An online spatio-temporal prediction model for dengue fever epidemic in Kaohsiung,Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Ming-Hung; Yu, Hwa-Lung; Angulo, Jose; Christakos, George

2013-04-01

Dengue Fever (DF) is one of the most serious vector-borne infectious diseases in tropical and subtropical areas. DF epidemics occur in Taiwan annually especially during summer and fall seasons. Kaohsiung city has been one of the major DF hotspots in decades. The emergence and re-emergence of the DF epidemic is complex and can be influenced by various factors including space-time dynamics of human and vector populations and virus serotypes as well as the associated uncertainties. This study integrates a stochastic space-time "Susceptible-Infected-Recovered" model under Bayesian maximum entropy framework (BME-SIR) to perform real-time prediction of disease diffusion across space-time. The proposed model is applied for spatiotemporal prediction of the DF epidemic at Kaohsiung city during 2002 when the historical series of high DF cases was recorded. The online prediction by BME-SIR model updates the parameters of SIR model and infected cases across districts over time. Results show that the proposed model is rigorous to initial guess of unknown model parameters, i.e. transmission and recovery rates, which can depend upon the virus serotypes and various human interventions. This study shows that spatial diffusion can be well characterized by BME-SIR model, especially at the district surrounding the disease outbreak locations. The prediction performance at DF hotspots, i.e. Cianjhen and Sanmin, can be degraded due to the implementation of various disease control strategies during the epidemics. The proposed online disease prediction BME-SIR model can provide the governmental agency with a valuable reference to timely identify, control, and efficiently prevent DF spread across space-time.

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

PubMed

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

2014-07-30

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

Effects of aerosol species on atmospheric visibility in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

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

Chang-Gai Lee; Chung-Shin Yuan; Jui-Cheng Chang

2005-07-01

Visibility data collected from Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, for the past two decades indicated that the air pollutants have significantly degraded visibility in recent years. During the study period, the seasonal mean visibilities in spring, summer, fall, and winter were only 5.4, 9.1, 8.2, and 3.4 km, respectively. To ascertain how urban aerosols influence the visibility, we conducted concurrent visibility monitoring and aerosol sampling in 1999 to identify the principal causes of visibility impairments in the region. In this study, ambient aerosols were sampled and analyzed for 11 constituents, including water-soluble ions and carbon materials, to investigate the chemical composition ofmore » Kaohsiung aerosols. Stepwise regression method was used to correlate the impact of aerosol species on visibility impairments. Both seasonal and diurnal variation patterns were found from the monitoring of visibility. Results showed that light scattering was attributed primarily to aerosols with sizes that range from 0.26 to 0.90 {mu}m, corresponding with the wavelength region of visible light, which accounted for {approximately} 72% of the light scattering coefficient. Sulfate was a dominant component that affected both the light scattering coefficient and the visibility in the region. On average, (NH{sub 4}){sup 2}SO{sub 4}, NH{sub 4}NO{sub 3}, total carbon, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-remainder contributed 53%, 17%, 16%, and 14% to total light scattering, respectively. An empirical regression model of visibility based on sulfate, elemental carbon, and humidity was developed, and the comparison indicated that visibility in an urban area could be properly simulated by the equation derived herein. 35 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Short-Term Effect of Coarse Particles on Daily Mortality Rate in A Tropical City, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Shang-Shyue; Weng, Yi-Hao; Chiu, Ya-Wen; Yang, Chun-Yuh

2015-01-01

Many studies examined the short-term effects of air pollution on frequency of daily mortality over the past two decades. However, information on the relationship between exposure to levels of coarse particles (PM(2.5-10)) and daily mortality rate is relatively sparse due to limited availability of monitoring data and findings are inconsistent. This study was undertaken to determine whether an association exists between PM(2.5-10) levels and rate of daily mortality in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a large industrial city with a tropical climate. Daily mortality rate, air pollution parameters, and weather data for Kaohsiung were obtained for the period 2006-2008. The relative risk (RR) of daily mortality occurrence was estimated using a time-stratified case-crossover approach, controlling for (1) weather variables, (2) day of the week, (3) seasonality, and (4) long-term time trends. For the single-pollutant model without adjustment for other pollutants, PM(2.5-10) exposure levels showed significant correlation with total mortality rate both on warm and cool days, with an interquartile range increase associated with a 14% (95% CI = 5-23%) and 12% (95% CI = 5-20%) rise in number of total deaths, respectively. In two-pollutant models, PM(2.5-10) exerted significant influence on total mortality frequency after inclusion of sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) on warm days. On cool days, PM(2.5-10) induced significant elevation in total mortality rate when SO(2) or ozone (O(3)) was added in the regression model. There was no apparent indication of an association between PM(2.5-10) exposure and deaths attributed to respiratory and circulatory diseases. This study provided evidence of correlation between short-term exposure to PM(2.5-10) and increased risk of death for all causes.

