Sample records for taipei taiwan 11-13

  1. Microzonation of Seismic Hazard Potential in Taipei, Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2017-12-01

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

  2. Space Radar Image of Taipei, Taiwan

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1999-04-15

    The northern end of the island country of Taiwan, including the capital city of Taipei, is shown in this spaceborne radar image. Taipei is the bright blue and red area in the lower center of the image.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  4. Social Service and Aging Policies: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States. Proceedings (Taipei, Taiwan, May 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheppard, Harold L., Ed.

    This document contains presentations on the state of social services and care for the aging in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States given at the 1986 International Conference on Social Service and Aging Policies. Included are a conference statement by T. H. Li, remarks by Shui-teh Hsu, the major of Taipei, and these presentations: (1)…

  5. Understanding older adults' usage of community green spaces in Taipei, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Pleson, Eryn; Nieuwendyk, Laura M; Lee, Karen K; Chaddah, Anuradha; Nykiforuk, Candace I J; Schopflocher, Donald

    2014-01-27

    As the world's population ages, there is an increasing need for community environments to support physical activity and social connections for older adults. This exploratory study sought to better understand older adults' usage and perceptions of community green spaces in Taipei, Taiwan, through direct observations of seven green spaces and nineteen structured interviews. Descriptive statistics from observations using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) confirm that older adults use Taipei's parks extensively. Our analyses of interviews support the following recommendations for age-friendly active living initiatives for older adults: make green spaces accessible to older adults; organize a variety of structured activities that appeal to older adults particularly in the morning; equip green spaces for age-appropriate physical activity; and, promote the health advantages of green spaces to older adults.

  6. Assessment of different route choice on commuters' exposure to air pollution in Taipei, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Li, Hsien-Chih; Chiueh, Pei-Te; Liu, Shi-Ping; Huang, Yu-Yang

    2017-01-01

    The purposes of this study are to develop a healthy commute map indicating cleanest route in Taipei metropolitan area for any given journey and to evaluate the pollutant doses exposed in different commuting modes. In Taiwan, there are more than 13.6 million motorcycles and 7.7 million vehicles among the 23 million people. Exposure to traffic-related air pollutants can thus cause adverse health effects. Moreover, increasing the level of physical activity during commuting and longer distances will result in inhalation of more polluted air. In this study, we utilized air pollution monitoring data (CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , PM 10 , and PM 2.5 ) from Taiwan EPA's air quality monitoring stations in Taipei metropolitan area to estimate each pollutant exposure while commuting by different modes (motorcycling, bicycling, and walking). Spatial interpolation methods such as inverse distance weighting (IDW) were used to estimate each pollutant's distribution in Taipei metropolitan area. Three routes were selected to represent the variety of different daily commuting pathways. The cleanest route choice was based upon Dijkstra's algorithm to find the lowest cumulative pollutant exposure. The IDW interpolated values of CO, SO 2 , NO 2 , PM 10 , and PM 2.5 ranged from 0.42-2.2 (ppm), 2.6-4.8 (ppb), 17.8-42.9 (ppb), 32.4-65.6 (μg/m 3 ), and 14.2-38.9 (μg/m 3 ), respectively. To compare with the IDW results, concentration of particulate matter (PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and PM 1 ) along the motorcycle route was measured in real time. In conclusion, the results showed that the shortest commuting route for motorcyclists resulted in a much higher cumulative dose (PM 2.5 3340.8 μg/m 3 ) than the cleanest route (PM 2.5 912.5 μg/m 3 ). The mobile personal monitoring indicated that the motorcyclists inhaled significant high pollutants during commuting as a result of high-concentration exposure and short-duration peaks. The study could effectively present less polluted commuting routes for citizen

  7. HIV Infection Risk among Injection Drug Users in a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program, Taipei, Taiwan 2007-2010

    PubMed Central

    Yen, Yung-Feng; Rodwell, Timothy C.; Yen, Muh-Yong; Hsu, Yun-Hsia; Chuang, Peing; Li, Lan-Huei; Su, Lien-Wen; Yang, Yi-Hong; Fang, Yung-Chun; Garfein, Richard S.

    2014-01-01

    Background Taiwan has a growing HIV/AIDS epidemic that has recently shifted to an increase among injection drug users (IDUs). This study aimed to measure the prevalence and incidence and identify correlates of HIV infection among IDUs in a large methadone maintenance treatment program (MMTP) in Taipei, Taiwan. Methods Data from intake interviews and HIV testing completed by IDUs upon admission to the Taipei City Hospital MMTP in 2007-2010 were included in this analysis. HIV testing was repeated semi-annually among maintained clients who were HIV-negative at admission. Results Of 1,444 IDUs admitted, 85.9% were male, median age was 40 years, and mean years of injecting was 14.3 (range: 1-64). The prevalence of HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV co-infection was 13.4%, 91.1%, and 13.2%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, HIV infection was associated with sharing syringes during the 6 months prior to admission (OR=14.76, 95% CI 10.31-21.13), homelessness (OR=6.46, 95% CI1.49-28.00), and lifetime number of MMTP admissions (OR=1.76, 95% CI 1.30-2.38) and times incarcerated (OR=1.10, 95% CI1.03-1.18). HIV seroincidence was 1.15/100 person-years at risk (95% CI 0.62-8.77/100 PY) among IDUs who were HIV-negative at first admission. Conclusions Taiwanese IDUs in MMTP have a high HIV prevalence, which was associated with syringe sharing and other factors related to social marginalization. Our findings highlight the importance of harm reduction programs, including syringe exchange, along with HIV-prevention education. PMID:22783806

  8. Assessing Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity through Self-Reports of Height and Weight by High School Students in Taipei, Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Page, Randy M.; Lee, Ching-Mei; Miao, Nae-Fang

    2004-01-01

    This study compared consistency of age- and gender-specific self-reported height and weight and calculated body mass index among a sample of high school students in Taipei County, Taiwan to reference values for Taiwanese school-aged youth obtained through national studies. Taipei high school students provided self-reports of height and weight that…

  9. Fault zone structure and inferences on past activities of the active Shanchiao Fault in the Taipei metropolis, northern Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, C.; Lee, J.; Chan, Y.; Lu, C.

    2010-12-01

    The Taipei Metropolis, home to around 10 million people, is subject to seismic hazard originated from not only distant faults or sources scattered throughout the Taiwan region, but also active fault lain directly underneath. Northern Taiwan including the Taipei region is currently affected by post-orogenic (Penglai arc-continent collision) processes related to backarc extension of the Ryukyu subduction system. The Shanchiao Fault, an active normal fault outcropping along the western boundary of the Taipei Basin and dipping to the east, is investigated here for its subsurface structure and activities. Boreholes records in the central portion of the fault were analyzed to document the stacking of post- Last Glacial Maximum growth sediments, and a tulip flower structure is illuminated with averaged vertical slip rate of about 3 mm/yr. Similar fault zone architecture and post-LGM tectonic subsidence rate is also found in the northern portion of the fault. A correlation between geomorphology and structural geology in the Shanchiao Fault zone demonstrates an array of subtle geomorphic scarps corresponds to the branch fault while the surface trace of the main fault seems to be completely erased by erosion and sedimentation. Such constraints and knowledge are crucial in earthquake hazard evaluation and mitigation in the Taipei Metropolis, and in understanding the kinematics of transtensional tectonics in northern Taiwan. Schematic 3D diagram of the fault zone in the central portion of the Shanchiao Fault, displaying regional subsurface geology and its relation to topographic features.

  10. Improved Consistency in Dosing Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs in Taipei, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Chiang, Chen-Yuan; Yu, Ming-Chih; Shih, Hsiu-Chen; Yen, Muh-Yong; Hsu, Yu-Ling; Yang, Shiang-Lin; Lin, Tao-Ping; Bai, Kuan-Jen

    2012-01-01

    Background It was reported that 35.5% of tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in 2003 in Taipei City had no recorded pre-treatment body weight and that among those who had, inconsistent dosing of anti-TB drugs was frequent. Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have taken actions to strengthen dosing of anti-TB drugs among general practitioners. Prescribing practices of anti-TB drugs in Taipei City in 2007–2010 were investigated to assess whether interventions on dosing were effective. Methodology/Principal Findings Lists of all notified culture positive TB cases in 2007–2010 were obtained from National TB Registry at Taiwan CDC. A medical audit of TB case management files was performed to collect pretreatment body weight and regimens prescribed at commencement of treatment. Dosages prescribed were compared with dosages recommended. The proportion of patients with recorded pre-treatment body weight was 64.5% in 2003, which increased to 96.5% in 2007–2010 (p<0.001). The proportion of patients treated with consistent dosing of a 3-drug fixed-dose combination (FDC) increased from 73.9% in 2003 to 87.7% in 2007–2010 (p<0.001), and that for 2-drug FDC from 76.0% to 86.1% (p = 0.024), for rifampicin (RMP) from 62.8% to 85.5% (p<0.001), and for isoniazid from 87.8% to 95.3% (p<0.001). In 2007–2010, among 2917 patients treated with either FDCs or RMP in single-drug preparation, the dosage of RMP was adequate (8–12 mg/kg) in 2571(88.1%) patients, too high in 282(9.7%), too low in 64(2.2%). In multinomial logistic regression models, factors significantly associated with adequate dosage of RMP were body weight and preparations of RMP. Patients weighting <40kg (relative risk ratio (rrr) 6010.5, 95% CI 781.1–46249.7) and patients weighting 40–49 kg (rrr 1495.3, 95% CI 200.6–11144.6) were more likely to receive higher-than-recommended dose of RMP. Conclusions/Significance Prescribing practice in the treatment of TB in Taipei City has remarkably improved

  11. Improved consistency in dosing anti-tuberculosis drugs in Taipei, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chiang, Chen-Yuan; Yu, Ming-Chih; Shih, Hsiu-Chen; Yen, Muh-Yong; Hsu, Yu-Ling; Yang, Shiang-Lin; Lin, Tao-Ping; Bai, Kuan-Jen

    2012-01-01

    It was reported that 35.5% of tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in 2003 in Taipei City had no recorded pre-treatment body weight and that among those who had, inconsistent dosing of anti-TB drugs was frequent. Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have taken actions to strengthen dosing of anti-TB drugs among general practitioners. Prescribing practices of anti-TB drugs in Taipei City in 2007-2010 were investigated to assess whether interventions on dosing were effective. Lists of all notified culture positive TB cases in 2007-2010 were obtained from National TB Registry at Taiwan CDC. A medical audit of TB case management files was performed to collect pretreatment body weight and regimens prescribed at commencement of treatment. Dosages prescribed were compared with dosages recommended. The proportion of patients with recorded pre-treatment body weight was 64.5% in 2003, which increased to 96.5% in 2007-2010 (p<0.001). The proportion of patients treated with consistent dosing of a 3-drug fixed-dose combination (FDC) increased from 73.9% in 2003 to 87.7% in 2007-2010 (p<0.001), and that for 2-drug FDC from 76.0% to 86.1% (p = 0.024), for rifampicin (RMP) from 62.8% to 85.5% (p<0.001), and for isoniazid from 87.8% to 95.3% (p<0.001). In 2007-2010, among 2917 patients treated with either FDCs or RMP in single-drug preparation, the dosage of RMP was adequate (8-12 mg/kg) in 2571(88.1%) patients, too high in 282(9.7%), too low in 64(2.2%). In multinomial logistic regression models, factors significantly associated with adequate dosage of RMP were body weight and preparations of RMP. Patients weighting <40 kg (relative risk ratio (rrr) 6010.5, 95% CI 781.1-46249.7) and patients weighting 40-49 kg (rrr 1495.3, 95% CI 200.6-11144.6) were more likely to receive higher-than-recommended dose of RMP. Prescribing practice in the treatment of TB in Taipei City has remarkably improved after health authorities implemented a series of interventions.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  13. Probability estimates of seismic event occurrence compared to health hazards - Forecasting Taipei's Earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fung, D. C. N.; Wang, J. P.; Chang, S. H.; Chang, S. C.

    2014-12-01

    Using a revised statistical model built on past seismic probability models, the probability of different magnitude earthquakes occurring within variable timespans can be estimated. The revised model is based on Poisson distribution and includes the use of best-estimate values of the probability distribution of different magnitude earthquakes recurring from a fault from literature sources. Our study aims to apply this model to the Taipei metropolitan area with a population of 7 million, which lies in the Taipei Basin and is bounded by two normal faults: the Sanchaio and Taipei faults. The Sanchaio fault is suggested to be responsible for previous large magnitude earthquakes, such as the 1694 magnitude 7 earthquake in northwestern Taipei (Cheng et. al., 2010). Based on a magnitude 7 earthquake return period of 543 years, the model predicts the occurrence of a magnitude 7 earthquake within 20 years at 1.81%, within 79 years at 6.77% and within 300 years at 21.22%. These estimates increase significantly when considering a magnitude 6 earthquake; the chance of one occurring within the next 20 years is estimated to be 3.61%, 79 years at 13.54% and 300 years at 42.45%. The 79 year period represents the average lifespan of the Taiwan population. In contrast, based on data from 2013, the probability of Taiwan residents experiencing heart disease or malignant neoplasm is 11.5% and 29%. The inference of this study is that the calculated risk that the Taipei population is at from a potentially damaging magnitude 6 or greater earthquake occurring within their lifetime is just as great as of suffering from a heart attack or other health ailments.

  14. A new species of Orobdella (Hirudinida, Arhynchobdellida, Orobdellidae) from Taipei, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Nakano, Takafumi; Lai, Yi-Te

    2012-01-01

    Abstract A new quadrannulate species of Orobdella, Orobdella ketagalan sp. n., from Taipei, Taiwan, is described. This is the first record of Orobdella and the family Orobdellidae from Taiwan. This new species possesses small, paired sperm duct bulbs in the male reproductive system. In addition to these bulbs, the following combination of characters distinguishes this new species from other quadrannulate species: somite IV uniannulate, male gonopore at XI b6, female gonopore at XIII a1, 1/2 + 4 + 1/2 between gonopores, simple tubular gastroporal duct, lacking epididymides, and undeveloped atrial cornua. Phylogenetic analyses using nuclear 18S rDNA and histone H3 as well as mitochondrial COI, 12S rDNA, tRNAVal, and 16S rDNA markers showed that Orobdella ketagalan is related to the two Ryukyu Archipelago species Orobdella dolichopharynx Nakano, 2011 and Orobdella shimadae Nakano, 2011. PMID:22855640

  15. The 1909 Taipei earthquake: implication for seismic hazard in Taipei

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kanamori, Hiroo; Lee, William H.K.; Ma, Kuo-Fong

    2012-01-01

    The 1909 April 14 Taiwan earthquake caused significant damage in Taipei. Most of the information on this earthquake available until now is from the written reports on its macro-seismic effects and from seismic station bulletins. In view of the importance of this event for assessing the shaking hazard in the present-day Taipei, we collected historical seismograms and station bulletins of this event and investigated them in conjunction with other seismological data. We compared the observed seismograms with those from recent earthquakes in similar tectonic environments to characterize the 1909 earthquake. Despite the inevitably large uncertainties associated with old data, we conclude that the 1909 Taipei earthquake is a relatively deep (50–100 km) intraplate earthquake that occurred within the subducting Philippine Sea Plate beneath Taipei with an estimated M_W of 7 ± 0.3. Some intraplate events elsewhere in the world are enriched in high-frequency energy and the resulting ground motions can be very strong. Thus, despite its relatively large depth and a moderately large magnitude, it would be prudent to review the safety of the existing structures in Taipei against large intraplate earthquakes like the 1909 Taipei earthquake.

  16. Cultural factors and social support related to breastfeeding among immigrant mothers in Taipei City, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Tzu-Ling; Tai, Chen-Jei; Chu, Yu-Roo; Han, Kuo-Chiang; Lin, Kuan-Chia; Chien, Li-Yin

    2011-02-01

    The objectives of this study were to identify cultural factors (including acculturation and breastfeeding cultures in subjects' native countries and those in mainstream Taiwanese society) and social support related to breastfeeding among immigrant mothers in Taiwan. This study was a cross-sectional survey performed from October 2007 through January 2008. The study participants were 210 immigrant mothers living in Taipei City. The prevalence of exclusive and partial breastfeeding at 3 months postpartum was 59.0% and 14.3%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that breastfeeding experience among mothers-in-law and the perceived level of acceptance of breastfeeding in Taiwan were positively associated with breastfeeding at 3 months postpartum. Immigrant women with a higher level of household activity support were less likely to breastfeed. Immigrant mothers in Taiwan usually come from cultures with a higher acceptance level for breastfeeding; however, their breastfeeding practices are more likely to be influenced by the mainstream culture in Taiwan.

  17. Holocene vertical tectonic movements of the Taipei Basin, northern Taiwan and its implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, B.; Hsieh, M.; Lai, T.; Liew, P.

    2007-12-01

    Many geological data of the Taipei Basin, although, have been published by various studies in past decades, however, vertical tectonic movement rate of the Basin was not well understood so far. This study, therefore, used radiocarbon dates, obtained from fifteen boreholes in the Basin, to calculate the Holocene vertical tectonic movement rate. In addition to the derived tectonic movement rate, this study also discussed the causes of the tectonic patterns of the Taipei Basin. The Taipei Basin, located in the northern Taiwan, was a half graben subsided and extended along the western boundary, the Shangiao Normal Fault, of the Basin. The Holocene vertical tectonic movement rate of the Basin were calculated based on 94 radiocarbon dates in fifteen boreholes, the elevations of the radiocarbon dating samples, and the eustatic sea-level curve of the past 15 ka. The results showed the rate in the western part of the Basin, was -2.2 -- -0.9 mm/yr (negative value indicates subsiding, and positive value indicates uplifting). In the central part of the Basin, the rate was ca. -1 -- 1 mm/yr while in the eastern part of the Basin, the rate was 0.1 -- 1.6 mm/yr. Along the Shiangiao Fault, the rate of the hanging-wall was ca. -1.6 -- -0.4 mm/yr and the rate of the footwall was ca. 0 mm/yr. According to the results of this study, the present territory of the Taipei Basin was not actually consistent with the tectonic subsiding region. The vertical tectonic movement pattern demonstrated subsidence in the western part and uplift in the eastern part of the Taipei Basin. The subsidence of the western part was controlled by the extension of the Shangiao Faul. The uplift of the eastern part might be ascribed to the roll-over of the Fault. Another possibility is that the uplift of the east was controlled by the same behavior as the Western Foothills.Consequently, the deposition of the eastern part of the Basin, wass mainly related to the accommodations due to sea-level rise but not

  18. Evidence of transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting in Taipei City, Taiwan.

    PubMed Central

    Harn, H J; Shen, K L; Ho, L I; Yu, K W; Liu, G C; Yueh, K C; Lee, J H

    1997-01-01

    AIMS: To determine, by strain identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whether transmission has occurred between individuals or whether new strains are present. METHODS: A rapid protocol for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was developed. This protocol was applied to 64 strains of M tuberculosis that had been confirmed by culture and microbiological methods. RESULTS: There are five groups of M tuberculosis prevalent in Taipei city, Taiwan. The major types are groups I and III. Groups I and II had been prevalent until the end of last year when, according to our group analysis, they had been eradicated. However, group III was continuously present from the middle of 1995 to the middle of 1996, and group IV was present at the end of both years, which indicated that both groups were transmitted continuously. These clustered strains had demographic characteristics consistent with a finding of transmission tuberculosis. Also, there were 13 of 64 strains with unique RAPD fingerprints that were inferred to be due primarily to the reactivation of infection. In the drug resistance analysis, the major type represented included group III and part of group IV. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data imply, not only that the prevalence of M tuberculosis in Taipei city is due to transmission rather than reactivation, but that drug resistance also may play a role in tuberculosis transmission. Images PMID:9378819

  19. Safe-Taipei a Program Project for Strong Motions, Active Faults, and Earthquakes in the Taipei Metropolitan Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jeen-Hwa

    Strong collision between the Eurasian and Philippine Sea Plates causes high seismicity in the Taiwan region, which is often attacked by large earthquakes. Several cities, including three mega-cities, i.e., Taipei, Taichung, and Kaoshung, have been constructed on western Taiwan, where is lying on thick sediments. These cities, with a high-population density, are usually a regional center of culture, economics, and politics. Historically, larger-sized earthquakes, e.g. the 1935 Hsingchu—Taichung earthquake and the 1999 Chi—Chi earthquake, often caused serious damage on the cities. Hence, urban seismology must be one of the main subjects of Taiwan's seismological community. Since 2005, a program project, sponsored by Academia Sinica, has been launched to investigate seismological problems in the Taipei Metropolitan Area. This program project is performed during the 2005—2007 period. The core research subjects are: (1) the deployment of the Taipei Down-hole Seismic Array; (2) the properties of earthquakes and active faults in the area; (3) the seismogenic-zone structures, including the 3-D velocity and Q structures, of the area; (4) the characteristics of strong-motions and sites affects; and (5) strong-motion prediction. In addition to academic goals, the results obtained from the program project will be useful for seismic hazard mitigation not only for the area but also for others.

  20. "The Big One" in Taipei: Numerical Simulation Study of the Sanchiao Fault Earthquake Scenarios

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Y.; Lee, S.; Ng, S.

    2012-12-01

    Sanchiao fault is a western boundary fault of the Taipei basin located in northern Taiwan, close to the densely populated Taipei metropolitan area. According to the report of Central Geological Survey, the terrestrial portion of the Sanchiao fault can be divided into north and south segments. The south segment is about 13 km and north segment is about 21 km. Recent study demonstrated that there are about 40 km of the fault trace that extended to the marine area offshore of northern Taiwan. Combined with the marine and terrestrial parts, the total fault length of Sanchiao fault could be nearly 70 kilometers. Based on the recipe proposed by IRIKURA and Miyake (2010), we estimate the Sanchiao fault has the potential to produce an earthquake with moment magnitude larger than Mw 7.2. The total area of fault rupture is about 1323 km2, asperity to the total fault plane is 22%, and the slips of the asperity and background are 2.8 m and 1.6 m respectively. Use the characteristic source model based on this assumption, the 3D spectral-element method simulation results indicate that Peak ground acceleration (PGA) is significantly stronger along the surface fault-rupture. The basin effects play an important role when wave propagates in the Taipei basin which cause seismic wave amplified and prolong the shaking for a very long time. It is worth noting that, when the rupture starts from the southern tip of the fault, i.e. the hypocenter locates in the basin, the impact of the Sanchiao fault earthquake to the Taipei metropolitan area will be the most serious. The strong shaking can cover the entire Taipei city, and even across the basin that extended to eastern-most part of northern Taiwan.

  1. Lead Isotope Characterization of Petroleum Fuels in Taipei, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Yao, Pei-Hsuan; Shyu, Guey-Shin; Chang, Ying-Fang; Chou, Yu-Chen; Shen, Chuan-Chou; Chou, Chi-Su; Chang, Tsun-Kuo

    2015-01-01

    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. PMID:25918913

  2. Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis Infection among Preschool Children in Kindergartens of Taipei City, Taiwan in 2008

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Tso-Kang; Liao, Chien-Wei; Huang, Ying-Chieh; Chang, Chun-Chao; Chou, Chia-Mei; Tsay, Hsin-Chieh; Huang, Alice; Guu, Shu-Fen; Kao, Ting-Chang

    2009-01-01

    The prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infection among preschool children was reported to be low based on a 5-year screening program in Taipei City, Taiwan. The Taipei City government intended to terminate the E. vermicularis screening program among preschool children. Thus, we were entrusted with confirming whether pinworm infections among preschool children in Taipei City had truly declined. From each of 12 administrative districts 2-3 kindergartens were randomly selected for investigation. In total, 4,349 children were examined, of which 2,537 were boys and 1,812 were girls. The cellophane tape adhered to a glass slide was used, and all examinations were done by certified medical technologists. Results indicated that the overall prevalence rate of pinworm infections was 0.62% (27/4,349). Although the infection rate was higher among boys (0.67%, 17/2,537) than in girls (0.55%, 10/1,812), no significant difference was found (χ2 = 0.399, P = 0.62). According to the administrative district, the infection rate ranged from no positive cases of E. vermicularis infection in the Xinyi, Zhongzhen, and Wanhua Districts (0%; 0/299, 0/165, and 0/358, respectively), to 0.26% (1/131) in Songshan District, with the highest rate of 1.88% (7/373) in Wenshan District. Because the overall infection rate (0.62%, 27/4,349) in the present study was unchanged compared to that (0.40%, 197/49,541) previously reported in 2005, we propose that regular pinworm screening and treatment programs should be continued in some parts of Taipei City. PMID:19488428

  3. Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis Infection among preschool children in kindergartens of Taipei City, Taiwan in 2008.

    PubMed

    Chang, Tso-Kang; Liao, Chien-Wei; Huang, Ying-Chieh; Chang, Chun-Chao; Chou, Chia-Mei; Tsay, Hsin-Chieh; Huang, Alice; Guu, Shu-Fen; Kao, Ting-Chang; Fan, Chia-Kwung

    2009-06-01

    The prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis infection among preschool children was reported to be low based on a 5-year screening program in Taipei City, Taiwan. The Taipei City government intended to terminate the E. vermicularis screening program among preschool children. Thus, we were entrusted with confirming whether pinworm infections among preschool children in Taipei City had truly declined. From each of 12 administrative districts 2-3 kindergartens were randomly selected for investigation. In total, 4,349 children were examined, of which 2,537 were boys and 1,812 were girls. The cellophane tape adhered to a glass slide was used, and all examinations were done by certified medical technologists. Results indicated that the overall prevalence rate of pinworm infections was 0.62% (27/4,349). Although the infection rate was higher among boys (0.67%, 17/2,537) than in girls (0.55%, 10/1,812), no significant difference was found (chi(2) = 0.399, P = 0.62). According to the administrative district, the infection rate ranged from no positive cases of E. vermicularis infection in the Xinyi, Zhongzhen, and Wanhua Districts (0%; 0/299, 0/165, and 0/358, respectively), to 0.26% (1/131) in Songshan District, with the highest rate of 1.88% (7/373) in Wenshan District. Because the overall infection rate (0.62%, 27/4,349) in the present study was unchanged compared to that (0.40%, 197/49,541) previously reported in 2005, we propose that regular pinworm screening and treatment programs should be continued in some parts of Taipei City.

  4. Understanding Older Adults’ Usage of Community Green Spaces in Taipei, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Pleson, Eryn; Nieuwendyk, Laura M.; Lee, Karen K.; Chaddah, Anuradha; Nykiforuk, Candace I. J.; Schopflocher, Donald

    2014-01-01

    As the world’s population ages, there is an increasing need for community environments to support physical activity and social connections for older adults. This exploratory study sought to better understand older adults’ usage and perceptions of community green spaces in Taipei, Taiwan, through direct observations of seven green spaces and nineteen structured interviews. Descriptive statistics from observations using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) confirm that older adults use Taipei’s parks extensively. Our analyses of interviews support the following recommendations for age-friendly active living initiatives for older adults: make green spaces accessible to older adults; organize a variety of structured activities that appeal to older adults particularly in the morning; equip green spaces for age-appropriate physical activity; and, promote the health advantages of green spaces to older adults. PMID:24473116

  5. Seroprevalence, Seroconversion, and Risk Factors for Toxoplasmosis among Pregnant Women in Taipei, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hung, Ching-Sheng; Su, Hung-Wen; Lee, Yu-Luen; Weng, Hui-Wen; Wang, Yin-Chin; Naito, Toshio; Tsubouchi, Akiko; Wang, Giueng-Chueng; Fan, Chia-Kwung

    2015-01-01

    Herein, we determined the seroprevalence, seroconversion, and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection among pregnant women in Taipei, Taiwan. Pregnant women attending antenatal consultation in a Taipei medical center were invited, and 104 women completed a self-administered structured questionnaire. Venous blood samples were collected during the first and third trimester after consent was obtained. Serum IgG and IgM antibodies (Abs) as well as IgG avidity were analyzed using an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay. Of the samples collected in the first trimester, seven were seropositive for IgG Abs and one was seropositive for IgG + IgM Abs with a borderline avidity index, resulting in an overall seroprevalence of 7.7%. No statistically significant association was found between toxoplasmosis and age, pregnancy history, or any risk factors. Seroconversion was not detected from paired sera between the first and third trimesters. Pregnant women with senior high school education level or those who claimed to knowing Toxoplasma exhibited a significantly higher seroprevalence than those with bachelor degree (P = 0.05) or those who claimed not to have this knowledge (P = 0.05). Therefore, failure to understand the importance of T. gondii infection and the prevention measures resulted in the development of toxoplasmosis among these women.

  6. DOT associated with reduced all-cause mortality among tuberculosis patients in Taipei, Taiwan, 2006–2008

    PubMed Central

    Yen, Y-F.; Rodwell, T. C.; Yen, M-Y.; Shih, H-C.; Hu, B-S.; Li, L-H.; Shie, Y-H.; Chuang, P.; Garfein, R. S.

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To determine whether patients receiving directly observed treatment (DOT) had lower all-cause mortality than those treated with self-administered treatment (SAT) and to identify factors associated with mortality among tuberculosis (TB) patients. DESIGN All TB patients in Taipei, Taiwan, diagnosed between 2006 and 2008 were included in a retrospective cohort study. RESULTS Among 3624 TB patients, 45.5% received DOT, which was disproptionately offered to older patients and those with more underlying illness and severe TB disease. After controlling for patient sociodemographic factors, clinical findings and underlying comorbidities, the odds of death was 40% lower (aOR 0.60, 95%CI 0.5–0.8) among patients treated with DOT than those on SAT. After adjusting for DOT, independent predictors of death included non-Taiwan birth, increasing age, male, unemployment, end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, malignancy, acid-fast bacilli smear positivity and pleural effusion. CONCLUSION DOT was associated with lower all-cause mortality after controlling for confounding factors. DOT should be expanded in Taiwan to improve critical treatment outcomes among TB patients. PMID:22236917

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

    PubMed

    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.

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

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Cheng-Horng

    2016-01-01

    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 km3. The exact location and geometry of the magma reservoir will be obtained after dense seismic arrays are deployed in 2017–2020. PMID:28008931

  9. Hepatitis A virus seroepidemiology of elementary school children in New Taipei City in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Tseng, Shih-Lun; Hsieh, Yu-Chia; Huang, Ya-Ling; Huang, Yu-Chiau; Hung, Yung-Tai; Huang, Yhu-Chering

    2016-10-01

    To establish the seroepidemiologic data of hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine-preventable HAV diseases among school children (7-12 years old) attending elementary schools in New Taipei City, Taiwan. This is a pilot study of an ongoing nationwide study, and will be the reference for a national immunization program. The school children were selected for samplings, based on a multistage stratified sampling method that included 14 variables (4 socioeducational variables, 4 socioeducational variables, and 6 medical facilities' variables). The 29 administrative districts of New Taipei City were categorized into five strata. In total, 936 school children from 14 schools were recruited and bled for the serologic tests of HAV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The seropositive rate for HAV was 8.33% among the 936 children. From each school, the difference in the seropositive rate for HAV ranged 0-18.75%. There was no significant difference between each stratum (p = 0.059) or grade (p = 0.570); however, there was a difference between schools in the first stratum (p = 0.033) that was associated with different vaccination rates. This study also revealed a significantly greater seropositive rate in the vaccination group (p < 0.001) and in females (p = 0.02). The seropositive rate for the HAV was <10% and was mostly associated with the vaccination status. Because of the low HAV vaccination rate and low seropositive rate for the HAV, an effective hepatitis A vaccine is a useful tool to prevent HAV infection. It is worthy to discuss whether to include the HAV vaccine as part of a routine vaccination program in Taiwan. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Demographics, training, and practice patterns of practitioners of folk medicine in Taiwan: a survey of the Taipei metropolitan area.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Pei-Shan; Lee, Pi-Hsia; Wang, Mei-Yeh

    2008-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographics, training, and practice patterns of folk medicine practitioners, their opinions toward statutory regulation of folk medicine, and the formal education and credentialing for folk medicine providers in the metropolitan Taipei area. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Included in the survey were 200 folk medicine practitioners in Taipei city and 200 folk medicine practitioners in Taipei county. The survey questionnaire consisted of 3 domains including demographics and training; practice patterns; and opinions toward statutory regulation of folk medicine and formal education and credentialing for Tuina, Ba Guan, Gua Sha, and reflexology providers. The response rates ranged from 86.3% to 99.5%. A typical folk medicine provider in the Taipei metropolitan area was a middle-aged man with a high school degree who worked about 50 hours a week. The majority of the providers in the Taipei metropolitan area received their training through apprenticeship. Years of training and experience varied widely among these practitioners. About 80% had received more than one year of training prior to starting their practice. Adult men and women were their major clientele. The major treatment modalities they offered were Tuina, Gua Sha, Ba Guan, reflexology, and meridian massage. The majority of the respondents agreed that practitioners should receive formal education and training and agreed that certifying the qualifications of folk medicine practitioners is necessary. Findings from the present survey provide an understanding of the training and practice patterns of Taiwanese folk medicine practitioners, highlight folk medicine practitioners' needs for formal education and training, and stress the importance of statutory regulation of folk medicine in Taiwan.

  11. Dome collapse eruption in Tatun Volcanic Group near metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan at ~6 kyrs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, C.; Lee, T.

    2010-12-01

    The Tatun Volcanic Group (TVG) is located in the north of metropolitan Taipei, Taiwan. Over 6 million inhabitants are living in Taipei City and suburban area. Another critical issue is an international airport and two nuclear power plants are lying at the foot of the TVG. If the TGV will be re-active, the serious hazard for human lives and economies in this area will definitely occur. Understanding the youngest eruption history of the TVG will be much important for prediction the future activity of eruption. The core was collected from the Dream Lake at the eastern slop of Cising Mt.. Total 21 samples from depth 190 cm to 231.5 cm have been tested. Comparison of chemical compositions of glass and minerals in the volcanic clasts with those of lava around TVG, they clearly showed that the volcanic clasts can be correlated with the eruption of the closest Cising Mt. According to the radiocarbon (C-14) age of core sample at the depth 225 cm, the age was extrapolated around 6150 yrs ca. C-14 B.P.. Moreover, the respiratory cristobalite in the volcanic clasts were firstly identified by the identical morphology, chemical composition and Laser Raman Spectrometry (LRS). The crystalline silica was produced by vapor-phase crystallization and devitrification in the andesite lava dome and volcanic ash generated by pyroclastic flows formed by lava dome collapse in Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat (Baxter et al.,1999). These new evidence demonstrated that there would probably have the lava dome collapse eruptions in the TVG in the last 6 kyrs. The result in this paper also sustained that the landslide caused by the weak phreatic eruption within the last 6000 yrs in the TVG (Belousov et al., 2010). It must further be noted that an efficient program of the volcanic hazard reduction should be practiced for the metropolitan Taipei and suburban area.

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

    PubMed

    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 <60 mL/min/1.73 m². Among these subjects, the over prevalence of chronic kidney disease was 13.6% (95% CI: 12.3-14.9%). The age-specific prevalence of CKD in 65-74 years, 75-84 years, and ≥85 years was 8.2%, 19.1%, and 27.0%, respectively. From the multiple logistic regression, age (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.09), hyperuricemia (OR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.90-3.78), central obesity (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.02-1.56), hyperglycemia (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.11-1.67), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.08-1.66), and lower HDL-C (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.23-1.92) were statistically significantly related to CKD. The presence of metabolic components (one or two versus none, OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04-1.25; three or more versus none, OR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.86-2.78) also appeared to be statistically significantly related to CKD after adjustment for other independent factors. Several clinical factors independently affect the development of CKD in the elderly male fishing and agricultural population.

  13. Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Toxocariasis among College Students in Taipei City, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    FU, Chung-Jung; KAO, Cheng-Yan; LEE, Yueh-Lun; LIAO, Chien-Wei; CHEN, Po-Ching; CHUANG, Ting-Wu; WANG, Ying-Chin; CHOU, Chia-Mei; HUANG, Ying-Chie; NAITO, Toshio; FAN, Chia-Kwung

    2015-01-01

    Background: Infection by Toxocara spp. is known to be significantly associated with partial epilepsy. It has become popular for people to raise dogs/cats as pets and consume roasted meat/viscera, and the status of Toxocara spp. infection, epilepsy awareness, and associated risk factors among the general population are currently unknown in Taiwan. Methods: A seroepidemiological investigation among 203 college students (CSs), consisting of 110 males and 93 females with an average age of 21.5 ± 1.2 years, was conducted in 2009 in Taipei City. A Western blot analysis based on excretory-secretory antigens derived from Toxocara canis larvae (TcESs) was applied to determine the positivity of serum immunoglobulin G antibodies. A self-administered questionnaire was also given to obtain information about demographic characteristics, epilepsy awareness, and risk factors. A logistic regression model was applied for the statistical analysis using SPSS software. Results: The overall seropositive rate of Toxocara spp. infection was 8.4% (17/203). As to epilepsy awareness, a non-significantly higher seroprevalence was found in CSs who claimed to "know" about epilepsy compared to those who did not know (P > 0.05). Conclusions: It appears that appropriate educational programs are urgently needed to provide correct knowledge related to the prevention and control measures against Toxocara spp. infections to avoid potential threats by this parasite to the general population in Taiwan. PMID:26622304

  14. Explorations in Language Acquisition and Use: The Taipei Lectures.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krashen, Stephen D.

    This book is based on a series of four lectures, presented at National Taipei University, Taiwan, which reviewed the fundamentals of second language acquisition theory, presented original research supporting the theory, offered counterarguments to criticisms, and explored new areas that appeared to have promise for progress in both theory and…

  15. Enterobius vermicularis infection and its risk factors among pre-school children in Taipei, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Kuang-Yao; Yen, Chuan-Min; Hwang, Kao-Pin; Wang, Lian-Chen

    2017-06-29

    The prevalence of pinworm infection is extremely low in Taipei, Taiwan. This population study was designed to determine the current status and the associated risk factors of this infection among pre-school children. Perianal swab specimens were obtained from the parents or guardians using a two-consecutive-day adhesive cellophane perianal swab kit. Information of family background, personal hygiene, and household sanitary conditions were collected by asking the parents or guardians to complete a questionnaire. Of 44,163 children, 0.21% was found to infect with pinworm. The positive rate was highest in Datong (0.59%) and Nangang (0.58%) Districts and lowest in Neihu District (0.02%). There was no significant difference in the rates by gender (boys 0.24% and girls 0.19%) or school (kindergartens 0.25% and nurseries 0.17%). Significantly higher positive rates were found in children having parent with lower educational level and elder brother(s)/sister(s). Children taking bath by themselves and those sleeping in bed with matting had significantly higher positive rates. Five significant independent predictors of pinworm infection were determined by multivariate analysis: having elder brother(s), having elder sister(s), infrequent washing hands after using toilet facilities, bathing without the help of family members, and sleeping on bed with matting. The prevalence of pinworm infection in the pre-school children of Taipei is extremely low and decreasing. Good hand washing habit should be an important preventive measure. Transmission of this infection in pre-school children may occur in the family through their school-age siblings. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. The measurement of dry deposition and surface runoff to quantify urban road pollution in Taipei, Taiwan.

    PubMed

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

    2013-10-16

    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/m(2) · 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.

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

    PubMed

    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.

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

    PubMed Central

    Ting, Hsien-Wei; Chien, Ting-Ying; Lai, K. Robert; Wu, Kuan-Hsien; Chen, Jun-Min

    2017-01-01

    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. PMID:29232864

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

    PubMed Central

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

    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 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. PMID:27125312

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

    PubMed Central

    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

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

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-10-27

    August) and the Paralympic Games (September). For instance, while appearing more conciliatory in a reported letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki...official PRC sources had been using “Zhongguo Taipei” — or “Taipei, China,” leading up to the Olympic Games . A 1989 agreement stipulated that Taiwan be...MOFA unsurprised by PRC reaction to U.N. participation,” Taipei Times, August 28, 2008, p. 1. Taiwan during the 2008 Olympic Games .24 Taiwan’s

  2. Detecting Taiwan's Shanchiao Active Fault Using AMT and Gravity Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, H.-C.; Yang, C.-H.

    2009-04-01

    Taiwan's Shanchiao normal fault runs in a northeast-southwest direction and is located on the western edge of the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan. The overburden of the fault is late Quaternary sediment with a thickness of approximately a few tenth of a meter to several hundred meters. No detailed studies of the western side of the Shanchiao fault are available. As Taiwan is located on the Neotectonic Belt in the western Pacific, detecting active faults near the Taipei metropolitan area will provide necessary information for further disaster prevention. It is the responsibility of geologists and geophysicists in Taiwan to perform this task. Examination of the resistivity and density contrasts of subsurface layers permits a mapping of the Shanchiao fault and the deformed Tertiary strata of the Taipei Basin. The audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) method and gravity method were chosen for this study. Significant resistivity and gravity anomalies were observed in the suspected fault zone. The interpretation reveals a good correlation between the features of the Shanchiao fault and resistivity and density distribution at depth. In this observation, AMT and gravity methods provides a viable means for mapping the Shanchiao fault position and studying its features associated with the subsidence of the western side of the Taipei Basin. This study indicates the AMT and gravity methods' considerable potential for accurately mapping an active fault.

  3. A Study of Fifth Graders' Environmental Learning Outcomes in Taipei

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  4. Geographic Variation in Cancer Incidence among Children and Adolescents in Taiwan (1995-2009).

    PubMed

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

    2015-01-01

    Evidence from our recent study suggested that the overall trend for cancer incidence in children and adolescents has been increasing in Taiwan. 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 <20 years during 1995-2009 by using the population-based 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). 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. 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.

  5. Enterobius vermicularis infection is well controlled among preschool children in nurseries of Taipei City, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chu, Tu-Bin; Liao, Chien-Wei; Nara, Takeshi; Huang, Ying-Chie; Chou, Chia-Mei; Liu, Yu-Hsin; Fan, Chia-Kwung

    2012-10-01

    Whether Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) infections among preschool children in Taipei City had truly declined was investigated. A total of 6,661 preschool children from 28 nurseries were randomly selected from 4 major geographic districts in Taipei City to examine the status of pinworm infection by using adhesive thin cellophane tape swab method. The overall prevalence of pinworm infection was 0.5% (30/6,661). Boys (0.6%; 21/3,524) had higher prevalence than girls (0.3%; 9/3,137) (p=0.06). Southern district (0.6%; 10/1,789) showed insignificantly higher prevalence than Western district (0.2%; 1/606) (p=0.22). Pinworm screening program remains necessary for some parts of Taipei City.

  6. Evaluation of the temporal variations of air quality in Taipei City, Taiwan, from 1994 to 2003.

    PubMed

    Chang, Shuenn-Chin; Lee, Chung-Te

    2008-03-01

    Data collected from the five air-quality monitoring stations established by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration in Taipei City from 1994 to 2003 are analyzed to assess the temporal variations of air quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) is adopted to convert the original measuring pollutants into fewer independent components through linear combinations while still retaining the majority of the variance of the original data set. Two principal components (PCs) are retained together explaining 82.73% of the total variance. PC1, which represents primary pollutants such as CO, NO(x), and SO(2), shows an obvious decrease over the last 10 years. PC2, which represents secondary pollutants such as ozone, displays a yearly increase over the time period when a reduction of primary pollutants is obvious. In order to track down the control measures put forth by the authorities, 47 days of high PM(10) concentrations caused by transboundary transport have been eliminated in analyzing the long-term trend of PM(10) in Taipei City. The temporal variations over the past 10 years show that the moderate peak in O(3) demonstrates a significant upward trend even when the local primary pollutants have been well under control. Monthly variations of PC scores demonstrate that primary pollution is significant from January to April, while ozone increases from April to August. The results of the yearly variations of PC scores show that PM(10) has gradually shifted from a strong correlation with PC1 during the early years to become more related to PC2 in recent years. This implies that after a reduction of primary pollutants, the proportion of secondary aerosols in PM(10) may increase. Thus, reducing the precursor concentrations of secondary aerosols will be an effective way to lower PM(10) concentrations.

  7. Beliefs about physical activity--focus group results of Chinese community elderly in Seattle and Taipei.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yen-Chun; Huang, Lian-Hua; Young, Heather M; Chen, Ya-Mei

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the beliefs about physical activity held by Chinese immigrant older adults in Seattle and to compare them with the beliefs held by Chinese elderly in Taipei. Researchers conducted 2 focus groups of Chinese older adults to explore their behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and perceived control beliefs. The first group included 10 elderly recruited from the Chinese Information and Service Center in Seattle, Washington. The second group included 14 elderly adults recruited from a health center in Taipei, Taiwan. This study used a qualitative study design, and deductive content analysis was used for analyzing information gathered. The results showed that Chinese immigrant older adults in Seattle had positive attitudes toward physical activity and that, compared with the group in Taipei, the group in Seattle perceived more positive social and environmental supports. The factors influencing Chinese older adults' physical activity and behaviors both in Seattle and in Taipei are discussed.

  8. Strong ground motion in the Taipei basin from the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fletcher, Joe B.; Wen, K.-L.

    2005-01-01

    The Taipei basin, located in northwest Taiwan about 160 km from the epicenter of the Chi-Chi earthquake, is a shallow, triangular-shaped basin filled with low-velocity fluvial deposits. There is a strong velocity contrast across the basement interface of about 600 m/sec at a depth of about 600-700 m in the deeper section of the basin, suggesting that ground motion should be amplified at sites in the basin. In this article, the ground-motion recordings are analyzed to determine the effect of the basin both in terms of amplifications expected from a 1D model of the sediments in the basin and in terms of the 3D structure of the basin. Residuals determined for peak acceleration from attenuation curves are more positive (amplified) in the basin (average of 5.3 cm/ sec2 compared to - 24.2 cm/sec2 for those stations outside the basin and between 75 and 110 km from the surface projection of the faulted area, a 40% increase in peak ground acceleration). Residuals for peak velocity are also significantly more positive at stations in the basin (31.8 cm/sec compared to 20.0 cm/sec out). The correlation of peak motion with depth to basement, while minor in peak acceleration, is stronger in the peak velocities. Record sections of ground motion from stations in and around the Taipei basin show that the largest long-period arrival, which is coherent across the region, is strongest on the vertical component and has a period of about 10-12 sec. This phase appears to be a Rayleigh wave, probably associated with rupture at the north end of the Chelungpu fault. Records of strong motion from stations in and near the basin have an additional, higher frequency signal: nearest the deepest point in the basin, the signal is characterized by frequencies of about 0.3 - 0.4 Hz. These frequencies are close to simple predictions using horizontal layers and the velocity structure of the basin. Polarizations of the S wave are mostly coherent across the array, although there are significant

  9. The Educational Strategies of Citizens' Identification and Recognition for Sustainable Urban Development in Taipei

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuo, Fan-Sheng; Perng, Yeng-Horng

    2016-01-01

    Creating an attractive cityscape has become one of the most promising actions to improve urban functionality and increase urban competitiveness. However, the resistances from the local inhabitants are always against the urban development. Taipei City, a metropolis in Taiwan, is now composed of complex urban systems chaotically enclosed by existing…

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

    PubMed

    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.

  11. Does the Police-Monitored CCTV Scheme Really Matter on Crime Reduction? A Quasi-Experimental Test in Taiwan's Taipei City.

