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.

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…

Proteomic analysis of acute responses to copper sulfate stress in larvae of the brine shrimp, Artemia sinica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Qian; Wu, Changgong; Dong, Bo; Li, Fuhua; Liu, Fengqi; Xiang, Jianhai

2010-03-01

Proteomics was used to reveal the differential protein expression profiles of acute responses to copper sulfate exposure in larvae of Artemia sinica. Fourteen differentially displayed protein spots were detected and seven of them were identified. Three spots were up-expressed and identified: actin, heat shock protein 70, and chaperone subunit 1; three down-regulated proteins were identified: arginine kinase, elongation factor-2, and glycine-rich protein; and a newly expressed protein was identified as peroxiredoxin. The study indicates the involvement of all the differentially expressed proteins in the early responses of protein expression, and in the survival of A. sinica in the presence of copper and other heavy metals; the findings improve understanding of the organism’s adaptive responses and resistance.

The euonymus leaf-notcher, Pryeria sinica Moore (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) - alive and well in Fairfax County, Virginia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pryeria sinica Moore, a species native to the eastern Palearctic, was first detected in North America in 2001, where the conspicuous, gregariously-feeding larvae were noticed on ornamental Euonymous (Celastraceae) in a residential area of Fairfax County, Virginia. Although the species was moderatel...

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.

Cloning, expression pattern, and potential role of apoptosis inhibitor 5 in the termination of embryonic diapause and early embryo development of Artemia sinica.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuang; Yao, Feng; Jing, Ting; Zhang, Mengchen; Zhao, Wei; Zou, Xiangyang; Sui, Linlin; Hou, Lin

2017-09-10

During the embryonic development of Artemia sinica, the diapause phenomenon can be induced by high salinity or low temperature conditions. The diapause embryo at the gastrula stage is maintained under the threat of apoptosis to guarantee the embryo's normal development. In this process, apoptosis inhibitor proteins play vital roles in protecting embryos against apoptosis. Apoptosis inhibitor5 (API5) plays a pivotal role in regulating the cell cycle and preventing programmed cell death after growth factor starvation. In the present study, we cloned the full-length cDNA representing the api5 gene from A. sinica (As-api5), which encodes a 372-amino acid protein. In situ hybridization experiments revealed that As-api5 expression is not tissue or organ specific. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses of the developmental expression of As-api5 showed that it reached its highest level at 10h, after which its expression decreased. High salinity and low temperature treatments increased the expression of As-api5. Western blotting was used to assess the abundance of As-API5 and related proteins (As-CyclinA, As-CyclinE, As-E2F1, As-CDK2, As-APAF1, and As-Caspase9). Downregulation of As-api5 expression using a short interfering RNA resulted in increased mortality and embryo malformation of A. sinica. Taken together, the results indicated that API5 plays a crucial role in embryonic diapause termination and early embryo development of A. sinica. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Intraspecific variation in the turtle barnacle, Cylindrolepas sinica Ren, 1980 (Cirripedia, Thoracica, Coronuloidea), with brief notes on habitat selectivity.

PubMed

Hayashi, Ryota

2013-01-01

Specimens of the turtle barnacle Cylindrolepas sinica Ren, 1980 were collected from sea turtles in Japanese waters. The specimens were hexagonal in shape and were found burrowing into the sea turtle plastron. Specimens were dissected and the hard and soft parts were compared with the original description.

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.

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

Intraspecific variation in the turtle barnacle, Cylindrolepas sinica Ren, 1980 (Cirripedia, Thoracica, Coronuloidea), with brief notes on habitat selectivity

PubMed Central

Hayashi, Ryota

2013-01-01

Abstract Specimens of the turtle barnacle Cylindrolepas sinica Ren, 1980 were collected from sea turtles in Japanese waters. The specimens were hexagonal in shape and were found burrowing into the sea turtle plastron. Specimens were dissected and the hard and soft parts were compared with the original description. PMID:24167420

"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.

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…

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

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.

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.

The Structure of Oceanography in China.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Churgin, James

1984-01-01

Describes the structure of marine science in China. Includes organization and activities of China's National Bureau of Oceanography and programs administered through various ministries, Academia Sinica (China's Academy of Sciences), universities, and provincial institutes. Comments on research vessionals and other development initiatives are also…

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

Taxonomic descriptions of three marine colepid ciliates, Nolandia sinica spec. nov., Apocoleps caoi spec. nov. and Tiarina fusa (Claparede & Lachmann, 1858) Bergh, 1881 (Ciliophora, Prorodontida).

PubMed

Chen, Xiangrui; Gao, Shan; Liu, Weiwei; Song, Weibo; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A S; Warren, Alan

2012-03-01

The morphology of three marine colepid ciliates, Nolandia sinica spec. nov., Apocoleps caoi spec. nov. and Tiarina fusa (Claparède & Lachmann, 1858) Bergh, 1881, isolated from Chinese coastal waters, was investigated. N. sinica spec. nov. may be separated from its congeners by the structure of its armour plates, each of which may have up to five reniform windows. A. caoi spec. nov. is characterized by its large body with broad anterior end and by having 10-12 long, sharp posterior spines. New data and an improved diagnosis are supplied for Tiarina fusa (Claparède & Lachmann, 1858) Bergh, 1881, which has a spindle-shaped body, about 16 ciliary rows and a single adoral organelle. Sequence similarities with other available colepid species were determined.

Comparative analysis of volatile oils in the stems and roots of Ephedra sinica via GC-MS-based plant metabolomics.

PubMed

Lv, Meng-Ying; Sun, Jian-Bo; Wang, Min; Fan, Hong-Yan; Zhang, Zun-Jian; Xu, Feng-Guo

2016-02-01

With a great difference in therapeutic effects of Mahuang (MH, the stems of Ephedra sinica) and Mahuanggen (MHG, the roots of Ephedra sinica), chemical differences between MH and MHG should be investigated. In the present study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based plant metabolomics was employed to compare volatile oil profiles of MH and MHG. The antioxidant activities of volatile oils from MH and MHG were also compared. 32 differential chemical markers were identified according to the variable importance in the projection (VIP) value of orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and P value of Mann-Whitney test. Among them, chemical markers of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) and α-terpineol were quantified. Their contents were much higher in most MH samples compared with MHG. The antioxidant assay demonstrated that MH had significantly higher free radical-scavenging activity than MHG. Although MH and MHG derived from the same medicinal plant, there was much difference in their volatile oil profiles. MH samples had significantly higher content of two reported pharmacologically important chemical markers of TMP and α-terpineol, which may account for their different antioxidant activities. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flight mill performance of the lacewing Chrysoperla sinica (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) as a function of age, temperature, and relative humidity.

PubMed

Liu, Zhongfang; McNeil, Jeremy N; Wu, Kongming

2011-02-01

The lacewing Chrysoperla sinica (Tjeder) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) is an important predator of several insect pests in China and has considerable potential as a biological control agent. An inoculative approach would be the releasing adults early in the season to ensure that populations are present before pest densities increase. However, an understanding of adult flight activity under different conditions is necessary to develop appropriate release strategies. Therefore, we used a 32-channel, computer-monitored flight mill system to determine the effect of age on the flight activity of unmated female and male adults. Both sexes had high total flight activity levels as well as the longest individual flight bouts 2 and 3 d after emergence. The effects of temperature (between 13 and 33 degrees C at 75% RH) and relative humidity (between 30 and 90% RH at 23 degrees C) on the flight activity of 3-d-old unmated adults also were determined. Flight activity declined at the lowest (13 degrees C) and highest (33 degrees C) temperatures tested, as well as at the lowest relative humidity (30% RH). These findings are discussed within the context of selecting the appropriate environmental conditions for releasing C. sinica.

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…

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.

International Conference on Optical and Millimeter Wave Propagation and Scattering in the Atmosphere Held in Florence, Italy on 27-30 May 1986

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

Solutions for the second moment gen - erated by this technique were found to have enough spectral content to describe phenomena near caustics if the...Beam Wander in the TIrbulent ?Wear-earth Atmronbere P27 qonr- 7hen. fanc Anhui Institute of Ontics ane Pine Mpchanics, Academia Sinica, P. 0. Box 25

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…

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…

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.

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

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

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.

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…

Activity rhythms and distribution of natal dens for red foxes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wenyang, Zhou; Wanhong, Wei; Biggins, Dean E.

1995-01-01

The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, was investigated with snow tracking, radiotracking and directive observation at the Haibei Research Station of Alpine Meadow Ecosystem, Academia Sinica, from March to September 1994. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution and use of natal dens, activity rhythms, and home range sizes for the foxes.

Simple, rapid and effective preservation and reactivation of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacterium "Candidatus Brocadia sinica".

PubMed

Ali, Muhammad; Oshiki, Mamoru; Okabe, Satoshi

2014-06-15

It is still the biggest challenge to secure enough seeding biomass for rapid start-up of full-scale (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) anammox processes due to slow growth. Preservation of active anammox biomass could be one of the solutions. In this study, biomass of anammox bacterium, "Candidatus Brocadia sinica", immersed in various nutrient media were preserved at -80 °C, 4 °C and room temperature. After 45, 90 and 150 days of preservation, specific anammox activity (SAA) of the preserved anammox biomass was determined by measuring (29)N2 production rate and transcription levels of hzsA gene encoding hydrazine synthase alpha subunit. Storage in nutrient medium containing 3 mM of molybdate at room temperature with periodical (every 45 days) supply of NH4(+) and NO2(-) was proved to be the most effective storage technique for "Ca. Brocadia sinica" biomass. Using this preservation condition, 96, 92 and 65% of the initial SAA was sustained after 45, 90 and 150 days of storage, respectively. Transcription levels of hzsA gene in biomass correlated with the SAA (R(2) = 0.83), indicating it can be used as a genetic marker to evaluate the anammox activity of preserved biomass. Furthermore, the 90-day-stored biomass was successfully reactivated by immobilizing in polyvinyl alcohol (6%, w/v) and sodium alginate (2%, w/v) gel and then inoculated to up-flow column reactors. Total nitrogen removal rates rapidly increased to 7 kg-N m(-3) d(-1) within 35 days of operation. Based on these results, the room temperature preservation with molybdate addition is simple, cost-effective and feasible at a practical scale, which will accelerate the practical use of anammox process for wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

GC-MS based metabolomics study of stems and roots of Ephedra sinica.

PubMed

Lv, Mengying; Sun, Jianbo; Wang, Min; Huang, Wanqiu; Fan, Hongyan; Xu, Fengguo; Zhang, Zunjian

2015-10-10

Therapeutic effects of herbal medicines differ greatly due to the use of different anatomical parts or processing methods in traditional Chinese medicine, and Ephedra sinica (ES) is just a case in point. To better understand different traditional uses of the stems (known as Mahuang, MH) and roots (known as Mahuanggen, MHG) of ES, their therapeutic material basis should be investigated. In this study, ephedrine alkaloids were profiled simultaneously with primary metabolites using GC-MS based metabolomics. Ephedrine (E) has been reported to be the major bioactive constituent in MH for the treatment of asthma. The results showed that compared with MH, MHG contained much lower levels of five ephedrine alkaloids, which may well explain that MHG has not been used as an antiasthmatic. Additionally, these pharmacologically important ephedrine alkaloids exhibited strong positive correlation with five primary metabolites. In conclusion, this study facilitates better understanding of different traditional uses of MH and MHG. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intentional introduction of Artemia sinica (Anostraca) in the high-altitude Tibetan lake Dangxiong Co: the new population and consequences for the environment and for humans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Qinxian; Anufriieva, Elena; Liu, Xifang; Kong, Fanjing; Shadrin, Nickolai

2015-11-01

The imbalance between supply and demand of Artemia cysts in China and around the world is increasing now. Salt lakes in Tibet may contribute to the solution of the problem. In Northern Tibet there are 26 saline lakes whose salinity and temperature may support Artemia survival at an altitude of 4 000-5 100 m. We found Artemia in 15 of these lakes. The saline lakes with Artemia populations mainly belong to the shallow basin lakes, and the majority of these lakes are small in area. The total area of lakes without Artemia is more than 1 000 km2. Lake Dangxiong Co (Co means lake in Tibet) was chosen for the intentional introduction of Artemia sinica. In 2004, 850 g of A. sinica cysts, originating from Qinghai, were introduced in the lake. Surveys in 2006-2014 showed that the average abundance of Artemia adults in the lake gradually increased from 20 ind./m3 in 2006 to 1950 ind./m3 in 2013. We assume that two subpopulations of A. sinica, separated by depth, may exist in the lake. The new Artemia population caused an increase in the number of species of phytoplankton and heterotrophic protozoa with a decrease of their total abundance. Water transparency also increased. Dominance in phytoplankton passed from cyanobacteria to diatoms. Changes occurred not only in the lake ecosystem; the number of water birds using the lakes also dramatically increased. Preliminary calculations showed that is it possible to harvest at least about 150 t cysts per year from the lake as well as 3.2 thousand tons of frozen or 350 t of dried biomass of adult Artemia.

The engineers of human souls & academia.

PubMed

Healy, David

2007-01-01

There has been recent concern about interactions between academia and the pharmaceutical industry. This article seeks to explore the basis for the current sense of crisis. The approach taken is a historical one, outlining the origins of the crisis. The analysis outlines the roles that brands, patents, and the control of the scientific literature play in the current marketing of psychotropic drugs, and describes the processes of guideline capture and brand fascism. The analysis makes it difficult to see current interactions between industry and academia as anything but bad for academia. One option that might restore some balance would be to restrict scientific meetings and journals to communications that made all relevant scientific data available, excluding exercises that restrict access to data.

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…

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

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.

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

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.

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?…

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.

New Professionals in Academia: Notes from the Underrepresented.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stabb, Sally D.

1992-01-01

Responds to earlier issue of "Counseling Psychologist" on new and early professionals in academia. As new professional herself, the author discusses specific methodological flaws, data not included, and access and opportunity to be represented, focusing particularly on these issues within academia. (NB)

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.

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.

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…

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

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.

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.

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.

SMEs and their co-operation with academia.

PubMed

Antoine, Jean Michel; Strömqvist, Mats

2005-01-01

Co-operation between SMEs and Academia can be a win-win situation when each partner understands the constraints of the other. SMEs are often leaders in innovation; therefore more ready to share interest in research. They are flexible and dynamic. They need a short feed-back to sustain their co-operation. Academia is often more long-term oriented and more question- than answer-oriented. A code of conduct can ease the relationship because it can anticipate the potential problems.

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.

Clinical excellence in academia: perspectives from masterful academic clinicians.

PubMed

Christmas, Colleen; Kravet, Steven J; Durso, Samuel C; Wright, Scott M

2008-09-01

To better understand and characterize clinical excellence in academia by exploring the perspectives of clinically excellent faculty in the top American departments of medicine. Between March 1 and May 31, 2007, 2 investigators conducted in-depth semistructured interviews with 24 clinically excellent Department of Medicine physicians at 8 academic institutions. Interview transcripts were independently analyzed by 2 investigators and compared for agreement. Content analysis identified several major themes that relate to clinical excellence in academia. Physicians hailed from a range of internal medicine specialties; 20 (83%) were associate professors or professors and 8 (33%) were women. The mean percentage of time physicians spent in clinical care was 48%. Eight domains emerged as the major features of clinical excellence in academia: reputation, communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism and humanism, diagnostic acumen, skillful negotiation of the health care system, knowledge, scholarly approach to clinical care, and passion for clinical medicine. Understanding the core elements that contribute to clinical excellence in academia represents a pivotal step to defining clinical excellence in this setting. It is hoped that such work will lead to initiatives aimed at measuring and rewarding clinical excellence in our academic medical centers such that the most outstanding clinicians feel valued and decide to stay in academia to serve as role models for medical trainees.

Measuring successful knowledge sharing among academia through social media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghazali, Saadiah; Sulaiman, Nor Intan Saniah; Zabidi, Nerda Zura; Omar, Mohd Faizal; Alias, Rose Alinda

2015-12-01

This paper aims to study the influence of social media on knowledge sharing among academia. Previously, many researches have been done to explore the importance emergence of social media for public use, but there are still limited studies on how this technological advancement affects the academia. For this study, Facebook is chosen as one of the online social networking tools as the medium of knowledge sharing. To begin with, this study is started with the identification of factors that encourage the academia to share their knowledge through social media. These factors are then categorized based on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). After this knowledge has successfully shared, the level of successful knowledge sharing through Facebook is modeled using Fuzzy Logic. Fuzzy inputs for this study are the number of like, comment and share. Findings from this study indeed showed that there are many reasons encouraging academia to utilize social media for their work. Besides, this paper contributes new knowledge to fuzzy logic application as it is the first known research in measuring Facebook engagement for knowledge sharing purposes. In conclusion although there exist some barriers and limitations with the use of social media, academia are showing a positive shift in the application of these tools for work.

Structural studies of an arabinan from the stems of Ephedra sinica by methylation analysis and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Xia, Yong-Gang; Liang, Jun; Yang, Bing-You; Wang, Qiu-Hong; Kuang, Hai-Xue

2015-05-05

Plant arabinan has important biological activity. In this study, a water-soluble arabinan (Mw∼6.15kDa) isolated from the stems of Ephedra sinica was found to consist of (1→5)-Araƒ, (1→3,5)-Araƒ, T-Araƒ, (1→3)-Araƒ and (1→2,5)-Araƒ residues at proportions of 10:2:3:2:1. A tentative structure was proposed by methylation analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy ((1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, DEPT-135, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC and ROESY) and literature. The structure proposed includes a branched (1→5)-α-Araf backbone where branching occurs at the O-2 and O-3 positions of the residues with 7.7% and 15.4% of the 1,5-linked α-Araf substituted at the O-2 and O-3 positions. The presence of a branched structure was further observed by atomic force microscopy. This polymer was characterized as having a much longer linear (1→5)-α-Araf backbone as a repeating unit. In particular, the presence of α-Araf→3)-α-Araf-(1→3)-α-Araf-(1→ attached at the O-2 is a new finding. This study may facilitate a deeper understanding of structure-activity relationships of biological polysaccharides from the stems of E. sinica. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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)

The impact of knowledge sharing through social media among academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghazali, Saadiah; Sulaiman, Nor Intan Saniah; Zabidi, Nerda Zura; Omar, Mohd Faizal; Alias, Rose Alinda

2016-10-01

The world of research require researcher, academia and lecturers to share knowledge among them. With the invention of social media, knowledge sharing process has been more effective and easy. Previously, there were numerous researches done to investigate the effect of social media utilization for public used. There were also study that aimed to study social media effects in educatioanal sector but those study were centered around student's perspective. Less consideration is given towards academia's perspective. Therefore, this study is directed to explore other niche area on knowledge sharing environment where it will focused on the effects of social media on knowledge sharing among academia. Initially, literature review analysis was done to discover the potential factors that encourage academia to engage in social media. Ability to facilitate communication, idea generation and group establishment are the most cited reasons. Not only that, this paper will highlight the significance of performing this study. In conclusion, there is no doubt that social media do enhance and upgrading the knowledge sharing process thus assisting academia in their scholarly work.

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.

Constructions of Success in Academia: An Early Career Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Kathryn A.

2017-01-01

Expectations around success in academia vary, and early career academics often receive conflicting messages about what they should concentrate on to achieve promotion or tenure. Taking a social constructionist approach, this paper considers the constructs of objective and subjective career success in academia and shares the perspectives of early…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Organization of the 1991 Society of America Photonic Science Topical Meeting Held in Monterey, California on September 26 - 28, 1991. 1991 Technical Digest Series, Volume 16, Conference Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-01

Yuxin Ni, Duoyuan Wang, Lingzhi Hu, Huizhu He, Jie Xie. 532 nm. (p. 122) Junyi Zhing, Academy of Sciences of China. Photon-gated persistent spectral hole...cal hole-burning, Duoyuan Wang, Lingzhi Hu, Huizhu He, Lizeng Zhao, Xin Mi, Yuxin Ni, Academy of Sciences, China. FES Marker mode structure in the...Dongxiang, Mi Xin, Nie Yuxin Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica Beijing 100080, China, Fax:(86-1)2562605 Wang Duoyuan, Hu Lingzhi , He Huizhu, Xie

Organization of the Optical Society of America Photonic Science Topical Meeting Series (1991). Volume 16. Conference Edition: Summaries of papers presented at the Persistent Spectral Hole-Burning: Science and Applications Topical Meeting Held in Monterey, California on 26-28 September 1991

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-22

Duoyuan Wang, Lingzhi Hu, Huizhu He, Jie Xie, 532 nm. (p. 122) Junyl Zhang, Academy of Sciences of China. Photon-gated persistent spectral hole...hole-burning, Duoyuan VWang, Lingzhi Hu, Huizhu He, Lizeng Zhao, Xin Mi, Yuxin Ni, Academy of Sciences, China. FE5 Marker mode structure in the primary...Xiulang, Zhang Dongxiang, Mi Xin, Nie Yuxin Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica Beijing 100080, China, Fax:(86-1)2562605 Wang Duoyuan, Hu Lingzhi , He

Synthesis of Large-Area 2D Layered Materials and Their Heterostacking Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-13

Volume: 6 Pages: 7666 Published: JUL 2015 4. Title: Atomically Thin Heterostructures Based on Single- Layer Tungsten Diselenide and DISTRIBUTION A...AFRL-AFOSR-JP-TR-2017-0070 Synthesis of Large-Area 2D layered Materials and Their Heterostacking Structures Chih-Wei Chu Academia Sinica Final Report...TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 20 Nov 2014 to 19 Nov 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Synthesis of Large-Area 2D layered Materials and Their

A pure polysaccharide from Ephedra sinica treating on arthritis and inhibiting cytokines expression.

PubMed

Wang, Qiuhong; Shu, Zunpeng; Xing, Na; Xu, Bingqing; Wang, Changfu; Sun, Guibo; Sun, Xiaobo; Kuang, Haixue

2016-05-01

In our previous study, we found that the acidic polysaccharides of Ephedra sinica had immunosuppressive effect to treat rheumatoid arthritis and the pure polysaccharide ESP-B4 was the main composition of the acidic polysaccharides. At present, the exact molecular mechanism of ESP-B4 on treating arthritis is unclear. We are thus evaluating the properties of ESP-B4 on LPS-induced THP-1 pro-monocytic cells and adjuvant-induced arthritis in Wistar rats via TLR4. In vitro, ESP-B4 decreased the production of cytokines induced by LPS. In addition, ESP-B4 reduced the LPS-stimulated nuclear translocation of p65 subunit of NF-κB. Pretreatment with ESP-B4 significantly down-regulated the phosphorylation of MAPKs induced by LPS. Furthermore, in vivo, after 12 days of disease induced by adjuvant, rats were treated with ESP-B4 for 16 days. ESP-B4 significantly improved all parameters of inflammation. ESP-B4 reduced the release of inflammatory factors and cytokines by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Academia Meets Industry.

PubMed

Schäfer, Christian; Paprotka, Tobias; Heitzer, Ellen; Eccleston, Mark; Noe, Johannes; Holdenrieder, Stefan; Diehl, Frank; Thierry, Alain

2016-01-01

Researchers working in industrial laboratories as well as in academic laboratories discussed topics related to the use of extracellular nucleic acids in different fields. These included areas like non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, the application of different methods for the analysis and characterization of patients with benign and malignant diseases and technical aspects associated with extracellular nucleic acids. In addition, the possibilities and chances for a cooperation of researchers working in different worlds, i.e. academia and industry, were discussed.

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

[Industry-Academia Collaboration in the Clinical Laboratory Field: Chairmen's Introductory Remarks].

PubMed

Inaba, Tohru; Ikemoto, Toshiyuki

2016-01-01

Industry-academia collaboration has become essential in contemporary medicine. Therefore, many institutes including university corporations have promoted the establishment of an endowed chair and/or performed collaborative research. This symposium was held to overview the present status of industry-academia collaboration in the clinical laboratory field. As a representative of the industry, Mr. Taniguchi (Sysmex) presented the development process of M2BP Glycosylation Isomer, a new marker for liver fibrosis. Mr. Saitoh (Horiba) introduced the achievements of joint collaborative research with Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, especially the practical realization of an automated hematology analyzer capable of simultaneously measuring C-reactive protein. Mr. Setoyama (LSI Medience) presented on the characteristic collaboration between academia and commercial laboratories such as Tsukuba Medical Laboratory of Education and Research (TMER). On the other hand, as a representative of academia, Associate Prof. Imai (Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine) summarized the necessity of clinical laboratories spread regenerative medicine. Finally, Prof. Koshiba (Hyogo College of Medicine) presented on the industry-academia collaboration in routine laboratory work in his institute.

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

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.

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

Academia-Industry-Government Linkages in Tanzania: Trends, Challenges and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mpehongwa, Gasper

2013-01-01

This paper analyzed trends, challenges and prospects of academia-industry-government linkages in Tanzania. Using case study design, and documentary review to gather the required data, the study sought to answer three research questions: (1) what are the trends of academia-industry-government linkages in Tanzania?, (2) what are the challenges…

Career Development of Women in Academia: Traversing the Leaky Pipeline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasser, Courtney E.; Shaffer, Katharine S.

2014-01-01

Women's experiences in academia are laden with a fundamental set of issues pertaining to gender inequalities. A model reflecting women's career development and experiences around their academic pipeline (or career in academia) is presented. This model further conveys a new perspective on the experiences of women academicians before, during and…

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.

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.…

Women in Academia: Work-Related Stresses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keim, Jeanmarie; Erickson, Chris

1998-01-01

Highlights some of the more common stressors and difficulties faced by women in academia, particularly those of junior rank, in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service, and outlines effective strategies, including plans for institutions, for overcoming barriers. (SLD)

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.

Whole Mitochondrial Genomic and Y-Chromosomal Phylogenies of Burmese Long-Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis aurea) Suggest Ancient Hybridization between fascicularis and sinica Species Groups.

PubMed

Matsudaira, Kazunari; Hamada, Yuzuru; Bunlungsup, Srichan; Ishida, Takafumi; San, Aye Mi; Malaivijitnond, Suchinda

2018-05-11

Macaca fascicularis aurea (Burmese long-tailed macaque) is 1 of the 10 subspecies of Macaca fascicularis. Despite having few morphological differences from other subspecies, a recent phylogeographic study showed that M. f. aurea is clearly distinct genetically from Macaca fascicularis fascicularis (common long-tailed macaque) and suggests that M. f. aurea experienced a disparate evolutionary pathway versus other subspecies. To construct a detailed evolutionary history of M. f. aurea and its relationships with other macaque species, we performed phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimation of whole mitochondrial genomes (2 M. f. aurea, 8 M. f. fascicularis, and 16 animals of 12 macaque species) and 2871 bp of the Y chromosome (1 M. f. aurea, 2 M. f. fascicularis, and 5 animals of 5 macaque species) and haplotype network analysis of 758 bp of the Y chromosome (1 M. f. aurea, 2 M. f. fascicularis, and 21 animals of 19 macaque species). Whereas the Y chromosome of M. f. aurea clustered with those of the fascicularis species group in the phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses, its mtDNA clustered within the clade of the sinica species group. Based on this phylogenetic incongruence and the estimated divergence times, we propose that proto-M. f. aurea underwent hybridization with a population of the sinica species group between 2.5 and 0.95 MYA after divergence from the common ancestor of M. fascicularis. Hybridization and introgression might have been central in the evolution of M. f. aurea, similar to what occurred in the evolution of other macaque species and subspecies.

Creating a collaborative partnership between academia and service.

PubMed

Haas, Barbara K; Deardorff, Kathleen U; Klotz, Linda; Baker, Bruce; Coleman, Jean; DeWitt, Anne

2002-12-01

This article discusses how the experience of instituting preceptored clinical experiences throughout an undergraduate baccalaureate nursing curriculum resulted in a partnership between academia and service. The collaboration between academia and service built on the strengths of each institution to reach a common goal. Integration of the preceptor clinical model is unique in that implementation occurs in the second semester of a four-semester curriculum. Advantages and disadvantages to the model for students, preceptors, and faculty are presented. Unanticipated benefits to both institutions and ideas to help other programs and facilities develop a collaborative partnership for the education of baccalaureate nursing students are provided.

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

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.

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)…

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…

Open Access Meets Discoverability: Citations to Articles Posted to Academia.edu

PubMed Central

Niyazov, Yuri; Vogel, Carl; Price, Richard; Lund, Ben; Judd, David; Akil, Adnan; Mortonson, Michael; Schwartzman, Josh; Shron, Max

2016-01-01

Using matching and regression analyses, we measure the difference in citations between articles posted to Academia.edu and other articles from similar journals, controlling for field, impact factor, and other variables. Based on a sample size of 31,216 papers, we find that a paper in a median impact factor journal uploaded to Academia.edu receives 16% more citations after one year than a similar article not available online, 51% more citations after three years, and 69% after five years. We also found that articles also posted to Academia.edu had 58% more citations than articles only posted to other online venues, such as personal and departmental home pages, after five years. PMID:26886730

Collaborative research among academia, business, and government

EPA Science Inventory

SETAC is a tripartite organization comprised chiefly of three sectors: academia, government, and industry. Collaborative connections within and among these sectors provide the basis for scientific structural integrity. Such interactions generally foster scientific integrity, tra...

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…

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.

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.

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.

Mentorship in nursing academia: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Nowell, Lorelli; White, Deborah E; Mrklas, Kelly; Norris, Jill M

2015-02-21

Mentorship is perceived as vital to attracting, training, and retaining nursing faculty members and to maintaining high-quality education programs. While there is emerging evidence to support the value of mentorship in academic medicine, the extant state of the evidence for mentorship in nursing academia has not been established. We describe a protocol for a mixed-methods systematic review to critically appraise the evidence for mentorship in nursing academia. Studies examining the effectiveness of mentorship interventions with nursing faculty who teach in registered nursing education programs will be included. Mentee, mentor, and nursing education institutional outcomes will be explored. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies will be eligible for inclusion, without restrictions on publication status, year of publication, or language. We will search electronic databases (for example, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC) and gray literature (for example, conference proceedings, key journals, relevant organizational websites) for relevant citations. Using pilot-tested screening and data extraction forms, two reviewers will independently review the studies in three steps: (1) abstract/title screening, (2) full-text screening of accepted studies, and (3) data extraction of accepted studies. Studies will be aggregated for meta-synthesis (qualitative) and meta-analysis (quantitative), should the data permit. This study is the first systematic review of existing global evidence for mentorship in nursing academia. It will help identify key evidence gaps and inform the development and implementation of mentorship interventions. The mentorship outcomes that result from this review could be used to guide the practice of mentorship to increase positive outcomes for nursing faculty and the students they teach and ultimately effect improvements for the patients they care for. This review will also identify key considerations for future research on mentorship in nursing academia

Latinas/os Succeeding in Academia: The Effect of Mentors and Multiethnic Coursework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavazos, Alyssa G.

2016-01-01

Academia often devalues diverse identities, cultures, and languages through emphasis placed on academic values. To ascertain how established and new Latina/o academics achieved success in academia, the author conducted interviews with ten Latina/o academics; they noted mentoring and multiethnic coursework as influential in their success as…

Continuous Improvement Framework: Implications for Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Temponi, Cecilia

2005-01-01

Purpose: To analyze the main elements of continuous improvement (CI) in higher education and the concerns of academia's stakeholders in the implementation of such an approach. Suggests guidelines for the development of a culture more receptive to the implementation and maintenance of a CI approach in higher education. Design/methodology/approach:…

Publish or Perish: Technologists in Academia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gluck, Sandra C.

Medical technologists are relative newcomers to academia since the development of 2+2 programs and some movement away from didactic teaching at hospital sites. Medical technology faculty are now just as much a part of the publish-or-perish syndrome as their basic science and liberal arts colleagues, although their research activity is not highly…

The Battle for Legitimacy: "Jazz" Versus Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, David

1973-01-01

Jazz is black music; black man gave this music to the world, and every advancement and major innovation of this music has come from him. This is perhaps the reason that has hindered the unbiased acceptance of jazz into academia. (Author/RJ)

Keeping the Devil Away from Miss Jones: Censorship in Academia, 1976-1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, L. B.; And Others

Information on censorship in academia in the United States is presented, based on censorship cases reported in the "Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom" from 1976 to 1981. Cases occurring in academia accounted for 63 of the more than 800 cases reported. The states and institutions in which the censorship attacks occurred are identified, along with…

Gender and letters of recommendation for academia: agentic and communal differences.

PubMed

Madera, Juan M; Hebl, Michelle R; Martin, Randi C

2009-11-01

In 2 studies that draw from the social role theory of sex differences (A. H. Eagly, W. Wood, & A. B. Diekman, 2000), the authors investigated differences in agentic and communal characteristics in letters of recommendation for men and women for academic positions and whether such differences influenced selection decisions in academia. The results supported the hypotheses, indicating (a) that women were described as more communal and less agentic than men (Study 1) and (b) that communal characteristics have a negative relationship with hiring decisions in academia that are based on letters of recommendation (Study 2). Such results are particularly important because letters of recommendation continue to be heavily weighted and commonly used selection tools (R. D. Arvey & T. E. Campion, 1982; R. M. Guion, 1998), particularly in academia (E. P. Sheehan, T. M. McDevitt, & H. C. Ross, 1998).

Methods Used by Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy to Prepare Student Pharmacists for Careers in Academia

PubMed Central

Dy-Boarman, Eliza A.; Clifford, Kalin M.; Summa, Maria A.; Willson, Megan N.; Boyle, Jaclyn A.; Peeters, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Objective. To identify the methods used by US colleges and schools of pharmacy to prepare student pharmacists for academic careers. Method. An 18-item survey instrument was developed and distributed to US colleges and schools of pharmacy. Representatives were asked about faculty responsibilities, experiences in academia currently offered to student pharmacists, and representatives’ perception of their student pharmacists’ preparedness for careers in academia, including barriers in current programming. Results. Representatives from 96 colleges/schools responded. The vast majority (96%) provided academia-focused advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs), 40% provided didactic coursework in academia, 28% offered a longitudinal research track, and 42% offered academia-focused independent studies. Teaching methods and creating learning objectives were the most common pedagogical content, while assessment activities were diverse. Time was the most prevalent barrier to providing training for academic careers; however, degree of student pharmacist interest, faculty inexperience, and lack of leadership support were also commonly reported. Conclusions: Colleges and schools of pharmacy vary in the extent to which they prepare student pharmacists for careers in academia. Advanced pharmacy practice experiences were the most common method of training offered. Standardization of training for academia may better promote this career path to student pharmacists. PMID:28289296

Job Sharing for Women Pharmacists in Academia

PubMed Central

Finks, Shannon W.

2009-01-01

The pharmacist shortage, increasing numbers of female pharmacy graduates, more pharmacy schools requiring faculty members, and a lower percentage of female faculty in academia are reasons to develop unique arrangements for female academic pharmacists who wish to work part-time. Job sharing is an example of a flexible alternative work arrangement that can be successful for academic pharmacists who wish to continue in a part-time capacity. Such partnerships have worked for other professionals but have not been widely adopted in pharmacy academia. Job sharing can benefit the employer through retention of experienced employees who collectively offer a wider range of skills than a single employee. Benefits to the employee include balanced work and family lives with the ability to maintain their knowledge and skills by remaining in the workforce. We discuss the additional benefits of job-sharing as well as our experience in a non-tenure track job-sharing position at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. PMID:19960092

Job sharing for women pharmacists in academia.

