immigrant and native women in Taiwan.

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Chien, Li-Yin; Tai, Chen-Jei; Yeh, Mei-Chiang

2012-01-01

Domestic decision-making power is an integral part of women's empowerment. No study has linked domestic decision-making power and social support concurrently to postpartum depression and compared these between immigrant and native populations. The aim of this study was to examine domestic decision-making power and social support and their relationship to postpartum depressive symptoms among immigrant and native women in Taiwan. This cross-sectional survey included 190 immigrant and 190 native women who had delivered healthy babies during the past year in Taipei City. Depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, with a cutoff score of 10. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with postpartum depression symptoms. Immigrant mothers had significantly higher prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms (41.1% vs. 8.4%) and had significantly lower levels of domestic decision-making power and social support than native mothers did. Logistic regression showed that insufficient family income was associated with an increased risk of postpartum depression symptoms, whereas social support and domestic decision-making power levels were associated negatively with postpartum depression symptoms. After accounting for these factors, immigrant women remained at higher risk of postpartum depression symptoms than native women did, odds ratio = 2.59, 95% CI [1.27, 5.28]. Domestic decision-making power and social support are independent protective factors for postpartum depression symptoms among immigrant and native women in Taiwan. Social support and empowerment interventions should be tested to discover whether they are able to prevent or alleviate postpartum depression symptoms, with special emphasis on immigrant mothers.

Petrographic analysis of prehistoric ceramics from the Huagangshan site of Hualien City, eastern Taiwan

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Liou, Y. S.; Yi-Chang, L.

2017-12-01

Numerous stone artifacts, ceramics, bone tools, metal objects, and etc., had been unearthed from the Huagangshan site of Hualien City, eastern Taiwan, during the excavations of 2008-2010 and 2012. Of particular importance is more than ten thousands of potsherds were discovered. A stratigraphic sequence spanning the late Early Neolithic (ca. 5000 BP) through to the prehistoric of Taiwan (300 BP) was excavated. This study focuses on potteries from the Late Neolithic (ca. 3500-2800 BP), owing to some ceramics exhibiting distinct stylistic motifs and morphological attributes were recognized to be not produced locally. Have these wares been brought to the area by exchange trade and/or by immigrants? Or had they been made by local potters through the imitation of exotic styles? It is still unclear and is one of the most important archaeological issues in eastern Taiwan. To clarify this subject, understanding the raw material compositions and sources, manufacturing techniques, and etc. are considered to be the best ways. Thus, 21 potsherds from excavations and 6 river sand samples near the site were studied by petrographic analysis. The results of petrographic study show that temper components in the potsherds are quartz, pyroxene, amphibole, plagioclase, sedimentary rock fragments (sandstone), igneous rock fragments (andesite), and metamorphic rock fragments (metasandstone, slate, schist), and the contents and proportions are different in these samples. Petrography shows that the ceramic have multiple origins. A ternary plot of rock fragments shows three compositional groups. This result discriminates two types of ceramics from the others and confirms those ceramics producing non-locally. However, one type of potsherds have local origins through they were recognized to be exotic ones.

Clinical implications in the prevalence and associated cardiovascular factors of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels among elderly agricultural and fishing population in Taipei, Taiwan: experience at a teaching hospital.

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Chen, Yu-Fen; Hu, Yi-Chun; Shen, Hsi-Che; Chang, Hui-Te; Tung, Tao-Hsin

2014-01-01

To discuss the prevalence and associated factors related to an elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level among the elderly agricultural and fishing population. A total of 6542 (3989 males and 2553 females) healthy adults voluntarily admitted to a teaching hospital for a physical checkup in 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan. Fasting blood samples were drawn via venipuncture, and clinical nurses interviewed the study participants using a structured questionnaire from. The overall prevalence of an elevated serum ALT level was 18.2% and revealed a statistically significant decrease with increasing age (P < 0.001). The men exhibited a higher prevalence than the women (19.7% vs 15.9%; P < 0.001). Male sex; younger age; and presence of obesity, hypertension, hyperuricemia, and hypoalbuminemia were significantly associated with an elevated serum ALT level. Sex-related differences were also revealed. For the men, type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.57), hypercholesterolemia (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.22-2.83), hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.04-1.73), and low high-density lipoprotein (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05-1.51) were significantly related to an elevated serum ALT level, but this was not so for the women. The disparity of ALT in age groups was revealed. Several sex-related differences were indicated pertaining to the prevalence of an elevated serum ALT level among elderly specific occupational population.

Hydrogeological bedrock inferred from electrical resistivity model in Taichung Basin, Taiwan

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Chiang, C. W.; Chang, P. Y.; Chang, L. C.

2015-12-01

The four-year project of the study of groundwater hydrogeology and recharge model was indicated by Central Geological Survey, MOEA, Taiwan (R.O.C.) to evaluate recharge groundwater areas in Taiwan where included Taipei, Taichung Basins, Lanyang and Chianan Plains. The groundwater recharge models of Lanyang Plain and Taipei Basin have successfully been estimated in two years ago (2013-2014). The third year of the project integrates with geophysical, geochemistry, and hydrogeology models to estimate the groundwater recharge model in Taichung Basin region. Taichung Basin is mainly covered by Pre-Pleistocene of thick gravel, sandy and muddy sediment rocks within a joint alluvial fan, whereas the depth of the hydrological bedrock remains uncertain. Two electrical resistivity geophysical tools were carried out utilizing direct current resistivity and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) explorations, which could ideally provide the depth resolutions from shallow to depth for evaluating the groundwater resources. The study has carried out 21 AMT stations in the southern Taichung Basin in order to delineate hydrological bedrock in the region. All the AMT stations were deployed about 24 hours and processed with remote reference technique to reduce culture noises. The quality of most stations shows acceptable in the area which two stations were excluded due to near-field source effect in the southwestern basin. The best depth resolution is identified in 500 meters for the model. The preliminary result shows that the depths of the bedrock gradually changes from southern ~20 m toward to ~400 m in central, and eastern ~20 m to 180 m in the western basin inferred from the AMT model. The investigation shows that AMT method could be a useful geophysical tool to enhance the groundwater recharge model estimation without dense loggings in the region.

Severe Dengue Fever Outbreak in Taiwan.

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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.

Police referrals at the psychiatric emergency service in Taiwan.

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Wang, Jen-Pang; Wu, Chia-Yi; Chiu, Chih-Chiang; Yang, Tsu-Hui; Liu, Tzong-Hsien; Chou, Pesus

2015-12-01

The police are the frontline workers in crisis situations involving patients with severe mental illness and act as a primary referral source for psychiatric emergency services (PES) in the community. The aims of this study were to investigate the distribution and characteristics of police referral among psychiatric patients in Taiwan. The study cohort consisted of patients who visited the PES of Taipei City Psychiatric Center from January 2009 to December 2010. The associations between the factors of demographics, clinical characteristics, and psychiatric service utilization and police referral were evaluated. Among the 7656 psychiatric emergency visits, 3029 (39.6%) were referred by the police. These patients referred by police were more likely to be male and aged between 30 to 49 years. Clinical factors related to police referrals including a higher triage assessment level, chief problems included violence, disturbance, substance use, less anxiety, and a diagnosis of unspecified psychosis. The triage assessment level and chief problems assessed by nurses were major predictors. These patients tended to be referred from the catchment area and during the nighttime shift, were discharged during the daytime shift, and stayed longer in the PES. Disposition arrangements such as discharge against medical advice and involuntary admission were also associated with police referrals. Patients referred by the police to the PES were those with more severe psychiatric problems and illnesses assessed by psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists. They tended to have more complex service utilization at the PES. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

New possibility of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine as treatment for behavioral and psychiatric symptoms in dementia

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Kung FC

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Fan-Chin Kung,1 Ryouhei Ishii,2 Hsing-Cheng Liu,3 Masatoshi Takeda21Yuli Hospital, DOH, Hualien, Taiwan; 2Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; 3Department of General Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei, TaiwanAbstract: Yokukansan, one of the Kampo prescriptions, is composed of seven herbaceous plants and was developed in China in the 16th century as a cure for restlessness and agitation in children. Yokukansan has also become a popular drug combination in Japan, especially for the behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD. Recent studies have shown that yokukansan might also be quite effective against BPSD occurring in association with other types of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease, Parkinson's disease with dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia. Researchers have intensively investigated yokukansan, focusing on the pharmacological mechanisms against glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity. This traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine holds potential promise for improving BPSD in elderly patients suffering from dementia.Keywords: yokukansan, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, Kampo, glutamate

"Global Cities" and "Globalization" in East Asia: Empirical Realities and Conceptual Questions

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Smith, David; Timberlake, Michael

2002-01-01

For most of the Twentieth Century, East Asia was among the least urbanized parts of the world; now it is a region where cities are growing the most rapidly and becoming increasingly important centers regionally and in terms of the global urban hierarchy. Tokyo is unquestionably a key "global city," with Hong Kong probably following not far behind, and Seoul and Taipei also moving up in the world city ranks as crucial national articulates of highly successful newly industrialized countries (N...

Application of Positive Matrix Factorization in the Identification of the Sources of PM2.5 in Taipei City

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Wen-Yuan Ho

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Fine particulate matter (PM2.5 has a small particle size, which allows it to directly enter the respiratory mucosa and reach the alveoli and even the blood. Many countries are already aware of the adverse effects of PM2.5, and determination of the sources of PM2.5 is a critical step in reducing its concentration to protect public health. This study monitored PM2.5 in the summer (during the southwest monsoon season of 2017. Three online monitoring systems were used to continuously collect hourly concentrations of key chemical components of PM2.5, including anions, cations, carbon, heavy metals, and precursor gases, for 24 h per day. The sum of the concentrations of each compound obtained from the online monitoring systems is similar to the actual PM2.5 concentration (98.75%. This result suggests that the on-line monitoring system of this study covers relatively complete chemical compounds. Positive matrix factorization (PMF was adopted to explore and examine the proportion of each source that contributed to the total PM2.5 concentration. According to the source contribution analysis, 55% of PM2.5 can be attributed to local pollutant sources, and the remaining 45% can be attributed to pollutants emitted outside Taipei City. During the high-PM2.5-concentration (episode period, the pollutant conversion rates were higher than usual due to the occurrence of vigorous photochemical reactions. Moreover, once pollutants are emitted by external stationary pollutant sources, they move with pollution air masses and undergo photochemical reactions, resulting in increases in the secondary pollutant concentrations of PM2.5. The vertical monitoring data indicate that there is a significant increase in PM2.5 concentration at high altitudes. High-altitude PM2.5 will descend to the ground and thereby affect the ground-level PM2.5 concentration.

An evaluation of a health screening program for migrant women to Taiwan, China

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Yu-Chu Huang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: We aimed to evaluate an integrated screening program for female migrants to Taiwan. Method: We performed a mixed methodological evaluation of a public health nurse (PHN-led intervention to promote an integrated screening program for female migrants to Taiwan. The clinical case yield was determined by an audit, and staff/client questionnaires were used for the evaluation. Screening comprised surveillance for four untreated chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, and liver disease, four cancers (mouth, bowel, liver, and cervix, parasitic infection, and hyperlipidemia. Results: Three hundred and thirty-six PHNs and 4751 immigrant women – with an average age of 29.2 years, most of whom were from Vietnam (44% or mainland China (41% – took part in the programme. Two thirds of screened women had no abnormalities. Further investigation was required in 1523 women, of whom 1220 were found to have significant disease. The majority of 280 PHNs (85% found the content, processes, and waiting time to be ‘highly acceptable’ and thought the program was worthwhile and could be incorporated into standard care. Conclusions: The Taipei County Comprehensive Health Screening Programme provided an accessible, free-of-charge, and preventative intervention for female migrants to Taiwan and had a good clinical case yield.

A TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF URBAN HEAT ISLAND IN BASIN CITY UTILIZING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES

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H.-T. Chang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Urban Heat Island (UHI has been becoming a key factor in deteriorating the urban ecological environment. Spatial-temporal analysis on its prototype of basin city’s UHI and quantitatively evaluating effect from rapid urbanization will provide theoretical foundation for relieving UHI effect. Based on Landsat 8, ETM+ and TM images of Taipei basin areas from 1900 to 2015, this article has retrieved the land surface temperature (LST at summer solstice of each year, and then analysed spatial-temporal pattern and evolution characters of UHI in Taipei basin in this decade. The results showed that the expansion built district, UHI area constantly expanded from centre city to the suburb areas. The prototype of UHI in Taipei basin that showed in addition to higher temperatures in the centre city also were relatively high temperatures gathered boundaries surrounded by foot of mountains side. It calls “sinking heat island”. From 1900 to 2000, the higher UHI areas were different land use type change had obvious difference by public infrastructure works. And then, in next 15 years till 2015, building density of urban area has been increasing gradually. It has the trend that UHI flooding raises follow urban land use density. Hot spot of UHI in Taipei basin also has the same characteristics. The results suggest that anthropogenic heat release probably plays a significant role in the UHI effect, and must be considered in urban planning adaptation strategies.

The Impact of Green Space Changes on Air Pollution and Microclimates: A Case Study of the Taipei Metropolitan Area

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Hsiao-Lan Liu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In order to achieve a sustainable urban environment, the increase of green space areas is commonly used as a planning tool and adaptation strategy to combat environmental impacts resulting from global climate change and urbanization. Therefore, it is important to understand the change of green space areas and the derived impacts from the change. This research firstly applied space analysis and landscape ecology metrics to analyze the structure change of the pattern of green space area within the Taipei Metropolitan Area. Then, partial least squares were used to identify the consequences on microclimate and air pollution pattern caused by the changing pattern of green space areas within the districts of the Taipei Metropolitan Area. According to the analytical results, the green space area within Taipei Metropolitan Areas has decreased 1.19% from 1995 to 2007, but 93.19% of the green space areas have been kept for their original purposes. Next, from the landscape ecology metrics analysis, in suburban areas the linkages, pattern parameters, and space aggregation are all improving, and the fragmentation measure is also decreasing, but shape is becoming more complex. However, due to intensive land development in the city core, the pattern has becomes severely fragmented and decentralized causing the measures of the linkages and pattern parameters to decrease. The results from structural equation modeling indicate that the changing pattern of green space areas has great influences on air pollution and microclimate patterns. For instance, less air pollution, smaller rainfall patterns and cooler temperatures are associated with improvement in space aggregation, increasing the larger sized green space patch.

Use of Chinese herbal medicine among menopausal women in Taiwan.

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Chen, Lih-Chi; Wang, Bi-Ru; Chen, I-Chin; Shao, Chun-Hui

2010-04-01

To assess the patterns of use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) used by women in Taiwan to treat menopausal symptoms. A retrospective review of the records of women who received CHM therapies for menopausal symptoms at the Traditional Medicine Center, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, between January 2003 and December 2006. The average number of therapies per prescription, dosage, and duration of the prescription were recorded. The most commonly prescribed herbs and formulae were also recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The records of 3432 women who were administered a total of 19370 CHMs to treat symptoms of the menopause were reviewed. The average number of drugs per prescription was 5.64. Most of the prescriptions (97.1%) were prescribed to be taken 3 times a day. The most commonly prescribed Chinese herb was Leonurus heterophyllus. Jia-Wey-Shiau-Yau-San was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula. CHM is commonly used in Taiwan for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. The efficacy and safety of CHM drugs used for the management of menopausal symptoms require further study. Copyright 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health literacy and health-promoting behaviors among multiethnic groups of women in Taiwan.

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Tsai, Hsiu-Min; Cheng, Ching-Yu; Chang, Shu-Chen; Yang, Yung-Mei; Wang, Hsiu-Hung

2014-01-01

To understand the current status of health literacy and the relationship between health literacy and health-promoting behaviors among multiethnic groups of women in Taiwan. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit study participants. Data were collected using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. We recruited community female adults who lived in greater Taipei or Taoyuan areas (northern Taiwan) from January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. A total of 378 female participants were contacted, of which 351 consented to participate and 347 completed valid questionnaires for analysis. Health literacy was measured with the Taiwan Health Literacy Scale, and health-promoting behaviors were measured by the Chinese version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile. Participants had a moderate level of health literacy, and one third of them had inadequate health literacy. Participants with inadequate health literacy were more likely to be younger, not a high school graduate, and Vietnamese; to have a low monthly family income and no diagnosed diseases; to use a second language; and to regard TV/radio as the most useful source of health information. Health literacy alone could significantly predict health-promoting behaviors among the participants. Our findings confirmed that low health literacy is prevalent among underprivileged women in Taiwan. Health-related programs that are literacy sensitive and culturally appropriate are needed to teach and encourage health-promoting behaviors. © 2013 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Development and Evaluation of a City-Wide Wireless Weather Sensor Network

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Chang, Ben; Wang, Hsue-Yie; Peng, Tian-Yin; Hsu, Ying-Shao

2010-01-01

This project analyzed the effectiveness of a city-wide wireless weather sensor network, the Taipei Weather Science Learning Network (TWIN), in facilitating elementary and junior high students' study of weather science. The network, composed of sixty school-based weather sensor nodes and a centralized weather data archive server, provides students…

The Impacts of the Mass Rapid Transit System on Household Car Ownership in Taipei

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Wen-Hsiu Huang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the impacts of Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT system on household car ownership and analyses how socioeconomic characteristics affect household car ownership. We employ a difference-in-difference (DID strategy integrated with generalized Poisson regression models to examine the effects of MRT. The results are as follows: first, the establishment of Taipei MRT significantly reduced the level of household car ownership. Expanding the network of MRT system can be a feasible policy to control car ownership. Second, the levels of household car ownership are related to household’s socioeconomic characteristics. Third, households with high dependence on public transport own fewer cars after Taipei MRT began operation. Hence, the traffic authority should adopt more effective methods to encourage public transit use in order to decrease household car ownership.

Risk factors for acute Toxoplasma gondii diseases in Taiwan: a population-based case-control study.

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Ting-Yi Chiang

Full Text Available Although human toxoplasmosis is a notifiable disease in Taiwan since 2007, little is known about its risk factors. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for acute Toxoplasma gondii diseases in Taiwan. We conducted a nationwide population-based case-control study. Cases of acute human toxoplasmosis notified to the Taiwan Centers for Diseases Control (Taipei, Taiwan during 2008-2013 were compared with controls that were randomly selected from healthy T. gondii-seronegative blood donors who participated in a nationwide T. gondii seroepidemiologic study during 2009-2010. Cases and controls were matched according to age, gender and residency at an 1:8 ratio. Structured questionnaires were used to gather information regarding risk factors. A total of 30 laboratory-confirmed acute T. gondii disease cases and 224 controls were enrolled. The most common clinical manifestation of the cases was flu-like symptoms (n = 20, followed by central nervous system disease (n = 4, ocular diseases (n = 3, abortion (n = 2, and congenital infection (n = 1. Multivariate conditional logistic regression showed that raw clam consumption (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-9.9 and having a cat in the household (adjusted OR = 2.9; 95% CI = 1.1-7.9 were two independent risk factors for acute T. gondii disease. We conclude that raw shellfish consumption and domestic cat exposure were risk factors for acquiring acute T. gondii diseases in Taiwan. This finding may guide future research and control policies.

Childlessness patterns in Taiwan.

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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).

Exploring Flood Resilience Thinking in the Retail Sector under Climate Change: A Case Study of an Estuarine Region of Taipei City

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Yi-Chang Chiang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available With predictions of extreme precipitation and sea-level rise under climate change that may induce morphological changes of estuaries, increased estuarine flood risk needs to be considered. The aim of this case study was to contemplate sustainability from the perspective of flood resilience that focuses on environmental problems and solutions. The study provided insights into retailers’ resilience thinking regarding the flood-prone Shetzu Peninsula in Taipei City. It is of concern that the retailers strategically identified potential flood risks and have developed adaptive knowledge, skills, and networks. The Location Quotient (LQ analysis was conducted to verify that the retail sector of Shetzu Peninsula was considered a basic industry. Further assessments, an interactive visualization model and a consumption intensity map, were provided as supportive data. Based on the results, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore 15 key retailers’ resilience thinking on how to adapt to floods in terms of risk communication under climate change. This approach is vital to meet the adaptation challenge in the Shetzu Peninsula. As a result, the study indicated that retailers have strategically identified potential weather-related risks and have implemented adaptation plans for each store functions. The study discussed that, in the face of climate change, maladaptation, interactive visualization models for communicating flood risks, and place attachment are key issues to increase flood resilience under climate change. The introduction of adaptation interventions in terms of urban resilience as a part of a comprehensive strategy helps to manage the impacts of climate change towards urban sustainability.

Development and validation of the health literacy assessment tool for older people in Taiwan: potential impacts of cultural differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Min-Huey; Chen, Liang-Kung; Peng, Li-Ning; Chi, Mei-Ju

2015-01-01

To screen health literacy among urban elderly in Taiwan, who cannot be evaluated easily using the current measurement tools because of the "face", which meant someone felt embarrassed if he did not know how to do something. A literature review was performed to define a framework for developing the health literacy screening tool. Two hundred elderly were recruited to test the validity and reliability for pilot study. One thousand and eighty two elderly who came from quota sampling in Taipei City by administrative areas and gender were interviewed face-to-face to gather health literacy performance by the developed health literacy screening tool and the short-form Mandarin Health Literacy Scale (s-MHLS). 10-items of health literacy screening tool by self-perception were developed. The mean score of screening tool among analysis sample was 42.3 (0-50) and s-MHLS was 9.5 (0-11). Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.441 (phealth knowledge had better health literacy performance in both measurements. This screening tool should be applied to screen health literacy of elderly came from baby boomer who usually have lower education levels than the general population in Chinese regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of Rainfall Erosivity via 1-Minute to Hourly Rainfall Data from Taipei, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ting-Yin; Yang, Ssu-Yao; Jan, Chyan-Deng

2017-04-01

Soil erosion is a natural process on hillslopes that threats people's life and properties, having a considerable environmental and economic implications for soil degradation, agricultural activity and water quality. The rainfall erosivity factor (R-factor) in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), composed of total kinetic energy (E) and the maximum 30-min rainfall intensity (I30), is widely used as an indicator to measure the potential risks of soil loss caused by rainfall at a regional scale. This R factor can represent the detachment and entrainment involved in climate conditions on hillslopes, but lack of 30-min rainfall intensity data usually lead to apply this factor more difficult in many regions. In recent years, fixed-interval, hourly rainfall data is readily available and widely used due to the development of automatic weather stations. Here we assess the estimations of R, E, and I30 based on 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 30-, 60-minute rainfall data, and hourly rainfall data obtained from Taipei weather station during 2004 to 2010. Results show that there is a strong correlation among R-factors estimated from different interval rainfall data. Moreover, the shorter time-interval rainfall data (e.g., 1-min) yields larger value of R-factor. The conversion factors of rainfall erosivity (ratio of values estimated from the resolution lower than 30-min rainfall data to those estimated from 60-min and hourly rainfall data, respectively) range from 1.85 to 1.40 (resp. from 1.89 to 1.02) for 60-min (resp. hourly) rainfall data as the time resolution increasing from 30-min to 1-min. This paper provides useful information on estimating R-factor when hourly rainfall data is only available.

Clinical manifestations of Clostridium difficile infection in a medical center in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Chih-Cheng; Lin, Sheng-Hsiang; Tan, Che-Kim; Liao, Chun-Hsing; Huang, Yu-Tsung; Hsueh, Po-Ren

2014-12-01

To investigate the clinical characteristics of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) at a medical center in Taiwan. Patients with CDI were identified from medical records at the National Taiwan University Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan). The following information was gathered and analyzed to better understand the clinical manifestations of CDI: age; sex; underlying immunocompromised conditions; laboratory data; in-hospital mortality; and previous use of drugs such as antimicrobial agents, steroids, and antipeptic ulcer agents. During the years 2000-2010, 122 patients were identified as having CDI. This included 92 patients with nontoxigenic CDI (i.e., positive stool culture for C. difficile but negative results for toxins A and B) and 30 patients with toxigenic CDI (i.e., positive stool culture cultures for C. difficile and positive results for toxins A and B). Of the 122 patients, 48 (39%) patients were older than 65 years and most patients acquired the CDI while in the hospital. Active cancer was the most common reason for hospitalization, followed by diabetes mellitus, and end-stage renal disease. More than 90% of the patients had received antibiotics before acquiring CDI. The results of fecal leukocyte examinations were positive in 33 (27%) patients. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 26.2%. There were no significant differences between patients with nontoxigenic CDI and patients with toxigenic CDI. Clostridium difficile infection can develop in healthcare facilities and in community settings, especially in immunocompromised patients. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Comparison of two different running models for the shock wave lithotripsy machine in Taipei City Hospital: self-support versus outsourcing cooperation.

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Huang, Chi-Yi; Chen, Shiou-Sheng; Chen, Li-Kuei

2009-10-01

To compare two different running models including self-support and outsourcing cooperation for the extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) machine in Taipei City Hospital, we made a retrospective study. Self-support means that the hospital has to buy an SWL machine and get all the payment from SWL. In outsourcing cooperation, the cooperative company provides an SWL machine and shares the payment with the hospital. Between January 2002 and December 2006, we used self-support for the SWL machine, and from January 2007 to December 2008, we used outsourcing cooperation. We used the method of full costing to calculate the cost of SWL, and the break-even point was the lowest number of treatment sessions of SWL to make balance of payments every month. Quality parameters including stone-free rate, retreatment rate, additional procedures and complication rate were evaluated. When outsourcing cooperation was used, there were significantly more treatment sessions of SWL every month than when utilizing self-support (36.3 +/- 5.1 vs. 48.1 +/- 8.4, P = 0.03). The cost of SWL for every treatment session was significantly higher using self-support than with outsourcing cooperation (25027.5 +/- 1789.8 NT$ vs. 21367.4 +/- 201.0 NT$). The break-even point was 28.3 (treatment sessions) for self-support, and 28.4 for outsourcing cooperation, when the hospital got 40% of the payment, which would decrease if the percentage increased. No significant differences were noticed for stone-free rate, retreatment rate, additional procedures and complication rate of SWL between the two running models. Besides, outsourcing cooperation had lower cost (every treatment session), but a greater number of treatment sessions of SWL every month than self-support.

Liver cancer cells: targeting and prolonged-release drug carriers consisting of mesoporous silica nanoparticles and alginate microspheres

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Liao YT

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Yu-Te Liao,1 Chia-Hung Liu,2 Jiashing Yu,1 Kevin C-W Wu1,3 1Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Urology, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 3Division of Medical Engineering Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan Abstract: A new microsphere consisting of inorganic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs and organic alginate (denoted as MSN@Alg was successfully synthesized by air-dynamic atomization and applied to the intracellular drug delivery systems (DDS of liver cancer cells with sustained release and specific targeting properties. MSN@Alg microspheres have the advantages of MSN and alginate, where MSN provides a large surface area for high drug loading and alginate provides excellent biocompatibility and COOH functionality for specific targeting. Rhodamine 6G was used as a model drug, and the sustained release behavior of the rhodamine 6G-loaded MSN@Alg microspheres can be prolonged up to 20 days. For targeting therapy, the anticancer drug doxorubicin was loaded into MSN@Alg microspheres, and the (lysine4-tyrosine-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (K4YRGD peptide was functionalized onto the surface of MSN@Alg for targeting liver cancer cells, hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2. The results of the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy indicate that the MSN@Alg microspheres were successfully uptaken by HepG2 without apparent cytotoxicity. In addition, the intracellular drug delivery efficiency was greatly enhanced (ie, 3.5-fold for the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD-labeled, doxorubicin-loaded MSN@Alg drug delivery system compared with the non-RGD case. The synthesized MSN@Alg microspheres show great potential as drug vehicles with high biocompatibility, sustained release, and targeting features for future intracellular DDS. Keywords

Exploring the experiences of older Chinese adults with comorbidities including diabetes: surmounting these challenges in order to live a normal life

OpenAIRE

Ho, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Mei-Hui; Lou, Meei-Fang

2018-01-01

Hsiu-Yu Ho,1,2 Mei-Hui Chen,2,3 Meei-Fang Lou1 1School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 2Department of Nursing, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, 3National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Background: Many people with diabetes have comorbidities, even multimorbidities, which have a far-reaching impact on the older adults, their family, and society. However, little is known of the experience of older adult...

Calligraphy and meditation for stress reduction: an experimental comparison

OpenAIRE

Kao, Henry; Zhu,Lin.; Chen,Hao Yi; Liu,Ivy C.Y.; Zhang,Manlin; Chao,An An

2014-01-01

Henry SR Kao,1 Lin Zhu,2 An An Chao,3 Hao Yi Chen,4 Ivy CY Liu,5 Manlin Zhang6 1Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; 2Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 3International Society of Calligraphy Therapy, Hong Kong; 4Department of Business Administration, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan, 5Department of Psychology, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University...

The Perceived Role of ICTs in Quality of Life in Three Chinese Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Paul S. N.; Leung, Louis; Lo, Venhwei; Xiong, Chengyu

2008-01-01

This study assesses the perceived role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) including the Internet, mobile telephone, CD/MD/MP3, television and VCR/VCD/DVD in raising quality of life (QoL). A comparison is made between three Chinese cities, namely, Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong, to see if differences exist in the perceived value of…

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Author Affiliations. Chi-Fang Chin1 Arthur Chun-Chieh Shih2 Kuo-Chin Fan1 3. Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan; Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Informatics, Fo Guang Univeristy, Ilan, Taiwan ...

Epidemiological Characteristics and Space-Time Analysis of the 2015 Dengue Outbreak in the Metropolitan Region of Tainan City, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Ting-Wu; Ng, Ka-Chon; Nguyen, Thi Luong; Chaves, Luis Fernando

2018-02-26

The metropolitan region of Tainan City in southern Taiwan experienced a dengue outbreak in 2015. This manuscript describes basic epidemiological features of this outbreak and uses spatial and temporal analysis tools to understand the spread of dengue during the outbreak. The analysis found that, independently of gender, dengue incidence rate increased with age, and proportionally affected more males below the age of 40 years but females above the age of 40 years. A spatial scan statistic was applied to detect clusters of disease transmission. The scan statistic found that dengue spread in a north-south diffusion direction, which is across the North, West-Central and South districts of Tainan City. Spatial regression models were used to quantify factors associated with transmission. This analysis indicated that neighborhoods with high proportions of residential area (or low wetland cover) were associated with dengue transmission. However, these association patterns were non-linear. The findings presented here can help Taiwanese public health agencies to understand the fundamental epidemiological characteristics and diffusion patterns of the 2015 dengue outbreak in Tainan City. This type of information is fundamental for policy making to prevent future uncontrolled dengue outbreaks, given that results from this study suggest that control interventions should be emphasized in the North and West-Central districts of Tainan city, in areas with a moderate percentage of residential land cover.

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2007-06-28

Jun 28, 2007 ... Author Affiliations. Jon D Wright1 Carmay Lim1 2. Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, ROC ...

How change of public transportation usage reveals fear of the SARS virus in a city.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kuo-Ying

2014-01-01

The outbreaks of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 resulted in unprecedented impacts on people's daily life. One of the most significant impacts to people is the fear of contacting the SARS virus while engaging daily routine activity. Here we use data from daily underground ridership in Taipei City and daily reported new SARS cases in Taiwan to model the dynamics of the public fear of the SARS virus during the wax and wane of the SARS period. We found that for each reported new SARS case there is an immediate loss of about 1200 underground ridership (the fresh fear). These daily loss rates dissipate to the following days with an e-folding time of about 28 days, reflecting the public perception on the risk of contacting SARS virus when traveling with the underground system (the residual fear). About 50% of daily ridership was lost during the peak of the 2003 SARS period, compared with the loss of 80% daily ridership during the closure of the underground system after Typhoon Nari, the loss of 50-70% ridership due to the closure of the governmental offices and schools during typhoon periods, and the loss of 60% daily ridership during Chinese New Year holidays.

How change of public transportation usage reveals fear of the SARS virus in a city.

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Kuo-Ying Wang

Full Text Available The outbreaks of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS epidemic in 2003 resulted in unprecedented impacts on people's daily life. One of the most significant impacts to people is the fear of contacting the SARS virus while engaging daily routine activity. Here we use data from daily underground ridership in Taipei City and daily reported new SARS cases in Taiwan to model the dynamics of the public fear of the SARS virus during the wax and wane of the SARS period. We found that for each reported new SARS case there is an immediate loss of about 1200 underground ridership (the fresh fear. These daily loss rates dissipate to the following days with an e-folding time of about 28 days, reflecting the public perception on the risk of contacting SARS virus when traveling with the underground system (the residual fear. About 50% of daily ridership was lost during the peak of the 2003 SARS period, compared with the loss of 80% daily ridership during the closure of the underground system after Typhoon Nari, the loss of 50-70% ridership due to the closure of the governmental offices and schools during typhoon periods, and the loss of 60% daily ridership during Chinese New Year holidays.