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

PubMed

Kuo, Jun-Yuan

2017-12-01

Currently, the pollution control situation of the sewage systems across Taiwan can be divided into the two major sewage systems, namely, industrial area sewage and public community sewage. When the counties and cities of Taiwan cannot effectively control the sewage pollution situation, ecological pollution of the environment and personal health damage would result. Therefore, evaluating the pollution control situation of the sewage systems can help the environmental protection authorities developing strategies for the pollution control of the sewage systems in the future. In this study, the Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method was applied to evaluate the pollution control situation of the sewage systems. The water sample test qualification rate, the emission permit issuance rate, and the staff setting rate of the dedicated wastewater treatment company were used as the pollution control evaluation indexes. According to the results, the use of the VIKOR method to evaluate the pollution control situation of the sewage systems is effective. In cities and counties in Taiwan, public community sewage systems, dedicated to pollution control case, the public community should be actively coached in emission control technology to upgrade sewage capacity, the issuance of discharge permits, and the staff setting rate of the dedicated wastewater treatment, to improve public community sewage pollution control system capabilities. In Taiwan, the industrial area sewage systems, dedicated to pollution control situations, must pay attention to business units in raw materials, spare part inventory, and machine supplier of choice, and we must choose to meet environmental supply chain of green suppliers, which would be effective in reducing effluent produce and improve water sample test qualification rate. The VIKOR value of Yilan County is 1.0000, which is the worst in the pollution control of all the industrial area sewage systems, followed by Taoyuan County (0.2253) and Kaohsiung City (0.1334). Other cities and counties of Taiwan have good performance in the pollution control of the industrial area sewage systems. The VIKOR value of Kinmen County is 1.0000, which is the worst pollution control among the all public community sewage systems, followed by Hsinchu County (0.7458) and New Taipei City (0.5527). Among the cities and counties with good pollution control of the public community sewage systems, the best is Chiayi County (0.0000), followed by Kaohsiung City (0.0159) and Hsinchu City (0.0352). Chiayi County is a good performance compromise between all VIKOR values (0.0000), whether in industrial or public community area pollution control sewage systems. Yilan County industrial pollution control has the poorest performance of all the industrial area sewage systems in Taiwan, but in the public community, it ranked as fourth place of all the public community area sewage systems in Taiwan. The VIKOR method proposed in this study can effectively evaluate the pollution control situation of the sewage systems, and serve as a reference for the environmental protection authorities in developing the strategies for the pollution control of the sewage systems.

Measurement and source characteristics of carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, H K; Huang, C H; Chen, K S; Peng, Y P; Lai, C H

2010-07-15

The concentrations of eighteen atmospheric carbonyls species were measured by the LpDNPH-Cartridge and the microcomputer air sampling device at Nan-Chie (northern part) and Hsiung-Kong (southern part) sites in Kaohsiung city, southern Taiwan. These samples were then analyzed using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Measurements showed that the highest concentrations of carbonyls were formaldehyde (18.33 and 18.74 microg m(-3)) at the Nan-Chie and Hsiung-Kong site, followed by acetaldehyde (14.90 and 15.71 microg m(-3)). The concentrations of total carbonyls were higher at Hsiung-Kong site (66.96 microg m(-3)) than at Nan-Chie site (60.41 microg m(-3)). The concentrations of total carbonyls at Nan-Chie site (or Hsiung-Kong site) were 74.06 microg m(-3) (89.99 microg m(-3)) in summer and 37.14 microg m(-3) (46.50 microg m(-3)) in winter, due to the fact that photochemical activities are stronger in summer than in winter. The results of principal component analysis (PCA)/absolute principal component scores (APCS) suggest that the primary pollution sources at Nan-Chie were vehicle exhausts (gasoline and diesel engines), stationary emissions (petrochemical and food industry) and restaurant emissions, and the primary pollution sources at Hsiung-Kong were vehicle exhausts (gasoline and diesel engines), stationary emissions (metal assembly and petrochemical industry) and restaurant emissions. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coarse Particulate Air Pollution Associated with Increased Risk of Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Diseases in a Tropical City, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Cheng, Meng-Hsuan; Chiu, Hui-Fen; Yang, Chun-Yuh

2015-10-16

This study was undertaken to determine whether there was an association between coarse particles (PM₂.₅-₁₀) levels and frequency of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases (RD) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Hospital admissions for RD including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and pneumonia, and ambient air pollution data levels for Kaohsiung were obtained for the period from 2006 to 2010. The relative risk of hospital admissions for RD was estimated using a 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 rate of admissions for RD were significantly associated with higher coarse PM levels only on cool days (<25 °C), with a 10 µg/m³ elevation in PM₂.₅-₁₀ concentrations associated with a 3% (95% CI = 1%-5%) rise in COPD admissions, 4% (95% CI = 1%-7%) increase in asthma admissions, and 3% (95% CI = 2%-4%) rise in pneumonia admissions. No significant associations were found between coarse particle levels and the number of hospital admissions for RD on warm days. In the two-pollutant models, PM₂.₅-₁₀ levels remained significantly correlated with higher rate of RD admissions even controlling for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, or ozone on cool days. This study provides evidence that higher levels of PM₂.₅-₁₀ enhance the risk of hospital admissions for RD on cool days.