PubMed

Rogers, Kelly C; Finks, Shannon W

2009-11-12

The pharmacist shortage, increasing numbers of female pharmacy graduates, more pharmacy schools requiring faculty members, and a lower percentage of female faculty in academia are reasons to develop unique arrangements for female academic pharmacists who wish to work part-time. Job sharing is an example of a flexible alternative work arrangement that can be successful for academic pharmacists who wish to continue in a part-time capacity. Such partnerships have worked for other professionals but have not been widely adopted in pharmacy academia. Job sharing can benefit the employer through retention of experienced employees who collectively offer a wider range of skills than a single employee. Benefits to the employee include balanced work and family lives with the ability to maintain their knowledge and skills by remaining in the workforce. We discuss the additional benefits of job-sharing as well as our experience in a non-tenure track job-sharing position at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy.

The Connection Between Academia and Industry

PubMed Central

Singh, Ajai; Singh, Shakuntala

2005-01-01

The growing commercialization of research with its effect on the ethical conduct of researchers, and the advancement of scientific knowledge with its effect on the welfare or otherwise of patients, are areas of pressing concern today and need a serious, thorough study. Biomedical research, and its forward march, is becoming increasingly dependent on industry-academia proximity, both commercial and geographic. A realization of the commercial value of academic biomedical research coupled with its rapid and efficient utilization by industry is the major propelling force here. A number of well-intentioned writers in the field look to the whole development with optimism. But this partnership is a double-edged sword, for it carries with it the potential of an exciting future as much as the prospect of misappropriation and malevolence. Moreover, such partnerships have sometimes eroded public trust in the research enterprise itself. Connected to the growing clout of industry in institutions is concern about thecommercialization of research and resolving the ‘patient or product’ loyalty. There is ambivalence about industry funding and influence in academia, and a consequent ‘approach-avoidance’ conflict. If academia has to provide the patients and research talent, industry necessarily has to provide the finances and other facilities based on it. This is an invariable and essential agreement between the two parties that they can walk out of only at their own peril. The profound ethical concerns that industry funded research has brought center-stage need a close look, especially as they impact patients, research subjects, public trust, marketability of products, and research and professional credibility. How can the intermediate goal of industry (patient welfare) serve the purpose of the final goal of academia is the basic struggle for conscientious research institutions /associations. And how best the goal of maximizing profits can be best served, albeit suitably

Working Towards Open and Inclusive Support of Mental Health in Academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, T. E.

2017-12-01

Mental health issues among academics have historically been dismissed as being inherent to the academic culture. While this culture is starting to shift toward more open recognition of these issues, progress toward addressing them lags. I will share a graduate student-focused perspective on some causes and effects of mental health issues in academia, and offer some actionable ideas for improvement. The stereotypical graduate school experience is conducive to the development of mental health issues. Financial stresses, balancing research, teaching, and degree commitments, and managing significant non-academic life events can be detrimental to student health without an adequate system of support. The limited recognition of and support for mental health issues in academia comes at great cost not only to individual health, but to the scientific community. Who do we exclude when we do not fully support individuals with mental health concerns? There are many anecdotes of scientists leaving academia for the sake of their mental health; it is plausible that many, anticipating potential mental health concerns or the factors that drive them, do not pursue academia at all. How can we support those in academia who experience mental health concerns? We can start by ensuring that everyone in our community has access to appropriate resources. This may look like providing new community members with clear information about the mental health services and resources that are available to the community, or advocating for better resources where they are lacking. It is important, however, to address the potential causes of mental health issues as well as the symptoms. While exact factors depend strongly on individuals, we should work to establish more flexible community standards and protocols that can accommodate the various life circumstances that we may encounter. Such actions would help to drive a broader culture shift toward recognizing and destigmatizing mental health issues.

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

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…

Gender Inequality in Academia: Evidences from Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogbogu, Christiana O.

2011-01-01

Universities and other institutions of higher education in Nigeria see themselves as liberal and open-minded. They support social movements that encourage principles of democracy and social justice, yet their mode of governance is male dominated and patriarchal. This study, therefore, identified the causes of gender inequality in academia and the…

A Case of Mimetic Isomorphism: A Short-Cut to Increasing Loyalty to Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orkodashvili, Mariam

2008-01-01

The paper discusses the process of shortening career path to leadership positions in academia that could serve as an example of mimetic isomorphism, where university tries to apply business-like quick result-oriented strategies. This strategy incentivizes young faculty to stay in universities and keep loyalty to academia. This process could also…

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

Unlocking Women's Leadership Potential: A Curricular Example for Developing Female Leaders in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knipfer, Kristin; Shaughnessy, Brooke; Hentschel, Tanja; Schmid, Ellen

2017-01-01

Women in academia face unique challenges when it comes to advancing to professorship. Using latest research about gender and academic leadership, we present a training curriculum that is sensitive to the unique demands of women in and aspiring to leadership positions in academia. The context-specific and evidence-based approach and a focus on…

Dual Career Couples in Academia, International Mobility and Dual Career Services in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tzanakou, Charikleia

2017-01-01

The number of dual career couples in academia is growing due to the increasing proportion of women with a doctoral degree and the greater propensity of women to choose another academic as their partner. At the same time, international mobility is required for career advancement in academia, creating challenges for dual career couples where both…

Electronic Publishing in Academia: An Economic Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Getz, Malcolm

The challenge to academia is to invest in services that will turn the abundance of electronic data into sound, useful, compelling information products. The process of filtering, labeling, refining, and packaging, that is, the process of editing and publishing, takes resources and will be shaped by the electronic world in significant ways. This…

Making a Case for Technology in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodds, Kathrin; Callender, Donell; Henry, Cynthia

2014-01-01

Interested in connecting users with the latest resources aimed at advancing intellectual inquiry and discovery, researchers from Texas Tech University Libraries decided to embark on a study to explore the practicality of the latest technology, the iPad, within the varying functions of academia. Using an online survey and focus groups, the…

View from... Group IV Photonics: Industry meets academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pile, David

2012-12-01

Silicon photonics and devices based on group IV elements are overcoming the tough economic downturns that have rocked industry over the past 12 years. Cross fertilization between academia and industry may lead to new devices that are both innovative and profitable.

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.

The IT Advantage Assessment Model: Applying an Expanded Value Chain Model to Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Walter L.; Stylianou, Antonis C.

2004-01-01

Academia faces an uncertain future as the 21st century unfolds. New demands, discerning students, increased competition from non-traditional competitors are just a few of the forces demanding a response. The use of information technology (IT) in academia has not kept pace with its use in industry. What has been lacking is a model for the strategic…

Choosing academia versus private practice: factors affecting oral maxillofacial surgery residents' career choices.

PubMed

Lanzon, Jesse; Edwards, Sean P; Inglehart, Marita R

2012-07-01

This study explored how residents who intend to enter private practice versus academic careers differ in their background and educational characteristics, engagement in different professional activities, professional values, and satisfaction. Survey data were collected from 257 residents in oral and maxillofacial surgery programs in the United States. The responses of the respondents who planned a career in private practice (65%) and who considered academia (35%) were compared with χ(2) and independent-sample t tests. Residents who considered academia were more likely to be women (29% vs 8%; P < .001), from non-European American backgrounds (37% vs 20%; P = .006), were less likely to be married (43% vs 71%; P < .001), and were less likely to have children (17% vs 40%; P < .001) than residents who planned to become private practitioners. A larger percentage of residents with interest in private practice reported having debts of $301,000 to $400,000 compared with the percentage of residents interested in academia. No differences were found in the way they financed their education or in their financial considerations. However, the 2 groups differed in the importance they placed on different characteristics of their professional lives and in their job-related satisfaction. Residents interested in academia responded less positively to the statement that they are extremely satisfied with their career compared with residents interested in private practice. Future clinicians placed a higher value on having manageable hours and more time performing outpatient procedures than future educators. These findings showed, first, that the characteristics at the beginning of residency programs that are likely to indicate an increased interest in academic careers are being a woman, from a non-European American background, and having an interest in research. Second, once residents are admitted, different types of surgeries and different types of professional activities tend to appeal

The End of Academia?: From "Cogito Ergo Sum" to "Consumo Ergo Sum" Germany and Malaysia in Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Kim-Hui,; Har, Wai-Mun

2008-01-01

The lack of academic and thinking culture is getting more worried and becomes a major challenge to our academia society this 21st century. Few directions that move academia from "cogito ergo sum" to "consumo ergo sum" are actually leading us to "the end of academia". Those directions are: (1) the death of dialectic;…

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Academia-industry symbiosis in organic chemistry.

PubMed

Michaudel, Quentin; Ishihara, Yoshihiro; Baran, Phil S

2015-03-17

Collaboration between academia and industry is a growing phenomenon within the chemistry community. These sectors have long held strong ties since academia traditionally trains the future scientists of the corporate world, but the recent drastic decrease of public funding is motivating the academic world to seek more private grants. This concept of industrial "sponsoring" is not new, and in the past, some companies granted substantial amounts of money per annum to various academic institutions in exchange for prime access to all their scientific discoveries and inventions. However, academic and industrial interests were not always aligned, and therefore the investment has become increasingly difficult to justify from industry's point of view. With fluctuating macroeconomic factors, this type of unrestricted grant has become more rare and has been largely replaced by smaller and more focused partnerships. In our view, forging a partnership with industry can be a golden opportunity for both parties and can represent a true symbiosis. This type of project-specific collaboration is engendered by industry's desire to access very specific academic expertise that is required for the development of new technologies at the forefront of science. Since financial pressures do not allow companies to spend the time to acquire this expertise and even less to explore fundamental research, partnering with an academic laboratory whose research is related to the problem gives them a viable alternative. From an academic standpoint, it represents the perfect occasion to apply "pure science" research concepts to solve problems that benefit humanity. Moreover, it offers a unique opportunity for students to face challenges from the "real world" at an early stage of their career. Although not every problem in industry can be solved by research developments in academia, we argue that there is significant scientific overlap between these two seemingly disparate groups, thereby presenting an

Gender Equality in Academia: A Critical Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winchester, Hilary P. M.; Browning, Lynette

2015-01-01

Gender equality in academia has been monitored in Australia for the past three decades so it is timely to reflect on what progress has been made, what works, and what challenges remain. When data were first published on the gender composition of staff in Australian universities in the mid-1980s women comprised 20 per cent of academic staff and…

The meaning of being a nurse educator and nurse educators' attraction to academia: A phenomenological study.

PubMed

Laurencelle, Francine L; Scanlan, Judith M; Brett, Anne Liners

2016-04-01

The nursing faculty shortage affects the number of nurse graduates. Understanding the meaning of being a nurse educator and what attracts nurses with graduate degrees to academia, are important considerations in addressing the recruitment and retention of faculty. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of being a nurse educator and how nurse educators' understand their attraction to academia. The sample population included 15 nurse educators with a master's or doctoral degree, currently teaching in an undergraduate or graduate nursing program in a western Canadian city. Data were collected through 15 face-to-face semi-structured interviews using an interview guide. The meaning of being a nurse educator and how nurse educators understand their attraction to academia illustrates, from the perspective of the participants, how they give meaning to being a nurse educator and how they understand their attraction to academia. Six subthemes emerged: (1) opportunities, (2) wanting to teach, (3) seeing students learn, (4) contributing to the profession, (5) the unattractive, and (6) flexibility. The faculty shortage is a complex issue, one that will persist into the foreseeable future. Understanding how nurse educators experience academia and how the meaning of these experiences attract them to academia, will facilitate the development of creative strategies to recruit and retain qualified nurse educators. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Knowledge Exchange between Academia and the Third Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murdock, Alex; Shariff, Razia; Wilding, Karl

2013-01-01

This paper considers the different approaches to undertake knowledge exchange between academia and the third sector from three practitioner perspectives. London South Bank University (LSBU), as part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) Social Enterprise Capacity Building Cluster (CBC), has been…

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

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

Leaks in the pipeline: separating demographic inertia from ongoing gender differences in academia

PubMed Central

Shaw, Allison K.; Stanton, Daniel E.

2012-01-01

Identification of the causes underlying the under-representation of women and minorities in academia is a source of ongoing concern and controversy. This is a critical issue in ensuring the openness and diversity of academia; yet differences in personal experiences and interpretations have mired it in controversy. We construct a simple model of the academic career that can be used to identify general trends, and separate the demographic effects of historical differences from ongoing biological or cultural gender differences. We apply the model to data on academics collected by the National Science Foundation (USA) over the past three decades, across all of science and engineering, and within six disciplines (agricultural and biological sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, physical sciences, psychology, and social sciences). We show that the hiring and retention of women in academia have been affected by both demographic inertia and gender differences, but that the relative influence of gender differences appears to be dwindling for most disciplines and career transitions. Our model enables us to identify the two key non-structural bottlenecks restricting female participation in academia: choice of undergraduate major and application to faculty positions. These transitions are those in greatest need of detailed study and policy development. PMID:22719028

Leaks in the pipeline: separating demographic inertia from ongoing gender differences in academia.

PubMed

Shaw, Allison K; Stanton, Daniel E

2012-09-22

Identification of the causes underlying the under-representation of women and minorities in academia is a source of ongoing concern and controversy. This is a critical issue in ensuring the openness and diversity of academia; yet differences in personal experiences and interpretations have mired it in controversy. We construct a simple model of the academic career that can be used to identify general trends, and separate the demographic effects of historical differences from ongoing biological or cultural gender differences. We apply the model to data on academics collected by the National Science Foundation (USA) over the past three decades, across all of science and engineering, and within six disciplines (agricultural and biological sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, physical sciences, psychology, and social sciences). We show that the hiring and retention of women in academia have been affected by both demographic inertia and gender differences, but that the relative influence of gender differences appears to be dwindling for most disciplines and career transitions. Our model enables us to identify the two key non-structural bottlenecks restricting female participation in academia: choice of undergraduate major and application to faculty positions. These transitions are those in greatest need of detailed study and policy development.

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

In-Vitro, Anti-Bacterial Activities of Aqueous Extracts of Acacia catechu (L.F.)Willd, Castanea sativa, Ephedra sinica stapf and shilajita mumiyo Against Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria

PubMed Central

Dashtdar, Mehrab; Dashtdar, Mohammad Reza; Dashtdar, Babak; shirazi, Mohammad khabaz; Khan, Saeed Ahmad

2013-01-01

Objective: Evaluations of the in-vitro anti-bacterial activities of aqueous extracts of Acacia catechu (L.F.)Willd, Castanea sativa, Ephedra sinica stapf and Shilajita mumiyo against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) are reasonable since these ethnomedicinal plants have been used in Persian folk medicine for treating skin diseases, venereal diseases, respiratory problems and nervous disorders for ages. Methods: The well diffusion method (KB testing) with a concentration of 250 μg/disc was used for evaluating the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC). Maximum synergistic effects of different combinations of components were also observed. Results: A particular combination of Acacia catechu (L.F.) Willd, Castanea sativa, Ephedra sinica stapf and shilajita mumiyo extracts possesses an outstanding anti-bacterial activity. It's inhibiting effect on microorganisms is significant when compared to the control group (P< 0.05). Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive microorganism. The highest antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia) or gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was exerted by formula number 2 (Table1). Conclusion: The results reveal the presence of antibacterial activities of Acacia catechu, Castanea sativa husk, Ephedra sp. and Mumiyo against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Synergistic effects in a combined formula, especially in formula number 2 (ASLANⓇ) can lead to potential sources of new antiseptic agents for treatment of acute or chronic skin ulcers. These results considering the significant antibacterial effect of the present formulation, support ethno-pharmacological uses against diarrheal and venereal diseases and demonstrate use of these plants to treat

WhatsApp Messaging: Achievements and Success in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitza, Davidivitch; Roman, Yavich

2016-01-01

In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the use of technological means in general and in academic teaching in particular. Many programs have been developed that include computer-assisted teaching, as well as online courses at educational institutions. The current study focuses on WhatsApp messaging and its use in academia. Studies…

A Study on the Role of Web Technology in Enhancing Research Pursuance among University Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Irshad; Durrani, Muhammad Ismail

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of web technologies in promoting research pursuance among university teachers, examine the use of web technologies by university teachers in conducting research and identify the problems of university academia in using web technologies for research. The study was delimited to academia of social…

Tenure Denied: Cases of Sex Discrimination in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyer, Susan K., Ed.

2004-01-01

This report focuses on women who took their fight for tenure to the courts. Drawing on 19 cases supported by the American Association of University Women Legal Advocacy Fund since 1981, we document the challenge of fighting sex discrimination in academia. In the process, we illustrate the overt and subtle forms of sex discrimination that continue…

[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.

Followership and leadership: promoting unity in academia.

PubMed

Osborne, Carl A

2011-01-01

As we plan our future in the twenty-first century, many believe that we face more problems than ever before, including the rising cost of sustaining teaching, research, and service programs in a climate in which state support for higher education is declining. Some commonly held opinions blame leaders and thus propose solutions that are based on the premise that leaders who are perceived to be ineffective should be replaced by those who promise to correct the situation. Leadership is a frequently discussed term, whereas the concept of followership is generally ignored. Followership, however, has been an unidentified facet of leadership in veterinary academia. The present article examines the premise that the primary way to solve the expanding list of problems facing academia is by zealously seeking, teaching, and encouraging leadership. Organizations such as universities succeed or fail on the basis of how well followers follow in addition to how well leaders lead. The truth is that without followers there would be no leaders. Yet the train of followers is almost nonexistent in most educational settings. Striving to recruit and entertain the proper balance of followers and leaders should be one of the goals of every college of veterinary medicine.

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.

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.

Redefining "Early Career" in Academia: A Collective Narrative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosanquet, Agnes; Mailey, Alana; Matthews, Kelly E.; Lodge, Jason M.

2017-01-01

"Early career" in academia is typically defined in terms of research capability in the five years following PhD completion, with career progression from post-doctoral appointment to tenure, promotion and beyond. This ideal path assumes steady employment and continuous research development. With academic work increasingly casualised,…

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

A Win-Win-Win Proposition -- Academia and Industry Working Together for Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cogswell, J.

2011-12-01

Both Academia and Industry have a vested interest in building a pipeline of students who are attracted to geoscience as a discipline; who invest in a solid academic geoscience foundation and who move on to fulfilling professional careers. Global society needs geoscientists to find the energy that drives our economic well-being, responsibly and safely; and to solve today's complex environmental concerns. The US Oil and Gas Industry directly employed around 17,300 geologists in 2008(1). As with the rest of the geoscience community, our industry is dealing with a bi-modal age distribution in our workforce, with many eligible to retire in the next five years. Academia and Industry have an urgent, collective, challenge to attract the best and brightest students to study geoscience and to bring promising graduates onboard and up to speed as quickly as possible ExxonMobil accomplishes this rapid acclimation to our industry by focusing on high quality on-boarding, mentoring, and training, as well as diversity in early career assignments. We have implemented a one week on-boarding workshop for our new hires that provides them with comprehensive industry as well as Corporate cultural and infrastructure information. We ensure that our new hires have dedicated mentors who are passionate about petroleum geology, passionate about the petroleum business, and passionate about teaching the next generation of "oil finders." Our new hires attend several "flagship" schools in their first 5 years, which are designed to provide the technical expertise needed in today's petroleum business. Finally, our global operations allow us to provide a rich diversity of early assignments, which enables our early career geoscientists to develop an appreciation of the breadth of our business. There is no sub-discipline of geoscience that is more or less successful transitioning into our business from Academia. The key, which we rely on Academia to provide, is a strong grounding in the fundamentals of

Leading by Example: The Case for IT Security in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Mary Ann

2005-01-01

Leadership in IT security is needed. Security matters: the ethics, the economics, and the social implications. There is much the academic community can do to help ensure cybersecurity. This document discusses steps academia can take to help ensure cybersecurity.

The Lived Experience of Novice Nursing Faculty in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooley, Shirley S.

2013-01-01

To relieve the nursing faculty shortage, notable numbers of master's prepared clinical nurse experts are entering the ranks of nursing faculty to teach the prelicensure nursing student. The transition from clinical practice to the academia raises concern about the adequacy of preparation for the complex specialization role of nurse educator. In…

Translating the Academy: Learning the Racialized Languages of Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monzó, Lilia D.; SooHoo, Suzanne

2014-01-01

This article presents narratives of 2 women faculty of color, 1 early career Latina and the other tenured Asian American woman, regarding their ontological and epistemological struggles in academia, as well as the hope, impetus, and strategies for change that they constructed together. Drawing on a critical pedagogy perspective, mentoring is…

Personal Epistemologies of Statisticians in Academia: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Aurel H.; Stylianides, Andreas J.

2017-01-01

In this exploratory study, we investigated the personal epistemologies of statisticians in academia with the aim of offering some insight into what might be an availing epistemology for learning statistics. Findings from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six academics in the UK currently researching within the field of statistics showed…

You're hired! Negotiating your first biomedical engineering position: academia vs. private sector.

PubMed

Linte, Cristian A

2008-01-01

This session is intended to prepare current bio-engineering students and post-doctoral fellows and getting them in the right shape to apply, negotiate and succeed in getting their first job in industry or academia. Tips on putting together the appropriate CV, preparing your portfolio and getting ready for the interview will be covered by the invited speakers. Academia-oriented trainees will also get a better feel on the academic requirements, what items should be highlighted in the CV, what makes a well-rounded junior faculty and what the expectations are of junior/assistant professors.

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.

Temporary Employment Contracts in Academia: A Real Option View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brady, Malcolm

2017-01-01

This paper examines the strategic use of temporary employment contracts in dealing with supply uncertainty in the form of employee ability that is slow to reveal itself, for example in academia where there exist significant time lags in demonstration of research ability. A temporary contract is modeled as a real option, specifically as a…

Rethinking the Relationship Between Academia and Industry: Qualitative Case Studies of MIT and Stanford.

PubMed

Zhu, Fengliang; Hawk, Soaring

2016-10-01

As knowledge has become more closely tied to economic development, the interrelationship between academia and industry has become stronger. The result has been the emergence of what Slaughter and Leslie call academic capitalism. Inevitably, tensions between academia and industry arise; however, universities such as MIT and Stanford with long traditions of industry interaction have been able to achieve a balance between academic and market values. This paper describes the strategies adopted by MIT and Stanford to achieve this balance. The results indicate that implicit culture is a stronger determinant of balance than are explicit rules. Finally, the author proposes a concept of balance to reconsider the relationship between academia and industry: today's universities, particularly those with strengths in engineering and management, are both symbiotic and interdependent with industry. A reasonable attitude toward the university-industry relationship is that of balance rather than strict separation. Universities can thus establish effective mechanisms to reach a balance between conflicting values.

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

Cooling effect of rivers on metropolitan Taipei using remote sensing.

PubMed

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

2014-01-23

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

Cooling Effect of Rivers on Metropolitan Taipei Using Remote Sensing

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

This study applied remote sensing technology to analyze how rivers in the urban environment affect the surface temperature of their ambient areas. While surface meteorological stations can supply accurate data points in the city, remote sensing can provide such data in a two-dimensional (2-D) manner. The goal of this paper is to apply the remote sensing technique to further our understanding of the relationship between the surface temperature and rivers in urban areas. The 2-D surface temperature data was retrieved from Landsat-7 thermal infrared images, while data collected by Formosat-2 was used to categorize the land uses in the urban area. The land surface temperature distribution is simulated by a sigmoid function with nonlinear regression analysis. Combining the aforementioned data, the range of effect on the surface temperature from rivers can be derived. With the remote sensing data collected for the Taipei Metropolitan area, factors affecting the surface temperature were explored. It indicated that the effect on the developed area was less significant than on the ambient nature zone; moreover, the size of the buffer zone between the river and city, such as the wetlands or flood plain, was found to correlate with the affected distance of the river surface temperature. PMID:24464232

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

PubMed

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

2012-08-01

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

"Good Girls": Emphasised Femininity as Cloning Culture in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattsson, Tina

2015-01-01

Gender inequality in academia might be understood as an effect of the belief of a contradiction between woman and science, which make it difficult for women to appropriate the right to author and authorise acts of knowing and thinking in science. In relation to this concern, the aim of this article is to explore how a group of successful women…

Mexican American Social Workers' Perceptions of Doctoral Education and Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tijerina, Mary; Deepak, Anne C.

2014-01-01

An increase in Latinos in the social work academy is critical due to current underrepresentation in social work education programs and rapid Latino population growth in the United States. In this qualitative study, perceptions of Mexican American master's of social work-level practitioners regarding social work doctoral education and academia were…

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.

Metabolomics based on liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry reveals the chemical difference in the stems and roots derived from Ephedra sinica.

PubMed

Lv, Mengying; Chen, Jiaqing; Gao, Yiqiao; Sun, Jianbo; Zhang, Qianqian; Zhang, Mohan; Xu, Fengguo; Zhang, Zunjian

2015-10-01

To better understand different traditional uses of the stems (known as Mahuang) and roots (known as Mahuanggen) of Ephedra sinica, their chemical difference should be investigated. In this study, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry untargeted metabolomics approach was established to reveal global chemical difference between Mahuang and Mahuanggen. Clear separation was observed in scores plots of principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis. Twenty two chemical markers responsible for such separation were screened out and unambiguously/tentatively characterized. Then chemical markers of pharmacologically important ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were absolutely quantified using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry under multiple reaction monitoring mode. The results showed that Mahuang was rich in ephedrine-type alkaloids, while Mahuanggen was rich in macrocyclic spermine alkaloids. Additionally, different types of flavan-3-ols and flavones exist in Mahuang and Mahuanggen extracts. This research facilitates a better understanding of different traditional uses of Mahuang and Mahuanggen and provides references for chemical analysis of other medicinal plants. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The International Symposium on Grids and Clouds and the Open Grid Forum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The International Symposium on Grids and Clouds 20111 was held at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan on 19th to 25th March 2011. A series of workshops and tutorials preceded the symposium. The aim of ISGC is to promote the use of grid and cloud computing in the Asia Pacific region. Over the 9 years that ISGC has been running, the programme has evolved to become more user community focused with subjects reaching out to a larger population. Research communities are making widespread use of distributed computing facilities. Linking together data centers, production grids, desktop systems or public clouds, many researchers are able to do more research and produce results more quickly. They could do much more if the computing infrastructures they use worked together more effectively. Changes in the way we approach distributed computing, and new services from commercial providers, mean that boundaries are starting to blur. This opens the way for hybrid solutions that make it easier for researchers to get their job done. Consequently the theme for ISGC2011 was the opportunities that better integrated computing infrastructures can bring, and the steps needed to achieve the vision of a seamless global research infrastructure. 2011 is a year of firsts for ISGC. First the title - while the acronym remains the same, its meaning has changed to reflect the evolution of computing: The International Symposium on Grids and Clouds. Secondly the programming - ISGC 2011 has always included topical workshops and tutorials. But 2011 is the first year that ISGC has been held in conjunction with the Open Grid Forum2 which held its 31st meeting with a series of working group sessions. The ISGC plenary session included keynote speakers from OGF that highlighted the relevance of standards for the research community. ISGC with its focus on applications and operational aspects complemented well with OGF's focus on standards development. ISGC brought to OGF real-life use cases and needs to be

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.

Bridging the Gap in Knowledge Transfer between Academia and Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gera, Rajat

2012-01-01

Purpose: The paper intends to identify the causes or gaps in transfer of managerial knowledge between academia and practitioners and to develop a framework that overcomes the gaps through knowledge management, information technology and human resource practices. The paper aims to suggest a strategic approach based on the knowledge transfer cycle.…

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.

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

PubMed

Weng, Ting Chia; Chan, Ta Chien; Lin, Hsien Tang; Chang, Chia Kun Jasper; Wang, Wen Wen; Li, Zheng Rong Tiger; Cheng, Hao-Yuan; Chu, Yu-Roo; Chiu, Allen Wen-Hsiang; Yen, Muh-Yong; King, Chwan-Chuen

2015-01-01

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

Early Detection for Cases of Enterovirus- and Influenza-Like Illness through a Newly Established School-Based Syndromic Surveillance System in Taipei, January 2010 ~ August 2011

PubMed Central

Weng, Ting Chia; Chan, Ta Chien; Li, Zheng Rong Tiger; Cheng, Hao-Yuan; Chu, Yu-Roo; Chiu, Allen Wen-Hsiang; Yen, Muh-Yong; King, Chwan-Chuen

2015-01-01

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

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.

A Critical Analysis of Anti-Discrimination Law and Microaggressions in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lukes, Robin; Bangs, Joann

2014-01-01

This article provides a critical analysis of microaggressions and anti-discrimination law in academia. There are many challenges for faculty claiming discrimination under current civil rights laws. Examples of microaggressions that fall outside of anti-discrimination law will be provided. Traditional legal analysis of discrimination will not end…

Incivility in nursing: the connection between academia and clinical settings.

PubMed

Luparell, Susan

2011-04-01

Incivility and bullying in nursing are complex problems that have garnered much attention in recent years. Emerging evidence suggests that incivility in the workplace has significant implications for nurses, patients, and health care organizations. Because today's students are tomorrow's colleagues, conversations regarding how to address incivility and bullying should include specific aspects of nursing academia and the preparation of new nurses.

Pharma and Academia: What We Have Here Is a Failure to Communicate.

PubMed

Birnbaum, Morris J

2016-09-13

In recent years, there has been substantial interest in the potential value of collaboration between academia and the pharmaceutical industry. In this Crosstalk, I discuss obstacles to these relationships being optimally productive. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Bringing the National Security Agency into the Classroom: Ethical Reflections on Academia-Intelligence Agency Partnerships.

PubMed

Kampe, Christopher; Reid, Gwendolynne; Jones, Paul; S, Colleen; S, Sean; Vogel, Kathleen M

2018-01-09

Academia-intelligence agency collaborations are on the rise for a variety of reasons. These can take many forms, one of which is in the classroom, using students to stand in for intelligence analysts. Classrooms, however, are ethically complex spaces, with students considered vulnerable populations, and become even more complex when layering multiple goals, activities, tools, and stakeholders over those traditionally present. This does not necessarily mean one must shy away from academia-intelligence agency partnerships in classrooms, but that these must be conducted carefully and reflexively. This paper hopes to contribute to this conversation by describing one purposeful classroom encounter that occurred between a professor, students, and intelligence practitioners in the fall of 2015 at North Carolina State University: an experiment conducted as part of a graduate-level political science class that involved students working with a prototype analytic technology, a type of participatory sensing/self-tracking device, developed by the National Security Agency. This experiment opened up the following questions that this paper will explore: What social, ethical, and pedagogical considerations arise with the deployment of a prototype intelligence technology in the college classroom, and how can they be addressed? How can academia-intelligence agency collaboration in the classroom be conducted in ways that provide benefits to all parties, while minimizing disruptions and negative consequences? This paper will discuss the experimental findings in the context of ethical perspectives involved in values in design and participatory/self-tracking data practices, and discuss lessons learned for the ethics of future academia-intelligence agency partnerships in the classroom.

The Three-Ring Circus of Academia: How to Become the Ringmaster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toews, Michelle L.; Yazedjian, Ani

2007-01-01

The three-ring circus of academia is made up of research, teaching, and service. It is also characterized by continuous action that must be facilitated by the academic ringmaster. Academic life is more difficult than most anticipate because the responsibilities are time-consuming, diverse, and conflicting. Therefore, this article focuses on…

Refugees, Migrants, Visitors and Internally Displaced Persons: Investigating Acculturation in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, Nicholas; Martin, Rose; Knox, Sarah; Mabingo, Alfdaniels

2016-01-01

What is the boundary of the academic space, and who can belong within it? The migration of skilled practitioners into Academia from other workplaces brings with it the opportunity to expand the understandings and functions of higher education. Similar to processes of geographic/political migration, the acculturation resulting from this…

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.

Hubble snap a beautiful supernova explosion some 160,000 light-years from Earth

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Of all the varieties of exploding stars, the ones called Type Ia are perhaps the most intriguing. Their predictable brightness lets astronomers measure the expansion of the universe, which led to the discovery of dark energy. Yet the cause of these supernovae remains a mystery. Do they happen when two white dwarf stars collide? Or does a single white dwarf gorge on gases stolen from a companion star until bursting? If the second theory is true, the normal star should survive. Astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to search the gauzy remains of a Type Ia supernova in a neighboring galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. They found a sun-like star that showed signs of being associated with the supernova. Further investigations will be needed to learn if this star is truly the culprit behind a white dwarf's fiery demise. This image, taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-68.7, also known as N103B. It is located 160,000 light-years from Earth in a neighboring galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. N103B resulted from a Type Ia supernova, whose cause remains a mystery. One possibility would leave behind a stellar survivor, and astronomers have identified a possible candidate. The actual supernova remnant is the irregular shaped dust cloud, at the upper center of the image. The gas in the lower half of the image and the dense concentration of stars in the lower left are the outskirts of the star cluster NGC 1850. The Hubble image combines visible and near-infrared light taken by the Wide Field Camera 3 in June 2014. Credit: NASA, ESA and H.-Y. Chu (Academia Sinica, Taipei) 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

International Symposium on Grids and Clouds (ISGC) 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-03-01

The International Symposium on Grids and Clouds (ISGC) 2017 will be held at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan from 5-10 March 2017, with co- located events and workshops. The main theme of ISGC 2017 is "Global Challenges: From Open Data to Open Science". The unprecedented progress in ICT has transformed the way education is conducted and research is carried out. The emerging global e-Infrastructure, championed by global science communities such as High Energy Physics, Astronomy, and Bio- medicine, must permeate into other sciences. Many areas, such as climate change, disaster mitigation, and human sustainability and well-being, represent global challenges where collaboration over e-Infrastructure will presumably help resolve the common problems of the people who are impacted. Access to global e-Infrastructure helps also the less globally organized, long-tail sciences, with their own collaboration challenges. Open data are not only a political phenomenon serving government transparency; they also create an opportunity to eliminate access barriers to all scientific data, specifically data from global sciences and regional data that concern natural phenomena and people. In this regard, the purpose of open data is to improve sciences, accelerating specifically those that may benefit people. Nevertheless, to eliminate barriers to open data is itself a daunting task and the barriers to individuals, institutions and big collaborations are manifold. Open science is a step beyond open data, where the tools and understanding of scientific data must be made available to whoever is interested to participate in such scientific research. The promotion of open science may change the academic tradition practiced over the past few hundred years. This change of dynamics may contribute to the resolution of common challenges of human sustainability where the current pace of scientific progress is not sufficiently fast. ISGC 2017 created a face-to-face venue where individual

Beyond and between academia and business: How Austrian biotechnology researchers describe high-tech startup companies as spaces of knowledge production.

PubMed

Fochler, Maximilian

2016-04-01

Research and innovation policy has invested considerable effort in creating new institutional spaces at the interface of academia and business. High-tech startups founded by academic entrepreneurs have been central to these policy imaginaries. These companies offer researchers new possibilities beyond and between academia and larger industry. However, the field of science and technology studies has thus far shown only limited interest in understanding these companies as spaces of knowledge production. This article analyses how researchers working in small and medium-sized biotechnology companies in Vienna, Austria, describe the cultural characteristics of knowledge production in this particular institutional space. It traces how they relate these characteristics to other institutional spaces they have experienced in their research biographies, such as in academia or larger corporations. It shows that the reasons why researchers decide to work in biotechnology companies and how they organize their work are deeply influenced by their perception of deficiencies in the conditions for epistemic work in contemporary academia and, to a lesser degree, in industry.

Barriers to Women Leaders in Academia: Tales from Science and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howe-Walsh, Liza; Turnbull, Sarah

2016-01-01

There is growing concern regarding the lack of women in senior positions in science and technology (ST) in United Kingdom (UK) universities. Previous research has enhanced our understanding of the challenges women in academia face to progress their careers. In contrast, relatively little is known as to why so few women reach leadership positions…

Neither the State nor the Grass Roots: Language Maintenance and the Discourse of the Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marr, Tim

1999-01-01

Describes the Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, a Peruvian institution ostensibly dedicated to maintaining Quechua. Data from writings by and about the Academia and from administrator interviews suggest that the institution shows signs of an ambivalent and potentially conflictive attitude toward the Peruvian state and Quechua speakers, and this…

Negotiating your first BME job: Do's and don'ts in academia, private sector and government.