Effects of primary caregiver participation in vestibular rehabilitation for unilateral neglect patients with right hemispheric stroke: a randomized controlled trial

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Dai CY

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Chin-Ying Dai,1,2 Yu-Hui Huang,3,4 Li-Wei Chou,5,6 Shiao-Chi Wu,7 Ray-Yau Wang,8 Li-Chan Lin9 1School of Nursing, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Nursing, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan; 3Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 4School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 5Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 6School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 7Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 8Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 9Institute of Clinical and Community Health Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Introduction: The current study aims to investigate the effects of primary caregiver participation in vestibular rehabilitation (VR on improving the measures of neglect, activities of daily living (ADL, balance, and falls of unilateral neglect (UN patients. Methods: This study is a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Both experimental (n = 24 and control groups (n = 24 received conventional rehabilitation. The experimental group undertook VR for a month. During the first and second weeks, a registered nurse trained the experimental group in VR. The primary caregivers in the experimental group supervised and guided their patients in VR during the third and fourth weeks. The outcome measures were neglect, ADL, balance, and falls. Results: The two groups of UN patients showed a significant improvement in neglect, ADL, and balance over time. Based on the generalized estimating equations model, an interaction was observed between groups and times. Significant interactions were observed between the VR group

Effect of Age on Allergen Responses of Allergic Patients in Southern Taiwan

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Wen Chiang

2004-07-01

Full Text Available To survey airborne and food allergen patterns in southern Taiwan and to analyze the effect of age on response to different allergens, we tested samples from 4,411 allergic patients at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital using the MAST-CLA test (new Taiwan panel. A total of 2,212 (50.1% samples showed a positive response. We grouped allergic patients into five age groups. Milk and egg white were the main food allergens in the younger groups (< 3 years old and 3-6 years old. Shrimp, crab, and shellfish were the main allergens in the groups aged 7-12, 13-18, and more than 18 years. Among airborne allergens, house dust and mites Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus were the main allergens in all age groups, whereas the frequency of response to cockroach allergen was low in the group aged less than 3 years, but increased in the other age groups. There was a sharp increase in the frequency of response to airborne allergens after 3 years old and a sharp decrease in response to food allergens. Among subjects allergic to both airborne and food allergens, there was a positive MAST-CLA rate of 19.9% to 26% (all five age groups, no significant difference. When we compared our results with those from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in northern Taiwan, there were significant differences for yeast, peanut, feather mix, dog dander, cockroach, D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus allergens (p < 0.01. These differences were probably caused by differences in patient location, patient age, disease patterns and allergen panels.

Journal of Genetics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No.325, Sec.2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu District, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China); Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, No.161 Sec. 6, Minquan E. Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei, ...

The effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes: urban and gender disparity in age-specific suicide rates in a Taiwanese population.

Science.gov (United States)

Lung, F-W; Liao, S-C; Wu, C-Y; Lee, M-B

2017-06-01

The effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes is an important issue worldwide today. The impact of urbanization and gender is controversial in suicide rates. Hence, this study adjusted on potential risk factors and secular changes for suicide rates in gender and rural/urban areas. Observational study. A Suicide Prevention Center was established by the Executive Yuan in Taiwan in 2005 and tried to carry out suicidal intervention in the community in every city and town. There were two phases, including the first phase of the programme from 2005 to 2008, and the second phase of the programme from 2009 to 2013. The crude suicide rates data from the period of 1991-2013, which recruited nine urban and 14 rural areas in Taiwan, were extracted from the Taiwanese national mortality data file. The suicide rates in two areas of Taiwan (Taipei city and Yilan County) were further used to compare the differences between urban and rural areas. The results show that unemployment increased the suicide rate in men aged 45-64 years and in women older than 65 years of age in Taiwan. High divorce and unemployment rates resulted in increased suicide rates in men in the city, whereas emotional distress was the main cause of suicides in men in rural areas. The main method of suicide was jumping from a high building for both sexes in the city, whereas drowning was the most common method of suicide for men in rural areas. Following the intervention programme, suicide behaviour began to decrease in all urban and rural areas of Taiwan. This study showed the cumulative effect of the intervention programme in decreasing the suicide rate in Taiwan. Moreover, the gender-specific suicidal rate and disparity in suicidal methods in urban and rural areas should be considered in further preventive strategies in Taiwan. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particulate matter characteristics during agricultural waste burning in Taichung City, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Man-Ting; Horng, Chuen-Liang; Su, Yi-Ru; Lin, Li-Kai; Lin, Yu-Chi; Chou, Charles C-K

2009-06-15

Agricultural waste burning is performed after harvest periods in June and November in Taiwan. Typically, farmers use open burning to dispose of excess rice straw. PM(2.5) and PM(2.5-10) measurements were conducted at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung City using a dichotomous sampler. The sampling times were during straw burning periods after rice harvest during 2002-2005. Ionic species including SO(4)(2-), NO(3)(-), NH(4)(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Cl(-) and Na(+) and carbonaceous species (EC and OC) in PM(2.5) and PM(2.5-10) were analyzed. The results showed that the average PM(2.5) and PM(2.5-10) concentrations were 123.6 and 31.5 microg m(-3) during agricultural waste burning periods and 32.6 and 21.4 microg m(-3) during non-waste burning periods, respectively. The fine aerosol ionic species including Cl(-), K(+) and NO(3)(-) increased 11.0, 6.7 and 5.5 times during agricultural burning periods compared with periods when agricultural waste burning is not performed. K(+) was found mainly in the fine mode during agricultural burning. High nitrogen oxidation ratio was found during agricultural waste burning periods which might be caused by the conversion of Nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) to NO(3)(-). It is concluded that agricultural waste burning with low dispersion often causes high PM(2.5) and gases pollutant events.

Trend, characteristics, and pharmacotherapy of adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a nationwide survey in Taiwan

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Cheng YS

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Yu-Shian Cheng,1,2 Yu-Chiau Shyu,3,4 Sheng-Yu Lee,5,6 Shin-Sheng Yuan,7 Chun-Ju Yang,8 Kang-Chung Yang,8,9 Tung-Liang Lee,10 Liang-Jen Wang1 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 2Department of Psychiatry, Tsyr-Huey Mental Hospital, Kaohsiung Jen-Ai’s Home, Kaohsiung, 3Community Medicine Research Center, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, 4Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, 5Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 6Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 7Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica, 8Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, 9Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 10Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD in adults may result in functional impairment warranting clinical interventions. However, few studies have investigated the diagnosis and treatment rates of adult ADHD in non-Caucasian ethnic groups. This study used nationwide population-based data to investigate the rate of diagnosis, associated characteristics, and pharmacological treatment for adult ADHD in Taiwan. Methods: Adults (age ≥18 years newly diagnosed with ADHD (n=5,397 between January 2000 and December 2011 were enrolled from the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan. All patients were monitored until December 31, 2011. Patients who received treatment with immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-MPH, osmotic release oral system-methylphenidate (OROS-MPH, and atomoxetine (ATX were analyzed. Results: The cumulative prevalence of adult ADHD was 0.028%, and the incidence increased 10.9-fold from 2000 to 2011. The male to female ratio

Indoor Air Quality in the Metro System in North Taiwan

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Ying-Yi Chen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available 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 (PM10 and PM2.5, 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 PM10 and PM2.5 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.

Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in Taiwan's surface waters: impact of waste streams from hospitals and pharmaceutical production facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Angela Yu-Chen; Tsai, Yu-Ting

2009-06-01

We investigated the occurrence and distribution of pharmaceuticals (including antibiotics, estrogens, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta-blockers, and lipid regulators) in three rivers and in the waste streams of six hospitals and four pharmaceutical production facilities in Taiwan. The most frequently detected pharmaceuticals were acetaminophen, erythromycin-H(2)O, sulfamethoxazole, and gemfibrozil. NSAIDs were the next most-often detected compounds, with a detection frequency >60%. The other analytes were not detected or were seen in only a few samples at trace concentrations. The present study demonstrates a significant discharge of human medications from hospital and drug production facilities into surface waters in the Taipei district. The high concentrations of pharmaceuticals found in the Sindian and Dahan rivers demonstrate the alarming degree to which they have been impacted by urban drainage (waste effluents from hospitals, households, and pharmaceutical production facilities). The ubiquitous occurrence at extremely high concentrations of acetaminophen and erythromycin-H(2)O in both rivers (up to 15.7 and 75.5 microg/L) and in wastewater from hospitals and pharmaceutical production facilities (up to 417.5 and 7.84 microg/L) was unique. This finding, in combination with acetaminophen's status as the drug most often prescribed by Taiwan's dominant clinical institute, suggests the potential use of acetaminophen as a molecular indicator of contamination of Taiwan's aqueous environments with untreated urban drainage.

Electronics

Science.gov (United States)

2001-01-01

International Acer Incorporated, Hsin Chu, Taiwan Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, Taichung, Taiwan American Institute of Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan...Singapore and Malaysia .5 - 4 - The largest market for semiconductor products is the high technology consumer electronics industry that consumes up...Singapore, and Malaysia . A new semiconductor facility costs around $3 billion to build and takes about two years to become operational

Predictors of the initiation and persistence of internet addiction among adolescents in Taiwan.

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Chang, Fong-Ching; Chiu, Chiung-Hui; Lee, Ching-Mei; Chen, Ping-Hung; Miao, Nae-Fang

2014-10-01

The present study examined the psychosocial factors associated with the initiation and persistence of Internet addiction among adolescents in Taiwan. A total of 2315 students from 26 high schools were assessed in the 10th grade, with follow-up performed in the 11th grade, in Taipei, Taiwan. Self-administered questionnaires were collected in each year to assess the pattern of changes in Internet addiction and psychosocial factors. Of the 1602 students without an Internet addiction in the 10th grade, 253 (15.8%) had initiated Internet addiction by grade 11. Multivariate analysis results indicated that greater engagement in online activities (i.e., social network website use, online gaming), depression, and lower school bonding in grade 10 coupled with an increase in online activities, depression, and smoking from grades 10 to 11 predicted the initiation of Internet addiction. Of the 605 students with Internet addiction in the 10th grade, the addiction had persisted for 383 students (63.3%) in grade 11. An increase in the existence of depression and alcohol use from grades 10 to 11 predicted the persistence of Internet addiction. Online activities, depression, and substance use were important predictors of youth initiation and of the persistence of Internet addiction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Method for Development of Ecomuseums in Taiwan

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Zhen-Hui Liu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available One component of the new museology is the ecomuseum, which is intended to preserve cultural/natural heritage and the local landscape in situ, and involves community participation and needs associated with community development. Since the ecomuseum concept originated in Western Europe, ecomuseums must be adapted or localized to various socio-economic environments. In the 2000s, two mining ecomuseums were established in New Taipei City—the Gold Museum and the Houtong Coal Mine Ecological Park. In the early 2010s, two more ecomuseums were established—the Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum and the Togo Art Museum. More than the mining ecomuseums, the Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum emphasized community participation and the vision of the Togo Art Museum was led by the community. Based on an analysis of the Houtong Coal Mine Ecological Park, the Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum and the Togo Art Museum, this study elucidates the various mechanisms of the development of ecomuseums in Taiwan. Ecomuseums should be interconnected with the community and the environment. The three major functions of ecomuseums (community participation, local development, and in-situ preservation can promote sustainable development. This study uses the “creativity triangle” concept with a three-year cycle of development as an analytical tool. The concept was modified to include three stages of development, which are “estimation”, “preparation”, and “operation”; six steps and 11 tasks are proposed. Despite the unique circumstances of each ecomuseum, this study provides an overview of the development processes and provides a basis for making recommendations for establishing other ecomuseums in Taiwan.

Simulation of long-range transport aerosols from the Asian Continent to Taiwan by a southward Asian high-pressure system.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Ming-Tung; Fu, Joshua S; Jang, Carey J; Chan, Chang-Chuan; Ni, Pei-Cheng; Lee, Chung-Te

2008-11-15

Aerosol is frequently transported by a southward high-pressure system from the Asian Continent to Taiwan and had been recorded a 100% increase in mass level compared to non-event days from 2002 to 2005. During this time period, PM2.5 sulfate was found to increase as high as 155% on event days as compared to non-event days. In this study, Asian emission estimations, Taiwan Emission Database System (TEDS), and meteorological simulation results from the fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) were used as inputs for the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to simulate a long-range transport of PM2.5 event in a southward high-pressure system from the Asian Continent to Taiwan. The simulation on aerosol mass level and the associated aerosol components were found within a reasonable accuracy. During the transport process, the percentage of semi-volatile PM2.5 organic carbon in PM2.5 plume only slightly decreased from 22-24% in Shanghai to 21% near Taiwan. However, the percentage of PM2.5 nitrate in PM2.5 decreased from 16-25% to 1%. In contrast, the percentage of PM2.5 sulfate in PM2.5 increased from 16-19% to 35%. It is interesting to note that the percentage of PM2.5 ammonium and PM2.5 elemental carbon in PM2.5 remained nearly constant. Simulation results revealed that transported pollutants dominate the air quality in Taipei when the southward high-pressure system moved to Taiwan. Such condition demonstrates the dynamic chemical transformation of pollutants during the transport process from continental origin over the sea area and to the downwind land.

Potential impacts of electric vehicles on air quality in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nan; Chen, Jen-Ping; Tsai, I-Chun; He, Qingyang; Chi, Szu-Yu; Lin, Yi-Chiu; Fu, Tzung-May

2016-10-01

The prospective impacts of electric vehicle (EV) penetration on the air quality in Taiwan were evaluated using an air quality model with the assumption of an ambitious replacement of current light-duty vehicles under different power generation scenarios. With full EV penetration (i.e., the replacement of all light-duty vehicles), CO, VOCs, NOx and PM2.5 emissions in Taiwan from a fleet of 20.6 million vehicles would be reduced by 1500, 165, 33.9 and 7.2Ggyr(-1), respectively, while electric sector NOx and SO2 emissions would be increased by up to 20.3 and 12.9Ggyr(-1), respectively, if the electricity to power EVs were provided by thermal power plants. The net impacts of these emission changes would be to reduce the annual mean surface concentrations of CO, VOCs, NOx and PM2.5 by about 260, 11.3, 3.3ppb and 2.1μgm(-3), respectively, but to increase SO2 by 0.1ppb. Larger reductions tend to occur at time and place of higher ambient concentrations and during high pollution events. Greater benefits would clearly be attained if clean energy sources were fully encouraged. EV penetration would also reduce the mean peak-time surface O3 concentrations by up to 7ppb across Taiwan with the exception of the center of metropolitan Taipei where the concentration increased by <2ppb. Furthermore, full EV penetration would reduce annual days of O3 pollution episodes by ~40% and PM2.5 pollution episodes by 6-10%. Our findings offer important insights into the air quality impacts of EV and can provide useful information for potential mitigation actions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and characterization of a gastroretentive dosage form composed of chitosan and hydroxyethyl cellulose for alendronate

OpenAIRE

Chen YC; Ho HO; Chiu CC; Sheu MT

2013-01-01

Ying-Chen Chen,1,* Hsiu-O Ho,1,* Chiao-Chi Chiu,1 Ming-Thau Sheu1,2 1School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, 2Clinical Research Center and Traditional Herbal Medicine Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: In this study, alendronate, the most commonly used biphosphonate for treating osteoporosis, was formulated as gastroretentive dosage form (GRDF) tablets to enhance its oral bioav...

A study on risk perception toward nuclear power operation in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee Ciao-tzu; Hu Shiang-ling; Chang, Wushou P.

2000-01-01

Currently, more conflicts appear between the public and government over the establishment of the 4th nuclear power plant in Taiwan. In order to improve risk management by the Society, understanding the risk perception of the public will be essential. A pilot study on the risk perception toward nuclear power operation and other current risks was conducted in summer of 1999. In addition to perception towards nuclear power operation, the survey evaluated several dimensions of health-related risks including smoking, chemical wastes, nuclear wastes, air transportation, AIDS, and food intoxication. The questionnaire was designed to be proceeded under systemic instruction and followed with self-filling. 57 (85.1%) of 67 respondents worked at the Taipei Metropolitan Rapid Transportation, including 62 male subjects (92.5%). 44 (69.8%) respondents favored building the 4th nuclear power plant in Taiwan. The acceptable distance between their houses and the nuclear power plant was 145.13 km in average, as compared with 400 km that of North and South of Taiwan. The mean expenses they are willing to pay to reduce the risk of the NPP is about US $7.73, 0.56% of their average income. However, the levels of risks toward nuclear power operation is significant higher than these for air transportation, smoking, and food intoxication. Government's spending is assumed more effective to reduce the threats from risks of nuclear power operation, rather than professional's or experts' effects. Besides, other related factors include levels of involuntary exposure to NP operation (p<0.001) and number of people potentially in danger (p<0.001). These 2 altitudes are positively correlated with the respondents' perceived risks. Different attitudes toward NP operation within these engineers, and those evaluated by others, are of great interest. Further evaluation will be conducted to compare the mechanism involved. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Science Council

A study on risk perception toward nuclear power operation in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee Ciao-tzu; Hu Shiang-ling; Chang, Wushou P. [National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan (China)

2000-05-01

Currently, more conflicts appear between the public and government over the establishment of the 4th nuclear power plant in Taiwan. In order to improve risk management by the Society, understanding the risk perception of the public will be essential. A pilot study on the risk perception toward nuclear power operation and other current risks was conducted in summer of 1999. In addition to perception towards nuclear power operation, the survey evaluated several dimensions of health-related risks including smoking, chemical wastes, nuclear wastes, air transportation, AIDS, and food intoxication. The questionnaire was designed to be proceeded under systemic instruction and followed with self-filling. 57 (85.1%) of 67 respondents worked at the Taipei Metropolitan Rapid Transportation, including 62 male subjects (92.5%). 44 (69.8%) respondents favored building the 4th nuclear power plant in Taiwan. The acceptable distance between their houses and the nuclear power plant was 145.13 km in average, as compared with 400 km that of North and South of Taiwan. The mean expenses they are willing to pay to reduce the risk of the NPP is about US $7.73, 0.56% of their average income. However, the levels of risks toward nuclear power operation is significant higher than these for air transportation, smoking, and food intoxication. Government's spending is assumed more effective to reduce the threats from risks of nuclear power operation, rather than professional's or experts' effects. Besides, other related factors include levels of involuntary exposure to NP operation (p<0.001) and number of people potentially in danger (p<0.001). These 2 altitudes are positively correlated with the respondents' perceived risks. Different attitudes toward NP operation within these engineers, and those evaluated by others, are of great interest. Further evaluation will be conducted to compare the mechanism involved. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National

Clinical Manifestations of Multiple Sclerosis in Taiwanese Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Gordon Millichap

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Twenty-one patients with multiple sclerosis (MS and onset before 18 years were treated over the past 22 years and their records retrospectively analyzed at the National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, and Min-Sheng General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Gender differences in adolescent premarital sexual permissiveness in three Asian cities: effects of gender-role attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Xiayun; Lou, Chaohua; Gao, Ersheng; Cheng, Yan; Niu, Hongfeng; Zabin, Laurie S

2012-03-01

Gender is an important factor in understanding premarital sexual attitudes and behaviors. Many studies indicate that males are more likely to initiate sexual intercourse and have more permissive perceptions about sex than females. Yet few studies have explored possible reasons for these gender differences. With samples of unmarried adolescents in three Asian cities influenced by Confucian cultures, this article investigates the relationship between underlying gender norms and these differences in adolescents' premarital sexual permissiveness (PSP). In a collaborative survey conducted in 2006-2007 in urban and rural areas of Hanoi, Shanghai, and Taipei, 16,554 unmarried participants aged 15-24 years were recruited in the three-City Asian Study of Adolescents and Youth, with 6,204, 6,023, and 4,327 respondents from each city, respectively. All the adolescents were administered face-to-face interviews, coupled with computer-assisted self-interview for sensitive questions. Scales on gender-role attitudes and on PSP for both male and female respondents were developed and applied to our analysis of the data. Multilinear regression was used to analyze the relationship between gender-role attitudes and sexual permissiveness. Male respondents in each city held more permissive attitudes toward premarital sex than did females, with both boys and girls expressing greater permissiveness to male premarital sexual behaviors. Boys also expressed more traditional attitudes to gender roles (condoning greater inequality) than did girls in each city. Adolescents' gender-role attitudes and permissiveness to premarital sex varied considerably across the three cities, with the Vietnamese the most traditional, the Taiwanese the least traditional, and the adolescents in Shanghai in the middle. A negative association between traditional gender roles and PSP was only found among girls in Shanghai and Taipei. In Shanghai, female respondents who held more traditional gender-role attitudes were

Gender Differences in Adolescent Premarital Sexual Permissiveness in Three Asian Cities: Effects of Gender-Role Attitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Xiayun, Zuo; Chaohua, Lou; Ersheng, Gao; Yan, Cheng; Hongfeng, Niu; Zabin, Laurie S.

2014-01-01

Purpose Gender is an important factor in understanding premarital sexual attitudes and behaviors. Many studies indicate that males are more likely to initiate sexual intercourse and have more permissive perceptions about sex than females. Yet few studies have explored possible reasons for these gender differences. With samples of unmarried adolescents in three Asian cities influenced by Confucian cultures, this paper investigates the relationship between underlying gender norms and these differences in adolescents’ premarital sexual permissiveness. Methods 16,554 unmarried participants aged 15–24 were recruited in the Three-City Asian Study of Adolescents and Youth, a collaborative survey conducted in 2006–2007 in urban and rural areas of Hanoi, Shanghai and Taipei, with 6204, 6023 and 4327 from each city respectively. All of the adolescents were administered face-to-face interviews, coupled with Computer Assisted Self Interview (CASI) for sensitive questions. Scales on gender-role attitudes and on premarital sexual permissiveness for both male and female respondents were developed and applied to our analysis of the data. Multi-linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between gender-role attitudes and sexual permissiveness. Results Male respondents in each city held more permissive attitudes towards premarital sex than did females with both boys and girls expressing greater permissiveness to male premarital sexual behaviors. Boys also expressed more traditional attitudes to gender roles (condoning greater inequality) than did girls in each city. Adolescents’ gender-role attitudes and permissiveness to premarital sex varied considerably across the three cities, with the Vietnamese the most traditional, the Taiwanese the least traditional, and the adolescents in Shanghai in the middle. A negative association between traditional gender roles and premarital sexual permissiveness was only found among girls in Shanghai and Taipei. In Shanghai

An Integrated Mobile Application to Improve the Watershed Management in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, T. Y.; Chen, M. H.; Lee, C. Y.

2015-12-01

This study aims to focus on the application of information technology on the reservoir watershed management. For the civil and commercial water usage, reservoirs and its upstream plays a significant role due to water scarcity and inequality, especially in Taiwan. Due to the progress of information technology, apply it can improve the efficiency and accuracy of daily affairs significantly which already proved by previous researches. Taipei Water Resource District (TWRD) is selected as study area for this study, it is the first reservoir watershed which authorized as special protection district by urban planning act. This study has designed a framework of mobile application, which addressed three types of public affairs relate to watershed management, includes building management, illegal land-use investigation, and a dashboard of real time stream information. This mobile application integrated a dis-connected map and interactive interface to collect, record and calculate field information which helps the authority manage the public affairs more efficiency.

Using SERVQUAL to evaluate quality disconfirmation of nursing service in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Shieu-Ming; Chen, Thai-Form; Woodard, Beth; Yen, Miao-Fen

2005-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of disconfirmation of the perceived quality of nursing services, and its relationship to patient's satisfaction, intent to return, and intent to recommend to others. The service dimensions were tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, which were adopted from the Gap model of Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985). A total of 186 subjects was tested by a modified SERVQUAL (service quality) instrument. These subjects were from 15 randomly selected medical-surgical units in a medical center in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. The response rate was 92%. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were used to analyze subjects' responses. A number of the demographic variables served as covariates in data analysis. Responsiveness was highly significant in predicting overall satisfaction with hospital service (p = .0003). Reliability was significant in predicting overall satisfaction with nursing care (p < .00005) and intent to return. Empathy was a highly significant predictor of intent to recommend.

Motor Incoordination in ADHD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Gordon Millichap

2004-07-01

Full Text Available The relationship between motor performance, attention deficit, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity in 42 school-aged children with ADHD (36 males, 6 females; mean age 8 years 2 months; range 6-11 years was studied at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in Kaohsiung City located at southern Taiwan, 2000-2008.

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Yih-Yuan Chen

Full Text Available We present the first comprehensive analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB isolates circulating in southern Taiwan. In this 9-year population-based study, the TB situation in the Kaohsiung region was characterized by genotypic analysis of 421 MTB isolates.All 421 isolates of MTB were analyzed by spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing. Drug-resistance patterns were also analyzed.The percentage of EAI (East African-Indian strains increased across sampling years (2000-2008 in southern Taiwan, whereas the proportion of Beijing lineages remained unchanged. Clustering was more frequent with EAI genotype infections (odds ratio = 3.6, p<0.0001 when compared to Beijing genotypes. Notably, MTB resistance to streptomycin (STR had significantly increased over time, but resistance to other antibiotics, including multidrug resistance, had not. Three major genes (gidB, rpsL and rrs implicated in STR resistance were sequenced and specific mutations identified.This study revealed that EAI strains were highly transmissible and that STR resistance has increased between 2000 and 2008 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Prevalence and risk factors of noise-induced hearing loss among liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder infusion workers in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shu-Ju; Chang, Chin-Kuo

2009-12-01

We assessed the exposure levels of noise, estimated prevalence, and identify risk factors of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among male workers with a cross-sectional study in a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder infusion factory in Taipei City. Male in-field workers exposed to noise and administrative controls were enrolled in 2006 and 2007. Face-to-face interviews were applied for demographics, employment history, and drinking/smoking habit. We then performed the measurements on noise levels in field and administration area, and hearing thresholds on study subjects with standard apparatus and protocols. Existence of hearing loss > 25 dBHL for the average of 500 Hz, 1 kHz, and 2 kHz was accordingly determined for NIHL. The effects from noise exposure, predisposing characteristics, employment-related factors, and personal habits to NIHL were estimated by univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. A total of 75 subjects were involved in research and 56.8% of in-field workers had NIHL. Between the in-field and administration groups, hearing thresholds on the worse ear showed significant differences at frequencies of 4 k, 6 k, and 8 kHz with aging considered. Adjusted odds ratio for field noise exposure (OR=99.57, 95% CI: 3.53, 2,808.74) and frequent tea or coffee consumption (OR=0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.51) were found significant. Current study addressed NIHL in a specific industry in Taiwan. Further efforts in minimizing its impact are still in need.

International relations among Tom Thumbs: Taiwan as provider of aid Central America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Javier Haro Navejas

2007-06-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the Official Development Aid (AOD that has as its source Taiwan and as its destination Central America. It has three basic aims: Firstly, there is a huge bibliographic vacuum on the topic of these pages. Beginning filling it is an academic need. Even some intellectuals feel that they should lean against either Beijing or Taipei, that if they write on Taiwan they should defend or attack one of the contending parties. Here it is seen that a study close to objectivity is possible. Secondly, most of the research in International Relations has been focused on topics related with power itself or with just elements related with hard power. AOD is both hard and soft power, therefore this paper shades light to the dark side partially viewing international relations from a theoretical perspective were interactions help to construct identities and cooperation is an essential variable of world politics. Finally, it will be seen below that the Taiwanese cooperativeeconomic actions are helpful to the progress of poor parts of the Central American region and are helpful to create domestic markets with strong links with the world market deepening the economic integration both regional and global. Aid from Taiwan and some other countries, mainly through the transmission of know how, could be of assistance in surmounting huge troubles. Aid is vital because some of Central American’s problems are being exported mainly to México and the United States under the form, just to give an example, of Mara Salvatrucha gangs source of violence and drug trafficking. It is not meaningless to stress that Taiwanese ODA is by far not enough and is very small in the international context.

Targeting cancer stem cells: emerging role of Nanog transcription factor

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Wang ML

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Mong-Lien Wang,1 Shih-Hwa Chiou,2,3 Cheng-Wen Wu1,4–61Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, 5Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Institute of Biomedical Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, TaiwanAbstract: The involvement of stemness factors in cancer initiation and progression has drawn much attention recently, especially after the finding that introducing four stemness factors in somatic cells is able to reprogram the cells back to an embryonic stem cell-like state. Following accumulating data revealing abnormal elevated expression levels of key stemness factors, like Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2, in several types of cancer stem cells; the importance and therapeutic potential of targeting these stemness regulators in cancers has turned to research focus. Nanog determines cell fate in both embryonic and cancer stem cells; activating Nanog at an inappropriate time would result in cancer stem cells rather than normal pluripotent stem cells or differentiated somatic cells. Upregulated Nanog is correlated with poor survival outcome of patients with various types of cancer. The discoveries of downstream regulatory pathways directly or indirectly mediated by Nanog indicate that Nanog regulates several aspects of cancer development such as tumor cell proliferation, self-renewal, motility, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, immune evasion, and drug-resistance, which are all defined features for cancer stem cells. The current review paper illustrates the central role of Nanog in the regulatory networks of cancer malignant development and stemness acquirement, as well as in the communication between cancer cells and the surrounding stroma. Though a more defined model is needed to test the

Improving effects of chitosan nanofiber scaffolds on osteoblast proliferation and maturation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho MH

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Ming-Hua Ho,1,2 Mei-Hsiu Liao,3 Yi-Ling Lin,2 Chien-Hao Lai,3 Pei-I Lin,3 Ruei-Ming Chen2–4 1Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Wan Fang Hospital, 3Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Anesthetics and Toxicology Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Abstract: Osteoblast maturation plays a key role in regulating osteogenesis. Electrospun nanofibrous products were reported to possess a high surface area and porosity. In this study, we developed chitosan nanofibers and examined the effects of nanofibrous scaffolds on osteoblast maturation and the possible mechanisms. Macro- and micro observations of the chitosan nanofibers revealed that these nanoproducts had a flat surface and well-distributed fibers with nanoscale diameters. Mouse osteoblasts were able to attach onto the chitosan nanofiber scaffolds, and the scaffolds degraded in a time-dependent manner. Analysis by scanning electron microscopy further showed mouse osteoblasts adhered onto the scaffolds along the nanofibers, and cell–cell communication was also detected. Mouse osteoblasts grew much better on chitosan nanofiber scaffolds than on chitosan films. In addition, human osteoblasts were able to adhere and grow on the chitosan nanofiber scaffolds. Interestingly, culturing human osteoblasts on chitosan nanofiber scaffolds time-dependently increased DNA replication and cell proliferation. In parallel, administration of human osteoblasts onto chitosan nanofibers significantly induced osteopontin, osteocalcin, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP messenger (mRNA expression. As to the mechanism, chitosan nanofibers triggered runt-related transcription factor 2 mRNA and protein syntheses. Consequently, results of ALP-, alizarin red-, and von Kossa-staining analyses

Puzzles in B physics

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Pramana – Journal of Physics; Volume 67; Issue 5. Puzzles in physics. Hsiang-Nan Li ... Author Affiliations. Hsiang-Nan Li1 2. Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 115, Republic of China; Department of Physics, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701, Republic of China ...

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

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, P.-H.; Chou, C.; Chen, P.-Y.; Liang, J.-Y.

2009-04-01

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 thirteen air quality monitoring stations of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration during the Chinese New Year (CNY) and non-Chinese New Year (NCNY) periods were used. We documented evidence of a "holiday effect", where air pollutant concentrations were significantly different between holidays (CNY) and non-holidays (NCNY), in the Taipei metropolitan area over the past thirteen years (1994-2006). The concentrations of NOx, CO, NMHC, SO2 and PM10 were lower in the CNY than in the NCNY period, while the variation of O3 was reversed, which was mainly due to the NO titration effect. Similar differences in these six air pollutants between the CNY and NCNY periods were also found in the diurnal cycle and in the interannual variation. For the diurnal cycle, a common traffic-related double-peak variation was observed in the NCNY period, but not in the CNY period. Impacts of dust storms were also observed, especially on SO2 and PM10 in the CNY period. In the 13-year period of 1994-2006, decreasing trends of NOx and CO in the NCNY period implied a possible reduction of local emissions. Increasing trends of SO2 and PM10 in the CNY period, on the other hand, indicated a possible enhancement of long-range transport. These two mechanisms weakened the holiday effect.