    PubMed

    Lai, Yung-Lien; Sheu, Chuen-Jim; Lu, Yi-Fen

    2018-06-01

    Although numerous public closed-circuit television (CCTV) initiatives have been implemented at varying levels in Taiwan's cities and counties, systematic evaluations of these crime reduction efforts have been largely overlooked. To address this void, a quasi-experimental evaluation research project was designed to assess the effect of police-monitored CCTV on crime reduction in Taipei City for a period of 54 months, including data for both before and after camera installation dates. A total of 40 viewsheds within a 100-m (328 feet) radius were selected as research sites to observe variations in four types of crime incidents that became known to police during the January 2008 to June 2012 period. While crime incidents occurring in both the target and control sites were reduced in frequency after CCTV installation, results derived from time-series analysis indicated that the monitoring had no significant effect on the reduction of property crime incidents with the sole exception of robbery. With respect to the effects of comparing target and control sites, the average Crime Reduction Quotient (CRQ) was 0.36, suggesting that CCTV has an overall marginal yet noteworthy influence. Viewed broadly, however, the police-installed CCTV system in Taipei City did not appear to be as efficient as one would expect. Conversely, cameras installed in some observation sites proved to be significantly more effective than cameras in other sites. As a recommendation, future researchers should identify how particular micro-level attributes may lead to CCTV cameras working more effectively, thereby optimizing location choices where monitoring will prove to be most productive.

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

    PubMed Central

    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 <20 years during 1995–2009 by using the population-based 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

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

    PubMed

    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

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

    PubMed

    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.

  15. Directly Observed Therapy Reduces Tuberculosis-Specific Mortality: A Population-Based Follow-Up Study in Taipei, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

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

    2013-01-01

    Objectives 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). Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions 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. PMID:24278152

  16. Asian Dust Storm Elevates Children’s Respiratory Health Risks: A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Children’s Clinic Visits across Taipei (Taiwan)

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Hwa-Lung; Chien, Lung-Chang; Yang, Chiang-Hsing

    2012-01-01

    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. PMID:22848461

  17. Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Developments and Policy Implications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-01

    ally, China’s situation changed dramatically after the civil war victory of Mao Tse-tung in 1949. The reigning Chinese government, led by Chiang Kai ...Congressional Research Service 5 Changing Political Dynamics in Taiwan Until the mid-1980s, Taiwan had a one-party system in which Chiang Kai -shek’s...Taipei Times, January 23, 2009, p. 1. 21 Xie Yu , “Taiwan put under WHO health rules,” China Daily, February 12, 2009. 22 Chen, Jian, “WHA arrangements

  18. Surveys of HIV-1, HTLV-I, and other sexually transmitted diseases in female sex workers in Taipei City, Taiwan, from 1993 to 1996.

    PubMed

    Chen, Y M; Yu, P S; Lin, C C; Jen, I

    1998-07-01

    Between 1993 and 1996 in Taipei, Taiwan, we studied the prevalences of HIV-1, HTLV-I, HSV-2, Chlamydia trachomatis, and syphilis infection in female commercial sex workers (CSW) and the pathogens' associated risk factors. Female CSW from nine massage parlors, two karaoke bars (KB), and 22 brothels in Taipei city participated in this study. Two of 557 (0.4%) KB CSWs from those who participated during the period from 1993 to 1994 had HIV-1 infection, whereas no KB CSWs in the periods 1994 to 1995 or 1995 to 1996 had HIV-1 infection. None of the 725 MP CSWs or 291 brothel CSWs who participated in the study between 1993 and 1996 had HIV-1 infection. In contrast, CSWs from brothels had elevated rates of both HTLV-I and active chlamydia infections compared with KB and MP CSWs (p < .05 and p < .005, respectively). KB CSWs showed an elevated rate of HSV-2 infection in the years 1993 and 1994 when compared with CSWs employed by brothels and MPs (p < .005). The prevalence rates of syphilis for CSWs from brothels dropped from 42.8% in the year 1993 to 1994 to 26.3% in the 1995 to 1996 period, whereas for KB and MP CSWs, the rates were < 6% in each of year studied.

  19. Association of Internet search trends with suicide death in Taipei City, Taiwan, 2004-2009.

    PubMed

    Yang, Albert C; Tsai, Shi-Jen; Huang, Norden E; Peng, Chung-Kang

    2011-07-01

    Although Internet has become an important source for affected people seeking suicide information, the connection between Internet searches for suicide information and suicidal death remains largely unknown. This study aims to evaluate the association between suicide and Internet searches trends for 37 suicide-related terms representing major known risks of suicide. This study analyzes suicide death data in Taipei City, Taiwan and corresponding local Internet search trend data provided by Google Insights for Search during the period from January 2004 to December 2009. The investigation uses cross correlation analysis to estimate the temporal relationship between suicide and Internet search trends and multiple linear regression analysis to identify significant factors associated with suicide from a pool of search trend data that either coincides or precedes the suicide death. Results show that a set of suicide-related search terms, the trends of which either temporally coincided or preceded trends of suicide data, were associated with suicide death. These search factors varied among different suicide samples. Searches for "major depression" and "divorce" accounted for, at most, 30.2% of the variance in suicide data. When considering only leading suicide trends, searches for "divorce" and the pro-suicide term "complete guide of suicide," accounted for 22.7% of variance in suicide data. Appropriate filtering and detection of potentially harmful source in keyword-driven search results by search engine providers may be a reasonable strategy to reduce suicide deaths. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  1. Teaching Children's Songs: A Taiwan-US Comparison of Approaches by Kindergarten Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Mei-Ying; Campbell, Patricia Shehan

    2016-01-01

    The main purpose of this study was to compare differences in approaches to teaching children's song by kindergarten teachers in Taiwan and the USA. Five public school kindergarten teachers in Taipei, Taiwan, and five public kindergarten teachers in Seattle, USA, were invited to voluntarily participate in this study. They were asked to teach six…

  2. The Development of the Community University Movement in Taiwan: A Critical Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ho, Ching-Jung

    2004-01-01

    The Community University (CU) movement in Taiwan arose from calls for education reform and social change in the country since the last decade. In 1998 the first CU, Wenshan CU, operated by local activists and grass-roots groups, was established in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, as an outgrowth of a popular rally for education reform in 1994.…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  4. Comparative Hair Trace Element Profile in the Population of Sakhalin and Taiwan Pacific Islands.

    PubMed

    Skalny, Anatoly V; Skalnaya, Margarita G; Serebryansky, Eugeny P; Zhegalova, Irina V; Grabeklis, Andrei R; Skalnaya, Oxana A; Skalnaya, Anastasia A; Huang, Pai-Tsang; Wu, Cheng-Chi; Bykov, Anatoly T; Tinkov, Alexey A

    2017-11-17

    The objective of the current study is to perform a comparative analysis of hair trace element content in 393 apparently healthy adults living in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China (94 women and 46 men) and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin, Russia (186 women and 67 men). The obtained data indicate that Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk inhabitants were characterized by significantly higher hair Co, Cr, Mn, and V levels, exceeding the respective Taipei values by a factor of 3, 2, 7, and 5, respectively (all p < 0.001). Hair Cu, Fe, and Si levels were also higher in examinees from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk than those from Taipei by 10% (p = 0.001), 61% (p < 0.001), and 68% (p < 0.001), respectively. It is notable that the only essential element, being significantly higher (+ 30%; p < 0.001) in Taipei inhabitants, is selenium. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk inhabitants were characterized by 60% higher levels of hair Sn, and nearly two- and threefold higher scalp hair content of Be and Cd in comparison to Taipei values, respectively (all p < 0.001). Oppositely, the examinees from Taipei had 14% (p = 0.040) and 47% (p = 0.001) higher levels of hair As and Hg as compared to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk inhabitants. Further analysis demonstrated that men from both Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Taipei were characterized by significantly higher hair Mn, As, and Pb levels in comparison to women. The intensive development of heavy industry in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk may result in increased metal emissions, whereas fish consumption may result in elevation of hair Hg, As, and Se levels in Taiwan inhabitants.

  5. Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Developments and Policy Implications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-04-02

    government, led by Chiang Kai -shek and his Kuomintang (KMT) party, fled mainland China and moved to Taiwan, an island off the southern Chinese...system in which Chiang Kai -shek’s authoritarian Nationalist Party (KMT) ruled under martial law.7 The KMT permitted no political opposition and held no...19 Hsu, Jenny, “’Taipei’ gets direct link to WHO unit,” Taipei Times, January 23, 2009, p. 1. 20 Xie Yu , “Taiwan put under WHO

  6. Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Developments and Policy Implications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-04-14

    Chinese government, led by Chiang Kai -shek and his Kuomintang (KMT) party, fled mainland China and moved to Taiwan, an island off the southern Chinese...system in which Chiang Kai -shek’s authoritarian Nationalist Party (KMT) ruled under martial law.7 The KMT permitted no political opposition and held...19 Hsu, Jenny, “’Taipei’ gets direct link to WHO unit,” Taipei Times, January 23, 2009, p. 1. 20 Xie Yu , “Taiwan put under WHO

  7. National Disability Registers Report on Causes of Intellectual Disability in Taiwan: 2000-2007

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Jin-Ding; Yen, Chia-Feng; Wu, Jia-Ling; Kang, Shih-Wan

    2009-01-01

    The main purposes of the present analysis were to describe the causes of intellectual disability (ID) and examine its overtime change from 2000 to 2007 in Taiwan. Data of the present study mainly come from the public web-access information which collected by the Department of Statistics, Ministry of the Interiors, Taipei, Taiwan. Data were…

  8. An Analysis of Song-Leading by Kindergarten Teachers in Taiwan and the USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Mei-Ying; Campbell, Patricia Shehan

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine components of the song-leading process used by kindergarten teachers in Taiwan and the United States, including the critical matter of starting pitch. Five public school kindergarten teachers in Taipei, Taiwan, and five public kindergarten teachers in Seattle, USA, were invited to participate in this study…

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  10. Transient Surface Deformation of Northern Taiwan, 2007-2011, Using Persistent Scattered InSAR with ALOS Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, C.; Chang, W.; Chang, C.

    2013-12-01

    The Taipei basin, triangular in shape and located in the northern Taiwan, is now developed into the most densely populated area and also the capital of politics and economics in Taiwan. North of the Taipei basin, the Tatun volcano group was proposed to be the cause of extensional collapse during the Pleistocene following the collision between the Luzon volcanic arc and the Eurasian continental margin at about 5 Ma. We investigated the contemporary surface deformation of the northern Taiwan using ALOS images that cover the Taipei basin and its surrounding mountainous area. The Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) technique has been widely used in the past ten years. However, the mountainous areas surrounding the basin are mostly covered with densely various vegetations that reduce signal-to-noise ratio in the interferograms. Therefore, the DInSAR technique is not effective for measuring the surface deformation in and around the Taipei basin, including the Tatun volcano area, and consequently the Persistent Scatterer (PS) and small baseline (SB) InSAR techniques have been employed to extract phase signals of the chosen PS points. In this study, we aim to measure the ground deformation of northern Taiwan by processing the spaceborne radar interferometry data of ALOS acquired from 2007 to 2011 using PSInSAR and SBInSAR techniques. Compared with the Envisat and ERS images used by previous studies, L-band PALSAR images can produce more PS points in the region covered by dense vegetation so that our results reveal a higher resolution of ground deformation. The mean Line of Sight (LOS) velocity field of up to 8 mm/yr in the central Tatun volcanic area, and up to 5 mm/yr in the Taipei basin with higher rate at the hanging wall of the Sanchiao fault than the footwall. (See the Figure.) While previous studies indicated that the Taipei basin had experienced ground uplift from 1993 to 2001 and subsidence from 2003 to 2008, our results show a return to

  11. Monitor the Surface Deformation in Metropolitan Taipei Basin by Using PS-InSAR Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Yan-Ru; Tung, Hsin; Hu, Jyr-Ching

    2015-04-01

    Taipei is the most densely populated area and the center of politics and economics in Taiwan. However, the composite geohazards might occur in Taipei area, in which the active Shanchiao fault located in the western margin of Taipei basin and the active Tatun volcano group located 15 km to the north of the basin. Therefore, it is not only an important scientific topic but also a crucial social issue to better understand the assessment and mitigation of geological hazard in the metropolitan Taipei city. We use Persistent Scatterers interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PSInSAR) and small baseline methods to calculate the surface deformation rate with the constraints of continuous GPS and precise leveling measurements. The advantages of PSInSAR technique are wide, periodic, and stable in the temporal and spatial pattern of deformation. In this study C-band ERS-1/2 (1996/1-1999/9), ENVISAT (2003/1-2008/3) and L-band ALOS (2007/4-2011/6) SAR images are used to carry out the surface deformation in three periods. Based on the results of different periods of PS-InSAR, the slant range displacement (SRD) was variable via time which might be related to the deformation in different depth of loose deposits in Taipei basin. Previous study suggested that some factors influence the surface deformation change, including soil compaction, water-table change and tectonic movement. Consequently the assessment in activity of the Shanchiao fault, the induced deformation due to the fluctuation of the water table and the soil compaction should be removed. In general, the average SRD rate in the footwall and hanging wall of the Shanchiao Fault was about 12.2 mm/yr and 9.1 mm/yr, 1.5 mm/yr and 4.0 mm/yr, respectively with descending mode ERS-1/2 an ENVISAT radar images. For the ascending ALOS radar image, the average SRD rate in the footwall and hanging wall of the Shanchiao Fault was about -9.5 and -11.3 mm/yr, respectively. These results suggests that the slight uplift observed in the

  12. Administrative Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders Based on National Disability Registers in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Jin-Ding; Lin, Lan-Ping; Wu, Jia-Ling

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this paper was to describe the over time prevalence of autism from 2000 to 2007 in Taiwan, with particular focus on the age, gender, prevalence and causes. We analyzed data from the public web-access information collected by the Department of Statistics, Ministry of the Interiors, Taipei, Taiwan. The data included: (1) the physically…

  13. Incidence and Predicted Risk Factors of Pressure Ulcers in Surgical Patients: Experience at a Medical Center in Taipei, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Fu Shaw, Ling; Chang, Pao-Chu; Lee, Jung-Fen; Kung, Huei-Yu

    2014-01-01

    Purpose. To explore the context of incidence of and associated risk factors for pressure ulcers amongst the population of surgical patients. Methods. The initial study cohort was conducted with a total of 297 patients admitted to a teaching hospital for a surgical operation from November 14th to 27th 2006 in Taipei, Taiwan. The Braden scale, pressure ulcers record sheet, and perioperative patient outcomes free from signs and symptoms of injury related to positioning and related nursing interventions and activities were collected. Results. The incidence of immediate and thirty-minute-later pressure ulcers is 9.8% (29/297) and 5.1% (15/297), respectively. Using logistic regression model, the statistically significantly associated risk factors related to immediate and thirty-minute-later pressure ulcers include operation age, type of anesthesia, type of operation position, type of surgery, admission Braden score, and number of nursing intervention after adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusion. Admission Braden score and number of nursing intervention are well-established protected factors for the development of pressure ulcers. Our study shows that older operation age, type of anesthesia, type of operation position, and type of surgery are also associated with the development of pressure ulcers. PMID:25057484

  14. Comparative study on long-term visibility trend and its affecting factors on both sides of the Taiwan Strait

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Junjun; Xing, Zhenyu; Zhuang, Bingliang; Du, Ke

    2014-06-01

    The rapid industrial development and urbanization has lead to increasing particulate matter pollution in the Cross Taiwan Strait Region, which has significant impacts on atmospheric visibility degradation. Long-term visibility trends in five typical cities over the cross-strait region (i.e., Xiamen and Fuzhou in the Western Taiwan Strait (WTS) region and Taipei, Taichung and Tainan in Taiwan) and its correlation with air quality and meteorological conditions were investigated using visibility and meteorological data during 1973-2011 and air pollution data during 2009-2011. For the entire period, the overall average visibilities in the WTS region were better than those in Taiwan, with an average of 16.8, 16.6, 8.5, 10.3 and 9.0 km in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Taipei, Taichung and Tainan, respectively. Decline trends with decreasing rates of - 0.5-0.1 km/yr existed in all cities except Taipei, which had an improvement in visibility after 1992. All seasons had decreasing trends during the 39-year period except in Taipei. The WTS region had the worse change trend compared with Taiwan. No statistically significant weekend effect in visibility is found over the region. Visibilities were better in summer and autumn, while worse in winter and spring. Correlation analysis revealed that significant negative correlations existed between visibility and NO2 and airborne particles (i.e., PM10 and PM2.5); PM2.5 played an important role in visibility degradation. High temperature and low pressure is beneficial for better visibility. Principal component analysis further confirmed the impacts of high concentrations of air pollutants, stable synoptic systems and humid air with high relative humidity on visibility impairment. In addition, case studies highlighted characteristics and potential causes of typical regional low visibility episodes over the region.

  15. Site-effect estimations for Taipei Basin based on shallow S-wave velocity structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Ying-Chi; Huang, Huey-Chu; Wu, Cheng-Feng

    2016-03-01

    Shallow S-wave velocities have been widely used for earthquake ground-motion site characterization. Thus, the S-wave velocity structures of Taipei Basin, Taiwan were investigated using array records of microtremors at 15 sites (Huang et al., 2015). In this study, seven velocity structures are added to the database describing Taipei Basin. Validity of S-wave velocity structures are first examined using the 1D Haskell method and well-logging data at the Wuku Sewage Disposal Plant (WK) borehole site. Basically, the synthetic results match well with the observed data at different depths. Based on S-wave velocity structures at 22 sites, theoretical transfer functions at five different formations of the sedimentary basin are calculated. According to these results, predominant frequencies for these formations are estimated. If the S-wave velocity of the Tertiary basement is assumed to be 1000 m/s, the predominant frequencies of the Quaternary sediments are between 0.3 Hz (WUK) and 1.4 Hz (LEL) in Taipei Basin while the depths of sediments between 0 m (i.e. at the edge of the basin) and 616 m (i.e. site WUK) gradually increase from southeast to northwest. Our results show good agreement with available geological and geophysical information.

  16. The Administrative Population Report on Children with Developmental Delays in Taiwan, 2003 through 2007

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Jin-Ding; Yen, Chia-Feng; Wu, Jia-Ling; Kang, Shih-Wan

    2009-01-01

    This paper was a population study with developmental delays and it included an examination of the trends the overtime change trend and reported channels of this group of people in Taiwan. We analyzed data for the present study mainly from the Department of Statistics, Ministry of the Interiors, Taipei, Taiwan: "Number of early intervention…

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

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

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-10-03

    Olympics (August) and the Paralympic Games (September). For instance, while appearing more conciliatory in a reported letter to U.N. Secretary-General... Games . A 1989 agreement stipulated that Taiwan be called “Zhonghua Taipei” — or “Chinese Taipei,” a term suggesting a more ambiguous Chinese...would use to refer to Taiwan during the 2008 Olympic Games .22 Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also has said that acquiring submarines — a move

  20. The application of seismic risk-benefit analysis to land use planning in Taipei City.

    PubMed

    Hung, Hung-Chih; Chen, Liang-Chun

    2007-09-01

    In the developing countries of Asia local authorities rarely use risk analysis instruments as a decision-making support mechanism during planning and development procedures. The main purpose of this paper is to provide a methodology to enable planners to undertake such analyses. We illustrate a case study of seismic risk-benefit analysis for the city of Taipei, Taiwan, using available land use maps and surveys as well as a new tool developed by the National Science Council in Taiwan--the HAZ-Taiwan earthquake loss estimation system. We use three hypothetical earthquakes to estimate casualties and total and annualised direct economic losses, and to show their spatial distribution. We also characterise the distribution of vulnerability over the study area using cluster analysis. A risk-benefit ratio is calculated to express the levels of seismic risk attached to alternative land use plans. This paper suggests ways to perform earthquake risk evaluations and the authors intend to assist city planners to evaluate the appropriateness of their planning decisions.

  1. Sensitivity of Typhoon Track Predictions in a Regional Prediction System to Initial and Lateral Boundary Conditions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-09-01

    123, 93–109. ——, T.-H. Yen, Y.-H. Kuo, and W. Wang, 2002: Rainfall simu- lation associated with Typhoon Herb (1996) near Taiwan . Part I: The topographic...Bureau, Taipei, Taiwan MELINDA S. PENG Marine Meteorology Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, California DER-SONG CHEN, KANG-NING HUANG, AND...TIEN-CHIANG YEH Central Weather Bureau, Taipei, Taiwan (Manuscript received 13 May 2008, in final form 25 December 2008) ABSTRACT Tropical cyclone

  2. CPTAC Establishes Formal Relationships with Two Academic Institutions in Taiwan | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

    Cancer.gov

    The National Cancer Institute's Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) has entered into memorandum of understandings (MOUs) with Chang Gung University and Academia Sinica, in Taipei, Taiwan.

  3. Transient deformation induced by groundwater change in Taipei metropolitan area revealed by high resolution X-band SAR interferometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tung, Hsin; Chen, Horng-Yue; Hu, Jyr-Ching; Ching, Kuo-En; Chen, Hongey; Yang, Kuo-Hsin

    2016-12-01

    We present precise deformation velocity maps for the two year period from September 2011 to July 2013 of the northern Taiwan area, Taipei, by using persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) technique for processing 18 high resolution X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images archived from COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) constellation. According to the result, the highest subsidence rates are found in Luzou and Wuku area in which the rate is about 15 mm/yr and 10 mm/yr respectively in the whole dataset. However, dramatic change from serve subsidence to uplift in surface deformation was revealed in the Taipei Basin in two different time spans: 2011/09-2012/09 and 2012/09-2013/07. This result shows good agreement with robust continuous GPS measurement and precise leveling survey data across the central Taipei Basin. Moreover, it also represents high correlation with groundwater table. From 8 well data in the Taipei basin, the storativity is roughly constant across most of the aquifer with values between 0.5 × 10- 4 and 1.6 × 10- 3 in Jingmei Formation and 0.8 × 10- 4 and 1.4 × 10- 3 in Wuku Formation. This high correlation indicated that one meter groundwater level change could induce about 9 and 16 mm surface deformation change in Luzou and Wuku area respectively, which is about eight times faster the long-term tectonic deformation rate in this area. Thus, to access the activity of the Shanchiao Fault, it is important to discriminate tectonic movement from anthropogenic or seasonal effect in the Taipei Basin to better understand the geohazards and mitigation in the Taipei metropolitan area.

  4. High Outpatient Visits among People with Intellectual Disabilities Caring in a Disability Institution in Taipei: A 4-Year Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Jin-Ding; Loh, Ching-Hui; Choi, Im-Cheng; Yen, Chia-Feng; Hsu, Shang-Wei; Wu, Jia-Ling; Chu, Cordia M.

    2007-01-01

    Few studies reported in the literature have addressed the long-term trend of the use of medical care for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in institutions. The subject cohort in this study was made of 168 individuals with ID in a public residential facility from 1999 to 2002 in Taipei, Taiwan. The average age of participants was 19.3…

  5. NASA Sees a Wider-Eyed Typhoon Soudelor Near Taiwan

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Typhoon Soudelor on Aug. 7, 2015, at 4:40 UTC (12:40 a.m. EDT) as it was approaching Taiwan. Credits: NASA Goddard's MODIS Rapid Response Team Clouds in Typhoon Soudelor's western quadrant were already spreading over Taiwan early on August 7 when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead. Soudelor is expected to make landfall and cross central Taiwan today and make a second landfall in eastern China. NASA satellite imagery revealed that Soudelor's eye "opened" five more miles since August 4. On Aug. 7 at 4:40 UTC (12:40 a.m. EDT) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible-light image of Typhoon Soudelor as its western quadrant began brushing eastern Taiwan. The MODIS image showed Soudelor's 17-nautical-mile-wide eye and thick bands of powerful thunderstorms surrounded the storm and spiraled into the center. Just three days before, the eye was 5 nautical miles smaller when the storm was more intense. On Aug. 4 at 4:10 UTC (12:10 a.m. EDT) Aqua's MODIS image showed the eye was 12-nautical-mile-wide eye. At 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) on August 7, 2015, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that Typhoon Soudelor's maximum sustained winds increased from 90 knots (103.6 mph/166.7 kph) to 105 knots (120.8 mph / 194.5 kph). It was centered near 23.1 North latitude and 123.2 East longitude, about 183 nautical miles (210.6 miles/338.9 km) southeast of Taipei, Taiwan. It was moving to the west-northwest at 10 knots (11.5 mph/18.5 kph). For warnings and watches for Taiwan, visit the Central Weather Bureau website: www.cwb.gov.tw/eng/. For warnings in China, visit the China Meteorological Administration website: www.cma.gov.cn/en. Soudelor's final landfall is expected in eastern China on Saturday, August 8. Clouds in Typhoon Soudelor's western quadrant were already spreading over Taiwan early on August 7 when NASA's Aqua satellite passed

  6. Southeast Asia’s Relations with Taiwan, 2000-2016: An Assessment of Vietnam and Singapore

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-09-01

    were considered good during Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui’s terms (1988–2000) with robust economic ties and de facto diplomatic relations. Studies of...the post -Lee period have described a state of deteriorated relations between Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries when Chen Shui-bian succeeded Lee...Taiwan set up its de facto embassy in Ho Chi Minh City in 1992, and Vietnam set up its own representative office in Taipei in 1993. Vietnam continued to

  7. Contribution of urban runoff in Taipei metropolitan area to dissolved inorganic nitrogen export in the Danshui River, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Kuo, Nae-Wen; Jien, Shih-Hao; Hong, Nien-Ming; Chen, Yao-Te; Lee, Tsung-Yu

    2017-01-01

    A previous study has demonstrated that Danshui River has almost the highest dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) yield in the world and exports most of the DIN in the form of ammonium unlike the world's large rivers. However, the DIN sources are poorly constrained. In this study, the contributions of major sources in the Taipei metropolitan area to the DIN export in the Danshui River were investigated. It is observed that ammonium is the major DIN species in the downstream reaches, resulting from the ammonium-dominated inputs of the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and rain water pumping stations (RWPS). DIN concentrations in the downstream (urban) reaches are substantially elevated. The upstream tributaries annually discharge ∼2709 t DIN to the downstream reaches. However, the DIN discharge off the downstream reaches rises to ∼17,918 t, resulting from the contribution of RWPS-collected water, i.e., ∼14,632 t, and the effluents of two WWTP, i.e., ∼577 t. RWPS-collected water inherently contains the contribution of atmospheric deposition, ∼2937 t DIN. This finding implies that ∼11,695 t (∼66 % of the downstream output) DIN flux off the Danshui River is from urban runoff and can be attributed to human activities in the Taipei metropolitan area. To improve the water quality in the Danshui River, water quality controls in urban runoff are important.

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

    PubMed Central

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

    2011-01-01

    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. PMID:21776223

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

    PubMed

    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.

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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)

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

    PubMed

    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.

  12. Estimating Source Duration for Moderate and Large Earthquakes in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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).

  13. Indoor air quality in hairdressing salons in Taipei.

    PubMed

    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

  14. China/Taiwan: Evolution of the One China Policy - Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-07-09

    48 PRC Premier Li Peng Warns Taiwan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mainland-Taiwan “Koo-Wang...and March 1993, PRC President Jiang Zemin and Premier Li Peng began to warn of having to use “drastic” or “resolute” measures to prevent Taiwan...commitment in its referral to Quemoy and Matsu.” (Wolff and Simon, p. 282-283.) 95 “Ye Jianying Explains Policy Concerning Return of Taiwan to Motherland and

  15. Using media exposure to predict the initiation and persistence of youth alcohol use in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chang, Fong-ching; Lee, Ching-mei; Chen, Ping-hung; Chiu, Chiung-hui; Miao, Nae-fang; Pan, Yun-chieh; Huang, Tzu-fu; Lee, Shu-ching

    2014-05-01

    Youth consumption of alcohol is a major public health problem in Taiwan, yet little research has been conducted to examine the potential influence of exposure to alcohol advertising. The present study examined the prospective influence that exposure to alcohol advertising has on the initiation and persistence of youthful drinking in Taiwan. A total of 2315 students from 26 high schools in Taipei, Taiwan were assessed in the 10th grade with follow-up conducted in the 11th grade. Self-administered questionnaires were collected in 2010 and 2011 to assess the patterns of change in youth alcohol drinking behaviors, media exposure to alcohol, and risk and protective factors. Of the 1712 non-drinking students in the 10th grade, 285 (16.6%) had initiated drinking by the 11th grade. Of the 590 drinkers in the 10th grade, 396 (67.1%) were persistently drinking by the 11th grade. Multivariate analysis results indicated that when other potential confounders were accounted for, greater media exposure to alcohol advertising in the 10th grade was found to be significantly associated with the initiation of alcohol use and when combined with an increase in media exposure from grades 10 to 11, this was significantly associated with the persistence of alcohol use. Exposure to alcohol advertising in the media was associated with both the initiation and the persistence of alcohol use by youth. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. History and development of ophthalmology in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hou, Yu-Chih; Oren, Gale A; Chen, Muh-Shy; Hu, Fung-Rong

    2016-12-01

    Western medicine was first introduced to Taiwan by medical missionaries in the mid-19 th 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. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Identification of the Low-velocity Zone Beneath the Northern Taiwan by the P-wave Delays Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, C. W.; Che-Min, L.

    2017-12-01

    Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan, located in northern Taiwan is near to the Tatun volcano group and the Shanchiao fault which is an active fault. This region is a complex tectonic environment. The Tatun volcano group is seen as a dormant volcano. Recently, the location of the magma reservoir of the Tatun volcano was discussed again. However, the volume and the location of the magma reservoir are still unclear. There are several seismic networks operated by different institutions around Taipei and Tatun volcano. In this study, we combined the data of these networks to analysis the P-wave arrival times for clarifying the magma reservoir. The events with hypocenters are deeper than 100 km and the local magnitude (ML) are larger than 4.0 were collected to analysis. Our results show that the stations could be separated into three groups by the slope of the P-wave arrival time. They are distributed at the western of the Basin edge, the Jin-Shan Plain areal and the Taipei Basin, respectively. When the epicenter distance of the different stations is the same, the P-wave arrival time of the stations on the west side of the basin edge will be 0.3 0.5 seconds later than that in the Taipei Basin, and the stations on the Jin-Shan Plain will be 0.1 0.4 seconds later than in the Taipei Basin. The slope of the P-wave arrival time in 3 groups is very different, indicating that the low-velocity zone is existed in shallow crustal beneath of these areas. However, the low-velocity zone can be connected to the magma reservoir of the Tatun volcano group or submarine volcano of Keelung Island or not? It can be discussed the correlation between the magma reservoir and the low-velocity zone by more events collected.

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

    PubMed

    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.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  20. Molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Taipei.

    PubMed

    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

  1. Molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Taipei

    PubMed Central

    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

    2008-01-01

    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 (MIRU-VNTR) typing and spoligotyping, were applied after culture. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusion Our data on MTB genotype in Taipei suggest that MTB infection has not been optimally controlled. Control efforts

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

    PubMed

    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.

  3. Contemporary Trends in East Asian Higher Education: Dispositions of International Students in a Taiwan University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Amy; Chou, Prudence; Ching, Greg

    2010-01-01

    This article details a mixed methods study conducted during the 2007-2008 academic year at the National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei Taiwan. It contributes to discourse examining the opportunities and challenges of international student enrollments in institutions of higher learning around the globe. In scope it details an empirical study…

  4. Typhoon Soudelor's Eye over Northwestern Taiwan

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-08-10

    In this MODIS image from NASA's Aqua satellite, the eye of Typhoon Soudelor is seen over northwestern Taiwan on August 8, 2015 at 05:25 UTC (1:25 a.m. EDT). At that time, Soudelor had maximum sustained winds near 90 knots. It was less than 100 miles southwest of Taipei, Taiwan. Typhoon-force winds were felt up to 35 miles from the center, covering a 70 mile-wide diameter. Image credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team/Jeff Schmaltz..NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  5. Separation or Unification for Taiwan: An Economic Comparison.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1996-09-01

    Table 11-9. Average Size of Taiwan’s FDI in SE Asia (Cumulative through 1993) Host Country $M per Project Indonesia 13.50 Vietnam 13.09 Malaysia ...leaders. By April 1996, Taiwan had signed investment protection agreements with Indonesia, Malaysia , the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam and...and Surabaya, Indonesia; Penang, Malaysia ; Laos; and Subic Bay, the Philippines. See Chen Hurng-yu (1994), 128. The first stage of the Subic Bay

  6. Estimated Effects of Asian Dust Storms on Spatiotemporal Distributions of Clinic Visits for Respiratory Diseases in Taipei Children (Taiwan)

    PubMed Central

    Chien, Lung-Chang; Yang, Chiang-Hsing

    2012-01-01

    Background: Increases in certain cause-specific hospital admissions have been reported during Asian dust storms (ADS), which primarily originate from north and northwest China during winter and spring. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the ADS and clinic visits for respiratory diseases in children. Objective: We investigated the general impact to children’s health across space and time by analyzing daily clinic visits for respiratory diseases among preschool and schoolchildren registered in 12 districts of Taipei City during 1997–2007 from the National Health Insurance dataset. Methods: We applied a structural additive regression model to estimate the association between ADS episodes and children’s clinic visits for respiratory diseases, controlling for space and time variations. Results: Compared with weeks before ADS events, the rate of clinic visits during weeks after ADS events increased 2.54% (95% credible interval = 2.43, 2.66) for preschool children (≤ 6 years of age) and 5.03% (95% credible interval = 4.87, 5.20) for schoolchildren (7–14 years of age). Spatial heterogeneity in relative rates of clinic visits was also identified. Compared with the mean level of Taipei City, higher relative rates appeared in districts with or near large hospitals and medical centers. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first population-based study to assess the impact of ADS on children’s respiratory health. Our analysis suggests that children’s respiratory health was affected by ADS events across all of Taipei, especially among schoolchildren. PMID:22538266

  7. Characteristics, determinants, and spatial variations of ambient fungal levels in the subtropical Taipei metropolis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yi-Hua; Chan, Chang-Chuan; Rao, Carol Y.; Lee, Chung-Te; Hsu, Hsiao-Hsien; Chiu, Yueh-Hsiu; Chao, H. Jasmine

    This study was conducted to investigate the temporal and spatial distributions, compositions, and determinants of ambient aeroallergens in Taipei, Taiwan, a subtropical metropolis. We monitored ambient culturable fungi in Shin-Jhuang City, an urban area, and Shi-Men Township, a rural area, in Taipei metropolis from 2003 to 2004. We collected ambient fungi in the last week of every month during the study period, using duplicate Burkard portable samplers and Malt Extract Agar. The median concentration of total fungi was 1339 colony-forming units m -3 of air over the study period. The most prevalent fungi were non-sporulating fungi, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Curvularia and Aspergillus at both sites. Airborne fungal concentrations and diversity of fungal species were generally higher in urban than in rural areas. Most fungal taxa had significant seasonal variations, with higher levels in summer. Multivariate analyses showed that the levels of ambient fungi were associated positively with temperature, but negatively with ozone and several other air pollutants. Relative humidity also had a significant non-linear relationship with ambient fungal levels. We concluded that the concentrations and the compositions of ambient fungi are diverse in urban and rural areas in the subtropical region. High ambient fungal levels were related to an urban environment and environmental conditions of high temperature and low ozone levels.

  8. Short-term effects of ozone air pollution on hospital admissions for myocardial infarction: A time-stratified case-crossover study in Taipei.

    PubMed

    Chiu, Hui-Fen; Weng, Yi-Hao; Chiu, Ya-Wen; Yang, Chun-Yuh

    2017-01-01

    This study was undertaken to determine whether there was a correlation between ambient ozone (O 3 ) levels and number of hospital admissions for myocardial infarction (MI) in Taipei, Taiwan. Hospital admissions for MI and ambient air pollution data for Taipei were obtained for the period from 2006 to 2010. The relative risk (RR) of hospital admissions for MI was estimated using a time-stratified case-crossover approach, controlling for weather variables, day of the week, seasonality, and long-term time trends. For the single-pollutant model (without adjustment for other pollutants), increased RR for a number of MI admissions was significantly associated with higher O 3 levels both on warm days (>23°C) and on cool days (<23°C). This observation was accompanied by an interquartile range elevation correlated with a 7% (95% CI = 2%-12%) and 17% (95% CI = 11%-25%) rise in number of MI admissions, respectively. In the two-pollutant models, no significant associations between ambient O 3 concentrations and number of MI admissions were observed on warm days. However, on cool days, correlation between ambient O 3 after inclusion of each of the other five pollutants, particulate matter (PM 10 or PM 2.5 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) or carbon monoxide (CO), and number of MI admissions remained significant. This study provides evidence that higher levels of ambient O 3 increase the RR of number of hospital admissions for MI.

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

    PubMed

    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 <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 Control has

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

    PubMed Central

    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 Findings 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. Conclusions/Significance 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. PMID:26544554

  11. Surface deformation induced by water pumping for construction of Mass Rapid Transportation in Taipei basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, J. C.; Wu, P. C.; Tung, H.; Tsai, M. C.

    2017-12-01

    In 1968, there were 2,200 wells in the Taipei Basin used for water supply to meet the requirement of high population density. The overuse of ground water lead to the land subsidence rate up to 5 cm/yr. Although the government had already begun to limit groundwater pumping since 1968, the groundwater in the Taipei Basin demonstrated temporary fluctuation induced by pumping water for large deep excavation site or engineering usage. The previous study based on precise leveling suggested that the surface deformation was highly associated with the recovery of water level. In 1989, widespread uplift dominated in Taipei basin due to the recovery of ground water Table. In this study, we use 37 high-resolution X-band COSMO-SkyMed radar images from May 2011 to April 2015 to characterize deformation pattern in the period of construction of Mass Rapid Transportation (MRT). We also use 30 wells and 380 benchmarks of precise leveling in Taipei basin to study the correlation of surface deformation and change of ground water table. The storability is roughly constant across most of the aquifer with values between 0.8 x 10-4 and 1.3 x 10-3. Moreover, the high water pumping in two major aquifers, Jignme and Wuku Foramtions, before the underground construction for MRT led to inflict surface deformation and no time delay observed for surface deformation during the water pumping. It implies that the poro-elastic effect dominates in major aquifers in Taipei basin.

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

    PubMed

    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 < .001) and assistance from local health centers (p < .001). Amongst the group of new Indonesian immigrants, the need for Chinese communication assistance when receiving medical treatment (p < .001) was the only item significantly different from the group of Mainland Chinese immigrants. Cultural competence in public health nursing education should not be deemphasized in

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

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-25

    there is now in the year China is hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics (August) and the Paralympic Games (September). For instance, while appearing more...World War II. 22 Reportedly official PRC sources had been using “Zhongguo Taipei” — or “Taipei, China,” leading up to the Olympic Games . A 1989...to Taiwan during the 2008 Olympic Games .22 Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also has said that acquiring submarines — a move directed at the PRC

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

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-07

    August) and the Paralympic Games (September). For instance, while appearing more conciliatory in a reported letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki...about the name that the PRC would use to refer to Taiwan during the 2008 Olympic Games .24 Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also has said that...17, 2008. 24 Reportedly official PRC sources had been using “Zhongguo Taipei”—or “Taipei, China,” leading up to the Olympic Games . A 1989 agreement

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

    PubMed

    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

  16. China/Taiwan: Evolution of the One China Policy - Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-07

    Statements During Clinton Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 PRC Premier Li Peng Warns Taiwan...Soviet Union/Russia and built up its theater missile force.48 In December 1992 and March 1993, PRC President Jiang Zemin and Premier Li Peng began to...Ye Jianying Explains Policy Concerning Return of Taiwan to Motherland and Peaceful Unification,” Xinhua [New China News Agency], September 30, 1981

  17. Microbiological Quality of Seafood Marketed in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Wong, Hin-Chung; Jiang, Huai-Yu; Lin, Hsu-Yang; Wang, Yu-Ting

    2015-11-01

    Seafood is often associated with foodborne illnesses, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the most common pathogen implicated in outbreaks in Taiwan. In this study, the microbiological quality of 300 raw or mixed ready-to-eat (RTE) and other cooking-needed seafood samples was examined. The total aerobic and coliform counts of the RTE samples were significantly higher than those of other cooking-needed samples. On average, 55.8 and 29.7% of the RTE samples failed to meet the local microbiological standards for total aerobic (5 log CFU/g) and coliform (3 log most probable number [MPN] per g), counts respectively; the corresponding percentages for the RTE samples from Taipei City were 9.1 and 18.2%, respectively. The total aerobic and coliform counts in the RTE samples from supermarkets and chain restaurants were significantly lower than those from traditional restaurants. The Vibrio species were more frequently identified in the cooking-needed samples than in RTE samples. Low incidences of V. parahaemolyticus (1.4%), V. vulnificus (1.9%), and V. cholerae (0%) were detected in most RTE samples. High densities of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus (1,200 MPN/g) were detected in a few RTE samples, only one of which contained toxigenic (tdh(+)) V. parahaemolyticus. The results of this investigation reveal that better hygiene of seafood providers such as chain restaurants, supermarkets, and traditional restaurants in Taipei City would effectively improve the microbiological quality of the seafood. The results will facilitate the establishment of measures for controlling the risks associated with seafood in Taiwan.

  18. Indoor Air Quality in the Metro System in North Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  19. Induced abortion in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  20. The administrative population report on children with developmental delays in Taiwan, 2003 through 2007.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jin-Ding; Yen, Chia-Feng; Wu, Jia-Ling; Kang, Shih-Wan

    2009-01-01

    This paper was a population study with developmental delays and it included an examination of the trends the overtime change trend and reported channels of this group of people in Taiwan. We analyzed data for the present study mainly from the Department of Statistics, Ministry of the Interiors, Taipei, Taiwan: "Number of early intervention for children with developmental delays in Taiwan" from 2003 through 2007. The reported number of children with developmental delays slightly increased from 13,231 to 14,250 (increase rate=7.7%) from the year of 2003 through 2007 in Taiwan. More than one-half of children with developmental delays were reported during the age 3-5 years. Aged 0-2 group has the highest increasing reported numbers in the previous 5 years which changed dramatically increased from 4139 (31.3%) in 2003 to 6201 (43.5%) in 2007 (increase rate=49.8%). The medical care setting was the main reported channel of the children with developmental delays and the results also showed that the reported prevalence of the aged 0-2 developmentally delayed children was 57.4-102.2 per 10,000 children; aged 3-5 was 79.0-105.1 per 10,000 children from the year 2003-2007 in Taiwan. The present concluded that early intervention based on the precise affected population would provide important supports for families of children with developmental delays. Therefore, the health care system should be strengthened to increase the proportion of children identified at the earlier age and to decrease the variability in the age at identification for most of the conditions of children with developmental delays.

  1. [The community-oriented experience of early intervention services in Taipei City].

    PubMed

    Chu, Feng-Ying

    2007-10-01

    The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of early intervention. The purpose of early intervention in Taipei City is to help child development, promote parenting skills, and reduce educational and social costs. In order to meet these goals, parenting groups and Taipei City Council have made great efforts to make early intervention work in Taipei City. In April 1995, Taipei City Government started planning and setting up the service network. To date, Taipei City has set up one reporting and referral center?, ?six community resources centers, 22 medical assessment and intervention clinics, 12 child development centers, one early intervention training center, three non-profit foundations and more than 300 inclusion schools, such as kindergartens and day care centers. With parent participation, professional devotion and Taipei City Government's commitment, the number of assisted children has increased from 98 to 2,523 /year. By the end of 2006, Taipei had already funded 25,277 children. We estimate Taipei City early intervention services to have affected at least 75,000 persons, including development-delayed and disabled children, their parents?, ?grandparents and siblings. We found that early intervention services help the children to build up self esteem, grow their potential, learn how to socialize, and receive an education, while the most important aim is to help them to reduce their level of disability or to prevent them from getting worse. At the same time, their families get support and a diverse range of services. An integrated early intervention program should include children, families, and multidisciplinary professionals. The system should therefore be more "family-centered" and "community-oriented" to provide appropriate services to children and families through a positive and aggressive attitude.

  2. XP11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma: clinical experience of Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

    PubMed

    Hung, Chia-Chen; Pan, Chin-Chen; Lin, Chih-Chieh; Lin, Alex T L; Chen, Kuang-Kuo; Chang, Yen-Hwa

    2011-11-01

    Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a recently recognized distinct subtype of RCC, is characterized by various translocations, all involving the TFE3 transcription factor gene. These rare cancers occur predominantly in children and young adults and comprise about one-third of pediatric RCCs. In the present study, we review the clinical course of Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma in our institution. We identified eight cases with Xp11.2 translocation RCC between 2007 and 2010 from the pathological archives of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. We retrospectively analyzed the patients' characteristics, clinical manifestations, and specific pathological features for definitive diagnosis, surgical and systemic treatment and clinical outcome of these rare cancers. Patients were aged 20 years to 49 years (mean age 28 years) with female predominance (6 females, 2 males). One patient presented with asymptomatic renal mass detected incidentally during abdominal sonography. Four patients complained of flank or abdominal pain, and the other three complained of gross hematuria at initial presentation. The mean tumor size was 9.2 cm (range, 4 cm-17 cm). Seven patients underwent radical nephrectomy for the primary tumor, while one presented with multiple metastases. All cases were confirmed by TFE3 immunohistochemistry, a sensitive and specific marker of tumors with TFE3 gene fusion, which showed positive nuclear staining. Three patients presented initially with metastatic diseases, and another three patients progressed to lung, liver and bone metastases at eight, seven and nine months postoperatively. Although RT-PCR and DNA sequencing are the final diagnoses of the molecular identity of Xp11.2 translocation RCC, experienced pathologists could confirm the histologic diagnosis based on the distinctive morphologic features with positive TFE3 immunochemical nuclear stain. Surgical resection is the only treatment. The role of systemic therapy for local

  3. A prospective study of dietary intakes and influential factors from pregnancy to postpartum on maternal weight retention in Taipei, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lyu, Li-Ching; Lo, Chaio-Chen; Chen, Heng-Fei; Wang, Chia-Yu; Liu, Dou-Ming

    2009-12-01

    Excessive gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention are risk factors for female obesity. The present study was to examine dietary intakes and weight history from a prospective follow-up study from early pregnancy to 1 year postpartum. A total of 151 pregnant women within 20 weeks of pregnancy in Taipei, Taiwan were interviewed periodically to collect dietary and lifestyle information. The participants had an average age of 30 years and the average gestational weight gain was 14 kg, with an average daily intake of 7830 kJ (1870 kcal) in the 1 year following parturition. By bivariate analyses, maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI and breast-feeding were not related to postpartum weight retention, but gestational weight gain had significant positive correlations (r 0.54 at 6 months, r 0.44 at 1 year; P < 0.05). The generalised estimating equations showed that the average weight before pregnancy, at 6 months and 1 year postpartum was 53.35 kg, 55.75 kg (weight retention 2.36 kg; P < 0.01) and 54.75 kg (weight retention 1.48 kg; P < 0.01), respectively. After controlling for age, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain and parity, we found at 6 months that the adjusted weight retention at postpartum was 0.79 kg (P < 0.01), but at 1 year it was - 0.08 kg (P>0.05). From multivariate analyses, dietary energy intake and energy intake per kg body weight as a long-term physical activity index could explain 24 % of the variation at 6 months and 27 % of the variation at 1 year in postpartum weight retention. These results suggest that pregnant women should be advised to control gestational weight gain, decrease energy intakes after child-bearing and maintain regular exercise in order to prevent postpartum obesity.