PubMed

Linte, Cristian A

2010-01-01

This session is intended to prepare current bioengineering students and post-doctoral fellows, getting them in the right shape to apply, negotiate and succeed in getting their first job in industry or academia. Tips on putting together the appropriate CV, preparing your portfolio and getting ready for the interview will be covered by the invited speakers. The panel will consist of representatives from academia and the private sector, as well as government and regulators. This session aims to give you some all-round pointers on the dos and donts towards choosing, applying, attending an interview and negotiating your future position as a young biomedical engineer.

Reflections on the No-Uterus Rule: Pregnancy, Academia, and Feminist Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shope, Janet Hinson

2005-01-01

This essay relays the author's own pregnancy story to illustrate how academia traditionally reinforces the mind/body dualism by adhering to the no-uterus rule: a gender blind, antibody approach that treats persons as if they do not occupy a body in time and space. Her experience reveals the problems disembodied approaches to knowledge pose for…

Arboreal adaptations of body fat in wild toque macaques (Macaca sinica) and the evolution of adiposity in primates.

PubMed

Dittus, Wolfgang P J

2013-11-01

There is a paucity of information on body composition and fat patterning in wild nonhuman primates. Dissected adipose tissue from wild toque macaques (Macaca sinica) (WTM), feeding on a natural diet, accounted for 2.1% of body weight. This was far less than fatness reported for nonhuman primates raised in captivity or for contemporary humans. In WTM, fatness increased with age and diet richness, but did not differ by sex. In WTM (none of which were obese) intra-abdominal fat filled first, and "excess" fat was stored peripherally in a ratio of about 6:1. Intermuscular fat was minimal (0.1%). The superficial paunch held <15% of subcutaneous fat weight in contrast to its much larger proportions in obese humans and captive monkeys where most added fat accumulates subcutaneously. With increasing total adiposity, accumulating fat shifted in its distribution among eight different main internal and peripheral deposit areas-consistent with maintaining body balance and a low center of gravity. The available data suggest that, in arboreal primates, adaptations for agile locomotion and terminal branch feeding set constraints on the quantity and distribution of fat. The absence of a higher percentage of body fat in females and neonates (as are typical of humans) suggests that arboreal adaptations preclude the development of fat-dependent, large-brained infants and the adipose-rich mothers needed to sustain them. The lifestyle and body composition of wild primates represent a more appropriate model for early human foragers than well-fed captive monkeys do. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Protein crystallography and drug discovery: recollections of knowledge exchange between academia and industry

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The development of structure-guided drug discovery is a story of knowledge exchange where new ideas originate from all parts of the research ecosystem. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin obtained insulin from Boots Pure Drug Company in the 1930s and insulin crystallization was optimized in the company Novo in the 1950s, allowing the structure to be determined at Oxford University. The structure of renin was developed in academia, on this occasion in London, in response to a need to develop antihypertensives in pharma. The idea of a dimeric aspartic protease came from an international academic team and was discovered in HIV; it eventually led to new HIV antivirals being developed in industry. Structure-guided fragment-based discovery was developed in large pharma and biotechs, but has been exploited in academia for the development of new inhibitors targeting protein–protein interactions and also antimicrobials to combat mycobacterial infections such as tuberculosis. These observations provide a strong argument against the so-called ‘linear model’, where ideas flow only in one direction from academic institutions to industry. Structure-guided drug discovery is a story of applications of protein crystallography and knowledge exhange between academia and industry that has led to new drug approvals for cancer and other common medical conditions by the Food and Drug Administration in the USA, as well as hope for the treatment of rare genetic diseases and infectious diseases that are a particular challenge in the developing world. PMID:28875019

Iranian academia: evolution after revolution and plagiarism as a disorder.

PubMed

Ghazinoory, Sepehr; Ghazinoori, Soroush; Azadegan-Mehr, Mandana

2011-06-01

Recently, a few of scientific journals raise serious questions about scientific ethics and moral judgment of some of the Iranian government's senior executives in their papers. Plagiarism, under any circumstances is not justified, and we do not intend to justify it in this note. However, we find it useful in understanding why otherwise respected, responsible individuals may engage in plagiarism by terse review of the history Iranian academia.

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.

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

Uncaring Nurses: Mobilizing Power, Knowledge, Difference, and Resistance to Explain Workplace Violence in Academia.

PubMed

Berquist, Renee; St-Pierre, Isabelle; Holmes, Dave

2018-05-01

Violence among nurses and in nursing academia is a significant issue, with attention increasingly focused on damage resulting from psychological violence, such as bullying, harassment, aggression, and incivility. Each workplace's interpretation of violence will impact individual behavior within the organization. Organizational and environmental factors can contribute to violent behaviors becoming normalized in the workplace. When violent behaviors go unconstrained, they become imbedded within the workplace culture. An increased understanding of workplace culture is required to address workplace violence. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the use of this theoretical framework can provide greater understanding of the role of workplace culture in sustaining violent behaviors in nursing academia. The theoretical perspectives of Gail Mason on interpersonal violence and Michel Foucault on power were utilized to inform the research process and guide data analysis. The framework makes possible the exposure of a dominant discourse perpetuating violence in nursing academia. Power and violence were found to work together to shape knowledge and influence group norms and behaviors. The framework is useful in providing greater understanding of how the concepts of power, knowledge, difference, and resistance support the enactment of workplace violence. Investigating the influence of these concepts in the development of accepted practices and discourses may allow greater insight into ways violence and power are used to negotiate and enforce organizational rules and norms.

Talent Management in Academia: The Effect of Discipline and Context on Recruitment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paisey, Catriona; Paisey, Nicholas J.

2018-01-01

Although talent management is widely discussed in large for-profit organisations and multinationals, it has been little discussed in relation to higher education. This paper examines one aspect of talent management, recruitment, in academia in accounting, in two different countries, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. It frames the study around…

The Diffusion of the Learning Pyramid Myths in Academia: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Letrud, Kåre; Hernes, Sigbjørn

2016-01-01

This article examines the diffusion and present day status of a family of unsubstantiated learning-retention myths, some of which are referred to as "the learning pyramid". We demonstrate through an extensive search in academic journals and field-specific encyclopaedias that these myths are indeed widely publicised in academia and that…

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

Organic Synthetic Advanced Materials for Optoelectronic and Energy Applications (at National Taipei University of Technology)

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

Yen, Hung-Ju

These slides cover Hung-Ju Yen's recent work in the synthesis and structural design of functional materials, which were further used for optoelectronic and energy applications, such as lithium ion battery, solar cell, LED, electrochromic, and fuel cells. This was for a job interview at National Taipei University of Technology. The following topics are detailed: current challenges for lithium-ion batteries; graphene, graphene oxide and nanographene; nanographenes with various functional groups; fine tune d-spacing through organic synthesis: varying functional group; schematic view of LIBs; nanographenes as LIB anode; rate performance (charging-discharging); electrochromic technology; electrochromic materials; advantages of triphenylamine; requirement of electrochromic materialsmore » for practical applications; low driving voltage and long cycle life; increasing the electroactive sites by multi-step synthetic procedures; synthetic route to starburst triarylamine-based polyamide; electrochromism ranging from visible to NIR region; transmissive to black electrochromism; RGB and CMY electrochromism.« less

Poverty PhDs: Funds of Knowledge, Poverty, and Professional Identity in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutri, Ramona Maile; Manning, Jill Michelle; Chun, Marc

2011-01-01

In contrast to the common deficit approach, this self-study explores the relationship between the funds of knowledge possessed by people of poverty and their development of professional identity in academia. All three authors have moved beyond conditions of financial poverty, but all find that the mental conditions of poverty persist. We conclude…

Deal-Making and Rule-Breaking: Behind the Facade of Equity in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kjeldal, Sue-Ellen; Rindfleish, Jennifer; Sheridan, Alison

2005-01-01

A glass ceiling for women still exists in academia after two decades of equal employment opportunity (EEO) legislation in Australia. There are complex factors that when combined make gender inequity in the higher education sector highly resistant to change. Using personal histories as a reflexive device, the paper makes explicit the embedded male…

Not What I Expected: Early Career Prospects of Doctoral Graduates in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etmanski, Brittany; Walters, David; Zarifa, David

2017-01-01

Various studies acknowledge the uncertainty many doctoral graduates face when beginning their search for full-time employment within the academic sector. Recent graduates face a job market where the likelihood of obtaining full-time permanent positions in academia is perceived to be declining, and the mobility of graduates within the sector is…

New record of Apoholosticha sinica (Ciliophora, Urostylida) from the UK: morphology, 18S rRNA gene phylogeny and notes on morphogenesis.

PubMed

Hu, Xiaozhong; Fan, Yangbo; Warren, Alan

2015-08-01

The benthic urostylid ciliate Apoholosticha sinicaFan et al., 2014 was isolated from a salt marsh at Blakeney, UK, and reinvestigated using light microscopy and small-subunit rRNA gene sequencing. Morphologically, it corresponds well with the original description. Several stages of divisional morphogenesis and physiological reorganization were also observed from which the following could be deduced: (i) the oral apparatus is completely newly built in the proter; (ii) frontal-ventral-transverse cirral anlage II does not produce a buccal cirrus; (iii) each of the posteriormost three or four anlagen contributes one transverse cirrus at its posterior end; (iv) a row of frontoterminal cirri originates from the rearmost frontal-ventral-transverse cirral anlage; (v) the last midventral row is formed from the penultimate frontal-ventral-transverse cirral anlage. Based on new data, two diagnostic features were added to the genus definition: (i) the midventral complex is composed of midventral pairs and midventral row and (ii) pretransverse ventral cirri are absent. Based on a combination of morphological and morphogenetic data, the genus Apoholosticha is assigned to the recently erected subfamily Nothoholostichinae Paiva et al., 2014, which is consistent with sequence comparison and phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rRNA gene data. It is also concluded that this benthic species, previously reported only from China, is not an endemic form.

Academia Cuauhtli: (Re)Locating the Spiritual, if Crooked, Path to Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valenzuela, Angela

2017-01-01

This essay doubles as a critique of the brutal violence visited upon the immigrant community in Austin, Texas, in the wake of Donald Trump's presidency, and a deeply personal account related to the establishment of Academia Cuauhtli, a language and culture revitalization project in Austin, Texas. It narrates our origins as a community-anchored,…

The impact of work-life balance on intention to stay in academia: Results from a national survey of pharmacy faculty.

PubMed

Lindfelt, Tristan; Ip, Eric J; Gomez, Alejandra; Barnett, Mitchell J

2018-04-01

Border-Crossing theory suggests work-life balance and career satisfaction are inter-related and disappointment in work-life balance may predict changes in one's career path. Application of this theory to health profession faculty is plausible but has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study is to examine factors related to reported career change intention among United States pharmacy school faculty and to determine if Border-Crossing theory fits these observations. Results from a national web-based survey administered via Qualtrics ® to American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) members were utilized. Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare differences among faculty stating an intention to stay or leave academia. A logistic multivariate model was used to determine if work-life balance remains significant when controlling for other variables and if survey results support the Border-Crossing theory. Nearly all (seven hundred of 811 responders, or 86.3%) stated a desire to stay in academia. Faculty with higher work-life balance were more likely to report an intent to remain in academia. Male, older, full-professor and non-pharmacy practice faculty (social or administrative science, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and others) were more likely to state an intention to remain in academia relative to their counterparts. Lower stress, as measured by the validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores, was seen among faculty stating a desire to remain in academia. Work-life balance remained significantly inversely related to career change intention after controlling for all other factors. A significant factor related to pharmacy faculty's stated intention to remain in academia was work-life balance. Other factors such as gender, age, rank, stress level and department may also play a role. These results support the application of the Border-Crossing theory in health profession faculty and may provide pharmacy school administrators and stakeholders

Transcriptome Profiling of Khat (Catha edulis) and Ephedra sinica Reveals Gene Candidates Potentially Involved in Amphetamine-Type Alkaloid Biosynthesis

PubMed Central

Groves, Ryan A.; Hagel, Jillian M.; Zhang, Ye; Kilpatrick, Korey; Levy, Asaf; Marsolais, Frédéric; Lewinsohn, Efraim; Sensen, Christoph W.; Facchini, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Amphetamine analogues are produced by plants in the genus Ephedra and by khat (Catha edulis), and include the widely used decongestants and appetite suppressants (1S,2S)-pseudoephedrine and (1R,2S)-ephedrine. The production of these metabolites, which derive from L-phenylalanine, involves a multi-step pathway partially mapped out at the biochemical level using knowledge of benzoic acid metabolism established in other plants, and direct evidence using khat and Ephedra species as model systems. Despite the commercial importance of amphetamine-type alkaloids, only a single step in their biosynthesis has been elucidated at the molecular level. We have employed Illumina next-generation sequencing technology, paired with Trinity and Velvet-Oases assembly platforms, to establish data-mining frameworks for Ephedra sinica and khat plants. Sequence libraries representing a combined 200,000 unigenes were subjected to an annotation pipeline involving direct searches against public databases. Annotations included the assignment of Gene Ontology (GO) terms used to allocate unigenes to functional categories. As part of our functional genomics program aimed at novel gene discovery, the databases were mined for enzyme candidates putatively involved in alkaloid biosynthesis. Queries used for mining included enzymes with established roles in benzoic acid metabolism, as well as enzymes catalyzing reactions similar to those predicted for amphetamine alkaloid metabolism. Gene candidates were evaluated based on phylogenetic relationships, FPKM-based expression data, and mechanistic considerations. Establishment of expansive sequence resources is a critical step toward pathway characterization, a goal with both academic and industrial implications. PMID:25806807

The role of academia and industry in nurturing women in physics in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyamwandha, Cecilia A.; Kasina, Angeline; Muthui, Zipporah W.; Awuor, Emily; Baki, Paul

2015-12-01

The authors look at some of the primary initiatives taken by the government, academia, and industry to nurture the goals and dreams of Kenyan women physicists. They discuss key transformative lines of progress as evidenced by statistics, and the enabling environments and platforms upon which these were made possible.

Productivity in Academia: An Assessment of Causal Linkages between Output and Outcome Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wamala, Robert; Ssembatya, Vincent A.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate causal linkages between output and outcome indicators of productivity in academia. Design/methodology/approach: The duration of teaching service and the number of graduate students supervised to completion were adopted as output indicators of productivity. Equivalent outcome indicators were the…

Sexual harassment in academia: legal and administrative challenges.

PubMed

Dowell, M

1992-01-01

Guidelines and institutional policies regarding sexual harassment in academia have a relatively short and controversial background. Deference to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines in employment sexual harassment incidents guides much of the thinking in contemporary courts. Title IX of the Educational Amendments and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 are but two of the legal redresses available to students with harassment grievance complaints. Lack of definition of the term as well as research studies in nursing complicate the issue of sexual harassment. The potential impact of harassment on nursing students both in the classroom and in the practice area is significant. Nursing administrators and educators must be proactive in writing and implementing policies regarding sexual harassment.

Mixed methods systematic review exploring mentorship outcomes in nursing academia.

PubMed

Nowell, Lorelli; Norris, Jill M; Mrklas, Kelly; White, Deborah E

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to report on a mixed methods systematic review that critically examines the evidence for mentorship in nursing academia. Nursing education institutions globally have issued calls for mentorship. There is emerging evidence to support the value of mentorship in other disciplines, but the extant state of the evidence in nursing academia is not known. A comprehensive review of the evidence is required. A mixed methods systematic review. Five databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, PsycINFO) were searched using an a priori search strategy from inception to 2 November 2015 to identify quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies. Grey literature searches were also conducted in electronic databases (ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Index to Theses) and mentorship conference proceedings and by hand searching the reference lists of eligible studies. Study quality was assessed prior to inclusion using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. A convergent qualitative synthesis design was used where results from qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies were transformed into qualitative findings. Mentorship outcomes were mapped to a theory-informed framework. Thirty-four studies were included in this review, from the 3001 records initially retrieved. In general, mentorship had a positive impact on behavioural, career, attitudinal, relational and motivational outcomes; however, the methodological quality of studies was weak. This review can inform the objectives of mentorship interventions and contribute to a more rigorous approach to studies that assess mentorship outcomes. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nursing clinical developments units--A strategy to promote the relationship between practice and academia.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda

2006-05-01

Bridging the theory-practice gap has historically been acknowledged as a priority for the nursing profession. Enhancing nurses' attitudes regarding the relevance of theory to practice has been considered as crucial in order that the relationship between theory and practice becomes strong and complimentary. A review of the literature suggests that strategies such as joint clinical and academic positions have not had a significant impact in this respect. Nursing Clinical Development Units (NCDUs) were introduced in the United Kingdom as an initiative to promote the recognition and utilisation of research findings as an inherent component of nursing practice. However, there is limited literature addressing the impact of NCDUs on relationships between academia and the clinical field. The aim of this paper is to present the findings of a qualitative evaluation conducted with participants (n=14) of an NCDU program in Victoria, Australia. The findings suggest that this initiative can significantly enhance relationships with, and attitudes towards, academia.

A Closer Look at Being a Woman in Turkish Academia: A Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birlik, Nurten; Arikan, Arda

2009-01-01

In this descriptive study, women's professional lives with a focus on what it means to be a woman in Turkish academia and on whether being a woman differs from being a man in an academic context was put under scrutiny. For this purpose, a questionnaire was conducted among 41 women academics currently working at the Faculties of Education in…

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

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.

Gender and Prestige in Swedish Academia: Exploring Senior Management in Universities and University Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Helen

2017-01-01

This article highlights the multifaceted character of the Swedish higher education sector and investigates senior academic management positions from a gender perspective using theories about an academic prestige economy and academic capitalism. The focus is on an aspect often overseen in research on Swedish academia: the distinction between…

Government and Academia: The Uneasy Bond. A Round Table Held on April 13, 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Enterprise Inst. for Public Policy Research, Washington, DC.

An edited transcript of a televised American Enterprise Institute Public Policy Forum examines the dangers and benefits of the relationship between government and academia. The following questions about the government's increasing role in higher education are discussed by the panel: Can state and federal governments assist colleges and…

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

Exercise behavior and related factors in career women - the case of a bank in Taipei City.

PubMed

Chen, Chen-Mei; Chang, Mei

2004-09-01

With the trend of premature aging of physiological functions on the rise and a variety of chronic diseases continuing to spread, health promotion has become the top concern among public health experts. Regular exercise plays a pivotal role in both health promotion and disease prevention. This study aims to investigate the exercise behavior of career women and related factors. The samples were drawn from the female employees of a bank in Taipei, totaling 361 persons, all aged between 20 and 56. The result shows that only 8.6 % of the respondents exercise regularly and that among the reasons for not doing any exercise, " Don ' t have time for it " tops the list. Self-efficacy in exercise is found to be the common factor for predicting both exercise regularity and total exercise amount. Exercise intervention programs thus must be developed on the basis of female self-efficacy with a " family-oriented " activity design. It is therefore suggested that employers promote exercise and encourage exercise behaviors to help enhance employee self-efficacy as well as employee health.

What Makes Them Leave? A Path Model of Postdocs' Intentions to Leave Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorenkamp, Isabelle; Weiß, Eva-Ellen

2018-01-01

A growing number of postdoctoral academics cite stressful working conditions for considering abandoning their studies and leaving the academic profession entirely before they obtain a tenured position. This paper identifies the mechanisms by which work stress influences postdocs' intentions to leave academia. Based on Schaubroeck et al.'s (1989)…

Preparing the nurse scientist for academia and industry.

PubMed

Lewallen, Lynne P; Kohlenberg, Eileen

2011-01-01

The number of doctoral programs in nursing has been increasing. However, these programs tend to focus on preparing nurse scientists to conduct research, and many spend little time preparing doctoral students for the educator, clinical researcher, or administrator role. Leaders of doctoral programs have identified the need to prepare doctoral students in the functional roles they will assume upon graduation, in addition to the researcher role. This article describes a two-course (six-credit) sequence of courses within a research-focused PhD in Nursing program that provides didactic and experiential knowledge about the role of the nurse scientist in academia and industry settings. Students are highly satisfied with the courses, and report that the experiences have provided them with important knowledge and skills as they assume the scientist role.

NOAA & Academia Partnership Building Conference. Highlights (3rd, Washington, DC, November 14-15, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC), Silver Spring, MD.

In November 2001 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hosted the third NOAA and Academia Partnership to evaluate, maintain, and expand on efforts to optimize NOAA-university cooperation. Close partnership between the NOAA and U.S. universities has produced many benefits for the U.S. economy and the environment. Based on the…

Technology Transfer: A Case Study of Programs and Practices at NASA, DOD, DOC, and Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blood, John R.

2009-01-01

Technology transfer is vital to humanity. It spurs innovation, promotes commerce, and provides technology-based goods and services. Technology transfer is also highly complex and interdependent in nature. This interdependence is exemplified principally by the various technology transfer interactions between government, industry, and academia. …

Sexual discrimination in academia. Implications for dental hygiene faculty.

PubMed

Shuman, D; Tolle, S L

1989-02-01

Despite anti-discriminatory legislation, academic women in the 1980s have not achieved equality, and continue to face diverse problems advancing in an academic system based on a patriarchal paradigm. The purpose of this paper is to provide dental hygiene faculty with insight, awareness, and understanding into four major problem areas that influence women's academic success: values and attitudes learned through socialization; blocks to administrative positions; the male locus of decision making; and double standards of performance evaluation. Additionally, examples of solutions to these problems are discussed in three categories: individual, internal to the university, and external to the university; in an effort to better prepare women in dental hygiene education to succeed in academia despite discriminatory practices.

Collaborative Computer Graphics Product Development between Academia and Government: A Dynamic Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fowler, Deborah R.; Kostis, Helen-Nicole

2016-01-01

Collaborations and partnerships between academia and government agencies are common, especially when it comes to research and development in the fields of science, engineering and technology. However, collaboration between a government agency and an art school is rather atypical. This paper presents the Collaborative Student Project, which aims to explore the following challenge: The ideation, development and realization of education and public outreach products for NASAs upcoming ICESat-2 mission in collaboration with art students.

Design Principles for Fragment Libraries: Maximizing the Value of Learnings from Pharma Fragment-Based Drug Discovery (FBDD) Programs for Use in Academia.

PubMed

Keserű, György M; Erlanson, Daniel A; Ferenczy, György G; Hann, Michael M; Murray, Christopher W; Pickett, Stephen D

2016-09-22

Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is well suited for discovering both drug leads and chemical probes of protein function; it can cover broad swaths of chemical space and allows the use of creative chemistry. FBDD is widely implemented for lead discovery in industry but is sometimes used less systematically in academia. Design principles and implementation approaches for fragment libraries are continually evolving, and the lack of up-to-date guidance may prevent more effective application of FBDD in academia. This Perspective explores many of the theoretical, practical, and strategic considerations that occur within FBDD programs, including the optimal size, complexity, physicochemical profile, and shape profile of fragments in FBDD libraries, as well as compound storage, evaluation, and screening technologies. This compilation of industry experience in FBDD will hopefully be useful for those pursuing FBDD in academia.

Leadership, Diversity and Succession Planning in Academia. Research & Occasional Papers Series: CSHE 8.10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Cristina

2010-01-01

Although academia is becoming more like business in many respects--not all of them positive--it has not borrowed one of the best attributes of business culture: its tradition of developing leadership through succession planning. As a result, much talent is underutilized. This includes, most prominently, that of women and minorities, who tend not…

Assistant Professors of Color Confront the Inequitable Terrain of Academia: A Community Cultural Wealth Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Melissa A.; Chang, Aurora; Welton, Anjalé D.

2017-01-01

This qualitative study adopted Yosso's community cultural wealth (CCW) framework to examine how 16 assistant professors of color (APOC) drew upon various forms of capital (navigational, aspirational, social, resistant, linguistic, familial) to deal with racism and marginalization in academia. Findings revealed how APOC: dealt with students'…

Toolkit for US colleges/schools of pharmacy to prepare learners for careers in academia.

PubMed

Haines, Seena L; Summa, Maria A; Peeters, Michael J; Dy-Boarman, Eliza A; Boyle, Jaclyn A; Clifford, Kalin M; Willson, Megan N

2017-09-01

The objective of this article is to provide an academic toolkit for use by colleges/schools of pharmacy to prepare student pharmacists/residents for academic careers. Through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmac (AACP) Section of Pharmacy Practice, the Student Resident Engagement Task Force (SRETF) collated teaching materials used by colleges/schools of pharmacy from a previously reported national survey. The SRETF developed a toolkit for student pharmacists/residents interested in academic pharmacy. Eighteen institutions provided materials; five provided materials describing didactic coursework; over fifteen provided materials for an academia-focused Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE), while one provided materials for an APPE teaching-research elective. SRETF members created a syllabus template and sample lesson plan by integrating submitted resources. Submissions still needed to complete the toolkit include examples of curricular tracks and certificate programs. Pharmacy faculty vacancies still exist in pharmacy education. Engaging student pharmacists/residents about academia pillars of teaching, scholarship and service is critical for the future success of the academy. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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.

The Efficacy of Social Media Technologies in Academia: A Pedagogical Bliss or Digital Fad?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kivunja, Charles

2015-01-01

Efficacy of a teaching strategy technically refers to the ability of that strategy to produce a desired or intended learning outcomes. To date, there is little information on the efficacy of social media technologies in academia and it is likely to be some time before their effectiveness is proven. It is therefore legitimate to ask the question,…

Voices of Family Therapy Doctoral Students of Color: Aspirations and Factors Influencing Careers in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, John K.; Stone, Dana J.

2011-01-01

The authors examined factors influencing career aspirations of doctoral students of color in family therapy doctoral programs across the country, with a special focus on careers in the professoriate. Qualitative interviews were conducted with students at varying levels of degree completion. Respondents discussed barriers to careers in academia as…

Supporting business continuity during a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak: a collaboration of industry, academia, and government.

PubMed

Hennessey, Morgan; Lee, Brendan; Goldsmith, Timothy; Halvorson, Dave; Hueston, William; McElroy, Kristina; Waters, Katherine

2010-03-01

Since 2006, a collaborative group of egg industry, state, federal, and academia representatives have worked to enhance preparedness in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) planning. The collaborative group has created a draft egg product movement protocol, which calls for realistic, science-based contingency plans, biosecurity assessments, commodity risk assessments, and real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR testing to support the continuity of egg operations while also preventing and eradicating an HPAI outbreak. The work done by this group serves as an example of how industry, government, and academia can work together to achieve better preparedness in the event of an animal health emergency. In addition, in the event of an HPAI outbreak in domestic poultry, U.S. consumers will be assured that their egg products come from healthy chickens.

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

Negotiating Three Worlds: Academia, Nursing Science, and Tribal Communities

PubMed Central

Holkup, Patricia A.; Rodehorst, T. Kim; Wilhelm, Susan L.; Kuntz, Sandra W.; Weinert, Clarann; Stepans, Mary Beth Flanders; Salois, Emily Matt; Bull, Jacqueline Left Hand; Hill, Wade G.

2009-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this article is to use a cross-cultural model to guide the exploration of common issues and the dynamic interrelationships surrounding entrée to tribal communities as experienced by four nursing research teams. Method Members of four research teams discuss the primary lessons learned about successful strategies and challenges encountered during their projects' early stages. Results Understanding the cultural values of relationship and reciprocity is critical to the success of research projects conducted in Native American communities. Discussion Conducting cross-cultural research involves complex negotiations among members of three entities: academia, nursing science, and tribal communities. The lessons learned in these four research projects may be instructive to investigators who have the opportunity to conduct research with tribal communities. PMID:18948449

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

Critical Discourse Analysis of Business Academia on the Role and Status of the National Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikandar, Aliya

2017-01-01

This qualitative case study is an exploration of the phenomenon of the ways in which Urdu as the national language is represented in discursive practices of senior business academia. The research design, built on Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model (2009) is of dialectical-relational approach. The participant in this single case…

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

A study of sexuality education performance and associated factors among elementary school nurses in Taipei.

PubMed

Jou, Ming-Huey; Chen, Ping-Ling; Lee, Sheuan; Yin, Teresa J C

2003-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance and associated factors of sexuality education by elementary school nurses in Taipei. A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect data from a convenience sample of 145 elementary school nurses. The Kuder-Richarson reliability for sex knowledge scale was.73, and Cronbach's agr; for sex attitude scale was.93. The findings of the study were as followed: (1) Sex knowledge was high among study samples. The average scores for sex knowledge regarding " masturbation ", " sexual harassment and sexual abuse " were among the highest; those regarding " secondary sexual characteristics ", " ovulation ", " menstruation health care ", and " sexually transmitted diseases " were among the lowest. (2) Sex attitude was positive. Eighty percent of the study subjects agreed that school nurses were responsible for the promotion of sexual health in schools. More than 90% of the study subjects were willing to participate actively in sexuality education program in school, providing health consultation and guidance. (3) Twenty percent of the study subjects were not involved in sex education because they were not invited or due to busy working schedule.(4) Marital status, highest level of education, job title, job seniority, continuing education or training experience were the factors associated with the implementation of sexuality education among school nurses.

Median dermatology base incomes in senior academia and practice are comparable, but a significant income gap exists at junior levels.

PubMed

Tierney, Emily; Kimball, Alexa Boer

2006-08-01

The perception that dermatologists in practice have substantially higher incomes than in academics is often cited as the primary reason people choose to practice outside academic institutions. We sought to compare the incomes of dermatologists in academics versus various practice settings. Data from various surveys of dermatologists from 2002 to 2004 were adjusted for annual inflation to the year 2004 and compared. Benefits and bonuses were not included. The income level of clinical instructors, who are 7.0% of all academic dermatology faculty, were not available for inclusion. Median dermatology faculty income (combined average of assistant, associate, and professor levels) was 192,267 dollars, 12.0% less than the median practice income of 215,303 dollars. There was substantial variation across regions, institutions, and types of nonacademic practice. Median starting incomes for dermatology residency graduates were comparable in practice across multiple data sources (182,116 dollars-200,000 dollars) and private universities (189,336 dollars); however, both were significantly higher than median starting incomes in public universities (83,349 dollars). This study relied on self-reported data. Although all attempts were made to use comparable information, variances in how data were collected and classified may exist. Initial income for those entering practice is equivalent to those entering academia in private universities; however, incomes for both of these groups are 2- to 3-fold higher than those entering academia in public universities. This discrepancy may discourage some recent trainees, some of whom have high debt and high expenses, from entering the field of academic dermatology. Because incomes in academia increase predictably with increasing rank, overall self-reported incomes for established dermatologists in practice and senior academia are comparable.

ResearchGate and Academia.edu as Networked Socio-Technical Systems for Scholarly Communication: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manca, Stefania

2018-01-01

ResearchGate and Academia.edu have been increasingly acknowledged as the most popular academic social network sites (ASNS) for scholarly communication. Along with their benefits for supporting communication and knowledge sharing within academic communities, concerns over quality and credibility remain a pertinent issue. In terms of research…

Inside the Ivory Tower: Narratives of Women of Colour Surviving and Thriving in British Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabriel, Deborah, Ed.; Tate, Shirley Anne, Ed.

2017-01-01

This book is centred on the perspectives, experiences and career trajectories of women of colour in British academia. It reveals a space dominated by whiteness and patriarchy, in which women of colour must develop strategies for survival and success. The contributors explore how their experiences are shaped by race and gender and how racism…

German Academia Heading for Sustainability? Reflections on Policy and Practice in Teaching, Research and Institutional Innovations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adomssent, Maik; Michelsen, Gerd

2006-01-01

This article discusses how far (and by what practical means) the growing global trend for universities to commit to sustainable development has spread across German academia. Following this introduction, part 2 will outline the political framework of the sustainability discourse in German higher education. Part 3 will emphasise the integration of…

Examining Workplace Ostracism Experiences in Academia: Understanding How Differences in the Faculty Ranks Influence Inclusive Climates on Campus.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Carla A; Carter-Sowell, Adrienne R; Xu, Xiaohong

2016-01-01

Research on the retention of women in academia has focused on challenges, including a "chilly climate," devaluation, and incivility. The unique consequences of workplace ostracism - being ignored and excluded by others in an organizational setting - require focus on this experience as another interpersonal challenge for women in academia. The purpose of this study is to examine differences in the faculty experiences and outcomes of workplace ostracism, and to determine if these experiences are affected significantly by the gender composition of an employee's specific department. Participants were recruited at two time points to complete campus climate surveys that were distributed to faculty at a large, public, research university. We examined the number of reported ostracism experiences (Study 1) and perceived information sharing (Study 2) among male and female university faculty. The findings indicated that female faculty members perceived more workplace ostracism than male faculty members. Analyses of department gender ratios suggested that the proportion of women in the department did not reduce the amount of workplace ostracism experienced by women. No gender differences were found in perceived information sharing. However, we found that Faculty of Color, both men and women, reported more frequent information exclusion than White faculty. These results have important implications for theoretical and practical understandings of workplace demography and suggest that it is necessary to look at subtle, ambiguous forms of discrimination in order to increase retention of faculty from underrepresented groups in academia.

Examining Workplace Ostracism Experiences in Academia: Understanding How Differences in the Faculty Ranks Influence Inclusive Climates on Campus

PubMed Central

Zimmerman, Carla A.; Carter-Sowell, Adrienne R.; Xu, Xiaohong

2016-01-01

Research on the retention of women in academia has focused on challenges, including a “chilly climate,” devaluation, and incivility. The unique consequences of workplace ostracism – being ignored and excluded by others in an organizational setting – require focus on this experience as another interpersonal challenge for women in academia. The purpose of this study is to examine differences in the faculty experiences and outcomes of workplace ostracism, and to determine if these experiences are affected significantly by the gender composition of an employee’s specific department. Participants were recruited at two time points to complete campus climate surveys that were distributed to faculty at a large, public, research university. We examined the number of reported ostracism experiences (Study 1) and perceived information sharing (Study 2) among male and female university faculty. The findings indicated that female faculty members perceived more workplace ostracism than male faculty members. Analyses of department gender ratios suggested that the proportion of women in the department did not reduce the amount of workplace ostracism experienced by women. No gender differences were found in perceived information sharing. However, we found that Faculty of Color, both men and women, reported more frequent information exclusion than White faculty. These results have important implications for theoretical and practical understandings of workplace demography and suggest that it is necessary to look at subtle, ambiguous forms of discrimination in order to increase retention of faculty from underrepresented groups in academia. PMID:27303322

Development and Validation of a Measure of Intention to Stay in Academia for Physician Assistant Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Karen

2012-01-01

This study attempted development and validation of a measure of "intention to stay in academia" for physician assistant (PA) faculty in order to determine if the construct could be measured in way that had both quantitative and qualitative meaning. Adopting both the methodologic framework of the Rasch model and the theoretical framework…

Transforming Academia and Theorizing Spaces for Latinx in Higher Education: "Voces Perdidas" and "Voces De Poder"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salinas, Cristobal, Jr.

2017-01-01

The concepts of "voces perdias" and "voces de poder" are used as a symbolic representations and reflections of oppression and power in academia. Seventy-four percent of scholarship across the world is published in English. The author argues the importance of publishing in Spanish as form of liberatory practice to provide a…

Knowledge translation in tri-sectoral collaborations: An exploration of perceptions of academia, industry and healthcare collaborations in innovation adoption.