Performance evaluation for solar collectors in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, T.P.

2009-01-01

In this paper, the global irradiation observed in Taiwan from 1990 to 1999 was used to estimate the optimal tilt angle for solar collectors. The observed data are resolved into diffusion and beam components, and transformed into instantaneous time frames using mathematical models. The energy gain on installing a single-axis tracked panel as compared to a traditional fixed panel is originally analyzed theoretically. In addition to the observation data, both types of radiation will be taken into account for comparison, i.e. both extraterrestrial radiation and global radiation predicted using empirical models. The results show that the yearly optimal angles for six selected stations are about 0.95 and 0.88 times their latitudes for extraterrestrial and predicted radiation, respectively. All of the observed irradiations are less than the predicted values for all times and stations, consequently resulting in a flatter tilt angle, with a few exceptions in summer. Since Taipei has the lowest clearness index, its yearly optimal angle calculated from observed data shows the greatest discrepancy when compared to its latitude. By employing a tracked panel, the yearly gains calculated from the observed data lie between 14.3% and 25.3%, which is significantly less than those from the extraterrestrial and predicted radiations

Taiwan–Swaziland Relations: Interrogating an Enduring Bond ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Any discussion of Taiwan–Swaziland relations must include China. Beijing and Taipei have been competing for international support for their respective courses since 1949: China or the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) sees Taiwan or the Republic of China (ROC) as its renegade province and opposes Taiwan's quest for ...

Maximally efficient two-stage screening: Determining intellectual disability in Taiwanese military conscripts

OpenAIRE

Chien, Chia-Chang; Huang, Shu-Fen; Lung, For-Wey

2009-01-01

Chia-Chang Chien1, Shu-Fen Huang1,2,3,4, For-Wey Lung1,2,3,41Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 3Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Calo Psychiatric Center, Pingtung County, TaiwanObjective: The purpose of this study was to apply a two-stage screening method for the large-scale intelligence screening of militar...

A Comparative Study of Music Education in Shanghai and Taipei: Westernization and Nationalization

Science.gov (United States)

Wai-Chung, Ho

2004-01-01

This study compares the music taught and its associated cultural values in Shanghai and Taipei primary and secondary schools. Both owe their cultural ascendancy to traditional Chinese music and western musicology. How do the music education systems of these two Chinese communities reflect their respective public cultures and political ideologies?…

Changes in geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening in Taiwan: possible effects of "leadership style factor"?

Science.gov (United States)

Chiou, Shu-Ti; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh

2014-01-01

Wennberg proposed the "practice style factor" to explain the large variations in the use of medical care. As a corollary, we propose the "leadership style factor" of the director of the city/county bureau of public health to explain changes in geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening. We first calculated the triennial Pap smear rates for women aged 30-69 years from 1997 through 2010 for each city/county in Taiwan and the rate difference and rate ratio between the highest and the lowest city/county to illustrate the geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening. We then created an expert panel to conduct a hypothesis generation process to examine the possible effects of "leadership style factors" in explaining the changes. The Pap smear rate in Taiwan as a whole was 35% in 1997 and increased to 56% in 2001, and was then stable until 2010 (55%). In 2002, the geographic variation in the Pap smear rate was the smallest, ranging from 49% in Penghu County to 63% in I-lan County, with a rate ratio of 1.28. Unfortunately, the rate ratio increased to 1.49 in 2010, the rate being lowest in Penghu County (42%) and highest in Tainan City (63%). We identified four cities/counties with unique patterns of change in Pap smear rates, which were highly associated with the leadership style of the director of the city/county bureau of public health. Despite the launch of an organized cancer screening program in Taiwan, geographic variation in the uptake of cervical cancer screening still exists and has increased during the past decade. The "leadership style factor" of the director of the city/county bureau of public health might play a plausible role in explaining the pattern of change in geographic variation in the use of cervical cancer screening in Taiwan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

NRAO Welcomes Taiwan as a New North American ALMA Partner

Science.gov (United States)

2008-12-01

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) has announced a formal agreement enabling Taiwanese astronomers to participate in the North American component of the international ALMA partnership, alongside American and Canadian astronomers. Taiwan's efforts will be led by the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA). ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is the most ambitious ground-based astronomical observatory in history. Currently under construction in Chile’s Atacama Desert at an altitude of 16,500 feet, it promises to revolutionize our understanding of the formation of planets, stars, and galaxies when it begins full science operations early in the next decade. The agreement, signed by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office and the American Institute in Taiwan, provides for approximately $20 million in ALMA construction funding through the National Science Council (NSC), Taiwan’s equivalent to the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Canada's National Research Council (NRC), which have jointly funded North America's existing contribution to the international ALMA project. Activities under the agreement will include joint research projects, development projects, collaboration on construction, support of observatory operations and other forms of cooperation. Access to ALMA observing time will be shared, as will membership on advisory committees. “Taiwan is a world-class center for submillimeter-wavelength astronomical research, and we’re delighted that the ALMA project and all its future users will benefit from the resources and expertise that Taiwan’s deepening participation brings to this great, global endeavor,” said Dr. Fred Lo, NRAO's director. This new agreement increases and diversifies Taiwan’s Academia Sinica investment in ALMA beyond the levels achieved through its participation in the East Asian component of the ALMA partnership, which is led by the National Astronomical

Early detection for cases of enterovirus- and influenza-like illness through a newly established school-based syndromic surveillance system in Taipei, January 2010 ~ August 2011.

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Ting Chia Weng

Full Text Available School children may transmit pathogens with cluster cases occurring on campuses and in families. In response to the 2009 influenza A (H1N1 pandemic, Taipei City Government officials developed a School-based Infectious Disease Syndromic Surveillance System (SID-SSS. Teachers and nurses from preschools to universities in all 12 districts within Taipei are required to daily report cases of symptomatic children or sick leave requests through the SID-SSS. The pre-diagnosis at schools is submitted firstly as common pediatric disease syndrome-groups and re-submitted after confirmation by physicians. We retrieved these data from January 2010 to August 2011 for spatio-temporal analysis and evaluated the temporal trends with cases obtained from both the Emergency Department-based Syndromic Surveillance System (ED-SSS and the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 (LHID2005. Through the SID-SSS, enterovirus-like illness (EVI and influenza-like illness (ILI were the two most reported syndrome groups (77.6% and 15.8% among a total of 19,334 cases, respectively. The pre-diagnosis judgments made by school teachers and nurses showed high consistency with physicians' clinical diagnoses for EVI (97.8% and ILI (98.9%. Most importantly, the SID-SSS had better timeliness with earlier peaks of EVI and ILI than those in the ED-SSS. Furthermore, both of the syndrome groups in these two surveillance systems had the best correlation reaching 0.98 and 0.95, respectively (p<0.01. Spatio-temporal analysis observed the patterns of EVI and ILI both diffuse from the northern suburban districts to central Taipei, with ILI spreading faster. This novel system can identify early suspected cases of two important pediatric infections occurring at schools, and clusters from schools/families. It was also cost-effective (95.5% of the operation cost reduced and 59.7% processing time saved. The timely surveillance of mild EVI and ILI cases integrated with spatial analysis may help

Residential environments, alcohol advertising, and initiation and continuation of alcohol consumption among adolescents in urban Taiwan: A prospective multilevel study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yen-Tyng; Cooper, Hannah L F; Windle, Michael; Haardörfer, Regine; Crawford, Natalie D; Chen, Wei J; Chen, Chuan-Yu

2016-12-01

Research indicates that place characteristics and the media environment are important contextual determinants of underage drinking behaviors in Western countries, but it is unknown whether these exposures influence adolescent alcohol consumption outside Western contexts, including in Asia׳s emerging global alcohol markets. Guided by the social ecological framework, we prospectively investigated the influences of place characteristics and alcohol advertising on initiation and continuation of alcohol consumption among adolescents in Taipei, Taiwan. Data on individual-level characteristics, including alcohol use behaviors and perceived exposure to alcohol advertising, were obtained from two waves of a longitudinal school-based study through a stratified probability sampling method in 2010 (Grade 7/Grade 8, aged 13-14 years old) and 2011-2012 (Grade 9, aged 15 years old) from 1795 adolescents residing in 22 of 41 districts in Taipei. Data on district-level characteristics were drawn from administrative sources and Google Street View virtual audit to describe districts where adolescents lived at baseline. Hierarchical generalized linear models tested hypotheses about the associations of place characteristics and perceived alcohol advertising with underage drinking, with stratification by baseline lifetime alcohol consumption. Among alcohol-naïve adolescents, lower district-level economic disadvantage, a higher proportion of betel nut kiosks (a relatively unregulated alcohol source) compared to off-premises alcohol outlets, and exposure to television-based alcohol advertising predicted increased likelihood of alcohol initiation at one-year follow-up. Among alcohol-experienced adolescents, greater spatial access to off-premises alcohol outlets, and lower access to metro rapid transportation (MRT) and to temples were found to predict a subsequent increased likelihood of continued alcohol use. Parental drinking moderated the relationship between district-level violent

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.

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Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

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2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth (www.yearofplanetearth.org). The first IESO was organized in South Korea in 2007 (http://2007ieso.or.kr/ ). The second would be organized in the Philippines during August 2008 and the third at the Science Education Centre, National. Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, ...

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral antioxidant supplement therapy in patients with dry eye syndrome

OpenAIRE

Huang, Jehn-Yu; Yeh, Po-Ting; Hou, Yu-Chih

2016-01-01

Jehn-Yu Huang, Po-Ting Yeh, Yu-Chih Hou Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of oral antioxidant supplementation in the treatment of patients with dry eye syndrome (DES). Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study compared the effects of an antioxidant supplement (containing anthocyanosides, astaxanthin, vitamins A, C, and E, and several herbal extract...

Novel targeted nuclear imaging agent for gastric cancer diagnosis: glucose-regulated protein 78 binding peptide-guided 111In-labeled polymeric micelles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng CC

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Chun-Chia Cheng,1,2,* Chiung-Fang Huang,3,4,* Ai-Sheng Ho,5 Cheng-Liang Peng,6 Chun-Chao Chang,7,8 Fu-Der Mai,1,9 Ling-Yun Chen,10 Tsai-Yueh Luo,2 Jungshan Chang1,11,121Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 2Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council, Taoyuan, 3School of Dental Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 4Division of Family and Operative Dentistry, Department of Dentistry, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, 5Division of Gastroenterology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, 6Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 7Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, 8Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 9Department of Biochemistry, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 10Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 11Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, 12Research Center for Biomedical Implants and Microsurgery Devices, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Increased expression of cellular membrane bound glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78 is considered to be one of the biomarkers for gastric cancers. Therefore, peptides or molecules with specific recognition to GRP78 can act as a guiding probe to direct conjugated imaging agents to localized cancers. Based on this rationale, GRP78-guided polymeric micelles were designed and manufactured for nuclear imaging detection of tumors. Thiolated GRP78 binding peptide (GRP78BP was first labeled with maleimide-terminated poly(ethylene glycol–poly(ε-caprolactone and then mixed with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA-linked poly(ethylene glycol–poly(ε-caprolactone to form DTPA/GRP78BP-conjugated micelles. The coupling efficiency of micelles with

Special considerations on operating a fuel cell power plant using natural gas with marginal heating value

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moses, L. Ng; Chien-Liang Lin [Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan (China); Ya-Tang Cheng [Power Research Institute, Taiwan (China)

1996-12-31

In realizing new power generation technologies in Taiwan, a phosphoric acid fuel cell power plant (model PC2513, ONSI Corporation) has been installed in the premises of the Power Research Institute of the Taiwan Power Company in Taipei County of Taiwan. The pipeline gas supplying to the site of this power plant has a high percentage of carbon dioxide and thus a slightly lower heating value than that specified by the manufacturer. Because of the lowering of heating value of input gas, the highest Output power from the power plant is understandably less than the rated power of 200 kW designed. Further, the transient response of the power plant as interrupted from the Grid is also affected. Since this gas is also the pipeline gas supplying to the heavily populated Taipei Municipal area, it is conceivable that the success of the operations of fuel cells using this fuel is of vital importance to the promotion of the use of this power generation technology in Taiwan. Hence, experiments were set up to assess the feasibility of this fuel cell power plant using the existing pipeline gas in this part of Taiwan where fuel cells would most likely find useful.

PDGF-metronidazole-encapsulated nanofibrous functional layers on collagen membrane promote alveolar ridge regeneration

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Ho MH

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Ming-Hua Ho,1 Hao-Chieh Chang,2,3 Yu-Chia Chang,3 Jeiannete Claudia,1 Tzu-Chiao Lin,2 Po-Chun Chang2,3 1Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Abstract: This study aimed to develop a functionally graded membrane (FGM to prevent infection and promote tissue regeneration. Poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide encapsulating platelet-derived growth factor (PDLLA-PDGF or metronidazole (PDLLA-MTZ was electrospun to form a nanofibrous layer on the inner or outer surface of a clinically available collagen membrane, respectively. The membrane was characterized for the morphology, molecule release profile, in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, and preclinical efficiency for alveolar ridge regeneration. The PDLLA-MTZ and PDLLA-PDGF nanofibers were 800–900 nm in diameter, and the thicknesses of the functional layers were 20–30 µm, with sustained molecule release over 28 days. All of the membranes tested were compatible with cell survival in vitro and showed good tissue integration with minimal fibrous capsule formation or inflammation. Cell proliferation was especially prominent on the PDLLA-PDGF layer in vivo. On the alveolar ridge, all FGMs reduced wound dehiscence compared with the control collagen membrane, and the FGM with PDLLA-PDGF promoted osteogenesis significantly. In conclusion, the FGMs with PDLLA-PDGF and PDLLA-MTZ showed high biocompatibility and facilitated wound healing compared with conventional membrane, and the FGM with PDLLA-PDGF enhanced alveolar ridge regeneration in vivo. The design represents a beneficial modification, which may be easily adapted for future clinical use. Keywords: tissue engineering, platelet-derived growth factor, metronidazole, alveolar process

[An Investigation of the Role Responsibilities of Clinical Research Nurses in Conducting Clinical Trials].

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, Chi-Yin; Huang, Guey-Shiun; Dai, Yu-Tzu; Pai, Ya-Ying; Hu, Wen-Yu

2015-06-01

Clinical research nurses (CRNs) play an important role in improving the quality of clinical trials. In Taiwan, the increasing number of clinical trials has increased the number of practicing CRNs. Understanding the role responsibilities of CRNs is necessary to promote professionalism in this nursing category. This study investigates the role responsibilities of CRNs in conducting clinical trials / research. A questionnaire survey was conducted in a medical center in Taipei City, Taiwan. Eighty CRNs that were registered to facilitate and conduct clinical trials at this research site completed the survey. "Subject protection" was the CRN role responsibility most recognized by participants, followed by "research coordination and management", "subject clinical care", and "advanced professional nursing". Higher recognition scores were associated with higher importance scores and lower difficulty scores. Participants with trial training had significantly higher difficulty scores for "subject clinical care" and "research coordination and management" than their peers without this training (p research coordination and management" (p clinical practice.

Enhancing the in vivo transdermal delivery of gold nanoparticles using poly(ethylene glycol and its oleylamine conjugate

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Hsiao PF

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Pa Fan Hsiao,1–3 Sydney Peng,4 Ting-Cheng Tang,4 Shuian-Yin Lin,5 Hsieh-Chih Tsai4 1Department of Dermatology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 2Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, 3Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, 4Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, 5National Applied Research Laboratories, Instrument Technology Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan Abstract: In this study, we investigated the effect of (ethylene glycol (PEG and PEG–oleylamine (OAm functionalization on the skin permeation property of gold nanoparticles (GNS in vivo. Chemisorption of polymers onto GNS was verified by a red shift in the ultraviolet–visible spectrum as well as by a change in the nanoparticle surface charge. The physicochemical properties of pristine and functionalized nanoparticles were analyzed by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, zeta potential analyzer, and transmission electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the interparticle distance between nanoparticles increased after GNS functionalization. Comparing the skin permeation profile of pristine and functionalized GNS, the follicular deposition of GNS increased twofold after PEG–OAm functionalization. Moreover, PEG- and PEG–OAm-functionalized nanoparticles were able to overcome the skin barrier and deposit in the deeper subcutaneous adipose tissue. These findings demonstrate the potential of PEG- and PEG–OAm-functionalized GNS in serving a multitude of applications in transdermal pharmaceuticals. Keywords: skin penetration, amphiphilic copolymer, gold nanoparticle, oleylamine, poly(ethylene glycol

Nanoparticles prepared from the water extract of Gusuibu (Drynaria fortunei J. Sm. protects osteoblasts against insults and promotes cell maturation

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Hsu C-K

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Chung-King Hsu1,2, Mei-Hsiu Liao3, Yu-Tyng Tai4, Shing-Hwa Liu5, Keng-Liang Ou6, Hsu-Wei Fang7, I-Jung Lee8, Ruei-Ming Chen2,31Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, 2Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, 3Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, 4Department of Anesthesiology, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, 5Institute of Toxicology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 6Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, Taipei Medical University, 7Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, 8Division of Information and Herbarium, National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, TaiwanAbstract: Our previous study showed that Gusuibu (Drynaria fortunei J. Sm. can stimulate osteoblast maturation. This study was further designed to evaluate the effects of nanoparticles prepared from the water extract of Gusuibu (WEG on osteoblast survival and maturation. Primary osteoblasts were exposed to 1, 10, 100, and 1000 µg/mL nanoparticles of WEG (nWEG for 24, 48, and 72 hours did not affect morphologies, viability, or apoptosis of osteoblasts. In comparison, treatment of osteoblasts with 1000 µg/mL WEG for 72 hours decreased cell viability and induced DNA fragmentation and cell apoptosis. nWEG had better antioxidant bioactivity in protecting osteoblasts from oxidative and nitrosative stress-induced apoptosis than WEG. In addition, nWEG stimulated greater osteoblast maturation than did WEG. Therefore, this study shows that WEG nanoparticles are safer to primary osteoblasts than are normal-sized products, and may promote better bone healing by protecting osteoblasts from apoptotic insults, and by promoting osteogenic maturation.Keywords: Gusuibu, nanoparticles, cell protection, osteoblast maturation

Taiwan: um futuro formoso para a Ilha? Aspectos de segurança e política

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Paulo A. Pereira Pinto

2004-12-01

Full Text Available A partir de declaração de Lee Teng-Hui, em 1999, de que existe "um Estado em cada margem do estreito", foi estabelecida nova cena de partida que dificulta a realização de um futuro formoso para a ilha de Taiwan. Em março de 2004, por ocasião de eleições para renovar sua liderança, os taiwaneses defrontaram-se com problemas de segurança e políticos, influenciados por poderosas forças externas, que contribuem para o clima de incerteza que se vive. Parece difícil crer que autoridades em Taipé sejam capazes do engenho e arte de exercitar a ambigüidade necessária para manter o "status quo".Lee Teng-Hui's 1999 statement that there is "one State on each side of the strait" established a new starting point that makes difficult the achievement of a rosy future for the island of Taiwan. In March 2004, as elections for renewing their leadership were taking place, the Taiwanese were confronted with security and political problems that were influenced by powerful external forces, which intensified the prevailing uncertainty. It seems difficult to believe that the authorities in Taipei possess the skill and the art for practicing the requisite ambiguity for maintaining the status quo on the island.

In vivo tumor targeting and imaging with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody-conjugated dextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsieh WJ

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Wan-Ju Hsieh,1 Chan-Jung Liang,1 Jen-Jie Chieh,4 Shu-Huei Wang,1 I-Rue Lai,1 Jyh-Horng Chen,2 Fu-Hsiung Chang,3 Wei-Kung Tseng,4–6 Shieh-Yueh Yang,4 Chau-Chung Wu,7 Yuh-Lien Chen11Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, 2Department of Electrical Engineering, 3Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Institute of Electro-Optical Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 6Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, I-Shou University, Taipei, Taiwan; 7Department of Internal Medicine and Primary Care Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanBackground: Active targeting by specific antibodies combined with nanoparticles is a promising technology for cancer imaging and detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether the systemic delivery of antivascular endothelial growth factor antibodies conjugating to the surface of functionalized supermagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (anti-VEGF-NPs led to target-specific accumulation in the tumor.Methods: The VEGF expression in human colon cancer and in Balb/c mice bearing colon cancers was examined by immunohistochemistry. The distribution of these anti-VEGF-NPs particles or NPs particles were evaluated by MRI at days 1, 2, or 9 after the injection into the jugular vein of Balb/c mice bearing colon cancers. Tumor and normal tissues (liver, spleen, lung, and kidney were collected and were examined by Prussian blue staining to determine the presence and distribution of NPs in the tissue sections.Results: VEGF is highly expressed in human and mouse colon cancer tissues. MRI showed significant changes in the T*2 signal and T2 relaxation in the anti-VEGF-NP- injected-mice, but not in mice injected with NP alone. Examination of paraffin

“Making Connection”: Indonesian Migrant Entrepreneurial Strategies in Taiwan

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Rudolf YUNIARTO

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the function of network as a tool of problem solving in Indonesian migrant entrepreneurship escaping labor market challenges and social-cultural adjustment process in Taiwan. As the essential key to social mobility of migrant, networks is considered not only used as a migrant strategic survival, but may help them get resources to spur entrepreneurship. By cohesive personal/social networks with local fellow or nationals and using social media, it facilitated the entrepreneur’s to capital, support (mentoring, knowledge (access to sufficient capital and a reliable supply and customer. In case social network Indonesian entrepreneur in Taiwan is formed through personal or group migrant ties, religion, ethnic and hometown, or group association depends home base city where they work.

Evaluation on the Efficiency of Subsurface Drainage in Chiu-Fen Landslide at Northern Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, L. Y.; Lin, D. G.

2015-12-01

For administrative district, the Chiu-Fen landslide is situated at northern Taiwan and comes within the jurisdiction of Ruei-Fang district, New Taipei City Government. Chiu-Fen village is a famous spot for sightseeing and tourism in Southeast Asia. In the last decade, for economic purpose, a vast area of slope land in Chiu-Fen area was reclaimed into business and commercial districts. However, due to the complicated geological and hydrological conditions, improper reclamation, and lack of appropriate soil and water conservation facilities, large scale landslides are frequently triggered by typhoon rainfall and causes damages to the transportation and residential building in the community. As a consequence, the government initiated a comprehensive field investigations and remediation plans to stabilize the landslide from 1997 and the remediation works were concentrated on subsurface drainages, namely the application of drainage well (a vertical shaft with multi-level horizontal drainage boreholes). To investigate the efficiency of drainage wells on the landslide, the A1-profile in the landslide which covers the drainage wells W2 and W4 was selected for a series of rainfall seepage and slope stability analyses. In addition, a 48-hrs design rainfall with return period of 25, 50 and 100 years based on the local meteorological data bank was adopted for the analyses. The numerical results indicate the factor safety FS of the three potential sliding surfaces within A1-profile are constantly keeping greater than one (FS > 1.0) and without decreasing with the elapsed time during rainfall. This implies that the subsurface drainage works can drain off the infiltrated rainwater from a high intensity and long duration rainfall and preserve the slope stability of landslides from deterioration. Finally, the efficiency of the drainage wells can be evaluated quantitatively in terms of the time-dependent factor of safety and the pore water pressure distribution on several potential

Internal exposure to trace elements in non-smoking residents living in a northern Taiwan industrial city.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tser-Sheng; Wu, Chin-Ching

2011-12-01

A total of 94 (54 males, 40 females) healthy adult residents living in an industrial city in northern Taiwan were recruited to study their exposure to industrial metals by measuring their blood levels of V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Pb, and W. All participants were non-smokers without obvious direct occupational exposure to these elements, although by working in administrative sectors in industrial facilities their indirect or potential exposure was increased. The average concentrations of V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Pb, and W in blood were 0.30, 1.49, 15.1, 3.84, 2.73, 21.1, 204, 3.2, 0.76, 51.1, and 0.40 ng/mL, respectively. These values were significantly higher than reference values reported for the general population, in some cases exceeding those of occupationally exposed workers. The principal component and correlation analyses among blood element levels suggested that the predominant sources of exposure were glass manufacturing and traffic-related sources. Despite of some limitations, the study demonstrates that the residents in this industrial area may suffer adverse chronic health effects attributable to exposures to these elements.

ONR Tokyo Scientific Bulletin. Volume 5, Number 1, January-March 1980,

Science.gov (United States)

1980-03-01

postage stamps and a children’s poster contest, for which SCOPE provided prize money. SCOPE is now organizing a seminar on ecotoxicological problems in...the southwest coast is near the most important site for aquaculture. 4. Studies of the pollution of the shellfish cultivation areas of the west coast. 5... Ecotoxicological Problems in the Taipei, Taiwan Dr. Jong-Chin Su, Institute of Zoology lndoPacific Region Academia Sinica, Taipei 115 April 13-17 International

Resilience among caregivers of children with chronic conditions: a concept analysis

OpenAIRE

Lin, Fang-Yi; Rong,Jiin-Ru; Lee,

2013-01-01

Fang-Yi Lin, Jiin-Ru Rong, Tzu-Ying Lee Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: The purpose of this concept analysis is to uncover the essential elements involved in caregivers' resilience in the context of caring for children with chronic conditions. Walker and Avant's methodology guided the analysis. The study includes a literature review of conceptual definitions of car...

Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in severe burns: Experience in Taiwan Formosa Water Park dust explosion disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, I-Han; Chen, Shyi-Gen; Huang, Kun-Lun; Chou, Yu-Ching; Dai, Niann-Tzyy; Peng, Chung-Kan

2017-06-01

Despite major advances in therapeutic strategies for the management of patients with severe burns, significant morbidity and mortality is observed. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) increases the supply of oxygen to burn areas. The aim of this study was to determine whether HBOT is effective in the treatment of major thermal burns. On June 27, 2015 in New Taipei, Taiwan, a mass casualty disaster occurred as fire erupted over a large crowd, injuring 499 people. Fifty-three victims (20 women and 33 men) were admitted to Tri-Service General Hospital. Thirty-eight patients underwent adjunctive HBOT (HBOT group), and 15 patients received routine burn therapy (control group). Serum procalcitonin (PCT) level, a sepsis biomarker, was measured until it reached normal levels (burn care combined with adjunctive HBOT improves sepsis control compared with standard treatment without HBOT. Prospective studies are required to define the role of HBOT in extensive burns. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Land, carbon and water footprints in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yung-Jaan

2015-01-01

pressures from consuming goods and services to other parts of the world, which is an environmental injustice. This study examines the time series trend of land, carbon, and water footprints in Taiwan. However, if these analyses can be downscaled to city/county levels, they will be more useful for examining different sustainability performance of local governments in different regions. - Highlights: • 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. • The average Taiwan citizen had a land footprint of 5.39 gha in 2000 and 3.63 gha in 2011. • The average Taiwan citizen had a carbon footprint of 3.95 gha in 2000 and 5.94 gha in 2011. • 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 footprint in 2011, respectively. Taiwan revealed higher environmental pressures compared to the rest of the world

Land, carbon and water footprints in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2015-09-15

transferred the environmental pressures from consuming goods and services to other parts of the world, which is an environmental injustice. This study examines the time series trend of land, carbon, and water footprints in Taiwan. However, if these analyses can be downscaled to city/county levels, they will be more useful for examining different sustainability performance of local governments in different regions. - Highlights: • 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. • The average Taiwan citizen had a land footprint of 5.39 gha in 2000 and 3.63 gha in 2011. • The average Taiwan citizen had a carbon footprint of 3.95 gha in 2000 and 5.94 gha in 2011. • 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 footprint in 2011, respectively. Taiwan revealed higher environmental pressures compared to the rest of the world.

The impact of Chinese cultural values on Taiwan nursing leadership styles: comparing the self-assessments of staff nurses and head nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yuanmay

2008-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Chinese culture on nursing leadership behavior in Taiwan nurses. A descriptive study compared staff nurses' assessment of Chinese value in the leadership behavior of their head nurses. Data analysis was made on a convenience sample in Taiwan of 214 head nurses and 2,127 staff nurses who had worked with their head nurse for at least one year. Six medical centers and regional hospitals in northern (Taipei), central (Taichung) and southern (Kaohsiung) Taiwan were recruited for this study. Instruments included the demographic questionnaire, Chinese Value Survey, and Kang's Chinese Leadership Behaviors Module Scale. Results indicated that head nurses scored significantly higher than staff nurses in terms of all cultural values and leadership behaviors. Both staff nurses and head nurses scored the highest mean scores in personal integrity (Yi) and human connectedness (Ren) and the lowest in moral discipline (Li). Staff nurse perceptions of leadership behavior indicated the role of parent to be higher than either the role of director or mentor. Head nurses perceptions of leadership behavior emphasized the role of the director more than either parent or mentor. There were no significant differences between the staff nurses and head nurses in terms of expectative leadership behavior, which gave the role of director higher mean scores than those of either the parent or mentor. Positive and significant associations (r = .266 to r = .334) were found between cultural values and perceptions of leadership behavior. Cultural values predicted 10.6% of leadership behavior variance. The three demographic characteristics of location in northern Taiwan (beta = .09), intention to leave (beta = -.14), and general unit (beta = .10) and the two cultural values of human connectedness (Ren) (beta = .16) and personal integrity (Yi) (beta = .16) together reported a cumulative R2 of 14.6% to explain variance in leadership behavior

Potential Magma Chambers beneath the Tatun Volcanic Area, Taiwan: Results from Magnetotelluric Survey and Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, C.

2013-12-01

Previous earthquakes analysis indicated existing seismicity anomaly beneath Tatun volcano, Taiwan, possibly caused by the fluid activity of the volcano. Helium isotope studies also indicated that over 60% of the fumarolic gases and vapors originated from deep mantle in the Tatun volcano area. The chemistry of the fumarolic gases and vapors and seismicity anomaly are important issues in view of possible magma chamber in the Tatun volcano, where is in the vicinity of metropolitan Taipei, only 15 km north of the capital city. In this study magnetotelluric (MT) soundings and monitoring were deployed to understand the geoelectric structures in the Tatun volcano as Electromagnetic methods are sensitive to conductivity contrasts and can be used as a supplementary tool to delineate reservoir boundaries. An anticline extending more than 10 km beneath the Chih-Shin-Shan and Da-You-Kan areas was recognized. Low resistivity at a shallow and highly porous layer 500m thick might indicate circulation of heated water. However, a high resistivity layer at depth between 2 and 6 km was detected. This layer could be associated with high micro-earthquakes zone. The characteristics of this layer produced by either the magma chamber or other geothermal activity were similar to that of some other active volcanic areas in the world. At 6 km underground was a dome structure of medium resistivity. This structure could be interpreted as a magma chamber in which the magma is possibly cooling down, as judged by its relatively high resistivity. The exact attributes of the magma chamber were not precisely determined from the limited MT soundings. At present, a joint monitors including seismic activity, ground deformation, volcanic gases, and changes in water levels and chemistry are conducted by universities and government agencies. When unusual activity is detected, a response team may do more ground surveys to better determine if an eruption is likely.

Spatial Characteristics of Geothermal Spring Temperatures and Discharge Rates in the Tatun Volcanic Area, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, C. S.; Liu, C. W.