  4. Bridging the Strait: Implications for Japan and the United States Following a Peaceful Reunification of China and Taiwan

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-12-01

    8 C . CHINA AND JAPAN ....................................................................................10 D. JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES... C . Bush, Untying the Knot: Making Peace in the Taiwan Strait. (Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institute, 2005), 36. 8 Richard Stubbs, Rethinking...Asia’s Economic Miracle , (Houndsmill, England: Plagrave McMillan, 2005), 31-32. 3 Under the “one China, two systems” policy, Taipei would accept that

  5. The prosecution of Taiwan sexuality researcher and activist Josephine Ho.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ping

    2004-05-01

    In April 2003, following a newspaper report of a hyperlink to a website on bestiality on the Sexuality Databank website of the Center for the Study of Sexualities, National Central University, Taipei, Taiwan, 14 conservative NGOs filed charges against the Center's founder, Josephine Ho, for "propagating obscenities that corrupt traditional values." Ho has been researching sexuality and supporting freedom for marginalised sexual minorities for ten years. In a public statement in response to the charges, she said that the work of scholarly research must not be dictated by prejudice and that differences in sexual values should not be arbitrated by law and should be open for public discussion. As the legal process began in January 2004, Ho's supporters in Taiwan have called for the preservation of the Taiwan Constitutional decree on integrity and autonomy of academic research and freedom of expression on the internet, for the University to resist calls to dismiss Ho from her post, and for respect for freedom of speech and expression and the right to create spaces to educate people about non-normative sexualities.

  6. Seasonal variations in the physico-chemical characteristics of aerosols in North Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chou, Charles

    2014-05-01

    From 2007 to 2012, this study investigated the mass concentration and chemical composition of ambient aerosols (i.e. PM10, PM2.5, and PMc = PM10-PM2.5) at Cape Fuguei, Yangminshan, and NTU (National Taiwan University) stations in northern Taiwan. It was found that the concentration and composition of aerosols exhibited significant seasonal variations but without an inter-annual trend during the study period. Moderate correlations (R2 = 0.4-0.6) were observed among the aerosol concentrations at the respective stations, indicating that the aerosol concentrations were dominated by factors on regional scales. During the seasons of northeasterly winter monsoons, long range transport of dust and particulate air pollutants from the Asia Continent had negatively impacted the atmospheric environment in this area. On the other hand, as a highly developed urban area, Taipei has substantial local emissions of air pollutants that should have transported to the surrounding areas of Taipei basin and caused deterioration of air quality and visibility in Cape Fuguei and Yangminshan. The results indicated that the major components of aerosols in Taipei include sulfate, sea salts, dust, and organic matters. In addition, contributions from nitrate, ammonium, and elemental carbon were also significant. In terms of mass concentration, most of the sea salts and dust particles existed in the coarse mode of aerosols, whereas sulfate and EC were confined within PM2.5. This suggests that the dust and sea salts particles were externally mixed with EC and sulfate in the aerosols over Taipei area. Further, it was found that nitrate were closely associated with sea salts in aerosols, suggesting the reaction between nitric acid and sea salt particles. Different seasonality was observed for sea salt and dust: sea salts peaked in fall and dust reached the maximal level in springtime, implying their sources were regulated by independent seasonal factors. Particulate pollutants (i.e. sulfate, nitrate

  7. The limits of global health diplomacy: Taiwan's observer status at the world health assembly.

    PubMed

    Herington, Jonathan; Lee, Kelley

    2014-10-01

    In 2009, health authorities from Taiwan (under the name "Chinese Taipei")a formally attended the 62nd World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization as observers, marking the country's participation for the first time since 1972. The long process of negotiating this breakthrough has been cited as an example of successful global health diplomacy. This paper analyses this negotiation process, drawing on government documents, formal representations from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and key informant interviews. The actors and their motivations, along with the forums, practices and outcomes of the negotiation process, are detailed. While it is argued that non-traditional diplomatic action was important in establishing the case for Taiwan's inclusion at the WHA, traditional concerns regarding Taiwanese sovereignty and diplomatic representation ultimately played a decisive role. The persistent influence of these traditional diplomatic questions illustrates the limits of global health diplomacy.

  8. Empirical Site Amplification Factors Incorporating Soil Nonlinearity in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  9. Taipei's Use of a Multi-Channel Mass Risk Communication Program to Rapidly Reverse an Epidemic of Highly Communicable Disease

    PubMed Central

    Yen, Muh-Yong; Wu, Tsung-Shu Joseph; Chiu, Allen Wen-Hsiang; Wong, Wing-Wai; Wang, Po-En; Chan, Ta-Chien; King, Chwan-Chuen

    2009-01-01

    Background In September 2007, an outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) occurred in Keelung City and spread to Taipei City. In response to the epidemic, a new crisis management program was implemented and tested in Taipei. Methodology and Principal Findings Having noticed that transmission surged on weekends during the Keelung epidemic, Taipei City launched a multi-channel mass risk communications program that included short message service (SMS) messages sent directly to approximately 2.2 million Taipei residents on Friday, October 12th, 2007. The public was told to keep symptomatic students from schools and was provided guidelines for preventing the spread of the disease at home. Epidemiological characteristics of Taipei's outbreak were analyzed from 461 sampled AHC cases. Median time from exposure to onset of the disease was 1 day. This was significantly shorter for cases occurring in family clusters than in class clusters (mean±SD: 2.6±3.2 vs. 4.39±4.82 days, p = 0.03), as well as for cases occurring in larger family clusters as opposed to smaller ones (1.2±1.7 days vs. 3.9±4.0 days, p<0.01). Taipei's program had a significant impact on patient compliance. Home confinement of symptomatic children increased from 10% to 60% (p<0.05) and helped curb the spread of AHC. Taipei experienced a rapid decrease in AHC cases between the Friday of the SMS announcement and the following Monday, October 15, (0.70% vs. 0.36%). By October 26, AHC cases reduced to 0.01%. The success of this risk communication program in Taipei (as compared to Keelung) is further reflected through rapid improvements in three epidemic indicators: (1) significantly lower crude attack rates (1.95% vs. 14.92%, p<0.001), (2) a short epidemic period of AHC (13 vs. 34 days), and (3) a quick drop in risk level (1∼2 weeks) in Taipei districts that border Keelung (the original domestic epicenter). Conclusions and Significance The timely launch of this systematic, communication

  10. Oral health status of children with special health care needs receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia at the dental clinic of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chia-Yu; Chen, Ya-Wei; Tsai, Tzong-Ping; Shih, Wen-Yu

    2014-04-01

    Oral health is crucial to individual growth and development. However, oral health care is often overlooked in children with special health care needs (CSHCN). We investigated current oral health status and unmet dental needs of CSHCN in Taiwan. We performed a retrospective study of consecutive CSHCN cases receiving first-time comprehensive dental treatment under general anesthesia at Taipei Veterans General hospital from 2001 to 2010. We retrieved clinical data including age, sex, types, and severity of disability, caries experience index [decayed, extracted, and filled teeth (deft) index for primary dentition/decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index for permanent dentition], malocclusion, and treatment modalities from medical charts for analysis. The correlation between different groups of CSHCN regarding the deft/DMFT indices and treatment modalities was analyzed statistically. Our study included 96 children, ranging in age from 2.4 years to 14.3 years (mean age 6.8 ± 3.3 years). The deft/DMFT index was significantly higher in the younger age group (2-6 years; 13.8 ± 4.3) compared with the older group (> 6 years; 10.5 ± 5.3; p < 0.001). The mean number of total treated teeth was 14.2 ± 3.8, and no differences existed among disability groups (p = 0.528) and age groups (p = 0.992). For the treatment modality, the number of pulp therapies with crown restoration was higher in the younger age group than in the older group. At the time of the study, 53 CSHCN had reached their full permanent dentition. We observed significantly more malocclusion of full permanent dentition in the older age group (91%) than in the younger group (35%; p < 0.001). Unmet dental needs and caries experience indices remain high in CSHCN, regardless of the types and severity of disability. However, the younger the age at which CSHCN received their first dental treatment, the more effective the dental rehabilitation was. Parental education regarding early dental intervention and a

  11. 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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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, <62.5 gal and <11 cm/s. Likewise, for index II, PGA is ≧62.5 and ≦187.5 gal; but, PGV is ≧11 and ≦35 cm/s. Similarly, PGA is ≧187.5 and ≦325 gal; but, PGV is ≧35 and ≦55 cm/s for index III. The corresponding PGA and PGV, for index IV, are ≧325 and ≦450 gal and ≧55 and ≦75 cm/s. Finally, for index V, 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.

  12. Distance Education: A Key Strategy for Lifelong Learning in Chinese Taipei.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Judy

    Through further implementation of distance education, Chinese Taipei may both continue and increase its economic development. The benefits of lifelong learning have been demonstrated in the past 30 years by the economic growth and labor force skills development in Chinese Taipei. The founding of the National Open University, in 1986, with its…

  13. Potential impacts of electric vehicles on air quality in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  14. The childhood sexual abuse among youth in three Asian cities: Taipei, Shanghai, and Hanoi.

    PubMed

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

    2015-03-01

    The article describes the prevalence and risk factors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) among youth in Hanoi, Shanghai, and Taipei. Data used in this study are from the Three-City Asian Study of Adolescents and Youth, 2006-2007. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression models were used. The self-reported lifetime prevalence of CSA was 5.2% in Taipei, 1.3% in Shanghai, and 0.5% in Hanoi. The overall prevalence was 2.2% for females and 1.7% for males. The average age of first CSA was 10.5 years. Household instability, migration before age 14, and low maternal warmth were found to be positively associated with CSA, whereas discussing problems with father and being close to mother were negatively associated with CSA, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Our findings suggested the importance of prevention programs for preteen aged children, public education to raise awareness, and further prospective studies to identify various risk markers for CSA in Asia. © 2013 APJPH.

  15. 78 FR 64248 - Notice Pursuant to The National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993; DVD Copy Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-28

    ..., Shenzhen, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA; Smart Electronics Manufacturing Service Philippine, Calamba City, Laguna, PHILIPPINES; SoJean International Co., Ltd., His-Chih City, Taipei Hsien, TAIWAN; and YuCha (Hong...; CyberLink Corporation, Shindian City, Taipei, TAIWAN; D&M Holdings Inc., Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN; Daesung...

  16. Temporal fluctuation of the lead level in the cord blood of neonates in Taipei.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Y H; Wang, J D

    1990-01-01

    From August 1985 to September 1987, 9,502 cord blood samples were obtained from the Taipei Municipal Maternal and Child Hospital. A total of 205 cord blood samples chosen randomly from newborns without parental exposure to lead were analyzed by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The average blood lead level was .36 +/- .11 mumol/l (7.48 +/- 2.25 micrograms/dl). A similar analysis was performed on samples obtained from 160 newborns whose fathers had occupational lead exposure. In both groups, the average concentration of lead in cord blood in the summer was statistically greater than that in the winter. Air lead and total amount of lead in gasoline consumed in Taipei appeared to be associated with this seasonal fluctuation in the average lead level of cord blood. After considering alternative sources, we conclude that the seasonal fluctuation of cord blood lead is probably influenced by air lead produced from the combustion of gasoline.

  17. Performance Evaluation of UHF RFID Technologies for Real-Time Bus Recognition in the Taipei Bus Station

    PubMed Central

    Own, Chung-Ming; Lee, Da-Sheng; Wang, Ti-Ho; Wang, De-Jun; Ting, Yu-Lun

    2013-01-01

    Transport stations such as airports, ports, and railways have adopted blocked-type pathway management to process and control travel systems in a one-directional manner. However, this excludes highway transportation where large buses have great variability and mobility; thus, an instant influx of numerous buses increases risks and complicates station management. Focusing on Taipei Bus Station, this study employed RFID technology to develop a system platform integrated with modern information technology that has numerous characteristics. This modern information technology comprised the following systems: ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio-frequency identification (RFID), ultrasound and license number identification, and backstage graphic controls. In conclusion, the system enabled management, bus companies, and passengers to experience the national bus station's new generation technology, which provides diverse information and synchronization functions. Furthermore, this technology reached a new milestone in the energy-saving and efficiency-increasing performance of Taiwan's buses. PMID:23778192

  18. The feasibility of QR-code prescription in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  19. Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in school-aged Chinese in Taipei City and relationship between ABO blood groups.

    PubMed

    Wu, Tzee-Chung; Chen, Liang-Kung; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2003-08-01

    To explore the seropositive rate of antibodies against H. pylori (anti-HP) in Taipei City and to compare the relationship of ABO blood groups and H. pylori infection. In 1993, high school students in Shih-Lin District were randomly selected for blood samplings by their registration number at school. In addition, similar procedures were performed on the well-children clinics of Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Besides, randomly selected sera from the adults who took the physical examination were recruited for evaluation. Informed consents were obtained from all the subjects before blood samplings and parents were simultaneously informed for those who were younger than 18-year-old. Blood tests for anti-HP and ABO blood groupings were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chi square tests were used for the comparisons between seroprevalence of H. pylori and ABO blood groups. Totally, 685 subjects were recruited (260 children aged 1-14 years, 425 high school students aged 15-18 years) were evaluated, and another 88 adult healthy volunteers were studied as well for comparison. The age-specific seropositive rate of anti-HP was 1.3 % at age 1-5 years, 7.7 % at age 6-10 years, and 11.5 % at age 11-14 years. The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was abruptly increased in young adolescence: 18.6 % at age 15 years, 28.1 % at age 16 years, 32.4 % at age 17 years and 41.0 % at age 18 years, respectively. In the 425 high school students, ABO blood groupings were performed, which disclosed 48.5 % (206/425) of blood group O, 24 % (102/425) of blood group A, 21.8 % (93/425) of blood group B and 5.6 % (24/425) of blood group AB. In comparison of the subjects with blood group O and the other blood groups, no statistical significance could be identified in the seroprevalence of H. pylori (P=0.99). The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection in Taipei City in adults is similar to the developed countries, and the abrupt increase of H. pylori during high school may be

  20. Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in school-aged Chinese in Taipei City and relationship between ABO blood groups

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Tzee-Chung; Chen, Liang-Kung; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2003-01-01

    AIM: To explore the seropositive rate of antibodies against H. pylori (anti-HP) in Taipei City and to compare the relationship of ABO blood groups and H. pylori infection. METHODS: In 1993, high school students in Shih-Lin District were randomly selected for blood samplings by their registration number at school. In addition, similar procedures were performed on the well-children clinics of Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Besides, randomly selected sera from the adults who took the physical examination were recruited for evaluation. Informed consents were obtained from all the subjects before blood samplings and parents were simultaneously informed for those who were younger than 18-year-old. Blood tests for anti-HP and ABO blood groupings were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chi square tests were used for the comparisons between seroprevalence of H. pylori and ABO blood groups. RESULTS: Totally, 685 subjects were recruited (260 children aged 1-14 years, 425 high school students aged 15-18 years) were evaluated, and another 88 adult healthy volunteers were studied as well for comparison. The age-specific seropositive rate of anti-HP was 1.3% at age 1-5 years, 7.7% at age 6-10 years, and 11.5% at age 11-14 years. The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was abruptly increased in young adolescence: 18.6% at age 15 years, 28.1% at age 16 years, 32.4% at age 17 years and 41.0% at age 18 years, respectively. In the 425 high school students, ABO blood groupings were performed, which disclosed 48.5% (206/425) of blood group O, 24% (102/425) of blood group A, 21.8% (93/425) of blood group B and 5.6% (24/425) of blood group AB. In comparison of the subjects with blood group O and the other blood groups, no statistical significance could be identified in the seroprevalence of H. pylori (P = 0.99). CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection in Taipei City in adults is similar to the developed countries, and the abrupt increase of H. pylori during

  1. Clinical manifestations of treatment-naive patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and responses to highly active antiretroviral therapy in the Taipei Veterans General Hospital: a 5-year prospective study.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Shih-Fen; Yang, Su-Pen; Chan, Yu-Jiun; Wang, Yung-Wei

    2011-06-01

    Taipei Veterans General Hospital, one of the medical centers in Taiwan, has provided highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS patients for more than 10 years. Five years ago, we began a prospective follow-up of our patients' clinical manifestations and responses to HAART by collecting their clinical data. In this study, we analyzed the morbidity, mortality, and responses to HAART of treatment-naive AIDS patients. The purpose was to provide local data that may be valuable in Taiwan. Study cases were enrolled from January 1, 2004, to February 28, 2009, with inclusion criteria of newly diagnosed AIDS during hospitalization and being naive to HAART. Antiretroviral therapy was initiated. To evaluate the clinical responses to HAART, we excluded patients who were pregnant, died within 1 month after confirmation of an AIDS diagnosis, failed to initiate HAART, or were lost to follow-up for more than 6 months. Plasma viral loads and CD4(+) counts were quantified by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software. A total of 49 patients were enrolled and 45 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria for evaluating the efficacy of HAART. At 3 months, 12 months, and 30 months after the initiation of HAART, 64.4% (29 of 45), 88.2% (30 of 34), and 93.8% (15 of 16) had undetectable plasma viral loads, respectively, and 37.8% (17 of 45), 73.5% (25 of 34), and 81.2% (13 of 16) had CD4(+) counts of more than 200 cells/μL, respectively. Median CD4(+) counts increased from baseline at Month 3 by 171 cells/μL and at Month 30 by 375 cells/μL. The overall mortality was 22.4% (11 of 49). The virologic and immunologic responses after initiating HAART in this study demonstrated our achievements in providing care and treatment for AIDS patients during this 5-year period, which provides a strong evidence of the efficacy of HAART. Copyright © 2011

  2. Redistribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes After Nationwide 13-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Program in Children in Northern Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Cho, Ying-Chun; Chiu, Nan-Chang; Lu, Chun-Yi; Huang, Daniel Tsung-Ning; Huang, Fu-Yuan; Chang, Luan-Yin; Huang, Li-Min; Chi, Hsin

    2017-12-01

    After the introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) against Streptococcus pneumoniae, public health officials in Taiwan monitored a decline in circulating vaccine serotypes and the emergence of nonvaccine serotypes in children with invasive pneumococcal disease. A gradually expanded PCV13 national immunization program was launched in 2013 in Taiwan. Here, we evaluate the changes in the distribution of pneumococcal serotypes and antimicrobial nonsusceptibility in children during the evolution of vaccination policy. S. pneumoniae isolates from children with pneumococcal disease were collected and serotyped from 2010 to 2015 in northern Taiwan. PCVs were administered at the recipients' expense between 2010 and 2012, and then PCV13 was partially reimbursed by the government beginning in 2013. The distribution and diversity of serotypes were analyzed along with their antimicrobial susceptibilities. Among a total of 498 isolates, the proportion of invasive pneumococcal disease isolates declined (47.1%-10.6%) during the study period, and serotype diversity increased after 2011. Between 2010 and 2012, the dominant serotypes were 19A, 19F, 3, 6B and 14, and serotype 19A rose from 44.1% to 57.5%. Serotypes 19A, 15A, 19F and 15B were more prevalent from 2013 to 2015, and serotype 19A decreased from 42.1% to 4.5%. Serotypes 19F and 15A became the most commonly detected serotypes in 2015. Overall, PCV13 additional serotypes were reduced by 80% (P < 0.0001) but nonvaccine serotypes increased from 8.8% to 51.5% (P < 0.0001). The step-by-step PCV13 national immunization program is effective against pneumococcal disease in Taiwanese children, mainly by reducing PCV13 additional serotypes.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  4. Bayesian historical earthquake relocation: an example from the 1909 Taipei earthquake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Minson, Sarah E.; Lee, William H.K.

    2014-01-01

    Locating earthquakes from the beginning of the modern instrumental period is complicated by the fact that there are few good-quality seismograms and what traveltimes do exist may be corrupted by both large phase-pick errors and clock errors. Here, we outline a Bayesian approach to simultaneous inference of not only the hypocentre location but also the clock errors at each station and the origin time of the earthquake. This methodology improves the solution for the source location and also provides an uncertainty analysis on all of the parameters included in the inversion. As an example, we applied this Bayesian approach to the well-studied 1909 Mw 7 Taipei earthquake. While our epicentre location and origin time for the 1909 Taipei earthquake are consistent with earlier studies, our focal depth is significantly shallower suggesting a higher seismic hazard to the populous Taipei metropolitan area than previously supposed.

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

    PubMed

    Yu, Hwa-Lung; Chien, Lung-Chang

    2016-01-01

    Fine particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) has been associated with human health issues; however, findings regarding the influence of PM2.5 on 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 (<6 years old) and schoolchildren (6-14 years old). In preschool children, same-day health risks rise when concentrations 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

  6. Prevalence and risk factors for myopia in second-grade primary school children in Taipei: A population-based study.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Chih-Chien; Huang, Nicole; Lin, Pei-Yu; Tsai, Der-Chong; Tsai, Ching-Yao; Woung, Lin-Chung; Liu, Catherine Jui-Ling

    2016-11-01

    High myopia is associated with multiple ocular morbidities that may lead to irreversible blindness. Because high myopia in an adult is thought to be related to onset of myopia in very early childhood, detecting myopia early and working to improve modifiable risk factors may help reduce the development of high myopia. In this study, we tried to evaluate the prevalence of myopia and associated risk factors in second-grade primary school children in Taipei, Taiwan. A questionnaire was distributed to the participants' parents, and their written informed consent was obtained before performing eye examinations that included visual acuity testing and cycloplegic autorefraction. Multiple logistic regression models were applied to assess possible risk factors associated with myopia. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent of -0.50 D or less in either eye. The prevalence of myopia in the second graders was 36.4%. After adjustment for other characteristics, the following variables were significantly associated with a higher risk of myopia: male sex [odds ratio (OR)=1.24, p<0.001]; suburban residence (vs. urban; OR=1.10, p=0.02); lower maternal education level (OR=1.25, p<0.001); the presence of myopia in one parent (OR=1.66, p<0.001) or both parents (OR=2.82, p<0.001); time spent on near-work activity every day (OR=1.21, p<0.001); shorter visual distance when doing near-work activity (OR=1.17, p<0.001); and participation in an after-school tutorial program (OR=1.20, p<0.001). By contrast, resting after 30 minutes of near-work activity (OR=0.84, p<0.001) and spending more time participating in outdoor activities on weekends (OR=0.91, p=0.03) were significantly associated with a lower risk of myopia. Our findings indicate that lifestyle and reading habits impact the development of myopia during early childhood. Behavior modification, such as more time spent outside during the day and limited near-work activity, may be a feasible strategy for curbing the increasingly high

  7. 11 CFR 110.13 - Candidate debates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Candidate debates. 110.13 Section 110.13... PROHIBITIONS § 110.13 Candidate debates. (a) Staging organizations. (1) Nonprofit organizations described in 26... political parties may stage candidate debates in accordance with this section and 11 CFR 114.4(f). (2...

  8. 11 CFR 110.13 - Candidate debates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Candidate debates. 110.13 Section 110.13... PROHIBITIONS § 110.13 Candidate debates. (a) Staging organizations. (1) Nonprofit organizations described in 26... political parties may stage candidate debates in accordance with this section and 11 CFR 114.4(f). (2...

  9. Very-long-period seismic signals at the Tatun Volcano Group, northern Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, C. H.; Pu, H. C.

    2016-12-01

    Very-long-period (VLP) seismic events have been detected in the Tatun Volcano Group (TVG), located around the border between Taipei City and New Taipei City in northern Taiwan, in which has 7 million residents. By using both analyses of particle motions and travel-time delay, one VLP volcanic earthquake's source is estimated to be at a shallow depth ( 800 m) beneath Mt. Chihsin, which is the highest and youngest volcano in the TVG. The significant variation of seismic energy at different azimuths provides strong evidence to distinguish a crack source from other kinds of sources, such as a sphere, vertical pipe or even double-couple source. This is further confirmed by synthetic modeling of the seismograms recorded at two stations as well as the compressional first-motion at three seismic stations. Thus, a deeper plumping system with high-pressure fluid is required to generate the VLP signals and other volcanic earthquakes in the TVG. Combining this result with those of previous studies, we conclude that the TVG might not be totally extinct and some further investigations must be carried out to improve understanding of the volcanic characteristics of the TVG.

  10. 11 CFR 9008.13 - Additional audits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Additional audits. 9008.13 Section 9008.13... Convention Committees § 9008.13 Additional audits. In accordance with 11 CFR 104.16(c), the Commission... investigation of any committee in any case in which the Commission finds reason to believe that a violation of a...

  11. 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.

    PubMed

    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.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  13. Taipei IAP, Taiwan. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1973-09-07

    p ILA" .O.. (L.’ SPEED ,t MEAN (KNTS) 14-6 7. 10 1 -16 17- 21 22 -27 28 33 34 40 41 %. WEND DIR. iSP~ tD N ___ _ .1! 3_ _ - N .71 I _2 ._ 1 .- 5. ENE...LL .,. ,L - k -- ... 1 1. 117 L53 561 55 .3 3.2 3.0 151 1.1 .31 13Q 119 120 128 54/ 53. ,. 3.7 2 5 1,4 7_ 12A 137 106 52/ 51 .1 2.2 2.21 .2 ,1 86 86...43 1Z 362 74/ 7l . j~e *b .6 .1 .1 𔃻! 41 97 2101 72/ 71 tL. ,. 13 . .A__._ __.. 16 - L53 88 7./ 69 .2 .1 . 6 23 571 ___o zL -- -- .. A. .. 66/ 65

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

    PubMed

    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

  15. 44 CFR 13.11 - State plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false State plans. 13.11 Section 13.11 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND..., organization, policy, or State agency operation. The State will obtain approval for the amendment and its...

  16. 44 CFR 13.11 - State plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false State plans. 13.11 Section 13.11 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND..., organization, policy, or State agency operation. The State will obtain approval for the amendment and its...

  17. Characteristics of the first human milk bank in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  18. Development of a GIService based on spatial data mining for location choice of convenience stores in Taipei City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Chinte; Sun, Chih-Hong

    2006-10-01

    Motivated by the increasing accessibility of technology, more and more spatial data are being made digitally available. How to extract the valuable knowledge from these large (spatial) databases is becoming increasingly important to businesses, as well. It is essential to be able to analyze and utilize these large datasets, convert them into useful knowledge, and transmit them through GIS-enabled instruments and the Internet, conveying the key information to business decision-makers effectively and benefiting business entities. In this research, we combine the techniques of GIS, spatial decision support system (SDSS), spatial data mining (SDM), and ArcGIS Server to achieve the following goals: (1) integrate databases from spatial and non-spatial datasets about the locations of businesses in Taipei, Taiwan; (2) use the association rules, one of the SDM methods, to extract the knowledge from the integrated databases; and (3) develop a Web-based SDSS GIService as a location-selection tool for business by the product of ArcGIS Server.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  20. Use of Chinese herbal medicine among menopausal women in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

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

    PubMed Central

    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

  2. The effects of transported Asian dust on the composition and concentration of ambient fungi in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chao, H. Jasmine; Chan, Chang-Chuan; Rao, Carol Y.; Lee, Chung-Te; Chuang, Ying-Chih; Chiu, Yueh-Hsiu; Hsu, Hsiao-Hsien; Wu, Yi-Hua

    2012-03-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of transported Asian dust and other environmental parameters on the levels and compositions of ambient fungi in the atmosphere of northern Taiwan. We monitored Asian dust events in Taipei County, Taiwan from January 2003 to June 2004. We used duplicate Burkard portable air samplers to collect ambient fungi before, during, and after dust events. Six transported Asian dust events were monitored during the study period. Elevated concentrations of Aspergillus ( A. niger, specifically), Coelomycetes, Rhinocladiella, Sporothrix and Verticillium were noted ( p < 0.05) during Asian dust periods. Botryosporium and Trichothecium were only recovered during dust event days. Multiple regression analysis showed that fungal levels were positively associated with temperature, wind speed, rainfall, non-methane hydrocarbons and particulates with aerodynamic diameters ≤10 μm (PM10), and negatively correlated with relative humidity and ozone. Our results demonstrated that Asian dust events affected ambient fungal concentrations and compositions in northern Taiwan. Ambient fungi also had complex dynamics with air pollutants and meteorological factors. Future studies should explore the health impacts of ambient fungi during Asian dust events, adjusting for the synergistic/antagonistic effects of weather and air pollutants.

  3. Increasing cardiopulmonary emergency visits by long-range transported Asian dust storms in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chan, Chang-Chuan; Chuang, Kai-Jen; Chen, Wen-Jone; Chang, Wei-Tien; Lee, Chung-Te; Peng, Chi-Ming

    2008-03-01

    This study aims to explore whether Asian dust storms can affect health after 4000 km long-range transport from their origins to downwind areas. Asian dust storms reaching Taipei, Taiwan are tracked by satellite images and confirmed by backward trajectory analysis and ground air pollution monitoring between 1995 and 2002. Our outcome variables include emergency visits for ischaemic heart diseases (ICD-9-CM 410-411, 414), cerebrovascular diseases (ICD-9-CM 430-437), and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) (ICD-9-CM 493, 496) from the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). We use simple paired t-test and Poisson regression models to compare difference in emergency visits, air pollution levels and meteorological conditions for the pairs of Asian dust events and pre-dust periods. There were 39 high dust events with PM(10) greater than 90 microg/m(3) and another 46 low dust events with PM(10) less than 90 microg/m(3). Compared to their pre-dust periods, PM(10) concentrations are significantly increased by 77 microg/m(3) per event for the high dust events. Asian dust storms increase cardiopulmonary emergency visits during storm-affecting periods in Taipei when ambient PM(10) concentrations are above 90 microg/m(3). Compared to their pre-dust periods, emergency visits for ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and COPD during high dust events are increased by 0.7 case (35%), 0.7 case (20%), and 0.9 case (20%) per event, respectively, by paired t-tests. By comparing the model-predicted to the observed emergency visits, we find emergency visits for cardiovascular diseases (ICD-9-CM 410-411, 414, 430-437) were significantly increased by 2.9 cases (67%) per event for the 39 high Asian dust events.

  4. 10 CFR 11.13 - Special requirements for transportation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Special requirements for transportation. 11.13 Section 11.13 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR... Authorization § 11.13 Special requirements for transportation. (a) All individuals who, after 365 days following...

  5. 10 CFR 11.13 - Special requirements for transportation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Special requirements for transportation. 11.13 Section 11.13 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR... Authorization § 11.13 Special requirements for transportation. (a) All individuals who, after 365 days following...

  6. 10 CFR 11.13 - Special requirements for transportation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Special requirements for transportation. 11.13 Section 11.13 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR... Authorization § 11.13 Special requirements for transportation. (a) All individuals who, after 365 days following...

  7. 10 CFR 11.13 - Special requirements for transportation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Special requirements for transportation. 11.13 Section 11.13 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR... Authorization § 11.13 Special requirements for transportation. (a) All individuals who, after 365 days following...

  8. Schizophrenic delusions in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei: a transcultural study.

    PubMed

    Kim, K; Hwu, H; Zhang, L D; Lu, M K; Park, K K; Hwang, T J; Kim, D; Park, Y C

    2001-02-01

    In this transcultural study of schizophrenic delusions among patients in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei, we discovered that both the frequency and content of delusions differed among the three groups; and that these differences could perhaps be explained by varying sociocultural and political situations. Delusional themes that are sensitive to sociocultural or political situations include guilt, love/sex, religion, somatic damage, economy/business and politics. Delusions regarding longevity, love/sex, dysmorphophobia/dysosmophobia, religion or supernatural matters, and espionage/spy stories were most frequent in Seoul patients. Those in Taipei predominantly had delusions about possession, religion or supernatural matters, hypnotism, and mass media/computers. Shanghai patients often had delusions of poisons, being prickled by poisoned needles, their brain and viscera extracted and being a family member of political authorities.

  9. Characteristics of Broadband Seismic Noise in Taiwan and Neighboring Islands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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

  10. Estimating the Number of HIV-infected gay sauna patrons in Taipei area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsieh, Ying-Hen; Chen, Cathy W. S.; Lee, Shen-Ming; Chen, Yi-Ming A.; Wu, Shiow-Ing; Lai, Shu-Fen; Chang, An-Lung

    2006-04-01

    We make use of the voluntary HIV and syphilis test results conducted at five gay saunas in Taipei from August of 1999 to end of 2002 to estimate the number of HIV-positive gay saunas patrons in Taipei area by utilizing Hierarchical Bayes method in Generalized Removal Model for Open Populations (GERMO). Considering the effect of a nearby anonymous HIV quick test program on the gay sauna HIV serotesting data, we make use of the association between HIV and syphilis serotesting results from the gay sauna program to amend possible measurement error occurred at the time of data collection by utilizing the regression calibration method. The median estimates for the number of HIV-positive patrons of the five gay saunas increase from 120 (95% CI: 76.5-159.0) during the first half of 2000 to 224 (95% CI: 171.0-265.5) for the second half of 2002. The result, indicating two-fold increase within two and half years, confirms that the gay sauna patrons in Taipei area are at high risk for HIV infection.

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

    PubMed

    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.

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

    PubMed Central

    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

  13. Schizophrenic delusions in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei: a transcultural study.

    PubMed Central

    Kim, K.; Hwu, H.; Zhang, L. D.; Lu, M. K.; Park, K. K.; Hwang, T. J.; Kim, D.; Park, Y. C.

    2001-01-01

    In this transcultural study of schizophrenic delusions among patients in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei, we discovered that both the frequency and content of delusions differed among the three groups; and that these differences could perhaps be explained by varying sociocultural and political situations. Delusional themes that are sensitive to sociocultural or political situations include guilt, love/sex, religion, somatic damage, economy/business and politics. Delusions regarding longevity, love/sex, dysmorphophobia/dysosmophobia, religion or supernatural matters, and espionage/spy stories were most frequent in Seoul patients. Those in Taipei predominantly had delusions about possession, religion or supernatural matters, hypnotism, and mass media/computers. Shanghai patients often had delusions of poisons, being prickled by poisoned needles, their brain and viscera extracted and being a family member of political authorities. PMID:11289407

  14. 18 CFR 11.13 - Energy gains calculations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Energy gains calculations. 11.13 Section 11.13 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE FEDERAL POWER ACT ANNUAL CHARGES UNDER PART I OF THE...

  15. 18 CFR 11.13 - Energy gains calculations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Energy gains calculations. 11.13 Section 11.13 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE FEDERAL POWER ACT ANNUAL CHARGES UNDER PART I OF THE...

  16. 18 CFR 11.13 - Energy gains calculations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Energy gains calculations. 11.13 Section 11.13 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE FEDERAL POWER ACT ANNUAL CHARGES UNDER PART I OF THE...

  17. 18 CFR 11.13 - Energy gains calculations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Energy gains calculations. 11.13 Section 11.13 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE FEDERAL POWER ACT ANNUAL CHARGES UNDER PART I OF THE...

  18. 18 CFR 11.13 - Energy gains calculations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Energy gains calculations. 11.13 Section 11.13 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY REGULATIONS UNDER THE FEDERAL POWER ACT ANNUAL CHARGES UNDER PART I OF THE...

  19. Successful Multiresistant Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Lineage from Taipei, Taiwan, That Carries Either the Novel Staphylococcal Chromosome Cassette mec (SCCmec) Type VT or SCCmec Type IV

    PubMed Central

    Boyle-Vavra, Susan; Ereshefsky, Ben; Wang, Chih-Chien; Daum, Robert S.

    2005-01-01

    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates carry the methicillin resistance gene (mecA) on a horizontally transferred genetic element called the staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec). Community-acquired MRSA (CAMRSA) isolates usually carry SCCmec type IV. We previously reported that 76% of 17 CAMRSA isolates (multilocus sequence type 59) obtained from pediatric patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) from Taipei did not carry SCCmec types I to IV. We used DNA sequence analysis to determine that the element harbored by these nontypeable isolates is a novel subtype of SCCmec V called SCCmec VT. It contains a ccrC recombinase gene variant (ccrC2) and mec complex C2. One SSTI isolate contained molecular features of SCCmec IV but also contained ccrC2 (a feature of SCCmec VT), suggesting that it may harbor a composite SCCmec element. The genes lukS-PV and lukF-PV encoding the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) were present in all CAMRSA SSTI isolates whether they contained SCCmec type IV or VT. SCCmec VT was also present in 5 of 34 (14.7%) CAMRSA colonization isolates collected from healthy children from Taipei who lacked MRSA risk factors. Four (80%) of the these isolates contained lukS-PV and lukF-PV, as did 1 of 27 (3.7%) SCCmec IV-containing colonization isolates. A total of 63% (10 of 16) of the SSTI isolates and 61.7% (21 of 34) of the colonization isolates tested were resistant to at least four classes of non-β-lactam antimicrobials. SCCmec VT is a novel SCCmec variant that is found in multiply resistant CAMRSA strains with sequence type 59 in Taipei in association with the PVL leukotoxin genes. PMID:16145133

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  1. 50 CFR 11.13 - Decision by the Director.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Decision by the Director. 11.13 Section 11..., POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND PLANTS CIVIL PROCEDURES Assessment Procedure § 11.13 Decision by the Director. Upon expiration of the period required or...

  2. A MIMIC approach to modeling the underground economy in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, David Han-Min; Lin, Jer-Yan; Yu, Tiffany Hui-Kuang

    2006-11-01

    The size of underground economy (UE) expansion usually increases the tax gap, impose a burden on the economy, and results in tax distortions. This study uses the MIMIC approach to model the causal variables and indicating variables to estimate the UE in Taiwan. We also focus on testing the data for non-stationarity and perform diagnostic tests. By using annual time-series data for Taiwan from 1961 to 2003, it is found that the estimated size of the UE varies from 11.0% to 13.1% before 1988, and from 10.6% to 11.8% from 1989 onwards. That the size of the UE experienced a substantial downward shift in 1989 indicates that there was a structural break. The UE is significantly and positively affected by such casual variables as the logarithm of real government consumption and currency inflation, but is negatively affected by the tax burden at 5% significant level. Unemployment rate and crime rate are not significantly correlated with the UE in this study.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  4. A meteor shockwave event recorded at seismic and infrasound stations in northern Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Utpal; Chao, Benjamin F.; Hsieh, Yikai; Chang, Emmy T. Y.

    2017-12-01

    Three mysterious explosion sounds were heard in the coastal towns of Tamsui, west of Taipei in northern Taiwan, in the early evening of December 5, 2013. The event left clear signals that are identified in the recordings of 12 regional seismometers and 3 infrasound sensors and processed by means of travel time analysis. The apparent velocity of 330 m/s of the signals confirms that the energy transmission was through the atmosphere, and the characteristics of the waveforms suggest the meteor-generated shockwaves. We use the graphical method as well as the Genetic Algorithm optimization approach to constrain the trajectory of the meteor and to locate its projected intercept with the ground—(25.33 N, 121.26 E), approximately 20 km off the coast of Tamsui. The trajectory has azimuth (measured from north in a map view in the clockwise direction) of 303° and (near-vertical) elevation angle of 70°. From the observed period of 1.3 s at the maximum amplitude of the infrasound signal, we estimate by conventional scaling law that the meteor in question had impact energy on the order of 5 × 1010 J (equivalent to an earthquake of local magnitude 4) or roughly a size of 0.5 m across.

  5. Study on occupational safety and health strategy for Taiwan.

    PubMed

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

    2009-12-01

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

  6. 13 CFR 313.11 - Other requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Other requirements. 313.11 Section 313.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE...' fees or the employment of expediters (§ 302.10); EDA's economic development information clearinghouse...

  7. An intensive effort to reduce fertility in Taoyuan County, Taiwan: 1973 intermediate report.

    PubMed

    Sun, T H

    1974-08-01

    From 1951 to 1973, the crude birthrate in Taiwan declined more than 50%; there is still work to be done to reduce the annual growth rate to less than 1%. This reduction was due to a change in the age composition of the population, an increase in the age at marriage, and reduced marital fertility (contraception and induced abortion). Further reductions will rely mainly on further reductions in marital fertility. An intensive family planning program, reaching 60% of eligible couples and concentrating on the pill, loop, and condom methods, has been active since 1964. Fertility will decline when the ideal family size lowers and when son preference is eliminated. 2 high fertility counties, Taipei and Taoyuan, were selected for intensified activity in 1972. Imp roved activities included: 1) systematic home visits and use of a control card system, 2) strengthened supervision of workers, 3) improved training and publicity programs, 4) use of incentives for loop referrals, and 5) encouragement of word-of-mouth publicity by satisfied contraceptors. Schedules and targets were met or exceeded. The long-range results cannot be measured yet. Reasons for the greater success of the project in Taoyuan than in Taipei are examined. Lessons learned from the project are enumerated. It can be seen that intensive local government operations can be successful, particularly when more and better paid workers are used.

  8. Sediment characteristics and provenance of the Taiwan Shoal in the southern Taiwan Strait

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koo, W. S.; Lin, A. T.; Kuo, L. W.; Lee, Y. H.

    2016-12-01

    The Taiwan Shoal in the southern Taiwan Strait exhibits a lobe-shaped shallow water area, with a depth less than around 40 m and an area approximately of 13,000 km2. The Shoal consists of relict sediments remnant from deltaic deposits during the last glacial period and associated with the paleo-Min River. We collected seafloor sediments in and around the Taiwan Shoal to study the sediment characteristics and provenance of the Shoal as well as Taiwanese river sediments to characterize sediment sourced from southern Taiwan. Our results help to understand possible sediment delivery pathways in a source-to-sink context from the southern Taiwan Strait to the northern South China Sea. The method of X-ray diffraction is used to identify mineral compositions for muds and mineral compositions are examined under polarized microscope for sands. Zircon grains are separated from heavy minerals for U-Pb dating in order to understand the sediment source terranes. Sediments of the Taiwan Shoal are mostly tawny-colored, medium to coarse-grained sands with abundant shell fragments and shallow-water benthic foraminifera. Sediments to the south of the Taiwan Shoal and in the outer shelf consist of dark brown-colored and fine-grained sands with rare shell fragments. Siliciclastic compositions of the Taiwan Shoal sediments are mostly quartz. The second abundant composition is rock fragments with more occurrences near the Chinese coastline and the Penghu archipelago. Slate fragments are found to occur near Taiwan, especially in the Penghu Channel area. Clay minerals from the Penghu Channels and south of the Taiwan Shoal are dominated by illite and chlorite with minor smectite and kaolinite. The sediment colors and mineral species are very different for the sediments of the Taiwan Shoal and outer shelf, revealing that these two areas featuring different oceanographic processes and sediment provenance.

  9. The spiritual intelligence of nurses in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ke-Ping

    2006-03-01

    The purposes of the study included: (1) defining the profile of nurses' spiritual intelligence; (2) examining the relationship between nurses' demographic characteristics and spiritual intelligence; and (3) exploring the mode of nurses' spiritual intelligence and related factors, among nurses in Taiwan. A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed and administered to 299 hospital registered nurses, who were distributed throughout metropolitan Taipei. Wolman's (2001) PsychoMatrix Spirituality Inventory, a 4-point scaled, self-reported, 49-item questionnaire covering seven spiritual factors (divinity, mindfulness, extrasensory perception, community, intellectuality, trauma, and childhood spirituality) was used to measure nurses' spiritual intelligence. Results showed that nurses' spiritual intelligence was centralized in a moderate degree, while trauma and childhood spirituality were either moderate or high. Age and childhood spirituality were the most significant variables affecting nurses' spiritual intelligence, accounting for 61.4% of the variance in nurses' spiritual intelligence. This study may contribute to a better understanding of the spiritual intelligence profile of nurses and may also help facilitate a program for nurses' spiritual development as well as improve the quality of spiritual care.

  10. Selected contributions from the 11th Gas in Marine Sediments International Conference of September 2012, Nice: an introduction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pierre, Catherine; Imbert, Patrice; Mascle, Jean

    2014-06-01

    This Introduction presents an overview of selected contributions from the 11th Gas in Marine Sediments International Conference held on the 4-7 September 2012 in Nice, France, and published in this special issue of Geo-Marine Letters under the guest editorship of Catherine Pierre, Patrice Imbert and Jean Mascle. These cover fluid seepage dynamics at widely varying spatiotemporal scales in a giant buried caldera of the Caspian Sea, mud volcanoes and pockmarks in the Mediterranean and adjoining Gulf of Cadiz, as well as Lake Baikal, pockmarks of shallower waters along the Atlantic French coast and in Baltic Sea lagoons, deepwater pockmarks and cold seeps on the Norwegian margin and the Hikurangi Margin of New Zealand, asphalt seepage sites offshore southern California, and the tectonically controlled southern Chile forearc. We look forward to meeting all again at the 12th Gas in Marine Sediments conference scheduled for 1-6 September 2014 in Taipei, Taiwan.

  11. Investigation of 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 and 22q13 CNVs in Autism Spectrum Disorder Brazilian Individuals with and without Epilepsy

    PubMed Central

    Moreira, Danielle P.; Griesi-Oliveira, Karina; Bossolani-Martins, Ana L.; Lourenço, Naila C. V.; Takahashi, Vanessa N. O.; da Rocha, Kátia M.; Moreira, Eloisa S.; Vadasz, Estevão; Meira, Joanna Goes Castro; Bertola, Debora; Halloran, Eoghan O’; Magalhães, Tiago R.; Fett-Conte, Agnes C.; Passos-Bueno, Maria Rita

    2014-01-01

    Copy number variations (CNVs) are an important cause of ASD and those located at 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 and 22q13 have been reported as the most frequent. These CNVs exhibit variable clinical expressivity and those at 15q11-q13 and 16p11.2 also show incomplete penetrance. In the present work, through multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis of 531 ethnically admixed ASD-affected Brazilian individuals, we found that the combined prevalence of the 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 and 22q13 CNVs is 2.1% (11/531). Parental origin could be determined in 8 of the affected individuals, and revealed that 4 of the CNVs represent de novo events. Based on CNV prediction analysis from genome-wide SNP arrays, the size of those CNVs ranged from 206 kb to 2.27 Mb and those at 15q11-q13 were limited to the 15q13.3 region. In addition, this analysis also revealed 6 additional CNVs in 5 out of 11 affected individuals. Finally, we observed that the combined prevalence of CNVs at 15q13.3 and 22q13 in ASD-affected individuals with epilepsy (6.4%) was higher than that in ASD-affected individuals without epilepsy (1.3%; p<0.014). Therefore, our data show that the prevalence of CNVs at 15q13.3, 16p11.2 and 22q13 in Brazilian ASD-affected individuals is comparable to that estimated for ASD-affected individuals of pure or predominant European ancestry. Also, it suggests that the likelihood of a greater number of positive MLPA results might be found for the 15q13.3 and 22q13 regions by prioritizing ASD-affected individuals with epilepsy. PMID:25255310

  12. Investigation of 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 and 22q13 CNVs in autism spectrum disorder Brazilian individuals with and without epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Moreira, Danielle P; Griesi-Oliveira, Karina; Bossolani-Martins, Ana L; Lourenço, Naila C V; Takahashi, Vanessa N O; da Rocha, Kátia M; Moreira, Eloisa S; Vadasz, Estevão; Meira, Joanna Goes Castro; Bertola, Debora; O'Halloran, Eoghan; Magalhães, Tiago R; Fett-Conte, Agnes C; Passos-Bueno, Maria Rita

    2014-01-01

    Copy number variations (CNVs) are an important cause of ASD and those located at 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 and 22q13 have been reported as the most frequent. These CNVs exhibit variable clinical expressivity and those at 15q11-q13 and 16p11.2 also show incomplete penetrance. In the present work, through multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis of 531 ethnically admixed ASD-affected Brazilian individuals, we found that the combined prevalence of the 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 and 22q13 CNVs is 2.1% (11/531). Parental origin could be determined in 8 of the affected individuals, and revealed that 4 of the CNVs represent de novo events. Based on CNV prediction analysis from genome-wide SNP arrays, the size of those CNVs ranged from 206 kb to 2.27 Mb and those at 15q11-q13 were limited to the 15q13.3 region. In addition, this analysis also revealed 6 additional CNVs in 5 out of 11 affected individuals. Finally, we observed that the combined prevalence of CNVs at 15q13.3 and 22q13 in ASD-affected individuals with epilepsy (6.4%) was higher than that in ASD-affected individuals without epilepsy (1.3%; p<0.014). Therefore, our data show that the prevalence of CNVs at 15q13.3, 16p11.2 and 22q13 in Brazilian ASD-affected individuals is comparable to that estimated for ASD-affected individuals of pure or predominant European ancestry. Also, it suggests that the likelihood of a greater number of positive MLPA results might be found for the 15q13.3 and 22q13 regions by prioritizing ASD-affected individuals with epilepsy.