PubMed

Ii, Suzanne Sayuri; Fitzgerald, Louise; Morys-Carter, Megan M; Davie, Natasha L; Barker, Richard

2018-02-01

With the aging population and increase in chronic disease conditions, innovation to transform treatment pathways and service delivery will be necessary. The innovation adoption process however, can take 15 years before widespread adoption occurs in most healthcare systems. Current UK government policies to increase the facilitation of innovation adoption are under way. The aim of this study is to explore perceptions of tri-sectoral collaborations in the healthcare sector. The data in the study are drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2015 of professionals in academia, industry and the healthcare sectors in England, focusing on Diabetes care. Academia and healthcare respondents had the least work experience outside of their sectors compared to the industry respondents. Healthcare and academia respondents rated the industry sector less trustworthy, unethical, having different goals and less understanding of the other sectors. Industry respondents had a more positive perspective towards potential collaborators. The results from the study demonstrate greater potential challenges to tri-sectoral collaborations and the government's knowledge translation policy, due to pre-conceived notions and lack of understanding of other sectors. The purely structural approach of establishing government mandated translational networks may be insufficient without active attempts to improve collaborative relationships. Mechanisms to facilitate trust building and collaboration are proposed. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

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.

Biomarkers and personalised medicine in rheumatoid arthritis: a proposal for interactions between academia, industry and regulatory bodies.

PubMed

Miossec, P; Verweij, C L; Klareskog, L; Pitzalis, C; Barton, A; Lekkerkerker, F; Reiter, S; Laslop, A; Breedveld, F; Abadie, E; Flamion, B; Dere, W; Mpofu, S; Goel, N; Ethgen, D; Mitlak, B; Ormarsdóttir, S; Rao, R; Tsouderos, Y; Reginster, J-Y

2011-10-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most appropriate conditions for the application of personalised medicine as a high degree of heterogeneity has been recognised, which remains to be explained. Such heterogeneity is also reflected in the large number of treatment targets and options. A growing number of biologics as well as small molecules are already in use and there are promising new drugs in development. In order to make the best use of treatment options, both targeted and non-targeted biomarkers have to be identified and validated. To this aim, new rules are needed for the interaction between academia and industry under regulatory control. Setting up multi-centre biosample collections with clear definition of access, organising early, possibly non-committing discussions with regulatory authorities, and defining a clear route for the validation, qualification and registration of the biomarker-drug combination are some of the more critical areas where effective collaboration between the drug industry, academia and regulators is needed.

Relational-Cultural Theory as a Framework for Mentoring in Academia: Toward Diversity and Growth-Fostering Collaborative Scholarly Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Consuella; Olshansky, Ellen

2016-01-01

Mentoring in academia that encourages collaboration and interpersonal relationships is important in helping newer faculty members attain success. Developing such programs is challenging within our prevailing academic context that rewards competition and individually delineated success. We propose that Relational Cultural Theory, a feminist…

People’s Republic of China Scientific Abstracts, Number 177

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-10-06

PAO [ARCHITECTURAL JOURNAL] No 2, June 1977 1 CHIH-WU HSUEH-PAO [ACTA BOTANICA SINICA] No 4, December 1976 13 CHIH-WU TSA-CHIH [JOURNAL OF BOTANY...10424 CSO: 4009 12 ACTA BOTANICA SINICA AUTHOR: None ORG: Three-in-one Combination Experimental Group of Peking Ch’ung-wen Vegetable Station...Physiological Processes of Stored Tomatoes" SOURCE: Peking CHIH-WU HSUEH-PAO [ACTA BOTANICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 18, No 4, Dec 76 pp 278-283 TEXT OF

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-18

LPS O-Antigen Genes in E. coli HB101 40091002L Beijing YICHUAN XUEBAO fACTA GENETICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 19 No 4, Aug 92 pp 378-384 [English...Isolation of Vitamine B2 Auxotroph and Preliminary Genetic Mapping in Salmonella typhimurium 40091002J Beijing YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA GENETICA SINICA] in...YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA GENETICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 19 No 4, Aug 92 pp 369-377 [English abstract of article by Hai Weili [3189 0251 0500] and

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.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-25

Tang Xiaoshan [0781 1420 40091007C Beijing YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA 1472], Chen Hongshan [7115 7703 3790], et al., of the GENETICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol...the plant height, all of characters 40091007B Beijing YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA were unstable in R2. The chromosome number was 24 GENETICA SINICA] in...in a superior variety GENETICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 17 No 6, of Triticum aestivum L., Xiaoyan No. 6. Both Xiaoyan Dec 90 pp 455-460 No. 6 and its

People’s Republic of China Scientific Abstracts No. 179

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-11-08

No 2, April 1977 7 CHIH-WU HSUEH-PAO [ACTA BOTANICA SINICA] No 2, June 1977 22 I-CH’UAN HSUEH-PAO [ACTA GENETICA SINICA] No 1...photorespirators. 8650 C50J 4009 29 ACTA GENETICA SINICA AUTHOR: WU An-chiu [0702 1344 0036] ORG: Technique Staff of San-t’ai Commune Fu County...Liaoning Province TITLE: ’TProceed in Struggle, Bring up Superior Seeds for the Revolution" SOURCE: Peking I-CH’UAN HSUEH-PAO [ACTA GENETICA

JPRS Report, Science & Technology China

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-23

Protoplast Culture of Rice (Oryza sativa L.), Plant Regeneration From Protoplast-Derived Calli 40091011a Beijing YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA GENETICA ...YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA GENETICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 15 No 5, Oct 88 pp 329-334 [English abstract of article by Tao Zirong [7118 5261 2837], et al...Chang, et al., ACTA GENETICA SINICA, Vol 7 No 3, 1980 pp 283-288. 7. Zhu Zhongchun, et al., ACTA GENETICA SINICA, Vol 8 No 1, 1981 pp 63-65, 8. Mix, G

Pattern Transitions in Bacterial Oscillating System under Nanofluidic Confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Jie-Pan; Chou, Chia-Fu

2011-03-01

Successful binary fission in E. coli relies on remarkable oscillatory behavior of the MinCDE protein system to determine the exact division site. The most favorable models to explain this fascinating spatiotemporal regulation on dynamic MinDE pattern formation in cells are based on reaction-diffusion scenario. Although not fully understood, geometric factors caused by bacterial morphology play a crucial role in MinDE dynamics. In the present study, bacteria were cultured, confined and reshaped in various micro/nanofluidic devices, to mimic either curvature changes of cell peripherals. Fluorescence imaging was utilized to detail the mode transitions in multiple MinDE patterns. The understanding of the physics in multiple pattern formations is further complemented via in silico modeling. The study synergizes the join merits of in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches, to grasp the insight of stochastic dynamics inherited from the noisy mesoscopic biophysics. We acknowledge support from the Foresight Project, Academia Sinica.

Investment of palliative medicine in bridging the gap with academia: a call to action.

PubMed

Moroni, M; Bolognesi, D; Muciarelli, P A; Abernethy, A P; Biasco, G

2011-03-01

Palliative care and palliative medicine define a relatively new medical discipline that has arisen in response to the need for better approaches to caring for people with advanced life-limiting illnesses. For professional, managerial and cultural reasons, it has evolved largely outside of academic structures. As the discipline has matured, its needs for education, training, intellectual discourse, evidence development and new science have become more apparent. Traditional academia remains sceptical about the role of palliative medicine, and bastions of palliative medicine expertise in universities have been slow to develop. Yet the engagement of the academic sector in palliative medicine has distinct benefits: (1) promoting the exploration of the culture, humanities and science of the discipline; (2) generating evidence to support practice; (3) creating a legion of educators to train a palliative medicine workforce and to inform clinical colleagues of the role of palliative medicine; and (4) providing order and direction to the discipline's development. A roadmap leading to better engagement between palliative medicine and academia is needed. Examples of developments that could help bridge the two domains include: standardisation of terminology and clarification of boundaries of influence; focus on high-quality research that will generate robust evidence to support clinical decision-making; and clear definition of outcomes, with measures that are understandable across medical disciplines. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Commentary: Will academia embrace comparative effectiveness research?

PubMed

Lauer, Michael S

2011-06-01

In recent medical history, a number of therapies that were widely adopted based on observational data or pathophysiological constructs turned out to be useless or even harmful when tested in randomized comparative effectiveness trials. These therapies not only harmed patients but also did a disservice to the practical education of medical students, residents, and fellows. These trainees effectively learned that it is acceptable to implement practices even in the absence of high-quality evidence, and so they may not have learned how to analyze the quality of evidence. In this issue of Academic Medicine, seven groups address critical aspects of the intersection between comparative effectiveness research (CER) and academic medicine. Their topics include the need at academic health centers for cultural shifts, for addressing conflicts of interest, for exploiting academic talent and electronic information resources, for interacting well with policy makers, for incorporating economic evaluations, for incorporating tests of educational methods, for developing multidisciplinary models, and for integrating CER into "predictive health." This commentary argues that academia must embrace CER by insisting on the highest levels of evidence, by viewing all clinical interactions as opportunities for scientific advancement, by setting an example for policy makers and colleagues working in nonacademic settings, and by engaging all physicians in the clinical research enterprise.

Temporal distance and discrimination: an audit study in academia.

PubMed

Milkman, Katherine L; Akinola, Modupe; Chugh, Dolly

2012-07-01

Through a field experiment set in academia (with a sample of 6,548 professors), we found that decisions about distant-future events were more likely to generate discrimination against women and minorities (relative to Caucasian males) than were decisions about near-future events. In our study, faculty members received e-mails from fictional prospective doctoral students seeking to schedule a meeting either that day or in 1 week; students' names signaled their race (Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Indian, or Chinese) and gender. When the requests were to meet in 1 week, Caucasian males were granted access to faculty members 26% more often than were women and minorities; also, compared with women and minorities, Caucasian males received more and faster responses. However, these patterns were essentially eliminated when prospective students requested a meeting that same day. Our identification of a temporal discrimination effect is consistent with the predictions of construal-level theory and implies that subtle contextual shifts can alter patterns of race- and gender-based discrimination.

Toward real-time regional earthquake simulation of Taiwan earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S.; Liu, Q.; Tromp, J.; Komatitsch, D.; Liang, W.; Huang, B.

2013-12-01

We developed a Real-time Online earthquake Simulation system (ROS) to simulate regional earthquakes in Taiwan. The ROS uses a centroid moment tensor solution of seismic events from a Real-time Moment Tensor monitoring system (RMT), which provides all the point source parameters including the event origin time, hypocentral location, moment magnitude and focal mechanism within 2 minutes after the occurrence of an earthquake. Then, all of the source parameters are automatically forwarded to the ROS to perform an earthquake simulation, which is based on a spectral-element method (SEM). We have improved SEM mesh quality by introducing a thin high-resolution mesh layer near the surface to accommodate steep and rapidly varying topography. The mesh for the shallow sedimentary basin is adjusted to reflect its complex geometry and sharp lateral velocity contrasts. The grid resolution at the surface is about 545 m, which is sufficient to resolve topography and tomography data for simulations accurate up to 1.0 Hz. The ROS is also an infrastructural service, making online earthquake simulation feasible. Users can conduct their own earthquake simulation by providing a set of source parameters through the ROS webpage. For visualization, a ShakeMovie and ShakeMap are produced during the simulation. The time needed for one event is roughly 3 minutes for a 70 sec ground motion simulation. The ROS is operated online at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica (http://ros.earth.sinica.edu.tw/). Our long-term goal for the ROS system is to contribute to public earth science outreach and to realize seismic ground motion prediction in real-time.

People’s Republic of China Scientific Abstracts No. 164.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-02-23

3, Sep 76 15 I-CH’UAN HSUEH-PAO /ÄCTA GENETICA SINICA/ Vol 3, No 3, Sep 76 20 CHUNG-HUA I-HSUEH TSA-CHIH /CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL/ No 10...This is the preparatory work for cell hybridization in further experiments. 6168 CSO: ^4-009 19 ACTA GENETICA SINICA AUTHOR: None ORG...Peking I-CH’UAN HSUEH-PAO [ACTA GENETICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 3 No 3, Sep 76 pp 203-209 TEXT OF ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper deals with the

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.

The Managerial Turn in Higher Education? On the Interplay of Organizational and Occupational Change in German Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krücken, Georg; Blümel, Albrecht; Kloke, Katharina

2013-01-01

The managerial turn in academia is currently broadly discussed. Based on empirical data gathered from a sample that includes all German universities, we can give a broad and fine-grained account of this turn. What we can clearly see is that whole new categories of administrative management positions have been created over the last years.…

A novel approach to enhance food safety: industry-academia-government partnership for applied research.

PubMed

Osterholm, Michael T; Ostrowsky, Julie; Farrar, Jeff A; Gravani, Robert B; Tauxe, Robert V; Buchanan, Robert L; Hedberg, Craig W

2009-07-01

An independent collaborative approach was developed for stimulating research on high-priority food safety issues. The Fresh Express Produce Safety Research Initiative was launched in 2007 with $2 million in unrestricted funds from industry and independent direction and oversight from a scientific advisory panel consisting of nationally recognized food safety experts from academia and government agencies. The program had two main objectives: (i) to fund rigorous, innovative, and multidisciplinary research addressing the safety of lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens and (ii) to share research findings as widely and quickly as possible to support the development of advanced safeguards within the fresh-cut produce industry. Sixty-five proposals were submitted in response to a publicly announced request for proposals and were competitively evaluated. Nine research projects were funded to examine underlying factors involved in Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination of lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens and potential strategies for preventing the spread of foodborne pathogens. Results of the studies, published in the Journal of Food Protection, help to identify promising directions for future research into potential sources and entry points of contamination and specific factors associated with harvesting, processing, transporting, and storing produce that allow contaminants to persist and proliferate. The program provides a model for leveraging the strengths of industry, academia, and government to address high-priority issues quickly and directly through applied research. This model can be productively extended to other pathogens and other leafy and nonleafy produce.

Industry Academia Partnership Project: Computerized Drafting and Electronic Program Improvements through Job Experiences, Curriculum Development and Faculty Professional Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Felix; Colon, Elsie M.

The Industry-Academia Partnership Pilot Project (IAPPP) was undertaken by Huertas Junior College (HJC), in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to improve advanced technical education, enhance the competitive capabilities of the region, and reduce the region's unemployment rate. The project consisted of three basic components: professional growth opportunities…

Mortality associated with particulate concentration and Asian dust storms in Metropolitan Taipei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yu-Chun; Lin, Yu-Kai

2015-09-01

This study evaluates mortality risks from all causes, circulatory diseases, and respiratory diseases associated with particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations and Asian dust storms (ADS) from 2000 to 2008 in Metropolitan Taipei. This study uses a distributed lag non-linear model with Poisson distribution to estimate the cumulative 5-day (lags 0-4) relative risks (RRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of cause-specific mortality associated with daily PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, as well as ADS, for total (all ages) and elderly (≥65 years) populations based on study periods (ADS frequently inflicted period: 2000-2004; and less inflicted period: 2005-2008). Risks associated with ADS characteristics, including inflicted season (winter and spring), strength (the ratio of stations with Pollutant Standard Index >100 is <0.5 or ≥0.5), and duration (ADS persisted for 1-3 or ≥4 days), were also evaluated. Nonlinear models showed that an increase in PM10 from 10 μg/m3 to 50 μg/m3 was associated with increased all-cause mortality risk with cumulative 5-day RR of 1.10 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.17) for the total population and 1.10 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.18) for elders. Mortality from circulatory diseases for the elderly was related to increased PM2.5 from 5 μg/m3 to 30 μg/m3, with cumulative 5-day RR of 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.44) from 2005 to 2008. Compared with normal days, the mortality from all causes and circulatory diseases for the elderly population was associated with winter ADS with RRs of 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.08) and 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.15), respectively. Moreover, all-cause mortality was associated with shorter and less area-affected ADS with an RR of 1.04 for total and elderly populations from 2000 to 2004. Population health risk differed not only with PM concentration but also with ADS characteristics.

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

[Introduction of neuroethics: out of clinic, beyond academia in human brain research].

PubMed

Fukushi, Tamami; Sakura, Osamu

2008-11-01

Higher cognitive function in human brain is one of well-developed fields of neuroscience research in the 21st century. Especially functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and near infrared recording system have brought so many non-clinical researchers whose background is such as cognitive psychology, economics, politics, pedagogy, and so on, to the human brain mapping study. Authors have introduced the ethical issues related to incidental findings during the fMRI recording for non-clinical purpose, which is a typical problem derived from such expanded human brain research under non clinical condition, that is, neuroethics. In the present article we would introduce neuroethical issues in contexts of "out of clinic" and "beyond academia".

AFSPC Innovation and Science and Technology Outreach to Industry and Academia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanchez, Merri J.; Dills, Anthony N.; Chandler, Faith

2016-01-01

The U.S. Air Force is taking a strategic approach to ensuring that we are at the cutting edge of science and technology. This includes fostering game-changing approaches and technologies that are balanced with operational needs. The security of the Nation requires a constant pursuit of science, technical agility, and a rapid adoption of innovation. This includes pursuits of game-changing technologies and domains that perhaps we cannot even imagine today. This paper highlights the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) collaboration and outreach to other government agencies, military and national laboratories, industry, and academia on long term science and technology challenges. In particular we discuss the development of the AFSPC Long Term Science and Technology Challenges that include both space and cyberspace operations within a multi-domain environment and the subsequent Innovation Summits.

Millimeter imaging of HD 163296: probing the disk structure and kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isella, A.; Testi, L.; Natta, A.; Neri, R.; Wilner, D.; Qi, C.

2007-07-01

We present new multi-wavelength millimeter interferometric observations of the Herbig Ae star HD 163296 obtained with the IRAM/PBI, SMA and VLA arrays both in continuum and in the 12CO, 13CO and C18O emission lines. Gas and dust properties have been obtained comparing the observations with self-consistent disk models for the dust and CO emission. The circumstellar disk is resolved both in the continuum and in CO. We find strong evidence that the circumstellar material is in Keplerian rotation around a central star of 2.6 M_⊙. The disk inclination with respect to the line of sight is 46° ± 4° with a position angle of 128° ± 4°. The slope of the dust opacity measured between 0.87 and 7 mm (β = 1) confirms the presence of mm/cm-size grains in the disk midplane. The dust continuum emission is asymmetric and confined inside a radius of 200 AU while the CO emission extends up to 540 AU. The comparison between dust and CO temperature indicates that CO is present only in the disk interior. Finally, we obtain an increasing depletion of CO isotopomers from 12CO to 13CO and C18O. We argue that these results support the idea that the disk of HD 163296 is strongly evolved. In particular, we suggest that there is a strong depletion of dust relative to gas outside 200 AU; this may be due to the inward migration of large bodies that form in the outer disk or to clearing of a large gap in the dust distribution by a low mass companion. Based on observations carried out with IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer, Submillimeter Array and NRAO Very Large Array. IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain).The Submillimeter Array is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica. The NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement

Images, Ideals and Constraints in Times of Neoliberal Transformations: Reproduction and Profession as Conflicting or Complementary Spheres in Academia?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bomert, Christiane; Leinfellner, Stefanie

2017-01-01

The article deals with structural, cultural and habitual concepts, principles and ideals of parenthood in the German academic working context. It focuses on social processes of transformation and reconfiguration of reproduction and profession, which means within work and family spheres and especially within academia in times of neoliberalism,…

Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future in Computer-Related Areas as They Impact Academia, Business, and Other Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Robin M.

2017-01-01

The author has attended and presented at most ASCUE meetings since 1994, and has worked professionally in research and development, industry, military, government, business, and private and public academia--moving between computer science, software engineering, and business fields at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and even running…

Walking between academia and industry to find successful solutions to biomedical challenges: an interview with Geoffrey Smith

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Geoffrey W. Smith is currently the Managing Director of Mars Ventures. He actually started his studies with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Doctorate in Law but then, in part by chance and in part by following in his family footsteps, he stepped into the healthcare and biotech field. Since then, he has successfully contributed to the birth of a number of healthcare companies and has also held academic positions at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and at The Rockefeller University in New York, teaching about the interface between science and business. During 2014 he served as Senior Editor on Disease Models & Mechanisms, bringing to the editorial team his valuable experience in drug development and discovery. In this interview, Geoff talks to Ross Cagan, Editor-in-Chief of Disease Models & Mechanisms, about how he developed his incredibly varied career, sharing his views about industry, academia and science publishing, and discussing how academia and industry can fruitfully meet to advance bioscience, train the scientists and stakeholders of the future, and drive the successful discovery of new therapeutics to treat human disease. PMID:26438691

Walking between academia and industry to find successful solutions to biomedical challenges: an interview with Geoffrey Smith.

PubMed

Smith, Geoffrey; Cagan, Ross

2015-10-01

Geoffrey W. Smith is currently the Managing Director of Mars Ventures. He actually started his studies with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Doctorate in Law but then, in part by chance and in part by following in his family footsteps, he stepped into the healthcare and biotech field. Since then, he has successfully contributed to the birth of a number of healthcare companies and has also held academic positions at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and at The Rockefeller University in New York, teaching about the interface between science and business. During 2014 he served as Senior Editor on Disease Models & Mechanisms, bringing to the editorial team his valuable experience in drug development and discovery. In this interview, Geoff talks to Ross Cagan, Editor-in-Chief of Disease Models & Mechanisms, about how he developed his incredibly varied career, sharing his views about industry, academia and science publishing, and discussing how academia and industry can fruitfully meet to advance bioscience, train the scientists and stakeholders of the future, and drive the successful discovery of new therapeutics to treat human disease. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Natural products and drug discovery: a survey of stakeholders in industry and academia.

PubMed

Amirkia, Vafa; Heinrich, Michael

2015-01-01

In recent decades, natural products have undisputedly played a leading role in the development of novel medicines. Yet, trends in the pharmaceutical industry at the level of research investments indicate that natural product research is neither prioritized nor perceived as fruitful in drug discovery programmes as compared with incremental structural modifications and large volume HTS screening of synthetics. We seek to understand this phenomenon through insights from highly experienced natural product experts in industry and academia. We conducted a survey including a series of qualitative and quantitative questions related to current insights and prospective developments in natural product drug development. The survey was completed by a cross-section of 52 respondents in industry and academia. One recurrent theme is the dissonance between the perceived high potential of NP as drug leads among individuals and the survey participants' assessment of the overall industry and/or company level strategies and their success. The study's industry and academic respondents did not perceive current discovery efforts as more effective as compared with previous decades, yet industry contacts perceived higher hit rates in HTS efforts as compared with academic respondents. Surprisingly, many industry contacts were highly critical to prevalent company and industry-wide drug discovery strategies indicating a high level of dissatisfaction within the industry. These findings support the notion that there is an increasing gap in perception between the effectiveness of well established, commercially widespread drug discovery strategies between those working in industry and academic experts. This research seeks to shed light on this gap and aid in furthering natural product discovery endeavors through an analysis of current bottlenecks in industry drug discovery programmes.

Innovation and industry-academia interactions: where conflicts arise and measures to avoid them.

PubMed

Vagelos, P Roy

2007-03-01

Every phase of the development of biopharmaceuticals and medical devices has the potential for conflict of interest, but adherence to established rules and practices throughout product development can eliminate the possibility of conflicts. Adherence to good practices should continue through the postmarketing period, with swift reporting and vigorous investigation of any safety concerns. Although some academic medical centers are restricting interactions between their faculty and industry to prevent possible conflicts in physician education about new products, industry and academia should look for new ways to come together in mutually agreed forums that focus on educating clinicians about new products in an efficient, transparent way.

MetaABC--an integrated metagenomics platform for data adjustment, binning and clustering.

PubMed

Su, Chien-Hao; Hsu, Ming-Tsung; Wang, Tse-Yi; Chiang, Sufeng; Cheng, Jen-Hao; Weng, Francis C; Kao, Cheng-Yan; Wang, Daryi; Tsai, Huai-Kuang

2011-08-15

MetaABC is a metagenomic platform that integrates several binning tools coupled with methods for removing artifacts, analyzing unassigned reads and controlling sampling biases. It allows users to arrive at a better interpretation via series of distinct combinations of analysis tools. After execution, MetaABC provides outputs in various visual formats such as tables, pie and bar charts as well as clustering result diagrams. MetaABC source code and documentation are available at http://bits2.iis.sinica.edu.tw/MetaABC/ CONTACT: dywang@gate.sinica.edu.tw; hktsai@iis.sinica.edu.tw Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Toxicity of nine insecticides on four natural enemies of Spodoptera exigua

PubMed Central

Liu, Yongqiang; Li, Xiangying; Zhou, Chao; Liu, Feng; Mu, Wei

2016-01-01

Spodoptera exigua, which feeds on various crops worldwide, has natural enemies that are susceptible to the insecticides used against S. exigua. We investigate the toxicity and residue risk of 9 insecticides on the development of H. axyridis, C. sinica, S. manilae and T. remus. S. manilae and T. remus adults were sensitive to all 9 insecticides (LC50 less than 2.75 mg a.i. liter−1), while H. axyridis and C. sinica adults were less sensitive (LC50 between 6 × 10−5 mg a.i. liter−1 and 78.95 mg a.i. liter−1). Emamectin benzoate, spinosad, indoxacarb, alpha-cypermethrin, chlorfenapyr and chlorantraniliprole showed no toxicity on H. axyridis, C. sinica, S. manilae and T. remus pupae with the recommended field concentrations. The risk analysis indicated that chlorantraniliprole is harmless to larvae of four natural enemies and adult of H. axyridis, C. sinica and S. manilae. Emamectin benzoate and spinosad had higher safety to the development of H. axyridis, C. sinica, S. manilae and T. remus with the risk duration less than 4d. Indoxacarb, tebufenozide, chlorfenapyr, methomyl, alpha-cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos showed dangerously toxic and long risk duration on S. manilae and T. remus adults. PMID:27958333

China Report, Agriculture

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-12

ABSTRACTS GENETICS YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA GENETICA SINICA], No 3, 1985 79 YICHUAN [HEREDITAS], No 4, Jul 85" 80 ZHIWU XUEBAO [ACTA BOTANICA...FRAGMENT IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS Beijing YICHUAN XUEBAO [ACTA GENETICA SINICA] in Chinese No 3, 1985 P 169 [English abstract of article by Guo Sandui

Restoring balance to industry-academia relationships in an era of institutional financial conflicts of interest: promoting research while maintaining trust.

PubMed

Johns, Michael M E; Barnes, Mark; Florencio, Patrik S

2003-02-12

Economic partnerships between industry and academia accelerate medical innovation and enhance patient access to medical advances, but such partnerships have sometimes eroded public trust in the research enterprise. There is particular risk for conflict of interest when economic partnerships extend beyond a university's corporate interests to involve institutional decision makers. Institutions and institutional decision makers should fully disclose industry-related financial interests and relationships. Without legitimate justification for such interests, individuals should divest themselves from these interests or recuse themselves from responsibility for research oversight. Management of institutional partnerships also might entail the physical separation of certain facilities, the placement of restrictions on information shared between investment and research staffs, and provision of oversight by independent review panels made up of persons who have expertise in intellectual property, finance, and research, but who are not financially or otherwise dependent on the institution. Through these means, it is possible to restore balance to industry-academia relationships, thereby promoting progress while maintaining public trust in research.

Academia, advocacy, and industry: a collaborative method for clinical research advancement.

PubMed

Vanzo, Rena J; Lortz, Amanda; Calhoun, Amy R U L; Carey, John C

2014-07-01

Professionals who work in academia, advocacy, and industry often carry out mutually exclusive activities related to research and clinical care. However, there are several examples of collaboration among such professionals that ultimately allows for improved scientific and clinical understanding. This commentary recounts our particular experience (a collaboration between geneticists at the Universities of Minnesota and Utah, the 4p- Support Group, and Lineagen, Inc) and reviews other similar projects. We formally propose this collaborative method as a conduit for future clinical research programs. Specifically, we encourage academicians, directors of family/advocacy/support groups, and members of industry to establish partnerships and document their experiences. The medical community as a whole will benefit from such partnerships and, specifically, families will teach us lessons that could never be learned in a laboratory or textbook. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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.

Validating skinfold thickness as a proxy to estimate total body fat in wild toque macaques (Macaca sinica) using the mass of dissected adipose tissue.

PubMed

Dittus, Wolfgang P J; Gunathilake, K A Sunil

2015-06-01

Skinfold thickness (SFT) has been used often in non-human primates and humans as a proxy to estimate fatness (% body fat). We intended to validate the relation between SFT (in recently deceased specimens) and the mass of adipose tissue as determined from dissection of fresh carcasses of wild toque macaques (Macaca sinica). In adult male and female toque macaques body composition is normally 2% adipose tissue. Calipers for measuring SFT were suitable for measuring only some subcutaneous deposits of adipose tissue but were not suitable for measuring large fat deposits within the body cavity or minor intermuscular ones. The anatomical distribution of 13 different adipose deposits, in different body regions (subcutaneous, intra-abdominal and intermuscular) and their proportional size differences, were consistent in this species (as in other primates), though varying in total mass among individuals. These consistent allometric relationships were fundamental for estimating fatness of different body regions based on SFT. The best fit statistically significant correlations and regressions with the known masses of dissectible adipose tissue were evident between the SFT means of the seven sites measured, as well as with a single point on the abdomen anterior to the umbilicus. SFT related to total fat mass and intra-abdominal fat mass in curvilinear regressions and to subcutaneous fat mass in a linear relationship. To adjust for differences in body size among individuals, and to circumvent intangible variations in total body mass allocated, for example to the gastro-intestinal contents, dissected fat mass was estimated per unit body size (length of crown-rump)(3). SFT had greater coefficients of correlation and regressions with this Fat Mass Index (g/dm(3)) than with Percent Body Fat. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Toward real-time regional earthquake simulation II: Real-time Online earthquake Simulation (ROS) of Taiwan earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Shiann-Jong; Liu, Qinya; Tromp, Jeroen; Komatitsch, Dimitri; Liang, Wen-Tzong; Huang, Bor-Shouh

2014-06-01

We developed a Real-time Online earthquake Simulation system (ROS) to simulate regional earthquakes in Taiwan. The ROS uses a centroid moment tensor solution of seismic events from a Real-time Moment Tensor monitoring system (RMT), which provides all the point source parameters including the event origin time, hypocentral location, moment magnitude and focal mechanism within 2 min after the occurrence of an earthquake. Then, all of the source parameters are automatically forwarded to the ROS to perform an earthquake simulation, which is based on a spectral-element method (SEM). A new island-wide, high resolution SEM mesh model is developed for the whole Taiwan in this study. We have improved SEM mesh quality by introducing a thin high-resolution mesh layer near the surface to accommodate steep and rapidly varying topography. The mesh for the shallow sedimentary basin is adjusted to reflect its complex geometry and sharp lateral velocity contrasts. The grid resolution at the surface is about 545 m, which is sufficient to resolve topography and tomography data for simulations accurate up to 1.0 Hz. The ROS is also an infrastructural service, making online earthquake simulation feasible. Users can conduct their own earthquake simulation by providing a set of source parameters through the ROS webpage. For visualization, a ShakeMovie and ShakeMap are produced during the simulation. The time needed for one event is roughly 3 min for a 70 s ground motion simulation. The ROS is operated online at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica (http://ros.earth.sinica.edu.tw/). Our long-term goal for the ROS system is to contribute to public earth science outreach and to realize seismic ground motion prediction in real-time.

An examination of envy and jealousy in nursing academia.

PubMed

Cleary, Michelle; Walter, Garry; Halcomb, Elizabeth; Lopez, Violeta

2016-07-01

To discuss envy and jealousy and how their positive and negative aspects among nurse academics affect the workplace. In nursing academia, jealousy and envy are common emotions, engendered by demands for high productivity, intense competition for limited resources, preferences for particular assignments and opportunities for promotions. When these feelings are moderate and part of everyday rivalry, competition and ambition benefit the organisation. However, jealousy and envy can have serious consequences including damaged relationships and communication, and the undermining of colleagues' performance. Strategies are recommended to provide opportunities for self-reflection and consideration of how the workplace affects nursing academics' wellbeing and professional performance. Jealousy and envy can be damaging emotions in the workplace. The embittered, hostile person can undermine and damage relationships, disrupt teams and communication, and undermine organisational performance. Discussing the positive and negative effects of envy and jealousy provides an opportunity for nursing academics to self-reflect and to consider others and their own personal and professional performance. Understanding how jealousy and envy impact on the work environment, workplace relationships and individual/team performance is important especially for early career and seasoned nursing academics alike.

The dilemma of inclusivity in the globalization of academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castano Rodriguez, Carolina

2015-12-01

This paper extends the conversation started by Mariona Espinet, Mercè Izquierdo, Clara Garcia-Pujol; Ludovic Morge and Isabel Martins and Susana de Souza regarding the diverse issues faced by the internationalisation of science education journals. I use my own experience as an early career researcher coming from an underrepresented culture and language within academia to expand on these issues. I focus on the issues which I have experienced the most: the disconnection between university research and school practice and the struggles with the unspoken power structures. As I delve into my experience, I argue that we are failing to ask the right questions to create a science education community that is inclusive of diverse views and multicultural perspectives. We need to rethink how we can avoid colonisation of school teachers, as Isabel and Susana describe, but also the colonisation of those academics and teachers who are from non-English speaking cultures. I urge us to carry more debates such as the one initiated by these three authors, exposing and debating about the different power structures within science education so that we can progress in empowering all those voices that have been silenced.

Measuring nepotism through shared last names: the case of Italian Academia.

PubMed

Allesina, Stefano

2011-01-01

Nepotistic practices are detrimental for academia. Here I show how disciplines with a high likelihood of nepotism can be detected using standard statistical techniques based on shared last names among professors. As an example, I analyze the set of all 61,340 Italian academics. I find that nepotism is prominent in Italy, with particular disciplinary sectors being detected as especially problematic. Out of 28 disciplines, 9 - accounting for more than half of Italian professors - display a significant paucity of last names. Moreover, in most disciplines a clear north-south trend emerges, with likelihood of nepotism increasing with latitude. Even accounting for the geographic clustering of last names, I find that for many disciplines the probability of name-sharing is boosted when professors work in the same institution or sub-discipline. Using these techniques policy makers can target cuts and funding in order to promote fair practices.

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.

When Two Worlds Don't Collide: Can Social Curation Address the Marginalisation of Open Educational Practices and Resources from Outside Academia?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perryman, Leigh-Anne; Coughlan, Tony

2014-01-01

A canyonesque gulf has long existed between open academia and many external subject communities. Since 2011, we have been developing and piloting the public open scholar role (Coughlan and Perryman 2012)--involving open academics discovering, sharing and discussing open educational resources (OER) with online communities outside formal education…

Limits on light WIMPs with a 1 kg-scale germanium detector at 160 eVee physics threshold at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Li-Tao; Li, Hau-Bin; Yue, Qian; Kang, Ke-Jun; Cheng, Jian-Ping; Li, Yuan-Jing; Tsz-King Wong, Henry; Aǧartioǧlu, M.; An, Hai-Peng; Chang, Jian-Ping; Chen, Jing-Han; Chen, Yun-Hua; Deng, Zhi; Du, Qiang; Gong, Hui; He, Li; Hu, Jin-Wei; Hu, Qing-Dong; Huang, Han-Xiong; Jia, Li-Ping; Jiang, Hao; Li, Hong; Li, Jian-Min; Li, Jin; Li, Xia; Li, Xue-Qian; Li, Yu-Lan; Lin, Fong-Kay; Lin, Shin-Ted; Liu, Shu-Kui; Liu, Zhong-Zhi; Ma, Hao; Ma, Jing-Lu; Pan, Hui; Ren, Jie; Ruan, Xi-Chao; Sevda, B.; Sharma, Vivek; Shen, Man-Bin; Singh, Lakhwinder; Singh, Manoj Kumar; Tang, Chang-Jian; Tang, Wei-You; Tian, Yang; Wang, Ji-Min; Wang, Li; Wang, Qing; Wang, Yi; Wu, Shi-Yong; Wu, Yu-Cheng; Xing, Hao-Yang; Xu, Yin; Xue, Tao; Yang, Song-Wei; Yi, Nan; Yu, Chun-Xu; Yu, Hai-Jun; Yue, Jian-Feng; Zeng, Xiong-Hui; Zeng, Ming; Zeng, Zhi; Zhang, Yun-Hua; Zhao, Ming-Gang; Zhao, Wei; Zhou, Ji-Fang; Zhou, Zu-Ying; Zhu, Jing-Jun; Zhu, Zhong-Hua; CDEX Collaboration

2018-01-01

We report results of a search for light weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter from the CDEX-1 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL). Constraints on WIMP-nucleon spin-independent (SI) and spin-dependent (SD) couplings are derived with a physics threshold of 160 eVee, from an exposure of 737.1 kg-days. The SI and SD limits extend the lower reach of light WIMPs to 2 GeV and improve over our earlier bounds at WIMP mass less than 6 GeV. Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFA0402200, 2017YFA0402201), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11175099, 11275107, 11475117, 11475099, 11475092, 11675088), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (2010CB833006). We thank the support of grants from the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program (20121088494, 20151080354) and the Academia Sinica Investigator Award 2011-15, contracts 103-2112-M-001-024 and 104-2112-M-001-038-MY3 from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan.