2014-12-01

The Tatun volcanic area is the only potential volcanic geothermal region in the Taiwan island, and abundant in hot spring resources owing to stream water mixing with fumarolic gases. According to the Meinzer's classification, spring temperatures and discharge rates are the most important properties for characterizing spring classifications. This study attempted to spatially characterize spring temperatures and discharge rates in the Tatun volcanic area, Taiwanusing indicator kriging (IK). First, data on spring temperatures and discharge rates, which were collected from surveyed data of the Taipei City Government, were divided into high, moderate and low categories according to spring classification criteria, and the various categories were regarded as estimation thresholds. Then, IK was adopted to model occurrence probabilities of specified temperatures and discharge rates in springs, and to determine their classifications based on estimated probabilities. Finally, nine combinations were obtained from the classifications of temperatures and discharge rates in springs. Moreover, the combinations and features of spring water were spatially quantified according to seven sub-zones of spring utilization. A suitable and sustainable development strategy of the spring area was proposed in each sub-zone based on probability-based combinations and features of spring water.The research results reveal that the probability-based classifications using IK provide an excellent insight in exploring the uncertainty of spatial features in springs, and can provide Taiwanese government administrators with detailed information on sustainable spring utilization and conservation in the overexploited spring tourism areas. The sub-zones BT (Beitou), RXY (Rd. Xingyi), ZSL (Zhongshanlou) and LSK (Lengshuikeng) with high or moderate discharge rates are suitable to supply spring water for tourism hotels.Local natural hot springs should be planned in the sub-zones DBT (Dingbeitou), ZSL, XYK

Perception of the Most Creative Chinese by Undergraduates in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Ziao Dong; Rudowicz, Elisabeth

2002-01-01

A survey of 489 undergraduates in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei, found politicians were nominated by all four samples as being the most creative individuals in the past and at present. Scientists and inventors ranked second in position. Artists, musicians, and businessmen were rarely nominated. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Are We Rational or Not? The Exploration of Voter Choices during the 2016 Presidential and Legislative Elections in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I-Ching Lee

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The decisions voters make—and whether those decisions are rational—have profound implications on the functionality of a democratic society. In this study, we delineated two criteria in evaluating voter rationality and weigh evidence of voter rationality versus irrationality. Furthermore, we compared models in two different elections in Taiwan to explore the reasons behind the irrational choices voters can make. Survey questions and an implicit association test (IAT were administered prior to both elections among 197 voters in Taipei. These voters then reported their actual votes post-election. Model testing suggests that voters often are rational, but are more likely to make irrational choices in more important elections. Our findings indicate that voters generally aim to be diligent and to optimize their choices, even if they make less rational choices in the end. Further implications regarding elections and human rationality are discussed.

76 FR 11512 - In the Matter of Certain Liquid Crystal Display Devices, Products Containing Same, and Methods...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-02

..., Taipei 114, Taiwan. Haier America Trading LLC, 1356 Broadway, New York, NY 10018. Haier Group Company, 1 Haier Road, Hi-Tech Zone, Qingdao 266101, China. LG Electronics Inc., LG Twin Towers 20, Yoido-dong...

Soil gas radon–thoron monitoring in Dharamsala area of north-west ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering, NARL, Taipei 106, Taiwan. ... The study described here is based on the measurements of soil gas radon–thoron concentrations performed ..... Himachal Pradesh, India; Nat. Hazards ...

Comparison of children's self-reports of depressive symptoms among different family interaction types in northern Taiwan

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Yen Lee-Lan

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous research has shown that family interactions are associated with depressive symptoms in children. However, detailed classifications of family interaction types have not been studied thoroughly. This study aims to understand the types of family interactions children experience and to identify the specific types of family interactions that are associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms in children. Methods Data used in the study was collected as part of the Child and Adolescent Behavior in Long term Evolution (CABLE project in 2003. CABLE is a longitudinal cohort study that commenced in 2001 and collects data annually from children in Taipei city and Hsinchu county in northern Taiwan. The data analyzed in this study was that obtained from the sixth graders (aged 11 to 12 years old in 2003. Of the 2,449 sixth graders, 51.2% were boys and 48.8% were girls. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were used to investigate the types of family interactions. One way ANOVA was used to establish the relationship between family interaction types and children's self-reports of depressive symptoms. Results Based on the results of factor analysis, the latent factors for family interactions included supporting activities, psychological control, parental discipline, behavioral supervision, and family conflict. After conducting cluster analysis using factor scores, four types of family interactions were revealed: supervised (29.66%, disciplined (13.56%, nurtured (40.96% and conflict (15.82%. Children from the disciplined or conflict families were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Children from the nurtured families were least likely to report depressive symptoms. Conclusion Family interactions can be classified into four different types, which are related to children's self-reports of depressive symptoms. The creation of a family interaction environment that is beneficial for children's mental health is an important

Residential environments, alcohol advertising, and initiation and continuation of alcohol consumption among adolescents in urban Taiwan: A prospective multilevel study

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Yen-Tyng Chen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Research indicates that place characteristics and the media environment are important contextual determinants of underage drinking behaviors in Western countries, but it is unknown whether these exposures influence adolescent alcohol consumption outside Western contexts, including in Asia׳s emerging global alcohol markets. Guided by the social ecological framework, we prospectively investigated the influences of place characteristics and alcohol advertising on initiation and continuation of alcohol consumption among adolescents in Taipei, Taiwan. Methods: Data on individual-level characteristics, including alcohol use behaviors and perceived exposure to alcohol advertising, were obtained from two waves of a longitudinal school-based study through a stratified probability sampling method in 2010 (Grade 7/Grade 8, aged 13-14 years old and 2011-2012 (Grade 9, aged 15 years old from 1795 adolescents residing in 22 of 41 districts in Taipei. Data on district-level characteristics were drawn from administrative sources and Google Street View virtual audit to describe districts where adolescents lived at baseline. Hierarchical generalized linear models tested hypotheses about the associations of place characteristics and perceived alcohol advertising with underage drinking, with stratification by baseline lifetime alcohol consumption. Results: Among alcohol-naïve adolescents, lower district-level economic disadvantage, a higher proportion of betel nut kiosks (a relatively unregulated alcohol source compared to off-premises alcohol outlets, and exposure to television-based alcohol advertising predicted increased likelihood of alcohol initiation at one-year follow-up. Among alcohol-experienced adolescents, greater spatial access to off-premises alcohol outlets, and lower access to metro rapid transportation (MRT and to temples were found to predict a subsequent increased likelihood of continued alcohol use. Parental drinking moderated the

4 GHz ionospheric scintillations observed at Taipei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Y.N.; Jeng, B.S.

1978-01-01

In a study of ionospheric scintillations 3950 MHz beacon signals from geostationary communication satellites Intelsat-IV-F8 and Intelsat-IV-F1 were recorded on a strip chart and magnetic tape at the Taipei Earth Station. While the strip charts were used to monitor the occurrence of the scintillation, the magnetic tape output was digitized and processed by a computerized system to yield a detailed analysis of scintillation events. It was found that diurnal variations were similar to the diurnal patterns of sporadic E at greater than 5 MHz and VHF band ionospheric scintillations during daytime as reported by Huang (1978). Eight typical scintillation events were selected for the calculation of the scintillation index, S4, and other parameters. The mean S4 index for the 8 events was found to be 0.15. Numerical and graphic results are presented for the cumulative amplitude distributions, message reliability, autocorrelation functions and power spectra

A Growing Anticline in Tainan City, Taiwan

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Lee, C.; Lee, C.; Cheng, C.; Liao, C.; Wen, S.

2001-12-01

Tainan City has been known as an earthquake prone town since the early immigration of the ¡§Han¡" people from Mainland China about four hundred years ago. For the purpose of clarifying tectonic activity and paleo-earthquakes in the Tainan City area, we have finished the excavation of three trenches and the drilling of four holes at the so-called Houchiali Fault on the eastern margin of the Tainan tableland. We carefully observed the cores and exposures in the trenches, performed a detailed mapping, and took samples for C-14 dating and other types of analysis. The results show the trench sites are located at a flexure scarp without direct evidence of faulting. But, from the fact of tilting of Holocene sediments to about 50 degrees and the development of a fracture system in the sediments, one may realize that this is without doubt an active structure. We have tested many different models to interpret the observed geologic evidence in the trenches and outcrops, finally determined a growing fault-propagation fold model to be the best interpretation for the Tainan Anticline, while the Houchiali fault is a back-kink or a blind back-thrust type. A diapiric fold had been discussed as possible for a long time by many researchers, but a fault-propagation fold in origin does not contradict with a mud diapiric feature, which was formed during the folding. Field evidence shows that the main active phase of the Houchiali Fault and the Tainan Anticline would have been after the deposition of the Tainan Formation about two to three thousand years ago. During the active deformation phase, the Tawan Formation onlaped the Tainan Formation, as well as tilted during the folding, thus, beds on higher stratigraphic horizon show lower dip-angle. Estimated from a detailed geologic profile, the horizontal shortening of the anticline is estimated to be 30 meters. The vertical uplift of the Tainan Formation is also about 30 meters. This indicates that the deformation rate has been about 1

Visualisation and globalisation in the Asia-Pacific region: the Taipei Biennial 1996-2008

OpenAIRE

Turner, Ming

2009-01-01

Whilst globalisation, urbanisation and explosive expansion of urban spaces are the most dynamic and challenging issues in the Asia-Pacific region today, modernisation and cultural re-interpretation are also taking place at a rapid speed. Asia-Pacific metropolises, combining most of their nations’ population and resources, are at the centre of its globalisation process and intend to create their own characters whilst information and fashion have been moving between territories. Taipei, being t...

UNDERSTANDING VISITOR EXPERIENCES AND MOTIVATIONS IN SUBURBAN TAIPEI

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Chiung-Tzu Lucetta TSAI

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This research is aimed to cultivate higher-qualified human resources within the tourism field and provide plaining and developing direction based on the understanding of tourism features in San-ying area. There is a growing research interest in understanding the individual consumer's preferences, as well as management approaches of experiences and therefore, it has explored the understanding of the many different facets of experiences in tourism and hispitality business in suburban Taipei in particular the impact of the Sanxia and Yingge area. There is an attempt to examine the service quality of tourist attractions, moreover, the perceptions and travel experiences of tourists who visit Sanxia and Yingge area. Tourism and hospitality business in Sanxia and Yingge area present culture images and this study has discussed how this has influenced tourists' experiences, motivation and consumer behavior during their visit.

Accumulation of trace elements used in semiconductor industry in Formosan squirrel, as a bio-indicator of their exposure, living in Taiwan.

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Suzuki, Yoshinari; Watanabe, Izumi; Oshida, Tatsuo; Chen, Yen-Jean; Lin, Liang-Kong; Wang, Yu-Huang; Yang, Kouh-Cheng; Kuno, Katsuji

2007-07-01

Concentrations of 17 trace elements were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in Formosan squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus) of Taiwan and Japan to document trace element pollution in Taiwan. High concentrations of elements used to produce semiconductors - Ga, As, Cd, In and Tl - were found in animals captured in Miaoli County, which is the nearest site to Hsinchu City, a chief city of Taiwan's semiconductor industry. Significant correlations between Ga, As, In and Tl were found in the kidney, liver, lung and muscle tissues of Taiwanese squirrels. Hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that Ga, As, In and Tl were of the same clade, indicating that Ga, As, In and Tl were discharged from an identical origin. Molar ratios of Ga/As concentration in lungs of animals captured in Miaoli resembled those of animals after intratracheal administration of particulate gallium arsenide (GaAs). This result might indicate that the higher concentrations of Ga and As in the specimens in Miaoli resulted from atmospheric exposure to GaAs.

Development and characterization of dilutable self-microemulsifying premicroemulsion systems (SMEPMS as templates for preparation of nanosized particulates

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Lin SF

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Shen-Fu Lin,1 Ying-Chen Chen,2 Hsiu-O Ho,2 Wei-Yu Huang,2 Ming-Thau Sheu,2,3 Der-Zen Liu1,4 1Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Oral Medicine, 2School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Clinical Research Center and Traditional Herbal Medicine Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Center for General Education, Hsuan Chuang University, Hsinchu, Taiwan Abstract: The utilization of self-microemulsifying premicroemulsion systems (SMEPMS as templates for preparing poorly water-soluble compounds in the nanosized range represents a promising strategy. Fenofibrate was formulated with n-butyl L-lactate, Tween 80, and a number of cosurfactants (ethanol, 1-propanol, and PEG 600, diluted with the water phase (either water or saccharide solution and then subjected to a freeze-drying (FD process to obtain SMEPMS nanosized particulates. Results demonstrated that the particle size after resuspension of these FD SMEPMS nanosized particulates in water was too large, so the addition of saccharide solutions (lactose, mannitol, glucose, sucrose, and trehalose as the solid carrier to prevent particles from aggregating seemed to be necessary and workable due to steric hindrance and repulsion. However, instability of these resuspended FD nanosized particulates after 30–90 minutes still occurred, and the addition of 0.5% sodium lauryl sulfate in the resuspending medium was able to retard the aggregation and maintain the particle size within the nano-range. Evaluation by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction also confirmed the results. It was concluded that using an SMEPMS formulation with PEG 600 as the cosurfactant, and in the presence of a suitable saccharide as an anticaking agent and FD process were able to produce fenofibrate nanoparticles. Keywords: fenofibrate, saccharides, freeze-drying, nanoparticles

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.

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

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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.

Psychometric integrity of the Chinese Happiness Inventory among retired older people in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Hui-Hsun; Lin, Lin; Lee, Tony Szu-Hsien

2016-07-01

Happiness is an important indicator of mental and physical health. It has been emphasized as one kind of well-being, and its definition varies from culture to culture. The main objective of the present study was to examine the psychometric integrity and dimensions of the Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI) in relation to scores on Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale among retired older people in Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was carried out at social service centers in Taipei, Taiwan. Retired adults gave informed consent from September to November 2010, and completed a package of structured questionnaires measuring happiness and psychological well-being. Internal consistency, the factor structure of the CHI and criterion validity were assessed. Results from an exploratory factor analysis showed a three-factor solution for the CHI. These factors were named Positive Affect, Life Satisfaction and Interpersonal Relationships. Internal consistency coefficients were 0.95 (Positive Affect), 0.91 (Life Satisfaction), 0.85 (Interpersonal Relationships) and 0.97 (total scale). The results of a canonical correlation analysis showed the presence of a strong relationship between CHI and Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale (r = 0.69), and that two canonical variates could be derived from the relationship between them. The results show that the CHI is a three-dimensional scale with high reliability and validity. The construct of happiness emphasizes relationships in relation to others and environment rather than autonomy in this sample. Although the components of happiness might be similar for Positive Affect and Life Satisfaction, their weights for Interpersonal Relationships should be considered when measuring happiness in different cultures. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 865-872. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Ethical attitudes on human cloning among professionals in Taiwan and the policy implications for regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Che-Ming; Chung, Chun-Chih; Lu, Meei-Shiow; Lin, Chiou-Fen; Chen, Jiun-Shyan

2005-01-01

This research focused on understanding the attitudes toward human cloning in Taiwan among professionals in healthcare, law, and religion. The study was conducted utilizing a structured questionnaire. 220 healthcare professionals from two regional hospitals located in Taipei, 351 religious professionals in the northern Taiwan and 711 legal professionals were selected by to receive questionnaires. The valid response rate is 42.1% The questions were generated by an expert panel and represented major arguments in the human cloning debate. There were a total of six Likert scaled questions in the questionnaire. The responses were coded from 1 to 5 with 1 representing strong opposition to human cloning, 3 representing a neutral attitude; and 5 representing a strong favorable attitude toward human cloning. Healthcare professionals had the highest overall average score of 2.14 and the religious professionals had the lowest average at 1.58. All three categories of respondents' attitude toward cloning ranged from mild opposition to strong opposition to human cloning. The religious professionals were more strongly opposed to cloning. Age, education, and religion significantly influenced attitudes toward cloning. Professionals between fifty-one and sixty years old, those with less education, and Roman Catholic professionals were more strongly opposed to cloning. Religious professionals were more strongly opposed to human cloning than professionals in healthcare or law. Younger professionals as an age group demonstrated less opposition to human cloning. Regulation of human cloning will be influenced by professionals in healthcare, law, and religion, and the regulatory environment chosen now will play a pivotal role in influencing the acceptance of human cloning in the future.

Computer/Mobile Device Screen Time of Children and Their Eye Care Behavior: The Roles of Risk Perception and Parenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Fong-Ching; Chiu, Chiung-Hui; Chen, Ping-Hung; Miao, Nae-Fang; Chiang, Jeng-Tung; Chuang, Hung-Yi

2018-03-01

This study assessed the computer/mobile device screen time and eye care behavior of children and examined the roles of risk perception and parental practices. Data were obtained from a sample of 2,454 child-parent dyads recruited from 30 primary schools in Taipei city and New Taipei city, Taiwan, in 2016. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from students and parents. Fifth-grade students spend more time on new media (computer/smartphone/tablet: 16 hours a week) than on traditional media (television: 10 hours a week). The average daily screen time (3.5 hours) for these children exceeded the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations (≤2 hours). Multivariate analysis results showed that after controlling for demographic factors, the parents with higher levels of risk perception and parental efficacy were more likely to mediate their child's eye care behavior. Children who reported lower academic performance, who were from non-intact families, reported lower levels of risk perception of mobile device use, had parents who spent more time using computers and mobile devices, and had lower levels of parental mediation were more likely to spend more time using computers and mobile devices; whereas children who reported higher academic performance, higher levels of risk perception, and higher levels of parental mediation were more likely to engage in higher levels of eye care behavior. Risk perception by children and parental practices are associated with the amount of screen time that children regularly engage in and their level of eye care behavior.

Cultural renaissance and cultrual tourism in the City of Tainan

OpenAIRE

Wu, Yu-Cheng

2012-01-01

Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and inherits rich historic assets including national level landmark buildings, important historic fabric and local traditions. The city has lost her political and economic importance since mid nineteenth century. Around the turn of the millennium Tainan started to gain more political and economic importance after the change of central government policy to counterbalance long term uneven development focusing on the north. Claiming to be Taiwan’s cultural cap...

Prevalence and epidemiology of canine and feline heartworm infection in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Ta-Li; Wong, Jun-Yue; Tan, Ta-Lun; Hung, Yong-Wei

2017-11-09

Heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, has long been recognized in Taiwanese dogs but feline heartworm infection has been largely overlooked by veterinarians and pet owners. The main goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and epidemiology of canine and feline heartworm infection in Taiwan. Household dogs and cats were selected from 103 veterinary hospitals in 13 cities throughout Taiwan. All animals were at least 1 year old, had received no heartworm prevention for more than 1 year, and had lived in the same city for at least 1 year. Client consent was obtained and an owner questionnaire was completed for each patient. Blood samples were collected from each canine patient and tested at each veterinary hospital for microfilariae and for circulating antigen. A positive result on either test was considered to confirm mature heartworm infection. Blood was collected from each feline patient and examined for microfilariae and a feline heartworm antigen/antibody test was performed. Descriptive statistics were used for heartworm prevalence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationships between heartworm infection and multiple risk factors. A total of 2064 household dogs and 616 household cats from 103 veterinary hospitals throughout Taiwan were included in the study. The overall prevalence of canine heartworm disease was 22.8% (471/2064). In heartworm-positive dogs, 63% were both microfilaria positive and antigen positive, 35% were microfilaria negative and antigen positive, and only 2% were microfilaria positive and antigen negative. In the comparison of different life style groups, outdoor dogs (N = 797) had significantly higher heartworm prevalence rate than indoor dogs (N = 1267; p = 0.000). The heartworm prevalence rate in dogs presented with dyspnea and cough was as high as 51%. The overall prevalence of antibody-positive cats was 6.7% (41/616) and the antigen-positive prevalence rate was 3.1% (19/616). In 41 antibody

Monitoring and removal of residual phthalate esters and pharmaceuticals in the drinking water of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Gordon C C; Yen, Chia-Heng; Wang, Chih-Lung

2014-07-30

This study monitored the occurrence and removal efficiencies of 8 phthalate esters (PAEs) and 13 pharmaceuticals present in the drinking water of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The simultaneous electrocoagulation and electrofiltration (EC/EF) process was used to remove the contaminants. To this end, a monitoring program was conducted and a novel laboratory-prepared tubular carbon nanofiber/carbon/alumina composite membrane (TCCACM) was incorporated into the EC/EF treatment module (collectively designated as "TCCACM-EC/EF treatment module") to remove the abovementioned compounds from water samples. The monitoring results showed that the concentrations of PAEs were lower in water samples from drinking fountains as compared with tap water samples. No significant differences were found between the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in the two types of water samples. Under optimal operating conditions, the TCCACM-EC/EF treatment module yielded the lowest residual concentrations, ranging from not detected (ND) to 52ng/L for PAEs and pharmaceuticals of concern in the tap water samples. Moreover, the performance of the TCCACM-EC/EF treatment module is comparable with a series of treatment units employed for the drinking fountain water treatment system. The relevant removal mechanisms involved in the TCCACM-EC/EF treatment module were also discussed in this work. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of stress management in patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate

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Chiu LP

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Li-Pin Chiu,1,2 Heng-Hsin Tung,3 Kuan-Chia Lin,3 Yu-Wei Lai,1,4 Yi-Chun Chiu,1,4 Saint Shiou-Sheng Chen,1,4 Allen W Chiu1,4 1Division of Urology, Taipei City Hospital, 2University of Taipei, General Education Center, 3School of Nursing, Department of Care Management, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Science, 4Department of Urology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Background: To assess the utilization of stress management in relieving anxiety and pain among patients who undergo transrectal ultrasound (TRUS-guided biopsy of the prostate.  Methods: Eighty-two patients admitted to a community hospital for a TRUS biopsy of the prostate participated in this case-controlled study. They were divided into an experimental group that was provided with stress management and a control group that received only routine nursing care. Stress management included music therapy and one-on-one simulation education. Before and after the TRUS biopsy, the patients’ state-anxiety inventory score, pain visual analogue scale (VAS, respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure were obtained.  Results: There were no differences in baseline and disease characteristics between the two groups. The VAS in both groups increased after the TRUS biopsy, but the difference in pre- and postbiopsy VAS scores was significantly lower in the experimental group (P=0.03. Patients in both groups experienced mild anxiety before and after the biopsy, but those in the experimental group displayed a significantly greater decrease in postbiopsy state-anxiety inventory score compared to the control group (P=0.02.Conclusion: Stress management can alleviate anxiety and pain in patients who received a TRUS biopsy of the prostate under local anesthesia. Keywords: anxiety, pain, stress management, transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate

Optimal the tilt angles for photovoltaic modules using PSO method with nonlinear time-varying evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Ying-Pin

2010-01-01

A particle-swarm optimization method with nonlinear time-varying evolution (PSO-NTVE) is employed in determining the tilt angle of photovoltaic (PV) modules in Taiwan. The objective is to maximize the output electrical energy of the modules. In this study, seven Taiwanese cities were selected for analysis. First, the sun's position at any time and location was predicted by the mathematical procedure of Julian dating, and then the solar irradiation was obtained at each site under a clear sky. By combining the temperature effect, the PSO-NTVE method is adopted to calculate the optimal tilt angles for fixed south-facing PV modules. In this method, the parameters are determined by using matrix experiments with an orthogonal array, in which a minimal number of experiments have an effect that approximates the full factorial experiments. Statistical error analysis was performed to compare the results between the four PSO methods and experimental results. Hengchun city in which the minimum total error value of 6.12% the reasons for the weather more stability and less building shade. A comparison of the measurement results in electrical energy between the four PSO methods and the PV modules set a six tilt angles. Obviously four types of PSO methods simulation of electrical energy value from 231.12 kWh/m 2 for Taipei to 233.81 kWh/m 2 for Hengchun greater than the measurement values from 224.71 kWh/m 2 for Taichung to 228.47 kWh/m 2 for Hengchun by PV module which is due to instability caused by climate change. Finally, the results show that the annual optimal angle for the Taipei area is 18.16 o ; for Taichung, 17.3 o ; for Tainan, 16.15 o ; for Kaosiung, 15.79 o ; for Hengchung, 15.17 o ; for Hualian, 17.16 o ; and for Taitung, 15.94 o . It is evident that the authorized Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) recommends that tilt angle of 23.5 o was not an appropriate use of Taiwan's seven cities. PV modules with the installation of the tilt angle should be

Genetic Evaluation of Children with Global Developmental Delay--Current Status of Network Systems in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Foo, Yong-Lin; Chow, Julie Chi; Lai, Ming-Chi; Tsai, Wen-Hui; Tung, Li-Chen; Kuo, Mei-Chin; Lin, Shio-Jean

2015-08-01

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. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

a Study of Electrical Structures of Shanchiao Fault in Taiwan Using Audio-Frequency Magnetotelluric (amt) Method

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, C.; Liu, H.

2007-12-01

The Shanchiao normal fault is located in the western edge of Taipei basin in an N-E to S-W direction. Since the fault crosses through the Tertiary basement of Taipei basin, it is classified as an active fault. The overburden of the fault is sediments with a thickness around few tenth meters to several hundred meters. No detailed studies related to the Shanchiao fault in the western side of Taipei Basin are reported. In addition, there are no outcrops which have been found on the surface. This part of fault seems to be a potential source of disaster for the development of western Taipei basin. The audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) method is a technique used to find the vertical resistivity distribution of formation and to characterize a fault structure through the ground surface based measurement. Based on the geological investigation and lithogic information from wells, the AMT data from six soundings at Wugu site, nine soundings at XinZhuang site and eight sounding at GuanDu site were collected on a NE-SW profile, approximately perpendicular to the prospective strike of the Shanchiao fault. AMT data were then inverted for two- dimension resistivity models (sections). The features of all resistivity sections are similar; an apparent drop in resistivity was observed at the position correlates to the western edge of Taipei basin. The predicted location of Shanchiao fault matches was verified by the lithologic sections of boreholes nearby. It indicates that the Shanchiao normal fault may associate with the subsidence of Taipei basin. The basement is clearly detected as a geoelectrical unit having resistivity less than 250 . It has a trend of increasing its depth toward S-E. The uplift of layers in the east of resistivity sections may affect by the XinZhuang thrust fault from the east. As with each site, the calculated resistivity may affect by cultural interference. However, the AMT survey still successfully delineates the positions and features of the Shanchiao

Equatorial Ionospheric Irregularities Study from ROCSAT Data

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-20

UNLIMITED: PB Public Release 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Ionospheric irregularity/scintillation occurrences can be caused by external driving ...Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan e-mail: chliu2@gate.sinica.edu.tw phone :886-3-4227151x34757 CoPI: Shin-Yi Su Institution: National Central...University, Chung-Li, Taiwan e-mail: sysu@csrsr.ncu.edu.tw phone :886-3-4227151x57643 CoPI: Lung-Chi Tsai Institution: National Central University, Chung-Li

A facile method to prepare superparamagnetic iron oxide and hydrophobic drug-encapsulated biodegradable polyurethane nanoparticles

OpenAIRE

Cheng,Kuo-Wei; Hsu,Shan-hui

2017-01-01

Kuo-Wei Cheng, Shan-hui Hsu Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO NPs) have a wide range of biomedical applications such as in magnetic resonance imaging, targeting, and hyperthermia therapy. Aggregation of SPIO NPs can occur because of the hydrophobic surface and high surface energy of SPIO NPs. Here, we developed a facile method to encaps...

Epidemiological, clinical and climatic characteristics of dengue fever in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan with implication for prevention and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chiu-Jung; Chen, Colin S; Tien, Chien-Jung; Lu, Mei-Rou

2018-01-01

The early identification of dengue infection is essential for timely and effective quarantine and vector control measures for preventing outbreaks of the disease. Kaohsiung City is responsible for most of the dengue cases in Taiwan. Thus, this study aims to identify major factors involved in the prevalence of dengue fever by analyzing the epidemiological and clinical characteristics, and to establish associations between weather parameters and dengue occurrence in this City. A retrospective study was conducted with 3,322 confirmed dengue cases. Appropriate statistical methods were used to compare differences and correlations between dengue occurrence and demographic, clinical and weather parameters. The outbreak of dengue fever was found to be initiated by imported cases of dengue viruses from other endemic countries. Most of the confirmed cases were not reported to the health authority during the first visit to a doctor, and it took a median of 5 days after the appearance of the first syndromes for medical personnel to report suspected dengue cases. Accordingly, Aedes mosquitoes would have enough time to be infected and transmit the dengue virus. The diagnosis and notification criteria should not only include common symptoms of fever, myalgia, headache, skin rash and arthralgia, but should also be adjusted to include the most frequent symptoms of loss of appetite and feeling thirsty to shorten the notification time. Significantly positive correlations were found between the number of confirmed cases and weather parameters (i.e., temperature, rainfall and relative humidity) at a time lag of 1 month and 2 months. The predictive models for dengue occurrence using these three parameters at a 2-month lag time were established. The surveillance of imported cases, adjustment of notification criteria and application of climatic predictive models would be helpful in strengthening the dengue early warning surveillance system.

The effectiveness of the telehomecare for self-care behaviors of patients with diabetes in Taiwan: A consecutive observational study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szu-Han Chiu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Poor glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus can increase associated complications and mortality. We use the telehomecare system in patients with diabetes and investigate the associated impact in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: The purpose of the study is to examine the effectiveness of the telehomecare system on diabetic self-care. The telehomecare system incorporated into the daily care program in the experimental group. A cloud health-care platform designed for information storage and exchange be constructed and monitored by case managers. Comprehensive care instructions and in-time consultation in case of abnormalities were provided. The patients in the control group adopted conventional care program. Self-care questionnaires were completed by both groups before and after the study. All participants measured before the experiment and at 4 months after. Results: The participants were 117 patients (including 56 at the experimental and 61 at the control group, which recruited from a community hospital in New Taipei city, Taiwan. In two-way mixed design ANCOVA, in self-care behaviors, there are significant differences between two groups. The outcome of experimental group is superior to the control group both in posttest. However, there is no significant difference between two groups in subscales of foot care and athletics care. Moreover, there is no delayed effect in self-care behaviors of drug adjustment and blood sugar surveillance. Conclusions: This observational study revealed early intervention model to the health education strategy, the telehomecare might strengthen self-care behaviors of the participants. To the future study, we can put emphasis on the diabetes mellitus patient's foot care and exercise behaviors. The telehomecare model could also become the important health-care policy for the government in the future.

Age as a factor in sensory integration function in Taiwanese children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin CK

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Chin-Kai Lin,1 Huey-Min Wu,2 Hsin-Yi Wang,3 Mei-Hui Tseng,4,5 Chung-Hui Lin61Department of Early Childhood Education, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung, Taiwan; 2Research Center for Testing and Assessment, National Academy for Educational Research, New Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Special Education, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung, Taiwan; 4School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 6School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medical Science and Technology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, TaiwanObjective: Sensory integration progresses along a normal developmental sequence. However, few studies have explored how age difference affects the way sensory integration functions in Taiwanese children as they develop. Therefore, this study aims to pinpoint the role of age in sensory integration.Method: A purposive sampling plan was employed. The study population comprised 1,000 Chinese children aged 36 to 131 months (mean = 74.48 months, standard deviation = 25.69 months. Subjects were scored on seven subsets of the Test of Sensory Integration Function (TSIF. An analysis of variance (ANOVA was used to identify differences between four age groups (ages 3−4, 5−6, 7−8, and 9−10 years, in the categories of the TSIF.Results: ANOVA revealed that age is a significant factor in each of the seven tasks of sensory integration associated with various stages of development. The effect of age was significant in all four groups for the subscale of Bilateral Integration Sequences. The function of sensory integration for the children aged 5−8 years did not produce statistically significant results for the subscale of Postural Movement, Sensory Discrimination, Sensory Seeking, or Attention and Activity. For the subscale of Sensory Modulation and Emotional

Spatial Planning and High-tech Development A comparative study of Eindhoven city-region, the Netherlands and Hsinchu City-region, Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-Ju Huang

2013-08-01

Full Text Available High-tech development—which lies at the very heart of the processes of economic growth—has been recognised by many developed and developing countries as a strategic instrument to enhance and sustain their competitiveness in the global economic network. Although the concept of high-tech development differs between countries, many share the underlying assumption that the core of high-tech development is to create a sound environment where innovation thrives. This ideology implies a definite spatial dimension. As a result, various spatial strategies have been formulated and implemented to support high-tech development. This has had intentional and unintentional effects on the economy, society and space. Numerous studies have been devoted to exploring, analysing and theorising this global phenomenon. However, there has been less attention given to the role spatial planning may play in the process of high-tech development and to the factors that shape the spatial planning approaches to high-tech development in a particular place. The major objectives of this research are to advance the knowledge of the role of spatial planning in the process of high-tech development, and to establish an analytical framework that helps reveal the major institutional factors that shape spatial planning mechanisms for dealing with the spatial issues of high-tech development in different places. This contributes to the field of high-tech spatial policies transfer and lesson-drawing. In order to explore the major factors that shape the practices of spatial planning in hightech development, a comparative approach is applied in this research. The Eindhoven city-region in the Netherlands and the Hsinchu city-region in Taiwan are selected as case study areas. Both city-regions can be recognised as success stories of high-tech development not only on a national scale but also on a global scale, despite the fact that they apply different approaches. In the Eindhoven city

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Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2012-01-08

Jan 8, 2012 ... College of Medicine, Taipei 100, Taiwan. *Corresponding author ..... Drugs Exp. Clin. Res. 30 27–33. Dolan PJ and Johnson GV 2010 A caspase cleaved form of tau is .... Int. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry. ... Ann. Neurol. 61 476–483.