  13. Myopia Development Among Young Schoolchildren: The Myopia Investigation Study in Taipei.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Der-Chong; Fang, Shao-You; Huang, Nicole; Hsu, Chih-Chien; Chen, Shing-Yi; Chiu, Allen Wen-Hsiang; Liu, Catherine Jui-Ling

    2016-12-01

    To investigate the annual incidence of myopia and associated factors among young schoolchildren in Taipei City. The Myopia Investigation Study in Taipei was a citywide, population-based cohort study. During the fall 2013 semester (baseline), a total of 11,590 grade 2 schoolchildren completed ocular examination and were included for further analysis. A parent-completed questionnaire was administered to collect data on risk factors for myopia development. Follow-up visits were arranged biannually over 3 years. The first-year results are reported here. Schoolchildren who were emmetropic/hyperopic at baseline and had myopia (spherical equivalent ≤ -0.5 diopters) in either eye at follow-up were identified as having incident myopia. Among 7376 baseline nonmyopic participants, 6794 (92.1%) were examined during the first-year follow-up, and 1856 (25.2%) with incident myopia were identified. The incidence density of myopia was 31.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.6-32.8) per 100 person-years. Cox hazard proportional regression analysis revealed that participants who were emmetropic at baseline (hazards ratio [HR]: 19.37; 95% CI: 4.84-77.57), who had two myopic parents (HR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04-1.42), and who spent ≥5 hours every week on after-school tutoring programs (HR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.02-1.22) had greater risk for incident myopia. By contrast, protective factors included suburban area of residence (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83-1.00) and spending ≥30 minutes outdoors after school every weekday (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.82-0.99). This study provides population-based data on the annual incidence of myopia among Taiwanese schoolchildren, and found that baseline refractive status, parental myopia, area of residence, time outdoors after school on weekdays, and time spent on after-school tutoring programs are associated with risk of new-onset myopia.

  14. Confirmatory Analyses of Perfectionism on High School Students in Taipei

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeh, Yating; Ting, Yuanyu

    2008-01-01

    Perfectionism has been related to an individual's academic performance and mental health. Western research on perfectionism has shown inconsistent factor structures of the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS). This study recruited 283 high school students ranging from 15 to 18 years old from urban areas in Taipei to examine factors of…

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

    PubMed

    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.

  16. 14 CFR 11.13 - What is a direct final rule?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What is a direct final rule? 11.13 Section 11.13 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL RULES GENERAL RULEMAKING PROCEDURES Rulemaking Procedures Definition of Terms § 11.13 What is a direct...

  17. 11. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    11. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL SECTIONS AND DETAILS." Specifications No. OC12-50-10; Drawing No. 60-09-04; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/15, Rev. E. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04353 Eng. 177, Rev. E; Date: 21 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  18. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use, expenditure, and outcomes in taiwan from 2000 to 2010.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Chiao-Po; Lee, Wui-Chiang; Wei, Hsiu-Mei; Sung, Shih-Hsien; Huang, Chun-Yang; Shih, Chun-Che; Lu, Tse-Min

    2015-01-01

    No study to date has systematically examined use, expenditure, and outcomes associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to examine ECMO use, expenditure, and outcomes during an 11-year period in Taiwan. Claims data were collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for patients who received ≥1 ECMO treatment between January 2000 and December 2010. Measurements included demographics, indications for ECMO use, length of hospital stay, outcome, and expenditure. A total of 3969 patients received ECMO during the study period (median age: 54.6 years). The number of patients receiving ECMO increased from 52 in 2000 to 1045 in 2010. The major indication for ECMO was cardiovascular disease (68.7%), followed by respiratory disease (17.9%). Median length of hospital stay was 13 days in 2000 and 17 days in 2010. Median expenditure (New Taiwan dollars) was $604 317 in 2000 and $673 888 in 2010. Some variables significantly differed by age, sex, hospital setting, calendar year, and indication for ECMO, and were associated with in-hospital and after-discharge mortality. ECMO use has increased dramatically in Taiwan over the last decade. The high mortality rate of ECMO users suggested that ECMO may be being used in Taiwan for situations in which it provides no added benefit. This situation may be a reflection of the current reimbursement criteria for National Health Insurance in Taiwan. Refinement of the indications for use of ECMO is suggested.

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

    PubMed

    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 < 0.01) in 2006 but it did not differ between genders (p = 0.14). No seroconversion was observed from 2006 to 2007. Herpangina occurred in 64% of children with EV71 seropositivity and 48% of those without EV71 antibodies (p = 0.12). Non-71 enterovirus infection, confirmed by viral study, occurred in 53% (19/36) of the EV71-seropositive children and in 53% (102/192) of EV71-seronegative children (p = 0.89). No participants had EV71 infection during the study period. EV71 did not frequently circulate in 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.

  20. 13. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    13. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL SECTIONS AND DETAILS." Specifications No. OC12-50-10; Drawing No. 60-09-04; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/18, Rev. D. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04353 Eng. 177, Rev. D, no change; Date: 18 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  1. Indoor Air Quality in the Metro System in North Taiwan

    PubMed Central

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

    2016-01-01

    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. PMID:27918460

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

    PubMed

    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.

  3. Electronics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    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

  4. Reigniting the Passion for Learning: A Systematic Attempt in Taipei

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tzu-Bin, Lin

    2016-01-01

    Despite being ranked highly, the 2012 PISA result shows that the M-shape distribution of Taiwanese students is top of the 65 participating countries. This shows that the gap between high and low achievers in Taiwanese schools is the biggest. This paper aims at exploring Taipei's responses to this M-shape phenomenon. It starts from mapping out the…

  5. Trends of Do-Not-Resuscitate consent and hospice care utilization among noncancer decedents in a tertiary hospital in Taiwan between 2010 and 2014

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Hsiao-Ting; Lin, Ming-Hwai; Chen, Chun-Ku; Chou, Pesus; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) and hospice care are not only applied to cancer patients but also to patients with noncancer progressive illness. However, the trends of DNR consent and hospice utilization are not well explored for noncancer patients. This study aimed to explore the trends of DNR consent and hospice care utilization among noncancer decedents in a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. We analyzed the Death and Hospice Palliative Care Database from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. The Death and Hospice Palliative Care Database contains information including patient sex, major diagnosis, admission date, date of death, age at death, department at discharge, status of DNR consent, and status of hospice care of patients who died in the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Data on patients aged 20 years old or more who died of major terminal noncancer diseases, including brain diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases, heart failure, chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis, and renal failure between 2010 and 2014 were extracted for analysis. A total of 1416 patients aged 20 years or more died of major noncancer diseases in Taipei Veterans General Hospital during the study period. The most common diagnosis was brain diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and dementias (n = 510, 36%) followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other lung diseases (n = 322, 22.7%). Among these noncancer decedents, 1045 (73.8%) had DNR consents, while 134 (9.5%) received hospice care. Patients diagnosed with renal failure had the highest percentage of DNR consent (80%), followed by chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis (77.7%). Patients diagnosed with chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis had the highest percentage of hospice utilization (17.4%), followed by renal failure (15.8%). The percentages of DNR consent and hospice utilization were significantly different across different

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

    PubMed

    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.

  7. Seroepidemiology of varicella among elementary school children in northern Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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 < 0.005). For school children in each grade, seropositive rate increased significantly from 53.2% for Grade 1 to 71.8% for Grade 3 (p = 0.005) and increased steadily from 61.2% for Grade 4 to 71.2% for Grade 6 (p = 0.17). A positive correlation was observed between the seropositive rate and geometric mean titers (p = 0.035). Geometric mean titers and the rate of a history of clinical varicella were positively correlated with increasing class grades. Nine years after the introduction of the varicella vaccine into the expanded program of immunization in 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.

  8. Seroepidemiology of pertussis among elementary school children in northern Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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 < 0.005). Currently, almost one-third of elementary school children in 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.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  10. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Use, Expenditure, and Outcomes in Taiwan From 2000 to 2010

    PubMed Central

    Hsu, Chiao-Po; Lee, Wui-Chiang; Wei, Hsiu-Mei; Sung, Shih-Hsien; Huang, Chun-Yang; Shih, Chun-Che; Lu, Tse-Min

    2015-01-01

    Background No study to date has systematically examined use, expenditure, and outcomes associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to examine ECMO use, expenditure, and outcomes during an 11-year period in Taiwan. Methods Claims data were collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for patients who received ≥1 ECMO treatment between January 2000 and December 2010. Measurements included demographics, indications for ECMO use, length of hospital stay, outcome, and expenditure. Results A total of 3969 patients received ECMO during the study period (median age: 54.6 years). The number of patients receiving ECMO increased from 52 in 2000 to 1045 in 2010. The major indication for ECMO was cardiovascular disease (68.7%), followed by respiratory disease (17.9%). Median length of hospital stay was 13 days in 2000 and 17 days in 2010. Median expenditure (New Taiwan dollars) was $604 317 in 2000 and $673 888 in 2010. Some variables significantly differed by age, sex, hospital setting, calendar year, and indication for ECMO, and were associated with in-hospital and after-discharge mortality. Conclusions ECMO use has increased dramatically in Taiwan over the last decade. The high mortality rate of ECMO users suggested that ECMO may be being used in Taiwan for situations in which it provides no added benefit. This situation may be a reflection of the current reimbursement criteria for National Health Insurance in Taiwan. Refinement of the indications for use of ECMO is suggested. PMID:25797598

  11. 13 CFR 302.11 - Economic development information clearinghouse.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Economic development information clearinghouse. 302.11 Section 302.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE § 302.11 Economic development...

  12. 13 CFR 302.11 - Economic development information clearinghouse.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Economic development information clearinghouse. 302.11 Section 302.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE § 302.11 Economic development...

  13. 13 CFR 302.11 - Economic development information clearinghouse.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Economic development information clearinghouse. 302.11 Section 302.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE § 302.11 Economic development...

  14. 13 CFR 302.11 - Economic development information clearinghouse.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Economic development information clearinghouse. 302.11 Section 302.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE § 302.11 Economic development...

  15. 13 CFR 302.11 - Economic development information clearinghouse.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Economic development information clearinghouse. 302.11 Section 302.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE § 302.11 Economic development...

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

    PubMed

    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.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  18. An Integrated Mobile Application to Improve the Watershed Management in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  19. Investigation of gastrointestinal parasites of dairy cattle around Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chiu-Chen; Wang, Lian-Chen; Pan, Chien-Hung; Yang, Cheng-Hsiung; Lai, Cheng-Hung

    2014-02-01

    Parasitic nematodes are one of the most important causes of production losses in most cattle-producing countries of the world. The aim of the present study is to make a through estimate of helminth and protozoan infection prevalence in dairy cattle around Taiwan. Coprological techniques, including direct fecal smear, simple flotation, and simple sedimentation, were used to detect gastrointestinal helminths and protozoan in dairy cattle. A total of 1259 rectal fecal samples were collected from Holstein dairy cattle at 94 farms in 13 counties in Taiwan. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection was 86.9%. The infection rates of protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes were 81.3%, 7.9%, 1.6%, and 0.6%, respectively. Among all parasites, Buxtonella sulcata (61.7%) was the most predominant one, followed with Cryptosporidium spp. (32.6%) and Eimeria spp. (11.8%). There were significant differences in the prevalence of protozoa and nematodes between different age groups and distributional area groups. The present study demonstrated that gastrointestinal parasitic infections occur frequently in dairy cattle around Taiwan, especially protozoan infections. The results indicated that a superior management system and regular anthelmintic treatment should be used for the control of parasitic infections in dairy cattle farms. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Utilization pattern of traditional Chinese medicine for liver cancer patients in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Liao, Yueh-Hsiang; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Li, Tsai-Chung; Lin, Jaung-Geng

    2012-09-05

    Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the most popular complementary and alternative medicine modalities worldwide. In Chinese and East Asian societies, TCM plays an active role in the modern health care system and is even covered by the National Health Insurance Program of Taiwan. Liver cancer is the second most common cancer in Taiwan. This study aimed to analyze the TCM utilization patterns of patients with liver cancer from 1996-2007 using a population-based random sample of one million insured patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted using registration and claim data sets from 1996 to 2007 obtained from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 (LHID2005). The outpatient datasets contained the encounter form-based dates of visit, three items from the International Classification of Diseases (Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes), the primary procedure (e.g., drug or diagnostic procedure), type of copayment, billed amount, and paid amount. Only ambulatory care was analyzed. A total of 6358 liver cancer patients utilized ambulatory care during the study period. Among them, 1240 (19.50%) availed of TCM outpatient services. The prevalence of TCM use fluctuated during the study period, with a peak of 25.11% in 2001. After multivariable adjustment, the likelihood of TCM users was lower in participants aged 70 years and older (odds ratio, OR = 0.79, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.64-0.97), males (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.52-0.68), residents of Taipei (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58-0.96) as well as farmers and fishermen (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54-0.94), but was higher in residents of central Taiwan (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.56-2.54. Most biomedicine and TCM outpatient services were provided by private clinics, followed by private hospitals. The two most frequently recorded coexisting diseases for both biomedicine and TCM outpatient visits specifically for liver cancer were (1) chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and (2) malignant

  1. The Effects of Cognitive Flexibility and Openness to Change on College Students' Academic Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Ya-Wei

    2013-01-01

    This research investigated the relationship between cognitive flexibility and openness to change and their effects on academic performance among college students at National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan. Using a quantitative purposeful sampling strategy, data were collected in classroom settings from 770 undergraduate voluntary…

  2. Time and Frequency Activities at NICT, Japan

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-11-01

    consistency and accuracy of our development. 4.2. TWSTFT [11] NICT and major T&F institutes in the Asia-Pacific region, such as NMIA in Australia, NTSC...in China, TL in Taipei, Taiwan, and KRISS in Korea are cooperatively constructing a TWSTFT network in this region. Time transfer is regularly...8 in 2009. A TWSTFT link between NICT and PTB has been established by using IS-4 satellite. The time transfer is performed hourly and the data

  3. Emerging epidemic in a growing industry: cigarette smoking among female micro-electronics workers in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Y-P; Yen, L-L; Pan, L-Y; Chang, P-J; Cheng, T-J

    2005-03-01

    To explore the emerging tobacco epidemic in female workers in the growing micro-electronics industry of Taiwan. Workers were surveyed regarding their smoking status, sociodemographics and work characteristics. In total, 1950 female employees in two large micro-electronics companies in Taiwan completed the survey. Approximately 9.3% of the female employees were occasional or daily smokers at the time of the survey. The prevalence of smoking was higher in those aged 16-19 years (20.9%), those not married (12.9%), those with a high school education or less (11.7%), those employed by Company A (11.7%), shift workers (14.3%), and those who had been in their present employment for 1 year or less (13.6%). Results of multivariate adjusted logistic regression indicated that younger age, lower level of education, shorter periods of employment with the company and shift working were the important factors in determining cigarette smoking among the study participants. The odds ratio of being a daily smoker was similar to that of being a current smoker. Marital status was the only significant variable when comparing former smokers with current smokers. Smoking prevalence in female workers in the two micro-electronics companies studied was much higher than previous reports have suggested about female smoking prevalence in Taiwan and China. We suggest that smoking is no longer a 'male problem' in Taiwan. Future smoking cessation and prevention programmes should target young working women as well as men.

  4. Computer-Aided Software Evolution Based on Inferred Dependencies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-12-01

    of Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 1980 M.B.A., National Defense Management College, Taipei, Taiwan, 1986 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the...115 O’Keefe Building Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332-0800 4. Dr. David Hislop Army Research Office 4300 S. Miami Blvd. Research

  5. C11orf95-MKL2 is the Resulting Fusion Oncogene of t(11;16)(q13;p13) in Chondroid Lipoma

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Dali; Sumegi, Janos; Cin, Paola Dal; Reith, John D.; Yasuda, Taketoshi; Nelson, Marilu; Muirhead, David; Bridge, Julia A.

    2010-01-01

    Chondroid lipoma, a rare benign adipose tissue tumor, may histologically resemble myxoid liposarcoma or extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma, but is genetically distinct. In the current study, an identical reciprocal translocation, t(11;16)(q13;p13) was identified in three chondroid lipomas, a finding consistent with previous isolated reports. A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based positional cloning strategy using a series of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probe combinations designed to narrow the 16p13 breakpoint revealed MKL2 as the candidate gene. Subsequent 5′ RACE studies demonstrated C11orf95 as the MKL2 fusion gene partner. MKL/myocardin-like 2 (MKL2) encodes myocardin-related transcription factor B (MRTF-B) in a megakaryoblastic leukemia gene family, and C11orf95 (chromosome 11 open reading frame 95) is a hypothetical protein. Sequencing analysis of RT-PCR generated transcripts from all three chondroid lipomas defined the fusion as occurring between exons 5 and 9 of C11orf95 and MKL2, respectively. Dual-color breakpoint spanning probe sets custom-designed for recognition of the translocation event in interphase cells confirmed the anticipated rearrangements of the C11orf95 and MKL2 loci in all cases. The FISH and RT-PCR assays developed in this study can serve as diagnostic adjuncts for identification of this novel C11orf95-MKL2 fusion oncogene in chondroid lipoma. PMID:20607705

  6. 47 CFR 13.11 - Holding more than one commercial radio operator license.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Holding more than one commercial radio operator license. 13.11 Section 13.11 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATORS General § 13.11 Holding more than one commercial radio operator license. (a) An eligible person...

  7. Depleted deep South China Sea δ13C paleoceanographic events in response to tectonic evolution in Taiwan-Luzon Strait since Middle Miocene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Wen-Huang; Huang, Chi-Yue; Lin, Yen-Jun; Zhao, Quanhong; Yan, Yi; Chen, Duofu; Zhang, Xinchang; Lan, Qing; Yu, Mengming

    2015-12-01

    The most distinctive feature of the deep South China Sea (SCS) paleoceanography is the occurrence of long-term depleted deep-sea benthic foraminiferal δ13C values. They are lower than the global and the Pacific composite records in the last 16 Ma, especially at 13.2, 10.5, 6.5, 3.0 and 1.2-0.4 Ma. This distinct deep SCS paleoceanograhic history coincides with the subduction-collision history in the Taiwan region where waters of the West Pacific (WP) and the SCS exchange. The depleted deep-sea benthic foraminiferal δ13C events indicate that the SCS deep basin became progressively a stagnant environment in the last 16 Ma due to either closure of the connection with the WP bottom water or temporary reduction of the WP deep water flowing into the deep SCS. Both the Taiwan accretionary prism and the Luzon arc became the main tectono-morphological barriers for the WP bottom water flowing into the SCS deep basin when eastward subduction of the SCS oceanic lithosphere beneath the Philippine Sea Plate started from the Middle Miocene (18-16 Ma). This began a long-term trend of depleted SCS deep-sea benthic δ13C values in the last 16 Ma. The oblique arc-continent collision since ~6.5 Ma uplifted the Taiwan accretionary prism rapidly above sea level and further isolated the SCS from the open Pacific. The collision simultaneously causes backthrusting deformations in the North Luzon Trough forearc basin and sequentially closes interarc water gates between volcanic islands from north to south. The Loho and the Taitung interarc water gates in the advanced collision zone were closed at ~3.0 Ma and ~1.2 Ma, coinciding with the very low SCS deep-sea benthic δ13C events at 3.0 and 1.2-0.4 Ma, respectively. The Taitung Canyon between the Lutao and Lanyu volcanic islands in the incipient collision zone is semi-closed presently. These closure events also lead to the result that the WP deep water intrudes westward into the SCS principally through the Bashi Channel between the Lanyu

  8. Ambient seismic noise study in Taiwan for two different scale arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Y.; Yao, H.; Liang, W.; Huang, B.; Wen, K.; Huang, W.; van der Hilst, R. D.

    2008-12-01

    It has been demonstrated that Time Domain Empirical Green's Function (TDEGF) from ambient seismic noise cross-correlation can be used to investigate crustal velocity structure from many studies around the world. For surface wave tomographic studies from ambient noise, the maximum exploring depth depends on the aperture of receiver array and the lateral resolution relies on the density of station-pair paths. To decipher subsurface structures in various scales, researchers can utilize some existing continuous-recording seismic stations and/or deploy a newly dense receiver array in the study region. In this study, we perform tomographic applications of ambient seismic noise analysis in Taiwan region for two arrays with very different scales. Taiwan is located at a complex convergent plate boundary zone where the Philippine Sea plate interacts with the Eurasian plate. As a result, the lateral velocity variations show dramatic patterns among different geologic provinces. In the past decade, many continuous-recording broadband stations have already been set up to monitor earthquake activities in the Taiwan region. The BATS (Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology) network is being operated by the Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica (IESAS) since 1994. Currently, there are 20 permanent stations covering approximately 350 km by 400 km area around Taiwan, including some remote islets. In this study we selected 7 years data (2000-2006) from BATS to get the TDEGFs which were then used to measure inter-station phase velocities in the period band 5-30s. Finally we then constructed 2D phase velocity maps. At shorter periods (5-10s), phase velocity distribution can compare well with surface geology. At longer periods (14-22s), there is a saxophone shape low velocity zone beneath the Taiwan Island. Taipei Basin is a high-level artificial noise metropolis with a nearly triangular shape basin located close to northern tip of Taiwan with area just around 20 km by 20 km

  9. Asia Federation Report on International Symposium on Grid Computing (ISGC) 2010

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grey, Francois; Lin, Simon C.

    This report provides an overview of developments in the Asia-Pacific region, based on presentations made at the International Symposium on Grid Computing 2010 (ISGC 2010), held 5-12 March at Academia Sinica, Taipei. The document includes a brief overview of the EUAsiaGrid project as well as progress reports by representatives of 13 Asian countries presented at ISGC 2010. In alphabetical order, these are: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

  10. Trends of Do-Not-Resuscitate consent and hospice care utilization among noncancer decedents in a tertiary hospital in Taiwan between 2010 and 2014: A Hospital-based observational study.

    PubMed

    Chang, Hsiao-Ting; Lin, Ming-Hwai; Chen, Chun-Ku; Chou, Pesus; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2016-11-01

    Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) and hospice care are not only applied to cancer patients but also to patients with noncancer progressive illness. However, the trends of DNR consent and hospice utilization are not well explored for noncancer patients. This study aimed to explore the trends of DNR consent and hospice care utilization among noncancer decedents in a tertiary hospital in Taiwan. We analyzed the Death and Hospice Palliative Care Database from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. The Death and Hospice Palliative Care Database contains information including patient sex, major diagnosis, admission date, date of death, age at death, department at discharge, status of DNR consent, and status of hospice care of patients who died in the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Data on patients aged 20 years old or more who died of major terminal noncancer diseases, including brain diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases, heart failure, chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis, and renal failure between 2010 and 2014 were extracted for analysis. A total of 1416 patients aged 20 years or more died of major noncancer diseases in Taipei Veterans General Hospital during the study period. The most common diagnosis was brain diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and dementias (n = 510, 36%) followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other lung diseases (n = 322, 22.7%). Among these noncancer decedents, 1045 (73.8%) had DNR consents, while 134 (9.5%) received hospice care. Patients diagnosed with renal failure had the highest percentage of DNR consent (80%), followed by chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis (77.7%). Patients diagnosed with chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis had the highest percentage of hospice utilization (17.4%), followed by renal failure (15.8%). The percentages of DNR consent and hospice utilization were significantly different across different disease

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  12. The impact of petrochemical industrialisation on life expectancy and per capita income in Taiwan: an 11-year longitudinal study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Petrochemical industries have been identified as important sources of emissions of chemical substances, and adverse health outcomes have been reported for residents who live nearby. The purpose of the current study was to examine the adverse effects of petrochemical industrialization in Taiwan on the life expectancy and personal income of people living in nearby communities. Methods This study compared life expectancies and personal income between one industrial county (Yunlin County) and one reference county (Yilan County), which had no significant industrial activity that might emit pollutants, in Taiwan through analysis of 11 year long and publicly available data. Data from before and after the petrochemical company in the industrial county started (year 1999) operating were compared. Results Residents of the industrialized county had lesser increases in life expectancy over time than did residents of a similar but less-industrialized county, with difference means ranging from 0.89 years (p < 0.05) to 1.62 years (p < 0.001) at different stages. Male residents were more vulnerable to the effects of industrialization. There were no significant differences in individual income between the two counties. Conclusions Countries, including Taiwan and the U.S., embracing petrochemical industries now face the challenge of environmental injustice. Our findings suggested that life expectancy lengthening was slowed and income growth was stalled for residents living in the industrial communities. PMID:24621018

  13. The impact of petrochemical industrialisation on life expectancy and per capita income in Taiwan: an 11-year longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ya-Mei; Lin, Wan-Yu; Chan, Chang-Chuan

    2014-03-12

    Petrochemical industries have been identified as important sources of emissions of chemical substances, and adverse health outcomes have been reported for residents who live nearby. The purpose of the current study was to examine the adverse effects of petrochemical industrialization in Taiwan on the life expectancy and personal income of people living in nearby communities. This study compared life expectancies and personal income between one industrial county (Yunlin County) and one reference county (Yilan County), which had no significant industrial activity that might emit pollutants, in Taiwan through analysis of 11 year long and publicly available data. Data from before and after the petrochemical company in the industrial county started (year 1999) operating were compared. Residents of the industrialized county had lesser increases in life expectancy over time than did residents of a similar but less-industrialized county, with difference means ranging from 0.89 years (p<0.05) to 1.62 years (p<0.001) at different stages. Male residents were more vulnerable to the effects of industrialization. There were no significant differences in individual income between the two counties. Countries, including Taiwan and the U.S., embracing petrochemical industries now face the challenge of environmental injustice. Our findings suggested that life expectancy lengthening was slowed and income growth was stalled for residents living in the industrial communities.

  14. 14 CFR 11.13 - What is a direct final rule?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What is a direct final rule? 11.13 Section 11.13 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL... adverse comment, we then withdraw the final rule before it becomes effective and may issue an NPRM. ...

  15. 14 CFR 11.13 - What is a direct final rule?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What is a direct final rule? 11.13 Section 11.13 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL... adverse comment, we then withdraw the final rule before it becomes effective and may issue an NPRM. ...

  16. Projection of the dental workforce from 2011 to 2020, based on the actual workload of 6762 dentists in 2010 in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chiung Shing; Cher, Tsang-Lie; Lin, Chun-Pin; Wu, Kai-Ming

    2013-09-01

    Planning of the dental workforce, especially the number of dentists, requires the data of actual dental workloads. This study attempts to make projections of the dental workforce from 2011 to 2020, based on a survey of the actual workload of 6762 dentists in 2010. In 2010, a database of 11,449 current dentists was retrieved from the file of Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan. Questionnaires with the information of each dentist and 10 questions regarding the actual workload were sent to each dentist with a return envelope. The actual workload of the dentists who returned the questionnaires was analyzed. A projection of dental workforce from 2011 to 2020 was calculated, based on the actual workload. An analysis of the actual dental workload was conducted on 6762 (59.1%) returned questionnaires. The dentist-to-population ratio (defined as the number of dentists per 10,000 people) was 5.0 in 2010. The supply of 400 dentists per year remained constant from 2006 to 2010, and is expected to be sustained for the next 10 years. Because the population of Taiwan will begin to decrease within the next 10 years, we estimate that the dentist-to-population ratio will increase to 6.0 by the year 2020 or earlier. After adjusting for working hours, working days, and gender differences, surplus dentists will number approximately 1069 in 2020. An oversupply of dentists and a decrease in population will result in a surplus of dentists. To make better projections of the dental workforce, surplus dentists can be arranged to care for the aged, disabled people, and underserved people. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. 13 CFR 305.11 - Contract awards; early construction start.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Contract awards; early construction start. 305.11 Section 305.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION... § 305.11 Contract awards; early construction start. EDA must determine that the award of all contracts...

  18. 13 CFR 305.11 - Contract awards; early construction start.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Contract awards; early construction start. 305.11 Section 305.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION... § 305.11 Contract awards; early construction start. EDA must determine that the award of all contracts...

  19. 10 CFR 13.11 - Referral of complaint and answer to the ALJ.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Referral of complaint and answer to the ALJ. 13.11 Section 13.11 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.11 Referral of complaint and answer to the ALJ. Upon receipt of an answer, the reviewing official shall file the complaint and...

  20. 6 CFR 13.11 - Referral of Complaint and answer to the ALJ.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Referral of Complaint and answer to the ALJ. 13.11 Section 13.11 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.11 Referral of Complaint and answer to the ALJ. Upon receipt of an answer, the...

  1. 10 CFR 13.11 - Referral of complaint and answer to the ALJ.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Referral of complaint and answer to the ALJ. 13.11 Section 13.11 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.11 Referral of complaint and answer to the ALJ. Upon receipt of an answer, the reviewing official shall file the complaint and...

  2. Loss of heterozygosity at 11p13 and 11p15 in Wilms tumor: a study of 22 cases from India.

    PubMed

    Sigamani, Elanthenral; Wari, Mohammad Nahidul; Iyer, Venkateswaran K; Agarwala, Sandeep; Sharma, Arundhati; Bakhshi, Sameer; Dinda, Amit

    2013-03-01

    11p13 and 11p15 loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in Wilms tumor (WT), the commonest molecular pathogenetic event in WT, shows variation in different parts of the world. The present study looked for the presence of 11p13 and 11p15 LOH as well as nephrogenic rests in WT occurring in India. Twenty-two cases of WT were subjected to thorough pathological examination for presence of nephrogenic rests. Fresh frozen tissue was evaluated for LOH at 11p13 and 11p15, using PCR for microsatellite markers. Among twenty-two consecutive cases of WT, 20 were unilateral and 2 were bilateral. 6/22 showed LOH at 11p13 (27.7 %) and 1/22 showed LOH at 11p15 (4.54 %). 2/22 cases showed presence of nephrogenic rests. One of the cases with LOH at 11p13 had intralobar nephrogenic rest in the adjacent kidney. One specimen had perilobar nephrogenic rest in the adjacent kidney but did not show LOH for either 11p13 or 11p15 in the tumor. LOH at 11p13 is seen in 27.27 % of WT in India, which is similar to reports in the English language literature. LOH at 11p15 was seen in 4.54 % of WT, which is lower than that reported from Western subjects.

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

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wen-Huei Chen; Wain-Sun Hou

    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 environmentalmore » 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.« less

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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?…

  5. Cancer in adolescents: Incidences and trends during 1995-2009 in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hung, Giun-Yi; Chen, Chao-Chun; Horng, Jiun-Lin; Lin, Li-Yih

    2016-03-01

    This study aimed to describe cancer incidence rates and trends specifically for adolescents aged 15-19 years during 1995-2009 in Taiwan. The incidence counts and census data were obtained from the population-based Taiwan Cancer Registry. During the 15-year study period, 4122 adolescents were diagnosed with cancer. The overall incidence rate was 155.2 per million person-years. Other epithelial tumors were the most frequently diagnosed cancer group (23.7%), followed by leukemias (18.0%) and lymphomas (13.9%). When compared to rates in Western countries, a significantly low rate of lymphomas was found. Moreover, rates of the subtypes of melanomas and nasopharyngeal carcinomas being 1/10- and 4-times rates in Western countries were the most striking variations. During 1995-2009, the overall rate of adolescent cancer did not significantly change. However, the most significant upward and declining trends in incidence rates were found for male germ cell neoplasms (annual percent change, APC, 6.4%) and hepatic tumors (APC, -11.1%), respectively. Further investigation and enhancement of the public discourse of possible lifestyle and environmental risk factors associated with increasing trends of certain adolescent cancers should be carried out in Taiwan. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Utilization of nuclear medicine scintigraphy in Taiwan, 1997-2009.

    PubMed

    Hung, Mao-Chin; Hsieh, Wanhua Annie; Chang, Peter Wushou; Hwang, Jeng-Jong

    2011-12-01

    To analyze the utilization of nuclear medicine scintigraphy in the Taiwanese population within the national health-care system between 1997 and 2009. Based on the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database of 1997-2009, a retrospective population-based analysis was conducted. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were employed to analyze the frequencies and longitudinal trends in the utilization of diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures during the period. In addition, correlation analysis was applied to determine the correlated factors in the utility of nuclear medicine scintigraphy. The annual total nuclear medicine scintigraphy was estimated to be 256,389 on average in 1997-2009 and 11.7 per 1,000 population over the period. The frequency had increased by 67% over the years, from 8.2 per 1,000 population in 1997 to 13.7 per 1,000 population in 2009. The most frequently performed procedures were whole-body bone scans (33.4% of total) and myocardial perfusion scans (29.4% of total), with 4,615 and 5,620 increments per year, respectively. Most patients were in the age group of 41-65 years old when taking examinations. In addition, male subjects were slightly more than female patients (51.5 vs. 48.5%). Furthermore, the frequencies of whole-body bone scans and PET scans were proportional to the incidences of cancers (correlation coefficients were 0.96 and 0.94, respectively). The utilization of nuclear medicine scintigraphy with the National Health Insurance system in Taiwan has been changed considerably in the past 13 years. Both whole-body bone scan and myocardial perfusion scan were performed most often with significantly increases. The trend of nuclear medicine scintigraphy may have potential impact on making health-care policy in Taiwan.

  7. NRAO Welcomes Taiwan as a New North American ALMA Partner

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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

  8. Relationship between arsenic-containing drinking water and skin cancers in the arseniasis endemic areas in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Pai-Shan; Weng, Shih-Feng; Chiang, Chi-Hsuan; Lai, Feng-Jie

    2016-02-01

    Artesian well-water had high concentrations of arsenic that led to the well-known black foot disease in Taiwan around the 1950s, and the associated cancers including skin cancer, bladder cancers and lung cancers. We sought to estimate the standardized morbidity ratio (SMR) and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in the black foot disease endemic areas (BFDEA) in Taiwan. A nationwide retrospective population-based survey was done with the data from the National Taiwan Cancer Registry Center between 1979 and 2007. Among the 29-year period, there were 11 191 cases with SCC and 13 684 cases with BCC diagnosed pathologically. The incidence rates were 4-6-fold higher for SCC and 3-4-fold higher for BCC in the BFDEA compared with the rest of Taiwan. The SMR decreased after stopping arsenic-containing well-water drinking in the 1970s. The arsenic level in the drinking water, amount of contaminated water intake, occupation and sun-exposure time were not documented. This is the first nationwide, population-based study that shows the relationship between arsenic intoxication and non-melanoma skin cancers (SCC and BCC) through comparing the data in people living in the BFDEA and non-BFDEA in Taiwan. © 2015 Japanese Dermatological Association.

  9. Munc13-4 Is a Rab11-binding Protein That Regulates Rab11-positive Vesicle Trafficking and Docking at the Plasma Membrane.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Jennifer L; He, Jing; Ramadass, Mahalakshmi; Pestonjamasp, Kersi; Kiosses, William B; Zhang, Jinzhong; Catz, Sergio D

    2016-02-12

    The small GTPase Rab11 and its effectors control trafficking of recycling endosomes, receptor replenishment and the up-regulation of adhesion and adaptor molecules at the plasma membrane. Despite recent advances in the understanding of Rab11-regulated mechanisms, the final steps mediating docking and fusion of Rab11-positive vesicles at the plasma membrane are not fully understood. Munc13-4 is a docking factor proposed to regulate fusion through interactions with SNAREs. In hematopoietic cells, including neutrophils, Munc13-4 regulates exocytosis in a Rab27a-dependent manner, but its possible regulation of other GTPases has not been explored in detail. Here, we show that Munc13-4 binds to Rab11 and regulates the trafficking of Rab11-containing vesicles. Using a novel Time-resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET) assay, we demonstrate that Munc13-4 binds to Rab11a but not to dominant negative Rab11a. Immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed the specificity of the interaction between Munc13-4 and Rab11, and super-resolution microscopy studies support the interaction of endogenous Munc13-4 with Rab11 at the single molecule level in neutrophils. Vesicular dynamic analysis shows the common spatio-temporal distribution of Munc13-4 and Rab11, while expression of a calcium binding-deficient mutant of Munc13-4 significantly affected Rab11 trafficking. Munc13-4-deficient neutrophils showed normal endocytosis, but the trafficking, up-regulation, and retention of Rab11-positive vesicles at the plasma membrane was significantly impaired. This correlated with deficient NADPH oxidase activation at the plasma membrane in response to Rab11 interference. Our data demonstrate that Munc13-4 is a Rab11-binding partner that regulates the final steps of Rab11-positive vesicle docking at the plasma membrane. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. Opportunities for Tropical Cyclone Motion Research in the Northwest Pacific Region.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-08-01

    Taiwan (from Wang, 1980). LAL I LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Frequency of typhoons occurring In the Northwest Pacific region by month from 1959 to 1985. Table...e.g., the Philippines, Taiwan , Japan and also the Korean peninsula) are very mountainous with coastal mountains of 6000 to 10,000 ft and peaks as...strength of typhoons In Taiwan and Its vicinity. Research Report 18, National Science Council (NSC-67M-0202-0501), Taipei, Taiwan , 100 pp. 3 APPENDIX A DATA

  11. Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) with an 11-year survival.

    PubMed

    Zoll, B; Wolf, J; Lensing-Hebben, D; Pruggmayer, M; Thorpe, B

    1993-01-01

    Trisomy 13 is very rare in live-born children. Only a small number of these children survive the first year and very few cases are reported to live longer. Survival time depends partly on the cytogenetic findings--full trisomy 13 or trisomy 13 mosaicism--and partly on the existence of serious somatic malformations. We report on a 11-year-old girl with full trisomy 13. In this case, missing cerebral and cardiovascular malformations probably allowed the long survival.

  12. 40 CFR 721.10571 - 1,3-Benzenediol, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene].

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false 1,3-Benzenediol, polymer with 1,1... New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10571 1,3-Benzenediol, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis... identified as 1,3-benzenediol, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene] (PMN P-08-611; CAS No...

  13. 40 CFR 721.10571 - 1,3-Benzenediol, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene].

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false 1,3-Benzenediol, polymer with 1,1... New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10571 1,3-Benzenediol, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis... identified as 1,3-benzenediol, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene] (PMN P-08-611; CAS No...

  14. Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii Infection among Healthy Blood Donors in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Chiang, Ting-Yi; Hsieh, Hwei-Ho; Kuo, Ming-Chu; Chiu, Kai-Tse; Lin, Wei-Chen; Fan, Chia-Kwung; Fang, Chi-Tai; Ji, Dar-Der

    2012-01-01

    Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic, zoonotic pathogen with a worldwide distribution. There are large variations in the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in different regions of the world. Although toxoplasmosis became a notifiable communicable disease in Taiwan in 2007, little is known about its epidemiology among the general population. This cross-sectional study aimed to survey the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and its risk factors among healthy blood donors in Taiwan. Through collaborating with the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation, a total of 1,783 healthy blood donors from all six-branch blood service centers participated in this study. The blood samples were tested for the presence of T. gondii antibodies and DNA using enzyme immunoassays and real-time PCR, respectively. Structured questionnaires were used to gather information on risk factors for T. gondii infection. Of the 1,783 participants, 166 (9.3%) tested positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG, while 5 (0.28%) tested positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgM. The five IgM positive donors had high avidity antibodies suggestive of past infection. No active parasitemia was detected by real-time PCR assays. Multivariate logistic regression showed that undercooked pork meat consumption (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–6.5), raw mussels consumption (adjusted OR = 5.3; 95% CI: 1.5–19.1), having a cat in the household (adjusted OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2–3.2), a lower education level (adjusted OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.3), and donation place in eastern Taiwan (adjusted OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.6–3.9) were independent risk factors for Toxoplasma seropositivity. These findings provide information on the seroprevalence and epidemiology of T. gondii infection among healthy blood donors in Taiwan. PMID:23133557

  15. Nonlinear Diophantine equation 11 x +13 y = z 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugandha, A.; Tripena, A.; Prabowo, A.; Sukono, F.

    2018-03-01

    This research aims to obtaining the solutions (if any) from the Non Linear Diophantine equation of 11 x + 13 y = z 2. There are 3 possibilities to obtain the solutions (if any) from the Non Linear Diophantine equation, namely single, multiple, and no solution. This research is conducted in two stages: (1) by utilizing simulation to obtain the solutions (if any) from the Non Linear Diophantine equation of 11 x + 13 y = z 2 and (2) by utilizing congruency theory with its characteristics proven that the Non Linear Diophantine equation has no solution for non negative whole numbers (integers) of x, y, z.

  16. Synthesis and Characterization of Conducting Elastomers Based on Interpenetrated C60-Derived Polymer Networks

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-02-24

    conducting polyaniline layer . A processing technique was demonstrated for the fabrication of interpenetrating conductive polyaniline networks at the...and sihibits appreciable conductivity in the incorporated, doped polyaniline layer without deteriorating the elasticity and tensile strength of the... Layer Lee Y. Wang and Long Y. Chiang* Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan i Abstract: A synthetic

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

    PubMed

    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.

  18. Emergence and evolution of avian H5N2 influenza viruses in chickens in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lee, Chang-Chun David; Zhu, Huachen; Huang, Pei-Yu; Peng, Liuxia; Chang, Yun-Cheng; Yip, Chun-Hung; Li, Yao-Tsun; Cheung, Chung-Lam; Compans, Richard; Yang, Chinglai; Smith, David K; Lam, Tommy Tsan-Yuk; King, Chwan-Chuen; Guan, Yi

    2014-05-01

    Sporadic activity by H5N2 influenza viruses has been observed in chickens in Taiwan from 2003 to 2012. The available information suggests that these viruses were generated by reassortment between a Mexican-like H5N2 virus and a local enzootic H6N1 virus. Yet the origin, prevalence, and pathogenicity of these H5N2 viruses have not been fully defined. Following the 2012 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks, surveillance was conducted from December 2012 to July 2013 at a live-poultry wholesale market in Taipei. Our findings showed that H5N2 and H6N1 viruses cocirculated at low levels in chickens in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all H5N2 viruses had hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes derived from a 1994 Mexican-like virus, while their internal gene complexes were incorporated from the enzootic H6N1 virus lineage by multiple reassortment events. Pathogenicity studies demonstrated heterogeneous results even though all tested viruses had motifs (R-X-K/R-R) supportive of high pathogenicity. Serological surveys for common subtypes of avian viruses confirmed the prevalence of the H5N2 and H6N1 viruses in chickens and revealed an extraordinarily high seroconversion rate to an H9N2 virus, a subtype that is not found in Taiwan but is prevalent in mainland China. These findings suggest that reassortant H5N2 viruses, together with H6N1 viruses, have become established and enzootic in chickens throughout Taiwan and that a large-scale vaccination program might have been conducted locally that likely led to the introduction of the 1994 Mexican-like virus to Taiwan in 2003. H5N2 avian influenza viruses first appeared in chickens in Taiwan in 2003 and caused a series of outbreaks afterwards. Phylogenetic analyses show that the chicken H5N2 viruses have H5 and N2 genes that are closely related to those of a vaccine strain originating from Mexico in 1994, while the contemporary duck H5N2 viruses in Taiwan belong to the Eurasian gene pool. The

  19. Emergence and Evolution of Avian H5N2 Influenza Viruses in Chickens in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Chang-Chun David; Zhu, Huachen; Huang, Pei-Yu; Peng, Liuxia; Chang, Yun-Cheng; Yip, Chun-Hung; Li, Yao-Tsun; Cheung, Chung-Lam; Compans, Richard; Yang, Chinglai; Smith, David K.; Lam, Tommy Tsan-Yuk

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Sporadic activity by H5N2 influenza viruses has been observed in chickens in Taiwan from 2003 to 2012. The available information suggests that these viruses were generated by reassortment between a Mexican-like H5N2 virus and a local enzootic H6N1 virus. Yet the origin, prevalence, and pathogenicity of these H5N2 viruses have not been fully defined. Following the 2012 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks, surveillance was conducted from December 2012 to July 2013 at a live-poultry wholesale market in Taipei. Our findings showed that H5N2 and H6N1 viruses cocirculated at low levels in chickens in Taiwan. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all H5N2 viruses had hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes derived from a 1994 Mexican-like virus, while their internal gene complexes were incorporated from the enzootic H6N1 virus lineage by multiple reassortment events. Pathogenicity studies demonstrated heterogeneous results even though all tested viruses had motifs (R-X-K/R-R) supportive of high pathogenicity. Serological surveys for common subtypes of avian viruses confirmed the prevalence of the H5N2 and H6N1 viruses in chickens and revealed an extraordinarily high seroconversion rate to an H9N2 virus, a subtype that is not found in Taiwan but is prevalent in mainland China. These findings suggest that reassortant H5N2 viruses, together with H6N1 viruses, have become established and enzootic in chickens throughout Taiwan and that a large-scale vaccination program might have been conducted locally that likely led to the introduction of the 1994 Mexican-like virus to Taiwan in 2003. IMPORTANCE H5N2 avian influenza viruses first appeared in chickens in Taiwan in 2003 and caused a series of outbreaks afterwards. Phylogenetic analyses show that the chicken H5N2 viruses have H5 and N2 genes that are closely related to those of a vaccine strain originating from Mexico in 1994, while the contemporary duck H5N2 viruses in Taiwan belong to the

  20. Utilization of and Direct Expenditure for Emergency Medical 
Care in Taiwan: A Population-based Descriptive Study

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Nan-Ping; Lee, Yi-Hui; Lin, Ching-Heng; Chung, Yuan-Chang; Chen, Wen-Jone; Chou, Pesus

    2009-01-01

    Background We surveyed the emergency medical system (EMS) in Taiwan to provide information to policymakers responsible for decisions regarding the redistribution of national medical resources. Methods A systematic sampling method was used to randomly sample a representative database from the National Health Insurance (NHI) database in Taiwan, during the period from 2000 to 2004. Results We identified 10,124, 10,408, 11,209, 10,686, and 11,914 emergency room visits in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively. There were more males than females, and the majority of adults were younger than 50 years. Diagnose of injury/poisoning was the most frequently noted diagnostic category in emergency departments (EDs) in Taiwan. There were 13,196 (24.3%) and 2,952 (5.4%) patients with 2 and 3 concomitant diagnoses, respectively. There was a significant association between advanced age and the existence of multiple diagnoses (P < 0.001). With the exception of the ill-defined symptoms/signs/conditions, the two most frequent diagnoses were diseases of the circulatory system and diseases of the respiratory system in patients aged 65 years or older. On average, treatment-associated expenditure and drug-associated expenditure in Taiwan EDs averaged NT$1,155 ($35.0) and NT$190 ($5.8), respectively, which was equal to 64.5% and 10.6% of the total ED-associated cost. General ED medical expenditure increased with patient age; the increased cost ratio due to age was estimated at 8% per year (P < 0.001). Conclusions The frequency of major health problems diagnosed at ED visits varied by age: more complicated complaints and multiple diagnoses were more frequent in older patients. In Taiwan, the ED system remains overloaded, possibly because of the low cost of an ED visit. PMID:19164870

  1. Can Hospital Competition Really Affect Hospital Behavior or Not? An Empirical Study of Different Competition Measures Comparison in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Tsung-Hsien; Tung, Yu-Chi; Wei, Chung-Jen

    2017-01-01

    Different approaches to measure the hospital competition index might lead to inconsistent results of the effects of hospital competition on innovation adoption. The purpose of this study is to adopt a different approach to define market area and measure the level of competition to examine whether hospital competition has a positive effect on hospital behavior, taking quality indicator projects participation as an example. A total of 238 hospitals located in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung were recruited in this study. Competition index was used as the independent variable, and participation lists of Taiwan Clinical Performance Indicator and Taiwan Healthcare Indicator Series in 2012 were used as dependent variables. All data used in this study were retrieved from the 2012 national hospital profiles and the participation list of the 2 quality indicator projects in 2012; these profiles are issued by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare annually. Geopolitical boundaries and 4 kinds of fixed radiuses were used to define market area. Herfindahl-Hirschman Index and hospital density were used to measure the level of competition. A total of 12 competition indices were produced in this study by employing the geographic information system, while max-rescaled R2 was used to evaluate and compare the models on goodness of fit. The results show that the effects of hospital competition on quality indicator projects participation were varied, which mean different indicators for market competition might reveal different conclusions. Furthermore, this study also found the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index at 5-km radius was the optimum competition index. PMID:28147887

  2. Can Hospital Competition Really Affect Hospital Behavior or Not? An Empirical Study of Different Competition Measures Comparison in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Yu, Tsung-Hsien; Tung, Yu-Chi; Wei, Chung-Jen

    2017-01-01

    Different approaches to measure the hospital competition index might lead to inconsistent results of the effects of hospital competition on innovation adoption. The purpose of this study is to adopt a different approach to define market area and measure the level of competition to examine whether hospital competition has a positive effect on hospital behavior, taking quality indicator projects participation as an example. A total of 238 hospitals located in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung were recruited in this study. Competition index was used as the independent variable, and participation lists of Taiwan Clinical Performance Indicator and Taiwan Healthcare Indicator Series in 2012 were used as dependent variables. All data used in this study were retrieved from the 2012 national hospital profiles and the participation list of the 2 quality indicator projects in 2012; these profiles are issued by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare annually. Geopolitical boundaries and 4 kinds of fixed radiuses were used to define market area. Herfindahl-Hirschman Index and hospital density were used to measure the level of competition. A total of 12 competition indices were produced in this study by employing the geographic information system, while max-rescaled R 2 was used to evaluate and compare the models on goodness of fit. The results show that the effects of hospital competition on quality indicator projects participation were varied, which mean different indicators for market competition might reveal different conclusions. Furthermore, this study also found the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index at 5-km radius was the optimum competition index.