Taiwanese antennas for the Sub-Millimeter Array: a progress report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raffin, Phillippe A.; Liu, Ching-Tang; Cervera, Mathieu; Chang, Chi-Ling; Chen, Ming-Tang; Lee, Cheng-Ching; Lee, Typhoon; Lo, Kwok-Yung; Ma, Rwei-Ping; Martin, Robert N.; Martin-Cocher, Pierre; Ong, Ching-Long; Park, Yong-Sun; Tsai, Rong-Den; Wu, Enboa; Yang, Shun-Cheng; Yang, Tien-Szu

2000-07-01

The Academia Sinica, Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) is building two antennas to be added to the six antennas of the Sub-Millimeter Array (SMA) of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). The antennas have been designed at SAO and are currently under construction at Mauna Kea. ASIAA's two antennas are made in Taiwan from parts manufactured locally and imported from Europe and from the USA. This report will focus on the manufacturing and testing of 2 major components: the alidade and the reflector. We will emphasize the work done on the composite parts used in the 6- meter reflectors, namely the carbon fiber tubes for the backup structure, the carbon fiber legs of the quadrupod and the composite central hub. We will discuss the modal testing and pointing tests of the antennas. Finally this report will show how the Taiwanese industry was able to respond to the high manufacturing standards required to build sub-millimeter antennas. The design and manufacturing capabilities of the Aeronautical Research Laboratories and China Shipbuilding Corporation have made possible the construction of the telescopes in Taiwan.

Taiwan's underwater cultural heritage documentation management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tung, Y.-Y.

2015-09-01

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

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

Power, Politics, Democracy and Reform: A Historical Review of Curriculum Reform, Academia and Government in British Columbia, Canada, 1920 to 2000

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broom, Catherine A.

2016-01-01

This paper explores the interrelations between power, politics, academia and curriculum reform in British Columbia (BC) using social studies curriculum documents as a case study. It describes how curriculum reform occurred and argues that reform was undemocratic as it was largely the product of individuals with power who invited individuals with…

Granular flow in a two-dimensional silo in the clogging regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

To, Kiwing

Clogging is an annoying phenomenon that takes place when materials flow through a bottle neck, e.g. grains flowing out of a silo with small outlet. To initiate flow after clogging, one has to break the arch that stops the flow at the outlet. This can be done by oscillating the outlet of the silo. Here we present experimental data of the flow rate of mono-disperse metal spheres through a two-dimensional silo with outlet size slightly larger than the diameter of the beads. When the outlet is oscillating at amplitude a and angular frequency ω, we find that the flow rate Q at different a and ω can be collapsed to a single curve Q (v) when plotted against the speed of oscillation v = aω . 128 Academia Road Sec. 2, Taipei, Taiwan 11529 Republic of China.

Measuring scientific impact beyond academia: An assessment of existing impact metrics and proposed improvements.

PubMed

Ravenscroft, James; Liakata, Maria; Clare, Amanda; Duma, Daniel

2017-01-01

How does scientific research affect the world around us? Being able to answer this question is of great importance in order to appropriately channel efforts and resources in science. The impact by scientists in academia is currently measured by citation based metrics such as h-index, i-index and citation counts. These academic metrics aim to represent the dissemination of knowledge among scientists rather than the impact of the research on the wider world. In this work we are interested in measuring scientific impact beyond academia, on the economy, society, health and legislation (comprehensive impact). Indeed scientists are asked to demonstrate evidence of such comprehensive impact by authoring case studies in the context of the Research Excellence Framework (REF). We first investigate the extent to which existing citation based metrics can be indicative of comprehensive impact. We have collected all recent REF impact case studies from 2014 and we have linked these to papers in citation networks that we constructed and derived from CiteSeerX, arXiv and PubMed Central using a number of text processing and information retrieval techniques. We have demonstrated that existing citation-based metrics for impact measurement do not correlate well with REF impact results. We also consider metrics of online attention surrounding scientific works, such as those provided by the Altmetric API. We argue that in order to be able to evaluate wider non-academic impact we need to mine information from a much wider set of resources, including social media posts, press releases, news articles and political debates stemming from academic work. We also provide our data as a free and reusable collection for further analysis, including the PubMed citation network and the correspondence between REF case studies, grant applications and the academic literature.

Measuring scientific impact beyond academia: An assessment of existing impact metrics and proposed improvements

PubMed Central

Liakata, Maria; Clare, Amanda; Duma, Daniel

2017-01-01

How does scientific research affect the world around us? Being able to answer this question is of great importance in order to appropriately channel efforts and resources in science. The impact by scientists in academia is currently measured by citation based metrics such as h-index, i-index and citation counts. These academic metrics aim to represent the dissemination of knowledge among scientists rather than the impact of the research on the wider world. In this work we are interested in measuring scientific impact beyond academia, on the economy, society, health and legislation (comprehensive impact). Indeed scientists are asked to demonstrate evidence of such comprehensive impact by authoring case studies in the context of the Research Excellence Framework (REF). We first investigate the extent to which existing citation based metrics can be indicative of comprehensive impact. We have collected all recent REF impact case studies from 2014 and we have linked these to papers in citation networks that we constructed and derived from CiteSeerX, arXiv and PubMed Central using a number of text processing and information retrieval techniques. We have demonstrated that existing citation-based metrics for impact measurement do not correlate well with REF impact results. We also consider metrics of online attention surrounding scientific works, such as those provided by the Altmetric API. We argue that in order to be able to evaluate wider non-academic impact we need to mine information from a much wider set of resources, including social media posts, press releases, news articles and political debates stemming from academic work. We also provide our data as a free and reusable collection for further analysis, including the PubMed citation network and the correspondence between REF case studies, grant applications and the academic literature. PMID:28278243

Early Probe and Drug Discovery in Academia: A Minireview.

PubMed

Roy, Anuradha

2018-02-09

Drug discovery encompasses processes ranging from target selection and validation to the selection of a development candidate. While comprehensive drug discovery work flows are implemented predominantly in the big pharma domain, early discovery focus in academia serves to identify probe molecules that can serve as tools to study targets or pathways. Despite differences in the ultimate goals of the private and academic sectors, the same basic principles define the best practices in early discovery research. A successful early discovery program is built on strong target definition and validation using a diverse set of biochemical and cell-based assays with functional relevance to the biological system being studied. The chemicals identified as hits undergo extensive scaffold optimization and are characterized for their target specificity and off-target effects in in vitro and in animal models. While the active compounds from screening campaigns pass through highly stringent chemical and Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) filters for lead identification, the probe discovery involves limited medicinal chemistry optimization. The goal of probe discovery is identification of a compound with sub-µM activity and reasonable selectivity in the context of the target being studied. The compounds identified from probe discovery can also serve as starting scaffolds for lead optimization studies.

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.

Aspects of digestive anatomy, feed intake and digestion in the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) at Taipei zoo.

PubMed

Lin, Mei Fong; Chang, Chi-Yen; Yang, Ci Wen; Dierenfeld, Ellen S

2015-01-01

Pangolins are considered difficult to maintain in zoos, often attributed to problems in feeding management. Taipei Zoo's designation as a wildlife rescue center for Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) has resulted in long term feeding experience with development of diets that support recovery, maintenance, and reproduction, as well as experimental opportunities to further understand digestive physiology to optimize nutrition. Opportunistic dissection of 10 animals revealed details of the tongue, salivary glands, stomach and gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including confirmation of anatomical differences between Asian and African pangolin species. Length of the total GIT relative to body length (∼ 9:1) was greater than found in domestic carnivores, more similar to omnivorous species. Intake and digestion trials conducted with 4 animals demonstrated that pangolins maintained body weights (BW; 6-9 kg) consuming diets containing 32-40% crude protein, 20-25% crude fat, and 13-28% crude fiber (DM basis). Daily DM intakes ranged from ∼40 to 70 g per animal, with digestible energy intake 51.5-87.5 kcal /kg BW(0.75) /day; pangolins consumed 9.4-15.2 g DM/kg BW(0.75) /day. Dietary energy data support observations of low metabolism and maintenance requirements for this species, similar to values reported for other myrmecophageous species. Addition of 5% ground chitin to diets improved fecal consistency, and decreased digestibility of DM, protein, and energy; addition of chitosan (chitin treated with NaOH) resulted in diet rejection. This information may assist in enhancement of captive diets, as well as in controlling obesity in pangolins. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

Description of Eurystomatella sinica n. gen., n. sp., with establishment of a new family Eurystomatellidae n. fam. (Protista, Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia) and analyses of its phylogeny inferred from sequences of the small-subunit rRNA gene.

PubMed

Miao, Miao; Wang, Yangang; Song, Weibo; Clamp, John C; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A S

2010-02-01

Recently, an undescribed marine ciliate was isolated from China. Investigation of its morphology and infraciliature revealed it as an undescribed species representing a new genus, Eurystomatella n. gen., the type of the new family Eurystomatellidae n. fam. The new family is defined by close-set, apically positioned oral membranelles and a dominant buccal field that is surrounded by an almost completely circular paroral membrane. The new genus is defined by having a small oral membranelle 1 (M1), bipartite M2 and well-developed M3, a body surface faintly sculptured with a silverline system in a quadrangular, reticulate pattern and a cytostome located at the anterior third of a large buccal field. The type species of the new genus, Eurystomatella sinica n. sp., is a morphologically unique form that is defined mainly by the combination of a conspicuously flattened body, several caudal cilia, extremely long cilia associated with the buccal apparatus and a contractile vacuole located subcaudally. According to phylogenetic analyses of small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences, Eurystomatella clusters with the genus Cyclidium, as a sister group to the family Pleuronematidae. The great divergence in both buccal and somatic ciliature between Eurystomatella and all other known scuticociliates supports the establishment of a new family for Eurystomatella.

Achieving professional success in US government, academia, and industry: an EMGS commentary.

PubMed

Poirier, Miriam C; Schwartz, Jeffrey L; Aardema, Marilyn J

2014-08-01

One of the goals of the EMGS is to help members achieve professional success in the fields they have trained in. Today, there is greater competition for jobs in genetic toxicology, genomics, and basic research than ever before. In addition, job security and the ability to advance in one's career is challenging, regardless of whether one works in a regulatory, academic, or industry environment. At the EMGS Annual Meeting in Monterey, CA (September, 2013), the Women in EMGS Special Interest Group held a workshop to discuss strategies for achieving professional success. Presentations were given by three speakers, each representing a different employment environment: Government (Miriam C. Poirier), Academia (Jeffrey L. Schwartz), and Industry (Marilyn J. Aardema). Although some differences in factors or traits affecting success in the three employment sectors were noted by each of the speakers, common factors considered important for advancement included networking, seeking out mentors, and developing exceptional communication skills. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

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

Research on the Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation Mechanism of Local University and College--Take Changchun University of Science and Technology as an Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Qiong; Li, Bo

2012-01-01

Local university and college take as their own responsibilities to serve local economy and promote social development. For them, the cooperation mechanism "Industry-Academia-Research" is not only inevitable to keep up with the development of the times and education, but also necessary to adapt themselves to market demands. It is also the…

The SULSA Assay Development Fund: accelerating translation of new biology from academia to pharma.

PubMed

McElroy, Stuart P; Jones, Philip S; Barrault, Denise V

2017-02-01

With industry increasingly sourcing preclinical drug discovery projects from academia it is important that new academic discoveries are enabled through translation with HTS-ready assays. However, many scientifically interesting, novel molecular targets lack associated high-quality, robust assays suitable for hit finding and development. To bridge this gap, the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA) established a fund to develop assays to meet quality criteria such as those of the European Lead Factory. A diverse project portfolio was quickly assembled, and a review of the learnings and successful outcomes showed this fund as a new highly cost-effective model for leveraging significant follow-on resources, training early-career scientists and establishing a culture of translational drug discovery in the academic community. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Promoting interdisciplinary project-based learning to build the skill sets for research and development of medical devices in academia.

PubMed

Krishnan, Shankar

2013-01-01

The worldwide need for rapid expansion and diversification of medical devices and the corresponding requirements in industry pose arduous challenges for educators to train undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) students. Preparing BME students for working in the research and development (R&D) in medical device industry is not easily accomplished by adopting traditional pedagogical methods. Even with the inclusion of the design and development elements in capstone projects, medical device industry may be still experience a gap in fulfilling their needs in R&D. This paper proposes a new model based on interdisciplinary project-based learning (IDPBL) to address the requirements of building the necessary skill sets in academia for carrying out R&D in medical device industry. The proposed model incorporates IDPBL modules distributed in a stepwise fashion through the four years of a typical BME program. The proposed model involves buy-in and collaboration from faculty as well as students. The implementation of the proposed design in an undergraduate BME program is still in process. However, a variant of the proposed IDPBL method has been attempted at a limited scale at the postgraduate level and has shown some success. Extrapolating the previous results, the adoption of the IDPBL to BME training seems to suggest promising outcomes. Despite numerous implementation challenges, with continued efforts, the proposed IDPBL will be valuable n academia for skill sets building for medical device R&D.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology. China: Stealth/Counter-Stealth Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-19

Frequency-Selective Surfaces 92FE0801F Beijing DIANZIXUEBAO [ACTA ELECTRONICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 20 No 6, Jun 92 pp 85-88 [Article by Shen...microwave devices and electromag- netic scattering. Motion Compensation Method in ISAR Imaging 92FE0801A Beijing DIANZIXUEBAO [ACTA ELECTRONICA ...Chinese Society of Electronics and an editor of DIANZI XUEBAO [ACTA ELECTRONICA SINICA]. Deng Wenbiao Born in February 1961, he graduated from the

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.

Effects of probiotic on microfloral structure of live feed used in larval breeding of turbot Scophthalmus maximus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yan; Zhang, Zheng; Wang, Yingeng; Jing, Yayun; Liao, Meijie; Rong, Xiaojun; Li, Bin; Chen, Guiping; Zhang, Hesen

2017-08-01

The effects of an exogenous probiotic (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) on microbial community structure of Branchionus plicatils and Artemia sinica were evaluated in this study during turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) larval breeding. The analysis and comparison of the microfloral composition of live feed with probiotic was conducted using the Illumina HiSeq PE250. The abundance of microbial species and diversity of microflora in live feed with B. amyloliquefaciens were higher than those in the control. The microfloral composition was similar among the three replicate experimental groups of B. plicatils compared with the control after enrichment. Lactococcus, Pseudoalteromonas, and Alteromonas were always dominant. Additionally, some other bacterial species became dominant during the enrichment process. The microbial community during nutrient enrichment of A. sinica was rather similar among the three control replicates. Relative abundance of Cobetia sp., the most dominant species, was 54%-65.2%. Similarity in the microbial community was still high after adding B. amyloliquefaciens. Furthermore, Pseudoalteromonas and Alteromonas replaced Cobetia as the dominant species, and the abundance of Cobetia decreased to 4.3%-25.3%. Mean common ratios at the operational taxonomic unit level were 50%-60% between the two B. plicatils and A. sinica treatments. Therefore, the microbial community structure changed after adding B. amyloliquefaciens during nutrient enrichment of B. plicatils or A. sinica and tended to stabilize. Additionally, the abundance of Vibrio in any kind of live feed was not significantly different from that in the control. These results will help improve the microflora of B. plicatils and A. sinica and can be used to understand the multiple-level transfer role of probiotic species among probiotic products, microflora of live feed, and fish larvae.

Sequence analysis of chloroplast chlB gene of medicinal Ephedra species and its application to authentication of Ephedra Herb.

PubMed

Guo, Yahong; Tsuruga, Ayako; Yamaguchi, Shigeharu; Oba, Koji; Iwai, Kasumi; Sekita, Setsuko; Mizukami, Hajime

2006-06-01

Chloroplast chlB gene encoding subunit B of light-independent protochlorophyllide reductase was amplified from herbarium and crude drug specimens of Ephedra sinica, E. intermedia, E. equisetina, and E. przewalskii. Sequence comparison of the chlB gene indicated that all the E. sinica specimens have the same sequence type (Type S) distinctive from other species, while there are two sequence types (Type E1 and Type E2) in E. equisetina. E. intermedia and E. prezewalskii revealed an identical sequence type (Type IP). E. sinica was also identified by digesting the chlB fragment with Bcl I. A novel method for DNA authentication of Ephedra Herb based on the sequences of the chloroplast chlB gene and internal transcribed spacer of nuclear rRNA genes was developed and successfully applied for identification of the crude drugs obtained in the Chinese market.

A Case Study of an Academia-Industry Partnership to Meet the Education and Training Needs in a Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Joseph Carl

2013-01-01

The purpose of this case study is to provide a description of the characteristics of an academia-industry partnership that works together with industry to meet the education and training needs in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field. After the launch of Sputnik in 1957, U.S. pursued efforts to compete in STEM fields on…

Retraction: Two novel duck antibacterial peptides, avian β-defensins 9 and 10, with antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

2013-01-01

The article by Ma et al. that published in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (2009, 19: 1447-1455) was used the same data in two journal articles (Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica, 2009, 40(9): 1320-1326, Scientia Agricultura Sinica, 2009, 42(4): 1406-1412). Therefore, the article is retracted from JMB as a misconduct of the authors. JMB as the publisher regrets for any inconvenience may have caused by the retraction to readers.

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.

Developing SNMS for Full-Spectrum High-Sensitivity In-Situ Isotopic Analysis of Individual Comet Grains Collected by Stardust?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Chun-Yen; Shen, Jason Jiun-San; Lee, Typhoon; Calaway, Wallis; Veryovkin, Igor; Moore, Jerry; Pellin, Michael

2005-01-01

In anticipation of the return of comet (and ISM?) dust grains by the Stardust mission [1] in mid-January next year, Academia Sinica (AS) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have entered into a collaboration to develop instrument and method for the isotopic analysis of these samples. We need to achieve the highest possible sensitivity so that we can analyze individual grains one at a time to the smallest possible size. Only by doing so can we hope to reach one of the main science goals of the mission, namely the recognition of those isotopically distinct grains each carrying the characteristic signature of a particular nucleosynthetic stage of its parent star. In order to facilitate the interpretation of these grains the second requirement of our method is that the measurements must be made over the widest possible mass range before samples exhaustion. For instance, the thermonuclear fusion reactions that produced the isotopes of various major elements of a wide mass range required drastically different temperatures. Therefore their abundances could constrain the conditions at greatly varying depth inside the source star hence its structure and evolution.

Only an integrated approach across academia, enterprise, governments, and global agencies can tackle the public health impact of climate change

PubMed Central

Stordalen, Gunhild A.; Rocklöv, Joacim; Nilsson, Maria; Byass, Peter

2013-01-01

Background Despite considerable global attention to the issues of climate change, relatively little priority has been given to the likely effects on human health of current and future changes in the global climate. We identify three major societal determinants that influence the impact of climate change on human health, namely the application of scholarship and knowledge; economic and commercial considerations; and actions of governments and global agencies. Discussion The three major areas are each discussed in terms of the ways in which they facilitate and frustrate attempts to protect human health from the effects of climate change. Academia still pays very little attention to the effects of climate on health in poorer countries. Enterprise is starting to recognise that healthy commerce depends on healthy people, and so climate change presents long-term threats if it compromises health. Governments and international agencies are very active, but often face immovable vested interests in other sectors. Overall, there tends to be too little interaction between the three areas, and this means that potential synergies and co-benefits are not always realised. Conclusion More attention from academia, enterprise, and international agencies needs to be given to the potential threats the climate change presents to human health. However, there needs to also be much closer collaboration between all three areas in order to capitalise on possible synergies that can be achieved between them. PMID:23653920

Social exclusion in academia through biases in methodological quality evaluation: On the situation of women in science and philosophy.

PubMed

Leuschner, Anna

2015-12-01

Empirical studies show that academia is socially exclusive. I argue that this social exclusion works, at least partly, through the systematic methodological disqualification of contributions from members of underrepresented social groups. As methodological quality criteria are underdetermined their interpretation and weighting can be biased with relation to gender, race, social background, etc. Such biased quality evaluation can take place on a local or global level. The current situation of women in academic philosophy illuminates this. I conclude that only mechanical solutions can effectively change the situation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

People’s Republic of China Scientific Abstracts No. 178

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-10-27

AUTHOR: YANG Jung [2799 2837] ORG: None TITLE: "Two Small Examples Of Innovation" SOURCE: Peking HANG-K’UNG CHIH- SHIH [AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE] No...for original source materials or information as to the availability of full translations of these articles. CONTENTS PAGE HANG-K’UNG CRTH- SHIH ...SHENG-WU-HSUEH CHI-K’AN [ACTA HYDROBIOLOGICA SINICA] No 1, December 1976 35 CHUNG- KUO LIN-YEH K𔃺-HSUEH [SCIENTIA SILVAE SINICA] No 2, July 1977

Digital innovation through partnership between nature conservation organisations and academia: a qualitative impact assessment.

PubMed

Galán-Díaz, Carlos; Edwards, Peter; Nelson, John D; van der Wal, René

2015-11-01

Nature conservation organisations increasingly turn to new digital technologies to help deliver conservation objectives. This has led to collaborative forms of working with academia to spearhead digital innovation. Through in-depth interviews with three UK research-council-funded case studies, we show that by working with academics conservation organisations can receive positive and negative impacts, some of which cut across their operations. Positive impacts include new ways of engaging with audiences, improved data workflows, financial benefits, capacity building and the necessary digital infrastructure to help them influence policy. Negative impacts include the time and resources required to learn new skills and sustain new technologies, managing different organisational objectives and shifts in working practices as a result of the new technologies. Most importantly, collaboration with academics was shown to bring the opportunity of a profound change in perspectives on technologies with benefits to the partner organisations and individuals therein.

Training Multidisciplinary Scholars in Science Policy for Careers in Academia, Private Sector, and Public Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenney, M. A.

2015-12-01

Regardless of a graduate student's ultimate career ambitions, it is becoming increasingly important to either develop skills to successfully transition into non-academic careers or to be able to understand the societal benefits of basic and applied research programs. In this talk I will provide my prospective -- from working in academia, the Federal government, and as an independent consultant -- about the training that we need for graduate students to navigate the jungle gym of career opportunities available (or not available) after they graduate. In particular, I will speak to the need for science policy training, in which scientific and coordination skills are put to use to help support societal decisions. I will assert that, to effectively train graduate students, it is necessary to provide experiences in multidisciplinary, policy-relevant scholarship to build marketable skills critical for a student's professional development.

RECOPE: How to succeed in bringing ideas from academia to market without compromising ingenuity.

PubMed

Gaymalov, Zagit; Kabanov, Alexander

2017-04-01

Translation of biomedical technology originated in academia to the market is hindered by lack of consideration of market needs and commercialization pathways that leads academic research away from the market, leaving the public without long-awaited cures. Here we describe Reverse Conceptual Product Engineering (RECOPE), an approach applied in academic setting early in the course of the research project to facilitate biomedical research translation from bench to bedside. By using expertise of diverse set of biomedical professionals and trainees to solve a problem, RECOPE helps to make research goals more relevant to the society needs and translatable in a long-term perspective. Through the use of RECOPE one can critically reassess research design and translational potential and identify new market opportunities. RECOPE also provides for considerable educational opportunities to pre- and post-doctoral trainees. Adoption of RECOPE as a basic to for research design education will have a noticeable impact on academic research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

Making Science Whole Again: The Role of Academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubchenco, J.

2006-12-01

Science in the 21st Century has become increasingly fragmented, not in the usual sense of disciplinary divisions, but with increased specialization in the discovery, teaching, public communication and application aspects of new knowledge. As in the infamous `telephone game', messages passed along through multiple parties, risk distortion. More insidiously, without active and effective checks and balances along the way, information can be and is being deliberately distorted, completely altered, or used selectively. Science, of course, is not the only basis for decision-making; values, politics, economics and other factors should also be considered. Nonetheless, a key role of science is to inform decision-making (not to drive it exclusively). The importance of citizens and leaders having access to accurate scientific information and knowledge is so essential to human well-being that new mechanisms must be found to ensure the integrity of scientific information. Among the multiple changes that are needed to achieve this goal, many of which will be explored in this session, one pertains specifically to the academic scientific community. That change entails growing and supporting stellar scientists who participate directly in discovery AND public communication of knowledge. More scientists whose primary jobs are research and teaching could and should also be actively involved in sharing new knowledge with non-scientists. The public expects this to happen but academia gives it lip service at best. Having more scientists who can communicate scientific knowledge that is understandable, relevant, useable, current and credible to non-technical audiences is a key (though far from the only) factor in protecting the integrity of science. The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program now based at Stanford University's Woods Institute for the Environment is a program that trains tenured, academic environmental scientists to communicate effectively with politicians, business people, the

Acta Mechanica Sinica (Selected Articles),

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-05

done by an external force. In the 1930’s, Trefftz and Kappus [8 ] also applied this principle to derive the elastic buckling equation and stability...theorie der stabilitat des elastischen gleichgewichts, Zeit. fur Angew. Math. u Mech. B13 (1933), L... 160. 120 [8] Kappus , R., Zur elastizitats...strain relations and boundary condiiomns for the prebeckling fundamental path solution. As Kappus had done in 1939, a new variation 6* can be imposed m

Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-29

34Differential Geometry", People’s Education Publishers, 1964. 16. Xiong Changbing and Ziao Junxiang, "Three Dimensional Stress Analysis For a Shrouded Hollow...0 )0V~~) (.1) ML. RT 1 Mh AJC (5) ?,g v4 T (6) q).Lt il% i T_, k#(L( lqA (16 krol~ ] 1 ) (8) ," 11 - ,i.jt14 r- i PuC,(37)A) (14 P (9) k4m w. *1f ViA

Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-07

quantity of cocrystallized 7’-phase will be formed between the crystal boundaries and crystalline 97 branches; therefore the status of grain boundaries... cocrystallized Y’-phase under the high temperature stress [4]. In order to balance the medium and high temperature properties, the concentration of Hf in...will become large. 3. The influence of heat treatment. In the microscopic structures of DZ-22 alloy, there are 13 vol.% cocrystal ?’- and many large

Acta Aerodynanica Sinica (Selected Articles),

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-05

to the director of the institute and his advisor Professor R. Eppler for their assistance. A %: 61 References [1] Ji Xiumei, "Aerodynamic Layout of... Airfoils ; by Wang Jie ..........o......................114 ~-A Simpler Implicit Method to Solve N-S Equation; 1 Zhang Hanxin, Yu Zechu, Lu Linsheng...In addition, we also discovered that the leading edge separation vortex-could improve the lift of the airfoil . Hence, the important task is to

Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-14

and the fatigue life of the rotor and the destabiliza- tion of the aerodynamic elasticity are entirely determined by the air- loads of the rotor. It...harmonics. In determining an and b n’ only u b.,,. a. b,., are taken into account and a.1 , b., b.L, In addition, we get 2, I + I P i u In the... determines the lateral distribution based on classical blade element theory. The calculated results usually show a lower total lift at higher speeds or a non

Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-04

power spectrum and counting methods [1,2,3]. If the stochastic load-time mechanism (such as gusts of wind, random 38...34 "- " ° - " . . .. . . . . . . . . ’ - - - Ř vibrations, etc.), then we can use the power spectrum technique, and we can also use the counting method. However, the...simplification for treat - ment so that the differences in obtained results are very minute, and are also closest to the random spectrum. This then tells us

Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-28

substructural analysis in modal synthesis - two improved substructural assembling techniques 49 9-node quadrilateral isoparametric element 64 Application of laser...Time from Service Data, J. Aircraft, Vol. 15, No. 11, 1978. 48 MULTI-LEVEL SUBSTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS IN MODAL SYNTHESIS -- TWO IMPROVED SUBSTRUCTURAL...34 Modal Synthesis in Structural Dynamic Analysis ," Naching Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1979. 62a 8. Chang Te-wen, "Free-Interface Modal

The path to producing pharmaceuticals from natural products uncovered by academia-from the perspective of a science coordinator.

PubMed

Fujie, Akihiko

2017-01-01

To actualize the invention of all-Japanese medicines, the Department of Innovative Drug Discovery and Development (iD3) in the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) serves as the headquarters for the Drug Discovery Support Network. iD3 assists with creating research strategies for the seeds of medicines discovered by academia and provides technological support, intellectual property management, and aid for applying the seeds through industry-led efforts. In this review, from the perspective of a science coordinator, I will describe the current activities of the drug discovery support network and iD3 as well as the challenges and future developments of pharmaceutical research and development using the natural product drug discovery method.

Association between temperature and emergency room visits for cardiorespiratory diseases, metabolic syndrome-related diseases, and accidents in metropolitan Taipei.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Chun; Lin, Yu-Kai

2014-01-01

This study evaluated risks of the emergency room visits (ERV) for cerebrovascular diseases, heart diseases, ischemic heart disease, hypertensive diseases, chronic renal failure (CRF), diabetes mellitus (DM), asthma, chronic airway obstruction not elsewhere classified (CAO), and accidents associated with the ambient temperature from 2000 to 2009 in metropolitan Taipei. The distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate the cumulative relative risk (RR) and confidence interval (CI) of cause-specific ERV associated with daily temperature from lag 0 to lag 3 after controlling for potential confounders. This study identified that temperatures related to the lowest risk of ERV was 26 °C for cerebrovascular diseases, 18 °C for CRF, DM, and accidents, and 30 °C for hypertensive diseases, asthma, and CAO. These temperatures were used as the reference temperatures to measure RR for the corresponding diseases. A low temperature (14°C) increased the ERV risk for cerebrovascular diseases, hypertensive diseases, and asthma, with respective cumulative 4-day RRs of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.23, 1.97), 1.78 (95% CI: 1.37, 2.34), and 2.93 (95% CI: 1.26, 6.79). The effects were greater on, or after, lag one. At 32°C, the cumulative 4-day RR for ERV was significant for CRF (RR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.33, 4.19) and accidents (RR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.33) and the highest RR was seen on lag 0 for CRF (RR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.58), DM (RR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.61), and accidents (RR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.27). Higher temperatures are associated with the increased ERV risks for CRF, DM, and accidents and lower temperatures with the increased ERV risks for cerebrovascular diseases, hypertensive diseases, and asthma in the subtropical metropolitan.

Affirmative action in Israel: access to academia for the ultra-orthodox community.

PubMed

Marcus, Shelley; Josman, Naomi; Zlotnik, Sharon

2015-02-01

This article explores the development of a unique, culturally sensitive, designated academic occupational therapy programme for the Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) minority in Israel. This normative university environment did not provide the opportunity for Haredi participation due to the lack of consideration of the strong commitment to a modest way of life of this community. This prevented their participation in academia and resultant employment that are necessary for economic advancement of the community. A follow-up survey that tracked the programme's graduates' participation in the workforce was used to determine the success of the initial goal of the establishment of the designated programme. Slightly above 97% of the respondents worked as occupational therapists during the first year after completing their bachelor's degree. The employment data obtained from the graduates showed that the central goal of the Council of Higher Education has been achieved. The designated culturally adapted occupational therapy programme has provided varied employment opportunities for its graduates in diverse professional environments. With the implementation of this programme, the occupational therapy department of the University of Haifa has created greater accessibility of the profession to both the occupational therapy providers and the recipients of occupational therapy intervention as well as serve as a model for other communities. © 2015 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Creating Impact with Operations Research in Health: Making Room for Practice in Academia

PubMed Central

Brandeau, Margaret L.

2015-01-01

Operations research (OR)-based analyses have the potential to improve decision making for many important, real-world health care problems. However, junior scholars often avoid working on practical applications in health because promotion and tenure processes tend to value theoretical studies more highly than applied studies. This paper discusses the author's experiences in using OR to inform and influence decisions in health and provides a blueprint for junior researchers who wish to find success by taking a similar path. This involves selecting good problems to study, forming productive collaborations with domain experts, developing appropriate models, identifying the most salient results from an analysis, and effectively disseminating findings to decision makers. The paper then suggests how journals, funding agencies, and senior academics can encourage such work by taking a broader and more informed view of the potential role and contributions of OR to solving health care problems. Making room in academia for the application of OR in health follows in the tradition begun by the founders of operations research: to work on important real-world problems where operations research can contribute to better decision making. PMID:26003321

Statistical analysis of low-energy electron fluxes in the radiation belt: ERG LEP-e measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, T. F.; Chiang, C. Y.; Tam, S. W. Y.; Syugu, W. J.; Kazama, Y.; Wang, B. J.; Wang, S. Y.; Hori, T.; Yoshizumi, M.; Shinohara, I.

2017-12-01

The Exploration of energization and Radiation in Geospace (ERG) satellite, which is led by Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has observed the Earth's radiation belts for several months. Through years of efforts, Taiwan team successfully delivered the low-energy particle experiments - electron analyzer (LEP-e) for deployment on the ERG satellite. In Taiwan, the project is led by Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in partnership with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). The LEP-e instrument measures a 3-D velocity distribution function of low energy electrons ranging from 20 eV to 19 keV. We provide an overview of electron fluxes within the radiation belts using the LEP-e instrument data obtained in the past months. The L-shell plots are made upon 100 eV, 1 keV and 10 keV, respectively, to display the electron flux in various L-shells measured by the ERG satellite. The enhancement of the electron fluxes is found to show correspondence with the increase of ring current intensity. These electrons are found to migrate inwards as the ring current increases. We also investigate the 3-D distribution of the electron fluxes and discuss the contribution of the energetic electrons to the ring current.

Numerical Study of motion of Falling Conical Graupel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chueh, Chih-Che; Wang, Pao K.; Hashino, Tempei

2017-11-01

Each year, large hailstones falling from a thunderstorm cause massive loss of crops and properties, pose a serious threat to aviation, and, on occasion, some deaths in the world. Graupel particles often serve as hailstone embryos, and are frequently observed forms of convective precipitation almost everywhere. And it is sufficiently evident that the major factor that determines collision efficiency for ice accretion is the flow field. In the present study, the attitudes of freely-falling conical graupel particles with a realistic range of densities are investigated numerically by solving the transient Navier-Stokes equations and the body dynamics equations representing the 6-degrees-of-freedom motion, allowing us to determine the position and orientation of the graupel in response to the coupling of the hydrodynamic force and torque of the flow fields, gravitational force, as well as Magnus force due to self-rotation. The results show significant horizontal movements (on the order of 1 km in one hour) and also show that when Reynolds number is small, a typical damped oscillation occurs, whereas when Reynolds number is high, amplifying oscillation may occur which leads to more complicated and unpredictable flying attitudes such as tumbling. This study is partially supported by the US NSF Grant AGS-1633921 and research fund provided by the Academia Sinica, Taiwan.