Intelligent Data Fusion for Wide-Area Assessment of UXO Contamination. SERDP Project MM-1510. 2006 Annual Report

Science.gov (United States)

2007-04-20

assistance, particularly Dr. Herb Nelson and Dr. Dan Steinhurst. 1 Executive Summary Background. The remediation of sites contaminated with...and applications,” Proc. of IEEE Intl. Conf. on Multisensor Fusion and Integration for Intelligent Systems, Taipei, Taiwan , R.O.C., Aug., 1999. 4

Variability of ozone depleting substances as an indication of emissions in the Pearl River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Chih-Chung; Lai, Cheng-Hsun; Wang, Chieh-Heng; Liu, Ying; Shao, Min; Zhang, Yuanhang; Wang, Jia-Lin

The continued production and consumption of five major chlorocarbons, i.e., CFC-11 (CCl 3F), CFC-12 (CCl 2F 2), CFC-113 (CCl 2FCClF 2), CH 3CCl 3, and CCl 4, as allowed by developing nations including China under the Montreal Protocol, were assessed by a method employing concentration variability. Measurements of the five ozone depleting substances (ODS) were measured in downtown Guangzhou and a rural site in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China by both in situ and flask measurements. In order to post a contrast to PRD with a referencing environment of minimal emissions, in situ measurements were also conducted in Taipei, Taiwan, where a decade long phase-out of CFCs has been implemented. In general, the variability of chlorocarbons in the PRD sites was significantly greater than that of Taipei. While the abundance of the five ODSs in Taipei was relatively uniform with a relative standard deviation (RSD) varying between 3% and 16%, their variability in PRD with the exception of CFC-113 was significantly more pronounced, clearly indicating the significant usage of ODSs. The variability of CFC-113 in both cities, however, was nearly indiscernible from the instrumental precision, suggesting little usage of CFC-113 in China. Methyl chloroform in Guangzhou exhibited a strong link to solvent evaporation as it showed a tight correlation with ambient toluene. Alarmingly, CCl 4 was the most variable of the five major chlorocarbons in Guangzhou, which should arouse a serious concern for public health due to its carcinogenicity.

A study on a instability slope in Taiwan subjected to rainfalls

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, D. H.; Hsieh, C. S.; Yeh, L. C.; Lin, D. Y.; T-A Phan, V.

2018-04-01

After the long-term monitoring on the Chaishan area in Taiwan from 2005 to 2012 by Kaohsiung City Government, the obtained results showed that annual lateral displacements in the region are about 7-8cm to the Taiwan Strait. The geological surface profiles of Chaishan area are in sequence weathered limestone, clay layer, limestone and mudstone layer, respectively. Thus the frictional resistance between weathered soils and rock layer could decrease after infiltration of rainwater due to impervious to water of the lowest mudstone layer. Typhoon invades often Taiwan each year, resulting in rainfall infiltration and rising groundwater level, as well as increased pore water pressure within the soil mass, causing the earth movements in some parts of Chaishan, especially in the Temple A (Shan Hai Temple) accompanied with cracking phenomenon. In this paper, limit equilibrium (LE) and finite element method (FEM) are used for slope analysis, in which the slope is considered as unsaturated soil. Results showed groundwater amounts are easy to accumulate and increasing pore water pressure give resulting in decreased safety factor. Both of groundwater level and rain durations were also considered in this study.

Correlates of self-report chronic insomnia disorders with 1-6 month and 6-month durations in home-dwelling urban older adults - the Shih-Pai Sleep Study in Taiwan: a cross-sectional community study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiou, Jing-Hui; Chen, Hsi-Chung; Chen, Kuang-Hung; Chou, Pesus

2016-06-03

To examine the correlates of insomnia disorder with different durations in home-dwelling older adults. A cross-sectional survey in the Shih-Pai area of Taipei City, Taiwan (The Shih-Pai Sleep Study). A total 4047 subjects over the age of 65 years completed the study (2259 men and 1788 women). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the duration of insomnia symptoms were used to identify DSM-IV 1-6 month and 6-month insomnia disorders. The prevalence of DSM-IV defined insomnia disorder was 5.8 %; two-thirds of these case lasted for ≥6 months. The shared correlates for both 1-6 and 6-month insomnia disorders were gender (women), depression and moderate pain. Pulmonary diseases were exclusively associated with 1-6 month insomnia disorder (OR: 2.57, 95 % CI: 1.46-4.52). In contrast, heart disease (OR: 1.73, 95 % CI: 1.21-2.49) and severe pain (OR: 2.34, 95 % CI: 1.14-4.40) were associated with 6-month insomnia disorder. The prevalence of persistent insomnia disorder is higher than short-term insomnia disorder. Correlates for less persistent and more persistent insomnia disorder appears to be partially different. Duration quantifiers may be important in the identification of the etiology of insomnia and further studies with follow-ups are needed to examine the order of developing insomnia disorder and associated conditions.

Grid-Based Moment Tensor Inversion Technique by Using 3-D Green's Functions Database: A Demonstration of the 23 October 2004 Taipei Earthquake

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Shiann-Jong Lee

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Moment tensor inversion is a routine procedure to obtain information on an earthquake source for moment magnitude and focal mechanism. However, the inversion quality is usually controlled by factors such as knowledge of an earthquake location and the suitability of a 1-D velocity model used. Here we present an improved method to invert the moment tensor solution for local earthquakes. The proposed method differs from routine centroid-moment-tensor inversion of the Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology in three aspects. First, the inversion is repeated in the neighborhood of an earthquake_?s hypocenter on a grid basis. Second, it utilizes Green_?s functions based on a true three-dimensional velocity model. And third, it incorporates most of the input waveforms from strong-motion records. The proposed grid-based moment tensor inversion is applied to a local earthquake that occurred near the Taipei basin on 23 October 2004 to demonstrate its effectiveness and superiority over methods used in previous studies. By using the grid-based moment tensor inversion technique and 3-D Green_?s functions, the earthquake source parameters, including earthquake location, moment magnitude and focal mechanism, are accurately found that are sufficiently consistent with regional ground motion observations up to a frequency of 1.0 Hz. This approach can obtain more precise source parameters for other earthquakes in or near a well-modeled basin and crustal structure.

The influence of urban heat island phenomenon on PM concentration: an observation study during the summer half-year in metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan

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Lai, Li-Wei

2018-01-01

Air circulation due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect can influence the dispersion of air pollutants in a metropolis. This study focusses on the influence of the UHI effect on particulate matter (PM; including PM2.5 and PM2.5-10) between May and September 2010-2012 in the Taipei basin. Meteorological and PM data were obtained from the sites, owned by the governmental authorities. The analysis was carried out using t test, relative indices (RIs), Pearson product-moment correlation and stepwise regression. The results show that the RI values for PM were the highest at moderate UHI intensity (MUI; 2 °C ≤ UHI < 4 °C) rather than at strong UHI intensity (SUI; 4 °C ≤ UHI) during the peak time for anthropogenic emissions (20:00 LST). Neither the accumulation of PM nor the surface convergence occurred in the hot centre, as shown by the case study. At MUI, more than 89 % of the synoptic weather patterns showed that the weather was clear and hot or that the atmosphere was stable. The variation in PM was associated with horizontal and vertical air dispersion. Poor horizontal air dispersion, with subsidence, caused an increase in PM at MUI. However, the updraft motion diluted the PM at SUI. The stepwise regression models show that the cloud index and surface air pressure determined the variation in PM2.5-10, while cloud index, wind speed and mixing height influenced the variation in PM2.5. In conclusion, a direct relationship between UHI effect and PM was not obvious.

Subsidy programs on diffusion of solar water heaters: Taiwan's experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2011-01-01

Financial incentives are essentially one of the key factors influencing diffusion of solar water heaters in many countries. Two subsidy programs were initiated by the government of Taiwan in 1986 (1986-1991) and 2000 (2000-present), respectively. Those long-term national programs are considered to be the driving force on local market expansion. In 2008, the regional subsidy programs for solar water heaters were announced by Kaohsiung city and Kiemen county, which resulted in the growth in sales. A revised subsidy was also initiated by the government of Taiwan in 2009. The subsidy is 50% more. However, the tremendous enlargement of market size with a high-level ratio of subsidy over total installation cost might result in a negative impact on a sustainable SWH industry and long-term development of the local market, which is associated with system design and post-installation service. This paper aims to address the relative efficiency and pitfalls of those national and regional programs. - Research Highlights: → The direct subsidy has been the driving force on market expansion in Taiwan. → Higher subsidy would certainly increase the total number of systems installed. → A high-level subsidy results in a negative impact on users or a sustainable industry.

Taiwan Earthquake Damage Index Sin Mei Nga* and Masataka Andob a* Department of Geology, Chinese Culture University, No. 55, Hwa-Kang Road, Yang-Ming-Shan, Taipei 11114, Taiwan b Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec2, Academia Road, Nangang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan * Corresponding author. Tel.: +886 (02) 28 61 05 11 ext.26133 fax: +886 (02) 28 61 49 59 E-mail: wsw2@ulive.pccu.edu.tw or sin_mei_josephine_ng@hotmail.com

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, S.

2012-12-01

Taking advantage of a previous study and twelve-year, free-field strong motion data in Taiwan, a preliminary, five-level earthquake damage index is newly proposed: I-No (no damage), II-Very Light, III-Light, IV-Moderate, and V-Heavy. For index I, PGA and PGV are, respectively, 450 gal and >75 cm/s. Ten damaging seismic events in the past twelve years are redefined using this new earthquake damage index, with the devastating Chi-Chi earthquake and one non-damaging event as reference earthquakes. This newly proposed index depicts seismic hazard of these earthquakes with higher accuracy when compared to the existing intensity scale in Taiwan region. For further analysis, Japan earthquakes are also plotted as references.

8. detsembrini Hiina Vabariigi Taiwani pealinnas...

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2002-01-01

Taipei X rahvusvahelisel graafika ja joonistuste biennaalil esindab Eestit Benjamin Vasserman tööga "Haripunkt". Peapreemiad: Vara Chaiyanitaya (Tai), Rensong Pan (joonistuste kategooria, Taiwan). B. Vasserman sai septembris Rumeenias Cluj III rahvusvahelisel väikegraafika biennaalil žürii kiituse. Peapreemia: Vladimir Gazovic (Slovakkia)

Sensory integration dysfunction affects efficacy of speech therapy on children with functional articulation disorders

OpenAIRE

Tung, Li-Chen; Lin, Chin-Kai; Hsieh, Ching-Lin; Chen, Ching-Chi; Huang, Chin-Tsan; Wang, Chun-Hou

2013-01-01

Li-Chen Tung,1,# Chin-Kai Lin,2,# Ching-Lin Hsieh,3,4 Ching-Chi Chen,1 Chin-Tsan Huang,1 Chun-Hou Wang5,6 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 2Program of Early Intervention, Department of Early Childhood Education, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung, 3School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 4Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, ...

The evaluation of high occupancy vehicle lanes on Sun Yat-Sen freeway in Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jou, R.C. [National Chi Nan Univ., Nantou, Taiwan (China). Dept. of Civil Engineering; Weng, M.C. [Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Taiwan (China); Chen, C.C. [National Central Univ., Taiwan (China)

2005-06-30

Travel demand in Taiwan, particularly intercity trips, has changed in response to the significant increase in domestic trade and economic activities. Most of Taiwan's population lives and works along the western corridor because there is a mountain range running north-south along the eastern coast. The existing transportation system includes highways, freeways, rail and aviation. The average travel time from Taipei to Koahsiung by the Sun Yat-Sen freeway can vary from 4 to 8 hours or more on weekends and holidays. The current capacity of the freeway is insufficient to accommodate the increasing travel demand. Many traffic management strategies such as ramp metering control, no tolls, and no tolls for high occupancy vehicles (HOV) have been proposed to alleviate traffic congestion. The government plans to reallocate one inner lane as an HOV lane in each direction at all times. However, this would require a preference survey to assess the drivers' decisions to use these HOV lanes at all times on the highway. In this study, 2 types of latent attributes, perceptions and attitudes were defined to analyze their effects on travelers' choice of HOV lanes. Revealed preference and stated preference data were collected and considered simultaneously to fully utilize the strength of each type. Travelers' decisions were found to be a function of socio-economic attributes, travel characteristics and perceptions of alternatives. A model system was developed to comprise a discrete choice model and the latent variable model's structural and measurement equations. It was concluded that the preferred choice was for the HOV lane to be used toll-free, by vehicles with 4 or more passengers, in which the HOV lane is separated from regular lanes with a guardrail. 8 tabs.

Effects of hemoglobin variants HbJ Bangkok, HbE, HbG Taipei, and HbH on analysis of glycated hemoglobin via ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiu-Ming; Wen, Dong-Mei; Xu, Sheng-Nan; Suo, Ming-Huan; Chen, Ya-Qiong

2018-01-01

To explore the effects of HbJ Bangkok, HbE, HbG Taipei, and α-thalassemia HbH on the results of HbA1c assessment using ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (IE-HPLC). We enrolled five patients in which the results of the IE-HPLC HbA1c assay were inconsistent with the average levels of FBG. We performed hemoglobin capillary (Hb) electrophoresis using whole-blood samples. We also sequenced the genes encoding Hb using dideoxy-mediated chain termination and analyzed HbA1c using borate affinity HPLC (BA-HPLC) and turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay (TINIA). Two patients had the HbJ Bangkok variant. Hb genotypes of these patients were β 41-42 /β J Bangkok and β N /β J Bangkok , and the content of HbJ Bangkok was 93.9% and 52.4%, respectively. The remaining three patients had the following: HbE (β N /β E Hb genotype, 23.6% HbE content), HbG Taipei (β N /β G Taipei Hb genotype, 39.4% HbG Taipei content), and α-thalassemia HbH (6.1% HbH content, 2.8% Hb Bart's content). In the patients with β-thalassemia and HbJ Bangkok variants, the presence of the variants interfered with the results of HbA1c analyses using IE-HPLC and TINIA; in the remaining four patients, there was interference with the results of HbA1c IE-HPLC but not with the TINIA assay. There was no interference with BA-HPLC HbA1c results. HbJ Bangkok, HbE, HbG Taipei Hb, and α-thalassemia HbH disease cause varying degrees of interference with the analysis of HbA1c using IE-HPLC. In these patients, we suggest using methods free from such interference for the analysis of HbA1c and other indicators to monitor blood glucose levels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association between childhood sexual abuse and adverse psychological outcomes among youth in Taipei.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nan; Ahmed, Saifuddin; Zabin, Laurie S

2012-03-01

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and negative psychological consequences in adulthood, controlling for family environments and Confucian values. The data used in this study were collected from Taipei. The final analysis sample comprised 4,084 participants aged 15-24 years. Three sets of logistic regression models were fitted to verify the association between CSA and negative psychological outcomes. Sociodemographic variables, household instability, and parenting variables, as well as Confucian value variables were controlled in models step by step. The overall prevalence of CSA in our analysis sample was 5.2%. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Taipei respondents was 11.8%, 16.4%, and 16.7%, respectively, but young people who experienced CSA had significantly higher rates of all three than young adults who had not experienced CSA. After controlling for other covariates, the odds ratios of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation associated with a history of CSA were 1.78 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.25-2.54), 1.77 (95% CI: 1.28-2.44), and 2.56 (95% CI: 1.56-4.29), respectively. Our findings suggested that CSA was an independent predictor of negative psychological consequences in adulthood. In our analysis, we controlled for household, parenting, and Confucian culture factors, which provides a better understanding of how they work together to affect adult psychological status. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, AS, Taipei 10617, Taiwan. Astronomical Observatory, Jagiellonian University, ul. Orla 171, 30244 Kraków, Poland. University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, UK. University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. ARIES, Manora Peak, Nainital 263 ...

Pramana – Journal of Physics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Author Affiliations. M K Singh1 2 3 A K Soma3 V Singh1 3 R Pathak2. Physics Department, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India; Physics Department, Tilak Dhari Postgraduate College, Jaunpur 222 002, India; Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan ...

First experience using cultured epidermal autografts in Taiwan for burn victims of the Formosa Fun Coast Water Park explosion, as part of Japanese medical assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumura, Hajime; Harunari, Nobuyuki; Ikeda, Hiroto

2016-05-01

On June 27, 2015, a flammable starch-based powder exploded at Formosa Fun Coast in Taipei, Taiwan, injuring 499 people, and more than 200 people were in critical condition with severe burns. Although a cultured epidermal autograft (CEA) was not approved or used in clinical practice, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration requested a Japanese CEA manufacturer to donate CEA for the burn victims as part of international medical assistance. The authors cooperated in this project and participated in the patient selection, wound bed management for CEA, and technical assistance for CEA use. Here, we provide an overview of the project. Nine patients were enrolled, and two patients were excluded from the skin biopsy; seven skin biopsies were collected approximately 1 month after the disaster. The average TBSA% burned was 81.0%, and the mean age was 20.1 years. CEA was grafted in five patients; wound closure had been obtained in one patient, and one patient was severely ill at the time of grafting. The CEA was combined with a wide split auto mesh graft or patch graft. The mean re-epithelization rate at 4 weeks after the grafting was 84.2% by patient, and all of the patients survived. Although this project had many obstacles to overcome, CEA grafting was successful and contributed to wound closure and survival. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Applying spatial analysis techniques to assess the suitability of multipurpose uses of spring water in the Jiaosi Hot Spring Region, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Cheng-Shin

2016-04-01

The Jiaosi Hot Spring Region is located in northeastern Taiwan and is rich in geothermal springs. The geothermal development of the Jiaosi Hot Spring Region dates back to the 18th century and currently, the spring water is processed for various uses, including irrigation, aquaculture, swimming, bathing, foot spas, and recreational tourism. Because of the proximity of the Jiaosi Hot Spring Region to the metropolitan area of Taipei City, the hot spring resources in this region attract millions of tourists annually. Recently, the Taiwan government is paying more attention to surveying the spring water temperatures in the Jiaosi Hot Spring Region because of the severe spring water overexploitation, causing a significant decline in spring water temperatures. Furthermore, the temperature of spring water is a reliable indicator for exploring the occurrence and evolution of springs and strongly affects hydrochemical reactions, components, and magnitudes. The multipurpose uses of spring water can be dictated by the temperature of the water. Therefore, accurately estimating the temperature distribution of the spring water is critical in the Jiaosi Hot Spring Region to facilitate the sustainable development and management of the multipurpose uses of the hot spring resources. To evaluate the suitability of spring water for these various uses, this study spatially characterized the spring water temperatures of the Jiaosi Hot Spring Region by using ordinary kriging (OK), sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS), and geographical information system (GIS). First, variogram analyses were used to determine the spatial variability of spring water temperatures. Next, OK and SGS were adopted to model the spatial distributions and uncertainty of the spring water temperatures. Finally, the land use (i.e., agriculture, dwelling, public land, and recreation) was determined and combined with the estimated distributions of the spring water temperatures using GIS. A suitable development strategy

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.

Reading Success and Failure among Chinese Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chen-chin

Drawing on a cross-national study of children's reading, a study examined the correlates of reading success and failure in Taiwan. Subjects, 240 randomly selected Taipei fifth graders, were administered a reading test, cognitive test, and mathematics achievement test. A structured interview with each child's mother and classroom behavior…

Risk Factors for Suicide in Taiwanese College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Gau, Susan Shur-Fen; Chen, Ying-Yeh; Tsai, Fang-Ju; Lee, Ming-Been; Chiu, Yen-Nan; Soong, Wei-Tsuen; Hwu, Hai-Gwo

2008-01-01

Objective: The authors investigated the personality characteristics, psychopathology, parenting style, and family function among Taiwanese college students with high, moderate, and low suicidal risks. Participants: The sample included 2,919 first-year college students (1,414 men, 1,505 women) from a university in Taipei, Taiwan. Methods: A…

The Moderating Effect of Machiavellianism on the Relationships between Bullying, Peer Acceptance, and School Adjustment in Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Hsi-Sheng; Chen, Ji-Kang

2012-01-01

This study examined the moderating effect of Machiavellianism on the relationships between bullying, peer acceptance, and school adjustment (rule-following behavior and academic performance) among 216 middle school 7th-graders in Taipei, Taiwan. The participants were divided into two groups according to their Machiavellianism. Multi-group path…

75 FR 51287 - Agreements in Force as of December 31, 2009, Between the American Institute in Taiwan and the...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-19

... concerning the change in the name of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs (CCNAA) to the... Taipei American School, with annex. Signed at Taipei February 3, 1983. Entered into force February 3... implementation of the 1969 international convention on tonnage measurement. Effected by exchange of letters at...

Emergency medical services key performance measurement in Asian cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Nik Hisamuddin; Tanaka, Hideharu; Shin, Sang Do; Ng, Yih Yng; Piyasuwankul, Thammapad; Lin, Chih-Hao; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock

2015-01-01

One of the key principles in the recommended standards is that emergency medical service (EMS) providers should continuously monitor the quality and safety of their services. This requires service providers to implement performance monitoring using appropriate and relevant measures including key performance indicators. In Asia, EMS systems are at different developmental phases and maturity. This will create difficultly in benchmarking or assessing the quality of EMS performance across the region. An attempt was made to compare the EMS performance index based on the structure, process, and outcome analysis. The data was collected from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcome Study (PAROS) data among few Asian cities, namely, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Seoul. The parameters of inclusions were broadly divided into structure, process, and outcome measurements. The data was collected by the site investigators from each city and keyed into the electronic web-based data form which is secured strictly by username and passwords. Generally, there seems to be a more uniformity for EMS performance parameters among the more developed EMS systems. The major problem with the EMS agencies in the cities of developing countries like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur is inadequate or unavailable data pertaining to EMS performance. There is non-uniformity in the EMS performance measurement across the Asian cities. This creates difficulty for EMS performance index comparison and benchmarking. Hopefully, in the future, collaborative efforts such as the PAROS networking group will further enhance the standardization in EMS performance reporting across the region.

Transition of cord blood lead level, 1985-2002, in the Taipei area and its determinants after the cease of leaded gasoline use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Y.-H.; Ko Yi; Chiang, C.-D.; Hsu, S.-P.; Lee, Y.-H.; Yu, C.-H.; Chiou, C.-H.; Wang, J.-D.; Chuang, H.-Y.

2004-01-01

Lead has long been of concern for its toxicity, impairment of neurobehavioral and cognitive development, and electrophysiological deficits in children, even at levels less than 10 μg/dL. The present study was conducted to elucidate the extent of cord blood lead level decline in the Taipei area from 1985 to 2002 and to explore the factors affecting the cord blood lead level after the cease of leaded gasoline use. In the current study period of 2001-2002, 184 of 1310 newborns delivered in the Taipei Municipal Women and Children Hospital between September 2001 and August 2002 were eligible and randomly selected to participate in this study. Neither of their parents had an occupational lead exposure history. At each delivery, a sample of 5-10 mL umbilical cord blood was collected for lead determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The cord blood lead level of the newborns in the current study period averaged 2.35±1.12 μg/dL. Together with the cord blood lead averages of 7.48±2.25 and 3.28±1.52 μg/dL obtained from two previous surveys conducted in 1985-1987 and 1990-1992, respectively, the cord blood lead level was significantly decreased (P<0.005). It is estimated that such a reduction in cord blood lead from 7.48 to 2.35 μg/dL for each year's cohort of 260,000 newborns in Taiwan might benefit the economics, ranging from US$8.9 billion to US$12.1 billion by improving the worker productivity. For the time period from 1985 to 2002, there were consistent transition patterns among the yearly fluctuations of air lead level, leaded gasoline consumption, lead content in gasoline, estimated lead amount emitted from the consumed leaded gasoline, and average cord blood lead levels of the three respective study periods. Additionally, every 0.1-g/L reduction in lead content in gasoline might lead to a lowering of cord blood lead level by 1.78 μg/dL. Furthermore, at low level of around 2 μg/dL, a multiple regression analysis demonstrated that

An Effective Financial Statements Fraud Detection Model for the Sustainable Development of Financial Markets: Evidence from Taiwan

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Chyan-long Jan

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study aims to establish a rigorous and effective model to detect enterprises’ financial statements fraud for the sustainable development of enterprises and financial markets. The research period is 2004–2014 and the sample is companies listed on either the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the Taipei Exchange, with a total of 160 companies (including 40 companies reporting financial statements fraud. This study adopts multiple data mining techniques. In the first stage, an artificial neural network (ANN and a support vector machine (SVM are deployed to screen out important variables. In the second stage, four types of decision trees (classification and regression tree (CART, chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID, C5.0, and quick unbiased efficient statistical tree (QUEST are constructed for classification. Both financial and non-financial variables are selected, in order to build a highly accurate model to detect fraudulent financial reporting. The empirical findings show that the variables screened with ANN and processed by CART (the ANN + CART model yields the best classification results, with an accuracy of 90.83% in the detection of financial statements fraud.

A review of omalizumab for the management of severe asthma

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Lin CH

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Ching-Hsiung Lin,1–3 Shih-Lung Cheng4,5 1Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory Care, College of Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China; 3School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China; 5Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Zhongli City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: Despite the expansion of the understanding in asthma pathophysiology and the continual advances in disease management, a small subgroup of patients remain partially controlled or refractory to standard treatments. Upon the identification of immunoglobulin E and other inflammatory mediators, investigations and developments of targeted agents have thrived. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the circulating immunoglobulin E, which in turn impedes and reduces subsequent releases of the proinflammatory mediators. In the past decade, omalizumab has been proven to be efficacious and well-tolerated in the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma in both trials and real-life studies, most notably in reducing exacerbation rates and corticosteroid use. While growing evidence has demonstrated that omalizumab may be potentially beneficial in treating other allergic diseases, its indication remains confined to treating severe allergic asthma and chronic idiopathic urticaria. Future efforts may be focused on determining the optimal length of omalizumab treatment, seeking biomarkers that could better predict treatment response, as well as extending its indications. Keywords: severe asthma, IgE, omalizumab, exacerbation, chronic idiopathic urticarial, inhaled corticosteroid

Is Automobile Dependence in Emerging Cities an Irresistible Force? Perspectives from São Paulo, Taipei, Prague, Mumbai, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou

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Jeffrey R. Kenworthy

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses seven metropolitan regions that are all experiencing rapid motorisation and are perhaps appearing to capitulate to the automobile. Through 20 years of changes, evidenced in systematic data from the mid-1990s, a different perspective is found. None of the urban regions appear near to or even capable of becoming automobile cities. Physical limits are already being reached that make higher levels of private motorised mobility very problematic if transport systems are to remain functional and the cities livable. These limits appear already to be reversing the decline in non-motorised modes and creating an upturn in transit systems, especially urban rail. That these cities have been able to either hold their own, or somewhat increase their share of total motorised mobility by transit over a 20-year period, is some indication that they are ‘hitting mobility walls’ much sooner in the motorisation path than cities in North America and Australia, which grew up with and were designed around the spatial needs of cars. Like many cities in the developed world that have shown a decoupling of car use and total passenger mobility from GDP growth from 1995 to 2005, there is now evidence that this is happening in less wealthy cities. This is important because it assists global and local goals for reduced CO2 from passenger transport, while allowing for economic progress. Such evidence suggests that automobile dependence is not an irresistible force in emerging economies.

Becoming a Networked Public: Digital Ethnography, Youth and Global Research Collectives

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Gallagher, Kathleen; Wessels, Anne; Ntelioglou, Burcu Yaman

2013-01-01

The following article describes a research context that has privileged both virtual and placed-based ethnographic fieldwork, using a hybrid methodology of live and digital communications across school sites in Toronto, Canada; Lucknow, India; Taipei, Taiwan; and Boston, USA. The multi-site ethnographic study is concerned with questions of school…

Differential expression of speckled POZ protein, SPOP: Putative ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this study, the mRNA levels of the mouse SPOP (mSPOP) gene were first shown to vary noticeably in different tissues. ... Shipai, Taipei, Taiwan 112; Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sg Long, Selangor, Malaysia; Centre for Stem Cell Research, ...

Hopelessness and Loneliness among Suicide Attempters in School-Based Samples of Taiwanese, Philippine and Thai Adolescents

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Page, Randy M.; Yanagishita, Jun; Suwanteerangkul, Jiraporn; Zarco, Emilia Patricia; Mei-Lee, Ching; Miao, Nae-Fang

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the level of suicide attempts in three school-based samples of Southeast Asian adolescents (Taipei, Taiwan; the Philippines; Chiang Mai, Thailand) and determine whether adolescent suicide attempters score higher on measures of hopelessness and loneliness relative to nonattempters. It was hypothesized that…

Computer-Aided Software Evolution Based on Inferred Dependencies

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1999-12-01

of Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 1980 M.B.A., National Defense Management College, Taipei, Taiwan, 1986 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the...JGuoJiang £3 Program Rles 1] PRCCaption.txt ^3 host-news ■BEH3JB1EH1 gpshcd98. pdf i_]Jlip E3 Video *) PSHCD98.ps _JJws20 Ü ~PDTS874.tmp ljlQuickTime30.exe...115 O’Keefe Building Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332-0800 4. Dr. David Hislop Army Research Office 4300 S. Miami Blvd. Research

[Eradication of opium smoking in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945)].

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Chu, Nai-Shin

2008-03-01

Eradication of opium smoking during the Japanese colonial period is one of the most proud medical accomplishments in Taiwan. The mission was accomplished mainly due to a governmental policy of gradual prohibition in 1897 and the establishment of the Government Center Hospital for Opium Addicts in 1930. Professor Tsungming Tu, medical director of the Government Center Hospital, was responsible for the unique medical treatment of opium addiction there. The latter consisted of an immediate withdrawal of opium smoking which was partly substituted by small amounts of morphine in gradual reduction, and at the same time special pills were given to enhance the sympathetic activity also to lessen the withdrawal symptoms. By such treatment, the habit of opium smoking could often be eliminated in a few weeks. The success rate was 46%. Shortly after the World War II, the number of opium smokers in Taiwan became negligible. In early colonial period, however, there were grass roots movements as well as private efforts by physicians of Western medicine to treat opium addiction. In 1898, the Flying Phoenix Society which was a laymen organization worshipping deities began to use supernatural power to force the addicts to stop opium smoking. More than thirty thousand were enlisted and the success rate was 58%. In 1908, the enthabitual treatment in a private correction infirmary called 'Newmatou' consisted of a substitute treatment using morphine to replace opium and a gradual reduction in morphine dosage afterwards. All addicts were hospitalized until treatment goal was achieved. Among 55 addicts thus treated, 53 (96%) were ridded of opium smoking habit. The treatment method was almost identical to that employed by Professor Tu. Another physician, Dr. Ching-yue Lin, who worked at the Red Cross Hospital in Taipei, also used substitute treatment, replacing opium by heroine, and obtained a success rate of 80%. Dr. Lin published his comprehensive study on opium addiction and treatment

Laboratory-Based Surveillance and Molecular Characterization of Dengue Viruses in Taiwan, 2014.

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Chang, Shu-Fen; Yang, Cheng-Fen; Hsu, Tung-Chieh; Su, Chien-Ling; Lin, Chien-Chou; Shu, Pei-Yun

2016-04-01

We present the results of a laboratory-based surveillance of dengue in Taiwan in 2014. A total of 240 imported dengue cases were identified. The patients had arrived from 16 countries, and Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and China were the most frequent importing countries. Phylogenetic analyses showed that genotype I of dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) and the cosmopolitan genotype of DENV-2 were the predominant DENV strains circulating in southeast Asia. The 2014 dengue epidemic was the largest ever to occur in Taiwan since World War II, and there were 15,492 laboratory-confirmed indigenous dengue cases. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the explosive dengue epidemic in southern Taiwan was caused by a DENV-1 strain of genotype I imported from Indonesia. There were several possible causes of this outbreak, including delayed notification of the outbreak, limited staff and resources for control measures, abnormal weather conditions, and a serious gas pipeline explosion in the dengue hot spot areas in Kaohsiung City. However, the results of this surveillance indicated that both active and passive surveillance systems should be strengthened so appropriate public health measures can be taken promptly to prevent large-scale dengue outbreaks. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

The impact of pesticide suicide on the geographic distribution of suicide in Taiwan: a spatial analysis.