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

    PubMed

    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 (p<0.0001) between these two measurements. Multiple regressions showed that, female, younger, higher education, living with family, has no primary caregiver, has few medical companionship, and higher score of health 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.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  5. Tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from birds in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Kuo, Chi-Chien; Lin, Yi-Fu; Yao, Cheng-Te; Shih, Han-Chun; Chung, Lo-Hsuan; Liao, Hsien-Chun; Hsu, Yu-Cheng; Wang, Hsi-Chieh

    2017-11-25

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

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  7. Refeeding syndrome in Southeastern Taiwan: our experience with 11 cases.

    PubMed

    Chen, Li-Ju; Chen, Huan-Lin; Bair, Ming-Jong; Wu, Chia-Hsien; Lin, I-Tsung; Lee, Yuan-Kai; Chu, Cheng-Hsin

    2014-08-14

    To present our experience with refeeding syndrome in southeastern Taiwan. We conducted a retrospective study during a 2-year period at the Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taitung Branch. We enrolled patients with very little or no nutrition intake for more than 10 d, a high risk group of refeeding syndrome, including those suffering from alcohol abuse, cancerous cachexia, chronic malnutrition, and prolonged starvation. A total of 11 patients (7 males, 4 females) with nasogastric feeding were included as having refeeding syndrome. Most of them had the symptoms of diarrhea, lethargy, and leg edema. The initial nutritional supplement was found to be relatively high in calories (1355.1 ± 296.2 kcal/d), high in protein (47.3 ± 10.4 gm/d), low in vitamin B1 (2.0 ± 0.5 mg/d), low in potassium (1260.4 ± 297.7 mg/d), and low in phosphorus (660.1 ± 151.8 mg/d). Furthermore, hypophosphatemia (2.4 ± 0.9 mg/dL) was noted during follow-up. Based on the suggestions of a dietician and a gastroenterologist, the clinical disorders of diarrhea, malaise and leg edema were significantly improved. The level of phosphate was also increased (3.3 ± 0.6 mg/dL). Refeeding syndrome is an overlooked and risky disorder that has some potentially fatal complications. Nasogastric feeding in nursing homes is an important risk factor for patients and deserves greater attention based on the initial results of this study.

  8. 77 FR 73969 - International Fisheries; Pacific Tuna Fisheries; Fishing Restrictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-12

    ... comments will only be accepted in Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats. Written... membership includes: Belize, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El...

  9. Risk factors for unsuccessful dog ownership: an epidemiologic study in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Weng, Hsin-Yi; Kass, Philip H; Hart, Lynette A; Chomel, Bruno B

    2006-11-17

    This retrospective study of 259 Taiwanese dog owners in 2004 addressed one of the major contributors to dog overpopulation in Taiwan: unsuccessful dog ownership. We found an inverse association between age of the dog at acquisition and risk of unsuccessful dog ownership: the younger the dog at acquisition the higher the risk. The incidence-proportion ratios (IPRs) of unsuccessful dog ownership for the owners who had a history of pet abandonment or losing a pet compared with those without such a history were 1.8 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.1, 3.0) and 2.1 (95% CI=1.3, 3.3), respectively. Soiling (IPR=2.0, 95% CI=1.3, 3.1) and barking (IPR=1.6, 95% CI=1.0, 2.6) problems had the strongest effects on unsuccessful dog ownership among the post-acquisition variables studied. Preventing owners with a history of unsuccessful dog ownership from acquiring dogs was predicted to yield the largest reduction of risk of unsuccessful dog ownership among the investigated variables (population attributable fraction=33%, 95% CI=11%, 50%).

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  11. A recycling index for food and health security: urban Taipei.

    PubMed

    Huang, Susana Tzy-Ying

    2010-01-01

    The modern food system has evolved into one with highly inefficient activities, producing waste at each step of the food pathway from growing to consumption and disposal. The present challenge is to improve recyclability in the food system as a fundamental need for food and health security. This paper develops a methodological approach for a Food Recycling Index (FRI) as a tool to assess recyclability in the food system, to identify opportunities to reduce waste production and environmental contamination, and to provide a self-assessment tool for participants in the food system. The urban Taipei framework was used to evaluate resource and nutrient flow within the food consumption and waste management processes of the food system. A stepwise approach for a FRI is described: (1) identification of the major inputs and outputs in the food chain; (2) classification of inputs and outputs into modules (energy, water, nutrients, and contaminants); (3) assignment of semi-quantitative scores for each module and food system process using a matrix; (4) assessment for recycling status and recyclability potential; (5) conversion of scores into sub-indices; (6) derivation of an aggregate FRI. A FRI of 1.24 was obtained on the basis of data for kitchen waste management in Taipei, a score which encompasses absolute and relative values for a comprehensive interpretation. It is apparent that a FRI could evolve into a broader ecosystem concept with health relevance. Community end-users and policy planners can adopt this approach to improve food and health security.

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

    PubMed

    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

  13. Successful implementation of a P&T-approved therapeutic interchange program of angiotensin II receptor blockers in a medical center in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lee, Yen-Ying; Hsiao, Paul; Lin, You-Meei; Yen, Yu-Hsuan; Chen, Hsiang-Yin

    2012-01-01

    Therapeutic interchange is not a common practice in the medical society in Asia. We used clinic blood pressure readings, patients' tolerance, and cost saving as measures to evaluate the impact of a therapeutic interchange program implemented at a medical center in Taiwan. Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Hospital initiated a therapeutic interchange program involving angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Data were retrospectively collected for 444 outpatients who were converted from other ARBs to candesartan. Evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, adverse effects associated with therapy, and drug costs was conducted before and after the program implementation. Patients whose treatment was converted to candesartan experienced no statistically significant differences in blood pressure, and the average number of antihypertensive agents used per patient remained unchanged. A direct cost savings of US$62,237 was estimated for the 444 patients studied. Only 3.15% of the patients developed adverse drug reactions potentially related to candesartan, and none required hospitalization. Based on the results of this retrospective chart review, the present ARB therapeutic interchange program was successfully developed and implemented. This is the first study to establish the positive impact of a well-run ARB therapeutic interchange program in Taiwan. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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)

  15. 76 FR 43348 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993; DVD Copy Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-20

    ... Industrial (H.K.) Limited, Kowloon, Hong Kong-China, have withdrawn as parties to this venture. In addition, Kenmec Mechanical Engineering Co., Ltd. has changed its name to Kentec, Inc., Taipei, Taiwan. No other...

  16. 25 CFR 13.11 - Contents of reassumption petitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER TRIBAL REASSUMPTION OF JURISDICTION OVER CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS Reassumption § 13.11 Contents of reassumption petitions. (a) Each petition to reassume jurisdiction over Indian child custody proceedings and the accompanying plan shall...

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

    PubMed

    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.

  18. Genetic analysis of eight population groups living in Taiwan using a 13 X-chromosomal STR loci multiplex system.

    PubMed

    Hwa, Hsiao-Lin; Lee, James Chun-I; Chang, Yih-Yuan; Yin, Hsiang-Yi; Chen, Ya-Hui; Tseng, Li-Hui; Su, Yi-Ning; Ko, Tsang-Ming

    2011-01-01

    A 13 X-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) multiplex system (DXS6807, DXS8378, DSX9902, DXS7132, DXS9898, DXS6809, DXS6789, DXS7424, DXS101, GATA172D05, HPRTB, DXS8377, and DXS7423) was tested on 1,037 DNA samples from eight population groups currently living in Taiwan. Different distributions of the allelic frequencies in different populations were presented. DXS8377 and DXS101 were the two most polymorphic loci in these eight populations, whereas DXS7423 was the least informative marker in most of the populations studied. The genetic distances between the populations and the constructed phylogenetic tree revealed a long genetic distance between Asian and Caucasian populations as well as isolation of the Tao population. The phylogenetic tree grouped populations into clusters compatible with their ethnogeographic relationships. This 13 X-chromosomal short tandem repeat multiplex system offers a considerable number of polymorphic patterns in different populations. This system can be useful in forensic identification casework and ethnogeographic research.

  19. Using the theory of planned behavior to predict the use of incentive spirometry among cardiac surgery patients in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Tung, Heng-Hsin; Jan, Ming-Shan; Huang, Chiu-Mieh; Shih, Chun-Che; Chang, Chung-Yi; Liau, Cheu-Ye

    2011-01-01

    The use of incentive spirometry (IS) is reported to prevent and treat postoperative pulmonary complications. This study sought to use the theory of planned behavior to predict the use of IS in this population. The study used a prospective design, with convenience sampling, to recruit a total of 116 postcardiac-surgery patients from 2 medical centers in Taipei, Taiwan, from November 2008 to May 2009. Data were collected through 2 instruments: a demographic questionnaire, and an IS questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, independent t test, one-way analysis of variance, binary regression, and liner regression were used to analyze the data. Perceived behavioral control, but not intention, was a predictor of the use of IS. Our findings provide partial support for the utility of the theory of planned behavior in explaining the use of IS behavior for cardiac surgery patients. Copyright © 2011. Published by Mosby, Inc.

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

    PubMed Central

    Lee, I-Ching; Chen, Eva E.; Yen, Nai-Shing; Tsai, Chia-Hung; Cheng, Hsu-Po

    2017-01-01

    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. PMID:29075215

  1. 17 CFR 240.11a1-3(T) - Bona fide hedge transactions in certain securities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bona fide hedge transactions in certain securities. 240.11a1-3(T) Section 240.11a1-3(T) Commodity and Securities Exchanges... (rule 11a-1) § 240.11a1-3(T) Bona fide hedge transactions in certain securities. A bona fide hedge...

  2. 17 CFR 240.11a1-3(T) - Bona fide hedge transactions in certain securities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Bona fide hedge transactions in certain securities. 240.11a1-3(T) Section 240.11a1-3(T) Commodity and Securities Exchanges... (rule 11a-1) § 240.11a1-3(T) Bona fide hedge transactions in certain securities. A bona fide hedge...

  3. Search for copy number variants in chromosomes 15q11-q13 and 22q11.2 in obsessive compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinically and etiologically heterogeneous syndrome. The high frequency of obsessive-compulsive symptoms reported in subjects with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge/velocardiofacial syndrome) or Prader-Willi syndrome (15q11-13 deletion of the paternally derived chromosome), suggests that gene dosage effects in these chromosomal regions could increase risk for OCD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to search for microrearrangements in these two regions in OCD patients. Methods We screened the 15q11-13 and 22q11.2 chromosomal regions for genomic imbalances in 236 patients with OCD using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Results No deletions or duplications involving 15q11-13 or 22q11.2 were identified in our patients. Conclusions Our results suggest that deletions/duplications of chromosomes 15q11-13 and 22q11.2 are rare in OCD. Despite the negative findings in these two regions, the search for copy number variants in OCD using genome-wide array-based methods is a highly promising approach to identify genes of etiologic importance in the development of OCD. PMID:20565924

  4. Search for copy number variants in chromosomes 15q11-q13 and 22q11.2 in obsessive compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Delorme, Richard; Moreno-De-Luca, Daniel; Gennetier, Aurélie; Maier, Wolfgang; Chaste, Pauline; Mössner, Rainald; Grabe, Hans Jörgen; Ruhrmann, Stephan; Falkai, Peter; Mouren, Marie-Christine; Leboyer, Marion; Wagner, Michael; Betancur, Catalina

    2010-06-21

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinically and etiologically heterogeneous syndrome. The high frequency of obsessive-compulsive symptoms reported in subjects with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge/velocardiofacial syndrome) or Prader-Willi syndrome (15q11-13 deletion of the paternally derived chromosome), suggests that gene dosage effects in these chromosomal regions could increase risk for OCD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to search for microrearrangements in these two regions in OCD patients. We screened the 15q11-13 and 22q11.2 chromosomal regions for genomic imbalances in 236 patients with OCD using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). No deletions or duplications involving 15q11-13 or 22q11.2 were identified in our patients. Our results suggest that deletions/duplications of chromosomes 15q11-13 and 22q11.2 are rare in OCD. Despite the negative findings in these two regions, the search for copy number variants in OCD using genome-wide array-based methods is a highly promising approach to identify genes of etiologic importance in the development of OCD.

  5. Comparison of electrocardiographic findings and associated risk factors between Taiwan Chinese and US White adults.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chih-Cheng; Yeh, Wen-Ting; Crow, Richard S; Bai, Chyi-Huey; Pan, Wen-Harn

    2008-08-18

    Electrocardiographic (ECG) findings are known to differ by race, however, systematic comparisons of findings between eastern and western countries are rare. To compare the ECG findings and associated coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors between Taiwan Chinese and US White adults aged >or=40 years. We compared the prevalence rate of Minnesota Code criteria based ECG findings and associated CHD risk factors by using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 1993-1996). Examining all the ECG findings collectively, we observed a higher prevalence of major Minnesota Code findings in Taiwan Chinese women than in US White women (15.0% vs. 10.5%), particularly ST segment depression (5.4% vs. 2.4%) and T wave abnormalities (10.8% vs. 4.8%). The prevalence of major Minnesota Code findings was similar in both Taiwan Chinese and US White men (22.7% vs. 19.6%). Taiwan Chinese men had a higher prevalence of ST segment elevation (13.7% vs. 0.9%). Taiwan Chinese also had a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy with repolarization change than US Whites in both sexes (2.7% vs. 1.4% for men, 4.3% vs. 1.3% for women). Taiwan Chinese had more favorable CHD risk factor profiles than US Whites, including lipid profile, obesity, central obesity, and smoking status. The prevalence of hypertension was similar between the two groups, however, a lower percentage of Taiwan Chinese received treatment. Taiwan Chinese men had a lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus than US White men, whereas Taiwan Chinese women had a higher prevalence than US White women. These results suggest that substantial differences in ECG findings exist between Taiwan Chinese and US Whites which cannot be entirely explained by CHD risk factors alone.

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

    PubMed

    Liang, Fu-Wen; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh; Wu, Mei-Hwan; Lue, Hung-Chi; Chiang, Tung-Liang; Huang, Ya-Li; Chen, Lea-Hua

    2016-08-01

    Rankings of infant mortality rates are commonly cited international comparisons to assess the health status of individual countries. We compared the infant mortality rate of Taiwan with those of European countries for 2004 according to two definitions. First, the countries were ranked on the basis of crude infant, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality rates. The countries were then ranked according to the mortality rates calculated after exclusion of live births with a known birth weight of <1000 g, which is the definition set by the World Health Organization. Taiwan was ranked 11(th), 12(th), and 15(th) among 26 high-income countries for crude infant, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality rates, respectively. The ranks were 12(th), 16(th), and 15(th), respectively, for mortality rates, excluding live births with a birth weight of <1000 g. However, in only seven, four, and 10 countries were the mortality rate ratios statistically significantly lower than Taiwan in infant, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality, respectively, according to the second definition. The ranking of Taiwan was similar (11(th) vs. 12(th)) according the two definitions. However, after consideration of the confidence interval, only six countries (Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Austria, and Germany) had infant mortality rates statistically significantly lower than those of Taiwan in 2004. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Refeeding syndrome in Southeastern Taiwan: Our experience with 11 cases

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Li-Ju; Chen, Huan-Lin; Bair, Ming-Jong; Wu, Chia-Hsien; Lin, I-Tsung; Lee, Yuan-Kai; Chu, Cheng-Hsin

    2014-01-01

    AIM: To present our experience with refeeding syndrome in southeastern Taiwan. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study during a 2-year period at the Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taitung Branch. We enrolled patients with very little or no nutrition intake for more than 10 d, a high risk group of refeeding syndrome, including those suffering from alcohol abuse, cancerous cachexia, chronic malnutrition, and prolonged starvation. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients (7 males, 4 females) with nasogastric feeding were included as having refeeding syndrome. Most of them had the symptoms of diarrhea, lethargy, and leg edema. The initial nutritional supplement was found to be relatively high in calories (1355.1 ± 296.2 kcal/d), high in protein (47.3 ± 10.4 gm/d), low in vitamin B1 (2.0 ± 0.5 mg/d), low in potassium (1260.4 ± 297.7 mg/d), and low in phosphorus (660.1 ± 151.8 mg/d). Furthermore, hypophosphatemia (2.4 ± 0.9 mg/dL) was noted during follow-up. Based on the suggestions of a dietician and a gastroenterologist, the clinical disorders of diarrhea, malaise and leg edema were significantly improved. The level of phosphate was also increased (3.3 ± 0.6 mg/dL). CONCLUSION: Refeeding syndrome is an overlooked and risky disorder that has some potentially fatal complications. Nasogastric feeding in nursing homes is an important risk factor for patients and deserves greater attention based on the initial results of this study. PMID:25132771

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  9. 50 CFR 11.13 - Decision by the Director.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ..., POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND PLANTS CIVIL PROCEDURES Assessment Procedure § 11.13 Decision by the Director. Upon expiration of the period required or granted for filing of a petition for relief, the Director shall proceed to make an assessment of a civil...

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  11. Health-related quality of life of Chinese people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong and Taipei: a cross-sectional analysis.

    PubMed

    Chan, Sally Wai-chi; Hsiung, Ping-Chuan; Thompson, David R; Chen, Shin-Chia; Hwu, Hai-Gwo

    2007-06-01

    Health-related quality of life is an important outcome indicator of mental health. We assessed the perception of health-related quality of life of persons with schizophrenia in Hong Kong and Taipei. In-person survey interviews were conducted using the Chinese World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale--Brief Version. A convenience sample was recruited from psychiatric outpatient departments: 176 from Hong Kong and 80 from Taipei. We found that both groups were significantly less satisfied with their psychological and social relationship domains compared to other domains. Poor mental health predicted poor perception of health-related quality of life. Schizophrenia has an impact on many aspects of a person's functioning. A rehabilitation model that takes into account symptoms, financial situation, family support, and social functioning is required.

  12. Lahars in and around the Taipei basin: Implications for the activity of the Shanchiao fault

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Sheng-Rong; Chen, Tsu-Mo; Tsao, Shuhjong; Chen, Huei-Fen; Liu, Huan-Chi

    2007-11-01

    In the last decade, more than 21 deep geological cores have been drilled in the Taipei basin to obtain a firmer grasp of its basic geology and engineering properties prior to the construction of new infrastructure. Thirteen of those cores contain lahar deposits, with the number of layers varying from one to three and the thickness of each layer varying from several to over 100 m. Based on their occurrence, petrology and geochemistry, it has been determined that the deposits originated from the southern slope of the Tatun Volcano Group (TVG). K-Ar age dating has shown that the lower layer of lahars was deposited less than 0.4 Ma, and this is clearly correlated to outcrops in the Kauntu, Chengtzeliao and Shihtzutao areas. These findings may well suggest that the Taipei basin has been formed in last 0.4 Ma and that the Shanchiao normal fault commenced its activity within this period. The surface trace and the activity of the Shanchiao normal fault have also been inferred and subsequently defined from stratigraphic data derived from these cores.

  13. 13 CFR 307.11 - Disbursement of funds to Revolving Loan Funds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Disbursement of funds to Revolving Loan Funds. 307.11 Section 307.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION... Funds and Use of Grant Funds § 307.11 Disbursement of funds to Revolving Loan Funds. (a) Pre...

  14. 13 CFR 307.11 - Disbursement of funds to Revolving Loan Funds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Disbursement of funds to Revolving Loan Funds. 307.11 Section 307.11 Business Credit and Assistance ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION... Funds and Use of Grant Funds § 307.11 Disbursement of funds to Revolving Loan Funds. (a) Pre...

  15. Relationships between ten-year trends of tropospheric ozone and temperature over Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Kuang-Jung

    2007-03-01

    The analyses of ten-year ozonesonde observations from 1993 till 2002, over Taipei, Taiwan show influences of climate change. Despite huge increases in its precursor emissions in this region, there were little variations in tropospheric ozone. Results indicate a warmer troposphere, a statistically insignificant rising tropopause, 79+/-206 m per decade, and decreasing tropopause temperature at -1.0+/-0.89 K per decade. The derived mean tropospheric ozone is 40.58+/-10.99 DU, and has a statistically insignificant small trend of -0.78+/-1.7 DU per decade. The derived ten-year vertical trends of temperature and ozone are inversely correlated with each other from the middle troposphere up to the lower stratosphere. The averaged monthly vertical temperature trends show a generally warmer middle troposphere. The tropospheric ozone monthly trend has small increases only in the lower troposphere during winter and spring. Strong decreases occur in summer, from the surface up into the stratosphere. For ozone variation, results suggest that influences of climate forcing are stronger than those from precursor increases. More frequent and/or intense convection in summer and other climate-induced effects may contribute to the less than expected ozone observed in the troposphere.

  16. Application of E-Learning to Pilot Training at TransAsia Airways in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chuang, Chi-Kuo; Chang, Maiga; Wang, Chin-Yeh; Chung, Wen-Cheng; Chen, Gwo-Dong

    2008-01-01

    TransAsia Airway is one of the four domestic airlines in Taiwan. Taiwan has 13 domestic airports with the longest distance between two airports being about 400 kilometers. The domestic airline market is highly competitive. TransAsia decided to apply e-learning within its organization to reduce training expenses and improve service quality. This…

  17. 76 FR 4374 - Certain Digital Televisions And Components Thereof; Notice of Commission Determination Not To...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-25

    ... Irvine, California, AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd. of Taipei, Taiwan and AmTRAN Logistic, Inc. of Irvine... 210.42(h) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 210.42(h)). Issued: January 19...

  18. Sexual orientations of women with polycystic ovary syndrome: clinical observation in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ching-Hui; Wang, Peng-Hui; Hsieh, Meng-Ti; Tzeng, Chii-Ruey; Wu, Yi-Hsuan; Lee, Chin-San; Chu, Yuan-Hsiang; Chang, Heng-Yu

    2014-12-01

    This study was conducted to explore the association between sexual orientations and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-related parameters. A cross-sectional study with participants recruited from the regular outpatient clinic at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan between July 2012 and December 2013 was carried out. A total of 97 women met the criterion of having been diagnosed with PCOS. Among these 97 women, 89 were heterosexuals and eight were self-identified as lesbians. At the same time, 78 women without PCOS were enrolled to serve as the control group. Participants were given a standard questionnaire and had blood withdrawn for biochemical analysis of androgen parameters--including total testosterone, androstenedione, sex hormone binding globulin, free androgen index, 17β-estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone, and follicular-stimulating hormone. The biochemical data were measured to compare the PCOS clinical parameters present in people of different sexual orientations (lesbians and heterosexuals). The women with PCOS, regardless of sexual orientation, had higher percentages and serum levels of hyperandrogenism-related clinical parameters than the women without PCOS [acne (87.5% and 60.7% vs. 23.1%), p < 0.001]; hirsutism (62.5% and 57.3% vs. 15.4%, p ≤ 0.001)]; and biochemical parameters (total T, p < 0.05 or p < 0.001, and luteinizing hormone/follicular-stimulating hormone ratio, p ≤ 0.001]. The sexual orientation of women with PCOS affected their body mass index (BMI), because lesbians with PCOS possessed higher BMI than heterosexual women with PCOS (26.5 ± 1.9 vs. 22.5 ± 0.55; p < 0.05). However, hyperandrogenism-related clinical and biochemical parameters were not significantly different statistically between women with PCOS but of different sexual orientations. Our preliminary data showed that sexual orientation influenced the BMI of women with PCOS, but did not affect hyperandrogenism

  19. Pyogenic Liver Abscess as Endemic Disease, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Tsai, Feng-Chiao; Huang, Yu-Tsung; Chang, Luan-Yin

    2008-01-01

    Pyogenic liver abscess has become a health problem in Taiwanese society. However, the extent of this problem has remained unclear because of the lack of a population-based study. We therefore performed a nationwide analysis of pyogenic liver abscess in Taiwan from 1996 through 2004. We analyzed 29,703 cases from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database and 506 cases from National Taiwan University Hospital. Our analysis showed that the annual incidence of pyogenic liver abscess increased steadily from 11.15/100,000 population in 1996 to 17.59/100,000 in 2004. Diabetes, malignancy, renal disease, and pneumonia were associated with a higher risk for the disease. By contrast, death due to pyogenic liver abscess decreased over time, although population-based abscess-related death increased slightly. Renal disease, malignancy, pneumonia, and heart disease correlated with higher death rates; Klebsiella pneumoniae infection and therapeutic procedures were related to lower death rates. Diabetes did not significantly change death rates for the 506 patients from the hospital. PMID:18826824

  20. 47 CFR 11.13 - Emergency Action Notification (EAN) and Emergency Action Termination (EAT).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Emergency Action Termination (EAT). 11.13 Section 11.13 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION... Action Termination (EAT). (a) The Emergency Action Notification (EAN) is the notice to all EAS... Emergency Action Termination (EAT) is the notice to all EAS Participants and to the general public that the...

  1. Trends and Issues in Vocational Training in the Republic of China on Taiwan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Lung-Sheng

    Vocational training (VT) in Taiwan is categorized into public training (PT) and enterprise training (ET). PT is provided primarily by 13 PT centers, and ET is provided in various ways. A review of the state of VT in Taiwan established that VT policies and practices are being influenced by increasing emphasis on the knowledge-based economy and…

  2. 49 CFR 172.522 - EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3 placards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3... INFORMATION, TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, AND SECURITY PLANS Placarding § 172.522 EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3 placards. (a) Except for size and color, the EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3...

  3. 49 CFR 172.522 - EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3 placards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3... INFORMATION, TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, AND SECURITY PLANS Placarding § 172.522 EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3 placards. (a) Except for size and color, the EXPLOSIVES 1.1, EXPLOSIVES 1.2 and EXPLOSIVES 1.3...

  4. 11 CFR 104.13 - Disclosure of receipt and consumption of in-kind contributions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Disclosure of receipt and consumption of in-kind contributions. 104.13 Section 104.13 Federal Elections FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION GENERAL REPORTS... appropriate expenditure schedule, in accordance with 11 CFR 104.3(b). (b) Contributions of stocks, bonds, art...

  5. 16 CFR Figures 11, 12 and 13 to... - Hemispherical Anvil and Curbstone Anvil

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hemispherical Anvil and Curbstone Anvil 11, Figures 11, 12 and 13 to Part 1203 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER..., 12 and 13 to Part 1203—Hemispherical Anvil and Curbstone Anvil ER10MR98.011 ...

  6. 16 CFR Figures 11, 12 and 13 to... - Hemispherical Anvil and Curbstone Anvil

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Hemispherical Anvil and Curbstone Anvil 11, Figures 11, 12 and 13 to Part 1203 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER..., 12 and 13 to Part 1203—Hemispherical Anvil and Curbstone Anvil ER10MR98.011 ...

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

    PubMed

    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.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  9. Changes in the levels and variability of halocarbons and the compliance with the Montreal Protocol from an urban view.

    PubMed

    Ou-Yang, Chang-Feng; Chang, Chih-Chung; Chen, Shen-Po; Chew, Clock; Lee, Bo-Ru; Chang, Chih-Yuan; Montzka, Stephen A; Dutton, Geoffrey S; Butler, James H; Elkins, James W; Wang, Jia-Lin

    2015-11-01

    Ambient levels and variability of major atmospheric halocarbons, i.e. CFC-12, CFC-11, CFC-113, CCl4, CH3CCl3, C2HCl3, and C2Cl4 in a major metropolis (Taipei, Taiwan) were re-investigated after fourteen years by flask sampling in 2012. Our data indicates that the variability expressed as standard deviations (SD) of CFC-113 and CCl4 remained small (2.0 ppt and 1.9 ppt, respectively) for the 10th-90th percentile range in both sampling periods; whereas the variability of CFC-12, CFC-11, C2HCl3, and C2Cl4 measured in 2012 became noticeably smaller than observed in 1998, suggesting their emissions were reduced over time. By comparing with the background data of a global network (NOAA/ESRL/GMD baseline observatories), the ambient levels and distribution of these major halocarbons in Taipei approximated those at a background site (Mauna Loa) in 2012, suggesting that the fingerprint of the major halocarbons in a used-to-be prominent source area has gradually approached to that of the background atmosphere. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Taiwan Country Analysis Brief

    EIA Publications

    2016-01-01

    Taiwan has very limited domestic energy resources and must rely on oil and coal imports to satisfy the majority of its energy demand. According to Taiwanese official statistics, oil, coal, and natural gas made up 48%, 29%, and 13% of Taiwan’s total primary energy consumption in 2015, respectively, while the remainder was mostly nuclear (7%) and smaller amounts of various renewable energy sources. Total energy import dependence was about 98%, according to the Taiwanese government.

  11. Evolution of hepatitis A virus seroprevalence among HIV-positive adults in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lee, Yu-Lin; Lin, Kuan-Yin; Cheng, Chien-Yu; Li, Chia-Wen; Yang, Chia-Jui; Tsai, Mao-Song; Tang, Hung-Jen; Lin, Te-Yu; Wang, Ning-Chi; Lee, Yi-Chien; Lin, Shih-Ping; Huang, Yu-Shan; Sun, Hsin-Yun; Zhang, Jun-Yu; Ko, Wen-Chien; Cheng, Shu-Hsing; Lee, Yuan-Ti; Liu, Chun-Eng; Hung, Chien-Ching

    2017-01-01

    The study aimed to describe the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in HIV-positive adult patients in Taiwan between 2012 and 2016 and to examine the evolution of HAV seroprevalence between 2004-2007 and 2012-2016. Clinical information and data of anti-HAV antibody results were collected from 2,860 antiretroviral-naïve HIV-positive Taiwanese aged 18 years or older who initiated combination antiretroviral therapy at 11 hospitals around Taiwan between 2012 and 2016 (2012-2016 cohort). A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify independent variables associated with HAV seropositivity. Comparisons of HAV seroprevalences and associated clinical characteristics were made between this 2012-2016 cohort and a previous cohort of 1580 HIV-positive patients in 2004-2007 (2004-2007 cohort). Of the 2,860 HIV-positive patients between 2012 and 2016, the overall HAV seropositivity rate was 21.2% (605/2860), which was independently associated with an older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], per 1-year increase, 1.13; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.11-1.15) and co-infection with hepatitis B virus (AOR 1.44; 95% CI, 1.08-1.93). Residence in southern Taiwan (AOR 0.49; 95% CI, 0.34-0.72) was inversely associated with HAV seropositivity. The overall HAV seroprevalence in the 2012-2016 cohort was significantly lower than that in the 2004-2007 cohort (21.2% vs 60.9%, p<0.01). The decreases of HAV seropositivity rate were observed in nearly every age-matched group, which suggested the cohort effect on HAV seroepidemiology. However, among individuals aged 25 years or younger, the HAV seropositivity rate increased from 3.8% (2/52) in the 2004-2007 cohort to 8.5% (50/587) in the 2012-2016 cohort, with 95.4% (560/587) being MSM in this age group of the latter cohort. HAV seroprevalence has decreased with time among HIV-positive adults in Taiwan. The cohort effect has increased the number of young HIV-positive patients that are susceptible to HAV infection in a

  12. Evolution of hepatitis A virus seroprevalence among HIV-positive adults in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Kuan-Yin; Cheng, Chien-Yu; Li, Chia-Wen; Yang, Chia-Jui; Tsai, Mao-Song; Tang, Hung-Jen; Lin, Te-Yu; Wang, Ning-Chi; Lee, Yi-Chien; Lin, Shih-Ping; Huang, Yu-Shan; Sun, Hsin-Yun; Zhang, Jun-Yu; Ko, Wen-Chien; Cheng, Shu-Hsing; Lee, Yuan-Ti; Hung, Chien-Ching

    2017-01-01

    Objectives The study aimed to describe the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in HIV-positive adult patients in Taiwan between 2012 and 2016 and to examine the evolution of HAV seroprevalence between 2004–2007 and 2012–2016. Methods Clinical information and data of anti-HAV antibody results were collected from 2,860 antiretroviral-naïve HIV-positive Taiwanese aged 18 years or older who initiated combination antiretroviral therapy at 11 hospitals around Taiwan between 2012 and 2016 (2012–2016 cohort). A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify independent variables associated with HAV seropositivity. Comparisons of HAV seroprevalences and associated clinical characteristics were made between this 2012–2016 cohort and a previous cohort of 1580 HIV-positive patients in 2004–2007 (2004–2007 cohort). Results Of the 2,860 HIV-positive patients between 2012 and 2016, the overall HAV seropositivity rate was 21.2% (605/2860), which was independently associated with an older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], per 1-year increase, 1.13; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.11–1.15) and co-infection with hepatitis B virus (AOR 1.44; 95% CI, 1.08–1.93). Residence in southern Taiwan (AOR 0.49; 95% CI, 0.34–0.72) was inversely associated with HAV seropositivity. The overall HAV seroprevalence in the 2012–2016 cohort was significantly lower than that in the 2004–2007 cohort (21.2% vs 60.9%, p<0.01). The decreases of HAV seropositivity rate were observed in nearly every age-matched group, which suggested the cohort effect on HAV seroepidemiology. However, among individuals aged 25 years or younger, the HAV seropositivity rate increased from 3.8% (2/52) in the 2004–2007 cohort to 8.5% (50/587) in the 2012–2016 cohort, with 95.4% (560/587) being MSM in this age group of the latter cohort. Conclusions HAV seroprevalence has decreased with time among HIV-positive adults in Taiwan. The cohort effect has increased the number of young

  13. 9. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    9. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL SECTIONS AND DETAILS." Specifications No. ENG 04-35350-10; Drawing No. 60-09-04; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/13. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04353 Eng. 177, no change; Date: 17 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  14. Subjective well-being: evidence from the different personality traits of online game teenager players.

    PubMed

    Chen, Lily Shui-Lien

    2008-10-01

    This present study provides insight into the relationship between personality traits and the subjective well-being for online game teenager players in Taiwan. The questionnaire has been adopted in the cyber cafe shops in Taipei, Taiwan, and 134 usable questionnaires produced to be used for the final data analysis. The results demonstrate that Neuroticism and Agreeableness have significant negative influence and Openness has significant positive influence on subjective well-being.

  15. Disease burden and epidemiology of herpes zoster in pre-vaccine Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yung-Hsiu; Huang, Li-Min; Chang, I-Shou; Tsai, Fang-Yu; Lu, Chun-Yi; Shao, Pei-Lan; Chang, Luan-Yin

    2010-02-03

    Herpes zoster, a common disease, has an important impact on the health of adults, particularly the elderly, and the health system. This study evaluated the disease burden and epidemiological characteristics of herpes zoster in Taiwan. Using herpes zoster-related ICD-9-CM codes used on Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims, we analyzed overall and age group differences in incidence, complications, utilization of healthcare facilities, lengths of stay, and cost of their medical care in Taiwan's population from 2000 to 2005. The overall annual incidence of zoster was 4.97 cases per 1000 people, with women having a significantly higher incidence than men (5.20 per 1000 vs. 4.72 per 1000, p<0.001). The incidence increased stepwise with age, with 5.18 cases per 1000 in people 40-50 years old, 8.36 in those 50-60, 11.09 in those 60-70, and 11.77 in those above 70 years old. The estimated lifetime risk of developing herpes zoster was 32.2%. Zoster-related hospitalizations and medical cost per patient increased with age. In conclusion, about two-thirds of Taiwan's zoster cases occur in adults older than 40 years old and about one-third of the population would develop zoster within their lifetime. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Chinese Parenting Reconsideration: Parenting Practices in Taiwan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Fu-mei; Luster, Tom

    This study examined authoritative and authoritarian parenting and specific parenting practices among Chinese mothers with preschoolers. The final sample consisted of 463 mothers with their 3 to 7 year-olds from 11 preschools, in Taiwan. Mothers completed a Chinese translation of the Parenting Behavior Questionnaire that assessed their parenting…

  17. Urban and Education Disparity for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Taiwan Birth Cohort Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lung, For-Wey; Chiang, Tung-Liang; Lin, Shio-Jean; Shu, Bih-Ching

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the optimal cut-off for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening in 66-month-old children, and to explore the distribution of ASD screening and diagnosis in Taiwan. The Taiwan Birth Cohort Study dataset was used (N = 20,095). The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) cut-off point of 13/14 was considered…

  18. Field survey of dental manpower in Taiwan's hospitals.

    PubMed

    Cher, Tsang-Lie; Lai, Eddie Hsiang-Hua; Huang, Chiung-Shing; Lin, Chun-Pin

    2012-06-01

    In Taiwan, dental manpower in hospitals plays an important role in dental education other than clinical service. Questionnaires, as well as a field survey, were conducted to understand the situation of dental manpower in 2007 and 2008. During the period from 2007 to 2008, questionnaires about dental administration, clinical dental practice, dental education, dental manpower and dental facilities were mailed to the dental departments of 165 hospitals located around Taiwan; 134 completed the questionnaire and mailed it back. The field survey was also carried out by visiting hospitals, to collect and gather information at the local level. There were 102 hospitals within the 134 hospitals which accepted the field survey; the rate was 62.0%. In 2008, the number of dentists working in the hospitals was 1,421, which was approximately 13% of the number of total dentists in Taiwan (9672). Within the 1,421 dentists, 675 were attending staffs and 745 dentists were training residents. Within the 675 attending dentists, 510 (75.6%) had dental specialist certificates and 272 (40.3%) had teaching positions in dental schools. There were 382 dental interns (6(th) year undergraduate students) taking the training programs in hospitals, most of whom were trained in medical centers (342/382, 89.5%). Moreover, there were 888 dental assistants, 338 of whom were nurses and the other 550 were hospital self-trained personnel. Comparing the dental manpower of different types of hospitals in Taiwan, the medical center was the best, followed by the regional hospital and the district hospital was last. When comparing 2008 with 2002, the numbers of both dentists and auxiliary personnel in Taiwan's hospitals increased with years. Although there were still only 13% dentists working in the hospital, they were responsible for teaching young dentists and doing research in hospitals. In other words, the quality of clinical service, teaching, and research in hospitals would influence the development of

  19. Legionella prevalence in wastewater treatment plants of Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, S W; Hsu, B M; Ma, P H; Chien, K T

    2009-01-01

    Legionella is a bacterium that is ubiquitous in natural and artificial aquatic environments. Some species of Legionella are recognized as opportunistic potential human pathogens. We investigated the distribution of Legionella at seventeen WWTPs throughout Taiwan. Legionella were detected in 10 of the 17 WWTPs (58.8%) and 25 of 41 samples (61.0%). In the integrated, hospital, industrial and domestic wastewater systems were 13/18 (72.2%), 7/12 (58.3%), 2/7 (28.6%) and 3/4 (75.0%) of the samples were positive for Legionella, respectively. The most frequently encountered species were L. donaldsonii and uncultured L. spp., which were both found in 10 samples (24.4% of all samples), then followed by L. lytica (4.9%) and L. pneumophila (4.9%). L. anisa was detected in one sample (2.4%). The results of this survey confirm that Legionella are ubiquitous in WWTPs in Taiwan. Therefore, long-term investigations should be conducted to evaluate the overall occurrence of Legionella in WWTPs in Taiwan.

  20. The Suppression Role of Positive Affect on Students' Science Achievement in East Asia: The Example of Taipei

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Long, Haiying

    2016-01-01

    This study focuses on "high achievement but low motivation" phenomenon that is prevalent in East Asian countries and districts, and uses eighth graders in Taipei that participated in TIMSS 2007 as an example to examine the direct and indirect effects of academic motivation, positive affect, and instruction on science achievement.…

  1. Global Emerging Sciences and Technology Assessment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-21

    institutions, laboratories, and individual scientists/ technologists worth considering for AFOSR investment. In addition, recommendations will be...Thailand), Indian Inst. of Tech. Madras, and Taipei Medical Univ. (Taiwan). The entire list of 300 top universities in Asia can be found at http

  2. Primary and repeated surgeries for ectopic pregnancies and distribution by patient age, surgeon age, and hospital levels: an 11-year nationwide population-based descriptive study in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Ming-I; Tang, Chao-Hsiun; Hsu, Pei-Yang; Huang, Yu-Tung; Long, Cheng-Yu; Huang, Kuan-Hui; Wu, Ming-Ping

    2012-01-01

    To describe the changing trend, repeat operation rate, and distribution of laparoscopy, as compared with laparotomy, in treating ectopic pregnancy, according to patient age, preoperative conditions, surgeon age, and hospital accreditation level, in Taiwan over 11-years. Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Population-based nationwide insurance database. Women who underwent either laparotomy or laparoscopy because of ectopic pregnancy. Women who had National Health Insurance (NHI) underwent various surgical procedures to treat ectopic pregnancy. Data for this study were obtained from the Inpatient Expenditures by Admissions files of the NHI Research Database, released by the NHI program in Taiwan between 1997 and 2007. A total of 43 170 women with 44 928 operations were identified. Only the primary surgeries, via either laparotomy or laparoscopy, performed because of ectopic pregnancy were included for analysis. The annual number of procedures to treat ectopic pregnancies decreased in the later years of the 11-year study. Laparotomy decreased significantly, from 81.2% in 1997 to 26.2% in 2007, whereas laparoscopic procedures increased significantly, from 18.8% in 1997 to 73.8% in 2007, as evidenced at log-linear regression analysis (p < .001). The rate of repeat operations because of persistent ectopic pregnancy was higher in the laparoscopy group than in the laparotomy group (0.38% vs 0.14 %; p < .001). Patients were more likely to undergo the same type of operation for the repeated surgery (i.e., laparotomy to laparotomy in 73.1% or laparoscopy to laparoscopy in 80.2%; p = 0.43). Use of laparoscopy (58.1%) and laparotomy (41.9%) differed according to patient age, preoperative comorbidities, surgeon age, and hospital accreditation level and ownership type. With older patients, those with preoperative anemia or shock, and elder surgeons, there was a greater chance that laparotomy would be performed. The probability of undergoing

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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

  4. Increased risk of pulmonary tuberculosis among patients with appendectomy in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lai, S-W; Lin, C-L; Liao, K-F; Tsai, S-M

    2014-09-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between appendectomy and pulmonary tuberculosis in Taiwan. We designed a case-control study by analyzing the database from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. In total, we found 11,366 individuals (aged 20 years and older) with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis as the case group and 45,464 individuals without pulmonary tuberculosis as the control group from 1998 to 2011. The case group and the control group were matched on sex, age, and index year of diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis. Using the multivariable unconditional logistic regression model, we measured the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis associated with appendectomy and other comorbidities. After controlling for covariables, the multivariable unconditional logistic regression model disclosed that the OR of pulmonary tuberculosis was 1.4 in appendectomized patients (95 % CI = 1.13, 1.75) when compared to individuals without appendectomy. In further analysis, comorbidity with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (OR = 4.63, 95 % CI = 3.21, 6.68), pneumoconiosis (OR = 7.80, 95 % CI = 1.43, 42.5), chronic kidney diseases (OR = 5.65, 95 % CI = 1.79, 17.8), or diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.11, 95 % CI = 1.30, 3.44) increased the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis in appendectomized patients. Individuals with appendectomy are at a 1.4-fold increased risk of pulmonary tuberculosis. Comorbidities, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumoconiosis, chronic kidney diseases, and diabetes mellitus, enhance the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis.

  5. The lifetime cost of hepatocellular carcinoma : a claims data analysis from a medical centre in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lang, Hui-Chu; Wu, Jaw-Ching; Yen, Sang-Hue; Lan, Chung-Fu; Wu, Shi-Liang

    2008-01-01

    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cancer in Taiwan. For males in Taiwan, it is the most dangerous cancer, with both the highest incidence and mortality rate. To determine cancer-related medical care costs for long-term survivors of HCC. The estimation of the lifetime cost was based on the insurer perspective and adopted an incidence-based approach. Data was sourced from the 1999-2002 cancer registry statistics of patients with HCC and the claims data of Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH). In total there were 2873 HCC patients at TVGH. In addition to this data, the research used population National Health Insurance claims data from the National Health Research Institutes (1996-2002) as the comparison group. The probabilities of survival, dying of cancer or dying of other causes were estimated using cancer registry statistics. To estimate lifetime (10-year) cost, we divided the disease process into three phases: initial, continuing and terminal. The cost of HCC was calculated as the sum of the average cost of each phase. The expected lifetime cost for treatment of an HCC patient was estimated by incorporating the phase-specific costs with the survival and mortality rates. The results showed that 895 patients survived <1 year, and treatment for each of these patients cost on average New Taiwan dollars ($NT) 206 573 ($US 1 = $NT 33, year 2002 value) over this period. For those who survived > or =1 year, the terminal phase of treatment resulted in the highest costs, $NT 237 032. On average, for each patient, the initial phase cost was $NT 140 403 and the monthly cost for the continuing phase was $NT 8687. For the average HCC patient, the 10-year lifetime cost was $NT 418 554 (in nominal $NT). Our study showed that the terminal phase cost the most out of the three treatment phases. The aggregate lifetime cost of HCC is useful for health policy making and clinical decision making.