Featured Image: A Molecular Cloud Outside Our Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-06-01

What do molecular clouds look like outside of our own galaxy? See for yourself in the images above and below of N55, a molecular cloud located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). In a recent study led by Naslim Neelamkodan (Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taiwan), a team of scientists explore N55 to determine how its cloud properties differ from clouds within the Milky Way. The image above reveals the distribution of infrared-emitting gas and dust observed in three bands by the Spitzer Space Telescope. Overplotted in cyan are observations from the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment tracing the clumpy, warm molecular gas. Below, new observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) reveal the sub-parsec-scale molecular clumps in greater detail, showing the correlation of massive clumps with Spitzer-identified young stellar objects (crosses). The study presented here indicates that this cloud in the LMC is the site of massive star formation, with properties similar to equivalent clouds in the Milky Way. To learn more about the authors findings, check out the article linked below.CitationNaslim N. et al 2018 ApJ 853 175. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaa5b0

A Sketch of the Taiwan Zebrafish Core Facility.

PubMed

You, May-Su; Jiang, Yun-Jin; Yuh, Chiou-Hwa; Wang, Chien-Ming; Tang, Chih-Hao; Chuang, Yung-Jen; Lin, Bo-Hung; Wu, Jen-Leih; Hwang, Sheng-Ping L

2016-07-01

In the past three decades, the number of zebrafish laboratories has significantly increased in Taiwan. The Taiwan Zebrafish Core Facility (TZCF), a government-funded core facility, was launched to serve this growing community. The Core Facility was built on two sites, one located at the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI, called Taiwan Zebrafish Core Facility at NHRI or TZeNH) and the other is located at the Academia Sinica (Taiwan Zebrafish Core Facility at AS a.k.a. TZCAS). The total surface area of the TZCF is about 180 m(2) encompassing 2880 fish tanks. Each site has a separate quarantine room and centralized water recirculating systems, monitoring key water parameters. To prevent diseases, three main strategies have been implemented: (1) imported fish must be quarantined; (2) only bleached embryos are introduced into the main facilities; and (3) working practices were implemented to minimize pathogen transfer between stocks and facilities. Currently, there is no health program in place; however, a fourth measure for the health program, specific regular pathogen tests, is being planned. In March 2015, the TZCF at NHRI has been AAALAC accredited. It is our goal to ensure that we provide "disease-free" fish and embryos to the Taiwanese research community.

Development of Ocean-Bottom Seismograph in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, H.; Jang, J. P.; Chen, P.; Lin, C. R.; Kuo, B. Y.; Wang, C. C.; Kim, K. H.; Lin, P. P.

2016-12-01

Yardbird-20s, one type of Ocean-Bottom Seismograph (OBS), is fabricated by Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI), the Institute of Earth Science of Academia Sinica and the Institute of Undersea Technology of the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan. Yardbirds can be deployed up to 5000m deep for up to 15 months. The total weight with anchor in the air is about 170Kg. The rising and sinking rate is about 0.8 m/s. We utilized ultra-low power micro control unit (MCU) and SD card to design a data logger. The sensors are three of 4.5Hz geophones that were extended the lower frequency response to 20 sec. The sensor module also includes the leveling system, which is design by dual-axis DC motor-driven module to level the vertical component to be less than 0.1 degree with respect to the gravity. Yardbirds have been successfully deployed and recovered in several research cruises in Taiwan and Korea. In this study, we'll also display the data quality and power spectral density (PSD) calculations, probability density function (PDF) plots and from the Yardbirds that deployed and recovered in the East Sea near sough-east of Korea.

Ketamine use among regular tobacco and alcohol users as revealed by respondent driven sampling in Taipei: prevalence, expectancy, and users’ risky decision making

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei J.; Ting, Te-Tien; Chang, Chao-Ming; Liu, Ying-Chun; Chen, Chuan-Yu

2014-01-01

The popularity of ketamine for recreational use among young people began to increase, particularly in Asia, in 2000. To gain more knowledge about the use of ketamine among high risk individuals, a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was implemented among regular alcohol and tobacco users in the Taipei metropolitan area from 2007 to 2010. The sampling was initiated in three different settings (i.e., two in the community and one in a clinic) to recruit seed individuals. Each participant was asked to refer one to five friends known to be regular tobacco smokers and alcohol drinkers to participate in the present study. Incentives were offered differentially upon the completion of an interview and successful referral. Information pertaining to drug use experience was collected by an audio computer-assisted self-interview instrument. Software built for RDS analyses was used for data analyses. Of the 1,115 subjects recruited, about 11.7% of the RDS respondents reported ever having used ketamine. Positive expectancy of ketamine use was positively associated with ketamine use; in contrast, negative expectancy inversely associated with ketamine use. Decision-making characteristics as measured on the Iowa Gambling Task using reinforcement learning models revealed that ketamine users learned less from the most recent event than both tobacco- and drug-naïve controls and regular tobacco and alcohol users. These findings about ketamine use among young people have implications for its prevention and intervention. PMID:25264412

Scientific integrity resource guide: Efforts by federal agencies, foundations, nonprofit organizations, professional societies, and academia in the United States

PubMed Central

Kretser, Alison; Murphy, Delia; Dwyer, Johanna

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Scientific integrity is at the forefront of the scientific research enterprise. This paper provides an overview of key existing efforts on scientific integrity by federal agencies, foundations, nonprofit organizations, professional societies, and academia from 1989 to April 2016. It serves as a resource for the scientific community on scientific integrity work and helps to identify areas in which more action is needed. Overall, there is tremendous activity in this area and there are clear linkages among the efforts of the five sectors. All the same, scientific integrity needs to remain visible in the scientific community and evolve along with new research paradigms. High priority in instilling these values falls upon all stakeholders. PMID:27748637

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

Three Cambrian fossils assembled into an extinct body plan of cnidarian affinity.

PubMed

Ou, Qiang; Han, Jian; Zhang, Zhifei; Shu, Degan; Sun, Ge; Mayer, Georg

2017-08-15

The early Cambrian problematica Xianguangia sinica , Chengjiangopenna wangii , and Galeaplumosus abilus from the Chengjiang biota (Yunnan, China) have caused much controversy in the past and their phylogenetic placements remain unresolved. Here we show, based on exceptionally preserved material (85 new specimens plus type material), that specimens previously assigned to these three species are in fact parts of the same organism and propose that C. wangii and G. abilus are junior synonyms of X. sinica Our reconstruction of the complete animal reveals an extinct body plan that combines the characteristics of the three described species and is distinct from all known fossil and living taxa. This animal resembled a cnidarian polyp in overall morphology and having a gastric cavity partitioned by septum-like structures. However, it possessed an additional body cavity within its holdfast, an anchoring pit on the basal disk, and feather-like tentacles with densely ciliated pinnules arranged in an alternating pattern, indicating that it was a suspension feeder rather than a predatory actiniarian. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony suggest that X. sinica is a stem-group cnidarian. This relationship implies that the last common ancestor of X. sinica and crown cnidarians was probably a benthic, polypoid animal with a partitioned gastric cavity and a single mouth/anus opening. This extinct body plan suggests that feeding strategies of stem cnidarians may have been drastically different from that of their crown relatives, which are almost exclusively predators, and reveals that the morphological disparity of total-group Cnidaria is greater than previously assumed.

Three Cambrian fossils assembled into an extinct body plan of cnidarian affinity

PubMed Central

Ou, Qiang; Han, Jian; Zhang, Zhifei; Shu, Degan; Sun, Ge; Mayer, Georg

2017-01-01

The early Cambrian problematica Xianguangia sinica, Chengjiangopenna wangii, and Galeaplumosus abilus from the Chengjiang biota (Yunnan, China) have caused much controversy in the past and their phylogenetic placements remain unresolved. Here we show, based on exceptionally preserved material (85 new specimens plus type material), that specimens previously assigned to these three species are in fact parts of the same organism and propose that C. wangii and G. abilus are junior synonyms of X. sinica. Our reconstruction of the complete animal reveals an extinct body plan that combines the characteristics of the three described species and is distinct from all known fossil and living taxa. This animal resembled a cnidarian polyp in overall morphology and having a gastric cavity partitioned by septum-like structures. However, it possessed an additional body cavity within its holdfast, an anchoring pit on the basal disk, and feather-like tentacles with densely ciliated pinnules arranged in an alternating pattern, indicating that it was a suspension feeder rather than a predatory actiniarian. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony suggest that X. sinica is a stem-group cnidarian. This relationship implies that the last common ancestor of X. sinica and crown cnidarians was probably a benthic, polypoid animal with a partitioned gastric cavity and a single mouth/anus opening. This extinct body plan suggests that feeding strategies of stem cnidarians may have been drastically different from that of their crown relatives, which are almost exclusively predators, and reveals that the morphological disparity of total-group Cnidaria is greater than previously assumed. PMID:28760981

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.

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

PubMed

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

2009-10-01

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

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.

Towards real-time regional earthquake simulation I: real-time moment tensor monitoring (RMT) for regional events in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Shiann-Jong; Liang, Wen-Tzong; Cheng, Hui-Wen; Tu, Feng-Shan; Ma, Kuo-Fong; Tsuruoka, Hiroshi; Kawakatsu, Hitoshi; Huang, Bor-Shouh; Liu, Chun-Chi

2014-01-01

We have developed a real-time moment tensor monitoring system (RMT) which takes advantage of a grid-based moment tensor inversion technique and real-time broad-band seismic recordings to automatically monitor earthquake activities in the vicinity of Taiwan. The centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversion technique and a grid search scheme are applied to obtain the information of earthquake source parameters, including the event origin time, hypocentral location, moment magnitude and focal mechanism. All of these source parameters can be determined simultaneously within 117 s after the occurrence of an earthquake. The monitoring area involves the entire Taiwan Island and the offshore region, which covers the area of 119.3°E to 123.0°E and 21.0°N to 26.0°N, with a depth from 6 to 136 km. A 3-D grid system is implemented in the monitoring area with a uniform horizontal interval of 0.1° and a vertical interval of 10 km. The inversion procedure is based on a 1-D Green's function database calculated by the frequency-wavenumber (fk) method. We compare our results with the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) catalogue data for earthquakes occurred between 2010 and 2012. The average differences between event origin time and hypocentral location are less than 2 s and 10 km, respectively. The focal mechanisms determined by RMT are also comparable with the Broadband Array in Taiwan for Seismology (BATS) CMT solutions. These results indicate that the RMT system is realizable and efficient to monitor local seismic activities. In addition, the time needed to obtain all the point source parameters is reduced substantially compared to routine earthquake reports. By connecting RMT with a real-time online earthquake simulation (ROS) system, all the source parameters will be forwarded to the ROS to make the real-time earthquake simulation feasible. The RMT has operated offline (2010-2011) and online (since January 2012 to present) at the Institute of Earth Sciences (IES), Academia Sinica

Transparent collaboration between industry and academia can serve unmet patient need and contribute to reproductive public health

PubMed Central

D'Hooghe, Thomas

2017-01-01

Abstract The pharmaceutical and device industry has greatly contributed to diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in reproductive medicine in a very highly regulated environment, ensuring that development and manufacturing follow the highest standards. In spite of these achievements, collaboration between industry and physicians/academia is often presented in a negative context. However, today more than ever, partnership between industry and academia is needed to shorten the timeline between innovation and application, and to achieve faster access to better diagnostics, drugs and devices for the benefit of patients and society, based on complementary knowledge, skills and expertise. Such partnerships can include joined preclinical/clinical and post-marketing research and development, joint intellectual property, and joint revenue. In Europe, the transparency of this collaboration between pharmaceutical industry and medical doctors has been made possible by the Compliance and Disclosure Policy published by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), which represents the major pharmaceutical companies operating in Europe, and includes as members some but not all companies active in infertility and women's health. Under the EFPIA Disclosure Code of conduct, companies need to disclose transfers of value including amounts, activity type and the names of the recipient Health Care Professionals and Organizations. EFPIA member companies have also implemented very strict internal quality control processes and procedures in the design, statistical analysis, reporting, publication and communication of clinical research, according to Good Clinical Practice and other regulations, and are regularly inspected by competent authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA) for all trials used in marketing authorization applications. The risk of scientific bias exists not only in the pharmaceutical

Transparent collaboration between industry and academia can serve unmet patient need and contribute to reproductive public health.

PubMed

D'Hooghe, Thomas

2017-08-01

The pharmaceutical and device industry has greatly contributed to diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in reproductive medicine in a very highly regulated environment, ensuring that development and manufacturing follow the highest standards. In spite of these achievements, collaboration between industry and physicians/academia is often presented in a negative context. However, today more than ever, partnership between industry and academia is needed to shorten the timeline between innovation and application, and to achieve faster access to better diagnostics, drugs and devices for the benefit of patients and society, based on complementary knowledge, skills and expertise. Such partnerships can include joined preclinical/clinical and post-marketing research and development, joint intellectual property, and joint revenue. In Europe, the transparency of this collaboration between pharmaceutical industry and medical doctors has been made possible by the Compliance and Disclosure Policy published by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), which represents the major pharmaceutical companies operating in Europe, and includes as members some but not all companies active in infertility and women's health. Under the EFPIA Disclosure Code of conduct, companies need to disclose transfers of value including amounts, activity type and the names of the recipient Health Care Professionals and Organizations. EFPIA member companies have also implemented very strict internal quality control processes and procedures in the design, statistical analysis, reporting, publication and communication of clinical research, according to Good Clinical Practice and other regulations, and are regularly inspected by competent authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA) for all trials used in marketing authorization applications. The risk of scientific bias exists not only in the pharmaceutical industry but

Center for Semiconductor Materials and Device Modeling: expanding collaborative research opportunities between government, academia, and industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perconti, Philip; Bedair, Sarah S.; Bajaj, Jagmohan; Schuster, Jonathan; Reed, Meredith

2016-09-01

To increase Soldier readiness and enhance situational understanding in ever-changing and complex environments, there is a need for rapid development and deployment of Army technologies utilizing sensors, photonics, and electronics. Fundamental aspects of these technologies include the research and development of semiconductor materials and devices which are ubiquitous in numerous applications. Since many Army technologies are considered niche, there is a lack of significant industry investment in the fundamental research and understanding of semiconductor technologies relevant to the Army. To address this issue, the US Army Research Laboratory is establishing a Center for Semiconductor Materials and Device Modeling and seeks to leverage expertise and resources across academia, government and industry. Several key research areas—highlighted and addressed in this paper—have been identified by ARL and external partners and will be pursued in a collaborative fashion by this Center. This paper will also address the mechanisms by which the Center is being established and will operate.

Shaping a high-mass star-forming cluster through stellar feedback. The case of the NGC 7538 IRS 1-3 complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frau, P.; Girart, J. M.; Zhang, Q.; Rao, R.

2014-07-01

owing to the outflow from the MM1 core. We speculate that the external pressure from the redshifted lobe of the outflow could trigger star formation in the spiral arm cores. This scenario would form a small cluster with a few central high-mass stars, surrounded by a number of low-mass stars formed through protostellar feedback. Based on observations carried out with the SMA telescope. The SMA is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica (http://sma1.sma.hawaii.edu/).Final reduced SMA data cube is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/567/A116

Sharing tools and best practice in Global Sensitivity Analysis within academia and with industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagener, T.; Pianosi, F.; Noacco, V.; Sarrazin, F.

2017-12-01

We have spent years trying to improve the use of global sensitivity analysis (GSA) in earth and environmental modelling. Our efforts included (1) the development of tools that provide easy access to widely used GSA methods, (2) the definition of workflows so that best practice is shared in an accessible way, and (3) the development of algorithms to close gaps in available GSA methods (such as moment independent strategies) and to make GSA applications more robust (such as convergence criteria). These elements have been combined in our GSA Toolbox, called SAFE (www.safetoolbox.info), which has up to now been adopted by over 1000 (largely) academic users worldwide. However, despite growing uptake in academic circles and across a wide range of application areas, transfer to industry applications has been difficult. Initial market research regarding opportunities and barriers for uptake revealed a large potential market, but also highlighted a significant lack of knowledge regarding state-of-the-art methods and their potential value for end-users. We will present examples and discuss our experience so far in trying to overcome these problems and move beyond academia in distributing GSA tools and expertise.

[Nurturing clinician investigators is the best way to promote innovative drug development from academia].

PubMed

Fukuhara, Shunichi; Sakushima, Ken; Nishimura, Masaharu

2012-03-01

Clinical research in Japan is still lacking in quality and quantity, and that situation is worsening. One important cause of those problems is the dearth of clinician-investigators. A recent change in the system for post-graduate clinical training affected the career paths of medical residents and reduced the number of young doctors who enter graduate school. Even those who are interested in clinical research now have incentives to avoid graduate school. In Japan, 19th-century biological absolutism is still the dominant paradigm in the medical-research community. Science for public health in the 21st century will benefit from a probabilistic paradigm, which can help to restore an appropriate balance between basic sciences and clinical research. Research done by clinician-investigators should be based on clinical questions that arise in medical practice. That research includes investigation of disease and practice, exploration of associations between causes and outcomes, evaluation of diagnostic tests, and studies of the efficacy of treatments and prevention strategies. We emphasize the importance of nurturing clinician-investigators for the development of clinical research in Japan. This may not be the fastest way to promote innovative drug development from academia, but it is certainly the best.

Association between Temperature and Emergency Room Visits for Cardiorespiratory Diseases, Metabolic Syndrome-Related Diseases, and Accidents in Metropolitan Taipei

PubMed Central

Wang, Yu-Chun; Lin, Yu-Kai

2014-01-01

Objective This study evaluated risks of the emergency room visits (ERV) for cerebrovascular diseases, heart diseases, ischemic heart disease, hypertensive diseases, chronic renal failure (CRF), diabetes mellitus (DM), asthma, chronic airway obstruction not elsewhere classified (CAO), and accidents associated with the ambient temperature from 2000 to 2009 in metropolitan Taipei. Methods The distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate the cumulative relative risk (RR) and confidence interval (CI) of cause-specific ERV associated with daily temperature from lag 0 to lag 3 after controlling for potential confounders. Results This study identified that temperatures related to the lowest risk of ERV was 26 °C for cerebrovascular diseases, 18 °C for CRF, DM, and accidents, and 30 °C for hypertensive diseases, asthma, and CAO. These temperatures were used as the reference temperatures to measure RR for the corresponding diseases. A low temperature (14°C) increased the ERV risk for cerebrovascular diseases, hypertensive diseases, and asthma, with respective cumulative 4-day RRs of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.23, 1.97), 1.78 (95% CI: 1.37, 2.34), and 2.93 (95% CI: 1.26, 6.79). The effects were greater on, or after, lag one. At 32°C, the cumulative 4-day RR for ERV was significant for CRF (RR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.33, 4.19) and accidents (RR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.33) and the highest RR was seen on lag 0 for CRF (RR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.58), DM (RR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.61), and accidents (RR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.27). Conclusions Higher temperatures are associated with the increased ERV risks for CRF, DM, and accidents and lower temperatures with the increased ERV risks for cerebrovascular diseases, hypertensive diseases, and asthma in the subtropical metropolitan. PMID:24932702

Evaluating the Effect of Rainfall Infiltration on the Slope Stability of T16 tower of Taipei Mao-kong Gondola by Numerical Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

RUNG, J.

2013-12-01

In this study, a series of rainfall-stability analyses were performed to simulate the failure mechanism and the function of remediation works of the down slope of T-16 tower pier, Mao-Kong gondola (or T-16 Slope) at the hillside of Taipei City using two-dimensional finite element method. The failure mechanism of T-16 Slope was simulated using the rainfall hyetograph of Jang-Mi typhoon in 2008 based on the field investigation data, monitoring data, soil/rock mechanical testing data and detail design plots of remediation works. Eventually, the numerical procedures and various input parameters in the analysis were verified by comparing the numerical results with the field observations. In addition, 48 hrs design rainfalls corresponding to 5, 10, 25 and 50 years return periods were prepared using the 20 years rainfall data of Mu-Zha rainfall observation station, Central Weather Bureau for the rainfall-stability analyses of T-16 Slope to inspect the effect of the compound stabilization works on the overall stability of the slope. At T-16 Slope, without considering the longitudinal and transverse drainages on the ground surface, there totally 4 types of stabilization works were installed to stabilize the slope. From the slope top to the slope toe, the stabilization works of T-16 Slope consists of RC-retaining wall with micro-pile foundation at the up-segment, earth anchor at the up-middle-segment, soil nailing at the middle-segment and retaining pile at the down-segment of the slope. The effect of each individual stabilization work on the slope stability under rainfall condition was examined and evaluated by raising field groundwater level.

Preparation and characterization of a suite of ephedra-containing standard reference materials.

PubMed

Sharpless, Katherine E; Anderson, David L; Betz, Joseph M; Butler, Therese A; Capar, Stephen G; Cheng, John; Fraser, Catharine A; Gardner, Graeme; Gay, Martha L; Howell, Daniel W; Ihara, Toshihide; Khan, Mansoor A; Lam, Joseph W; Long, Stephen E; McCooeye, Margaret; Mackey, Elizabeth A; Mindak, William R; Mitvalsky, Staci; Murphy, Karen E; NguyenPho, Agnes; Phinney, Karen W; Porter, Barbara J; Roman, Mark; Sander, Lane C; Satterfield, Mary B; Scriver, Christine; Sturgeon, Ralph; Thomas, Jeanice Brown; Vocke, Robert D; Wise, Stephen A; Wood, Laura J; Yang, Lu; Yen, James H; Ziobro, George C

2006-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, and the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, are collaborating to produce a series of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) for dietary supplements. A suite of ephedra materials is the first in the series, and this paper describes the acquisition, preparation, and value assignment of these materials: SRMs 3240 Ephedra sinica Stapf Aerial Parts, 3241 E. sinica Stapf Native Extract, 3242 E. sinica Stapf Commercial Extract, 3243 Ephedra-Containing Solid Oral Dosage Form, and 3244 Ephedra-Containing Protein Powder. Values are assigned for ephedrine alkaloids and toxic elements in all 5 materials. Values are assigned for other analytes (e.g., caffeine, nutrient elements, proximates, etc.) in some of the materials, as appropriate. Materials in this suite of SRMs are intended for use as primary control materials when values are assigned to in-house (secondary) control materials and for validation of analytical methods for the measurement of alkaloids, toxic elements, and, in the case of SRM 3244, nutrients in similar materials.

Academia-industry collaboration in continuing medical education: description of two approaches.

PubMed

Katz, Harvey P; Goldfinger, Stephen E; Fletcher, Suzanne W

2002-01-01

Although concerns have been raised about industry support of continuing medical education (CME), there are few published reports of academia-industry collaboration in the field. We describe and evaluate Pri-Med, a CME experience for primary care clinicians developed jointly by the Harvard Medical School (HMS) and M/C Communications. Since 1995, 19 Pri-Med conferences have been held in four cities, drawing more than 100,000 primary care clinicians. The educational core of each Pri-Med conference is a 3-day Harvard course, "Current Clinical Issues in Primary Care." Course content is determined by a faculty committee independent of any commercial influence. Revenues from multiple industry sources flow through M/C Communications to the medical school as an educational grant to support primary care education. Pri-Med also offers separate pharmaceutical company-funded symposia. Comparing the two educational approaches during four conferences, 221 HMS talks and 103 symposia were presented. The HMS course covered a wide range with 133 topics; the symposia focused on 30 topics, most of which were linked to recently approved new therapeutic products manufactured by the funders. Both the course and the symposia were highly rated by attendees. When CME presentations for primary care physicians receive direct support from industry, the range of offered topics is narrower than when programs are developed independently of such support. There appear to be no differences in the perceived quality of presentations delivered with and without such support. Our experience suggests that a firewall between program planners and providers of financial support will result in a broader array of educational subjects relevant to the field of primary care.

Engaging academia to advance the science and practice of environmental public health tracking.

PubMed

Strosnider, Heather; Zhou, Ying; Balluz, Lina; Qualters, Judith

2014-10-01

Public health agencies at the federal, state, and local level are responsible for implementing actions and policies that address health problems related to environmental hazards. These actions and policies can be informed by integrating or linking data on health, exposure, hazards, and population. The mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention׳s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) is to provide information from a nationwide network of integrated health, environmental hazard, and exposure data that drives actions to improve the health of communities. The Tracking Program and federal, state, and local partners collect, integrate, analyze, and disseminate data and information to inform environmental public health actions. However, many challenges exist regarding the availability and quality of data, the application of appropriate methods and tools to link data, and the state of the science needed to link and analyze health and environmental data. The Tracking Program has collaborated with academia to address key challenges in these areas. The collaboration has improved our understanding of the uses and limitations of available data and methods, expanded the use of existing data and methods, and increased our knowledge about the connections between health and environment. Valuable working relationships have been forged in this process, and together we have identified opportunities and improvements for future collaborations to further advance the science and practice of environmental public health tracking. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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.

Meeting Report on Experimental Approaches to Evolution and Ecology Using Yeast and Other Model Systems

PubMed Central

Jarosz, Daniel F.; Dudley, Aimée M.

2017-01-01

The fourth EMBO-sponsored conference on Experimental Approaches to Evolution and Ecology Using Yeast and Other Model Systems (https://www.embl.de/training/events/2016/EAE16-01/), was held at the EMBL in Heidelberg, Germany, October 19–23, 2016. The conference was organized by Judith Berman (Tel Aviv University), Maitreya Dunham (University of Washington), Jun-Yi Leu (Academia Sinica), and Lars Steinmetz (EMBL Heidelberg and Stanford University). The meeting attracted ∼120 researchers from 28 countries and covered a wide range of topics in the fields of genetics, evolutionary biology, and ecology, with a unifying focus on yeast as a model system. Attendees enjoyed the Keith Haring-inspired yeast florescence microscopy artwork (Figure 1), a unique feature of the meeting since its inception, and the 1 min flash talks that catalyzed discussions at two vibrant poster sessions. The meeting coincided with the 20th anniversary of the publication describing the sequence of the first eukaryotic genome, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Many of the conference talks focused on important questions about what is contained in the genome, how genomes evolve, and the architecture and behavior of communities of phenotypically and genotypically diverse microorganisms. Here, we summarize highlights of the research talks around these themes. Nearly all presentations focused on novel findings, and we refer the reader to relevant manuscripts that have subsequently been published. PMID:28814445

Simulation of Oscillatory Domain Wall Motion Driven by Spin Waves in Nanostrip with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Shang Fan; Chang, Liang Juan; Spintronics Laboratory Team

2014-03-01

We numerically investigate the spin waves (SW) induced domain wall (DW) oscillatory motion in a nanostrip with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy by means of micromagnetic simulation. SW carries spin angular momentum and can interact with DWs via Spin Transfer Torque (STT). Propagating SW can drive a DW motion depending on the in-plane tilt angle φ of the wall magnetization. We calculate the instantaneous velocity of DWs as a function of φwith different SW frequency f. We find that the DW motion under propagating SW depends not only on the frequencies f, but also on the in-plane tilt angle φ. The nanostrip considered is 50 nm wide and 4000 nm long. A DW at the center is subjected to a SW source 500 nm apart on the left with amplitude in the transverse direction and varying frequency f. The motions of the DW induced by the SW are accompanied by in-plane rotation of magnetization of DW. Once rotated by 90 degrees, the DW shows a backward motion towards the SW source. The oscillatory amplitude and frequency of the DW motion is analyzed. A phase diagram will be presented. This study provides new perspectives for the control and manipulation of DW in a nanostrip. Financial supports by Academia Sinica and National Science Council are acknowledged

Fate of internal waves on a shallow shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Kristen; Arthur, Robert; Reid, Emma; Decarlo, Thomas; Cohen, Anne

2017-11-01

Internal waves strongly influence the physical and chemical environment of coastal ecosystems worldwide. We report novel observations from a distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system that tracked the transformation of internal waves from the shelf break to the surf zone over a shelf-slope region of a coral atoll in the South China Sea. The spatially-continuous view of the near-bottom temperature field provided by the DTS offers a perspective of physical processes previously available only in laboratory settings or numerical models. These processes include internal wave reflection off a natural slope, shoreward transport of dense fluid within trapped cores, internal ``tide pools'' (dense water left behind after the retreat of an internal wave), and internal run-down (near-bottom, offshore-directed jets of water preceding a breaking internal wave). Analysis shows that the fate of internal waves on this shelf - whether they are transmitted into shallow waters or reflected back offshore - is mediated by local water column density and shear structure, with important implications for nearshore distributions of energy, heat, and nutrients. We acknowledge the US Army Research Laboratory DoD Supercomputing Resource Center for computer time on Excalibur, which was used for the numerical simulations in this work. Funding for field work supported by Academia Sinica and for K.D. and E.R. from NSF.

Low-energy particle experiments - electron analyzer (LEPe) for the Arase mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, T. F.; Kazama, Y.; Wang, B. J.; Wang, S. Y.; Chiang, C. Y.; Tam, S. W. Y.; Asamura, K.

2017-12-01

Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) and Institute of Space and Plasma Sciences (ISAPS) at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan developed a low-energy electron instrument (LEPe) for the Exploration of Energization and Radiation in Geospace (ERG) mission, in collaboration with Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan. The LEPe instrument employs a toroidal tophat-type electrostatic analyzer with multi-channel plates, and measures electrons with energies of 20 eV to 19 keV. The analyzer was designed toward relatively large sensitivity for statistically better signals. Against background radiations, the analyzer has 6mm thick aluminum shields and one background anode for reduction and subtraction of radiation signals. The instrument measures three dimensional electron fluxes in approximately 8 seconds of one spin, with angular resolutions of 22.5 degrees. For the purpose of resolving loss cones, specific 45 degrees are divided into 12 channels, 3.75 degrees for each. The ERG spacecraft was successfully launched late in 2016, and science operations phase has started since late March, 2017. The LEPe instrument is functioning well and is measuring low-energy electrons that dominate in the inner magnetosphere and also control wave activities. In this presentation, we will explain the LEPe instrument onboard the ERG spacecraft and will introduce initial results of the measurements.

An Opportunity for Industry-Academia Partnership: Training the Next Generation of Industrial Researchers in Characterizing Higher Order Protein Structure.

PubMed

Bain, David L; Brenowitz, Michael; Roberts, Christopher J

2016-12-01

Training researchers for positions in the United States biopharmaceutical industry has long been driven by academia. This commentary explores how the changing landscape of academic training will impact the industrial workforce, particularly with regard to the development of protein therapeutics in the area of biophysical and higher order structural characterization. We discuss how to balance future training and employment opportunities, how academic-industrial partnerships can help young scientists acquire the skills needed by their future employer, and how an appropriately trained workforce can facilitate the translation of new technology from academic to industrial laboratories. We also present suggestions to facilitate the coordinated development of industrial-academic educational partnerships to develop new training programs, and the ability of students to locate these programs, through the development of authoritative public resources. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Views from academia and industry on skills needed for the modern research environment.

PubMed

Talgar, Cigdem P; Goodey, Nina M

2015-01-01

Reports from employers of higher education graduates indicate the existence of a considerable gap between the skills required by employers and those possessed by recent graduates. As a first step toward closing this gap, this study aims to determine its origin. Interviews with nine research-active biochemistry professionals were used to identify the most important skills for biochemistry students to succeed in research positions postgraduation. The results of these interviews were used to develop a survey, which was then administered to a larger group of biochemistry faculty and industry professionals. The output of the survey was a list of 52 skills valued by biochemistry professionals and rated by perceived importance. Importantly, the survey results also afford a comparative look at the prioritization of skills by two key populations: the academic faculty training students and the industry professionals hiring them. While there are many areas of agreement between these two populations, the survey also reveals areas were priorities diverge. The discrepancies found here suggest that the skills gap manifest at the point of employment may stem directly from differences in prioritization between the academic and industrial environments. This article aims to provide insight into the needs and requirements of the modern biochemical research environment, and invites debate concerning the preparation students receive in academia. Moreover, the results presented herein point to a need for further exploration of the possible misalignment of these two critical environments for young scientists. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

A novel denitrifying methanotroph of the NC10 phylum and its microcolony

PubMed Central

He, Zhanfei; Cai, Chaoyang; Wang, Jiaqi; Xu, Xinhua; Zheng, Ping; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Hu, Baolan

2016-01-01

The NC10 phylum is a candidate phylum of prokaryotes and is considered important in biogeochemical cycles and evolutionary history. NC10 members are as-yet-uncultured and are difficult to enrich, and our knowledge regarding this phylum is largely limited to the first species ‘Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera’ (M. oxyfera). Here, we enriched NC10 members from paddy soil and obtained a novel species of the NC10 phylum that mediates the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to nitrite reduction. By comparing the new 16S rRNA gene sequences with those already in the database, this new species was found to be widely distributed in various habitats in China. Therefore, we tentatively named it ‘Candidatus Methylomirabilis sinica’ (M. sinica). Cells of M. sinica are roughly coccus-shaped (0.7–1.2 μm), distinct from M. oxyfera (rod-shaped; 0.25–0.5 × 0.8–1.1 μm). Notably, microscopic inspections revealed that M. sinica grew in honeycomb-shaped microcolonies, which was the first discovery of microcolony of the NC10 phylum. This finding opens the possibility to isolate NC10 members using microcolony-dependent isolation strategies. PMID:27582299

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...

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.

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

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.

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

Regulation of advanced therapy medicinal products in Europe and the role of academia.

PubMed

Pearce, Kim F; Hildebrandt, Martin; Greinix, Hildegard; Scheding, Stefan; Koehl, Ulrike; Worel, Nina; Apperley, Jane; Edinger, Matthius; Hauser, Andrea; Mischak-Weissinger, Eva; Dickinson, Anne M; Lowdell, Mark W

2014-03-01

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) are gene therapy, somatic cell therapy or tissue-engineered products regulated under (EC) No. 1394/2007 to ensure their free movement within the European Union while guaranteeing the highest level of health protection for patients. Academic good manufacturing practice (GMP) centers are major contributors in the development of ATMPs and this study assessed the impact of regulations on them. European academic and non-industrial facilities (n = 747) were contacted, and a representative sample of 50 replied to a detailed questionnaire. Experienced centres were further selected in every Member State (MS) for semi-structured interviews. Indicators of ATMP production and development success were statistically assessed, and opinions about directive implementation were documented. Facilities experienced in manufacturing cell therapy transplant products are the most successful in developing ATMPs. New centres lacking this background struggle to enter the field, and there remains a shortage of facilities in academia participating in translational research. This is compounded by heterogeneous implementation of the regulations across MS. GMP facilities successfully developing ATMPs are present in all MS. However, the implementation of regulations is heterogeneous between MS, with substantial differences in the definition of ATMPs and in the approved manufacturing environment. The cost of GMP compliance is underestimated by research funding bodies. This is detrimental to development of new ATMPs and commercialization of any that are successful in early clinical trials. Academic GMP practitioners should strengthen their political visibility and contribute to the development of functional and effective European Union legislation in this field. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Cellular Therapy. All rights reserved.

Exemplary Training Models in Industrial Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatton, Michael J., Comp.

Prepared by Canadian, Chinese Taipei, and Thai educational agencies and based on surveys of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation member nations, this report provides descriptions of 52 exemplary industrial technology training models in Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, the People's Republic…

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

Knowing One’s Place: Parental Educational Background Influences Social Identification with Academia, Test Anxiety, and Satisfaction with Studying at University

PubMed Central

Janke, Stefan; Rudert, Selma C.; Marksteiner, Tamara; Dickhäuser, Oliver

2017-01-01

-generation status may not be sufficient to fully understand the importance of parental educational background for students’ well-being. More specifically, continuing-generation students might reap benefits from their parental educational background. These benefits widen the social gap in academia in addition to the disadvantages of students with first-generation status. In sum, understanding the benefits of continuing-generation status has important implications for interventions aiming to reduce social class gaps in academia. PMID:28824505

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...