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Chang, Shu-Sen; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh; Sterne, Jonathan Ac; Eddleston, Michael; Lin, Jin-Jia; Gunnell, David

2012-04-02

Pesticide self-poisoning is the most commonly used suicide method worldwide, but few studies have investigated the national epidemiology of pesticide suicide in countries where it is a major public health problem. This study aims to investigate geographic variations in pesticide suicide and their impact on the spatial distribution of suicide in Taiwan. Smoothed standardized mortality ratios for pesticide suicide (2002-2009) were mapped across Taiwan's 358 districts (median population aged 15 or above = 27 000), and their associations with the size of agricultural workforce were investigated using Bayesian hierarchical models. In 2002-2009 pesticide poisoning was the third most common suicide method in Taiwan, accounting for 13.6% (4913/36 110) of all suicides. Rates were higher in agricultural East and Central Taiwan and lower in major cities. Almost half (47%) of all pesticide suicides occurred in areas where only 13% of Taiwan's population lived. The geographic distribution of overall suicides was more similar to that of pesticide suicides than non-pesticide suicides. Rural-urban differences in suicide were mostly due to pesticide suicide. Areas where a higher proportion of people worked in agriculture showed higher pesticide suicide rates (adjusted rate ratio [ARR] per standard deviation increase in the proportion of agricultural workers = 1.58, 95% Credible Interval [CrI] 1.44-1.74) and overall suicide rates (ARR = 1.06, 95% CrI 1.03-1.10) but lower non-pesticide suicide rates (ARR = 0.91, 95% CrI 0.87-0.95). Easy access to pesticides appears to influence the geographic distribution of suicide in Taiwan, highlighting the potential benefits of targeted prevention strategies such as restricting access to highly toxic pesticides.

Application of the Concepts of Individualism and Collectivism to Intercultural Training.

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Deal, Christopher

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential applications of the individualism-collectivism (I-C) construct to intercultural training. Drawing on experience in Taiwan, especially on the author's training experience in Taipei, this theory was found to be useful in several aspects of training, including training objectives, program design,…

Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Author Affiliations. A. Pirya1 S. Nandi1 D. J. Saikia2 C. Konar3 M. Singh1. Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Manora Peak, Nainital 263 129, India. National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Pune University Campus, Post Bag 3, Pune 411 007, India. ASIAA, Taipei 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Relationships among Cyberbullying, School Bullying, and Mental Health in Taiwanese Adolescents

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Chang, Fong-Ching; Lee, Ching Mei; Chiu, Chiung-Hui; Hsi, Wen-Yun; Huang, Tzu-Fu; Pan, Yun-Chieh

2013-01-01

Background: This study examined the relationships among cyberbullying, school bullying, and mental health in adolescents. Methods: In 2010, a total of 2992 10th grade students recruited from 26 high schools in Taipei, Taiwan completed questionnaires. Results: More than one third of students had either engaged in cyberbullying or had been the…

Ascertaining the impact of catastrophic events on dengue outbreak: The 2014 gas explosions in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Infectious disease outbreaks often occur in the aftermath of catastrophic events, either natural or man-made. While natural disasters such as typhoons/hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes have been known to increase the risk of infectious disease outbreak, the impact of anthropogenic disasters is less well-understood. Kaohsiung City is located in southern Taiwan, where most dengue outbreaks had occurred in the past two decades. It is also the center of petrochemical industry in Taiwan with pipelines running underneath city streets. Multiple underground gas explosions occurred in Kaohsiung in the evening of July 31, 2014 due to chemical leaks in the pipelines. The explosions caused 32 deaths, including five firefighters and two volunteer firefighters, and injured 321 persons. Historically, dengue outbreaks in southern Taiwan occurred mostly in small numbers of around 2000 cases or less, except in 2002 with over 5000 cases. However, in the months after the gas explosions, the city reported 14528 lab-confirmed dengue cases from August to December. To investigate the possible impact, if any, of the gas explosions on this record-breaking dengue outbreak, a simple mathematical model, the Richards model, is utilized to study the temporal patterns of the spread of dengue in the districts of Kaohsiung in the proximity of the explosion sites and to pinpoint the waves of infections that had occurred in each district in the aftermath of the gas explosions. The reproduction number of each wave in each district is also computed. In the aftermath of the gas explosions, early waves occurred 4–5 days (which coincides with the minimum of human intrinsic incubation period for dengue) later in districts with multiple waves. The gas explosions likely impacted the timing of the waves, but their impact on the magnitude of the 2014 outbreak remains unclear. The modeling suggests the need for public health surveillance and preparedness in the aftermath of future disasters. PMID:28520740

Effect modification of the association between meteorological variables and mortality by urban climatic conditions in the tropical city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

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William B. Goggins

2013-11-01

Full Text Available A deeper understanding of extreme hot weather are needed in cities sensitive to heat effects, an investigation was done in the tropical town of Kaohsiung in Taiwan. Its 11 districts were divided into three climatic classes varying from high urban heat, low levels of green space and lack of proximity to water bodies to low urban heat, adequate green space and proximity to water bodies. Daily data on natural mortality, meteorological variables, and pollutants from May-October 1999-2008 were analysed using generalised additive models for the time-series data. Subgroup analyses were conducted, stratifying decedents according to the level of planning activity required in order to mitigate adverse heat effects in their residential areas, classifying districts as “level 1” for those requiring a high level of mitigation action; “level 2” for those requiring some action; and “level 3” for those that need only preserve existing conditions. Stratified analyses showed that mortality increases per 1 °C rise on average, either on the same day or in the previous 4 days (lags 0-4, were associated with 2.8%, 2.3% and -1.3% for level 1, 2 and 3 districts, respectively. The slope describing the association between temperature and mortality was higher above 29.0 °C resulting in corresponding increases of 4.2%, 5.0% and 0.3% per per 1 °C rise in temperature, respectively. Other meteorological variables were not significantly associated with mortality. It is concluded that hot season mortality in Kaohsiung is only sensitive to heat effects in districts classified as having unfavourably climatic conditions and requiring mitigation efforts in city planning. Urban planning measures designed to improve climatic conditions could reduce excess mortality resulting from extreme hot weather.

Safety of high-dose daptomycin in patients with severe renal impairment

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Tai CH

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Chih-Hsun Tai,1 Chi-Hao Shao,2 Chen-You Chen,2 Shu-Wen Lin,1–3 Chien-Chih Wu1,2 1Department of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 2School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Graduate Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Background: Treatment options are limited for infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. Daptomycin is a lipopeptide antibiotic with concentration-dependent killing characteristic and dose-dependent post-antibiotic effect. To achieve optimized pharmacodynamic effect, some experts advocated using a high dose of daptomycin (≥9 mg/kg for severe infections. However, the safety of high-dose therapy in patients with renal impairment remains unknown. This study was aimed to evaluate the safety of daptomycin in patients with severe renal impairment. Methods: This was a retrospective study performed by reviewing electronic medical records. Patients with severe renal impairment who were treated with daptomycin in a tertiary teaching hospital between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2016, were included for evaluation. The incidence rates of creatine kinase (CK elevation between high-dose (≥9 mg/kg and standard-dose (<9 mg/kg groups were compared. Results: Overall, 164 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 114 (69.5% of them were on renal replacement therapy. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci were the most common pathogens (61.3% of the patients with documented pathogens. The treatment success rate was 51.6% in the 91 patients with bacteremia. The average dose of daptomycin was 8.0±2.3 mg/kg, and 37 (22.6% patients received ≥9 mg/kg. CK levels were followed in 108 (65.9% patients. Significantly higher incidence of CK elevation was found in the high-dose group compared with that in the standard-dose group (10.8% vs 1.6%, P<0.05. Moreover

Characterization of pulmonary protein profiles in response to zinc oxide nanoparticles in mice: a 24-hour and 28-day follow-up study

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Pan CH

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Chih-Hong Pan,1,2,* Kai-Jen Chuang,3,4,* Jen-Kun Chen,5 Ta-Chih Hsiao,6 Ching-Huang Lai,2 Tim P Jones,7 Kelly A BéruBé,8 Gui-Bing Hong,9 Kin-Fai Ho,10,11 Hsiao-Chi Chuang12,13 1Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Council of Labor Affairs, Executive Yuan, 2School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, 3School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, 4Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 5Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, 6Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 7School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, 8School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK; 9Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; 10Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 11Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory for Health Risk Analysis, Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 12School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, 13Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Although zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs are recognized to cause systemic disorders, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the time-dependent differences that occur after exposure. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanistic differences at 24 hours and 28 days after the exposure of BALB/c mice to ZnONPs via intratracheal instillation. An isobaric tag for the relative and absolute quantitation coupled with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the differential

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.

Has cost containment after the National Health Insurance system been successful? Determinants of Taiwan hospital costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Jung-Hua; Chang, Li

2008-03-01

Taiwan implemented the National Health Insurance system (NHI) in 1995. After the NHI, the insurance coverage expanded and the quality of healthcare improved, however, the healthcare costs significantly escalated. The objective of this study is to determine what factors have direct impact on the increased costs after the NHI. Panel data analysis is used to investigate changes and factors affecting cost containment at Taipei municipal hospitals from 1990 to 2001. The results show that the expansion of insured healthcare coverage (especially to the elderly and the treatment of more complicated types of diseases), and the increased competition (requiring the growth of new technology and the longer average length of stay) are important driving forces behind the increase of hospital costs, directly influenced by the advent of the NHI. Therefore, policymakers should emphasize health prevention activities and disease management programs for the elderly to improve cost containment. In addition, hospital managers should find ways to improve the hospital efficiency (shorten the LOS) to reduce excess services and medical waste. They also need to better understand their market position and acquire suitable new-tech equipment earlier, to be a leader, not a follower. Finally, policymakers should establish related benchmark indices for what drivers up hospital costs (micro-aspect) and to control healthcare expenditures (macro-level).

Improvement of remote monitoring on water quality in a subtropical reservoir by incorporating grammatical evolution with parallel genetic algorithms into satellite imagery.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li; Tan, Chih-Hung; Kao, Shuh-Ji; Wang, Tai-Sheng

2008-01-01

Parallel GEGA was constructed by incorporating grammatical evolution (GE) into the parallel genetic algorithm (GA) to improve reservoir water quality monitoring based on remote sensing images. A cruise was conducted to ground-truth chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration longitudinally along the Feitsui Reservoir, the primary water supply for Taipei City in Taiwan. Empirical functions with multiple spectral parameters from the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data were constructed. The GE, an evolutionary automatic programming type system, automatically discovers complex nonlinear mathematical relationships among observed Chl-a concentrations and remote-sensed imageries. A GA was used afterward with GE to optimize the appropriate function type. Various parallel subpopulations were processed to enhance search efficiency during the optimization procedure with GA. Compared with a traditional linear multiple regression (LMR), the performance of parallel GEGA was found to be better than that of the traditional LMR model with lower estimating errors.

Skill Development and Temperament in Kindergarten Children: A Cross-Cultural Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, Lisa K.

This study examines the relationship between temperament characteristics and skill manifestations or deficits in two groups of kindergarten children, one in Ohio and one in Taipei, Taiwan. Its purposes were to determine if such a relationship did exist and, if so, to see if it obtained cross-culturally. Teachers and parents assessed children on…

How place attachments influence recreation conflict and coping behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng-Ping Wang; Yin-Hsun. Chang

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how place attachment influences recreation conflict and coping behaviors based on the Transactional Stress/Coping Model. The interference between bikers and walkers in Bali Zon-An Park in Taipei County, Taiwan was investigated in May and June of 2007. A total of 384 valid questionnaires were collected.

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.

Uncertainty Quantification of Water Quality in Tamsui River in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, D.; Tsai, C.

2017-12-01

In Taiwan, modeling of non-point source pollution is unavoidably associated with uncertainty. The main purpose of this research is to better understand water contamination in the metropolitan Taipei area, and also to provide a new analysis method for government or companies to establish related control and design measures. In this research, three methods are utilized to carry out the uncertainty analysis step by step with Mike 21, which is widely used for hydro-dynamics and water quality modeling, and the study area is focused on Tamsui river watershed. First, a sensitivity analysis is conducted which can be used to rank the order of influential parameters and variables such as Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrate, Ammonia and Phosphorous. Then we use the First-order error method (FOEA) to determine the number of parameters that could significantly affect the variability of simulation results. Finally, a state-of-the-art method for uncertainty analysis called the Perturbance moment method (PMM) is applied in this research, which is more efficient than the Monte-Carlo simulation (MCS). For MCS, the calculations may become cumbersome when involving multiple uncertain parameters and variables. For PMM, three representative points are used for each random variable, and the statistical moments (e.g., mean value, standard deviation) for the output can be presented by the representative points and perturbance moments based on the parallel axis theorem. With the assumption of the independent parameters and variables, calculation time is significantly reduced for PMM as opposed to MCS for a comparable modeling accuracy.

The impact of pesticide suicide on the geographic distribution of suicide in Taiwan: a spatial analysis

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Chang Shu-Sen

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pesticide self-poisoning is the most commonly used suicide method worldwide, but few studies have investigated the national epidemiology of pesticide suicide in countries where it is a major public health problem. This study aims to investigate geographic variations in pesticide suicide and their impact on the spatial distribution of suicide in Taiwan. Methods Smoothed standardized mortality ratios for pesticide suicide (2002-2009 were mapped across Taiwan's 358 districts (median population aged 15 or above = 27 000, and their associations with the size of agricultural workforce were investigated using Bayesian hierarchical models. Results In 2002-2009 pesticide poisoning was the third most common suicide method in Taiwan, accounting for 13.6% (4913/36 110 of all suicides. Rates were higher in agricultural East and Central Taiwan and lower in major cities. Almost half (47% of all pesticide suicides occurred in areas where only 13% of Taiwan's population lived. The geographic distribution of overall suicides was more similar to that of pesticide suicides than non-pesticide suicides. Rural-urban differences in suicide were mostly due to pesticide suicide. Areas where a higher proportion of people worked in agriculture showed higher pesticide suicide rates (adjusted rate ratio [ARR] per standard deviation increase in the proportion of agricultural workers = 1.58, 95% Credible Interval [CrI] 1.44-1.74 and overall suicide rates (ARR = 1.06, 95% CrI 1.03-1.10 but lower non-pesticide suicide rates (ARR = 0.91, 95% CrI 0.87-0.95. Conclusion Easy access to pesticides appears to influence the geographic distribution of suicide in Taiwan, highlighting the potential benefits of targeted prevention strategies such as restricting access to highly toxic pesticides.

Oral treatment with herbal formula B307 alleviates cardiac failure in aging R6/2 mice with Huntington’s disease via suppressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis

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Lin CL

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Ching-Lung Lin,1 Sheue-Er Wang,2 Chih-Hsiang Hsu,1 Shuenn-Jyi Sheu,3 Chung-Hsin Wu1 1Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 2Department of Pathological Inspection, Soeurs de Saint Paul de Chartres Medical Corporate Body, Taoyuan City, 3Brion Research Institute of Taiwan, New Taipei City, Taiwan Abstract: Cardiac failure is often observed in aging patients with Huntington’s disease (HD. However, conventional pharmacological treatments for cardiac failure in HD patients have rarely been studied. Chinese herbal medicines, especially combined herbal formulas, have been widely used to treat cardiac dysfunctions over the centuries. Thus, we assess whether oral treatment with herbal formula B307 can alleviate cardiac failure in transgenic mice with HD. After oral B307 or vehicle treatment for 2 weeks, cardiac function and cardiomyocytes in 12-week-old male R6/2 HD mice and their wild-type littermate controls (WT were examined and then compared via echocardiography, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. We found that cardiac performance in aging R6/2 HD mice had significantly deteriorated in comparison with their WT (P<0.01. Cardiac expressions of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2 and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2 in aging R6/2 HD mice were significantly lower than their WT (P<0.01, but cardiac expressions of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, neurotrophin-3 (3-NT, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax, calpain, caspase 12, caspase 9, and caspase 3 of aging R6/2 HD mice were significantly higher than their WT (P<0.05. Furthermore, we found that cardiac performance in aging R6/2 HD mice had significantly improved under oral B307 treatment (P<0.05. Cardiac expressions of SOD2 and Bcl-2 of aging R6/2 HD mice were significantly higher under oral B307 treatment (P<0.01, but cardiac expressions of TNF-α, 3-NT, 4-HNE, Bax, calpain, caspase 12, caspase 9, and caspase 3 of aging R6/2 HD mice were significantly

Comorbidity and confounding factors in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and sleep disorders in children

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Huang YS

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Ya-Wen Jan1,2, Chien-Ming Yang1,3, Yu-Shu Huang4,51Department of Psychology, National Cheng-Chi University, Taipei; 2Sleep Center of Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei; 3The Research Center for Mind Brain and Learning, National Cheng-Chi University, Taipei; 4Department of Child Psychiatry and Sleep Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan; 5College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, TaiwanAbstract: Sleep problems are commonly reported in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD symptoms. Research data regarding the complex and reciprocal relationship between ADHD and sleep disturbances has now accumulated. This paper is focused on the types of sleep problems that are associated with ADHD symptomatology, and attempts to untangle confounding factors and overlapping symptoms. The goal is also to present an updated overview of the pathophysiology of and treatment strategies for sleep problems in children with ADHD. The review also points out that future research will be needed to clarify further the other psychiatric comorbidities and side effects of medication in order to improve treatment outcomes and prevent misdiagnosis in clinical practice.Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sleep, children 

A Nine-Year Follow-up Study of Sleep Patterns and Mortality in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsi-Chung; Su, Tung-Ping; Chou, Pesus

2013-01-01

Study Objectives: To simultaneously explore the associations between mortality and insomnia, sleep duration, and the use of hypnotics in older adults. Design: A fixed cohort study. Setting: A community in Shih-Pai area, Taipei, Taiwan. Participants: A total of 4,064 participants over the age of 65 completed the study. Intervention: N/A. Measurements and Results: Insomnia was classified using an exclusionary hierarchical algorithm, which categorized insomnia as “no insomnia,” “subjective poor sleep quality,” “Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5 insomnia,” “1-month insomnia disorder,” and “6-month insomnia disorder.” The main outcome variables were 9-year all-cause mortality rates. In the all-cause mortality analyses, when hypnotic use, depressive symptoms and total sleep time were excluded from a proportional hazards regression model, subjects with “Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5 insomnia” had a higher mortality risk (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01-1.45). In the full model, frequent hypnotic use and long sleep duration predicted higher mortality rates. However, the increased mortality risk for subjects with “Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5 insomnia” was not observed in the full model. On the contrary, individuals with a 6-month DSM-IV insomnia disorder had a lower risk for premature death (HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.96). Conclusions: Long sleep duration and frequent hypnotics use predicted an increased mortality risk within a community-dwelling sample of older adults. The association between insomnia and mortality was affected by insomnia definition and other parameters related to sleep patterns. Citation: Chen HC; Su TP; Chou P. A nine-year follow-up study of sleep patterns and mortality in community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. SLEEP 2013;36(8):1187-1198. PMID:23904679

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.

Optimal Installation Locations for Automated External Defibrillators in Taipei 7-Eleven Stores: Using GIS and a Genetic Algorithm with a New Stirring Operator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung-Yuan Huang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Immediate treatment with an automated external defibrillator (AED increases out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA patient survival potential. While considerable attention has been given to determining optimal public AED locations, spatial and temporal factors such as time of day and distance from emergency medical services (EMSs are understudied. Here we describe a geocomputational genetic algorithm with a new stirring operator (GANSO that considers spatial and temporal cardiac arrest occurrence factors when assessing the feasibility of using Taipei 7-Eleven stores as installation locations for AEDs. Our model is based on two AED conveyance modes, walking/running and driving, involving service distances of 100 and 300 meters, respectively. Our results suggest different AED allocation strategies involving convenience stores in urban settings. In commercial areas, such installations can compensate for temporal gaps in EMS locations when responding to nighttime OHCA incidents. In residential areas, store installations can compensate for long distances from fire stations, where AEDs are currently held in Taipei.

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.)

[The Promotion of Resources Integration in Long-Term Care Service: The Experience of Taipei City Hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Meng-Ping; Huang, Chao-Ming; Sun, Wen-Jung; Shih, Chih-Yuan; Hsu, Su-Hsuan; Huang, Sheng-Jean

2018-02-01

The home-based medical care integrated plan under Taiwan National Health Insurance has changed from paying for home-based medical care, home-based nursing, home-based respiratory treatment, and palliative care to paying for a single, continuous home-based care service package. Formerly, physician-visit regulations limited home visits for home-based nursing to providing medical related assessments only. This limitation not only did not provide practical assistance to the public but also caused additional problems for those with mobility problems or who faced difficulties in making visits hospital. This 2016 change in regulations opens the door for doctors to step out their 'ivory tower', while offering the public more options to seek medical assistance in the hope that patients may change their health-seeking behavior. The home-based concept that underlies the medical service system is rooted deeply in the community in order to set up a sound, integrated model of community medical care. It is a critical issue to proceed with timely job handover confirmation with the connecting team and to provide patients with continuous-care services prior to discharge through the discharge-planning service and the connection with the connecting team. This is currently believed to be the only continuous home-based medical care integrated service model in the world. This model not only connects services such as health literacy, rehabilitation, home-based medical care, home-based nursing, community palliative care, and death but also integrates community resources, builds community resources networks, and provides high quality community care services.

Teachers' perceptions and actions in carrying out communication policies in a public school for the deaf.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsing, M H; Lowenbraun, S

1997-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' opinions on school communication policies in a public school for the Deaf in Taipei, Taiwan. Specifically, the authors examined how teachers carried out communication policies, and examined possible discrepancies between teachers' perceptions of their communication methods and the methods they actually used in the classroom. Questionnaires were distributed to all 120 teachers at Taipei Municipal School for the Deaf. Thirteen of the 85 respondents were selected as subjects for personal interviews followed by direct classroom observation and videotaping. Sixteen deaf high school seniors at the school were interviewed concerning their opinions about the teachers' communication modes and abilities, and about the communication modes the students experienced.

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.

Mid-arm and calf circumferences are stronger mortality predictors than body mass index for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho SC

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Shu-Chuan Ho,1,2 Jiun-Yi Wang,3,4 Han-Pin Kuo,5 Chien-Da Huang,5 Kang-Yun Lee,2,6 Hsiao-Chi Chuang,1,2 Po-Hao Feng,2,6 Tzu-Tao Chen,2,* Min-Fang Hsu7,* 1School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, 2Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, 3Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Wufeng, 4Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 5Department of Thoracic Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 6Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 7Department of Nursing, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu City, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is currently the third most common cause of death in the world. Patients with COPD experience airflow obstruction, weight loss, skeletal muscle dysfunction, and comorbidities. Anthropometric indicators are risk factors for mortality in geriatric assessment. Purpose: This study examined and compared the associations of anthropometric indicators, such as low body mass index (BMI, low mid-arm circumference (MAC, and low calf circumference (CC, with the prediction of a 3-year follow-up mortality risk in patients with COPD. Methods: We recruited nonhospitalized patients with COPD without acute conditions from a general hospital in Taiwan. The BMI, MAC, and CC of all patients were measured, and they were followed for 3 years through telephone interviews and chart reviews. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves stratified by BMI, MAC, and CC were analyzed. Variables univariately associated with survival were entered into a multivariate Cox regression model. The Bayesian information criterion was used to compare the predictive ability of the three anthropometric

Possible association between phantom vibration syndrome and occupational burnout

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Chen CP

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Chao-Pen Chen,1 Chi-Cheng Wu,2 Li-Ren Chang,3 Yu-Hsuan Lin4 1Department of Education, National Taiwan University Hospital, 2Department of Family Medicine, Min-Sheng General Hospital, Taoyuan City, 3Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, 4Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Background: Phantom vibration syndrome (PVS and phantom ringing syndrome (PRS occur in many cell phone users. Previous studies have indicated an association between PVS/PRS and job stress. The aim of this study was to determine if PVS/PRS were also associated with occupational burnout.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 384 employees of a high-tech company in northern Taiwan. They all completed a phantom vibration and ringing questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Chinese version of the Occupational Burnout Inventory.Results: Significantly more women and people with at least a college education were in the population with PRS and PVS, respectively. Anxiety and depression had no associations with PVS/PRS. Higher scores for personal fatigue, job fatigue, and service target fatigue had an independent impact on the presence of PVS, but only a higher score for service target fatigue had an independent impact on the presence of PRS.Conclusion: The independent association between work-related burnout and PVS/PRS suggests that PVS/PRS may be a harbinger of mental stress or a component of the clinical burnout syndrome, and may even be a more convenient and accurate predictor of occupational burnout. Keywords: phantom vibration syndrome, phantom ringing syndrome, occupational burnout

Proteasome activity related with the daily physical activity of COPD patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee KY

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Kang-Yun Lee,1,2,* Tzu-Tao Chen,1,* Ling-Ling Chiang,1,3 Hsiao-Chi Chuang,1,3 Po-Hao Feng,1,2 Wen-Te Liu,1–3 Kuan-Yuan Chen,1 Shu-Chuan Ho1,3 1Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, 2Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 3School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: COPD is a debilitating disease that affects patients’ daily lives. One’s daily physical activity (DPA decreases due to multifactorial causes, and this decrease is correlated with a poor prognosis in COPD patients. Muscle wasting may at least be partly due to increased activity of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway and apoptosis.Methods: This study investigated the relationships among DPA, circulating proteasome activity, and protein carbonyl in COPD patients and healthy subjects (HSs. This study included 57 participants (42 patients and 15 healthy subjects. Ambulatory DPA was measured using actigraphy, and oxygen saturation was measured with a pulse oximeter.Results: COPD patients had lower DPA, lower 6 min walking distance (6MWD, lower delta saturation pulse oxygenation (SpO2 during the 6MWT, and lower delta SpO2 during DPA than HSs. COPD patients had higher proteasome activity and protein carbonyl than HSs. Circulating proteasome activity was significantly negatively correlated with DPA (r=−0.568, P<0.05 in COPD patients, whereas delta SpO2 during the 6MWT was significantly positively correlated with proteasome activity (r=0.685, P<0.05 in HSs. Protein carbonyl was significantly negatively correlated with the body mass index (r=−0.318, P<0.05, mid-arm circumference (r=0.350, P<0.05, calf circumference (r=0.322, P<0.05, forced expiratory volume in the first second (r=−0.441, P<0

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

Medical Leaders in Taiwan During Japanese Colonization

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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.

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Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

I t was a great moment for Indians, when we got three gold and three silver medals in the 39th International Mathemat- ical Olympiad, held in Taipei, Taiwan in July '98. It was well organised in almost all aspects. First of all, the prob- lems in the final paper were of good standard. We had nice excursions, good cultural ...

8 October 2012 - Taipei Cultural and Economic Delegation, Geneva Office Ambassador A. Tah-Ray Yui visiting the LHC superconducting magnet test hall with International Relations Office Adviser R. Voss.

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2012-01-01

8 October 2012 - Taipei Cultural and Economic Delegation, Geneva Office Ambassador A. Tah-Ray Yui visiting the LHC superconducting magnet test hall with International Relations Office Adviser R. Voss.

Looking in a science classroom: exploring possibilities of creative cultural divergence in science teaching and learning

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Alex; Chen, Hsiao-Lan Sharon

2012-03-01

Worldwide proliferation of pedagogical innovations creates expanding potential in the field of science education. While some teachers effectively improve students' scientific learning, others struggle to achieve desirable student outcomes. This study explores a Taiwanese science teacher's ability to effectively enhance her students' science learning. The authors visited a Taipei city primary school class taught by an experienced science teacher during a 4-week unit on astronomy, with a total of eight, 90-minute periods. Research methods employed in this study included video capture of each class as well as reflective interviews with the instructor, eliciting the teacher's reflection upon both her pedagogical choices and the perceived results of these choices. We report that the teacher successfully teaches science by creatively diverging from culturally generated educational expectations. Although the pedagogical techniques and ideas enumerated in the study are relevant specifically to Taiwan, creative cultural divergence might be replicated to improve science teaching worldwide.

Huntsman takes a stake in Chemplex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, A.

1993-01-01

Huntsman Chemical (Salt Lake City) has bought a 50% stake in Australian styrenics maker Chemplex (Melbourne) from Consolidated Press Holdings (Sydney). Huntsman stepped in after a previous acquisition plan by South Africa's Sentrachem (Johannesburg) broke down because of a failure to agree on price. Chemplex has two production locations near Melbourne: West Footscray, with capacity for 100,000 m.t./year of styrene, plus polystyrene, phenol, and acetone; and Dandenong, with production of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and latex. The company was originally Monsanto Australia, before being acquired by Consolidated Press in 1988. The deal will give Huntsman its first major production position in the Asia/Pacific region, apart from a 50% stake in a 25,000-m.t./year polystyrene plant in Taiwan, with Grand Pacific Petrochemical (Taipei) as a partner. In 1991, Huntsman abandoned plans to invest in a 25,000-m.t./year polystyrene plant in Thailand with Mitsubishi Corp. and Toa (Bangkok). Huntsman Chemical has annual revenues of $1.3 billion

Earthquake insurance pricing: a risk-based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jeng-Hsiang

2018-04-01

Flat earthquake premiums are 'uniformly' set for a variety of buildings in many countries, neglecting the fact that the risk of damage to buildings by earthquakes is based on a wide range of factors. How these factors influence the insurance premiums is worth being studied further. Proposed herein is a risk-based approach to estimate the earthquake insurance rates of buildings. Examples of application of the approach to buildings located in Taipei city of Taiwan were examined. Then, the earthquake insurance rates for the buildings investigated were calculated and tabulated. To fulfil insurance rating, the buildings were classified into 15 model building types according to their construction materials and building height. Seismic design levels were also considered in insurance rating in response to the effect of seismic zone and construction years of buildings. This paper may be of interest to insurers, actuaries, and private and public sectors of insurance. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

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.

In vivo toxicologic study of larger silica nanoparticles in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chan WT

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Wai-Tao Chan,1–3 Cheng-Che Liu,4 Jen-Shiu Chiang Chiau,5 Shang-Ting Tsai,6 Chih-Kai Liang,6 Mei-Lien Cheng,5 Hung-Chang Lee,7,8 Chun-Yun Yeung,1,3,9 Shao-Yi Hou2,6 1Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, MacKay Children’s Hospital, 2Graduate Institute of Engineering Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, 3Mackay Medicine, Nursing, and Management College, 4Institute of Preventive Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 5Department of Medical Research, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, 6Graduate Institute of Biochemical and Biomedical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 7Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, 8Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 9Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs are being studied and used for medical purposes. As nanotechnology grows rapidly, its biosafety and toxicity have frequently raised concerns. However, diverse results have been reported about the safety of SiNPs; several studies reported that smaller particles might exhibit toxic effects to some cell lines, and larger particles of 100 nm were reported to be genotoxic to the cocultured cells. Here, we investigated the in vivo toxicity of SiNPs of 150 nm in various dosages via intravenous administration in mice. The mice were observed for 14 days before blood examination and histopathological assay. All the mice survived and behaved normally after the administration of nanoparticles. No significant weight change was noted. Blood examinations showed no definite systemic dysfunction of organ systems. Histopathological studies of vital organs confirmed no SiNP-related adverse effects. We concluded that 150 nm SiNPs were biocompatible and safe for in vivo use in mice. Keywords: in vivo, mice, silica nanoparticle, nanotoxicity

Structural design of Kaohsiung Stadium, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Hideyuki; Tanno, Yoshiro; Nakai, Masayoshi; Ohshima, Takashi; Suguichi, Akihiro; Lee, William H.; Wang, Jensen

2013-01-01

This paper presents an outline description of the structural design of the main stadium for the World Games held in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, in 2009. Three new design concepts, unseen in previous stadiums, were proposed and realized: “an open stadium”, “an urban park”, and “a spiral continuous form”. Based on the open stadium concept, simple cantilever trusses in the roof structure were arranged in a delicate rhythm, and a so-called oscillating hoop of steel tubes was wound around the top and bottom surfaces of a group of cantilever trusses to form a continuous spiral form. Also, at the same time by clearly grouping the structural elements of the roof structure, the dramatic effect of the urban park was highlighted by unifying the landscape and the spectator seating area to form the stadium facade. This paper specifically reports on the overview of the building, concepts of structural design, structural analysis of the roof, roof design, foundation design, and an outline of the construction.

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.