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

    PubMed

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

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

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

    PubMed Central

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

    2017-01-01

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

  8. Taiwan`s experience with municipal waste recycling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, C.H.

    1998-12-31

    Currently, each person on the average produces 1.15 kg of the municipal waste per day and a total of 9 million metric tons were generated annually in Taiwan. The disposal of such a huge amount of waste presents tremendous challenge for the island due to the scarcity of landfills and incineration facilities available locally. EPA of Taiwan, R.O.C. thus takes an active role in promoting waste recycling to reduce the garbage produced in municipalities. In order to efficiently utilize the government`s human and financial resources used in recycling, started from January 31, 1989, EPA has mandated the producer responsibility recyclingmore » program for several designated post-consumer products such as PET, PVC bottles, scrap tires, scrap motor vehicles, etc. Producer responsibility recycling program specifies that the manufacturers, importers and sellers of these designated products have the responsibility to retrieve their products and recycle them properly. Several negative effects have been encountered while the implementation of this producer responsibility recycling program in Taiwan which resulted in a modification of this recycling program recently. This paper presents the encountered experiences on the implementation of municipal waste recycling program in Taiwan.« less

  9. Late Holocene monsoon climate of northeastern Taiwan inferred from elemental (C, N) and isotopic (δ13C, δ15N) data in lake sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selvaraj, Kandasamy; Wei, Kuo-Yen; Liu, Kon-Kee; Kao, Shuh-Ji

    2012-03-01

    Little information exists about centennial-scale climate variability on oceanic islands in the western Pacific where the East Asian monsoon (EAM) strongly influences the climate, mountain ecosystem and the society. In this study, we investigate a 168 cm long sediment core recovered from Emerald Peak Lake in subalpine NE Taiwan for the contents of grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), C/N ratio, and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) to reconstruct the monsoon climate and vegetation density during the late Holocene. Six radiocarbon (14C) ages obtained on plant remains used for the chronology indicate that the sediment core has been accumulated since ˜3770 cal BP with a mean sedimentation rate of 44.6 cm/ka. The sub-centennial resolution of our proxy records reveals strong fluctuations of the EAM and vegetation density for the past ˜3770 cal BP. The greater contents of coarse and medium sediments with overall decreasing trends from 3770 to 2000 cal BP suggest an increasing fine sediment influx from the catchment likely due to an increasing lake water level. Although low TOC content, C/N ratio, and enriched δ13C values in bulk and fine sediments during this interval suggest a sparsely vegetated catchment, increasing trends of TOC content and C/N ratio together with decreasing trends of δ13C and δ15N values indicate a strengthening pattern of summer monsoon. This is in contrast to a decreasing monsoon strength inferred from Dongge Cave δ18O record at that time, supporting the idea of anti-phasing of summer EAM and Indian summer monsoon. Since 2000 cal BP, higher content of fine sediments with high TOC content and C/N ratio but relatively depleted δ13C and low δ15N values suggest a high but stable lake water level and dense C3 plants, consistent with a stronger summer monsoon in a wet climate. Within this general trend, we interpret a prominent change of proxy parameters in sediments from ˜560 to 150 cal BP, as subtropical evidence for the Little Ice Age in NE

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

    DTIC Science & Technology

    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

  11. 76 FR 5826 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-Advanced Media...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    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...

  12. Bubbles Are Departures from Equilibrium Housing Markets: Evidence from Singapore and Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Chou, Chung-I; Li, Sai-Ping; Tee, Shang You; Cheong, Siew Ann

    2016-01-01

    The housing prices in many Asian cities have grown rapidly since mid-2000s, leading to many reports of bubbles. However, such reports remain controversial as there is no widely accepted definition for a housing bubble. Previous studies have focused on indices, or assumed that home prices are lognomally distributed. Recently, Ohnishi et al. showed that the tail-end of the distribution of (Japan/Tokyo) becomes fatter during years where bubbles are suspected, but stop short of using this feature as a rigorous definition of a housing bubble. In this study, we look at housing transactions for Singapore (1995 to 2014) and Taiwan (2012 to 2014), and found strong evidence that the equilibrium home price distribution is a decaying exponential crossing over to a power law, after accounting for different housing types. We found positive deviations from the equilibrium distributions in Singapore condominiums and Zhu Zhai Da Lou in the Greater Taipei Area. These positive deviations are dragon kings, which thus provide us with an unambiguous and quantitative definition of housing bubbles. Also, the spatial-temporal dynamics show that bubble in Singapore is driven by price pulses in two investment districts. This finding provides a valuable insight for policymakers on implementation and evaluation of cooling measures. PMID:27812187

  13. Bubbles Are Departures from Equilibrium Housing Markets: Evidence from Singapore and Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Tay, Darrell Jiajie; Chou, Chung-I; Li, Sai-Ping; Tee, Shang You; Cheong, Siew Ann

    2016-01-01

    The housing prices in many Asian cities have grown rapidly since mid-2000s, leading to many reports of bubbles. However, such reports remain controversial as there is no widely accepted definition for a housing bubble. Previous studies have focused on indices, or assumed that home prices are lognomally distributed. Recently, Ohnishi et al. showed that the tail-end of the distribution of (Japan/Tokyo) becomes fatter during years where bubbles are suspected, but stop short of using this feature as a rigorous definition of a housing bubble. In this study, we look at housing transactions for Singapore (1995 to 2014) and Taiwan (2012 to 2014), and found strong evidence that the equilibrium home price distribution is a decaying exponential crossing over to a power law, after accounting for different housing types. We found positive deviations from the equilibrium distributions in Singapore condominiums and Zhu Zhai Da Lou in the Greater Taipei Area. These positive deviations are dragon kings, which thus provide us with an unambiguous and quantitative definition of housing bubbles. Also, the spatial-temporal dynamics show that bubble in Singapore is driven by price pulses in two investment districts. This finding provides a valuable insight for policymakers on implementation and evaluation of cooling measures.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  15. ADAM13 cleavage of cadherin-11 promotes CNC migration independently of the homophilic binding site.

    PubMed

    Abbruzzese, Genevieve; Becker, Sarah F; Kashef, Jubin; Alfandari, Dominique

    2016-07-15

    The cranial neural crest (CNC) is a highly motile population of cells that is responsible for forming the face and jaw in all vertebrates and perturbing their migration can lead to craniofacial birth defects. Cell motility requires a dynamic modification of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion. In the CNC, cleavage of the cell adhesion molecule cadherin-11 by ADAM13 is essential for cell migration. This cleavage generates a shed extracellular fragment of cadherin-11 (EC1-3) that possesses pro-migratory activity via an unknown mechanism. Cadherin-11 plays an important role in modulating contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) in the CNC to regulate directional cell migration. Here, we show that while the integral cadherin-11 requires the homophilic binding site to promote CNC migration in vivo, the EC1-3 fragment does not. In addition, we show that increased ADAM13 activity or expression of the EC1-3 fragment increases CNC invasiveness in vitro and blocks the repulsive CIL response in colliding cells. This activity requires the presence of an intact homophilic binding site on the EC1-3 suggesting that the cleavage fragment may function as a competitive inhibitor of cadherin-11 adhesion in CIL but not to promote cell migration in vivo. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  16. ADAM13 cleavage of cadherin-11 promotes CNC migration independently of the homophilic binding site

    PubMed Central

    Kashef, Jubin; Alfandari, Dominique

    2015-01-01

    The cranial neural crest (CNC) is a highly motile population of cells that is responsible for forming the face and jaw in all vertebrates and perturbing their migration can lead to craniofacial birth defects. Cell motility requires a dynamic modification of cell–cell and cell-matrix adhesion. In the CNC, cleavage of the cell adhesion molecule cadherin-11 by ADAM13 is essential for cell migration. This cleavage generates a shed extracellular fragment of cadherin-11 (EC1-3) that possesses pro-migratory activity via an unknown mechanism. Cadherin-11 plays an important role in modulating contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) in the CNC to regulate directional cell migration. Here, we show that while the integral cadherin-11 requires the homophilic binding site to promote CNC migration in vivo, the EC1-3 fragment does not. In addition, we show that increased ADAM13 activity or expression of the EC1-3 fragment increases CNC invasiveness in vitro and blocks the repulsive CIL response in colliding cells. This activity requires the presence of an intact homophilic binding site on the EC1-3 suggesting that the cleavage fragment may function as a competitive inhibitor of cadherin-11 adhesion in CIL but not to promote cell migration in vivo. PMID:26206614

  17. Unique double de novo structural rearrangements for chromosome 11 with 46,XX,del(11)(q13q23)/46,XX,inv dup(11)(q13q23) in an infant with minor congenital abnormalities and delayed development

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tharapel, A.T.; Zhao, J.; Smith, M.E.

    1994-09-01

    Reported here is a patient with two most unusual structural rearrangements, both involving chromosome 11. The first cell line showed an interstitial deletion of a chromosome 11 with a 46,XX,del(11)(q13q23) chromosome complement. In the second cell line, one of the chromosome 11s had a duplication for the exact region, (11)(q13q23), that was deleted in the first cell line. This duplication also appeared to be inverted with karyotype 46,XX,inv dup(11)(q13q23). Interestingly, chromosome analysis did not reveal a normal cell line and the two abnormal cell lines were present in a 1:1 ratio. Parental chromosome analyses showed normal karyotypes. The patient wasmore » referred for genetic evaluation because of developmental delay. Minor congenital anomalies presented on physical examination included: weight and height at or below the 5th percentile, microcephaly, downward slanting palpebral fissures, severe clinodactyly of one toe, bilateral short fifth fingers and a broad based gait. Results of the MRI and urine metabolic screen were normal. Two hypotheses are advanced to explain the origin of the abnormality. It is most likely that the abnormality arose as a postzygotic event at the very early zygotic division. During the first DNA synthesis after fertilization and before the zygotic division, DNA synthesis errors could result in two chromatids, one with a deletion and the other with a duplication. It is also possible that after the DNA synthesis prior to the first cell division, the chromatids of the same chromosome 11 for unknown reasons were involved in uneven double somatic crossing over events resulting in deleted and duplicated chromatids, respectively. The 1:1 cell ratio found in the patient and the apparent non-existence of a normal cell line further suggest that the origin of the abnormality was post-zygotic.« less

  18. Incidence and survival of adult cancer patients in Taiwan, 2002-2012.

    PubMed

    Chiang, Chun-Ju; Lo, Wei-Cheng; Yang, Ya-Wen; You, San-Lin; Chen, Chien-Jen; Lai, Mei-Shu

    2016-12-01

    Little is known about the annual changes in cancer incidence and survival that occurred after the establishment of the long-form cancer registry database in Taiwan. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the updated incidence and stage-specific relative survival rates (RSRs) among adult cancer patients in Taiwan. Cancer incidence data from 2002 to 2012 were collected using the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database. Age-standardized incidence rates, average annual percent changes (AAPCs), and sex ratios were calculated for adults. Five-year stage-specific RSRs were estimated for cases diagnosed between 2004 and 2008 and were followed up to 2013 for major cancers. The overall age-standardized incidence rates per 100,000 populations increased from 348.39 in 2002 to 401.18 in 2012, and the AAPC was 1.7% (p < 0.05), whereas the male:female ratio was approximately 1:3 during the entire period. Most cancer sites showed a trend of increasing incidence, with the exception of common cancers such as cervix uteri (AAPC = -6.2%, p < 0.05), bladder (AAPC = -2.5%, p < 0.05), stomach (AAPC = -2.4%, p < 0.05), nasopharynx (AAPC = -1.2%, p < 0.05), and liver (AAPC = -1.1%, p < 0.05). The 5-year RSRs for Stage I cancers were greater than 93% for the colon and rectum, female breast, and cervix uteri, whereas RSRs for patients with Stage IV cancers ranged from 2.9% to 38.9%, with patients with liver cancer and those with oral cancer showing the lowest and highest RSRs, respectively. Our study showed increased incidence in most cancers and provided baseline estimates of stage-specific RSRs among the Taiwanese adult population. Continuous surveillance may help politicians to improve health policies and cancer care in Taiwan. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  20. Long-term (2005-2015) trend analysis of PM2.5 precursor gas NO2 and SO2 concentrations in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lee, Chih-Sheng; Chang, Ken-Hui; Kim, Hyunook

    2018-05-26

    Ground air monitoring stations have been installed in Taiwan since 1993 to ensure whether the criteria air pollutants meet the ambient air quality standards. In the present study, the data from the monitoring stations were used to evaluate long-term (2005-2015) trend of NO 2 and SO 2 in three metropolitan cities (northern Taipei, central Taichung, and southern Kaohsiung), two eastern coastal cities (Hualien and Taitung), and one agricultural city in west-central plain (Douliu); those cities essentially covered the entire region of Taiwan. The results indicate that SO 2 and NO 2 concentrations of all studied six cities meet the annual average standards of 30 and 50 ppb, respectively. After deseasonalizing the original data and using 7-month moving average, the trend analysis reveals a decreasing trend ranging from 0.15 to 0.57 ppb/year (R 2 from 0.33 to 0.85) for NO 2 and 0.06 to 0.45 ppb/year (R 2 from 0.32 to 0.92) for SO 2 ; the corresponding reductions over the 10-year span are 4 to 42% for NO 2 and 22 to 52% for SO 2 . The reduction trend, despite the growth in GDP, vehicle numbers and energy consumption, industrial output, etc., is similar to those of developed countries. Clearly, there are seasonal/monthly variation patterns for these two precursor gases with minimum levels in summer (July) and maximum in winter (December). The concentration reductions, however, were lagging behind the respective emission reductions. There are significant correlations among six cites for NO 2 (r = 0.58-0.93) and, to some extent, SO 2 (0.32-0.66). The correlation between SO 2 and NO 2 (r = 0.46-0.74) indicates same or similar emission sources. Furthermore, the correlation between observed pollutant concentrations and their emission is excellent for SO 2 in two cities (0.79-0.96). The SO 2 /NO 2 ratios vary with city and time and the value is site specific. For example, in 2005, the SO 2 /NO 2 ratio was 0.38 in Kaohsiung and 0.18 in both Taipei and Taichung, the

  1. Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Middle-Aged Residents of Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

    PubMed

    Su, Ta-Chen; Hwang, Juey-Jen; Shen, Yu-Cheng; Chan, Chang-Chuan

    2015-08-01

    Associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) have inconsistent findings. In this study we aimed to evaluate association between 1-year average exposure to traffic-related air pollution and CIMT in middle-aged adults in Asia. CIMT was measured in Taipei, Taiwan, between 2009 and 2011 in 689 volunteers 35-65 years of age who were recruited as the control subjects of an acute coronary heart disease cohort study. We applied land-use regression models developed by the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) to estimate each subject's 1-year average exposure to traffic-related air pollutants with particulate matter diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and the absorbance levels of PM2.5 (PM2.5abs), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the urban environment. One-year average air pollution exposures were 44.21 ± 4.19 μg/m3 for PM10, 27.34 ± 5.12 μg/m3 for PM2.5, and (1.97 ± 0.36) × 10-5/m for PM2.5abs. Multivariate regression analyses showed average percentage increases in maximum left CIMT of 4.23% (95% CI: 0.32, 8.13) per 1.0 × 10-5/m increase in PM2.5abs; 3.72% (95% CI: 0.32, 7.11) per 10-μg/m3 increase in PM10; 2.81% (95% CI: 0.32, 5.31) per 20-μg/m3 increase in NO2; and 0.74% (95% CI: 0.08, 1.41) per 10-μg/m3 increase in NOx. The associations were not evident for right CIMT, and PM2.5 mass concentration was not associated with the outcomes. Long-term exposures to traffic-related air pollution of PM2.5abs, PM10, NO2, and NOx were positively associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged adults.

  2. Emergency Department Utilization and Determinants of Use by 0- to 6-Year-Old Children with Disabilities in Taipei

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Shang-Wei; Lin, Ya-Wen; Chwo, Miao-Ju; Huang, Hui-Chi; Yen, Chia-Feng; Lin, Lan-Ping; Wu, Jia-Ling; Lin, Jin-Ding

    2009-01-01

    Although many studies have explored emergency services for children, there are few published reports of the utilization of emergency services by children with disabilities. The present study attempts to provide data regarding the utilization of, and factors affecting, emergency department visits by disabled children in Taipei. A general census of…

  3. Underlying Strains in Taiwan-U.S. Political Relations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-04-20

    18 FAPA ...11 Coen Blaauw, Formosan Association of Public Affairs ( FAPA ), September 20, 2006. concerned about the prospect of conflict scenarios in the Taiwan...Blaauw, FAPA , September 20, 2006. 60 Recent past heads of TECRO in Washington included C. J. Chen and David Li. According to several former U.S

  4. Interdisciplinary, interinstitutional and international collaboration of family medicine researchers in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yi-Hsuan; Tseng, Yen-Han; Chang, Hsiao-Ting; Lin, Ming-Hwai; Tseng, Yen-Chiang; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2015-01-01

    The family medicine researches flourished worldwide in the past decade. However, the collaborative patterns of family medicine publications had not been reported. Our study analyzed the collaborative activity of family medicine researchers in Taiwan. We focused on the types of collaboration among disciplines, institutions and countries. We searched "family medicine" AND "Taiwan" in address field from Web of Science and documented the disciplines, institutions and countries of all authors. We analyzed the collaborative patterns of family medicine researchers in Taiwan from 2010 to 2014. The journal's impact factor of each article in the same publication year was also retrieved. Among 1,217 articles from 2010 to 2014, interdisciplinary collaboration existed in 1,185 (97.3%) articles, interinstitutional in 1,012 (83.2%) and international in 142 (11.7%). Public health was the most common collaborative discipline. All international researches were also interdisciplinary and interinstitutional. The United States (75 articles), the United Kingdom (21) and the People's Republic of China (20) were the top three countries with which family medicine researchers in Taiwan had collaborated. We found a high degree of interdisciplinary and interinstitutional collaboration of family medicine researches in Taiwan. However, the collaboration of family medicine researchers in Taiwan with family medicine colleagues of other domestic or foreign institutions was insufficient. The future direction of family medicine studies could focus on the promotion of communication among family medicine researchers.

  5. Taiwan Regulation of Biobanks.

    PubMed

    Fan, Chien-Te; Hung, Tzu-Hsun; Yeh, Chan-Kun

    2015-01-01

    This paper introduces legal framework and governance structure in relation to the management and development of biobanks in Taiwan. At first, we briefly describe Taiwan's population, political system and health care system. Secondly, this research introduces biobanking framework of Taiwan including 25 biobanks established with the approval of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In those biobanks, "Taiwan Biobank" is the first and the largest government-supported biobank which comprises population-based cohort study and disease- oriented study. Since the collection of information, data, and biological specimen of biobanks often involve highly sensitive personal information, in the legal framework of Taiwan, there is a specific regulation, "Human Biobank Management Act" (HBMA), which plays an important role in regulating biobanks in Taiwan. HBMA, the Personal Information Act and other regulations constitute a comprehensive legal and regulatory privacy framework of biobanks. Through the introduction and analysis of the current legal framework applicable to biobanks, we found that there are several challenges that need to be solved appropriately that involve duplicate review systems, the obstacles in the international collaboration, and data sharing between biobanks in Taiwan. © 2015 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

  6. 76 FR 20010 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-DVD Copy Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-11

    ... Computer Corp., Taipei, TAIWAN; Dongguan ChuDong Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., Dongguan City, Guangdong... have been made in either the membership or planned activity of the group research project. Membership in this group research project remains open, and DVD CCA intends to file additional written...

  7. Fatal occupational injuries in Taiwan, 1994-2005.

    PubMed

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

    2010-04-01

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

  8. Taiwan: Background Notes Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reams, Joanne Reppert

    Concise background information on Taiwan is provided. The publication begins with a profile of Taiwan, discussing the people, geography, political establishment, and economy. A map of the country is provided. The bulk of the publication then provides more detailed information on Taiwan's people, geography, history, administration, political…

  9. Police referrals at the psychiatric emergency service in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  10. Improvement in High-Grade Osteosarcoma Survival: Results from 202 Patients Treated at a Single Institution in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Hung, Giun-Yi; Yen, Hsiu-Ju; Yen, Chueh-Chuan; Wu, Po-Kuei; Chen, Cheng-Fong; Chen, Paul C-H; Wu, Hung-Ta H; Chiou, Hong-Jen; Chen, Wei-Ming

    2016-04-01

    The aim of this study was to compare survival before and after 2004 and define the prognostic factors for high-grade osteosarcomas beyond those of typical young patients with localized extremity disease. Few studies have reported the long-term treatment outcomes of high-grade osteosarcoma in Taiwan. A total of 202 patients with primary high-grade osteosarcoma who received primary chemotherapy at Taipei Veterans General Hospital between January 1995 and December 2011 were retrospectively evaluated and compared by period (1995-2003 vs 2004-2011). Patients of all ages and tumor sites and those following or not following controlled protocols were included in analysis of demographic, tumor-related, and treatment-related variables and survival. Overall survival and progression-free survival at 5 years were, respectively, 67.7% and 48% for all patients (n = 202), 77.3% and 57.1% for patients without metastasis (n = 157), and 33.9% and 14.8% for patients with metastasis (n = 45). The survival rates of patients treated after 2004 were significantly higher (by 13%-16%) compared with those of patients treated before 2004, with an accompanying 30% increase in histological good response rate (P = .002). Factors significantly contributing to inferior survival in univariate and multivariate analyses were diagnosis before 2004, metastasis at diagnosis, and being a noncandidate for a controlled treatment protocol. By comparison with the regimens used at our institution before 2004, the current results support the effectiveness of the post-2004 regimens, which consisted of substantially reduced cycles of high-dose methotrexate and a higher dosage of ifosfamide per cycle, cisplatin, and doxorubicin, for treating high-grade osteosarcoma in Asian patients.

  11. Prevalence of Polyherbacy in Ambulatory Visits to Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinics in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Ming-Hwai; Chang, Hsiao-Ting; Tu, Chun-Yi; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2015-01-01

    Patients with a polyherbal prescription are more likely to receive duplicate medications and thus suffer from adverse drug reactions. We conducted a population-based retrospective study to examine the items of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) per prescription in the ambulatory care of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Taiwan. We retrieved complete TCM ambulatory visit datasets for 2010 from the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan. A total of 59,790 patients who received 313,482 CHM prescriptions were analyzed. Drug prescriptions containing more than five drugs were classified as polyherbal prescriptions; 41.6% of patients were given a polyherbal prescription. There were on average 5.2 ± 2.5 CHMs: 2.3 ± 1.1 compound herbal formula items, and 3.0 ± 2.5 single Chinese herb items in a single prescription. Approximately 4.6% of patients were prescribed 10 CHMs or more. Men had a lower odds ratio (OR) among polyherbal prescriptions (OR = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–0.99), and middle-aged patients (35–49 years) had the highest frequency of polyherbal prescription (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.13–1.26). Patients with neoplasm, skin and subcutaneous tissue disease, or genitourinary system disease were more likely to have a polyherbal prescription; OR = 2.20 (1.81–2.67), 1.65 (1.50–1.80), and 1.52 (1.40–1.64), respectively. Polyherbal prescription is widespread in TCM in Taiwan. Potential herb interactions and iatrogenic risks associated with polyherbal prescriptions should be monitored. PMID:26287228

  12. The Dubna-Mainz-Taipei Dynamical Model for πN Scattering and π Electromagnetic Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Shin Nan

    Some of the featured results of the Dubna-Mainz-Taipei (DMT) dynamical model for πN scattering and π0 electromagnetic production are summarized. These include results for threshold π0 production, deformation of Δ(1232),and the extracted properties of higher resonances below 2 GeV. The excellent agreement of DMT model's predictions with threshold π0 production data, including the recent precision measurements from MAMI establishes results of DMT model as a benchmark for experimentalists and theorists in dealing with threshold pion production.

  13. Effect of 11-Cis 13-Demethylretinal on Phototransduction in Bleach-Adapted Rod and Cone Photoreceptors

    PubMed Central

    Corson, D.Wesley; Kefalov, Vladimir J.; Cornwall, M. Carter; Crouch, Rosalie K.

    2000-01-01

    We used 11-cis 13-demethylretinal to examine the physiological consequences of retinal's noncovalent interaction with opsin in intact rod and cone photoreceptors during visual pigment regeneration. 11-Cis 13-demethylretinal is an analog of 11-cis retinal in which the 13 position methyl group has been removed. Biochemical experiments have shown that it is capable of binding in the chromophore pocket of opsin, forming a Schiff-base linkage with the protein to produce a pigment, but at a much slower rate than the native 11-cis retinal (Nelson, R., J. Kim deReil, and A. Kropf. 1970. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA. 66:531–538). Experimentally, this slow rate of pigment formation should allow separate physiological examination of the effects of the initial binding of retinal in the pocket and the subsequent formation of the protonated Schiff-base linkage. Currents from solitary rods and cones from the tiger salamander were recorded in darkness before and after bleaching and then after exposure to 11-cis 13-demethylretinal. In bleach-adapted rods, 11-cis 13-demethylretinal caused transient activation of phototransduction, as evidenced by a decrease of the dark current and sensitivity, acceleration of the dim flash responses, and activation of cGMP phosphodiesterase and guanylyl cyclase. The steady state of phototransduction activity was still higher than that of the bleach-adapted rod. In contrast, exposure of bleach-adapted cones to 11-cis 13-demethylretinal resulted in an immediate deactivation of transduction as measured by the same parameters. These results extend the validity of a model for the effects of the noncovalent binding of a retinoid in the chromophore pockets of rod and cone opsins to analogs capable of forming a Schiff-base and imply that the noncovalent binding by itself may play a role for the dark adaptation of photoreceptors. PMID:10919871

  14. A trend analysis of ergonomic research themes in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Chih-Long

    2015-01-01

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

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

    PubMed

    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.

  16. 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.

    PubMed

    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.

  17. Autism and 15q11-q13 disorders: behavioral, genetic, and pathophysiological issues.

    PubMed

    Dykens, Elisabeth M; Sutcliffe, James S; Levitt, Pat

    2004-01-01

    New insights into biological factors that underlie autism may be gained by comparing autism to other neurodevelopmental disorders that have autistic features and relatively well-delineated genetic etiologies or neurobiological findings. This review moves beyond global diagnoses of autism and instead uses an endophenotypic approach to compare specific clusters of autistic symptomatology to features of chromosome 15q11-q13 disorders. Paternally or maternally derived deficiencies of 15q11-q13 result in Prader-Willi or Angelman syndromes, and we first use a global approach to review potential autism susceptibility genes in the 15q11-q13 region. We then use a more trait-based approach to suggest possible ties between specific phenotypic characteristics of autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, namely savant-like skills. We conclude with insights from pathophysiological studies that implicate altered development of specific neuron types and circuits in the cerebral cortex as part of the pathophysiological processes associated with autism and mental retardation. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  18. Sexual harassment in the Chinese workplace. Attitudes toward and experiences of sexual harassment among workers in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Luo, T Y

    1996-09-01

    This study, with the use of a questionnaire survey method, examined the characteristics of sexual harassment experiences and the dynamics of the attitudes toward sexual harassment among male and female workers in Taipei. An occupationally representative sample of male and female workers was recruited to participate in the survey. The findings showed that 1 in 4 workers in Taipei experienced some sort of sexual harassment in the workplace, 36% (n = 493) of the surveyed women and 13% (n = 415) of the surveyed men reported experiencing workplace sexual harassment. The most frequently reported type of sexual harassment was unwanted sexual jokes/comments, followed by unwanted deliberate body contact, and unwanted requests/pressure for a date. The major source of sexual harassment came from coworkers of the opposite sex. Majority of the alleged victims attributed their sexual harassment incident to insensitivity of the initiator. In being consistent with previous research, the study established three attitudinal models toward sexual harassment among Chinese workers: the victim-blame/trivialization model, the natural/biological explanation, and the power/manipulation model. The study found no consistent relationship between the self-rated attitudes toward sexual harassment and the self-reported sexual harassment experiences.

  19. Smoking beliefs and behavior among youth in South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

    PubMed

    Lee, Joann; Johnson, Carolyn; Rice, Janet; Warren, C Wick; Chen, Ted

    2013-09-01

    Beliefs about smoking are important predictors of smoking behavior among adolescents, and adolescents who hold positive beliefs about the benefits of smoking are at an increased risk of smoking initiation. An alarming fact is the rising smoking prevalence in Asian countries, particularly the increasing trend in smoking during adolescence. This cross-sectional study examined smoking beliefs and behavior among a nationally representative sample of youth in South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Descriptive statistics, linear regression, and logistic regression methods were used to analyze data from 13-15-year-old adolescents who participated in the 2005 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in South Korea (N = 4,765) and Thailand (N = 15,420) and the 2007 GYTS in Taiwan (N = 3,955). The rate of ever smoking among youth was similar in all three countries and ranged from 26.7 to 28.0 %. The prevalence of current smoking among youth in Thailand (11.4 %) was nearly double the prevalence in South Korea (6.6 %) and Taiwan (6.5 %). Pro-tobacco advertising exposure, as well as older ages, was a positive and significant predictor of positive beliefs about smoking among youth in all three countries. Additionally, youth who reported increased positive smoking-related beliefs, greater pro-tobacco advertising exposure, and were male were more likely to be current smokers in all three countries. Results suggest that greater attention be directed to understanding beliefs and attitudes about smoking among youth. Exploring the relationship between these factors and smoking behavior can provide a strong starting point in the development of effective smoking prevention interventions and tobacco control policies in this region.

  20. Clinical analysis of fever of unknown origin in children: A 10-year experience in a northern Taiwan medical center.

    PubMed

    Cho, Ching-Yi; Lai, Chou-Cheng; Lee, Ming-Luen; Hsu, Chien-Lun; Chen, Chun-Jen; Chang, Lo-Yi; Lo, Chiao-Wei; Chiang, Sheng-Fong; Wu, Keh-Gong

    2017-02-01

    Fever of unknown origin (FUO) was first described in 1961 as fever >38.3°C for at least 3 weeks with no apparent source after 1 week of investigations in the hospital. Infectious disease comprises the majority of cases (40-60%). There is no related research on FUO in children in Taiwan. The aim of this study is to determine the etiologies of FUO in children in Taiwan and to evaluate the relationship between the diagnosis and patient's demography and laboratory data. Children under 18 years old with fever >38.3°C for >2 weeks without apparent source after preliminary investigations at Taipei Veterans General Hospital during 2002-2012 were included. Fever duration, symptoms and signs, laboratory examinations, and final diagnosis were recorded. The distribution of etiologies and age, fever duration, laboratory examinations, and associated symptoms and signs were analyzed. A total of 126 children were enrolled; 60 were girls and 66 were boys. The mean age was 6.7 years old. Infection accounted for 27.0% of cases, followed by undiagnosed cases (23.8%), miscellaneous etiologies (19.8%), malignancies (16.6%), and autoimmune disorders (12.7%). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) were the most commonly found pathogens for infectious disease, and Kawasaki disease (KD) was the top cause of miscellaneous diagnosis. Infectious disease remains the most common etiology. Careful history taking and physical examination are most crucial for making the diagnosis. Conservative treatment may be enough for most children with FUO, except for those suffering from malignancies. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Taiwan Biobank: a project aiming to aid Taiwan's transition into a biomedical island.

    PubMed

    Fan, Chien-Te; Lin, Jui-Chu; Lee, Chung-His

    2008-02-01

    Essentially, the term 'biobank' can be defined in different ways. Taking the UK Biobank's experience as the main example, the Taiwan Biobank aims to collect the DNA of a large group of people on the population base and track their health and lifestyle for at least 10 years. It is hoped that the information collected, regarding the mechanisms underlying how genes and environmental factors interact with each other to make us ill, will benefit the society in various ways, including the exploration of a new generation of treatments, support to preventive medicine discovery and also the possible benefits for the promotion of evolving public health-related industries in Taiwan. However, the involvement of large-scale population base gene data collection also triggered serious ethical, legal and social issues. In Taiwan, the challenge is even more serious than for any other biobanking experiences that have occurred previously. Among all the ethical, legal and social issues, the convergence of aboriginal people protection provided under Taiwan's Constitution imposes on the research team an obligation to create an innovative Ethical & Legal Governance Framework adaptable to the unique social background of Taiwan, including a workable public consultation/communication mechanism. In early 2005, the creation of the 'Taiwan Biobank' has been included as a part of Taiwan's strategic development in promoting the country as an island of biomedicine. In this report, the ideology, the goals and special features, government strategy, visions and, in particular, the ethical, legal and social issue planning of the Taiwan Biobank will be briefly introduced and reviewed.

  2. Arsenic speciation in rice and risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in Taiwan population.

    PubMed

    Chen, Hsiu-Ling; Lee, Ching-Chang; Huang, Winn-Jung; Huang, Han-Ting; Wu, Yi-Chen; Hsu, Ya-Chen; Kao, Yi-Ting

    2016-03-01

    This study assessed the total arsenic content and arsenic speciation in rice to determine the health risks associated with rice consumption in various age-gender subgroups in Taiwan. The average total arsenic levels in white rice and brown rice were 116.6 ± 39.2 and 215.5 ± 63.5 ng/g weight (n = 51 and 13), respectively. The cumulative cancer risk among males was 10.4/100,000. The highest fraction of inorganic/total arsenic content in white rice ranged from 76.9 to 88.2 % and from 81.0 to 96.5 % in brown rice. The current study found different arsenic speciation of rice in southern Taiwan, where the famous blackfoot disease has been reported compared with arsenic speciation from other Taiwan areas. Therefore, rice and other grains should be further monitored in southern Taiwan to evaluate whether arsenic contamination is well controlled in this area.

  3. From Language Learners to Language Teachers to Language Teacher Trainers: Narrative Stories of Four Instructional Coaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chien, Chin-Wen

    2014-01-01

    This study discusses how four instructional coaches' roles and identities, as well as the school district context, have influenced their development as instructional coaches. This study thematically analyzes the narrative stories of four elementary school English instructional coaches in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The study concludes that the way…

  4. Reading Success and Failure among Chinese Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  6. Risk Factors for Suicide in Taiwanese College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  7. 75 FR 51287 - Agreements in Force as of December 31, 2009, Between the American Institute in Taiwan and the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    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...

  8. A case study on the influences of long-range transport to Taiwan`s acid deposition using Taiwan air quality model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ken-Hui Chang; Fu-Tien Jeng

    1996-12-31

    The long-range and transboundary transport of precursors of add deposition in East Asia became important due to the industrial development around this area. We started to develop Taiwan Air Quality Model (TAQM) system since 1992, which is based on regional Acid Deposition Model (RADM) system. A typical episode in Mei-Yu season has been selected to study. A case considering all emissions within simulated domain has been run as a reference case, and another perturbed case, not including Taiwan`s emission, has been also run for analyzing quantitatively the influence of long-range transport to Taiwan`s wet deposition during the episode are 31%more » and 24% for total sulfur compounds and total nitrogen compounds respectively; but for dry deposition, only 6% is contributed by long range transport for sulfur compounds and 29% for total nitrogen compounds. Therefore, the percentages of total acid deposition contributed by long-range transport are 27% and 25% for total sulfur compounds and total nitrogen compounds, respectively.« less

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

    PubMed

    Hwang, Yaw-Huei; Ko, Yi; Chiang, Chien-Dai; Hsu, Shih-Penn; Lee, Yu-Hsiang; Yu, Chun-Hsien; Chiou, Chuen-Hua; Wang, Jung-Der; Chuang, Hung-Yi

    2004-11-01

    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 microg/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 microg/dL. Together with the cord blood lead averages of 7.48 +/- 2.25 and 3.28 +/- 1.52 microg/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 microg/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 microg/dL. Furthermore, at low level of around 2 microg/dL, a multiple regression

  10. Evaluation of environmental fate and sinks of PCDD/Fs during specific extreme weather events in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chi, Kai Hsien; Lin, Chuan-Yao; Ou Yang, Chang-Feng; Hsu, Shih Chieh; Chen, Ya Fang; Luo, Shangde; Kao, Shuh Ji

    2013-11-01

    Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are formed and released unintentionally from anthropogenic sources. The high persistence of PCDD/Fs results in the concentrations of these contaminants in environment decreasing only very slowly. Two transport pathways, air and water, carry PCDD/Fs into all regions of the world. Recently, more frequent extreme weather events, such as storms and floods, have been projected to occur as a result of global warming. Extreme weather events have a documented impact on the remobilization and subsequent bioavailability of POPs. In this study, three specific episodes, namely winter monsoon, southeast biomass burning and tropical cyclone (typhoon) events, which influence the environmental fate and transport of PCDD/Fs in Taiwan, were evaluated based on a climate change scenario. During the winter (northeast) monsoon period, the temperature and relative humidity observed in northern Taiwan decreases sharply. During this time, the quantity of PCDD/Fs adsorbed onto suspended particles, as observed at background sites, was found to increase from 300 ± 127 to 630 ± 115 pg I-TEQ g-TSP-1, which is even higher than that measured in Taipei City (438 ± 80 pg I-TEQ g-TSP-1). Hence, the winter monsoon not only brings cold air but also transports air pollutants and dust over long distances from mainland China to Taiwan. During the 2010 Southeast Asia biomass burning events (2010/3/22-3/28), the level of atmospheric PCDD/Fs were measured in central Taiwan (Mt. Lulin) and in the source region of northern Thailand (Chiang Mai); this revealed that the variations in atmospheric PCDD/F concentrations at these two sites followed a similar pattern. On 25 March 2010, the atmospheric PCDD/F concentration increased dramatically from 1.43 to 6.09 fg I-TEQ m-3 at Mt. Lulin and from 7.64 to 12.1 fg I-TEQ m-3 in northern Thailand. However, the atmospheric PCDD

  11. 10,11 B(α,n) 13 , 14N cross section measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Qian; Michael, Febbraro; Deboer, Richard; Michael, Wiescher

    2017-09-01

    10,11 B(α,n) 13 , 14N have been identified as possible background sources for underground experiments at low Eα energy. These reactions have been studied at University of Notre Dame's Nuclear Science Laboratory using Santa Anna 5 MV accelerator. 11B(α,n)14N was measured with a 3He counter, and a good R-matrix fit was obtained, which shows our data in agreement with other published data. Measurement of 10B(α,n)13N was performed down to Eα = 0.57 MeV, with two deuterated liquid scintillators, EJ315 and EJ301D, and with the help of unfolding technique, neutron energy information can be extracted. EJ301D is a newly-developed neutron detector, with better pulse shape discrimination, and has been used to do angular distribution measurements. Additionally, the (α ,α1 γ) and (n , pγ) channels have been monitored independently by observation of 718keV γ transition in 10B and 3853keV γ transition in 13C. Preliminary analysis indicates the discovery of a new resonance in low energy region. Research supported by NSF PHY-1430152, and JINA PHY-1419765.

  12. Synthesis of carbon-11, fluorine-18, and nitrogen-13 labeled radiotracers for biomedical applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fowler, J.S.; Wolf, A.P.

    A number of reviews, many of them recent, have appeared on various aspects of /sup 11/C, /sup 18/F and /sup 13/N-labeled radiotracers. This monograph treats the topic principally from the standpoint of synthetic organic chemistry while keeping in perspective the necessity of integrating the organic chemistry with the design and ultimate application of the radiotracer. Where possible, recent examples from the literature of organic synthesis are introduced to suggest potentially new routes which may be applied to problems in labeling organic molecules with the short-lived positron emitters, carbon-11, fluorine-18, and nitrogen-13. The literature survey of carbon-11, fluorine-18 and nitrogen-13 labeledmore » compounds presented are of particular value to scientists working in this field. Two appendices are also included to provide supplementary general references. A subject index concludes this volume.« less

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  14. Does Built Environment Matter to Early Adolescents' Physical Activity?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Jen-Jia; Ting, Tzu-Cheng

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the relationship of built environments to physical activity among adolescents aged 12 to 14 years old. The study sample included 269 junior high school students studying in Nangang District, Taipei, Taiwan. Sample physical activity data were obtained by surveying adolescents using a self-administered short version of the…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  16. Media Presentations on the Reading Attention and Comprehension of Taiwanese Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ku, David Tawei; Cheng, Yu-Mei

    2016-01-01

    We adopted an experimental design to investigate the effects of various media presentation modes on the reading attention and comprehension of Taiwanese elementary school students. The participants comprised 138 students from 4 classes of third grade elementary school students from New Taipei City, Taiwan. The participants attended 5 short stories…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  18. Hospital-Owned Apps in Taiwan: Nationwide Survey

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Hao-Yen; Sun, Ying-Chou; Fen, Jun-Jeng; Chen, Tzeng-Ji; Chou, Li-Fang; Hwang, Shinn-Jang

    2018-01-01

    Background Over the last decade, the use of mobile phone apps in the health care industry has grown rapidly. Owing to the high penetration rate of Internet use in Taiwan, hospitals are eager to provide their own apps to improve the accessibility of medical care for patients. Objective The aims of this study were to provide an overview of the currently available hospital-owned apps in Taiwan and to conduct a cross-hospital comparison of app features. Methods In May 2017, the availability of apps from all 414 hospitals in Taiwan was surveyed from the hospital home pages and the Google Play app store. The features of the downloaded apps were then examined in detail and, for each app, the release date of the last update, download frequency, and rating score were obtained from Google Play. Results Among all the 414 hospitals in Taiwan, 150 (36.2%) owned Android apps that had been made available for public use, including 95% (18/19) of the academic medical centers, 77% (63/82) of the regional hospitals, and 22.0% (69/313) of the local community hospitals. Among the 13 different functionalities made available by the various hospital-owned apps, the most common were the doctor search (100%, 150/150), real-time queue monitoring (100%, 150/150), and online appointment scheduling (94.7%, 142/150) functionalities. The majority of apps (57.3%, 86/150) had a rating greater than 4 out of 5, 49.3% (74/150) had been updated at some point in 2017, and 36.0% (54/150) had been downloaded 10,000 to 50,000 times. Conclusions More than one-third of the hospitals owned apps intended to increase patient access to health care. The most common app features might reflect the health care situation in Taiwan, where the overcrowded outpatient departments of hospitals operate in an open-access mode without any strict referral system. Further research should focus on the effectiveness and safety of these apps. PMID:29339347

  19. Architecture of TAF11/TAF13/TBP complex suggests novel regulation properties of general transcription factor TFIID

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Kapil; Watson, Aleksandra A; Baptista, Tiago; Scheer, Elisabeth; Chambers, Anna L; Koehler, Christine; Zou, Juan; Obong-Ebong, Ima; Kandiah, Eaazhisai; Temblador, Arturo; Round, Adam; Forest, Eric; Man, Petr; Bieniossek, Christoph; Laue, Ernest D; Lemke, Edward A; Rappsilber, Juri; Robinson, Carol V; Devys, Didier

    2017-01-01

    General transcription factor TFIID is a key component of RNA polymerase II transcription initiation. Human TFIID is a megadalton-sized complex comprising TATA-binding protein (TBP) and 13 TBP-associated factors (TAFs). TBP binds to core promoter DNA, recognizing the TATA-box. We identified a ternary complex formed by TBP and the histone fold (HF) domain-containing TFIID subunits TAF11 and TAF13. We demonstrate that TAF11/TAF13 competes for TBP binding with TATA-box DNA, and also with the N-terminal domain of TAF1 previously implicated in TATA-box mimicry. In an integrative approach combining crystal coordinates, biochemical analyses and data from cross-linking mass-spectrometry (CLMS), we determine the architecture of the TAF11/TAF13/TBP complex, revealing TAF11/TAF13 interaction with the DNA binding surface of TBP. We identify a highly conserved C-terminal TBP-interaction domain (CTID) in TAF13, which is essential for supporting cell growth. Our results thus have implications for cellular TFIID assembly and suggest a novel regulatory state for TFIID function. PMID:29111974

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

    PubMed

    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.

  1. Higher Education Learning Experiences among Vietnamese Immigrant Women in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Ya-Ling; Wu, Hsing-Chen

    2015-01-01

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

  2. 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.

    PubMed

    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.

  3. 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

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Chin-Kan; Wu, Chiung-Yi

    2018-01-01

    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. PMID:29614737

  4. The 8th International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism (HFM 2016)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardner, J. S.; Kao, Y. J.

    2017-04-01

    The 8th International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism 2016 (HFM 2016) took place between the 7th and 11th of September 2016 at the GIS Convention Center at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Over 260 participants from all over the world, attended the meeting making it the largest HFM to-date and revealing the impressive growth in the community since the original meeting in Waterloo, Canada where 80 participants attended. Preceding the meeting a school was held at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center to help those new to the field understand the material they were likely to see at HFM2016. Our thanks to the international speakers who attended this school John Chalker, Michel Kenzelmann, Philippe Mendels, Luigi Paolasini, Kirrily Rule, Yixi Su, Isao Watanabe and those from Taiwan W. T. Chen, Y-J, Kao, L. J. Chang and C. S. Ku, for their enlightening presentations. The HFM 2016 conference consisted of five plenary talks by H Takagi, B D Gaulin, L Balents, Y Tokura and S T Bramwell, 20 invited and 40 contributed presentations, and about 160 poster presentations from all aspects of theoretical and experimental frustrated magnetism. During the conference period, many stimulating discussions were held both inside and outside the conference room. Excursions to Taipei 101 and the National Palace Museum, as well as several organized dinners and receptions allowed the participants to initiate collaborations and discuss the hottest issues. The subjects covered in the conference included: · Quantum frustrated magnetism and spin liquids · Novel ordering of geometrically frustrated magnets · Frustration effect on the coupling to lattice, orbital and charge degrees of freedom · Exotic phenomena induced by macroscopic degeneracy · Field effect on frustrated magnetism etc. These proceeding represent a very small, but valuable contribution to the community. I hope you enjoy reading them. In view of the rapid growth of the field, it has been

  5. Genetic diversity and variation of Chinese fir from Fujian province and Taiwan, China, based on ISSR markers

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yu; Peng, Zhuqing; Wu, Chao; Ma, Zhihui; Ding, Guochang; Cao, Guangqiu; Ruan, Shaoning; Lin, Sizu

    2017-01-01

    Genetic diversity and variation among 11 populations of Chinese fir from Fujian province and Taiwan were assessed using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to reveal the evolutionary relationship in their distribution range in this report. Analysis of genetic parameters of the different populations showed that populations in Fujian province exhibited a greater level of genetic diversity than did the populations in Taiwan. Compared to Taiwan populations, significant limited gene flow were observed among Fujian populations. An UPGMA cluster analysis showed that the most individuals of Taiwan populations formed a single cluster, whereas 6 discrete clusters were formed by each population from Fujian. All populations were divided into 3 main groups and that all 5 populations from Taiwan were gathered into a subgroup combined with 2 populations, Dehua and Liancheng, formed one of the 3 main groups, which indicated relative stronger relatedness. It is supported by a genetic structure analysis. All those results are suggesting different levels of genetic diversity and variation of Chinese fir between Fujian and Taiwan, and indicating different patterns of evolutionary process and local environmental adaption. PMID:28406956

  6. Genetic diversity and variation of Chinese fir from Fujian province and Taiwan, China, based on ISSR markers.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yu; Peng, Zhuqing; Wu, Chao; Ma, Zhihui; Ding, Guochang; Cao, Guangqiu; Ruan, Shaoning; Lin, Sizu

    2017-01-01

    Genetic diversity and variation among 11 populations of Chinese fir from Fujian province and Taiwan were assessed using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to reveal the evolutionary relationship in their distribution range in this report. Analysis of genetic parameters of the different populations showed that populations in Fujian province exhibited a greater level of genetic diversity than did the populations in Taiwan. Compared to Taiwan populations, significant limited gene flow were observed among Fujian populations. An UPGMA cluster analysis showed that the most individuals of Taiwan populations formed a single cluster, whereas 6 discrete clusters were formed by each population from Fujian. All populations were divided into 3 main groups and that all 5 populations from Taiwan were gathered into a subgroup combined with 2 populations, Dehua and Liancheng, formed one of the 3 main groups, which indicated relative stronger relatedness. It is supported by a genetic structure analysis. All those results are suggesting different levels of genetic diversity and variation of Chinese fir between Fujian and Taiwan, and indicating different patterns of evolutionary process and local environmental adaption.