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

GPCR structure, function, drug discovery and crystallography: report from Academia-Industry International Conference (UK Royal Society) Chicheley Hall, 1-2 September 2014.

PubMed

Heifetz, Alexander; Schertler, Gebhard F X; Seifert, Roland; Tate, Christopher G; Sexton, Patrick M; Gurevich, Vsevolod V; Fourmy, Daniel; Cherezov, Vadim; Marshall, Fiona H; Storer, R Ian; Moraes, Isabel; Tikhonova, Irina G; Tautermann, Christofer S; Hunt, Peter; Ceska, Tom; Hodgson, Simon; Bodkin, Mike J; Singh, Shweta; Law, Richard J; Biggin, Philip C

2015-08-01

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the targets of over half of all prescribed drugs today. The UniProt database has records for about 800 proteins classified as GPCRs, but drugs have only been developed against 50 of these. Thus, there is huge potential in terms of the number of targets for new therapies to be designed. Several breakthroughs in GPCRs biased pharmacology, structural biology, modelling and scoring have resulted in a resurgence of interest in GPCRs as drug targets. Therefore, an international conference, sponsored by the Royal Society, with world-renowned researchers from industry and academia was recently held to discuss recent progress and highlight key areas of future research needed to accelerate GPCR drug discovery. Several key points emerged. Firstly, structures for all three major classes of GPCRs have now been solved and there is increasing coverage across the GPCR phylogenetic tree. This is likely to be substantially enhanced with data from x-ray free electron sources as they move beyond proof of concept. Secondly, the concept of biased signalling or functional selectivity is likely to be prevalent in many GPCRs, and this presents exciting new opportunities for selectivity and the control of side effects, especially when combined with increasing data regarding allosteric modulation. Thirdly, there will almost certainly be some GPCRs that will remain difficult targets because they exhibit complex ligand dependencies and have many metastable states rendering them difficult to resolve by crystallographic methods. Subtle effects within the packing of the transmembrane helices are likely to mask and contribute to this aspect, which may play a role in species dependent behaviour. This is particularly important because it has ramifications for how we interpret pre-clinical data. In summary, collaborative efforts between industry and academia have delivered significant progress in terms of structure and understanding of GPCRs and will be

Goal motives and multiple-goal striving in sport and academia: A person-centered investigation of goal motives and inter-goal relations.

PubMed

Healy, Laura C; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Duda, Joan L

2016-12-01

This investigation extended the goal striving literature by examining motives for two goals being pursued simultaneously. Grounded in self-determination theory, we examined how student-athletes' motives for their sporting and academic goals were associated with inter-goal facilitation and interference. Cross-sectional survey. UK university student-athletes (n=204) identified their most important sporting and academic goals. They then rated their extrinsic, introjected, identified and intrinsic motives for these goals and completed questionnaires assessing inter-goal facilitation and interference. Using a person-centered approach via latent profile analysis, we identified three distinct profiles of goal motives. Auxiliary analyses showed that the profile with high identified motives for both goals reported greater inter-goal facilitation. Extending the previous literature, the findings demonstrate the benefits of autonomous motives when simultaneously pursing goals in sport and academia. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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…

Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica (Selected Articles),

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-09

Let us assume the third vibration mode. Then, the matrix form of the coupled linear equations is obtained as follows: 30 L. -i .- *’ v j h 1. - Y I - u5...F When higher vibration modes are considered, the same m~ethod can be used. From eqn. (31,we have the transfer functions: A c,37 + Cse+ C,s+ C, $+ C’s... vibration modes of the gyro at point 1 with respect to x. Then, transfer function, .WO (s) is s)=W, 1( I )W, 1 ( s ) 2( 1 )W,( S T- ( I s ) l, 3 7+1,s+1 1 ls

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.

Diverse Seismic Imaging Created by the Seismic Explosion Experiment of the TAIGER Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.; Okaya, D.; Wu, F.; Yen, H.; Huang, B.; Liang, W.

2008-12-01

The TAIGER (TAiwan Integrated GEodynamics Research) project which examines the Taiwan orogeny includes five experiments: natural earthquake recording, man-made explosion recording, Magnetotelluic imaging, marine MCS and sea-land shooting, and deformation evolution modeling. During Feb-Mar 2008, the explosion experiment was carried out. Ten sources with 500~3000kg dynamite were detonated along two transects across northern and southern Taiwan. Over 600 PASSCAL Texans and 40 R-130 instruments record the signals over 100~300 km range. Additional arrays with 100 seismometers were deployed to collect north-south line and fan shoot data for 3D imaging. Furthermore, there are 9 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) in the Taiwan Strait and two lines with 20 seismometers deployed on the mainland China side. A large volume of qualified data has been created. Except explosion signals, numerous local and regional earthquakes were also recorded even by the Texan instruments. The rich earthquake-explosion dataset now exists at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica operated by the Taiwan Earthquake Center (TEC). Preliminary examination of the data reveal crustal Pg, PmP, Pn and intermediate crustal reflection phases within the transect profiles and in the 3D cross-arrays. These data provide direct seismic imaging of the continental Moho under Taiwan and the sharp Moho root configuration associated with mountain building. Seismic tomography and raytrace methods reveal velocity structure consistent with convergence and vertical exhumation of the Central Ranges.

The Greenland Telescope (GLT): antenna status and future plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raffin, Philippe; Algaba-Marcosa, Juan Carlos; Asada, Keiichi; Blundell, Raymond; Burgos, Roberto; Chang, Chih-Cheng; Chen, Ming-Tang; Christensen, Robert; Grimes, Paul K.; Han, C. C.; Ho, Paul T. P.; Huang, Yau-De; Inoue, Makoto; Koch, Patrick M.; Kubo, Derek; Leiker, Steve; Liu, Ching-Tang; Martin-Cocher, Pierre; Matsushita, Satoki; Nakamura, Masanori; Nishioka, Hiroaki; Nystrom, George; Paine, Scott N.; Patel, Nimesh A.; Pradel, Nicolas; Pu, Hung-Yi; Shen, H.-Y.; Snow, William; Sridharan, Tirupati K.; Srinivasan, Ranjani; Tong, Edward; Wang, Jackie

2014-07-01

The ALMA North America Prototype Antenna was awarded to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in 2011. SAO and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), SAO's main partner for this project, are working jointly to relocate the antenna to Greenland to carry out millimeter and submillimeter VLBI observations. This paper presents the work carried out on upgrading the antenna to enable operation in the Arctic climate by the GLT Team to make this challenging project possible, with an emphasis on the unexpected telescope components that had to be either redesigned or changed. Five-years of inactivity, with the antenna laying idle in the desert of New Mexico, coupled with the extreme weather conditions of the selected site in Greenland have it necessary to significantly refurbish the antenna. We found that many components did need to be replaced, such as the antenna support cone, the azimuth bearing, the carbon fiber quadrupod, the hexapod, the HVAC, the tiltmeters, the antenna electronic enclosures housing servo and other drive components, and the cables. We selected Vertex, the original antenna manufacturer, for the main design work, which is in progress. The next coming months will see the major antenna components and subsystems shipped to a site of the US East Coast for test-fitting the major antenna components, which have been retrofitted. The following step will be to ship the components to Greenland to carry out VLBI

Semantic ambiguity effects on traditional Chinese character naming: A corpus-based approach.

PubMed

Chang, Ya-Ning; Lee, Chia-Ying

2017-11-09

Words are considered semantically ambiguous if they have more than one meaning and can be used in multiple contexts. A number of recent studies have provided objective ambiguity measures by using a corpus-based approach and have demonstrated ambiguity advantages in both naming and lexical decision tasks. Although the predictive power of objective ambiguity measures has been examined in several alphabetic language systems, the effects in logographic languages remain unclear. Moreover, most ambiguity measures do not explicitly address how the various contexts associated with a given word relate to each other. To explore these issues, we computed the contextual diversity (Adelman, Brown, & Quesada, Psychological Science, 17; 814-823, 2006) and semantic ambiguity (Hoffman, Lambon Ralph, & Rogers, Behavior Research Methods, 45; 718-730, 2013) of traditional Chinese single-character words based on the Academia Sinica Balanced Corpus, where contextual diversity was used to evaluate the present semantic space. We then derived a novel ambiguity measure, namely semantic variability, by computing the distance properties of the distinct clusters grouped by the contexts that contained a given word. We demonstrated that semantic variability was superior to semantic diversity in accounting for the variance in naming response times, suggesting that considering the substructure of the various contexts associated with a given word can provide a relatively fine scale of ambiguity information for a word. All of the context and ambiguity measures for 2,418 Chinese single-character words are provided as supplementary materials.

Common to both academia and industry: the challenge of discovery. An interview with Perry Molinoff.

PubMed

Molinoff, P B

2001-06-01

Perry Molinoff recognizes the distinctions between basic and applied science, between academic and industrial research, and between the preclinical and clinical realities of drug development. But he generally discusses these categories in fluid, practical terms, having throughout his career crossed the lines of distinction that have sometimes been rather heavily drawn among pharmacologists. As a third-year medical student at Harvard, he decided "to take a year off" to conduct laboratory research. After receiving his MD and pursuing further clinical and postdoctoral work, he enjoyed an academic career that included fourteen years as the A.N. Richards Professor and Chair of Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He has just completed six years as Vice President of Neuroscience and Genitourinary Drug Discovery for Bristol-Myers Squibb and will soon return to teaching, in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at Yale University. Referring to himself as either pharmacologist or neuroscientist, depending on context, he has made fundamental discoveries in receptor biology, has overseen the discovery and development of drugs and their subsequent clinical trials, and has mentored a host of pharmacologists and neuroscientists who themselves have established careers in industry and academia. The pursuit of discovery as its own reward emerges as a theme that has marked his professional life (and is perhaps reflected also in the images displayed in his office of the Himalayan mountains, photographed by Molinoff himself from the Everest base camp last year).

From industry to academia: Benefits of integrating a professional project management standard into (geo)science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristini, Luisa

2017-04-01

Scientific and technological research carried out within universities and public research institutions often involves large collaborations across several countries. Despite the considerable budget (typically millions of Euros), the high expectations (high impact scientific findings, new technological developments and links with policy makers, industry and civil society) and the length of the project over several years, these international projects often rely heavily on the personal skills of the management team (project coordinator, project manager, principal investigators) without a structured, transferable framework. While this approach has become an established practice, it's not ideal and can jeopardise the success of the entire effort with consequences ranging from schedule delays, loss of templates/systems, financial charges and ultimately project failure. In this presentation I will show the advantages of integrating a globally recognised standard for professional project management, such as the PMP® by the Project Management Institute, into academic research. I will cover the project management knowledge areas (integration management, scope management, time management, cost management, quality management, human resources management, risk management, procurement management, and stakeholder management) and the processes within these throughout the phases of the project lifetime (project initiation, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closure). I will show how application of standardised, transferable procedures, developed within the business & administration sector, can benefit academia and more generally scientific research.

Clinical Pharmacology Research Internships at the Interface between Academia and Industry: Students' Perceptions and Scientific Output.

PubMed

Goulooze, Sebastiaan C; Franson, Kari L; Cohen, Adam F; Rissmann, Robert

2017-07-01

The Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR) is a non-profit clinical research institute at the interface between academia and the pharmaceutical industry. CHDR hosts a research internship programme for undergraduate (bio)medical students. The aim of this study was (i) to investigate the student perceptions of the undergraduate research internship and (ii) to quantify the scientific output related to these internships. We surveyed former interns at the CHDR from the year 2007 to 2014 and quantified their scientific output with a PubMed search. There was a response rate to the survey of 61%, with a good overall rating of the internships. Many students considered their internship at CHDR to be (much) more broad (55%) and with a (much) stricter planning (48%), compared to previous internships at academic research groups. In turn, there were many aspects reported to be similar to academic research internships such as focus on research methodology and 'outcome-drivenness'. Twenty-four per cent of the internships resulted in a co-authorship on papers published in peer-reviewed journals with an average impact factor of 3.3. In conclusion, with appropriate management and supervision, effective research electives are possible in the more commercial environment of a clinical research organization. © 2017 The Authors. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Resolving Complex Research Data Management Issues in Biomedical Laboratories: Qualitative Study of an Industry-Academia Collaboration

PubMed Central

Myneni, Sahiti; Patel, Vimla L.; Bova, G. Steven; Wang, Jian; Ackerman, Christopher F.; Berlinicke, Cynthia A.; Chen, Steve H.; Lindvall, Mikael; Zack, Donald J.

2016-01-01

This paper describes a distributed collaborative effort between industry and academia to systematize data management in an academic biomedical laboratory. Heterogeneous and voluminous nature of research data created in biomedical laboratories make information management difficult and research unproductive. One such collaborative effort was evaluated over a period of four years using data collection methods including ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews, web-based surveys, progress reports, conference call summaries, and face-to-face group discussions. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods of data analysis to 1) characterize specific problems faced by biomedical researchers with traditional information management practices, 2) identify intervention areas to introduce a new research information management system called Labmatrix, and finally to 3) evaluate and delineate important general collaboration (intervention) characteristics that can optimize outcomes of an implementation process in biomedical laboratories. Results emphasize the importance of end user perseverance, human-centric interoperability evaluation, and demonstration of return on investment of effort and time of laboratory members and industry personnel for success of implementation process. In addition, there is an intrinsic learning component associated with the implementation process of an information management system. Technology transfer experience in a complex environment such as the biomedical laboratory can be eased with use of information systems that support human and cognitive interoperability. Such informatics features can also contribute to successful collaboration and hopefully to scientific productivity. PMID:26652980

IRC +10 216 in 3D: morphology of a TP-AGB star envelope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guélin, M.; Patel, N. A.; Bremer, M.; Cernicharo, J.; Castro-Carrizo, A.; Pety, J.; Fonfría, J. P.; Agúndez, M.; Santander-García, M.; Quintana-Lacaci, G.; Velilla Prieto, L.; Blundell, R.; Thaddeus, P.

2018-02-01

turbulent motions. Based on that property, we have reconstructed the 3D structure of the outer envelope and have derived the gas temperature and density radial profiles in the inner (r< 25'') envelope. The shell-intershell density contrast is found to be typically 3. The over-dense shells have spherical or slightly oblate shapes and typically extend over a few steradians, implying isotropic mass loss. The regular spacing of shells in the outer envelope supports the model of a binary star system with a period of 700 yr and a near face-on elliptical orbit. The companion fly-by triggers enhanced episodes of mass loss near periastron. The densification of the shell pattern observed in the central part of the envelope suggests a more complex scenario for the last few thousand years. This work was based on observations carried out with the IRAM, SMA and ALMA telescopes. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). The Submillimeter Array is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (USA) and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Taiwan) and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica. This paper makes use of the ALMA data: ADS/JAO.ALMA#2013.1.01215.S & ADS/JAO.ALMA#2013.1.00432.S. ALMA is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS (Japan), together with NRC (Canada), NSC and ASIAA (Taiwan) and KASI (Republic of Korea), in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ.

Feasibility of Laser Power Transmission to a High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

DecNovSepAugJulJunMay OctAprMar Baghdad Taipei FebJan 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.9 0 0.7 0.6 Laser Power Transmission Through the Atmosphere 21 Figure 3.4...DecNovSepAugJulJunMay OctAprMar Baghdad (a) Probability of 80 percent cloud cover persisting more than 2 hours Taipei FebJan 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.40 0 0.35...than 6 hours Taipei FebJan 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.40 0 0.35 0.30 If the UAV carried sufficient batteries to endure 12 cloudy hours without laser

Two new species of the genus Amphilimna (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) from southern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Yulin

1989-12-01

Two new species of the ophiuriod genus Amphilimna from 280 m depth water east of Hainan Island are described. A. sinica sp. nov. shows affinities with A. transacta (Koehler), and A. granulosa is related to A. cribriformis A. M. Clark.

LUR models for particulate matters in the Taipei metropolis with high densities of roads and strong activities of industry, commerce and construction.

PubMed

Lee, Jui-Huna; Wu, Chang-Fu; Hoek, Gerard; de Hoogh, Kees; Beelen, Rob; Brunekreef, Bert; Chan, Chang-Chuan

2015-05-01

Traffic intensity, length of road, and proximity to roads are the most common traffic indicators in the land use regression (LUR) models for particulate matter in ESCAPE study areas in Europe. This study explored what local variables can improve the performance of LUR models in an Asian metropolis with high densities of roads and strong activities of industry, commerce and construction. By following the ESCAPE procedure, we derived LUR models of PM₂.₅, PM₂.₅ absorbance, PM₁₀, and PMcoarse (PM₂.₅-₁₀) in Taipei. The overall annual average concentrations of PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, and PMcoarse were 26.0 ± 5.6, 48.6 ± 5.9, and 23.3 ± 3.1 μg/m(3), respectively, and the absorption coefficient of PM₂.₅ was 2.0 ± 0.4 × 10(-5)m(-1). Our LUR models yielded R(2) values of 95%, 96%, 87%, and 65% for PM₂.₅, PM₂.₅ absorbance, PM₁₀, and PMcoarse, respectively. PM₂.₅ levels were increased by local traffic variables, industrial, construction, and residential land-use variables and decreased by rivers; while PM₂.₅ absorbance levels were increased by local traffic variables, industrial, and commercial land-use variables in the models. PMcoarse levels were increased by elevated highways. Road area explained more variance than road length by increasing the incremental value of 27% and 6% adjusted R(2) for PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ models, respectively. In the PM₂.₅ absorbance model, road area and transportation facility explain 29% more variance than road length. In the PMcoarse model, industrial and new local variables instead of road length improved the incremental value of adjusted R(2) from 39% to 60%. We concluded that road area can better explain the spatial distribution of PM₂.₅ and PM₂.₅ absorbance concentrations than road length. By incorporating road area and other new local variables, the performance of each PM LUR model was improved. The results suggest that road area is a better indicator of traffic intensity rather

Resolving complex research data management issues in biomedical laboratories: Qualitative study of an industry-academia collaboration.

PubMed

Myneni, Sahiti; Patel, Vimla L; Bova, G Steven; Wang, Jian; Ackerman, Christopher F; Berlinicke, Cynthia A; Chen, Steve H; Lindvall, Mikael; Zack, Donald J

2016-04-01

This paper describes a distributed collaborative effort between industry and academia to systematize data management in an academic biomedical laboratory. Heterogeneous and voluminous nature of research data created in biomedical laboratories make information management difficult and research unproductive. One such collaborative effort was evaluated over a period of four years using data collection methods including ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews, web-based surveys, progress reports, conference call summaries, and face-to-face group discussions. Data were analyzed using qualitative methods of data analysis to (1) characterize specific problems faced by biomedical researchers with traditional information management practices, (2) identify intervention areas to introduce a new research information management system called Labmatrix, and finally to (3) evaluate and delineate important general collaboration (intervention) characteristics that can optimize outcomes of an implementation process in biomedical laboratories. Results emphasize the importance of end user perseverance, human-centric interoperability evaluation, and demonstration of return on investment of effort and time of laboratory members and industry personnel for success of implementation process. In addition, there is an intrinsic learning component associated with the implementation process of an information management system. Technology transfer experience in a complex environment such as the biomedical laboratory can be eased with use of information systems that support human and cognitive interoperability. Such informatics features can also contribute to successful collaboration and hopefully to scientific productivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of Automatic Image Rectification and Registration of Scanned Historical Aerial Photographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, H. R.; Tseng, Y. H.

2016-06-01

Historical aerial photographs directly provide good evidences of past times. The Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences (RCHSS) of Taiwan Academia Sinica has collected and scanned numerous historical maps and aerial images of Taiwan and China. Some maps or images have been geo-referenced manually, but most of historical aerial images have not been registered since there are no GPS or IMU data for orientation assisting in the past. In our research, we developed an automatic process of matching historical aerial images by SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) for handling the great quantity of images by computer vision. SIFT is one of the most popular method of image feature extracting and matching. This algorithm extracts extreme values in scale space into invariant image features, which are robust to changing in rotation scale, noise, and illumination. We also use RANSAC (Random sample consensus) to remove outliers, and obtain good conjugated points between photographs. Finally, we manually add control points for registration through least square adjustment based on collinear equation. In the future, we can use image feature points of more photographs to build control image database. Every new image will be treated as query image. If feature points of query image match the features in database, it means that the query image probably is overlapped with control images.With the updating of database, more and more query image can be matched and aligned automatically. Other research about multi-time period environmental changes can be investigated with those geo-referenced temporal spatial data.

A Multimedia Child Developmental Screening Checklist: Design and Validation.

PubMed

Cheng, Hsin-Yi Kathy; Chen, Li-Ying; Cheng, Chih-Hsiu; Ju, Yan-Ying; Chen, Chia-Ling; Tseng, Kevin C

2016-10-24

Identifying disability early in life confers long-term benefits for children. The Taipei City Child Development Screening tool, second version (Taipei II) provides checklists for 13 child age groups from 4 months to 6 years. However, the usability of a text-based screening tool largely depends on the literacy level and logical reasoning ability of the caregivers, as well as language barriers caused by increasing numbers of immigrants. The objectives of this study were to (1) design and develop a Web-based multimedia version of the current Taipei II developmental screening tool, and (2) investigate the measurement equivalence of this multimedia version to the original paper-based version. To develop the multimedia version of Taipei II, a team of experts created illustrations, translations, and dubbing of the original checklists. The developmental screening test was administered to a total of 390 primary caregivers of children aged between 4 months and 6 years. Psychometric testing revealed excellent agreement between the paper and multimedia versions of Taipei II. Good to excellent reliabilities were demonstrated for all age groups for both the cross-mode similarity (mode intraclass correlation range 0.85-0.96) and the test-retest reliability (r=.93). Regarding the usability, the mean score was 4.80 (SD 0.03), indicating that users were satisfied with their multimedia website experience. The multimedia tool produced essentially equivalent results to the paper-based tool. In addition, it had numerous advantages, such as it can facilitate active participation and promote early screening of target populations. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02359591; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02359591 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6l21mmdNn).

Hurdles in tissue engineering/regenerative medicine product commercialization: a survey of North American academia and industry.

PubMed

Johnson, Peter C; Bertram, Timothy A; Tawil, Bill; Hellman, Kiki B

2011-01-01

The Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-North America (TERMIS-NA) Industry Committee was formed in February 2009 to address the common roadblocks (i.e., hurdles) in the commercialization of tissue engineering/regenerative medicine products for its members. A semiquantitative online opinion survey instrument that delineated potentially sensitive hurdles to commercialization in each of the TERMIS constituency groups that generally participate in the stream of technology commercialization (academia, startup companies, development-stage companies, and established companies) was developed. The survey was opened to each of the 863 members of TERMIS-NA for a period of 5 weeks from October to November 2009. By its conclusion, 215 members (25%) had responded. Their proportionate numbers were closely representative of TERMIS-NA constituencies. The resulting data delineate what each group considers to be its most difficult and also its easiest hurdles in taking a technology to full product development. In addition, each group ranked its perception of the difficult and easy hurdles for all other groups, enabling an assessment of the degree of understanding between groups. The data depict not only critical hurdles in the path to commercialization at each stage in product development but also a variable understanding of perceptions of hurdles between groups. This assessment has provided the Industry Committee with activity foci needed to assist individual groups in the technology-commercialization stream. Moreover, the analysis suggests that enhanced communication between groups engaged in commercialization will be critical to the successful development of products in the tissue engineering/regenerative medicine sector.

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

Rethinking the Meaning of Success in Academia: Strategies of a Female Scientist from a Far - Away Land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mekik, F.

2007-12-01

Earning and receiving tenure is essential for success in academia and there are obstacles, particularly for women in the sciences. Scholarly publications and formal reviews from peers and students make the road to tenure and promotion ambiguous and unpredictable. As a female scientist, I benefited from my upbringing in Turkey where women are raised to perceive themselves as both empowered and strong. Several recent studies on academicians in physics have shown that while in countries like Turkey, former Yugoslavia, Slovenia and Poland female scientists make up 20% or more of college faculty, they hold only 5% or less of faculty positions in universities in western Europe and the United States. Similar statistics prevail in earth science and geology departments world wide and will be discussed in my presentation. I also developed several strategies that helped me on the road to tenure, which I believe may have use to others--my part of this session will be to explain them more fully. They are: [1] Concentrate on your work, and do not be distracted by the multiple drains on time and energy such as competition with peers; [2] Wherever possible, develop a broader definition of "success," so that collaborations with other scientists, with students, and with the general public are valued; [3] Build your department by participating in searches and interviewing job candidates; [4] Seek colleagues who share your values about leadership and collegiality; and [5] Be confident about your own competence.

Implementing a Randomized Controlled Trial through a Community-Academia Partnered Participatory Research: Arte con Salud Research-Informed Intervention.

PubMed

Noboa-Ortega, Patricia; Figueroa-Cosme, Wanda I; Feldman-Soler, Alana; Miranda-Díaz, Christine

2017-06-01

"Arte con Salud" is an HIV/AIDS prevention intervention tailored for Puerto Rican women who have sex with men. The intervention curriculum was refined through a community-academic collaboration between Taller Salud, the UPRCayey Campus, and the UCC-School of Medicine, subsided in 2012-13 by PRCTRC. The collaboration has been crucial to validate the impact of using art as a tool to facilitate sexual negotiation skills and safer sexual practices among adult women have sex with men participating in HIV prevention education. This article describes the vision, valley, victory phases endured to establish a community-academia partnership based on the CPPR framework as an effective mean to implement a randomized controlled trial intervention (RCT). We also discuss the barriers, outcomes, and lessons learned from this partnership. Some of the identified solutions include: setting goals to secure funding, regular meetings, and the inclusion of undergraduate level students to assist in the implementation of the intervention. These solutions helped to build trust among the community and academic partners. As a result of this collaboration, a total of 86 participants were enrolled and 5 competitive research grants have been submitted. The community-academic collaboration was essential in order to build a solid research infrastructure that addresses the complexities of HIV prevention education among groups of Puerto Rican women.

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

PubMed

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

2012-03-01

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

How does Traditional Confucian Culture Influence Adolescents’ Sexual Behavior in Three Asian Cities?

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

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

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

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

[Analysis of the preferred conformations and determination of the concentrations of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine based on hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction].

PubMed

Chen, Xuan; Bai, Xiaohong; Wang, Xiao; Wang, Jing; Bu, Wei

2010-12-01

The preferred conformations of the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in Ephedra sinica Stapf and rat urine were analyzed by the hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) and their extraction mechanisms were illuminated. The method of the separation of the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and the determination of their concentrations with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were established. The optimal experimental conditions were as follows: the organic phase carrier was the hollow fiber of polyvinylidene fluoride (MOF-503), organic solvent was n-hexanol, the extraction time was 35 min, the stirring rate was 1200 r/min, the sample phase was the NaOH solution (5 mol/L) of the analyte, the acceptor was 0.01 mol/L H2SO4 solution. The extracts were analyzed by HPLC. Under the optimal conditions, the method is convenient and highly sensitive. In Ephedra sinica Stapf, the linear ranges of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were 5-100 microg/L, the detection limits were 1.9 microg/L and 1.2 microg/L and the enrichment factors were 38 and 61, respectively. The average recoveries of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were 100.6% +/- 1.2% and 103.2% +/- 3.5%, respectively. In rat urine, their linear ranges were 100 - 5 x 10(4) microg/L, the detection limits were 30 microg/L and 42 microg/L and the enrichment factors were 20 and 17, respectively. In rat urine, their average recoveries were 108.4% +/- 4.4% and 106. 1% +/- 5.4%, respectively. The obtained results indicated that the method can be successfully applied for the extraction and determination of the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in Ephedra sinica Stapf and rat urine.

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

A Multimedia Child Developmental Screening Checklist: Design and Validation

PubMed Central

Cheng, Hsin-Yi Kathy; Chen, Li-Ying; Cheng, Chih-Hsiu; Ju, Yan-Ying; Chen, Chia-Ling

2016-01-01

Background Identifying disability early in life confers long-term benefits for children. The Taipei City Child Development Screening tool, second version (Taipei II) provides checklists for 13 child age groups from 4 months to 6 years. However, the usability of a text-based screening tool largely depends on the literacy level and logical reasoning ability of the caregivers, as well as language barriers caused by increasing numbers of immigrants. Objective The objectives of this study were to (1) design and develop a Web-based multimedia version of the current Taipei II developmental screening tool, and (2) investigate the measurement equivalence of this multimedia version to the original paper-based version. Methods To develop the multimedia version of Taipei II, a team of experts created illustrations, translations, and dubbing of the original checklists. The developmental screening test was administered to a total of 390 primary caregivers of children aged between 4 months and 6 years. Results Psychometric testing revealed excellent agreement between the paper and multimedia versions of Taipei II. Good to excellent reliabilities were demonstrated for all age groups for both the cross-mode similarity (mode intraclass correlation range 0.85-0.96) and the test-retest reliability (r=.93). Regarding the usability, the mean score was 4.80 (SD 0.03), indicating that users were satisfied with their multimedia website experience. Conclusions The multimedia tool produced essentially equivalent results to the paper-based tool. In addition, it had numerous advantages, such as it can facilitate active participation and promote early screening of target populations. ClinicalTrial Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02359591; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02359591 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6l21mmdNn) PMID:27777218

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.

Prevention and control of food safety risks: the role of governments, food producers, marketers, and academia.

PubMed

Lupien, John R

2007-01-01

Food systems are rapidly changing as world population grows, increasing urbanization occurs, consumer tastes and preferences change and differ in various countries and cultures, large scale food production increases, and food imports and exports grow in volume and value. Consumers in all countries have become more insistent that foods available in the marketplace are of good quality and safe, and do not pose risks to them and their families. Publicity about food risk problems and related risks, including chemical and microbiological contamination of foods, mad-cow disease, avian flu, industrial chemical contamination all have made consumers and policy makers more aware of the need of the control of food safety risk factors in all countries. To discuss changes in food systems, and in consumer expectations, that have placed additional stress on the need for better control of food safety risks. Food producers, processors, and marketers have additional food law and regulations to meet; government agencies must increase monitoring and enforcement of adequate food quality and safety legislation and coordinate efforts between agriculture, health, trade, justice and customs agencies; and academia must take action to strengthen the education of competent food legislation administrators, inspectorate, and laboratory personnel for work in government and industry, including related food and food safety research . Both Government and the food industry must assure that adequate control programs are in place to control the quality and safety of all foods, raw or processed, throughout the food chain from production to final consumption. This includes appropriate laboratory facilities to perform necessary analysis of foods for risk and quality factors, and to carry out a wide range of food science, toxicological and related research.

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.

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

Academia vs Industry: vanishing boundaries between global earthquake seismology and exploration seismics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Hilst, R. D.

2011-12-01

Global seismology and exploration seismics have long lived in parallel universes, with little cross-fertilization of methodologies and with interaction between the associated communities often limited to company recruitment of students. Fortunately, this traditional separation of technology and people has begun to disappear. This is driven not only by continuing demands for human and financial resources (for companies and academia, respectively) but increasingly also by overlapping intellectual interest. First, 'waves are waves' (that is, the fundamental physics - and math to describe/handle it - is scale invariant) and many artificial boundaries are being removed by use of better wave theory, faster computers, and new data acquisition paradigms. For example, the development of dense sensor arrays (in USA, Europe, Asia - mostly China and Japan) is increasing the attraction (and need) of industry-style interrogation of massive data sets. Examples include large scale seismic exploration of Earth's deep interior with inverse scattering of teleseismic wavefields (e.g., Van der Hilst et al., Science, 2007). On the other hand, reservoir exploration and production benefits from expertise in earthquake seismology, both for better characterization of reservoirs and their overburden and for (induced) micro-earthquake analysis. Passive source methods (including but not restricted to ambient noise tomography) are providing new, economic opportunities for velocity analysis and monitoring, and studies of (micro)seismicity (e.g., source location, parameters, and moment tensor) allow in situ stress determination, tomographic velocity analysis with natural sources in the reservoir, and 4D monitoring (e.g., for hydrocarbon production, carbon sequestration, enhanced geothermal systems, and unconventional gas production). Second, the gap between the frequency ranges traditionally considered by both communities is being bridged by better theory, new sensor technology, and through

‘It's springtime for science’: renewing China–UK scientific relations in the 1970s

PubMed Central

Agar, Jon

2013-01-01

This paper examines how links between the People's Republic of China and the UK were rebuilt in the 1970s. It not only fills a gap in the historiography but also makes three particular arguments. The first is that there were two intersecting institutional paths along which the rebuilding of links were followed: a foreign policy path, in which the most important body was the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and an academy-level path in which relations between the Royal Society and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (also known in the early years as the Academia Sinica) were crucial. Especially under conditions in which access and travel to China were extremely restricted, the Royal Society acted as a ‘gatekeeper’, rationing visits to a select few researchers. The second argument is that science was a strategic pathfinder or diplomatic ‘avant garde’. The maintenance of scientific links, even during the most difficult periods of this history when they were all but severed, meant that a path was kept open to ‘further communication and exchange between peoples—and governments’, as Kathlin Smith has found in the broadly similar case of relations between China and the USA. In particular, scientific relations formed an important bridge in the negotiation and eventual agreement of the first treaty signed between the UK and communist China in 1978. It was no coincidence that this highest-level political agreement was accompanied by a parallel accord between the scientific academies. Third, I argue that, nevertheless, even this treaty was not entirely new, and that the model for the China–UK treaty was existing agreements on technology exchanges made with Eastern European countries. PMID:24686564

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

Seeing Jay-Z in Taipei.

PubMed

Hsu, Hua

2011-01-01

How does the newly arrived immigrant respond to the news that an identity already awaits him? How does an African American hip-hop artist translate his struggles and triumphs across oceanic divides? What significance do American demographic shifts have in a global context? Hsu's essay examines what happens once individuals or identities migrate beyond the contexts that first produced them. He explores a variety of circuits: the satellite communities of Asian immigrant students who arrived on American university campuses in the late 1960s; enduring debates about a "post-city" identity, spurred by advances in cheap, efficient, world-shrinking communication technologies; and the new affinities and categories of self-identification made possible by a present-day culture that prizes interactivity and participation.