Factors affecting yearly and monthly visits to Taipei Zoo

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Ai-Tsen; Lin, Yann-Jou

2018-02-01

This study investigated factors affecting yearly and monthly numbers of visits to Taipei Zoo. Both linear and nonlinear regression models were used to estimate yearly visits. The results of both models showed that the "opening effect" and "animal star effect" had a significantly positive effect on yearly visits, while a SARS outbreak had a negative effect. The number of years had a significant influence on yearly visits. Results showed that the nonlinear model had better explanatory power and fitted the variations of visits better. Results of monthly model showed that monthly visits were significantly influenced by time fluctuations, weather conditions, and the animal star effect. Chinese New Year, summer vacation, numbers of holidays, and animal star exhibitions increased the number of monthly visits, while the number of days with temperatures at or below 15 °C, the number of days with temperatures at or above 30 °C, and the number of rainy days had significantly negative effects. Furthermore, the model of monthly visits showed that the animal star effect could last for over two quarters. The results of this study clarify the factors affecting visits to an outdoor recreation site and confirm the importance of meteorological factors to recreation use.

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

Determining estrogenic steroids in Taipei waters and removal in drinking water treatment using high-flow solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, C.-Y. [Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Hsu-Chou Road, Taipei (10055), Taiwan (China)]. E-mail: dbms@ntu.edu.tw; Wen, T.-Y. [Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Hsu-Chou Road, Taipei (10055), Taiwan (China); Wang, G.-S. [Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Hsu-Chou Road, Taipei (10055), Taiwan (China); Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Hsu-Chou Road, Taipei (10055), Taiwan (China); Cheng, H.-W. [Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Hsu-Chou Road, Taipei (10055), Taiwan (China); Lin, Y.-H. [Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Hsu-Chou Road, Taipei (10055), Taiwan (China); Lien, G.-W. [Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Hsu-Chou Road, Taipei (10055), Taiwan (China)

2007-06-01

River water and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents from metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan were tested for the presence of the pollutants estrone (E{sub 1}), estriol (E{sub 3}), 17{beta}-estradiol (E{sub 2}), and 17{alpha}-ethinylestradiol (EE{sub 2}) using a new methodology that involves high-flow solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The method was also used to investigate the removal of the analytes by conventional drinking water treatment processes. Without adjusting the pH, we extracted 1-L samples with PolarPlus C{sub 18} Speedisks under a flow rate exceeding 100 mL/min, in which six samples could be done simultaneously using an extraction station. The adsorbent was washed with 40% methanol/60% water and then eluted by 50% methanol/50% dichloromethane. The eluate was concentrated until almost dry and was reconstituted by 20 {mu}L of methanol. Quantitation was done by LC-MS/MS-negative electrospray ionization in the selected reaction monitoring mode with isotope-dilution techniques. The mobile phase was 10 mM N-methylmorpholine aqueous solution/acetonitrile with gradient elution. Mean recoveries of spiked Milli-Q water were 65-79% and precisions were within 2-20% of the tested concentrations (5.0-200 ng/L). The method was validated with spiked upstream river water; precisions were most within 10% of the tested concentrations (10-100 ng/L) with most RSDs < 10%. LODs of the environmental matrixes were 0.78-7.65 ng/L. A pre-filtration step before solid-phase extraction may significantly influence the measurement of E{sub 1} and EE{sub 2} concentrations; disk overloading by water matrix may also impact analyte recoveries along with ion suppression. In the Taipei water study, the four steroid estrogens were detected in river samples (ca. 15 ng/L for E{sub 2} and EE{sub 2} and 35-45 ng/L for E{sub 1} and E{sub 3}). Average levels of 19-26 ng/L for E{sub 1}, E{sub 2}, and EE{sub 2} were detected in most wastewater effluents

Influences of fireworks on chemical characteristics of atmospheric fine and coarse particles during Taiwan's Lantern Festival

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Hsieh-Hung; Chien, Li-Hsing; Yuan, Chung-Shin; Lin, Yuan-Chung; Jen, Yi-Hsiu; Ie, Iau-Ren

2012-12-01

In recent years, the celebration activities of various folk-custom festivals have been getting more and more attention from the citizens in Taiwan. Festivities throughout the whole island are traditionally accompanied by loud and brightly colored firework displays. Among these activities, the firework displays during Taiwan's Lantern Festival in Kaohsiung harbor is one of the largest festivals in Taiwan each year. Therefore, it is of importance to investigate the influence of fireworks displays on the ambient air quality during the Taiwan's Lantern Festival. Field measurements of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) were conducted on February 9th-11th, 2009 during Taiwan's Lantern Festival in Kaohsiung City. Moreover, three kinds of fireworks powders obtained from the same manufacturing factory producing Kaohsiung Lantern Festival fireworks were burned in a self-designed combustion chamber to determine the physicochemical properties of the fireworks' particles and to establish the source profile of firework burning. Several metallic elements of PM during the firework display periods were notably higher than those during the non-firework periods. The concentrations of Mg, K, Pb, and Sr in PM2.5 during the firework periods were 10 times higher than those during the non-firework periods. Additionally, the Cl-/Na+ ratio was approximately 3 during the firework display periods as Cl- came from the chlorine content of the firework powder. Moreover, the OC/EC ratio increased up to 2.8. Results obtained from PCA and CMB receptor modeling showed that major sources of atmospheric particles during the firework display periods in Kaohsiung harbor were fireworks, vehicular exhausts, soil dusts and marine sprays. Particularly, on February 10th, the firework displays contributed approximately 25.2% and 16.6% of PM10 at two downwind sampling sites, respectively.

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.

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.

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...

Correlation between radioactivity and chemotherapeutics of the 111In-VNB-liposome in pharmacokinetics and biodistribution in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsai TH

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Wen-Chuan Lee1,*, Chih-Hsien Chang2,3,*, Chih-Min Huang1, Yu-Tse Wu1, Liang-Cheng Chen2, Chung-Li Ho2, Tsui-Jung Chang2, Te-Wei Lee2, Tung-Hu Tsai1,41Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 2Division of Isotope Application, Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taoyuan, 3Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 4Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: The combination of a radioisotope with a chemotherapeutic agent in a liposomal carrier (ie, Indium-111-labeled polyethylene glycol pegylated liposomal vinorelbine, [111In-VNB-liposome] has been reported to show better therapeutic efficiency in tumor growth suppression. Nevertheless, the challenge remains as to whether this therapeutic effect is attributable to the combination of a radioisotope with chemotherapeutics. The goal of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and correlation of Indium-111 radioactivity and vinorelbine concentration in the 111In-VNB-liposome.Methods: The VNB-liposome and 111In-VNB-liposome were administered to rats. Blood, liver, and spleen tissue were collected to determine the distribution profile of the 111In-VNB-liposome. A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry system and gamma counter were used to analyze the concentration of vinorelbine and radioactivity of Indium-111.Results: High uptake of the 111In-VNB-liposome in the liver and spleen demonstrated the properties of a nanosized drug delivery system. Linear regression showed a good correlation (r = 0.97 between Indium-111 radioactivity and vinorelbine concentration in the plasma of rats administered the 111In-VNB-liposome.Conclusion: A significant positive correlation between the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of 111Indium radioactivity and vinorelbine in blood, spleen

Running away experience and psychoactive substance use among adolescents in Taiwan: multi-city street outreach survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shi-Heng; Chen, Wen-Chun; Lew-Ting, Chih-Yin; Chen, Chuan-Yu; Chen, Wei J

2010-01-20

This study aimed to examine: 1) the relationship between being a runaway and the time since the first absconding event and adolescent substance use; 2) whether different kinds of psychoactive substances have a different temporal relationship to the first absconding event; and 3) whether the various reasons for the first absconding event are associated with different risks of substance use. Participants were drawn from the 2004-2006 nationwide outreach programs across 26 cities/towns in Taiwan. A total of 17,133 participants, age 12-18 years, who completed an anonymous questionnaire on their experience of running away and substances use and who were now living with their families, were included in the analysis. The lifetime risk of tobacco, alcohol, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use increased steadily from adolescents who had experienced a trial runaway episode (one time lasting or= 2 times or lasting > 1 day), when compared to those who had never ran away. Adolescents who had their first running away experience > 6 months previously had a greater risk of betel nut or illegal drug/inhalant use over the past 6-months than those with a similar experience within the last 6 months. Both alcohol and tobacco use were most frequently initiated before the first running away, whereas both betel nut and illegal drug/inhalant use were most frequently initiated after this event. When adolescents who were fleeing an unsatisfactory home life were compared to those who ran away for excitement, the risk of alcohol use was similar but the former tended to have a higher risk of tobacco, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use. More significant running away and a longer time since the first absconding experience were associated with more advanced substance involvement among adolescents now living in a family setting. Once adolescents had left home, they developed additional psychoactive substance problems, regardless of their reasons for running away. These findings have

Assessment of Eco-Environmental Stress in the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longyu Shi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Eco-environmental stress refers to the pressure borne by the environment in sustaining the pre-existing non-industrialized state and/or in counteracting adverse impacts caused by natural and human factors. The present article introduces the concept, research progress, and method for assessing eco-environmental stress. An eco-environmental stress index (ESI is established to assess the eco-environmental stress of 13 cities in the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone (hereafter referred to as the Economic Zone during the period from 2000 to 2010. The research provides a reference for the strategic planning of industrial development and environmental protection. The results show that the overall eco-environmental stress of the Economic Zone was slight and did not have significant change during the past 10 years. The cities with the most severe eco-environmental stress are distributed in the north and south of the Economic Zone. Most areas of Fujian Province have a low degree of eco-environmental stress, a situation that is being constantly improved. The regions with high atmospheric and water pollutant emissions are concentrated in the northern, middle, and southern coastal regions of the Economic Zone. The pollutant emissions of coastal cities are higher than those of inland cities. In the future, ecological restoration and compensation mechanisms should be established for regions where environmental protection and remediation is urgently needed.

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.

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.

Estimation of Lithological Classification in Taipei Basin: A Bayesian Maximum Entropy Method

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Meng-Ting; Lin, Yuan-Chien; Yu, Hwa-Lung

2015-04-01

In environmental or other scientific applications, we must have a certain understanding of geological lithological composition. Because of restrictions of real conditions, only limited amount of data can be acquired. To find out the lithological distribution in the study area, many spatial statistical methods used to estimate the lithological composition on unsampled points or grids. This study applied the Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME method), which is an emerging method of the geological spatiotemporal statistics field. The BME method can identify the spatiotemporal correlation of the data, and combine not only the hard data but the soft data to improve estimation. The data of lithological classification is discrete categorical data. Therefore, this research applied Categorical BME to establish a complete three-dimensional Lithological estimation model. Apply the limited hard data from the cores and the soft data generated from the geological dating data and the virtual wells to estimate the three-dimensional lithological classification in Taipei Basin. Keywords: Categorical Bayesian Maximum Entropy method, Lithological Classification, Hydrogeological Setting

Media alcohol advertising with drinking behaviors among young adolescents in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chuan-Yu; Huang, Hsueh-Yu; Tseng, Fang-Yi; Chiu, Yu-Chan; Chen, Wei J

2017-08-01

To investigate potential effects of alcohol ads in six major marketing channels on drinking behaviors among young adolescents in Taiwan. The data were derived from the Alcohol-Related Experiences among Children study. The baseline sample was comprised of 1926 seventh-eighth graders from 11 public middle schools in Taipei in 2010; follow-up was conducted one year later (follow-up rate=97%). Information concerning individual sociodemographics, family characteristics, exposure to media portrayals of drinking and alcohol ads on major marketing channels, and drinking experience was collected through web-based self-administered questionnaires. Complex survey analyses were used to evaluate the association estimates, with stratification by prior drinking experiences in childhood. Television, in-store displays, and websites are the three most common marketing channels for young adolescents to report past-month alcohol advertising exposure. With statistical adjustment for potential confounders and six market channels, exposure to alcohol ads on television was associated with subsequent increased drinking initiation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=2.62; 95% CI=1.14-6.02). For those who have initiated alcohol use in childhood, the exposure to ads on the web (aOR=1.50; 95% CI=1.04-2.15) and radio (aOR=2.58; 95% CI=1.60-4.15) may elevate subsequent risk of occasional drinking. Exposure to media drinking portrayals was not related to subsequent drinking behaviors in this sample. Our results demonstrated that the effects of alcohol advertising on drinking behaviors in early adolescence may differ by marketing channels. Preventive strategies targeting underage drinking should consider restraining marketing channels (e.g., websites and radio) from certain advertising content and placement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

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...

One patient with Sjogren’s syndrome presenting schizophrenia-like symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin CE

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Ching-En Lin1,2 1Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Tzu-Chi Hospital, Buddhist Medical Foundation, Taiwan, Republic of China; 2School of Medicine, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract: Comorbid depression in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome has been reported frequently, while comorbid psychosis in subjects with Sjogren’s syndrome has rarely been reported. Here we report a patient with Sjogren’s syndrome who presented with schizophrenia-like symptoms such as persecutory delusions and auditory hallucinations in contrast to her previous psychiatric presentations, which only included depression and anxiety. Keywords: mental illness, psychosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, schizophrenia

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,

Short-term effect of fine particulate air pollution on daily mortality: a case-crossover study in a tropical city, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Shang-Shyue; Chen, Chih-Cheng; Yang, Chun-Yuh

2014-01-01

Many studies have examined the short-term effects of air pollution on frequency of daily mortality over the past two decades. However, information on the relationship between levels of fine particles (PM(2.5)) and daily mortality is relatively sparse due to limited availability of monitoring data. Further the results are inconsistent. This study was undertaken to determine whether there was an association between PM(2.5) levels and daily mortality rate in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a large industrial city with a tropical climate. Daily mortality rate, air pollution parameters, and weather data for Kaohsiung were obtained for the period from 2006 through 2008. The relative risk of daily mortality occurrence was estimated using a time-stratified case-crossover approach, controlling for (1) weather variables, (2) day of the week, (3) seasonality, and (4) long-term time trends. For the single-pollutant model (without adjustment for other pollutants), no significant effects were found between PM(2.5) and frequency of daily mortality on warm days (≥25°C). On cool days, PM(2.5) showed significant correlation with increased risk of mortality rate for all causes and circulatory diseases in single-pollutant model. There was no indication of an association between PM(2.5) and deaths due to respiratory diseases. The relationship appeared to be stronger on cool days. This study provided evidence of associations between short-term exposure to PM(2.5) and elevated risk of death for all cause and circulatory diseases.

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...

The correlates of leisure time physical activity among an adults population from southern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yi-Ju; Huang, Ying-Hsiang; Lu, Feng-Hwa; Wu, Jin-Shang; Lin, Linda L; Chang, Chih-Jen; Yang, Yi-Ching

2011-06-03

Assessing the correlates of practicing physical activity during leisure time is important with regard to planning and designing public health strategies to increase beneficial behaviors among adult populations. Although the importance of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) is highlighted in many Western countries, there are not many publications on physical activity patterns, and even less on their correlates, in non-Western societies. The goal of this study was thus to explore the determinants influencing adults' leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in a city in southern Taiwan. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted in 2007, using a standardized questionnaire. Energy expenditure was dichotomized into two groups based on the recommended levels of moderate physical activity from LTPA: ≥10 or benefits of exercise (OR = 1.85;95%CI = 1.25-2.74), more sports media consumption (OR = 1.94;95%CI = 1.26-2.98), and higher self-efficacy (OR = 3.99;95%CI = 2.67-5.97) were more likely to engage in LTPA. Further analysis comparing different sources of social support showed only social support from friends had a significant positive association (OR = 1.73;95%CI = 1.14-2.63) with increased LTPA. LTPA in southern city of Taiwan showed some unique associations with age, socioeconomic status and media consumption that are not commonly reported in the Western World and similar associations with regards to psychosocial correlates of LTPA participation. Further studies from developing countries are warranted to highlight culture-specific differences in physical activity participation.

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...

Physics teaching in the medical schools of Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Jiann-wien; Hsu, Roy

2012-02-01

We describe and analyze the statistics of general physics and laboratory courses in the medical schools of Taiwan. We explore the development of the general physics curriculum for medical students of Taiwan. Also, an approach to designing a general physics course in combination with its application to medical sciences is proposed. We hope this preliminary study can provide a useful reference for physics colleagues in the medical schools of Taiwan to revolutionize the dynamics of teaching physics to the medical students of Taiwan. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cross-over architecture and the third generation city / Marco Casagrande

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Casagrande, Marco, 1971-

2008-01-01

Tuleviku linnaruumi võimalustest ja keskkonnatundlikest installatsioonidest Soomes, Jaapanis ja Taivanis. Taipei kunstiprojekti "Aarete mägi" ("The Treasure Hill") dokumentatsiooni esitleti 2006. aasta Veneetsia biennaalil

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.

Media's contribution to sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for adolescents and young adults in three Asian cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Chaohua; Cheng, Yan; Gao, Ersheng; Zuo, Xiayun; Emerson, Mark R; Zabin, Laurie S

2012-03-01

Evidence in western countries indicates that the media have associations with adolescents' and young people's sexual behavior that may be as important as family, school, and peers. In this new study of Asian adolescents and young adults in the three cities of Hanoi, Shanghai, and Taipei, the associations between exposure to sexual content in the media and adolescents' and young adults' sex-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors are explored in societies with traditional Confucian culture, but at different stages in the process of modernization. The data are from a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted from 2006 to 2007, where a sample of 17,016 adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years from Shanghai, Hanoi, and Taipei completed face-to-face interviews coupled with computer-assisted self-interviews for sensitive questions. For the objectives of this article, analysis was restricted to the 16,554 unmarried respondents. Exposure to sexual content in the mass media (including the Internet and traditional media), pornographic videos, and a preference for western/Asian movies/videos were the main media influence measures. Sex-related knowledge, premarital sexual permissiveness (PSP), and sex-related behaviors were the main outcome measures. The impact of each of four contexts including family, peer, school, and media on sex-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were assessed using multiple linear regression stratified by gender and city, controlling for age, urban/rural residence, education, and economic status. The change in adjusted R(2) from the multiple linear regression analysis was adopted to indicate the contribution of family, peer, school, and media variables to respondents' sex-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The contextual factors, including family, peer, school, and media, explained 30%-50% of the variance in sex-related knowledge, 8%-22% of the variance in PSP, and 32%-41% of the variance in sex-related behaviors

Filming Critical Female Perspectives: Edward Yang’s The Terrorizers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai-man Chang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available From his first film—a twenty-minute short, “Expectations” (1982—to his last—a three-hour masterpiece, 'Yi Yi' (2000—Edward Yang, one of the leading figures of the Taiwan New Cinema movement, devoted his career to portraying the impact of neoliberal capitalism on the lives of the citizens of Taipei. Interestingly, Yang’s films often employ female perspectives to criticize Taiwan’s education system and transnational corporations for perpetuating neoliberal capitalism’s ideology of self-fulfillment and upward mobility. This paper draws upon feminist film theory to investigate the ways in which Yang’s third feature, 'The Terrorizers' (1986, utilizes various innovative cinematic languages to engender a multitude of women’s perspectives to expose male voyeurism and ultimately criticize the impact of neoliberal capitalism in Taipei.

Application of INCSEA principles to the Taiwan Strait.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen-Chung, Chai (Taiwan Navy, Taiwan)

2003-06-01

The waters surrounding Taiwan are important international waterways. In addition to merchant ships of every nation, the warships of the United States, Japan, Russia, and China may appear in these waters. No hostility is expected between Taiwan and the United States, Japan, or Russia; however, Taiwan and China have a tense relationship, and both sides face a potential for naval incidents. As Taiwan and China expand their naval capability, the International Maritime Organization Convention for the lnternational Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea may not be sufficient to prevent naval incidents, any of which might develop into conflict or war. Therefore, China and Taiwan need to develop maritime confidence building measures (CBMs) that could reduce the chance of naval incidents and strengthen mutual trust and confidence. Among the variety of maritime CBM concepts for military purposes, the most successful and effective measure has been the 1972 U.S.-Soviet Union Agreement on the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). The success of the agreement demonstrates that CBMs represent a workable alternative to traditional arms controls. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a concrete approach to the constraint of naval activities between China and Taiwan to reduce accidents and misunderstandings. This paper outlines the categories and characteristics of incidents at sea. Next, the author identifies the successful factors of the U.S.-Soviet INCSEA and applies the INCSEA concept to the Taiwan Strait. Finally, the author develops a framework of options and a step-by-step approach for establishing an INCSEA between Taiwan and China.

Transformation of Taiwan’s Reserve Force

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

benefited tremen- dously from their deep knowledge across the range of issues associated with reserve force reforms generally, and reserve force...Penghu Wude Joint Counter Amphibious Exercise [澎湖五德聯信聯合反登陸操演],” 2013. 18 For details on Taiwan’s short-range air defense capabilities, see Kuo Wen ...opinion/national-service-for-the-21st-century Kuo Wen -liang, National Defense Education: Defense Science and Technology [全民國防教育國防科技], Taipei: NWCD

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.

Knowledge and practices of caries prevention among Taiwanese dentists attending a national conference

OpenAIRE

Tzu-Hsien Lin; Tien-Yu Hsieh; Alice M. Horowitz; Ker-Kong Chen; Shiu-Shiung Lin; Yi-Jen Lai; Feng-Ying Hsiao; Chin-Shun Chang

2010-01-01

Background/purpose: This study was carried out to evaluate Taiwanese dentists’ knowledge and practice towards preventive dental care. Materials and methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted at the nationwide annual dental congress in 2008 in Taipei, Taiwan. Dentists’ knowledge about preventive dentistry was assessed based on their responses to 19 statements. Dentists’ attitudes towards preventive dentistry were assessed based on responses to the effectiveness of 16 preventive procedure...

Preface to Special Topic: Selected Papers from the 5th International Conference on Optofluidics

OpenAIRE

Fan, Shih-Kang; Yang, Zhenchuan

2016-01-01

The 5th International Conference on Optofluidics (Optofluidics 2015) was held in Taipei, Taiwan, July 26–29, 2015. The aim of this conference was to provide a forum to promote scientific exchange and to foster closer networks and collaborative ties between leading international researchers in optics and micro/nanofluidics across various disciplines. The scope of Optofluidics 2015 was deliberately broad and interdisciplinary, encompassing the latest advances and the most innovat...

Domain Name Server Security (DNSSEC) Protocol Deployment

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

Platform How IPv6 and DNSSEC Change the Intranets OARC Workshop San Francisco, March 2011 Materials available at: https://indico.dns-oarc.net...DNSSEC In Operation NIC .sn The Mensa project - Measuring DNS Health and Security How IPv6 and DNSSEC change the Intranets DNSSEC Update for DE...Technical Concerns Raised by the DNS Filtering Requirements in the PROTECT IP Bill Global IPv6 Summit, Taipei, Taiwan, November 2011 TWCERT/CC

From the Organizational Operations to Explore the Development of Institutional Citizen Journalism in Taiwan: Using Four News Organizations as Examples

OpenAIRE

Yu-Ling Lin

2015-01-01

This study adopts multiple methods to examine four different-operated citizen websites of news organizations in Taiwan, in order to understand the development of institutional citizen journalism. It finds that structural factors of news organizations (such as orientation of the company, ownership, production model, staffing, etc.) will affect the design and operation of citizen websites. On the surface, no matter what size of company, four news organizations accord with the ideal of citi...

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.

Drug-resistant colon cancer cells produce high carcinoembryonic antigen and might not be cancer-initiating cells

OpenAIRE

Lee HC; Ling QD; Yu WC; Hung CM; Kao TC; Huang YW; Higuchi A

2013-01-01

Hsin-chung Lee,1,2 Qing-Dong Ling,1,3 Wan-Chun Yu,4 Chunh-Ming Hung,4 Ta-Chun Kao,4 Yi-Wei Huang,4 Akon Higuchi3–51Graduate Institute of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan, 2Department of Surgery, Cathay General Hospital, Da'an District, Taipei, 3Cathay Medical Research Institute, Cathay General Hospital, Hsi-Chi City, Taipei, 4Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan, Taiwa...

Running injuries and associated factors in participants of ING Taipei Marathon.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Wei-Ling; Shih, Yi-Fen; Chen, Wen-Yin

2012-08-01

To investigate the distribution of lower extremity running injuries and their associated factors. Descriptive and exploratory study. 1004 participants of the 2005 ING Taipei International Marathon. We used a self-developed questionnaire to collect data of previous running injuries and applied multivariate logistic regression modeling to examine relationships between these injuries and associated factors. Of the 893 valid questionnaires, 396 (44.4%) reported having previous lower extremity pain related to running. Knee joint pain was the most common problem (32.5%). Hip pain was associated with the racing group, training duration, and medial arch support. Use of knee orthotics (P = 0.002) and ankle braces (P = 0.007) was related to a higher rate of knee and ankle pain. Participants of the full marathon group who practiced on a synthetic track had a higher incidence of ankle pain. A training duration of >60 min was linked to an increased rate of foot pain (P = 0.003). Our data indicated that running injuries were associated with training duration and use of orthotics. Clinicians can use this information in treating or preventing running associated injuries and pain. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National Identity, International Visitors: Narration and Translation of the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum

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Chia-Li Chen

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Although many museums nowadays provide multilingual services, translations in museums have not received enough attention from researchers. The issue of how ideology is embedded in museum texts is translated is particularly underresearched. Since museums are often important sites for tourists to learn about a nation, translation plays a pivotal role in mediating how international visitors construct the host nation’s identity. The translation of national identity is even more important when sensitive topics are dealt with, such as exhibitions of the past in memorial museums. This paper takes the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum as a case study to examine how Taiwanese identity is formatted in the Chinese text and reframed in the English translation. The current study found inconsistent historical perspectives embedded in both texts, particularly in the English translation. We argue that, without awareness of ideological assumptions embedded in translations, museums run the risk of sending unintended messages to international visitors.

Media’s Contribution to Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors for Adolescents and Young Adults in Three Asian Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Chaohua; Cheng, Yan; Gao, Ersheng; Zuo, Xiayun; Emerson, Mark R.; Zabin, Laurie S.

2014-01-01

Background Evidence in western countries indicates that the media have associations with adolescents’ and young people’ sexual behavior that may be as important as family, school and peers. In this new study of Asian adolescents and young adults in the three cities of Hanoi, Shanghai and Taipei, the associations between exposure to sexual content in the media and adolescents’ and young adults’ sex-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors are explored in societies with traditional Confucian culture, but at different stages in the process of modernization. Method The data are from a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted from 2006 to 2007 where a sample of 17,016 adolescents and young adults aged 15–24 years from Shanghai, Hanoi and Taipei completed face-to-face interviews coupled with computer-assisted self-interviews (CASI) for sensitive questions. For the objectives of this paper, analysis was restricted to the 16,554 unmarried respondents. Exposure to sexual content in the mass media (including the Internet and traditional media), pornographic videos, and a preference for western/Asian movies/videos were the main media influence measures. Sex-related knowledge, premarital sexual permissiveness, and sex-related behaviors were the main outcome measures. The impact of each of four contexts including family, peer, school and media on sex-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors were assessed using multiple linear regression stratified by gender and city, controlling for age, urban/rural residence, education and economic status. The change in adjusted R2 from the multiple linear regression analysis was adopted to indicate the contribution of family, peer, school and media variables to respondents’ sex-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Results The contextual factors, including family, peer, school and media, explained 30–50% of the variance in sex-related knowledge, 8–22% of the variance in premarital sexual permissiveness and

The warming trend of ground surface temperature in the Choshui Alluvial Fan, western central Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, W.; Chang, M.; Chen, J.; Lu, W.; Huang, C. C.; Wang, Y.

2013-12-01

Heat storage in subsurface of the continents forms a fundamental component of the global energy budget and plays an important role in the climate system. Several researches revealed that subsurface temperatures were being increased to 1.8-2.8°C higher in mean ground surface temperature (GST) for some Asian cities where are experiencing a rapid growth of population. Taiwan is a subtropic-tropic island with densely populated in the coastal plains surrounding its mountains. We investigate the subsurface temperature distribution and the borehole temperature-depth profiles by using groundwater monitoring wells in years 2000 and 2010. Our data show that the western central Taiwan plain also has been experiencing a warming trend but with a higher temperatures approximately 3-4 °C of GST during the last 250 yrs. We suggest that the warming were mostly due to the land change to urbanization and agriculture. The current GSTs from our wells are approximately 25.51-26.79 °C which are higher than the current surface air temperature (SAT) of 23.65 °C. Data from Taiwan's weather stations also show 1-1.5 °C higher for the GST than the SAT at neighboring stations. The earth surface heat balance data indicate that GST higher than SAT is reasonable. More researches are needed to evaluate the interaction of GST and SAT, and how a warming GST's impact to the SAT and the climate system of the Earth.

Running away experience and psychoactive substance use among adolescents in Taiwan: multi-city street outreach survey

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Lew-Ting Chih-Yin

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study aimed to examine: 1 the relationship between being a runaway and the time since the first absconding event and adolescent substance use; 2 whether different kinds of psychoactive substances have a different temporal relationship to the first absconding event; and 3 whether the various reasons for the first absconding event are associated with different risks of substance use. Methods Participants were drawn from the 2004-2006 nationwide outreach programs across 26 cities/towns in Taiwan. A total of 17,133 participants, age 12-18 years, who completed an anonymous questionnaire on their experience of running away and substances use and who were now living with their families, were included in the analysis. Results The lifetime risk of tobacco, alcohol, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use increased steadily from adolescents who had experienced a trial runaway episode (one time lasting ≤ 1 day, to those with extended runaway experience (≥ 2 times or lasting > 1 day, when compared to those who had never ran away. Adolescents who had their first running away experience > 6 months previously had a greater risk of betel nut or illegal drug/inhalant use over the past 6-months than those with a similar experience within the last 6 months. Both alcohol and tobacco use were most frequently initiated before the first running away, whereas both betel nut and illegal drug/inhalant use were most frequently initiated after this event. When adolescents who were fleeing an unsatisfactory home life were compared to those who ran away for excitement, the risk of alcohol use was similar but the former tended to have a higher risk of tobacco, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use. Conclusions More significant running away and a longer time since the first absconding experience were associated with more advanced substance involvement among adolescents now living in a family setting. Once adolescents had left home, they

Healing of Achilles tendon partial tear following focused shockwave: a case report and literature review

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Hsu YC

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Yu-Chun Hsu,1,* Wei-Ting Wu,2,* Ke-Vin Chang,2–4 Der-Sheng Han,2–4 Li-Wei Chou5–7 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Community and Geriatric Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, 3National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 4Community and Geriatric Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Bei-Hu Branch, Taipei, 5Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, 6Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, 7Department of Rehabilitation, Asia University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Achilles tendinopathy is a common cause of posterior heel pain and can progress to partial tendon tear without adequate treatment. Effects of traditional treatments vary, and many recent reports focus on the use of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT for Achilles tendinopathy but not for Achilles tendon partial tear. Here, we report the case of a 64-year-old female suffering from severe left heel pain for half a year. All treatment and rehabilitation were less effective until ESWT was applied. Each course of focused shockwave therapy included 2500 shots with energy flux density from 0.142 mJ/mm2 to 0.341 mJ/mm2. The visual analog scale decreased from nine to one degree. High-resolution musculoskeletal ultrasonography was performed before and 1 month after the treatment, which revealed healing of the torn region and decrease in inflammation. ESWT had shown to be an alternative treatment for Achilles tendon partial tear under safety procedure and ultrasound observation. Keywords: focused shockwave, Achilles tendon, partial tear, ultrasonography

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

Midazolam induces apoptosis in MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells through caspase activation and the involvement of MAPK signaling pathway

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So EC

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Edmund Cheung So,1,2 Yu-Xuan Lin,3 Chi Hao Tseng,1 Bo-Syong Pan,3 Ka-Shun Cheng,2 Kar-Lok Wong,2 Lyh-Jyh Hao,4 Yang-Kao Wang,5 Bu-Miin Huang2 1Department of Anesthesia, Tainan Municipal An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan; 2Department of Anesthesia, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 3Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kaohsiung Veteran General Hospital Tainan Branch Tainan, Taiwan; 5Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan Purpose: The present study aims to investigate how midazolam, a sedative drug for clinical use with cytotoxicity on neuronal and peripheral tissues, induced apoptosis in MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells. Methods: The apoptotic effect and underlying mechanism of midazolam to MA-10 cells were investigated by flow cytometry assay and Western blotting methods. Results: Data showed that midazolam induced the accumulation of the MA-10 cell population in the sub-G1 phase and a reduction in the G2/M phase in a time- and dose-dependent manner, suggesting an apoptotic phenomenon. Midazolam could also induce the activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3 and poly (ADP-ribose polymerase proteins. There were no changes in the levels of Bax and cytochrome-c, whereas Bid was significantly decreased after midazolam treatment. Moreover, midazolam decreased both pAkt and Akt expression. In addition, midazolam stimulated the phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Conclusion: Midazolam could induce MA-10 cell apoptosis through the activation of caspase cascade, the inhibition of pAkt pathway, and the induction of p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase pathways. Keywords: midazolam, apoptosis, MA-10 cell, caspase, Akt, MAPKs

Development of betulinic acid as an agonist of TGR5 receptor using a new in vitro assay

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Lo SH

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Shih-Hsiang Lo,1,2 Kai-Chung Cheng,3 Ying-Xiao Li,3,4 Chin-Hong Chang,4,5 Juei-Tang Cheng,4,6 Kung-Shing Lee7,8 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Zhongxing Branch of Taipei City Hospital, 2Department of History and Geography, University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Psychosomatic Internal Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan; 4Department of Medical Research, 5Department of Neurosurgery, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Yong Kang, 6Institute of Medical Science, College of Health Science, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, 7Department of Surgery, Pingtung Hospital, 8Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Background: G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1, also known as TGR5 is known to be involved in glucose homeostasis. In animal models, treatment with a TGR5 agonist induces incretin secretion to reduce hyperglycemia. Betulinic acid, a triterpenoid present in the leaves of white birch, has been introduced as a selective TGR5 agonist. However, direct activation of TGR5 by betulinic acid has not yet been reported. Methods: Transfection of TGR5 into cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1 cells was performed to establish the presence of TGR5. Additionally, TGR5-specific small interfering RNA was employed to silence TGR5 in cells (NCI-H716 cells that secreted incretins. Uptake of glucose by CHO-K1 cells was evaluated using a fluorescent indicator. Amounts of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and glucagon-like peptide were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Betulinic acid dose-dependently increases glucose uptake by CHO-K1 cells transfected with TGR5 only, which can be considered an alternative method instead of radioligand binding assay. Additionally, signals coupled to TGR5 activation are also

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

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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

Sex differences in relationships between metabolic syndrome components and factors associated with health-related quality of life in middle-aged adults living in the community: a cross-sectional study in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Cheng-Chieh; Chang, Hsiao-Ting; Chiang, Shu-Chiung; Chen, Harn-Shen; Lin, Ming-Hwai; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

2018-04-27

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a widespread condition with important effects on public health, in general. There is a lack of relevant research on possible sex differences in the relationship between MetS and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and also the sex differences in factors associated with HRQoL. The aims of this study were to identify: 1) whether women exhibit greater negative impacts on physical domain HRQoL from MetS compared with men; 2) whether women exhibit greater mental domain impacts compared with men; and 3) whether factors associated with HRQoL scores are different for men and women. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Taipei, Taiwan. Using random sampling, a total of 906 participants aged 35-55 years were recruited. MetS was defined according to the MetS criteria for the Taiwanese population, and HRQoL were assessed using physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores of the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Taiwan version. Demographics, physical activity, medical history, and blood tests as covariates were recorded and checked. The associations were assessed by multiple linear regression. After adjusting for covariates, women but not men with more components of MetS had significantly lower PCS scores (β = - 0.542, p = 0.036). The number of components of MetS was not a significant factor in MCS score differences between the sexes. Furthermore, there were sex differences regarding age, education level, physical activity, and smoking status in association with PCS scores. For MCS scores, sex differences were found in education level, marital status, and habits of smoking and alcohol consumption. There were sex differences in the relationships between metabolic syndrome components and factors associated with HRQoL among middle-aged adults living in the community in Taiwan. Further research should be conducted to investigate mechanisms of these sex differences.