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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,…

  10. Conflicts and Tensions in Codeswitching in a Taiwanese EFL Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raschka, Christine; Sercombe, Peter; Chi-Ling, Huang

    2009-01-01

    This paper focuses on codeswitching (CS) as a strategy employed by teachers in their EFL (English as a foreign language) classrooms in two commercial "bushibans" or "cram" schools in Taipei, Taiwan. More specifically, we are concerned with the perceived functions of CS in the EFL classroom context and the extent to which these…

  11. The Use of Discourse Markers among Mandarin Chinese Teachers, and Chinese as a Second Language and Chinese as a Foreign Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsai, Pei-Shu; Chu, Wo-Hsin

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates how the use of discourse markers reflects speaking fluency in Chinese learners. In this study, 220 min of online Chinese courses were transcribed, with 17 Chinese learners and 5 native Chinese teachers as participants. Half of the transcribed data were drawn from students living in Taipei, Taiwan, a Chinese-speaking…

  12. The impact of the cigarette market opening in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

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

    2005-01-01

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

  13. The impact of the cigarette market opening in Taiwan.

    PubMed

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

    2005-06-01

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

  14. MAPK Regulation of IL-4/-13 Receptors Contributes to the Synergistic Increase in CCL11/Eotaxin-1 in Response to TGF-β1 and IL-13 in Human Airway Fibroblasts

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Xiuxia; Hu, Haizhen; Balzar, Silvana; Trudeau, John B.; Wenzel, Sally E.

    2012-01-01

    CCL11/eotaxin-1 is a potent eosinophilic CC chemokine expressed by primary human fibroblasts. The combination of TGF-β1 and IL-13 synergistically increases CCL11 expression, but the mechanisms behind the synergy are unclear. To address this, human airway fibroblast cultures from normal and asthmatic subjects were exposed to IL-13 alone or TGF-β1 plus IL-13. Transcriptional (nuclear run-on) and post-transcriptional (mRNA stability) assays confirmed that transcriptional regulation is critical for synergistic expression of CCL11. TGF-β1 plus IL-13 synergistically increased STAT-6 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation and binding to the CCL11 promoter as compared to IL-13 alone. STAT-6 siRNA significantly knocked down both STAT-6 mRNA expression and phosphorylation, and inhibited CCL11 mRNA and protein expression. Regulation of the IL-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα) complex by TGF-β1 augmented IL-13 signaling by dampening IL-13 receptor α2 (IL-13Rα2) expression, overcoming IL-13's autoregulation of its pathway and enhancing the expression of CCL11. Our data suggest that TGF-β1 induced activation of the MEK-ERK pathway reduces IL-13Rα2 expression induced by IL-13. Thus, TGF-β1, a pleiotropic cytokine upregulated in asthmatic airways, can augment eosinophilic inflammation by interfering with IL-13's negative feedback autoregulatory loop under MEK/ERK dependent conditions. PMID:22573806

  15. Care needs of residents in community-based long-term care facilities in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Li, I-Chuan; Yin, Teresa Jeo-Chen

    2005-07-01

    The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding both of the characteristics of residents who receive the services of nursing assistants and the service intensity (service tasks, service time and cost) of nursing assistants as a means of developing a patient classification based upon resource consumption. Most people in Taiwan send their disabled older family members to community-based long-term care facilities instead of nursing homes because they are much cheaper, and because they are generally closer to their homes, making visits more convenient. Nursing assistants make up the largest group of personnel in long-term care facilities. To determine resource use, both the service time and the actual activities performed for a resident by nursing assistants need to be assessed and this will help to develop a patient classification system to predict resource use and patient outcomes. A descriptive survey method was used to identify the tasks performed by nursing assistants in community-based long-term care facilities in Taiwan. Nursing assistants were recruited from 10 long-term care facilities in the Shihlin and Peitou Districts of Taipei City. Thirty-four nursing assistants and 112 residents participated in this study. Findings showed that each nursing assistant spent 5.05 hours per day doing direct service care, which is much higher than the 2.08 hours for nursing assistants in the United States. Among service tasks provided by nursing assistants, personal care consumed 35.1% of their time. Non-complex treatments were second (33.3%). Skilled nursing and medical services were third (31.6%). The service intensity required of nursing assistants was strongly related to the residents' activities of daily living and their needs. Complex nursing procedures are normally provided by Registered Nurses in nursing homes and consumed almost as much of the nursing assistants' time as did personal care activities in this study. It is suggested that a training program for

  16. High cumulative incidence of urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma after kidney transplantation in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Wu, Ming-Ju; Lian, Jong-Da; Yang, Chi-Rei; Cheng, Chi-Hung; Chen, Cheng-Hsu; Lee, Wen-Chin; Shu, Kuo-Hsiung; Tang, Ming-Jer

    2004-06-01

    Cancer is a well-documented complication after kidney transplantation. Increased incidence of bladder cancer had been reported in long-term hemodialysis patients in Taiwan. Herein, the authors report a very high cumulative incidence of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary tract after kidney transplantation in Taiwan. The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical data, medical records, and outcome of 730 kidney transplant (KT) recipients. The cumulative incidence of TCC was computed. The Cox regression method was used to analysis the role of potential risk factors. After a mean follow-up duration of 72.2 +/- 54.4 months, 69 cancers were diagnosed in 63 (8.6%) KT recipients. Of them, 30 cases (4.1%) were TCC. The cumulative incidence for TCC was 3.0% after 3 years of graft survival, increasing to 7.2% at 6 years and 17.5% at 10 years. Compared with the general population in Taiwan, the standardized mortality ratio was 398.4 (male, 192.6; female, 875.6). Painless gross hematuria was the cardinal initial symptom in 22 (73.3%) of the 30 KT recipients with TCC. Another 4 (13.3%) KT recipients with TCC presented with chronic urinary tract infection (UTI). Bilateral nephroureterectomy with removal of bladder cuffs was performed in 18 (60%) patients. Synchronous TCC in bilateral upper urinary tracts was confirmed in 11 (36.7%) of KT recipients with TCC. The age at the time of KT, female sex, compound analgesics usage, Chinese herb usage, and underground water intake had statistical significance as risk factors (P < 0.05). The KT recipients are at extremely high risk for TCC in Taiwan, with an incidence of 4.1%. This study indicates that hematuria and chronic UTI are the initial presentation of TCC in KT recipients. Carefully urologic screening is indicated for patients with high risk for TCC, including those with older age, compound analgesics usage, Chinese herbs usage, and underground water intake as well as women.

  17. 10. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    10. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL SECTIONS AND DETAILS." Specifications No. OC12-50-10; Drawing No. 60-09-04; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/14, Rev. B. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04353 Eng. 177, Rev. B; Date: 21 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  18. 12. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    12. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; CONCRETE STRUCTURAL SECTIONS AND DETAILS." Specifications No. OC12-50-10; Drawing No. 60-09-06; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/16, Rev. E. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04353 Eng. 177, Rev. E; Date: 26 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  19. 14. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS." ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    14. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS." Specifications No. OC12-50-10; Drawing No. 60-09-04; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/22, Rev. D. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04-353 Eng. 177, Rev. D, no change; Date: 17 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  20. Two new species of Eretmocerus Haldeman (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) parasitizing Aleurolobus rhododendri Takahashi and Dialeuropora decempunctata (Quaintance & Baker) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) from Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Ward, Samantha E.; Shih, Yuan Tung; Ko, Chiun-Cheng

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background Species of Eretmocerus Haldeman develop as primary ecto-endoparasites of whiteflies (Rose and Rosen 1992). Currently, the genus Eretmocerus comprises 86 species worldwide, of which 11 species have been previously recorded from Taiwan (Shih et al. 2015). Despite having been recently revised for Taiwan, two new species are here added to the Taiwan fauna. New information Two new species, Eretmocerus garrywardi Ward sp. nov. and Eretmocerus liangyihchoui Shih sp. nov. found parasitizing Aleurolobus rhododendri Takahashi and Dialeuropora decempunctata respectively, are described. A key to females of Eretmocerus species occurring in Taiwan is provided. PMID:27346951

  1. 17. VIEW OF EQUIPMENT BURNED IN A TITANIUM FIRE. (11/13/89) ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    17. VIEW OF EQUIPMENT BURNED IN A TITANIUM FIRE. (11/13/89) - Rocky Flats Plant, Non-Nuclear Production Facility, South of Cottonwood Avenue, west of Seventh Avenue & east of Building 460, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

  2. Gender differences in postneonatal infant mortality in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Yang, W S; Knöbel, H H; Chen, C J

    1996-11-01

    Numerous studies have indicated that gender discrimination influencing child survival is widespread in Asia. Therefore, we have investigated gender and cause-specific postneonatal mortality in Taiwan. Mortality data derived from death certificates and demographic statistics in Taiwan between 1981 and 1990 were analyzed. Postneonatal mortality decreased from 9.4 per 1000 live births to 5.5 per 1000 live births for males, and from 8.3 to 5.0 for females. The trends for cause-specific mortality for male and female infants were similar during the study period. The male-to-female ratio of overall death rates was 1.11. It was slightly higher in cities and lower in rural areas, and lowest in the least developed eastern region of Taiwan. Mortality from congenital diseases had the lowest male-to-female ratio, specifically in the North, the cities and areas of indigenous people. Infectious disease mortality showed low male-to-female ratios in the rural areas and in the eastern region. The place of death from infectious diseases as a measure for the use of sophisticated medical care showed that more female than male deaths occurred at home in the rural areas, cities, and central regions. It was concluded that a high level of socio-economic development created conditions of gender equality, whereas in situations of low socio-economic development males were favoured. The tendency to discriminate according to gender is very subtle in Taiwan, much less so than in other regions of Asia, including Thailand and India.

  3. Peak ground motion predictions with empirical site factors using Taiwan Strong Motion Network recordings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chung, Jen-Kuang

    2013-09-01

    A stochastic method called the random vibration theory (Boore, 1983) has been used to estimate the peak ground motions caused by shallow moderate-to-large earthquakes in the Taiwan area. Adopting Brune's ω-square source spectrum, attenuation models for PGA and PGV were derived from path-dependent parameters which were empirically modeled from about one thousand accelerograms recorded at reference sites mostly located in a mountain area and which have been recognized as rock sites without soil amplification. Consequently, the predicted horizontal peak ground motions at the reference sites, are generally comparable to these observed. A total number of 11,915 accelerograms recorded from 735 free-field stations of the Taiwan Strong Motion Network (TSMN) were used to estimate the site factors by taking the motions from the predictive models as references. Results from soil sites reveal site amplification factors of approximately 2.0 ~ 3.5 for PGA and about 1.3 ~ 2.6 for PGV. Finally, as a result of amplitude corrections with those empirical site factors, about 75% of analyzed earthquakes are well constrained in ground motion predictions, having average misfits ranging from 0.30 to 0.50. In addition, two simple indices, R 0.57 and R 0.38, are proposed in this study to evaluate the validity of intensity map prediction for public information reports. The average percentages of qualified stations for peak acceleration residuals less than R 0.57 and R 0.38 can reach 75% and 54%, respectively, for most earthquakes. Such a performance would be good enough to produce a faithful intensity map for a moderate scenario event in the Taiwan region.

  4. Flower drinking and masculinity in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Bedford, Olwen; Hwang, Shu-Ling

    2011-01-01

    This study explores the role of the hostess club culture in the creation and maintenance of masculinity in Taiwan. The article focuses on flower drinking (the consumption of alcohol in bars, often integrated with prostitution), which is a common practice in Taiwan. Data were obtained from 58 in-depth interviews with men from a variety of occupations and social backgrounds (mean age = 38.50, SD = 11.00) and 73 questionnaires administered to soldiers (mean age = 21.00, SD = 1.10). Findings indicated that demonstration of skill at flower drinking and facility with the related social etiquette are important channels for male bonding that were central to the mid- to upper-class participants' professional development. Flower drinking also provided a method of discriminating men from other men through their choices of why and where to go and how to behave while there. Specific ways that Taiwanese masculinity differs from Western and from Japanese masculinity, and support for the continuing relevance of the traditional Confucian ideal of masculinity, wen-wu, are discussed.

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

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    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. PMID:22471759

  6. Childlessness patterns in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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).

  7. Progress of liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Wu, Cheng-Chung

    2017-05-01

    Taiwan is a well-known endemic area of hepatitis B. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has consistently been the first or second highest cause of cancer death over the past 20 years. This review article describes the progress of liver resection for HCC in Taiwan in the past half century. The mortality rate for HCC resection was 15-30% in Taiwan in the 1970s. The rate decreased to 8-12% in the early 1990s, and it declined to <1-3% recently. The development of new operative instruments, and surgical techniques, increased knowledge of liver anatomy and pathophysiology after hepatectomy, and more precise patient selection have contributed to this improvement. The use of intermittent hepatic inflow blood occlusion, a restrictive blood transfusion policy and intraoperative ultrasonography, have also led to substantial improvements in resectability and safety for HCC resection in Taiwan. Advances in non-operative modalities for HCC treatment have also helped to improve long-term outcomes of HCC resection. Technical innovations have allowed the application of complex procedures such as mesohepatectomy, unroofing hepatectomy, major portal vein thrombectomy, hepatic vein reconstruction in resection of the cranial part with preservation of the caudal part of the liver, and inferior vena cava and right atrium tumor thrombectomy under cardiopulmonary bypass. In selected patients, including patients with end-stage renal failure, renal graft recipients, patients with portal hypertension, hypersplenic thrombocytopenia and/or associated gastroesophageal varices, octogenarian, ruptured HCC, recurrent HCC and metastatic HCC can also be resected with satisfactory survival benefits. We conclude that the results of liver resection for HCC in Taiwan are improving. The indications for HCC resection continue extending with lower the surgical risks and increasing the long-term survival rate. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e

  8. Pattern of non-trauma emergency department resource utilization in older adults: An 8-year experience in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chang, Julia Chia-Yu; Yuan, Zih-Han; Lee, I-Hsin; Hsu, Teh-Fu; How, Chorng-Kuang; Yen, David Hung-Tsang

    2018-06-01

    To describe the patterns of non-trauma emergency department (ED) resource utilization, cost of visit, acuity level, and admission rate in older adult patients in Taiwan. This is a retrospective observational cohort study conducted at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital with an annual ED population of 80,000 patients. Patients aged ≥20 years with non-trauma ED visits from 2005 to 2012 were included in the study. We analyzed 441,665 ED visits. Older adult patients had higher ED usage, with the ratio of their ED visit and population being 3.56, 8.34, and 7.64 in the age groups 70-79, 80-89, and ≥90 years, respectively. ED cost, acuity level, and risks of intensive care unit (ICU) admission increased with increasing age. Compared with patients aged 20-29 years, patients aged ≥90 years required almost twice as much ED resources per visit [adjusted risk ratio (aRR), 1.98]. aRRs for high acuity in the age groups 70-79, 80-89, and ≥90 years were 1.96, 1.87, and 1.91, respectively. The risk of ICU admission in the age groups 40-49, 50-59, 70-79, and ≥90 years also increased by 3-fold (aRR, 2.99), 4-fold (aRR, 4.09), >6-fold (aRR, 6.66), and almost 10-fold (aRR, 9.84), respectively, compared with that in the age group 20-29 years. Among patients aged ≥90 years, 2.9% with low acuity still required ICU admission, whereas 25.1% with high acuity required ICU admission. Our study shows that older adult patients are associated with more ED visits and higher acuity, higher ED costs, and higher risks of admission to both the ordinary ward and ICU than younger adult patients. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

  9. Retrospective study on the utilization and cost of immunosuppressive agents among kidney transplant recipients in Taiwan: a 5-year review.

    PubMed

    Lee, E K L; Tseng, P L

    2008-09-01

    This study examined the utilization and cost of immunosuppressive agents among kidney transplant recipients in view of the growth under the Taiwan National Health Insurance payment system. Using inpatient expenditures by admissions and the files of the Registry for contracted medical facilities released from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we totalled all renal implantations from 1999--2003, sorting them by drug expenditures reimbursed by contracted hospitals. The systematic sampling files of ambulatory care files were used to compute the Defined Daily Dose (DDD) and track drug utilization. The batch analysis was completed using the SPSS English version 13.0 for Windows. During the 5-year period, a total of 663 kidney transplantation surgeries were identified at 26 hospitals. Up to 90% of transplantation surgeries were performed at medical centers with about 55% in Northern Taiwan. Ninety-nine percent of drug expenditures were claimed by the top 12 hospitals. According to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification, the most frequently prescribed immunosuppressive agents were Sandimmum Neoral cyclosporine (43%), mycophenolate (30.8%), and tacrolimus (21.3%) with DDDs of 137.5, 1187, and 5.54 mg, respectively. The ambulatory drug expenditure for patients increased 2-fold within the first 5 years, and 11.8 million in 2003 was estimated to be approximately 20 million Taiwanese dollars in 2010.

  10. HIV/HCV Coinfection in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  11. Integrated structural model for active arc-continental collision from southern Taiwan to central Taiwan inferred from seismogenic views

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagai, S.; Wang, Y.; Ma, K.; Wu, Y.; Huang, H.

    2010-12-01

    The Taiwan Island is located in ongoing arc-continent collision zone between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Numerous geophysical and geological studies have explained the tectonic processes and developed various models. There are two end-member models for Taiwan collision; Thin-skinned model [e.g. Suppe, 1987] and Lithospheric collision model [Wu et al., 1997]. One of most important issue is that collision in Taiwan involves and contributes deformation to what depth. We have presented on this point in central Taiwan through seismological views, including both observed facts and results of tomographic inversion [Nagai et al., 2010 in WPGM 2010]. We have concluded that orogenic process should involve and contribute to depth of 30 km at least in central Taiwan, and suggested ’Upper Crustal Stacking Model’. We have indicated that existence of low-velocity blocks under Central Mountain Range (CMR) is one of the most important factors to understand Taiwan arc-continental collision process. We extend this idea to southern and northern Taiwan and to connect with balanced cross-sections proposed in Ustaszewski et al. [2010]. In this talk, we focused on the structural variation from southern Taiwan to central Taiwan. We have been performing the local double-difference tomography [Zhang and Thurber, 2003] in southern and northern Taiwan using the Central Weather Bureau Seismic Network with temporary array observations. These results in seismic tomography show variation of seismic velocity under the CMR like in central Taiwan. Low-velocity anomalies are also detected. Although it should be checked carefully, velocity blocks segmented some parts and seismic activities seem to be located on their boundaries. The Jiaxian earthquake on 4th Mar, 2010 occurred on one of these segmentation boundaries. The tectonic process in Taiwan arc-continental collision consists of different-scale structures, which means finer resolution structures may be nested with the

  12. 15. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; STRUCTURAL STEEL; ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    15. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; STRUCTURAL STEEL; PLAN & DETAILS." Specifications No. ENG 04-353-50-10; Drawing No. 60-09-04; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/34, Rev. A. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04353 Eng. 177, Rev. A, no change; Date: 21 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  13. 16. "TEST STANDS NOS. 11, 13, & 15; STRUCTURAL STEEL; ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    16. "TEST STANDS NOS. 1-1, 1-3, & 1-5; STRUCTURAL STEEL; ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS." Specifications No. ENG 04353-50-10; Drawing No. 60-09-04; no sheet number within title block. D.O. SERIES 1109/35, Rev. A. Stamped: RECORD DRAWING - AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract DA-04-353 Eng. 177, Rev. A; Date: 29 Dec. 1951. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Test Stand 1-5, Test Area 1-115, northwest end of Saturn Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

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

    PubMed

    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).

  15. A Case Study of an Affective Education Course in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Chin-Chiang; Ku, Heng-Yu

    2010-01-01

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

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  17. A Comparison of American and Taiwanese Students: Their Math Perception

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsao, Yea-Ling

    2004-01-01

    The major purpose of this study was to attempt to understand some of the reasons for Mathematics perception of Taiwanese children compared to American children. The study was conducted with elementary schools in the Denver metropolitan area and Taipei, Taiwan in which fifth graders in each city (21 and 37 respectively) were selected as target…

  18. Development of Children's Creativity and Manual Skills within Digital Game-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsiao, H-S.; Chang, C-S.; Lin, C-Y.; Hu, P-M.

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we developed a digital game-based learning (DGBL) system, called the ToES, to foster students' creativity. Fifty-one fifth-grade students from two classes in a public school in Taipei, Taiwan, were recruited and consented to participate. Both classes consisted of students with mixed abilities studying a foundation unit entitled…

  19. Children's Conceptions of Area Measurement and Their Strategies for Solving Area Measurement Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Hsin-Mei E.; Witz, Klaus G.

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated children's understanding of area measurement, including the concept of area and the area formula of a rectangle, as well as their strategic knowledge for solving area measurement problems. Twenty-two fourth-graders from three classes of a public elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan, participated in a one-on-one interview.…

  20. How place attachments influence recreation conflict and coping behavior

    Treesearch

    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.

  1. Parental Body Mass Index Is Associated With Adolescent Obesity in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chen-Mei; Lou, Meei-Fang; Gau, Bih-Shya

    2016-12-01

    Adolescent obesity is a crucial public health concern, and understanding its risk factors can facilitate the establishment of prevention policies. In this study we investigated the prevalence of adolescent obesity in Taiwan, determined the influential factors, and compared the prevalence of obesity in our study population with international indices. The cross-sectional study was an analysis of data from the 2010-2011 Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan, an anthropometric measurement and questionnaire survey of adolescents aged 11-18 years. Our sample was 1,826 adolescents (910 males and 916 females). Data were analyzed using logistic regression modeling. Based on body mass index standards specific to Taiwan norms, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Taiwan adolescents was 12.4% and 16.8%, respectively. The prevalence was lower when international indices of overweight and obesity were applied. In logistic regression, obesity was linked to male gender, an obese father, overweight or obese mother, poor dietary attitudes, and perceived low dietary benefits. Monitoring and preventing adolescent obesity should focus on both adolescents and their parents. When planning behavioral change and education for adolescent obesity, health professionals and policy-makers should view the family as a unit. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. MAPK regulation of IL-4/IL-13 receptors contributes to the synergistic increase in CCL11/eotaxin-1 in response to TGF-β1 and IL-13 in human airway fibroblasts.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Xiuxia; Hu, Haizhen; Balzar, Silvana; Trudeau, John B; Wenzel, Sally E

    2012-06-15

    CCL11/eotaxin-1 is a potent eosinophilic CC chemokine expressed by primary human fibroblasts. The combination of TGF-β1 and IL-13 synergistically increases CCL11 expression, but the mechanisms behind the synergy are unclear. To address this, human airway fibroblast cultures from normal and asthmatic subjects were exposed to IL-13 alone or TGF-β1 plus IL-13. Transcriptional (nuclear run-on) and posttranscriptional (mRNA stability) assays confirmed that transcriptional regulation is critical for synergistic expression of CCL11. TGF-β1 plus IL-13 synergistically increased STAT-6 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and binding to the CCL11 promoter as compared with IL-13 alone. STAT-6 small interfering RNA significantly knocked down both STAT-6 mRNA expression and phosphorylation and inhibited CCL11 mRNA and protein expression. Regulation of the IL-4Rα complex by TGF-β1 augmented IL-13 signaling by dampening IL-13Rα2 expression, overcoming IL-13's autoregulation of its pathway and enhancing the expression of CCL11. Our data suggest that TGF-β1 induced activation of the MEK/ERK pathway reduces IL-13Rα2 expression induced by IL-13. Thus, TGF-β1, a pleiotropic cytokine upregulated in asthmatic airways, can augment eosinophilic inflammation by interfering with IL-13's negative feedback autoregulatory loop under MEK/ERK-dependent conditions.

  3. Uncertainty Quantification of Water Quality in Tamsui River in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  4. Seasonal Prediction of Taiwan's Streamflow Using Teleconnection Patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Chia-Jeng; Lee, Tsung-Yu

    2017-04-01

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

  5. Taiwan: growing, growing, gone.

    PubMed

    Hanson, R

    1979-10-01

    Accommodation between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China may not be inconceivable as trade contacts (though officially disallowed) grow. Because of Taiwan's well-established success and the pressing need in China to industrialize, it appears, however, that such an accommodation will occur only after China becomes more like Taiwan. Taiwan owes its success, first, to land reform and then, in the 1960s, to steady industrialization. Besides broad controls over money supply and capital designed to ward off inflationary pressures when needed, and the grand outlines for development, another factor in the island's economic success is that the government has interfered little with private enterprise. The economy has an underpinning of small to medium size businesses. There are more than 10,000 trading companies. This diverse foundation has given the economy as a whole a flexible buffer on which more sophisticated industires can be formed.

  6. Severe Dengue Fever Outbreak in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    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. PMID:26572871

  7. Severe Dengue Fever Outbreak in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  8. Identifying CNVs in 15q11q13 and 16p11.2 of Patients with Seizures Increases the Rates of Detecting Pathogenic Changes

    PubMed Central

    Vianna, Gabrielle S.; Freitas, Mariana L.; Oliveira, Valdirene T.de; Pietra, Rafaella X.; Gonçalves, Michele da S.; Rocha, Patrícia P.O.; Monteiro, Rejane A.C.; Ferreira, Luana C.A.; Xavier, Rosana R.; Carvalho, Andréia M.; Lima, Patrícia R. de M.; Monteiro, Maria Augusta N.P.; Mateo, Elvis C.; Giannetti, Juliana G.; César, Giovana da C.; Lima, Joziele de S.; Medeiros, Paula F.V.; Jehee, Fernanda S.

    2016-01-01

    Chromosomal changes are frequently observed in patients with syndromic seizures. Understanding the genetic etiology of this pathology is crucial for the guidance and genetic counseling of families as well as for the establishment of appropriate treatment. A combination of MLPA kits was used to identify pathogenic CNVs in a group of 70 syndromic patients with seizures. Initially, a screening was performed for subtelomeric changes (MLPA P036 and P070 kits) and for the regions most frequently related to microdeletion/microduplication syndromes (MLPA P064). Subsequently, the MLPA P343 was used to identify alterations in the 15q11q13, 16p11.2, and 22q13 regions. Screening with MLPA P343 allowed a 10-15.7% increase in the detection rate of CNVs reinforcing the importance of investigating changes in 15q11q13 and 16p11.2 in syndromic patients with seizures. We also demonstrated that the MLPA technique is an alternative with a great diagnostic potential, and we proposed its use as part of the initial assessment of syndromic patients with seizures. PMID:27920636

  9. Impact of t(11;14)(q13;q32) on the outcome of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in multiple myeloma.

    PubMed

    Sasaki, Koji; Lu, Gary; Saliba, Rima M; Bashir, Qaiser; Hosing, Chitra; Popat, Uday; Shah, Nina; Parmar, Simrit; Dinh, Yvonne; Ahmed, Sairah; Shpall, Elizabeth J; Kebriaei, Partow; Shah, Jatin J; Orlowski, Robert Z; Champlin, Richard; Qazilbash, Muzaffar H

    2013-08-01

    The t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation is seen in 15%-20% patients with multiple myeloma (MM). It generally is not associated with worse outcomes. We studied the impact of t(11;14)(q13;q32) on outcome in patients with MM who received high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT). Eligible patients underwent high-dose chemotherapy followed by auto-HCT at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between February 2000 and August 2010, and had conventional cytogenetic (CC) or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results available before auto-HCT (n = 993). The cohort was divided into 3 groups of patients: (1) normal (diploid by CC and negative by FISH; n = 869); (2) t(11;14)(q13;q32) by CC or FISH (n = 27); and (3) high-risk (HR) abnormalities by CC or FISH (n = 97). Of the 27 patients with t(11;14)(q13;q32), 18 had isolated t(11;14)(q13;q32) and 9 had concurrent HR abnormalities. The primary objective was to compare outcomes in patients with t(11;14)(q13;q32) and patients with diploid or HR markers detected by CC or FISH studies. The median duration of follow-up in surviving patients was 37 months. The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 47% for the normal group, 27% for the t(11;14)(q13;q32) group, and 13% for the HR group (P < .00001). The 3-year OS was 83% for the normal group, 63% for the t(11;14)(q13;q32) group, and 34% for the HR group (P < .00001). On multivariate analysis, t(11;14)(q13;q32) and HR abnormalities by CC or FISH and relapsed disease at auto-HCT were associated with shorter PFS, whereas t(11;14)(q13;q32) and HR abnormalities by CC or FISH, β2 microglobulin of >3.5, and relapsed disease at the time of auto-HCT were associated with shorter OS. In conclusion, patients with t(11;14)(q13;q32) had worse outcomes than patients with normal CC or FISH studies, but better outcomes than patients with HR markers detected by CC or FISH studies. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Blood and

  10. Evaluation of Some Physical Fitness Characteristics in 11-13 Years Old

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Popovici, Ileana Monica; Popescu, Lucian; Radu, Liliana-Elisabeta

    2017-01-01

    Many studies indicate that a physical fitness characteristic is an important marker for healthy body and healthy mind. The major purpose of this study is to explore the levels of physical fitness of the students between 11 and 13 years of age. The participants of this study are 251 volunteer students including 95 boys and 156 girls between the…

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

    PubMed Central

    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

  12. A population-specific Mini-Nutritional Assessment can effectively grade the nutritional status of stroke rehabilitation patients in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Alan C; Shih, Chi-Ling

    2009-01-01

    To determine whether a modified version of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment without body mass index could effectively assess the nutritional risk status of stroke rehabilitation patients in Taiwan. The Mini-Nutritional Assessment was developed on the basis of clinical data of Western populations. Although widely used, its application to assess stroke rehabilitation patients has been limited. Further, to get best results, population-specific modifications to address anthropometric and lifestyle differences have been suggested, especially for non-Caucasian populations. The study assessed the nutritional status of stroke rehabilitation patients who enrolled in the Long-Term Care Service of Taipei. Strokes who were >40 years old, in the program for >1 month and cognitively able to answer the questions were recruited to participate in the study. An on-site in-person interview with structured questionnaire elicited information on personal data, disease history and healthcare use and answers to the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Activities of Daily Living and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment. Patient's nutritional status was assessed with the Mini-Nutritional Assessment in three versions: the original, population-specific (MNA-TI) and population-specific, without body mass index (MNA-TII). The original Mini-Nutritional Assessment rated 24% of patients malnourished and 57% at risk of malnutrition. Similar results, 14 and 64%, respectively, for MNA-TI; and 19 and 57%, respectively, for MNA-TII were observed. Both the original and the modified versions of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment can effectively rate the nutritional risk status of stroke rehabilitation patients in Taiwan. Version MNA-TII that adopted population-specific anthropometric cut-values but without body mass index can effectively predict the nutritional status of stroke patients. The modified scale (MNA-TII) can enhance the application of the tool and timely detection and intervention of undernutrition

  13. 76 FR 11268 - In the Matter of Certain Digital Televisions and Components Thereof; Notice of Commission...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-01

    ..., AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd. of Taipei, Taiwan and AmTRAN Logistic, Inc. of Irvine, California as... 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), and in section 210.42(h) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 210.42(h)). By order of the Commission. Issued: February 18, 2011. William R. Bishop...

  14. Integration of School Features into Taiwanese Elementary School New English Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  15. Comparison of professional values between nursing students in Taiwan and China.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yu-Hua; Li, Jie; Shieh, Show-Ing; Kao, Chia-Chan; Lee, I; Hung, Shu-Ling

    2016-03-01

    People in both Taiwan and China originally descended from the Han Chinese, but the societies have been separated for approximately 38 years. Due to different political systems, variations exist in healthcare and nursing education systems in Taiwan and China. The purpose of this study was to examine the professional values of nursing students in Taiwan and China. A cross-sectional design was applied in this study. The Nursing Professional Value Scale-Revised was used to measure the professional values of the students. The questionnaire was distributed to eligible undergraduate students in a classroom setting. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the first investigator's university. Participants were informed that completion and return of the questionnaire was voluntary, and confidentiality was ensured by keeping the responses anonymous. A convenience sample included 292 Taiwanese students and 654 Chinese students. A total of 11 individual Nursing Professional Value Scale-Revised items showed significant differences between the two groups. These results reflect the differences in the perceived importance of these items between the groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the mean overall scores for the Nursing Professional Value Scale-Revised (p = .766) and three subscales (all p > .05). There are some differences in professional values between nursing students in Taiwan and China. Given the increasingly frequent and close interactions between Taiwan and China and the globalization of nursing, understanding these differences may help nursing educators identify students' perceptions of their professional values and support the development of strategies to improve weaknesses in professional values. © The Author(s) 2014.

  16. Structural Features of the Western Taiwan Foreland Basin in the Eastern Taiwan Strait since Late Miocene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    WANG, J. H.; Liu, C. S.; Chang, J. H.; Yang, E. Y.

    2017-12-01

    The western Taiwan Foreland Basin lies on the eastern part of Taiwan Strait. The structures in this region are dominated by crustal stretch and a series of flexural normal faults have been developed since Late Miocene owing to the flexural of Eurasia Plate. Through deciphering multi-channel seismic data and drilling data, these flexural features are observed in the offshore Changhua coastal area. The flexure normal faults are important features to realize structural activity in the western Taiwan Foreland Basin. Yang et al. (2016) mention that the reactivated normal faults are found north of the Zhushuixi estuary. It should be a significant issue to decipher whether these faults are still active. In this study, we have analyzed all the available seismic reflections profiles in the central part of the Taiwan Strait, and have observed many pre-Pliocene normal faults that are mainly distributed in the middle of the Taiwan Strait to Changyun Rise, and we tentatively suggest that the formation of these faults may be associated with the formation of the foreland basal unconformity. Furthermore, we will map the distribution of these normal faults and examine whether the reactivated normal faults have extended to south of the Zhushuixi estuary. Finally, we discuss the relation between the reactivated normal faults in the Taiwan Strait and those faults onshore. Key words: Multichannel seismic reflection profile, Taiwan Strait, Foreland basin, normal fault.

  17. Ophthalmic plastic and orbital surgery in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  18. Optimal installation locations for automated external defibrillators in Taipei 7-Eleven stores: using GIS and a genetic algorithm with a new stirring operator.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chung-Yuan; Wen, Tzai-Hung

    2014-01-01

    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.

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

    PubMed Central

    Wen, Tzai-Hung

    2014-01-01

    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. PMID:25045396

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

    PubMed

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

    2009-01-01

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

  1. Impact of tobacco control policies on adolescent smoking: findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, Song-Lih; Lin, I-Feng; Chen, Chuan-Yu; Tsai, Tzu-I

    2013-10-01

    To assess the impact of a set of comprehensive tobacco control policies implemented in Taiwan in 2009, including extensive smoke-free policy, advertisement ban, pictorial warning and price increase, on adolescent smoking prevalence. Five waves of cross-sectional surveys. Taiwan, 2004-11. Nationally representative sample of junior high schools aged 13-15 years, in a biennial survey, total sample size 101,100. Core questionnaire of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, including ever smoking, 30-day smoking and number of cigarettes smoked. The magnitude of prevalence change before and after the 2009 policy implementation was quantified by adjusted odds ratios estimated by piecewise logistic regression models. The 30-day smoking prevalence demonstrated an upward trend [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.10] between 2004 and 2008. Significant decline in 30-day smoking prevalence after the 2009 law implementation was observed (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.71-0.99). Those living in non-city areas demonstrated a greater magnitude of change. In addition to changes in prevalence, we observed some delay in the age starting smoking, reduction in smokers who smoke fewer than one cigarette per day, and decrease in smokers who did not buy cigarettes. The decline in smoking prevalence was contributed primarily by the reduction in experimenters. The comprehensive tobacco control programme introduced in Taiwan in 2009 was associated with a reduction in adolescent smoking, particularly among those in earlier stages of smoking and those who resided in non-city areas. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  2. 13 CFR 123.11 - Does SBA require collateral for any of its disaster loans?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Does SBA require collateral for any of its disaster loans? 123.11 Section 123.11 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS...? Generally, SBA will not require that you pledge collateral to secure a disaster home loan or a physical...

  3. 11p15 duplication and 13q34 deletion with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and factor VII deficiency.

    PubMed

    Jurkiewicz, Dorota; Kugaudo, Monika; Tańska, Anna; Wawrzkiewicz-Witkowska, Angelika; Tomaszewska, Agnieszka; Kucharczyk, Marzena; Cieślikowska, Agata; Ciara, Elżbieta; Krajewska-Walasek, Małgorzata

    2015-06-01

    Here we report a patient with 11p15.4p15.5 duplication and 13q34 deletion presenting with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and moderate deficiency of factor VII (FVII). The duplication was initially diagnosed on methylation-sensitive multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. Array comparative genome hybridization confirmed its presence and indicated a 13q34 distal deletion. The patient's clinical symptoms, including developmental delay and facial dysmorphism, were typical of BWS with paternal 11p15 trisomy. Partial 13q monosomy in this patient is associated with moderate deficiency of FVII and may also overlap with a few symptoms of paternal 11p15 trisomy such as developmental delay and some facial features. To our knowledge this is the first report of 11p15.4p15.5 duplication associated with deletion of 13q34 and FVII deficiency. Moreover, this report emphasizes the importance of detailed clinical as well as molecular examinations in patients with BWS features and developmental delay. © 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.

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

    PubMed

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

    2013-01-14

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

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

    PubMed

    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.

  6. The human mitochondrial NADH: Ubiquinone oxidoreductase 51-kDa subunit oxidoreductase 51-kDa subunit maps adjacent to the glutathione S-transferase P1-1 gene on chromosome 11q13

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spencer, S.R.; Taylor, J.B.; Cowell, I.G.

    The soluble glutathione transferases (GSTs) are a family of dimeric isoenymes catalyzing the conjugation of glutathione to hydrophobic electropiles. Their subunits can be grouped into four families, alpha, mu, pi, and theta, on the basis of their primary structures. In man, the pi class is represented by a single gene, GSTP1-1 (GST[pi]) localized to human chromosome 11, band q13. The oncogenes INT2, HSTF1, and PRAD1 are also localized at 11q13, and together with the GSTP1 locus and other gene loci mapped to 11q13, i.e., BCL1 and EMS1, they form a unit of DNA approximately 2000-2500 kb, known as the 11q13more » amplicon, which is often amplified in a range of solid tumors. Any gene locus at 11q13 is of interest because it may influence tumorigenesis. 14 refs., 1 fig.« less

  7. Women scientists in Taiwan: an update.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hsiu-Yun; Stocker, Joel Floyd

    2010-06-01

    This paper reflects upon issues of gender and science in Taiwan. Its starting point is the first academic paper on the subject published in Taiwan in 1996 by Fu and Wang, and then it draws upon the biographical accounts of 20 women scientists. We emphasize the importance of focusing on the specific contexts of the history of science and women in Taiwan. Partly as a result of Taiwan's colonial past and women's limited access to education, women scientists did not emerge in Taiwan until the second half of the 20(th) century when higher education became available to women. The gender issues with which women scientists in Taiwan have had to cope include the ways in which women have been excluded or included, their marital and career status, the local and global politics of scientific knowledge, and negotiating social networks. These issues have remained largely the same since the Fu and Wang study, but they have certainly gained wider attention and understanding, and greater articulation, both within academia and society. 2010 Elsevier. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Emergency room visits associated with particulate concentration and Asian dust storms in metropolitan Taipei.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yu-Kai; Chen, Chi-Feng; Yeh, Hui-Chung; Wang, Yu-Chun

    2016-01-01

    This study evaluated risks of emergency room visits (ERV) for all causes, circulatory diseases, and respiratory diseases associated with concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and Asian dust storms (ADS) from 2000 to 2008 in metropolitan Taipei. Cumulative 4-day (lag 0-3) relative risks (RR) and confidence intervals (CI) of cause-specific ERV associated with daily concentrations of PM10 or PM2.5 and ADS based on study period (ADS frequently inflicted period: 2000-2004 and less-inflicted period: 2005-2008) were estimated using a distributed lag non-linear model with Poisson distribution. Risks associated with ADS-inflicted season (winter and spring), strength (ratio of stations with Pollutant Standard Index above 100 is < 0.5 or ≥ 0.5), and duration (ADS lasting for 1-3 days or ≥ 4 days) were especially evaluated. In non-linear models, an increase in PM10 from 10 μg/m(3) to 50 μg/m(3) was associated with increased risk of ERV for all causes and respiratory disease with cumulative 4- day RR of 1.18 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.24) and 1.37 (95% CI: 1.23, 1.54), respectively. From 2005 to 2008, the cumulative 4-day RR for an ERV related to an increase in PM2.5 from 5 μg/m(3) to 30 μg/m(3) is 1.21 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.41) for respiratory diseases, and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.22) for all causes. In comparison with normal days, elevated ERV of all causes and respiratory diseases was also associated with winter ADS (with corresponding RRs of 1.10 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.13) and 1.14 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.21)) and shorter and less area-affected ADS (with corresponding RRs of 1.07 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.10) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.14)) from 2000 to 2004. Results of this study demonstrate that population health risk varies not only with PM concentration, but also with the ADS characteristics.

  9. Estimating the burden of genital warts in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Tsen-Fang; Kothari-Talwar, Smita; Yee, Karen; Kulkarni, Amit; Lara, Nuria; Roset, Montserrat; Giuliano, Anna R; Garland, Suzanne M

    2017-11-01

    Background This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of genital warts in Taiwan among those seeking healthcare, as well as genital-warts-related healthcare resource use and costs, and self-reported genital-warts-related psychosocial impact. Genital warts prevalence estimates were extracted from a daily record of patients examined from 31 October 2011 to 4 May 2012 by 67 physicians in Taiwan. Physicians recorded the total number of patients and genital warts patients seen daily for 2 weeks. These physicians also completed a survey regarding healthcare resource use, treatment, follow-up care, and referral patterns. Patient psychosocial impact was estimated using a self-administered survey. The overall prevalence of genital warts in Taiwan was estimated at 1.1%, with a higher prevalence among men. A total of 146 genital warts case patients were included in the study (76 men, 70 women). Median costs for diagnosis and treatment were US$222 for male and US$351.8 for female patients. Male genital warts subjects reported a negative psychosocial impact on their well-being and health-related quality of life - psychosocial impact results are reported in the Supplementary Material file. Genital warts prevalence was higher among male patients; female patients incurred higher costs. Among men, genital warts had a negative psychosocial impact on well-being and health-related quality of life.

  10. WAGR(O?) syndrome and congenital ptosis caused by an unbalanced t(11;15)(p13;p11.2)dn demonstrating a 7 megabase deletion by FISH.

    PubMed

    Lennon, P A; Scott, D A; Lonsdorf, D; Wargowski, D S; Kirkpatrick, S; Patel, A; Cheung, S W

    2006-06-01

    Aniridia usually occurs in isolation, but may also occur as part of the WAGR contiguous gene deletion syndrome, which includes Wilms tumor, aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities, and mental retardation. The aniridia and predisposition for Wilms tumor seen in WAGR are caused by haploinsufficiency for PAX 6 and WT1, respectively. We present a female infant with aniridia, bilateral ptosis, bilateral posterior capsular cataracts, nystagmus, left-sided glaucoma, microcephaly, mild unilateral hydronephrosis, poor linear growth, and gross motor delay consistent with a clinical diagnosis of WAGR syndrome. In addition, weight-for-height ratio at 12 months is at the 94th centile, raising the possibility of a diagnosis of WAGRO (WAGR + Obesity). Chromosome analysis revealed a translocation (11;15)(p13;p11.2) which has not been previously associated with a diagnosis of WAGR. Subsequent clinical WAGR fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis demonstrated a deletion of 11p13 including PAX6 and WT1. A complete FISH-mapping of the breakpoints on chromosome 11 revealed a 7 Mb deletion within 11p13-11p14. The patient is examined in light of other reported patients with deletions and/or translocations involving the regions between 11p12 --> 11p14 including patients with WAGR + obesity (WAGRO) as well as with other reported patients with aniridia and congenital ptosis. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  11. Sulfur Isotope Fractionation in Marine Pore waters from the Offshore Southwestern Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, T. L.; Chen, N. C.; Wang, B. S.; Lin, L. H.; Yang, T. F.; Chen, Y. G.; Shen, C. C.

    2017-12-01

    In this study, we selected two marine sediment cores, 474cm C11 and 252cm EN1, with different sulfate reduction rate due to anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in offshore southwestern Taiwan, to clarify the regional sulfur biogeochemical process. Sulfur isotopic composition in pore waters was determined on a multi-collector inductively coupled mass spectrometer, Thermo NEPTUNE, with 2-sigma reproducibility of ±0.18‰. Our results show that correlation between δ34S values of 21.7-40.6‰ and 21.5-54.3‰, and sulfate contents of 7.1-26.6 and 1.2-27.6mM follows a closed system Rayleigh fractionation model above the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) at depths of 172.5 cm for core C11 and 212.5 cm for core EN1 below sea floor. At the SMTZ, δ34S reaches the summit of 40.6 ‰, followed by a decreasing trend to 16-20‰ at depth of 172.5-470.0 cm for core C11. Our results suggest that sulfur in pore fluids offshore southwestern Taiwan is controlled by multiple processes including microbial sulfate reduction, barite dissolution and clay dehydration.

  12. Prevalence and characterization of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis and toxigenic Clostridium difficile in a Taipei emergency department.

    PubMed

    Ji, Dar-Der; Huang, I-Hsiu; Lai, Chao-Chih; Wu, Fang-Tzy; Jiang, Donald Dah-Shyong; Hsu, Bing-Mu; Lin, Wei-Chen

    2017-02-01

    Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and toxin-encoding Clostridium difficile (TXCD) are associated with gastroenteritis. Routine anaerobic blood culture for recovery of these anaerobic pathogens is not used for the detection of their toxins, especially for toxin-variant TXCD. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of the genotypes of these anaerobes in patients with acute diarrheal illnesses. The data and samples of 513 patients with gastroenteritis were collected in a Taipei emergency department from March 1, 2006 to December 31, 2009. Nonenterotoxigenic B. fragilis (NTBF) and ETBF and the toxin genotypes of TXCD were detected by molecular methods. The prevalence rates of NTBF, ETBF, and TXCD infections were 33.14%, 1.56%, and 2.34%, respectively. ETBF infections often occurred in the elderly (average age = 67.13 years) and during the cold, dry winters. TXCD infections were widely distributed in age and often occurred in the warm, wet springs and summers. The symptoms of ETBF-infected patients were significantly more severe than those of NTBF-infected patients. This study identified and analyzed the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical presentations of these anaerobic infections. Future epidemiologic and clinical studies are needed to understand the role of ETBF and TXCD in human gastroenteritis. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. 8 CFR 245.3 - Adjustment of status under section 13 of the Act of September 11, 1957, as amended.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Adjustment of status under section 13 of... RESIDENCE § 245.3 Adjustment of status under section 13 of the Act of September 11, 1957, as amended. Any application for benefits under section 13 of the Act of September 11, 1957, as amended, must be filed on Form...

  14. Assignment of the {beta}-arrestin 1 gene (ARRB1) to human chromosome 11q13

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Calabrese, G.; Morizio, E.; Palka, G.