The G4R GMES Academy - linking research, academia, service providers and local authorities.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeil, Peter; Tramutoli, Valerio

2013-04-01

The GMES Academy intends to enhance the role of the academic and R&D communities in the evolution of EO & GI services. The GMES4Regions G4R initiative, aiming to strengthen the link between GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and European regions, inaugurated the GMES Academy at the University Mozarteum of Salzburg (Austria) on 13th - 14th September 2012. This academy has been created with the objective of fostering a dialogue among the private sector, Local and Regional Administration (LRA) and the academic and research community, in order to improve the development of Earth Observation (EO) and Geographic Information (GI) services. On this occasion, Z_GIS, the Interfaculty Department of Geoinformatics of Salzburg University, hosted the round table "Fostering Downstream Services for the Regions - contributions from Research & Academia," during which the participants had the opportunity to discuss with representatives of the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA) the future role of the academic community in this domain. Stakeholders from the academic and R&D world adopted the 'Salzburg Declaration on GMES related Research', calling for strengthening connections between research activities and educational programmes to improve GMES services. The Declaration calls mainly for: • fostering education and training on GMES • ensuring cooperation among the academic and research community through the GMES Academy • maintaining a political commitment towards the implementation of such academic initiatives. The GMES Academy is established as a platform with six components: GATEWAY - the directory of Universities and Research Centres BRIDGE - an inventory of research briefs documenting the latest offerings from research to effective applications FACILITATOR - a portal to seek or propose internships or contract research across Europe and addressing outreach and advocacy: LINK - Access to the repository of on-going GMES related

Emerged HA and NA Mutants of the Pandemic Influenza H1N1 Viruses with Increasing Epidemiological Significance in Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2009–10

PubMed Central

Kao, Chuan-Liang; Chan, Ta-Chien; Tsai, Chu-Han; Chu, Kuan-Ying; Chuang, Shu-Fang; Lee, Chang-Chun; Li, Zheng-Rong Tiger; Wu, Ko-Wen; Chang, Luan-Yin; Shen, Yea-Huei; Huang, Li-Min; Lee, Ping-Ing; Yang, ChingLai; Compans, Richard; Rouse, Barry T.; King, Chwan-Chuen

2012-01-01

The 2009 influenza pandemic provided an opportunity to observe dynamic changes of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) of pH1N1 strains that spread in two metropolitan areas -Taipei and Kaohsiung. We observed cumulative increases of amino acid substitutions of both HA and NA that were higher in the post–peak than in the pre-peak period of the epidemic. About 14.94% and 3.44% of 174 isolates had one and two amino acids changes, respective, in the four antigenic sites. One unique adaptive mutation of HA2 (E374K) was first detected three weeks before the epidemic peak. This mutation evolved through the epidemic, and finally emerged as the major circulated strain, with significantly higher frequency in the post-peak period than in the pre-peak (64.65% vs 9.28%, p<0.0001). E374K persisted until ten months post-nationwide vaccination without further antigenic changes (e.g. prior to the highest selective pressure). In public health measures, the epidemic peaked at seven weeks after oseltamivir treatment was initiated. The emerging E374K mutants spread before the first peak of school class suspension, extended their survival in high-density population areas before vaccination, dominated in the second wave of class suspension, and were fixed as herd immunity developed. The tempo-spatial spreading of E374K mutants was more concentrated during the post–peak (p = 0.000004) in seven districts with higher spatial clusters (p<0.001). This is the first study examining viral changes during the naïve phase of a pandemic of influenza through integrated virological/serological/clinical surveillance, tempo-spatial analysis, and intervention policies. The vaccination increased the percentage of E374K mutants (22.86% vs 72.34%, p<0.001) and significantly elevated the frequency of mutations in Sa antigenic site (2.36% vs 23.40%, p<0.001). Future pre-vaccination public health efforts should monitor amino acids of HA and NA of pandemic influenza viruses isolated at

A new genus and three new species of tribe Oxycerini (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) from Oriental region.

PubMed

Yang, Zai-Hua; Rozkošný, Rudolf; Yang, Mao-Fa

2015-12-09

Oxyceroides gen. nov., including three new species, O. gracilis sp. nov., O. sinica sp. nov. and O. tangi sp. nov. from South China in the Oriental region are described and illustrated. Related genera from other biogeographical realms are briefly discussed. Identification keys to the known Oriental Oxycerini and to the three new species of Oxyceroides are given.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology China

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-02

40091007b Beijing WEISHENGWU XUEBAO [ACTA MICROBIOLOGICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 28 No 3, Sep 88 pp 257- 264 [English abstract of article by Gong Jianhua...G.H., KAPL-M-SMS-31, 1956, pp 4-6. 4. Caldwell, C.S., WAPD -CP-1030, 1956, pp 1-5. 5. Himmelblau, D.M., et al., J. CHEM. ENG. DATA, Vol 5 No 1, 1

The Mechanism of Henipavirus Fusion: Examining the Relationships between the Attachment and Fusion Glycoproteins

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

USA.) Abstract: The henipaviruses, represented by Nipah virus and Hendra virus, are emerging zoonotic viral pathogens responsible for repeated...of the fusion activity of F. Key words: Hendra virus; Nipah virus; Henipavirus; Paramyxovirus; Viral entry Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus...distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Virologica Sinica, April 2009, 24(2) 110-120 14. ABSTRACT The henipaviruses, represented by Nipah

Negligible seeding source effect on the final ANAMMOX community under steady and high nitrogen loading rate after enrichment using poly(vinyl alcohol) gel carriers.

PubMed

Cho, Kyungjin; Choi, Minkyu; Lee, Seockheon; Bae, Hyokwan

2018-05-26

This study investigated the effect of seeding source on the mature anaerobic ammonia oxidation (ANAMMOX) bacterial community niche in continuous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) gel systems operated under high nitrogen loading rate (NLR) condition. Four identical column reactors packed with PVA gels were operated for 182 d using different seeding sources which had distinct community structures. The ANAMMOX reaction was achieved in all the bioreactors with comparable total and ANAMMOX bacterial 16S rRNA gene quantities. The bacterial community structure of the bioreactors became similar during operation; some major bacteria were commonly found. Interestingly, one ANAMMOX species, "Candidatus Brocadia sinica", was conclusively predominant in all the bioreactors, even though different seeding sludges were used as inoculum source, possibly due to the unique physiological characteristics of "Ca. Brocadia sinica" and the operating conditions (i.e., PVA gel-based continuous system and 1.0 kg-N/(m 3 ·d) of NLR). The results clearly suggest that high NLR condition is a more significant factor determining the final ANAMMOX community niche than is the type of seeding source. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient Engagement Practices in Clinical Research among Patient Groups, Industry, and Academia in the United States: A Survey

PubMed Central

Smith, Sophia K.; Selig, Wendy; Harker, Matthew; Roberts, Jamie N.; Hesterlee, Sharon; Leventhal, David; Klein, Richard; Patrick-Lake, Bray; Abernethy, Amy P.

2015-01-01

Objective Patient-centered clinical trial design and execution is becoming increasingly important. No best practice guidelines exist despite a key stakeholder declaration to create more effective engagement models. This study aims to gain a better understanding of attitudes and practices for engaging patient groups so that actionable recommendations may be developed. Methods Individuals from industry, academic institutions, and patient groups were identified through Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative and Drug Information Association rosters and mailing lists. Objectives, practices, and perceived barriers related to engaging patient groups in the planning, conduct, and interpretation of clinical trials were reported in an online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of survey data followed a literature review to inform survey questions. Results Survey respondents (n = 179) valued the importance of involving patient groups in research; however, patient group respondents valued their contributions to research protocol development, funding acquisition, and interpretation of study results more highly than those contributions were valued by industry and academic respondents (all p < .001). Patient group respondents placed higher value in open communications, clear expectations, and detailed contract execution than did non–patient group respondents (all p < .05). Industry and academic respondents more often cited internal bureaucratic processes and reluctance to share information as engagement barriers than did patient group respondents (all p < .01). Patient groups reported that a lack of transparency and understanding of the benefits of collaboration on the part of industry and academia were greater barriers than did non–patient group respondents (all p< .01). Conclusions Despite reported similarities among approaches to engagement by the three stakeholder groups, key differences exist in perceived barriers and benefits to partnering with

Patient Engagement Practices in Clinical Research among Patient Groups, Industry, and Academia in the United States: A Survey.

PubMed

Smith, Sophia K; Selig, Wendy; Harker, Matthew; Roberts, Jamie N; Hesterlee, Sharon; Leventhal, David; Klein, Richard; Patrick-Lake, Bray; Abernethy, Amy P

2015-01-01

Patient-centered clinical trial design and execution is becoming increasingly important. No best practice guidelines exist despite a key stakeholder declaration to create more effective engagement models. This study aims to gain a better understanding of attitudes and practices for engaging patient groups so that actionable recommendations may be developed. Individuals from industry, academic institutions, and patient groups were identified through Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative and Drug Information Association rosters and mailing lists. Objectives, practices, and perceived barriers related to engaging patient groups in the planning, conduct, and interpretation of clinical trials were reported in an online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of survey data followed a literature review to inform survey questions. Survey respondents (n = 179) valued the importance of involving patient groups in research; however, patient group respondents valued their contributions to research protocol development, funding acquisition, and interpretation of study results more highly than those contributions were valued by industry and academic respondents (all p < .001). Patient group respondents placed higher value in open communications, clear expectations, and detailed contract execution than did non-patient group respondents (all p < .05). Industry and academic respondents more often cited internal bureaucratic processes and reluctance to share information as engagement barriers than did patient group respondents (all p < .01). Patient groups reported that a lack of transparency and understanding of the benefits of collaboration on the part of industry and academia were greater barriers than did non-patient group respondents (all p< .01). Despite reported similarities among approaches to engagement by the three stakeholder groups, key differences exist in perceived barriers and benefits to partnering with patient groups among the sectors studied

2K09 and thereafter : the coming era of integrative bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing for functional genomics and personalized medicine research.

PubMed

Yang, Jack Y; Niemierko, Andrzej; Bajcsy, Ruzena; Xu, Dong; Athey, Brian D; Zhang, Aidong; Ersoy, Okan K; Li, Guo-Zheng; Borodovsky, Mark; Zhang, Joe C; Arabnia, Hamid R; Deng, Youping; Dunker, A Keith; Liu, Yunlong; Ghafoor, Arif

2010-12-01

Significant interest exists in establishing synergistic research in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. Supported by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (http://www.ISIBM.org), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD) and International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine, the ISIBM International Joint Conferences on Bioinformatics, Systems Biology and Intelligent Computing (ISIBM IJCBS 2009) attracted more than 300 papers and 400 researchers and medical doctors world-wide. It was the only inter/multidisciplinary conference aimed to promote synergistic research and education in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. The conference committee was very grateful for the valuable advice and suggestions from honorary chairs, steering committee members and scientific leaders including Dr. Michael S. Waterman (USC, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Chih-Ming Ho (UCLA, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Academician of Academia Sinica), Dr. Wing H. Wong (Stanford, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Ruzena Bajcsy (UC Berkeley, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Member of United States Institute of Medicine of the National Academies), Dr. Mary Qu Yang (United States National Institutes of Health and Oak Ridge, DOE), Dr. Andrzej Niemierko (Harvard), Dr. A. Keith Dunker (Indiana), Dr. Brian D. Athey (Michigan), Dr. Weida Tong (FDA, United States Department of Health and Human Services), Dr. Cathy H. Wu (Georgetown), Dr. Dong Xu (Missouri), Drs. Arif Ghafoor and Okan K Ersoy (Purdue), Dr. Mark Borodovsky (Georgia Tech, President of ISIBM), Dr. Hamid R. Arabnia (UGA, Vice-President of ISIBM), and other scientific leaders. The committee presented the 2009 ISIBM Outstanding Achievement Awards to Dr. Joydeep Ghosh (UT

2K09 and thereafter : the coming era of integrative bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing for functional genomics and personalized medicine research

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Significant interest exists in establishing synergistic research in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. Supported by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF), International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (http://www.ISIBM.org), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD) and International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine, the ISIBM International Joint Conferences on Bioinformatics, Systems Biology and Intelligent Computing (ISIBM IJCBS 2009) attracted more than 300 papers and 400 researchers and medical doctors world-wide. It was the only inter/multidisciplinary conference aimed to promote synergistic research and education in bioinformatics, systems biology and intelligent computing. The conference committee was very grateful for the valuable advice and suggestions from honorary chairs, steering committee members and scientific leaders including Dr. Michael S. Waterman (USC, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Chih-Ming Ho (UCLA, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Academician of Academia Sinica), Dr. Wing H. Wong (Stanford, Member of United States National Academy of Sciences), Dr. Ruzena Bajcsy (UC Berkeley, Member of United States National Academy of Engineering and Member of United States Institute of Medicine of the National Academies), Dr. Mary Qu Yang (United States National Institutes of Health and Oak Ridge, DOE), Dr. Andrzej Niemierko (Harvard), Dr. A. Keith Dunker (Indiana), Dr. Brian D. Athey (Michigan), Dr. Weida Tong (FDA, United States Department of Health and Human Services), Dr. Cathy H. Wu (Georgetown), Dr. Dong Xu (Missouri), Drs. Arif Ghafoor and Okan K Ersoy (Purdue), Dr. Mark Borodovsky (Georgia Tech, President of ISIBM), Dr. Hamid R. Arabnia (UGA, Vice-President of ISIBM), and other scientific leaders. The committee presented the 2009 ISIBM Outstanding Achievement Awards to Dr. Joydeep Ghosh (UT

A systematic and critical review of the evolving methods and applications of value of information in academia and practice.

PubMed

Steuten, Lotte; van de Wetering, Gijs; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, Karin; Retèl, Valesca

2013-01-01

This article provides a systematic and critical review of the evolving methods and applications of value of information (VOI) in academia and practice and discusses where future research needs to be directed. Published VOI studies were identified by conducting a computerized search on Scopus and ISI Web of Science from 1980 until December 2011 using pre-specified search terms. Only full-text papers that outlined and discussed VOI methods for medical decision making, and studies that applied VOI and explicitly discussed the results with a view to informing healthcare decision makers, were included. The included papers were divided into methodological and applied papers, based on the aim of the study. A total of 118 papers were included of which 50 % (n = 59) are methodological. A rapidly accumulating literature base on VOI from 1999 onwards for methodological papers and from 2005 onwards for applied papers is observed. Expected value of sample information (EVSI) is the preferred method of VOI to inform decision making regarding specific future studies, but real-life applications of EVSI remain scarce. Methodological challenges to VOI are numerous and include the high computational demands, dealing with non-linear models and interdependency between parameters, estimations of effective time horizons and patient populations, and structural uncertainties. VOI analysis receives increasing attention in both the methodological and the applied literature bases, but challenges to applying VOI in real-life decision making remain. For many technical and methodological challenges to VOI analytic solutions have been proposed in the literature, including leaner methods for VOI. Further research should also focus on the needs of decision makers regarding VOI.

Determination of ephedrine alkaloids in botanicals and dietary supplements by HPLC-UV: collaborative study.

PubMed

Roman, Mark C

2004-01-01

An international collaborative study was conducted of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV method for the determination of the major (ephedrine [EP] and pseudoephedrine [PS]) and minor (norephedrine [NE], norpseudoephedrine [NP], methylephedrine [ME], and methylpseudoephedrine [MP]) alkaloids in selected dietary supplements representative of the commercially available products. Ten collaborating laboratories determined the ephedrine-type alkaloid content in 8 blind replicate samples. Five products contained ephedra ground herb or ephedra extract. These 5 products included ground botanical raw material of Ephedra sinica, a common powdered extract of Ephedra sinica, a finished product containing only Ephedra sinica ground botanical raw material, a complex multicomponent dietary supplement containing Ma Huang, and a high-protein chocolate flavored drink mix containing Ma Huang extract. In addition, collaborating laboratories received a negative control and negative control spiked with ephedrine alkaloids at high and low levels for recovery studies. Test extracts were treated to solid-phase extraction using a strong-cation exchange column to help remove interferences. The HPLC analyses were performed on a polar-embedded phenyl column using UV detection at 210 nm. Repeatability relative standard deviations (RSDr) ranged from 0.64-3.0% for EP and 2.0-6.6% for PS, excluding the high protein drink mix. Reproducibility relative standard deviations (RSDR) ranged from 2.1-6.6% for EP and 9.0-11.4% for PS, excluding the high protein drink mix. Recoveries ranged from 84.7-87.2% for EP and 84.6-98.2% for PS. The data developed for the minor alkaloids are more variable with generally unsatisfactory HORRATS (i.e., >2). However, since these alkaloids generally add little to the total alkaloid content of the products, the method gives satisfactory results in measuring total alkaloid content (RSDr 0.85-3.13%; RSDR 2.03-10.97%, HORRAT 0.69-3.23, exclusive of the results

People’s Republic of China Scientific Abstracts, Number 159

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-12-14

Sciences TITLE: "Early Mesozoic Ostracods From Some Localities in Southwest China" SOURCE: Peking KU-SHENG-WU HSUEH-PAO [ACTA PAIAEONTOLOGICA SINICA] in...analysis of 202 cases treated between 1971-1974 was made. The operative procedure was described in detail. Low sacral or local perianal anesthesia...made. During operation, anal skin bridges were preserved between the dissections. After operation long acting anesthetic compound was injected on the

Translations on People’s Republic of China, No. 467.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-11-15

his trade with us. 52 The newly established export plants are also instrumental in renovating old plants and in raising our level of production...import new technology and equipment from abroad to renovate the old plants through using subsidy grants, PRC foreign exchange reserves and loans...China. The results in physics are published in Chinese (with English summary) in the periodicals in Acta Physica Sinica and Physica Energiae Fortis

China Report, Economic Affairs, Energy: Status and Development -- XXVI

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-04-09

better technology for open-cut mining; — renovating 9 railway trunk lines while building 8 new ones, bringing the total number in the area up to 20 and...CSO: 4013/119 91 SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCES CHINA’S SOLAR ENERGY RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION ANALYZED Beijing TAIYANGNENG XUEBAO [ACTA ENERGIAE SOLARIS...Calculation in Our Country, TAIYANGNENG XUEBAO [ACTA ENERGIAE SOLARIS SINICA], Vol 1, 1980 pp 1-9. 12553 CSO: 4013/19 102 CONSERVATION CONSERVATION

Applying GIS and fine-resolution digital terrain models to assess three-dimensional population distribution under traffic impacts.

PubMed

Wu, Chih-Da; Lung, Shih-Chun Candice

2012-01-01

Pollution exhibits significant variations horizontally and vertically within cities; therefore, the size and three-dimensional (3D) spatial distribution of population are significant determinants of urban health. This paper presents a novel methodology, 3D digital geography (3DIG) methodology, for investigating 3D spatial distributions of population in close proximity to traffic, thus the potential highly exposed population under traffic impacts. 3DIG applies geographic information system and fine-resolution (5 m) digital terrain models to obtain the number of building floors in residential zones of the Taipei metropolis; the vertical distribution of population at different floors was estimated based on demographic data in each census tract. In addition, population within 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 m from the roadways was estimated. Field validation indicated that model results were reliable and accurate; the final population estimation differs only by 0.88% from the demographic database. The results showed that among the total 6.5 million Taipei residents, 0.8 (12.3%), 1.5 (22.9%), 2.3 (34.9), and 2.7 (41.1%) million residents live on the first or second floor within 5, 10, 20, and 50 m, respectively, of municipal roads. There are 22 census tracts with more than half of their residents living on the first or second floor within 5 m of municipal roads. In addition, half of the towns in Taipei city and county with >13.9% and 12.1% of residents live on the first and second floors within 5 m of municipal roads, respectively. These findings highlight the huge number of Taipei residents in close proximity to traffic and have significant implications for exposure assessment and environmental epidemiological studies. This study demonstrates that 3DIG is a versatile methodology for various research and policy planning in which 3D spatial population distribution is the central focus.

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.

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.

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.

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

Plagiarism in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shahabuddin, Syed

2009-01-01

Plagiarism sometimes creates legal and ethical problems for students and faculty. It can have serious consequences. Fortunately, there are ways to stop plagiarism. There are many tools available to detect plagiarism, e.g. using software for detecting submitted articles. Also, there are many ways to punish a plagiarist, e.g. banning plagiarists…

Sleepless in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Sandra; Armenti, Carmen

2004-01-01

The conditions under which women academics work provide the impetus for this article. Current trends in feminist and other writing are moving us away from dwelling on the disadvantages women experience in the academy. Yet the findings from the two Canadian studies reported here suggest that issues around children and career, anxieties about…

Careers beyond academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karouzos, Marios

2018-01-01

We asked the same five questions to eleven astronomers who now work in different fields in order to understand their career paths, their motivations to leave astronomy and the skills that helped them in their transition.

Proceedings from the second science team meeting of the United States of America Department of Energy and the People's Republic of China Academia Sinica Joint Research Program on CO/sub 2/-Induced Climate Change

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

Not Available

The six papers presented here as the proceedings of this second Joint CO/sub 2/ Research Team Meeting are examples of the research progress during the last two years. The first paper is documentation of the first numerical climate simulation model developed by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Beijing. Two papers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center at Asheville, North Carolina, demonstrate the work being done on the United States Historical Climatology Network data (the time series of temperature, precipitation, and sunshine) in the US. The fourth paper speaks of climate variability on a regionalmore » scale being much larger than that based on averages of global-wide data and therefore more difficult to predict. The China Precipitation Proxy Index covers a period of 510 years. This permits comparison of contemporary climate patterns (i.e., the last 100 years) with the period of the Little Ice Age when the mean temperature over China was 2/degree/ colder than present. The fifth paper is fascinating documentation of the effects of climate change upon the wild elephants whose habitat has shifted from as far north as Beijing, in historical times, to a currently small, sequestered section in the southwest corner of the country. The final paper demonstrates the pragmatic exchange of both data and technical assistance between the two countries.« less

75 FR 44989 - In the Matter of Certain Semiconductor Chips Having Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-30

... following respondents: NVIDIA Corporation of Santa Clara, California; Asustek Computer, Inc. of Taipei... exclusion order and cease- and-desist orders against respondents NVIDIA Corp.; Hewlett-Packard Co.; ASUS...

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-10

Technological Development Zone 40100004 Beijing BEIJING REVIEW in English 22 Aug 88 pp 7-8 [Text] We believe that the newly established Shanghai Caohejing...Temperatures 40090002a Beijing WULI XUEBAO [ACTA PHYSICA SINICA] in Chinese Vol 37 No 7, Jul 88 pp 1059-1064 [ English abstract of article by Chen...1065-1071 [ English abstract of article by Fang Ruiyi [2455 3843 1355], et al., of the Department of Physics, Beijing University] [Text] The

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...

Influencing Change in the People’s Republic of China

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-25

A History of Chinese Military Politic 1927-1971. New York: Praeger, 1973. Yang Tsu-chuan. Chinese Communist Internal Power Strugale . Taipei: Asian-Pacific Anti-Communist League, R.O.C. August, 1987. 52

People’s Republic of China Scientific Abstracts, Number 185

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-02-14

frequencies of the generator in comparison with a standard frequency meter. AUTHOR: SHIH Kuo -fan [2457 0948 5400] ORG: None TITLE: "A Home-Made Push...CONTENTS PAGE HANG-K’UNG CHIH- SHIH [AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE] No 10, October 1977 .... 1 CHIH-WU HSUEH-PAO [ACTA BOTANICA SINICA] No 3, September 1977 8...CC - 70 S § T] AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE AUTHOR: None ORG: Hang-k’ung Chih- shih Journal TITLE: "Announcement On the Subscription to This

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...

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

Multitasking in academia: Effective combinations of research, education and public outreach illustrated by a volcanic ash warning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bye, B. L.; Plag, H.

2011-12-01

Science permeates our society. Its role and its perceived importance evolves with time. Scientists today are highly specialized, yet society demands they master a variety of skills requiring not only a number of different competencies but also a broad mindset. Scientists are subjected to a meritocracy in terms of having to produce scientific papers. Peer-reviewed scientific publications used to be sufficient to meet the various laws and regulations with respect to dissemination of scientific results. This has dramatically changed; both expressed directly through public voices (such as in the climate change discourses), but also by politicians and policy makers. In some countries research funding now comes with specific requirements concerning public outreach that go way beyond peer-reviewed publications and presentation at scientific conferences. Science policies encourage multidisciplinary cooperation and scientific questions themselves often cannot be answered without knowledge and information from several scientific areas. Scientists increasingly need to communicate knowledge and results in more general terms as well as educating future generations. A huge challenge lies in developing the knowledge, human capacity and mindset that will allow an individual academician to contribute to education, communicate across scientific fields and sectors in multidisciplinary cross sectoral cooperations and also reach out to the general public while succeeding within the scientific meritocracy. We demonstrate how research, education and communication within and outside academia can effectively be combined through a presentation of the International Airways Volcano Watch that encompasses an operational volcanic ash warning system for the aviation industry. This presentation will show the role of science throughout the information flow, from basic science to the pilots' decision-making. Furthermore, it will illustrate how one can connect specific scientific topics to societal

[Responses of sap flow to natural rainfall and continuous drought of tree species growing on bedrock outcrops].

PubMed

Zhang, Hui Ling; Ding, Ya Li; Chen, Hong Song; Wang, Ke Lin; Nie, Yun Peng

2018-04-01

This study focused on bedrock outcrops, a very common habitat in karst region of southwest China. To reveal the responses of plant transpiration to natural rainfall and continuous drought, two tree species typical to this habitat, Radermachera sinica and Triadica rotundifolia, were selected as test materials. A rainout shelter was used to simulate continuous drought. The sap flow dynamics were monitored using the method of Granier's thermal dissipation probe (TDP). Our results showed that sap flow density increased to different degrees after rain in different stages of the growing season. Sap flow density of the deciduous species T. rotundifolia was always higher than that of the semi-deciduous species R. sinica. After two months without rainfall input, both species exhibited no obvious decrease in sap flow density, indicating that rainfall was not the dominant source for their water uptake, at least in the short-term. Based on the regression relationships between sap flow density and meteorological factors before and after rainfall, as well as at different stages of continuous drought, we found that the dynamics of meteorological factors contributed little to plant transpiration. The basic transpiration characteristics of both species were not changed in the circumstance of natural rainfall and short-term continuous drought, which would be closely related to the special water storage environments of bedrock outcrops and the reliance on deep water sources by tree species.

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

Astronomers Surprised to Find Elongated Radio-Emitting Region At Center of Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-12-01

For the first time, astronomers have determined the intrinsic size and shape of the highly charged region of radio emission surrounding what most scientists believe to be a supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy. The new evidence may force theorists to revise their ideas about how material behaves in the vicinity of black holes. Using the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) of radio telescopes, an international team of astronomers from the United States and Taiwan studied the area generally thought to mark the Galactic center. This object, known as Sgr A*, and commonly called "Sagittarius A-star," is some 26,000 light years from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius. Instead of finding something symmetrical, as expected, the researchers observed an odd, cigar-shaped area of radio emission. "If placed in our Solar System at the Sun's location, it would extend beyond Mars," says K. Y. Lo of the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taipei and leader of the research team. "But it would be only a quarter of that distance wide." The VLBA data support the current hypothesis that the central object has a mass about 2.5 million times that of the Sun. The researchers think Sgr A* may be an extremely energetic inner region of ionized gas accreting onto a supermassive black hole. "However, none of the competing models for a black hole can completely explain both the small size and asymmetrical shape of Sgr A* we have observed," says Jun-Hui Zhao, a member of the team from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "The models would have to be changed to include some other mechanism such as a jet or wind to help explain the VLBA data." The nature of Sgr A* has been a long-standing puzzle in astronomy since its discovery in 1974 by Bruce Balick and Bob Brown. Since then, there have been many theories about the structure and emission mechanism of Sgr A*, but, in the past few years, astronomers

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...

Spatial-temporal analysis of climate variations in mid-17th through 19th centuries in East China and the possible relationships with Monsoon climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, K. H. E.; Wang, P. K.; Liao, Y. C.; Lee, S. Y.; Tan, P.

2016-12-01

IPCC AR5 has revealed more frequent extreme climate events and higher climate variability in the near future. Regardless of all the improvements, East Asia monsoon climate is still less understood and/or poorly projected due partly to insufficient records. Most areas of the Asian region lack sufficient observational records to draw conclusions about trends in annual precipitation over the past century (i.e. WGIAR5 Chapter 2). Precipitation trends, including extremes, are characterized by strong variability, with both increasing and decreasing observed in different parts and seasons of Asia. Understanding the variations of the monsoon climate in historical time may bring significant insights to reveal its spatial and temporal patterns embedded in the atmospheric dynamics at different decadal or centennial scales. This study presents some preliminary research results of high resolution climate reconstruction, in both time and space coverage, in east China, by using RCEC historical climate dataset that is developed under interdisciplinary collaboration led by Research Center for Environmental Changes at Academia Sinica, Taiwan. The present research results are derived from chronological meteorological records in the RCEC dataset in Qing dynasty labeling mid-17th to 19th centuries. In total, the dataset comprises more than 1,300 cities/counties in China that has had more than sixty thousands meteorological records in the period. The analysis comprises three parts. Firstly, the frequency of extreme temperature, precipitation, drought, and flood in every recorded cities/counties were computed to depicting climate variabilities in northeast, central-east and southeast China. Secondly, the multivariate regression model was conducted to estimate the coefficients among the climatic index (temperature, precipitation, and drought). It is found that the temperature and wet-dry characteristics have great seasonal and yearly variations; northeast China compared with central

Selections from 2016: Gaps in HL Tau's Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-12-01

Editors note:In these last two weeks of 2016, well be looking at a few selections that we havent yet discussed on AAS Nova from among the most-downloaded paperspublished in AAS journals this year. The usual posting schedule will resume after the AAS winter meeting.Gas Gaps in the Protoplanetary Disk Around the Young Protostar HL TauPublished March 2016The dust (left) and gas (right) emission from HL Tau show that the gaps in its disk match up. [Yen et al. 2016]Main takeaway:At the end of last year, the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array released some of its first data including a spectacular observation of a dusty protoplanetary disk around the young star HL Tau. In this follow-up study, a team led by Hsi-Wei Yen (Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taiwan) analyzed the ALMA data and confirmed the presence of two gaps in the gas of HL Taus disk, at radii of 28 and 69 AU.Why its interesting:The original ALMA image of HL Taus disk suggests the presence of gaps in disk, but scientists werent sure if they were caused by effects like gravitational instabilities or dust clumping, or if the gaps were created by the presence of young planets. Yen and collaborators showed that gaps in the disks gas line up with gaps in its dust, supporting the model in which these gaps have been carved out by newly formed planets.Added intrigue:The evidence for planets in this disk came as a bit of a surprise, since it was originally believed that it takes tens of millions of years to form planets from the dust of protoplanetary disks but HL Tau is only a million years old. These observations therefore suggest that planets start to form much earlier than we thought.CitationHsi-Wei Yen et al 2016 ApJL 820 L25. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/820/2/L25

Broad-band BOS (BBYB) development and calibration in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, C. R.; Wang, C. C.; Kuo, B. Y.; Chen, P.; Jang, J. P.; Chang, H.; Laio, Y. C.; Chang, K. H.; Lin, F. S.

2016-12-01

Since 2009, combine with Academia Sinica, National Applied Research Laboratories and National Sun Yat-sen University formed ocean bottom seismograph (OBS) development team to develop sub-broadband OBS (called Yardbird OBS). Through a series deploy experiment at seafloor offshore Taiwan that got a lot of data can be used to study plate tectonics, seismic activity, source characteristics. Nowadays they have pretty good results already. Due to bandwidth limitations of the Yardbird OBS that inadequate to use for analyze global-scale earthquake. Therefor developing broadband ocean bottom seismograph is an important goal for the development team. Currently the broadband OBS (called BBYB) design and construction have completed the initial experiment phase. Due to underwater instruments always got high risk. Something accidentally making equipment sank in the sea cannot be recovery. Even recovery of equipment may also be causing poor performance because there is no data record. It cannot be to accomplish the experiment mission. In order to improve the OBS performance, avoid OBS dis-recovery or data collection is incomplete, must be sure all OBS's each component (such as seismic data recording device, balanced body, sonar dashboard, instruments and internal wiring ...) with well-done quality before assembly. Each component could go through very rigorous testing, strict and pick out the good components in the assembly process. Be sure all of produce the OBS under the water after a long deployment could successful recovery and got valuable data. In this presentation we will show a serial testing procedure and results for quality each BBYB component. Such as: Data logger: digitizer sensitivity, sampling rate, clock timing. Acoustic controller: function of Enable, Disable, Range, Release 1, Release 2, Option 1(Release disable). Air pressure gauge for glass ball: accuracy. A check lists of connector wiring check for assembling instrument. Design deploy and recovery procedure for

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 4 In Situ Air Sparging

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 2 Soil Vapor Extraction

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sties," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 7 Sustainable Remediation And Air-Based Technologies

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites, " the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Enviro...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 8 Air-Based Remediation Technology Selection Logic

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Base Remediation Workshop - Section 3 Bioventig

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 5 Multi-Phase Extraction And Product Recovery

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 6 Thermal Systems

EPA Science Inventory

Pursuant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Forced Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environ...

Air-Based Remediation Workshop - Section 1 Sampling And Analysis Revelant To Air-Based Remediation Technologies

EPA Science Inventory

Pursant to the EPA-AIT Implementing Arrangement 7 for Technical Environmental Collaboration, Activity 11 "Remediation of Contaminated Sites," the USEPA Office of International Affairs Organized a Force Air Remediation Workshop in Taipei to deliver expert training to the Environme...

Bashing Pseudoscience in Academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hameed, S.; Robinson, G. M.; Moulton, J.

2003-12-01

Belief in paranormal, supernatural and other new-age claims is increasing according to surveys by the NSF and others. Astronomy-related pseudo-scientific beliefs are especially common. For example, more than thirty percent of Americans consider astrology to be scientific and more than one-third believe that extraterrestrial beings have visited earth at some time in the past. Not only do such beliefs ignore sound reasoning and information but they compete as alternative explanations for the world around us. While a general education might be expected to reduce acceptance of unsound beliefs, the level of such belief is surprisingly high among those with a higher education. An astronomer, a philosopher and a psychologist cooperated in developing a brief college course designed to challenge unsound reasoning and information, and to inoculate the participants with skepticism. Pre- and post-course opinion surveys show significant changes in belief.

Embodying Parenthood in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guyas, Anniina Souminen; Poling, Linda Hoeptner

2011-01-01

Intrigued by Pillay's (2009) call for writing motherhood into one's scholarship and creating "liberatory intellectualism," the authors write this commentary to encourage exploration of and inquiry into viable metaphors of hands in poo and goo; performing paranoia, suspicion, and constant worry into one's scholarship; and moments that embody…

Social Software in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Todd

2006-01-01

Considerable buzz has appeared on the Internet over a group of new tools labeled social software. These tools can expand discussion beyond the classroom and provide new ways for students to collaborate and communicate within their class or around the world. Dickinson College has implemented two of the best-known tools, the wiki and the blog, in…

Women Physicists in Academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berrah, Nora

2010-02-01

The last decade marked the emergence of several important studies and workshops worldwide that focused attention on women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) of the American Physical Society (APS) is very active in organizing national workshops and follow up ``conversations'' with physics departments and national laboratories [1,2] to address the gender gap in the field of physics. The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) is also very devoted to this issue, and the US is involved by contributing our lesson learned and our plans to increase the number of women in physics. In the US, our goal of doubling the number of women in physics by 2022 is ambitious but could be achieved. I will present the present status on this issue and our plans for the future. [4pt] [1] http://www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/gender-equity/index.cfm [0pt] [2] Report, ``Gender Equity: Strengthening the Physics Enterprise in Universities and National Laboratories'', 2007. )

Leisure-time physical activity in the vicinity of Academias da Cidade Program in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil: the impact of a health promotion program on the community.

PubMed

Fernandes, Amanda Paula; Andrade, Amanda Cristina de Souza; Ramos, Cynthia Graciane Carvalho; Friche, Amélia Augusta de Lima; Dias, Maria Angélica de Salles; Xavier, César Coelho; Proietti, Fernando Augusto; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira

2015-11-01

This study analyzed leisure-time physical activity among 1,621 adults who were non-users of the Academias da Cidade Program in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, but who lived in the vicinity of a fitness center in operation (exposed Group I) or in the vicinity of two sites reserved for future installation of centers (control Groups II and III). The dependent variable was leisure-time physical activity, and linear distance from the households to the fitness centers was the exposure variable, categorized in radial buffers: < 500m; 500-1,000m; and 1,000-1,500m. Binary logistic regression was performed with the Generalized Estimation Equations method. Residents living within < 500m of the fitness center gave better ratings to the physical environment when compared to those living in the 1,000 and 1,500m buffers and showed higher odds of leisure-time physical activity (OR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.03-1.30), independently of socio-demographic factors; the same was not observed in the control groups (II and III). The findings suggests the program's potential for influencing physical activity in the population living closer to the fitness center and thus provide a strategic alternative for mitigating inequalities in leisure-time physical activity.

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