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.

Profile and Instrumentation Driven Methods for Embedded Signal Processing

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

agnostic conventions for describing and organizing tests, and uses shell scripts and programs written in high-level languages to run and analyze these...relaxation (SOR), and lower tri- angular (TRI) transformation. A group of kernels running concurrently was defined as a benchmark; the 5-kernel, 6-kernel, and...Processing, Taipei, Taiwan, April 2009, pp. 565– 568. [75] Shuvra S. Bhattacharyya et al., “Heterogeneous concurrent modeling and design in java , volume 1

[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.

Effects of a selective educational system on fatigue, sleep problems, daytime sleepiness, and depression among senior high school adolescents in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen TY

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Tien-Yu Chen,1,2 Yu-Ching Chou,3 Nian-Sheng Tzeng,1,2,4 Hsin-An Chang,1,2,4 Shin-Chang Kuo,1,2,5 Pei-Yin Pan,1,2 Yi-Wei Yeh,1,2,5 Chin-Bin Yeh,1,2 Wei-Chung Mao1,2,6 1Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, 2School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, 3School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, 4Student Counseling Center, National Defense Medical Center, 5Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, 6Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Objective: The aim of the study reported here was to clarify the effects of academic pressure on fatigue, sleep problems, daytime sleepiness, and depression among senior high school adolescents in Taiwan. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 757 senior high school adolescents who were classified into four groups: Grade 1 (n=261, Grade 2 (n=228, Grade 3T (n=199; Grade 3 students who had another college entrance test to take, and Grade 3S (n=69; Grade 3 students who had succeeded in their college application. Fatigue, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and depression were assessed using the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory – Short Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-Taiwan Form, the Chinese version of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory®-II (BDI-II, respectively. Results: Physical, emotional, and mental fatigue scores were all higher in higher-grade groups. The Grade 3T (test students had the worst fatigue severity, and the Grade 3S (success students had the least fatigue severity. More than half of the students (60.9% went to bed after 12 am, and they had on average 6.0 hours of sleep per night. More than 30% of the students in Grade 2 (37.3% and Grades 3T/S (30.2%/30.4% possibly had daily sleepiness problems. The students in Grade 3T had the worst BDI-II score (13.27±9.24, and the Grade 3S

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.

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

A nine-year follow-up study of sleep patterns and mortality in community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsi-Chung; Su, Tung-Ping; Chou, Pesus

2013-08-01

To simultaneously explore the associations between mortality and insomnia, sleep duration, and the use of hypnotics in older adults. A fixed cohort study. A community in Shih-Pai area, Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 4,064 participants over the age of 65 completed the study. N/A. Insomnia was classified using an exclusionary hierarchical algorithm, which categorized insomnia as "no insomnia," "subjective poor sleep quality," "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5 insomnia," "1-month insomnia disorder," and "6-month insomnia disorder." The main outcome variables were 9-year all-cause mortality rates. In the all-cause mortality analyses, when hypnotic use, depressive symptoms and total sleep time were excluded from a proportional hazards regression model, subjects with "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5 insomnia" had a higher mortality risk (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01-1.45). In the full model, frequent hypnotic use and long sleep duration predicted higher mortality rates. However, the increased mortality risk for subjects with "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5 insomnia" was not observed in the full model. On the contrary, individuals with a 6-month DSM-IV insomnia disorder had a lower risk for premature death (HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.96). Long sleep duration and frequent hypnotics use predicted an increased mortality risk within a community-dwelling sample of older adults. The association between insomnia and mortality was affected by insomnia definition and other parameters related to sleep patterns.

Characteristics of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in the pulmonology clinics of seven Asian cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oh YM

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Yeon-Mok Oh,1 Arvind B Bhome,2 Watchara Boonsawat,3 Kirthi Dias Gunasekera,4 Dushantha Madegedara,5 Luisito Idolor,6 Camilo Roa,6 Woo Jin Kim,7 Han-Pin Kuo,8 Chun-Hua Wang,8 Le Thi Tuyet Lan,9 Li-Cher Loh,10 Choo-Khoon Ong,10 Alan Ng,11 Masaharu Nishimura,12 Hironi Makita,12 Edwin K Silverman,13 Jae Seung Lee,1 Ting Yang,14 Yingxiang Lin,14 Chen Wang,14 Sang-Do Lee1  1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Clinical Research Center for Chronic Obstructive Airway Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; 2Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care, "Friends of the Breathless" Foundation, Pune, India; 3Department of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; 4Central Chest Clinic, Colombo and National Hospital of Sri Lanka; 5Respiratory Disease Treatment Unit and Teaching Hospital Kandy, Sri Lanka; 6Section of Respiratory Services and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Lung Center of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines; 7Department of Internal Medicine, Kangwon National University, Kang Won, Korea; 8Department of Thoracic Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 9Respiratory Care Center, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 10Department of Medicine, Penang Medical College, Penang, Malaysia; 11Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore; 12Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan; 13Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; 14Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaAll authors made an equal contribution to this studyBackground and objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We evaluated the characteristics of stable COPD patients in

The Distribution and Habitats of the Pteris fauriei Complex in Taiwan

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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.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong S. Ko

2016-04-01

Full Text Available 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 with typhoon strength atmospheric forcing, we applied typhoon-resolving Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF model wind fields that significantly enhanced Fanapi-induced upwelling. Approaching Taiwan, Fanapi induces a cold wake spreading preferably on the right side of the essentially westward running track in the western Pacific. The three upwelling areas in the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait subsequently become expansive as Fanapi approaches and enters the Taiwan Strait. The mechanisms leading to normal or Fanapi-perturbed upwelling and circulation in seas around Taiwan, especially the latter two mentioned above, are suggested. In essence, Fanapi disrupts circulation in the Taiwan Strait, and also the Taiwan Strait outflow entering the East China Sea, leading to expanded upwelling areas. We also suggest that high-resolution wind and tides application is essential for the upwelling modeling study and also the general circulation in the region with and without typhoons.

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…

Assessing water resources vulnerability and resilience of southern Taiwan to climate change

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Ming-Hsu Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Water resources management has become more challenging in Taiwan due to rapid socio-economic development and the complications of climate change. This study developed a systematic procedure for assessing water resources vulnerability and resilience with an integrated tool, TaiWAP, including climate change scenarios, a weather generator, a hydrological model, and system dynamic models. Five assessment indicators, including two for vulnerability, two for resilience, and one for availability were used to quantify changes in water resources and improvements after implementing adaption measures. Each indicator was presented with 3 grades, namely low, medium, and high. Water resources vulnerability and resilience for Tainan City in southern Taiwan were evaluated. Insufficient water supply facilities capacity is the major weakness causing low resilience. Water resources allocation flexibility is limited by substantial agricultural water demands. A total of 9 adaption measures and combinations of measures were assessed. Desalination plant implementation can steadily supply public water to lessen system failure duration. Although agricultural water conservation and fallow land can greatly reduce water demand, fallow compensation is a potential cost. When food security is considered, reducing irrigation leakage will be a better adaption measure to both water and agriculture stakeholders. Both agriculture water conservation and cropping systems adjustment have cross-spatial flexibilities. The combination of desalination, reservoirs and public water conservation provide the most beneficial effects in reducing climate change impact.

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

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...

A Study of Sustainable Material Management Approach in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Mingchien; Chou Chenpei; Chen Yizih

2009-01-01

Sustainable material management (SMM) has been initiated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2005. SMM is an approach to promote resource conservation, reducing negative environmental impacts and preserving the natural capital of material and the balance of economic efficiency and social equity. Life cycle assessment and material flow analysis have been widely used to estimate the environmental impacts for resource consumption, but economic development has not been taken into account. Before 1984, improper garbage disposal was not an important issue in Taiwan. But over the past three decades, the Taiwan Government has accomplished not only waste disposal but also resource recycling, which are conducive to the essence of SMM. This study is the first research project to develop a SMM conceptual model for policy and strategy in Taiwan. SMM is the suitable waste management concept for the next era. This study reviewed the policy and strategy that has been applied in Taiwan's waste management, and compares the efficiency of waste management policy in Taiwan with the concept of SMM. A case study of the waste flow will be used to prove that the sustainable material policy can be a suitable management system to achieve sustainable development. This study will open a new chapter of research on global SMM for Taiwan.

A comparative study of the mobile population in Wuhan and other major cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Y

1997-01-01

This study examined population mobility among residents of 5 cities in China: Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Data were obtained from the 1995 Sample Survey of 1% of Wuhan Population and provincial Statistical Yearbooks. The total mobile population in China has increased from 20-80 million during 1982-95. Shanghai is the largest Chinese city. Beijing has a large proportion of international and internal migrants. Guangzhou is a capital city that was the first to adopt economic reforms. Migration fueled development in Shenzhen. A larger mobile population was related to larger population density. The mobile population was 20% in all cities, 30% of central city population, and 140.5% of the central city of Shenzhen. Beijing and Shanghai had the highest growth rates. Construction accounts for the largest percentage of business-related mobile population in Wuhan, Beijing, and Shanghai. Manufacturing accounts for the largest percentage in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Most of the mobile population in capital cities such as Wuhan and Guangzhou, originates from within the provinces. The largest percentage of mobile population in Beijing and Shanghai come from adjacent provinces. Guangzhou receives many migrants from adjacent Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. 47.8-78.8% of mobile population were farmers. More migrants are men. Educational levels are low. The mobile population contributes to industry and informational/cultural exchange. The migrants detract from urban areas in population pressure on housing and services, shortages of employment, illegal activities and crime, and unplanned births.

Association between maternal exposure to elevated ambient sulfur dioxide during pregnancy and term low birth weight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.-M.; Li, C.-Y.; Yang, G.-Y.; Mao, I.-F.

2004-01-01

This retrospective cohort study investigated whether the risk of delivering full term (37-44 completed weeks of gestation) low birth weight (LBW) infants is associated with differences in exposure to air pollutants in different trimesters. Full-term infants (37 completed weeks of gestation) with a birth weight below 2500 g were classified as term LBW infants. The study infants comprised 92,288 full-term live singletons identified from the Taiwan birth registry and born in the city of Taipei or Kaoshiung in Taiwan between 1995 and 1997. Maternal exposures to various air pollutants including CO, SO 2 , O 3 , NO 2 , and PM 10 in each trimester of pregnancy was estimated as the arithmetic means of all daily measurements taken by the air quality monitoring station nearest to the district of residence of the mother at birth. The multivariable logistic regression model with adjustment for potential confounders was used to assess the independent effect of specific air pollutants on the risk of term LBW. This study suggested a 26% increase in term LBW risk given maternal ambient exposure to SO 2 concentration exceeding 11.4 ppb during pregnancy compared to low exposure ( 12.4 ppb of SO 2 in the last trimester showed 20% higher risk (OR=1.20, 95% CI=1.01-1.41) of term LBW delivery than mothers with lower exposure (<6.8 ppb). No significant elevation ORs was observed for other air pollutants

Application of the balanced scorecard to an academic medical center in Taiwan: the effect of warning systems on improvement of hospital performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsueh-Fen; Hou, Ying-Hui; Chang, Ray-E

2012-10-01

The balanced scorecard (BSC) is considered to be a useful tool for management in a variety of business environments. The purpose of this article is to utilize the experimental data produced by the incorporation and implementation of the BSC in hospitals and to investigate the effects of the BSC red light tracking warning system on performance improvement. This research was designed to be a retrospective follow-up study. The linear mixed model was applied for correcting the correlated errors. The data used in this study were secondary data collected by repeated measurements taken between 2004 and 2010 by 67 first-line medical departments of a public academic medical center in Taipei, Taiwan. The linear mixed model of analysis was applied for multilevel analysis. Improvements were observed with various time lags, from the subsequent month to three months after red light warning. During follow-up, the red light warning system more effectively improved controllable costs, infection rates, and the medical records completion rate. This further suggests that follow-up management promotes an enhancing and supportive effect to the red light warning. The red light follow-up management of BSC is an effective and efficient tool where improvement depends on ongoing and consistent attention in a continuing effort to better administer medical care and control costs. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Which Are the “Best” Cities for Psychology Research Worldwide?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lutz Bornmann

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We present scientometric results about worldwide centers of excellence in psychology. Based on Web of Science data, scientific excellence can be identified for cities from where highly-cited papers originate. Data refer to all psychology articles published in 2007 which are documented in the Social Science Citation Index and to their citation frequencies from 2007 to May 2011. 218 cities are visualized with an article output of at least 50 in 2007. Statistical z tests are used for the evaluation of the degree to which an observed number of top-cited papers (top-10% for a city differs from the number expected on the basis of randomness in the selection of papers. The map points at excellence centers in cities at the East and West Coast of the USA as well as in Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Australia, and Taiwan. These results indicate that highly-cited psychological research articles come from the Anglo-American countries and some of the non-English European countries in which the number of English-language publications has increased during the last decades. Implications of the results for the publication strategies of psychologists in non-English speaking countries are discussed as well as the neccessity to care for qualitative criteria in evaluations in addition to quantitative, scientometric criteria.

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…

台灣「北區技專校院校際合作聯盟」圖書館資源共享之研究 A Study on Library Resources Sharing NATCU in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei-hwa Chen

2004-09-01

Full Text Available 「北區技專校院校際合作聯盟NATCU」於民國91年8月6日在台北技大學舉行締約儀式，由來自台灣北區包含台北、宜蘭、花蓮、新竹及桃園共37所技專校院的校長聯合簽立了承諾書，正式結盟。台灣技專校院在教學研究資源上遠不如綜合大學，有效整合北區技專圖書館資源提供師生共享，將可做為技專校院邁入高等教育之列的策略。當下圖書館聯盟儼然成為世界趨勢。研究結果發現整體性的策略規劃與團體內所有成員的共同努力，獲得教育部經費的補助是該聯盟發展上很重要的第一步，領導階層的勇氣、魄力與決心也是重要關鍵。文末歸納幾點建箴提供大家參考。Northern Alliance of Technical Colleges and Universities (NATCU is a collaborative consortium in the northern region of Taiwan. The ceremony was inaugurated on August 6, 2002 at Taipei Science and Technical University. The cooperative agreement signed by 37 Presidents of the members including the regions of Taipei, Yi-Lan, Hualian, Shin-chu and Tau-yuan. Most technical colleges and universities in Taiwan have far less resources in teaching and research than those of the general universities. To share library resources of the members effectively, it can be a strategy to provide greater resources for their faculty and students, while still being on the rank of higher education. Library Resources sharing is the trend of the world. The fundamental steps of the library consortium are to have an encompassing strategic plan, to have financial aid, and for all the members to participate fully and to the best of their ability. Another important factor in the success of the consortium is strong and decisive leader. Several remarks are inductive at the end in the hope that will have some helps for the NATCU.

Estimation of Seismic Ground Motions and Attendant Potential Human Fatalities from Scenario Earthquakes on the Chishan Fault in Southern Taiwan

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Kun-Sung Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to estimate maximum ground motions in southern Taiwan as well as to assess potential human fatalities from scenario earthquakes on the Chishan active faults in this area. The resultant Shake Map patterns of maximum ground motion in a case of Mw 7.2 show the areas of PGA above 400 gals are located in the northeastern, central and northern parts of southwestern Kaohsiung as well as the southern part of central Tainan, as shown in the regions inside the yellow lines in the corresponding figure. Comparing cities with similar distances located in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung to the Chishan fault, the cities in Tainan area have relatively greater PGA and PGV, due to large site response factors in Tainan area. Furthermore, seismic hazards in terms of PGA and PGV in the vicinity of the Chishan fault are not completely dominated by the Chishan fault. The main reason is that some areas located in the vicinity of the Chishan fault are marked with low site response amplification values from 0.55 - 1.1 and 0.67 - 1.22 for PGA and PGV, respectively. Finally, from estimation of potential human fatalities from scenario earthquakes on the Chishan active fault, it is noted that potential fatalities increase rapidly in people above age 45. Total fatalities reach a high peak in age groups of 55 - 64. Another to pay special attention is Kaohsiung City has more than 540 thousand households whose residences over 50 years old. In light of the results of this study, I urge both the municipal and central governments to take effective seismic hazard mitigation measures in the highly urbanized areas with a large number of old buildings in southern Taiwan.

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.

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.

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

Functional mobility and its contributing factors for older adults in different cities in Taiwan

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Sang-I. Lin

2017-02-01

Conclusion: Taiwanese older adults with mobility problems living in different cities performed differently in TUG and the contributing factors were also different. These findings indicate a need of further studies examining older adults in different environments.

Indole and synthetic derivative activate chaperone expression to reduce polyQ aggregation in SCA17 neuronal cell and slice culture models

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Kung PJ

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Pin-Jui Kung,1,* Yu-Chen Tao,1,* Ho-Chiang Hsu,1 Wan-Ling Chen,1 Te-Hsien Lin,1 Donala Janreddy,2 Ching-Fa Yao,2 Kuo-Hsuan Chang,3 Jung-Yaw Lin,1 Ming-Tsan Su,1 Chung-Hsin Wu,1 Guey-Jen Lee-Chen,1 Hsiu-Mei Hsieh-Li1 1Department of Life Science, 2Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: In spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17, the expansion of a translated CAG repeat in the TATA box binding protein (TBP gene results in a long polyglutamine (polyQ tract in the TBP protein, leading to intracellular accumulation of aggregated TBP and cell death. The molecular chaperones act in preventing protein aggregation to ameliorate downstream harmful events. In this study, we used Tet-On SH-SY5Y cells with inducible SCA17 TBP/Q79-green fluorescent protein (GFP expression to test indole and synthetic derivative NC001-8 for neuroprotection. We found that indole and NC001-8 up-regulated chaperone expression to reduce polyQ aggregation in neuronal differentiated TBP/Q79 cells. The effects on promoting neurite outgrowth and on reduction of aggregation on Purkinje cells were also confirmed with cerebellar primary and slice cultures of SCA17 transgenic mice. Our results demonstrate how indole and derivative NC001-8 reduce polyQ aggregation to support their therapeutic potentials in SCA17 treatment. Keywords: spinocerebellar ataxia type 17, TATA box binding protein, polyQ aggregation, indole and derivative, therapeutics

Sleep apnea and the subsequent risk of Parkinson’s disease: a 3-year nationwide population-based study

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Chou PS

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Ping-Song Chou,1 Chiou-Lian Lai,1–3 Yii-Her Chou,4,5,* Wei-Pin Chang6,* 1Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 2Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, 3Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, 4Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, 5Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 6School of Health Care Administration, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Sleep apnea (SA-induced chronic intermittent hypoxia increases oxidative stress and inflammation, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD. This study evaluated the risk of PD following SA diagnosis.Patients and methods: This was a 3-year nationwide population-based matched cohort study using claims data from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD, Taiwan. We analyzed 1,944 patients diagnosed as having SA between 1997 and 2005 and a matched cohort of 9,720 non-SA patients from the NHIRD. Patients with a history of PD were excluded. Each patient was followed up for 3 years to evaluate subsequent PD development.Results: Of the 11,664 patients, 17 (0.9% and 38 (0.4% from the SA and matched non-SA cohorts, respectively, were subsequently diagnosed as having PD during follow-up. After adjustments for potential confounders, the SA cohort had a 1.85-fold higher risk of PD than the non-SA cohort (95% confidence interval [CI] =1.02–3.35; P=0.042. After age and sex stratification, PD development was independently associated with SA only in men (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.26; 95% CI =1.11–4.63; P<0.05 and in patients aged ≥60 years (adjusted HR, 1.93; 95% CI =1.01–3.71; P<0.05.Conclusion: Our study suggests that patients with SA are at an increased longitudinal risk of PD. Furthermore, age and male sex are independently

Effect of media reporting of the suicide of a singer in Taiwan: the case of Ivy Li.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ying-Yeh; Tsai, Pei-Chen; Chen, Pao-Huan; Fan, Chun-Chieh; Hung, Galen Chin-Lun; Cheng, Andrew T A

2010-03-01

Suicide attempters are known to be vulnerable to the influence of media reporting of suicide events. This study investigates possible influences of media reporting of a celebrity suicide on subsequent suicide attempts and associated risk factors among suicide attempters. Sixty-three suicide attempters registered in a surveillance system of Taipei City Suicide Prevention Center were assessed using a structured interview soon after media reporting of the suicide of a young female singing star. Forty-three (68%) respondents had encountered with the suicide news. Among them, 37% reported being influenced by the media reporting on their subsequent suicide attempts. Men (adjusted OR 6.36, 95% CI 1.29-31.44) and younger age groups (adjusted OR 4.93, 95% CI 1.04-23.45) were more susceptible to the media reporting. There was a positive modeling effect in method of suicide (charcoal burning) (adjusted OR 7.27, 95% CI 6.31-168.66). This study has provided further evidence for suicide imitation among vulnerable people encountered with media reporting of celebrity suicide, and for the need to actively restrain reporting of suicides to decrease the imitation effect.

Drug utilization pattern of Chinese herbal medicines in a general hospital in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, L C; Wang, B R; Chou, Y C; Tien, J H

2005-09-01

Drug utilization studies are important for the optimization of drug therapy and have received a great attention in recent years. Most of the information on drug use patterns has been derived from studies in modern Western medicines; however, studies regarding the drug utilization of traditional Chinese medicine (CM) are few. The present study was the first clinical research to evaluate the drug utilization patterns of Chinese herbal medicines in a general hospital in Taiwan. Data were collected prospectively from the patients attending the Traditional Medicine Center of Taipei Veteran General Hospital under CM drug treatments. The study was carried out over a period of 1 year, from January 2002 to December 2002. Core drug use indicators, such as the average number of drugs per prescriptions, the dosing frequency of prescriptions, and the most common prescribed CM herbs and formulae were evaluated. The primary diagnosis and the CM drugs prescribed for were also revealed. All data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. A total of 10 737 patients, representing 52 255 CM drugs, were screened during the study period. Regarding the prescriptions, the average number of drugs per prescription was 4.87 and 37.21% of prescriptions were composed by five drugs. Most of prescriptions (91.38%) were prescribed for three times a day. The most often prescribed Chinese herb was Hong-Hwa (5.76%) and the most common Chinese herbal formula was Jia-Wey-Shiau-Yau-San (3.80%). The most frequent main diagnosis was insomnia (15.58%), followed by menopause (5.22%) and constipation (5.09%). The survey revealed the drug use pattern of CMs in a general hospital. The majority of CM prescriptions were composed by 3-6 drugs and often prescribed for three times a day. Generally, the rational drug uses of CM drugs were provided with respect to the various diagnoses. (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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....

Emerging strengths in Asia Pacific bioinformatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranganathan, Shoba; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Yang, Ueng-Cheng; Tan, Tin Wee

2008-12-12

The 2008 annual conference of the Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network (APBioNet), Asia's oldest bioinformatics organisation set up in 1998, was organized as the 7th International Conference on Bioinformatics (InCoB), jointly with the Bioinformatics and Systems Biology in Taiwan (BIT 2008) Conference, Oct. 20-23, 2008 at Taipei, Taiwan. Besides bringing together scientists from the field of bioinformatics in this region, InCoB is actively involving researchers from the area of systems biology, to facilitate greater synergy between these two groups. Marking the 10th Anniversary of APBioNet, this InCoB 2008 meeting followed on from a series of successful annual events in Bangkok (Thailand), Penang (Malaysia), Auckland (New Zealand), Busan (South Korea), New Delhi (India) and Hong Kong. Additionally, tutorials and the Workshop on Education in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (WEBCB) immediately prior to the 20th Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) Taipei Conference provided ample opportunity for inducting mainstream biochemists and molecular biologists from the region into a greater level of awareness of the importance of bioinformatics in their craft. In this editorial, we provide a brief overview of the peer-reviewed manuscripts accepted for publication herein, grouped into thematic areas. As the regional research expertise in bioinformatics matures, the papers fall into thematic areas, illustrating the specific contributions made by APBioNet to global bioinformatics efforts.

Seismic Observations in the Taipei Metropolitan Area Using the Downhole Network

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Win-Gee Huang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Underlain by soft soils, the Taipei Metropolitan Area (TMA experienced major damage due to ground-motion amplification during the Hualien earthquake of 1986, the Chi-Chi earthquake of 1999, the Hualien earthquake of 2002 and the Taitung earthquake of 2003. To study how a local site can substantially change the characteristics of seismic waves as they pass through soft deposits below the free surface, two complementary downhole seismic arrays have been operated in the TMA, since 1991 and 2008. The accelerometer downhole array is composed of eight boreholes at depths in excess of 300 meters. The downhole array velocity sensor collocated with accelerometer composed of four boreholes at depths up to 90 meters. The integrated seismic network monitors potential earthquakes originating from faults in and around the TMA and provides wide-dynamic range measurement of data ranging in amplitude from seismic background noise levels to damage levels as a result of shaking. The data sets can be used to address on the response of soft-soil deposits to ground motions. One of the major considerations is the nonlinear response of soft soil deposits at different levels of excitation. The collocated acceloerometer and velocity sensors at boreholes give the necessary data for studies of non-linearity to be acquired. Such measurements in anticipation of future large, damaging earthquakes will be of special importance for the mitigation of earthquake losses.

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...

Air pollution holiday effect in metropolitan Kaohsiung

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, P.; Chen, P. Y.

2014-12-01

Different from Taipei, the metropolitan Kaohsiung which is a coastal and industrial city has the major pollution sources from stationary sources such as coal-fired power plants, petrochemical facilities and steel plants, rather than mobile sources. This 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, over the Kaohsiung metropolitan area. We documented evidence of a "holiday effect", where concentrations of NOx, CO, NMHC, SO2 and PM10 were significantly different between holidays and non-holidays, in the Kaohsiung metropolitan area from daily surface measurements of seven air quality monitoring stations of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration during the Chinese New Year (CNY) and non-Chinese New Year (NCNY) periods of 1994-2010. Concentrations of the five pollutants were lower in the CNY than in the NCNY period, however, that of O3 was higher in the CNY than in the NCNY period and had no holiday effect. The exclusion of the bad air quality day (PSI > 100) and the Lantern Festival Day showed no significant effects on the holiday effects of air pollutants. Ship transportation data of Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau showed a statistically significant difference in the CNY and NCNY period. This difference was consistent with those found in air pollutant concentrations of some industrial and general stations in coastal areas, implying the possible impact of traffic activity on the air quality of coastal areas. Holiday effects of air pollutants over the Taipei metropolitan area by Tan et al. (2009) are also compared.

Contribution to a Revised Orchid Flora of Taiwan (IV

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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

Development of the Astronomy-Themed Interdisciplinary Curriculum At Taipei First Girls' High School

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, S.-C.; Jin, R.; Lai, S.-P.; Kong, A.; Chang, H.-K.; Wu, P.-H.

2014-07-01

With the advent of satellite-based telescopes and abundant data open to the public, senior high school students can now be allowed access to the latest observational data collected by those cutting-edge telescopes. Following the official guidelines for high school curricula in Taiwan, we designed a 24-hour, four-module curriculum, the themes of which are: properties of light and spectra, multi-wavelength observations, evolution of stars, and introduction to cosmology. The curriculum makes use of free online astronomical databases, software for data analysis, and teaching platforms. Many of the courses are inquiry-oriented, focusing on hands-on experiments and discussions. They can be taught separately in their own fields or combined to form research project courses as well. The curriculum development was funded by the National Science Council of Taiwan (High Scope Project) and supported by three institutes in universities. More than 700 students are participating in the pilot program. We are now promoting the curriculum to other schools, with a hope to encourage students to carry out projects on topics in astronomy.

Maternal Demographic and Psychosocial Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight in Eastern Taiwan

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Yin-Ming Li

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The relationship between birth weight and maternal sociodemographic characteristics was examined in a sample from two teaching hospitals in eastern Taiwan. Using a structured questionnaire, we conducted face- to-face interviews with women at antenatal clinics between 1998 and 1999 in Hualien City. One year later, we took the outcome of pregnancy from medical records and birth certificates from the Public Health Bureau of Hualien County. Of the 1,128 single live births, 6.8% had low birth weight (LBW using the World Health Organization cut-off of 2,500 g. LBW was more common in teenage ( 30 years, first-time, and unmarried mothers; those with basic/intermediate educational attainment; and residents of aboriginal districts. Teenage pregnancies were more likely than those in adults to be unplanned, and such mothers had smoking or alcohol-drinking behavior. Prevention of teenage pregnancy is crucial to lower LBW rates in eastern Taiwan. For adult mothers, basic or intermediate educational attainment, residence in an aboriginal district, and first-term pregnancy were significant factors associated with LBW, after adjustment for other psychosocial attributes, such as psychologic distress and poor family support. Thus, we should pay more attention when caring for pregnant women with such sociodemographic characteristics, and ensure that they have adequate prenatal care and can adopt a healthy lifestyle.

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

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

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