    1994-11-01

    Two types of proteins play a major role in determining homologous desensitization of G-coupled receptors: {beta}-adrenergic receptor kinase ({beta}ARK), which phosphorylates the agonist-occupied receptor, and its functional cofactor, {beta}-arrestin. {beta}ARK is a member of a multigene family, consisting of six known subtypes, which have also been named G-protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRK 1 to 6) due to the apparently unique functional association of such kinases with this receptor family. The gene for {beta}ARK1 has been localized to human chromosome 11q13. The four members of the arrestin/{beta}-arrestin gene family identified so far are arrestin, X-arrestin, {beta}-arrestin 1, and {beta}-arrestin 2. Here themore » authors report the chromosome mapping of the human gene for {beta}-arrestin 1 (ARRB1) to chromosome 11q13 by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Two-color FISH confirmed that the two genes coding for the functionally related proteins {beta}ARK1 and {beta}arrestin 1 both map to 11q13. 16 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.« less

  15. Detailed fetal anatomy assessment in the first trimester at 11, 12 and 13 weeks of gestation.

    PubMed

    Luchi, Carlo; Schifano, Martina; Sacchini, Clara; Nanini, Chiara; Sceusa, Francesca; Capriello, Patrizio; Genazzani, Andrea R

    2012-06-01

    The aim of the present observational study was to evaluate the feasibility of a morphological scan and determine the detection rate of fetal organs, structures and systems in the first trimester of pregnancy. 977 single pregnant women attending our Fetal Medicine Section to undergo first trimester screening for aneuploidies were enrolled and divided into three groups depending on gestational age and crown-rump-length measurement. Scans targeted on a total of 26 fetal anatomical structures were performed by a single operator. The overall detection rate was 96% at 11 weeks and reached 100% at 12 and 13 weeks, with a significant statistical difference between 11 and 12/13 weeks for the majority of the investigated fetal anatomical structures. Evaluation of most part of the fetal anatomical structures is feasible with high accuracy in the first trimester. Visualization of the majority of the targeted fetal organs improves from 11 to 13 weeks.

  16. CXCL13 and CCL11 Serum Levels and Lymphoma and Disease Activity in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Nocturne, G; Seror, R; Fogel, O; Belkhir, R; Boudaoud, S; Saraux, A; Larroche, C; Le Guern, V; Gottenberg, J E; Mariette, X

    2015-12-01

    Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a severe complication of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Ectopic germinal centers (GCs) in the salivary glands are predictors of the occurrence of NHL. Given the association between CCL11 and CXCL13 and ectopic GCs, we assessed the link between these chemokines and NHL, as well as the association between these chemokines and disease activity, in patients with primary SS. Serum levels of CCL11 and CXCL13 were evaluated by multiplex assay in 385 patients included in the Assessment of Systemic Signs and Evolution of Sjögren's Syndrome (ASSESS) cohort. The association between chemokine levels, B cell biomarkers, and patient subsets was assessed using Spearman's test for continuous data and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test for categorical data. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify parameters associated with lymphoma and disease activity. Seventeen patients had a history of lymphoma, and 5 of them had developed NHL during followup. The median serum levels of CCL11 and CXCL13 in the total cohort were 106.48 pg/ml (interquartile range 69.33-149.85) and 108.31 pg/ml (interquartile range 58.88-200.13), respectively. Patients with lymphoma had higher levels of CXCL13 than did patients without lymphoma (P = 0.006) and a trend toward a higher level of CCL11 (P = 0.056). Low C4 and high BAFF levels were associated with NHL on multivariate analysis (P = 0.01 and P = 0.0002, respectively). CCL11 and CXCL13 levels correlated positively with the rheumatoid factor titer, the κ-to-λ free light chain ratio, and the β2 -microglubulin level. CXCL13 was the only parameter associated with disease activity on multivariate analysis. These findings demonstrate a link between CXCL13 and CCL11 and disease activity and lymphoma. This highlights the continuum between chronic B cell activation, disease activity, and lymphomagenesis in patients with primary SS. © 2015, American College of Rheumatology.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  18. Crossover of Equilibrium and Nonequilibrium Carrier Density in Germanium Two-Dimensional Hole Gases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Yi-Hsin; Chuang, Yen; Chiu, Po-Yuan; Hsu, Nai-Wen; Lu, Tzu-Ming; Li, Jiun-Yun

    We performed a detailed study on the enhancement-mode two-dimensional hole gases (2DHGs) in the Ge/Ge1-xSix (0.15 Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, National Nano Device Laboratories, Hsinchu, Taiwan.

  19. Determination of cannabinoids in hemp nut products in Taiwan by HPLC-MS/MS coupled with chemometric analysis: quality evaluation and a pilot human study.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chih-Wei; Tung, Chun-Wei; Tsai, Chin-Chuan; Wu, Yu-Tse; Hsu, Mei-Chich

    2017-06-01

    Hemp nuts are mature cannabis seeds obtained after shelling and that are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating functional constipation. In this work, we screened hemp nut products, classified them, and verified the legality of consuming them. A total of 18 products were purchased from Taiwan, China, and Canada. Validated high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry methods were developed for analyzing the cannabinoid (i.e., Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol) content of the products and the concentration of urinary 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC. Chemometric techniques, namely hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA), were applied for rapidly classifying 11 concentrated powder products in Taiwan. A pilot human study comprising single and multiple administrations of a product with 1.5 µg/g of THC was conducted to examine the urinary 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC concentration. Through optimization of 3 2 full factorial design, using 60% isopropanol as the extraction solvent exhibited the highest yield of cannabinoids and was applied as the optimal condition in further analysis. The results of HCA and PCA on quality evaluation were in good agreement; however, the tested products possessed distinct CBD-to-THC ratios which ranged widely from 0.1:1 to 46.8:1. Particularly, the products with CBD-to-THC ratios higher than 1:1 were the majority in Taiwan. Our data suggested that all the tested hemp nut products met the Taiwan restriction criterion of 10 µg/g of THC. We propose a usual consumption amount of hemp nut products in Taiwan would unlikely to violate the cut-off point of 15 ng/mL of urinary 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Seismic Strain Field in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kao, H.; Liang, W.; Chang, T.; Liu, Y.; Lee, E.

    2001-12-01

    Centroid-moment-tensor (CMT) solutions determined by inverting waveform data of Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology (BATS) are collected for earthquakes that occurred in the Taiwan region. In total, the dataset contains more than 300 events that scattered across an area of 400 km by 400 km, including the devastating 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake sequence. The entire region is divided into 3 layers (0-40 km, 40-70 km, and greater than 70 km) with blocks of 0.2 degree by 0.2 degree in lateral dimension. Seismic moment tensors of all earthquakes that occurred inside each block are summed to give the strain tensor characterizing the corresponding seismic deformation. We calculate the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the resulted strain tensor for each block and project the normalized maximum compressional (P) and extensional (T) axes on horizontal plane to resolve the strain field in Taiwan associated with regional seismic activities. For the majority of events with depths less than 40 km (i.e., at crustal scale), the strain field is characterized by nearly E-W compression along the eastern coastline and immediately offshore east of Taiwan. Once inland, clear fan-shaped trajectories of P-axes are observed, ranging from NW-SE in the northwest to NE-SW in the southwest. The Ryukyu and Luzon subduction systems show compression in the forearc region and extension in the backarc and outerrise regions. For depths greater than 40 km, a clear pattern of lateral compression is observed within the subducted Philippine Sea plate to the northeast of Taiwan. It is doubtless that the "slab-continent" collision is predominant at deeper depths near the junction between the Ryukyu arc and Taiwan Collision Zone, whereas the "arc-continent" collision is predominant in the central and southern Taiwan.

  1. Who Says You Need to Teach Reading to 11-13-Year-Olds?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parkhill, Faye Fiona; Fletcher, Jo Florence; Greenwood, Janinka; Grimley, Michael; Bridges, Sue

    2013-01-01

    Research indicates that as students move through the school system, many begin to experience difficulties with reading. With this mind, this study explored current practices and perceptions about reading programmes for 11-13-year-old students in New Zealand schools. The study employed an online survey designed to investigate current reading…

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

    PubMed

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

    2015-07-15

    Recent studies suggested that human papillomavirus (HPV) is an emerging risk factor of head and neck cancer (HNC), particularly for oropharyngeal cancer. Studies from the West showed a rising trend of HPV-related HNC despite a decrease of the overall HNC incidence. In contrast, the overall HNC incidence in Taiwan has continued to rise. It is not clear whether the incidence trends of HPV-related HNC in Taiwan have a similar pattern to those from countries with an overall decreasing incidence of HNC. This study examined the incidence trends of HPV-related and HPV-unrelated HNC in Taiwan using data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry. Our results showed that the incidence trends of HPV-related and HPV-unrelated HNC in Taiwan both rose during 1995-2009. The incidence of HPV-related HNC (1.3 per 100,000 in 1995 to 3.3 in 2009, annual percentage change (APC) = 6.9, p < 0.0001) rose more rapidly than the incidence of HPV-unrelated HNC (10.4 per 100,000 in 1995 to 21.7 in 2009, APC = 5.0, p < 0.0001). The rising trend of HPV-related HNC was particularly prominent for HNC occurring in tonsil (APC = 8.2, p < 0.0001), in men (APC = 7.5, p < 0.0001), and in those aged between 40 and 50 years (APC = 8.5, p < 0.0001). Although the overall incidence of HNC in Taiwan has continued to increase, the most rapid rise is in the HPV-related HNC. This suggests that similar to the Western world, HPV-related HNC is becoming an important public health issue in Taiwan. © 2014 UICC.

  3. Fetal nasal bone length at 11(+0) - 13(+6) weeks of gestation: an evaluation of 554 consecutive cases.

    PubMed

    Cansu, A; Ozgur, H; Guven, S; Dinc, G; Dinc, H

    2014-01-01

    To develop a nomogram for estimating nasal bone length (NBL) at 11(+0) - 13(+6) weeks of gestation in 554 consecutive cases and to determine the value of NBL measurement in screening for chromosomal abnormalities. NBL and crown-rump length (CRL) were examined in 554 fetuses at 11(+0) - 13(+6) weeks' gestation. A nomogram for NBL was developed with data from 479 healthy fetuses in which fetal profile examination was possible. Reference values, including percentiles, weie calculated for each gestational age. A linear correlation was noted between CRL and NBL in healthy fetuses at 11(+0) - 11(+6), 12(+0) - 12(+6) and 13(+0) - 13(+6) weeks of gestation. Mean NBL was 2.18 +/- 0.53 mm, 2.46 +/- 0.45 mm, and 2.91 +/- 0.55 mm in healthy fetuses, for these time frames, respectively. NBL increased significantly with CRL from respective means of 2.26 +/- 0.43, 2.60 +/- 0.48, 2.77 +/- 0.43, and 3.16 +/- 0.52 mm at 45 - 54.9, 55 - 64.9, 65 +/- 74.9, and 75 - 84 mm. The authors developed a NBL nomogram with data from normal, healthy Turkish fetuses at 11(+0) - 13(+6) weeks of gestation. These reference ranges may prove useful in prenatal screening and diagnosis of syndromes known to be associated with nasal hypoplasia.

  4. The effect of local circulations on the variation of atmospheric pollutants in the northwestern Taiwan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pay-Liam Lin; Hsin-Chih Lai

    1996-12-31

    A field experiment was held in the northwestern Taiwan as a part of a long-term research program for studying Taiwan`s local circulation. The program has been named as Taiwan Regional-circulation Experiment (TREX). The particular goal of this research is to investigate characteristics of boundary layer and local Circulation and their impact on the distribution and Variation of pollutants in the northwestern Taiwan during Mei-Yu season. It has been known for quite sometime that land-sea breeze is very pronounced under hot and humid conditions. Extensive network includes 11 pilot ballon stations, 3 acoustic sounding sites, and 14 surface stations in aboutmore » 20 km by 20 km area centered at National Central University, Chung-Li. In addition, there are ground temperature measurements at 3 sites, Integrated Sounding System (ISS) at NCU, air plane observation, tracer experiment with 10 collecting stations, 3 background upper-air sounding stations, 2 towers etc. NOAA and GMS satellite data, sea surface temperature radar, and precipitation data are collected. The local circulations such as land/sea breezes and mountain/valley winds, induced by thermal and topographical effects often play an important role in transporting, redistributing and transforming atmospheric pollutants. This study documents the effects of the development of local circulations and the accompanying evolution of boundary layer on the distribution and the variation of the atmospheric pollutants in the north western Taiwan during Mei-Yu season.« less

  5. A new species of Stigmatomma from Taiwan (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Amblyoponinae)

    PubMed Central

    Hsu, Feng-Chuan; Esteves, Flavia A.; Chou, Lien-Siang; Lin, Chung-Chi

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Stigmatomma is the most speciose ant genus in the subfamily Amblyoponinae. In the present paper, the worker caste of a new species is described, S. luyiae sp. n., which was collected from a soil sample in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Taiwan. An identification key to the females of Stigmatomma species with 11 antennomeres occurring in Asia is also provided. PMID:29118613

  6. Maternity Leave in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  7. Diversity of lactic acid bacteria in suan-tsai and fu-tsai, traditional fermented mustard products of Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chao, Shiou-Huei; Wu, Ruei-Jie; Watanabe, Koichi; Tsai, Ying-Chieh

    2009-11-15

    Fu-tsai and suan-tsai are spontaneously fermented mustard products traditionally prepared by the Hakka tribe of Taiwan. We chose 5 different processing stages of these products for analysis of the microbial community of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. From 500 LAB isolates we identified 119 representative strains belonging to 5 genera and 18 species, including Enterococcus (1 species), Lactobacillus (11 species), Leuconostoc (3 species), Pediococcus (1 species), and Weissella (2 species). The LAB composition of mustard fermented for 3 days, known as the Mu sample, was the most diverse, with 11 different LAB species being isolated. We used sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene to identify the LAB strains and analysis of the dnaA, pheS, and rpoA genes to identify 13 LAB strains for which identification by 16S rRNA gene sequences was not possible. These 13 strains were found to belong to 5 validated known species: Lactobacillus farciminis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Weissella cibaria, and Weissella paramesenteroides, and 5 possibly novel Lactobacillus species. These results revealed that there is a high level of diversity in LAB at the different stages of fermentation in the production of suan-tsai and fu-tsai.

  8. Professional Counseling in Taiwan: Past to Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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.

  9. 75 FR 33195 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; New Designated Country-Taiwan-DFARS Case 2009...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-11

    ... Organization Government Procurement Agreement. DATES: Effective date: June 11, 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION..., Taiwan became a designated country under the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement... World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement countries in the trade agreement provisions...

  10. New Whitening Constituents from Taiwan-Native Pyracantha koidzumii: Structures and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Analysis in Human Epidermal Melanocytes.

    PubMed

    Lin, Rong-Dih; Chen, Mei-Chuan; Liu, Yan-Ling; Lin, Yi-Tzu; Lu, Mei-Kuang; Hsu, Feng-Lin; Lee, Mei-Hsien

    2015-12-02

    Nontoxic natural products useful in skin care cosmetics are of considerable interest. Tyrosinase is a rate-limiting enzyme for which its inhibitor is useful in developing whitening cosmetics. Pyracantha koidzumii (Hayata) Rehder is an endemic species in Taiwan that exhibits tyrosinase-inhibitory activity. To find new active natural compounds from P. koidzumii, we performed bioguided isolation and studied the related activity in human epidermal melanocytes. In total, 13 compounds were identified from P. koidzumii in the present study, including two new compounds, 3,6-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethoxy-dibenzofuran (9) and 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybiphenyl-2'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (13), as well as 11 known compounds. The new compound 13 exhibited maximum potency in inhibiting cellular tyrosinase activity, the protein expression of cellular tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-2, as well as the mRNA expression of Paired box 3 and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in a concentration-dependent manner. In the enzyme kinetic assay, the new compound 13 acted as an uncompetitive mixed-type inhibitor against the substrate l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and had a Km value against this substrate of 0.262 mM, as calculated using the Lineweaver-Burk plots. Taken together, our findings show compound 13 exhibits tyrosinase inhibition in human melanocytes and compound 13 may be a potential candidate for use in cosmetics.

  11. New Whitening Constituents from Taiwan-Native Pyracantha koidzumii: Structures and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Analysis in Human Epidermal Melanocytes

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Rong-Dih; Chen, Mei-Chuan; Liu, Yan-Ling; Lin, Yi-Tzu; Lu, Mei-Kuang; Hsu, Feng-Lin; Lee, Mei-Hsien

    2015-01-01

    Nontoxic natural products useful in skin care cosmetics are of considerable interest. Tyrosinase is a rate-limiting enzyme for which its inhibitor is useful in developing whitening cosmetics. Pyracantha koidzumii (Hayata) Rehder is an endemic species in Taiwan that exhibits tyrosinase-inhibitory activity. To find new active natural compounds from P. koidzumii, we performed bioguided isolation and studied the related activity in human epidermal melanocytes. In total, 13 compounds were identified from P. koidzumii in the present study, including two new compounds, 3,6-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethoxy-dibenzofuran (9) and 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybiphenyl-2ʹ-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (13), as well as 11 known compounds. The new compound 13 exhibited maximum potency in inhibiting cellular tyrosinase activity, the protein expression of cellular tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-2, as well as the mRNA expression of Paired box 3 and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in a concentration-dependent manner. In the enzyme kinetic assay, the new compound 13 acted as an uncompetitive mixed-type inhibitor against the substrate l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and had a Km value against this substrate of 0.262 mM, as calculated using the Lineweaver–Burk plots. Taken together, our findings show compound 13 exhibits tyrosinase inhibition in human melanocytes and compound 13 may be a potential candidate for use in cosmetics. PMID:26633381

  12. Simulating multi-scale oceanic processes around Taiwan on unstructured grids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Hao-Cheng; Zhang, Yinglong J.; Yu, Jason C. S.; Terng, C.; Sun, Weiling; Ye, Fei; Wang, Harry V.; Wang, Zhengui; Huang, Hai

    2017-11-01

    We validate a 3D unstructured-grid (UG) model for simulating multi-scale processes as occurred in Northwestern Pacific around Taiwan using recently developed new techniques (Zhang et al., Ocean Modeling, 102, 64-81, 2016) that require no bathymetry smoothing even for this region with prevalent steep bottom slopes and many islands. The focus is on short-term forecast for several months instead of long-term variability. Compared with satellite products, the errors for the simulated Sea-surface Height (SSH) and Sea-surface Temperature (SST) are similar to a reference data-assimilated global model. In the nearshore region, comparison with 34 tide gauges located around Taiwan indicates an average RMSE of 13 cm for the tidal elevation. The average RMSE for SST at 6 coastal buoys is 1.2 °C. The mean transport and eddy kinetic energy compare reasonably with previously published values and the reference model used to provide boundary and initial conditions. The model suggests ∼2-day interruption of Kuroshio east of Taiwan during a typhoon period. The effect of tidal mixing is shown to be significant nearshore. The multi-scale model is easily extendable to target regions of interest due to its UG framework and a flexible vertical gridding system, which is shown to be superior to terrain-following coordinates.

  13. [The process of empowering community development: the experience of a community in Taipei city].

    PubMed

    Li, I-Chuan; Chen, Yu-Chi; Wang, Hui-Chun

    2006-04-01

    Community participation and development are the most difficult aspects of building healthy communities. They are also, however, the most essential parts of the process. It has been established that empowerment can ultimately enhance individual self-efficacy, influence organizational and social structures, and increase the sense of community and citizen's capabilities. This article demonstrates the experience of one community in Taipei City during a lengthy period of organization and development. It illustrates the different stages involved in community development and the functions of community health professionals. It seeks to provide insight into the importance of using empowerment in promoting communities' capabilities and the fact that only by developing organic communities that are rich in the energy of life can we develop sustainable communities.

  14. Natural and Human Impacts on the Coastal Environment of Taiwan Recorded in Marine Sediments During the last century

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, H.; Chen, Z.; Huh, C.; Chen, K.; Lin, Y.; Hsu, F.

    2012-12-01

    Located at tropical-to-subtropical region on the Pacific rim, Taiwan has very high erosion rate due to steep topography and heavy rainfall especially typhoons. The high sedimentation rates in Taiwan Strait allow us to retrieve high-resolution marine records which reveal natural changes and human impacts on the coastal environment of Taiwan over the past 100 years. Five gravity and box cores well dated by 210Pb and 137Cs methods were analyzed for elemental concentrations in the acid-leachable phase, total organic carbon (TOC), δ13CTOC, δ13C and δ18O of carbonates. The results show that: (1) Positive correlation between TOC and typhoon rainfall since 1940 indicate that decline of vegetation coverage resulted in intensification of soil erosion. The δ13CTOC values illustrate that the organic carbon in the sediments was originated mainly from land input. (2) The δ18O difference between foraminiferal shells and carbonate grains can be used for rainfall reconstruction. (3) The Ca concentrations mainly from carbonates in the sediments were decreased since AD 1940, reflecting changes in sedimentary source and ocean acidfication. As development of the land use, more and more soil erosion caused depletion of authigenic marine sediments in the coast region. Ocean acidification led to less carbonate formation in seawater. (4) Since 1920, Pb concentration rapidly increased and peaked at ~1970 as Pb input from gasoline usage. Pb concentration dropped from 1970 to 1975 perhaps due to unleaded gasoline replacement. (5) In the nearshore environment, heavy metals such as Mn, Cu and Pb in the acid-leachable phase of the sediments strongly increased from 1950 to 1965 then kept relatively high level, reflecting heavy metal contamination from industrial source. The human impact on the coastal region of Taiwan not only caused changes in marine sediments and ocean water, but also disturbed the marine ecosystem. This study has been funded by NSC-100-3113-E-002-009: Study of CO2 capture

  15. Epidemiology of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus during 2009-2010 in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lan, Yu-Ching; Su, Mei-Chi; Chen, Chao-Hsien; Huang, Su-Hua; Chen, Wan-Li; Tien, Ni; Lin, Cheng-Wen

    2013-10-01

    Outbreak of swine-origin influenza A/H1N1 virus (pdmH1N1) occurred in 2009. Taiwanese authorities implemented nationwide vaccinations with pdmH1N1-specific inactivated vaccine as of November 2009. This study evaluates prevalence, HA phylogenetic relationship, and transmission dynamic of influenza A and B viruses in Taiwan in 2009-2010. Respiratory tract specimens were analyzed for influenza A and B viruses. The pdmH1N1 peaked in November 2009, was predominant from August 2009 to January 2010, then sharply dropped in February 2010. Significant prevalence peaks of influenza B in April-June of 2010 and H3N2 virus in July and August were observed. Highest percentage of pdmH1N1- and H3N2-positive cases appeared among 11-15-year-olds; influenza B-positive cases were dominant among those 6-10 years old. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees showed 11 unique clusters of pdmH1N1, seasonal H3N2 influenza A and B viruses, as well as transmission clusters and mixed infections of influenza strains in Taiwan. The 2009 pdmH1N1 virus was predominant in Taiwan from August 2009 to January 2010; seasonal H3N2 influenza A and B viruses exhibited small prevalence peaks after nationwide vaccinations. Phylogenetic evidence indicated transmission clusters and multiple independent clades of co-circulating influenza A and B strains in Taiwan. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Medical education in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chou, Jen-Yu; Chiu, Chiung-Hsuan; Lai, Enoch; Tsai, Duujian; Tzeng, Chii-Ruey

    2012-01-01

    Taiwan's medical education system bears a close relationship with its colonial and post-colonial history. Since the late nineteenth century, Western medicine, Chinese medicine, and the practice of the other forms of traditional healing have encountered complex transactions with the state and one another, eventually evolving into the present medical system. Nowadays, the mainstream form of medical education in Taiwan is a 7-year Western program; other forms of medical education include a 5-year graduate program and traditional medicine programs. Challenged by the National Health Insurance that emphasizes cost management since 1995 and criticized by the US National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation in 1998, medical education reform was implemented by the Taiwan Medical Accreditation Council established in 2000. The reform tries to bring humanities into various aspects of medical education, including student recruitment, curriculum, licensing, and continuing education. Similar to other modernization projects, the reform transplants the American and British standards to Taiwan. These changes hope to insure the reflective capabilities in physicians on the welfare of patients. However, frustration of current and future physicians may be deepened if the reform is insensitive to local issues or incapable of addressing new global tendencies.

  17. Lithospheric Structure Beneath Taiwan From Sp Converted Waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glasgow, D.; McGlashan, N.; Brown, L.

    2006-12-01

    Taiwan is the product of three dimensionally complex interaction between the Eurasian Plate (EP) and the Philippine Sea plate (PSP), with the EP subducting eastward beneath the PSP in southern Taiwan while the PSP subducts northward beneath the EP in northern Taiwan. The structural emplacement of Philippine Arc lithosphere onto Chinese passive margin lithosphere is an exemplar of continental amalgamation, yet there are relatively few contraints on the geometry of lithosphere involved at depth. We have used teleseismic data recorded by the Broadband Array for Taiwan Seismology (BATS) to compute S-to-p wave receiver functions for the Taiwan region to provide new constraints on deep geometries. Moho conversions provide independent new estimates of crustal thickness, which vary from 35 to 55 km across the island in agreement with previous P to S conversion studies and local tomography. More significantly, our results suggest that the lithosphere- asthenosphere boundary (LAB) varies in depth from ca 140 km beneath northeastern Taiwan to ca 120 km beneath central Taiwan to perhaps less than 80 km beneath southern Taiwan. We attribute this along strike variation to the depression and decapitation of the Eurasian plate in the transition to northward subduction of the PSP.

  18. Factors affecting yearly and monthly visits to Taipei Zoo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  19. Spatial Analysis of Ambient PM2.5 Exposure and Bladder Cancer Mortality in Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Yeh, Hsin-Ling; Hsu, Shang-Wei; Chang, Yu-Chia; Chan, Ta-Chien; Tsou, Hui-Chen; Chang, Yen-Chen; Chiang, Po-Huang

    2017-01-01

    Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an air pollutant that is receiving intense regulatory attention in Taiwan. In previous studies, the effect of air pollution on bladder cancer has been explored. This study was conducted to elucidate the effect of atmospheric PM2.5 and other local risk factors on bladder cancer mortality based on available 13-year mortality data. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) was applied to estimate and interpret the spatial variability of the relationships between bladder cancer mortality and ambient PM2.5 concentrations, and other variables were covariates used to adjust for the effect of PM2.5. After applying a GWR model, the concentration of ambient PM2.5 showed a positive correlation with bladder cancer mortality in males in northern Taiwan and females in most of the townships in Taiwan. This is the first time PM2.5 has been identified as a risk factor for bladder cancer based on the statistical evidence provided by GWR analysis. PMID:28489042

  20. Vitamin D Decreases Risk of Breast Cancer in Premenopausal Women of Normal Weight in Subtropical Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Meei-Shyuan; Huang, Yi-Chen; Wahlqvist, Mark L; Wu, Tsai-Yi; Chou, Yu-Ching; Wu, Mei-Hsuan; Yu, Jyh-Cherng; Sun, Chien-An

    2011-01-01

    Background Evidence for an association between vitamin D status and breast cancer is now more convincing, but is uncertain in subtropical areas like Taiwan. This hospital-based case-control study examined the relationship of breast cancer with vitamin D intake and sunlight exposure. Methods A total of 200 incident breast cancer cases in a Taipei hospital were matched with 200 controls by date of interview and menopausal status. Information on risk factors for breast cancer was collected in face-to-face interviews and assessed with reference to vitamin D intake (foods and nutrients) and sunlight exposure. Vitamin D intake was divided into quartiles, and threshold effect was evaluated by comparing Q2–Q4 with Q1. Results After controlling for age, education, parity, hormone replacement therapy, body mass index (BMI), energy intake, menopausal status, and daily sunlight exposure, the risk of breast cancer in participants with a dietary vitamin D intake greater than 5 µg per day was significantly lower (odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24–0.97) than that of participants with an intake less than 2 µg per day. In analysis stratified by menopausal status and BMI, both dietary vitamin D and total vitamin D intakes were associated with a protective effect among premenopausal women. There was a significant linear trend for breast cancer risk and dietary vitamin D intake in premenopausal women (P = 0.02). In participants with a BMI lower than 24 kg/m2 (ie, normal weight), dietary vitamin D intake was inversely related to breast cancer risk (P for trend = 0.002), and a threshold effect was apparent (Q2–Q4 vs Q1: OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.23–0.90). Conclusions Vitamin D had a protective effect against breast cancer in premenopausal women of normal weight in subtropical Taiwan, especially an intake greater than 5 µg per day. PMID:21160130

  1. Current situation and industrialization of Taiwan nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Hsin-Ning; Lee, Pei-Chun; Tsai, Min-Hua; Chien, Kuo-Ming

    2007-12-01

    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.

  2. Quantifying the seismicity on Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yi-Hsuan; Chen, Chien-Chih; Turcotte, Donald L.; Rundle, John B.

    2013-07-01

    We quantify the seismicity on the island of Taiwan using the frequency-magnitude statistics of earthquakes since 1900. A break in Gutenberg-Richter scaling for large earthquakes in global seismicity has been observed, this break is also observed in our Taiwan study. The seismic data from the Central Weather Bureau Seismic Network are in good agreement with the Gutenberg-Richter relation taking b ≈ 1 when M < 7. For large earthquakes, M ≥ 7, the seismic data fit Gutenberg-Richter scaling with b ≈ 1.5. If the Gutenberg-Richter scaling for M < 7 earthquakes is extrapolated to larger earthquakes, we would expect a M > 8 earthquake in the study region about every 25 yr. However, our analysis shows a lower frequency of occurrence of large earthquakes so that the expected frequency of M > 8 earthquakes is about 200 yr. The level of seismicity for smaller earthquakes on Taiwan is about 12 times greater than in Southern California and the possibility of a M ≈ 9 earthquake north or south of Taiwan cannot be ruled out. In light of the Fukushima, Japan nuclear disaster, we also discuss the implications of our study for the three operating nuclear power plants on the coast of Taiwan.

  3. Are adults with intellectual disabilities socially excluded? An exploratory study in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Wang, Y T

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this exploratory study is to examine to what extent adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Taiwan are socially excluded and to identify the factors that are potentially associated with such social exclusion. The research method of this study is secondary data analysis, using descriptive and χ2 statistical analysis. Two data sets, from the 2003 and 2006 surveys entitled 'Survey of Living Situation for People with Disabilities in Taiwan', were used (n = 572; n = 618). In addition, 'independent living/living within the community' (as opposed to residing in an institution), 'employment' and 'household economic situation/residing in a low-income household' were social exclusion indicators in this study. The results revealed that in the 2003 (2006) survey, 81.9% (79.6%) of the subjects fell into at least one category of social exclusion, 11.3% (12.3%) fell into two or more categories and 0.2% (1.1%) fell into all three categories. Moreover, older women with ID, with no spouse or partner, lower educational levels and greater severity of the disability had a significantly greater likelihood of being subjected to more categories of social exclusion. The finding that the proportion of adults with ID and no social exclusion has risen from 18.1% in 2003 to 20.4% in 2006 represents an encouraging trend. However, there has been a marked increase in the proportion of the subjects with more categories of social exclusion, particularly with regard to those who have to endure all three categories, from 0.2% in 2003, to 1.1% in 2006. This implies that, at the time of the last survey, there was still considerable room for improvement in the social inclusion of adults with ID in Taiwan. © 2012 The Author. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

  4. A biomarker stable isotope record of late Quaternary climate and organic matter export in Southwestern Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Q.; Hren, M. T.; Lin, A. T.; Eley, Y.; Yu, S. W.; Harris, G.

    2017-12-01

    We present new leaf wax n-alkane hydrogen (δD) and carbon (δ13C) isotopic data from a 36-m-long core from off-shore southwestern Taiwan to evaluate late Quaternary changes in climate and the source of organic matter exported from the landscape. The core (MD178-3291) is located on the flank of the Gaoping Submarine Canyon that connects with the Gaoping river catchment in southwestern Taiwan. The sediment deposition in this core spans the last 26 kyr, providing a unique record of glacial-interglacial changes in organic matter export from the Taiwan orogen. The δD and δ13C both show a shift in isotopic compositions at 15 kyr, that coincides with the shift in planktonic foraminifera δ18O record from the same core as well as the global sea level. We therefore interpret this dominant shift as affected by the global glacial to interglacial transition. Following by this transition and through the interglacial period, both biomarker δD and δ13C data record fluctuations that we suggest result from short timescale changes in the distribution of organic inputs to the offshore site. This change in source is most likely caused by increases in storm and landslide frequency or intensity during warmer intervals. This interpretation is supported by terrestrial records that show an increase in landslides in the Gaoping catchment and evidence for enhanced rainfall intensity and a corresponding increase in the frequency of turbidity currents.

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

    PubMed

    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.

  6. Scrap car recycling in Taiwan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, C.H.; Tai, H.S.; Fan, R.K.S.

    1997-12-31

    The official figure of registered automobiles released by the Ministry of Transportation of Taiwan, R.O.C. as of the end of April 1996, is approximately 4.8 millions. Among them, 18% of the cars are between seven and ten years old and 15% of the cars are old than ten years. The result of this large number of old cars is the problem of abandoned cars on the street of Taiwan. This phenomena not only hinders traffic flow but also undermines the living quality in the cities. To minimize these negative effects, EPA has promulgated a Scrap Motor Vehicles Management Regulation tomore » enforce the scrap car recycling in Taiwan. Under this regulation, a buyer of a new vehicle has to pay the Scrap Motor Vehicle Disposal fee (NT$ 3000, or US$ 110 for a car; and NT$ 700, or US$ 25 for a motorcycle). This paper presents the current status of scrap car recycling in Taiwan.« less

  7. Discrepancy of cytogenetic analysis in Western and eastern Taiwan.

    PubMed

    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.

  8. Evaluation of anti-melanoma activities of (1S,2E,4R,6E,8R,11S,12R)-8,12-epoxy-2,6-cembradiene-4,11-diol, (1S,2E,4R,6E,8S,11R,12S)-8,11-epoxy-4,12-epoxy-2,6-cembradiene and (1S,4R,13S)-cembra-2E,7E,11E-trien-4,13-diol from the Red Sea soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum.

    PubMed

    Szymanski, Pawel T; Ahmed, Safwat A; Radwan, Mohamed M; Khalifa, Sherief I; Fahmy, Hesham

    2014-08-01

    Three natural cembranoids from the Red Sea soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum namely (1S,2E,4R,6E,8R,11S,12R)-8,12-epoxy-2,6-cembradiene-4,11-diol, (1S,2E,4R,6E,8S,11R,12S)-8,11-epoxy-4,12-epoxy-2,6-cembradiene and (1S,4R,13S)-cembra-2E,7E,11E-trien-4,13-diol were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on mouse melanoma B16F10 cell growth. Results show that all the cembranoids strongly inhibit viability of melanoma cells particularly during 48 -72 hrs treatment and also inhibit de novo DNA synthesis and PARP activity and stimulate fragmentation of DNA. (1S,2E,4R,6E,8R,11S,12R)-8,12-epoxy-2,6-cembradiene-4,11-diol was not cytotoxic to monkey kidney CV-1 cells at the concentration that produces the anti-melanoma effects which indicates that this compound may be a good candidate for further development. (1S,2E,4R,6E,8S,11R,12S)-8,11-epoxy-4,12-epoxy-2,6-cembradiene and (1S,4R,13S)-cembra-2E,7E,11E-trien-4,13-diol were found to be cytotoxic to healthy cells.

  9. 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.

    PubMed

    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.

  10. Posterior brain in fetuses with open spina bifida at 11 to 13 weeks.

    PubMed

    Lachmann, Robert; Chaoui, Rabih; Moratalla, Jose; Picciarelli, Gemma; Nicolaides, Kypros H

    2011-01-01

    To measure the changes in the posterior fossa in first-trimester fetuses with open spina bifida (OSB). The brain stem diameter and brain stem to occipital bone (BSOB) diameter were measured in stored images of the mid-sagittal view of the fetal face at 11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks from 30 fetuses with OSB and 1000 normal controls. In the control group, the brain stem and BSOB diameter increased significantly with crown-rump length (CRL) and the brain stem to BSOB ratio decreased. In the spina bifida group, the brain stem diameter was above the 95th percentile of the control group in 29 (96.7%) cases, the BSOB diameter was below the 5th percentile in 26 (86.7%) and the brain stem to BSOB ratio was above the 95th percentile in all cases. At 11 to 13 weeks the majority of fetuses with OSB have measurable abnormalities in the posterior brain.

  11. Cognitive development at age 8 years in very low birth weight children in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Mu, Shu-Chi; Tsou, Kuo-Su; Hsu, Chyong-Hsin; Fang, Li-Jung; Jeng, Suh-Fang; Chang, Chia-Han; Tsou, Kuo-Inn

    2008-12-01

    All children should have some developmental screening periodically throughout childhood, especially those who were born prematurely. There is limited information about the development of children with very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight < 1500 g) beyond the preschool age in Taiwan. We evaluated intelligence quotient (IQ) and cognitive ability of prematurely born school-aged children in Taiwan. This was a multicenter study of VLBW and full-term children born between 1995 and 1997 at four hospitals in northern Taiwan. We used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 3rd Edition (WISC-III), to assess these children. Demographic data were recorded including maternal and paternal age, education, birth weight, gestational age, and gender. A total of 189 children (130 with VLBW born prematurely and 59 born at full term) were recruited. There were significant differences in performance IQ (PIQ; 90.16 +/- 17.05 vs. 108.51 +/- 15.65, p < 0.001), verbal IQ (VIQ; 97.43 +/- 15.62 vs. 111.78 +/- 13.65, p < 0.001), full-scale IQ (FSIQ; 93.14 +/- 16.33 vs. 111.05 +/- 14.81, p < 0.001), verbal comprehension index score (VCIS; 98.06 +/- 15.53 vs. 112.47 +/- 13.74, p < 0.001), perceptional organization index score (POIS; 92.39 +/- 17.13 vs. 109.42 +/- 14.87, p < 0.001) and freedom from distractibility index score (FDIS; 98.34 +/- 17.71 vs. 110.53 +/- 10.94, p = 0.008). There was no correlation between perinatal outcomes and FSIQ. Our results suggest that VLBW children have significantly lower PIQ, VIQ, FSIQ, VCIS, POIS and FDIS at primary school compared with full-term children.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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

  13. Ambulance traffic accidents in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chiu, Po-Wei; Lin, Chih-Hao; Wu, Chen-Long; Fang, Pin-Hui; Lu, Chien-Hsin; Hsu, Hsiang-Chin; Chi, Chih-Hsien

    2018-04-01

    Ambulance traffic accidents (ATAs) are the leading cause of occupation-related fatalities among emergency medical service (EMS) personnel. We aim to use the Taiwan national surveillance system to analyze the characteristics of ATAs and to assist EMS directors in developing policies governing ambulance operations. A retrospective, cross-sectional and largely descriptive study was conducted using Taiwan national traffic accidents surveillance data from January 1, 2011 to October 31, 2016. Among the 1,627,217 traffic accidents during the study period, 715 ATAs caused 8 deaths within 24 h and 1844 injured patients. On average, there was one ATA for every 8598 ambulance runs. Compared to overall traffic accidents, ATAs were 1.7 times more likely to result in death and 1.9 times more likely to have injured patients. Among the 715 ATAs, 8 (1.1%) ATAs were fatal and 707 (98.9%) were nonfatal. All 8 fatalities were associated with motorcycles. The urban areas were significantly higher than the rural areas in the annual number of ATAs (14.2 ± 7.3 [7.0-26.7] versus 3.1 ± 1.9 [0.5-8.4], p = 0.013), the number of ATA-associated fatalities per year (0.2 ± 0.2 [0.0-0.7] versus 0.1 ± 0.1 [0.0-0.2], p = 0.022), and the annual number of injured patients (who needed urgent hospital visits) in ATAs (19.4 ± 7.3 [10.5-30.9] versus 5.2 ± 3.8 [0.9-15.3], p < 0.001). The ATA-associated fatality rate in Taiwan was high, and all fatalities were associated with motorcycles. ATAs in a highly motorcycle-populated area may require further investigation. An ambulance traffic accident reporting system should be built to provide EMS policy guidance for ATA reduction and outcome improvements. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. The Geothermal Potential, Current and Opportunity in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Sheng-Rong

    2016-04-01

    Located in the west Pacific Rim of Fire, Taiwan possesses rich geothermal resources due to volcanic activities and rapid uplifting of plate collision. Based on available data prior to 1980, Taiwan may have about 1 GWe of potential shallow geothermal energy, which is less than 3% of the national gross power generation. A 3-Mw pilot power plant, therefore, was constructed in 1981 and terminated in 1993 in the Chingshui geothermal field of Ilan, northeastern Taiwan. Recently, one of the National Science & Technology Program (NSTP) projects has been conducting research and reevaluating the island-wide deep geothermal energy. Four hot potential sites have been recognized. They are: (1) Tatun Volcano Group of northern Taiwan; (2) I-Lan Plain of NE Taiwan; (3) Lu-Shan area of Central Taiwan; and (4) Hua-Tung area of eastern Taiwan. We found that the geothermal resource in Taiwan may be as high as 160 GWe, with 33.6 GWe of exploitable geothermal energy. There are no any commercial geothermal power plants until now in Taiwan, although the potential is great. However, geothermal energy has been listed as one of major tasks of National Energy Program, Phase II (NEP-II) in Taiwan. We will conduct more detailed geothermal energy surveys on some proposed hot sites and to construct an EGS pilot geothermal plant with 1 MWe capability in a few years. Currently, there are three nuclear power plants, named No. 1, 2 & 3, in operations, which produce 16.5% gross generation of electricity and one (No. 4) is under construction, but is stopped and sealed now in Taiwan. Furthermore, the life-span of 40-year operation for those three power plants will be close-at hand and retire in 2018-2019, 2021-2023 and 2024-2025, respectively. Therefore, to find alternative energy sources, especially on the clean, renewable and sustainable ones for generating electricity are emergent and important for Taiwan's government in next few years. Among various energy sources, geothermal energy can be as base

  15. ONR Tokyo Scientific Bulletin. Volume 5, Number 3, July-September 1980,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-09-01

    engineering Director NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY, TAIPEI - Department of Agricultural Chemistry Chen. Yuh-Lin Pesticide chemistry Professor Lin. Liang-Ping...3-1, Hongo, Bynkyo-ku Tokyo 113 August 9- The 5th International Congress Kyoto, Japan Rikagaku Kenkyusho September 3 of Pesticide Chemistry, IUPAC 2-1...to those who request them. The meeting emphasized two timely subjects, inhalation injuries and fluid therapy. Papers presented were: Basil A. Pruitt

  16. Longitudinal trends in use and costs of targeted therapies for common cancers in Taiwan: a retrospective observational study

    PubMed Central

    Hsu, Jason C; Lu, Christine Y

    2016-01-01

    Objectives Some targeted therapies have improved survival and overall quality of cancer care generally, but these increasingly expensive medicines have led to increases in pharmaceutical expenditure. This study examined trends in use and expenditures of antineoplastic agents in Taiwan, and estimated market shares by prescription volume and costs of targeted therapies over time. We also determined which cancer types accounted for the highest use of targeted therapies. Design This is a retrospective observational study focusing on the utilisation of targeted therapies for treatment of cancer. Setting The monthly claims data for antineoplastic agents were retrieved from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (2009–2012). Main outcome measures We calculated market shares by prescription volume and costs for each class of antineoplastic agent by cancer type. Using a time series design with Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models, we estimated trends in use and costs of targeted therapies. Results Among all antineoplastic agents, use of targeted therapies grew from 6.24% in 2009 to 12.29% in 2012, but their costs rose from 26.16% to 41.57% in that time. Monoclonal antibodies and protein kinase inhibitors contributed the most (respectively, 23.84% and 16.12% of costs for antineoplastic agents in 2012). During 2009–2012, lung (44.64% of use; 28.26% of costs), female breast (16.49% of use; 27.18% of costs) and colorectal (12.11% of use; 13.16% of costs) cancers accounted for the highest use of targeted therapies. Conclusions In Taiwan, targeted therapies are increasingly used for different cancers, representing a substantial economic burden. It is important to establish mechanisms to monitor their use and outcomes. PMID:27266775

  17. 40 CFR 721.10205 - Formaldehyde, polymer with 1,3-benzenediol and 1,1′-methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene].

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Formaldehyde, polymer with 1,3-benzenediol and 1,1â²-methylenebis[isocyanatobenzene]. 721.10205 Section 721.10205 Protection of Environment... SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10205 Formaldehyde, polymer with 1,3...

  18. A case of duplication of 13q32-->qter and deletion of 18p11.32-->pter with mild phenotype: Patau syndrome and duplications of 13q revisited.

    PubMed Central

    Helali, N; Iafolla, A K; Kahler, S G; Qumsiyeh, M B

    1996-01-01

    A mild clinical phenotype is described in a patient with duplication of 13q32-->qter and a small deletion of 18p11.32-->pter. The 8 year old white male presented with psychomotor retardation, tethered cord, soft, fleshy ears, and normal facial features except for thin lips. The karyotype was found to be 46, XY, der(18)t(13;18) (q32;p11.32) pat confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). A review of earlier studies showed that features of trisomy 13 are found in cases of duplication of bands 13q14 to qter. None of the cardinal features of trisomy 13 was seen in this patient. The absence of polydactyly, hernias, urogenital abnormalities, and haemangiomas contrast this condition with both trisomy 13 and duplication of 13q14-22-->qter. Possible explanations for lack of Patau syndrome in this patient could include restriction of the critical region for Patau syndrome to duplication 13q14-->13q32 with variable expression, gene interactions, or interchromosomal effects. Images PMID:8818949

  19. A case of duplication of 13q32-->qter and deletion of 18p11.32-->pter with mild phenotype: Patau syndrome and duplications of 13q revisited.

    PubMed

    Helali, N; Iafolla, A K; Kahler, S G; Qumsiyeh, M B

    1996-07-01

    A mild clinical phenotype is described in a patient with duplication of 13q32-->qter and a small deletion of 18p11.32-->pter. The 8 year old white male presented with psychomotor retardation, tethered cord, soft, fleshy ears, and normal facial features except for thin lips. The karyotype was found to be 46, XY, der(18)t(13;18) (q32;p11.32) pat confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). A review of earlier studies showed that features of trisomy 13 are found in cases of duplication of bands 13q14 to qter. None of the cardinal features of trisomy 13 was seen in this patient. The absence of polydactyly, hernias, urogenital abnormalities, and haemangiomas contrast this condition with both trisomy 13 and duplication of 13q14-22-->qter. Possible explanations for lack of Patau syndrome in this patient could include restriction of the critical region for Patau syndrome to duplication 13q14-->13q32 with variable expression, gene interactions, or interchromosomal effects.

  20. Is classic pericentric inversion of chromosome 2 inv(2)(p11q13) associated with an increased risk of unbalanced chromosomes?

    PubMed

    Ferfouri, Fatma; Clement, Patrice; Gomes, Denise Molina; Minz, Marie; Amar, Edouard; Selva, Jacqueline; Vialard, François

    2009-10-01

    To study pericentric inversion segregation and interchromosomal effect on sperm for men heterozygous for inv(2)(p11q13), to assess the risk of miscarriage. Case report. Department of reproductive biology, cytogenetics, gynecology, and obstetrics. Seven patients heterozygous for inv(2)(p11q13) and five patients with normal karyotype with experience of recurrent spontaneous miscarriage. Fluorescence in situ hybridization on sperm with 2 p and 2q subtelomeric probes to screen for inversion segregation, and X, Y, and 18 centromeric probes to study interchromosomal effects. One thousand sperm were analyzed per experiment and per patient. Rate of unbalanced chromosomes and aneuploid sperm. The inv(2)(p11q13) patients showed a 0.3% rate of sperm with unbalanced chromosomes. For interchromosomal effects, a 0.6% aneuploid sperm rate was observed for patients heterozygous for inv(2)(p11q13). This is similar to the 0.5% rate observed for control patients. Inv(2)(p11q13) seems not to increase miscarriage for couples with men heterozygous for this inversion.