Effects of local emission sources on the acidification of rainwater in an industrial city in Taiwan

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

Chung-Shin Yuan; Der-Yuan Wu

1996-12-31

This study investigated the acidification of precipitation in an industrial city in Taiwan Island. The purposes of this study is two fold. The first is to characterize the status of add precipitation around the industrial city. Rainwater samples were collected by automatic rainwater samplers-located at five sampling sites which covered the entire city. The second is to investigate the potential sources of acidic species in the acid rainwater. Further study was taken to ascertain the effects of local emissions as well as long range transportation on the acidification of precipitation. Investigation of acid rain on the Island of Taiwan hasmore » been conducted since 1984. Most of these researches were short-term and/or large-scale investigations. Long-term sampling of acid rain at heavy polluted region has never been investigated yet. In this investigation, Kaohsiung was selected as the city for the intensive acid rain sampling since it is the largest industrial city as well as the largest harbor in Taiwan Island. Both dry and wet acid samples were collected daily by the automatic rainwater samplers. Major cations (H{sup +}, NH{sub 4}{sup +}, K{sup +}, Ca{sup +2}, and Mg{sup +2}), anions (F{sup -}, Cl{sup -}, NO3{sup -}, and SO4{sup -2}), and conductivity of acid samples were measured simultaneously. Actually, both pH value and conductivity were measured on site. During the period of investigation, 325 collected rainwater samples demonstrated an average pH value of 5.2 with the range of 3.1 to 6.3. This investigation revealed that emissions from local sources such as power plants, petrochemical plants, and cement plants play important roles on the acidification of rainwater in the industrial city in Taiwan.« less

Global Energy-saving Map of Strong Ocean Currents

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan) 2(Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung...World Bank and FAO. (2009). The sunken billions. The economic justification for fisheries reform. Washington, DC, Agriculture and Rural Development

Characteristics of major volatile organic hazardous air pollutants in the urban air of Kaohsiung city.

PubMed

Huang, Mei-Chuan; Lin, Jim Juimin

2007-10-01

The concentrations and characteristics of volatile organic hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in the urban city of Kaohsiung from motor vehicles and dense pollutant sources has become a national concern. To continuously monitor volatile organic HAPs, sampling sites were selected near the four air-quality monitoring stations established by Ethe nvironmental Protection Administration of Taiwan ROC, namely Nan-tz, Tso-ying, San-min and Hsiao-kang, from north to south. An on-site automated online monitor of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was used for continuous monitoring. This study performed two consecutive days of 24-h monitoring of five volatile organic HAPs form August to October 2005 at the four monitoring sites, which cover the northern, central, and southern areas of Kaohsiung city. The average monitored concentration was 2.78-4.84 ppb for benzene, 5.90-9.66 ppb for toluene, 3.62-5.90 ppb for ethylbenzene, 3.73-5.34 ppb for m,p-xylene, 3.38-4.22 ppb for o-xylene, and 4.48-7.00 ppb for styrene. The average monitored concentrations of the major volatile organic HAPs tended to follow the pattern San-min > Nan-tz > Hsiao-kang > Tso-ying. Among all the species monitored in this study, toluene had the highest ambient concentration, followed by styrene, m,p-xylene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and benzene. The results showed that the concentration at night was higher than that in the day for toluene at Nan-tz, San-min, Hsiao-kang, and for benzene at Nan-tz and Hsiao-kang.

An online spatiotemporal prediction model for dengue fever epidemic in Kaohsiung (Taiwan).

PubMed

Yu, Hwa-Lung; Angulo, José M; Cheng, Ming-Hung; Wu, Jiaping; Christakos, George

2014-05-01

The emergence and re-emergence of disease epidemics is a complex question that may be influenced by diverse factors, including the space-time dynamics of human populations, environmental conditions, and associated uncertainties. This study proposes a stochastic framework to integrate space-time dynamics in the form of a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model, together with uncertain disease observations, into a Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) framework. The resulting model (BME-SIR) can be used to predict space-time disease spread. Specifically, it was applied to obtain a space-time prediction of the dengue fever (DF) epidemic that took place in Kaohsiung City (Taiwan) during 2002. In implementing the model, the SIR parameters were continually updated and information on new cases of infection was incorporated. The results obtained show that the proposed model is rigorous to user-specified initial values of unknown model parameters, that is, transmission and recovery rates. In general, this model provides a good characterization of the spatial diffusion of the DF epidemic, especially in the city districts proximal to the location of the outbreak. Prediction performance may be affected by various factors, such as virus serotypes and human intervention, which can change the space-time dynamics of disease diffusion. The proposed BME-SIR disease prediction model can provide government agencies with a valuable reference for the timely identification, control, and prevention of DF spread in space and time. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Air pollution holiday effect in metropolitan Kaohsiung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, P.; Chen, P. Y.

2014-12-01

Different from Taipei, the metropolitan Kaohsiung which is a coastal and industrial city has the major pollution sources from stationary sources such as coal-fired power plants, petrochemical facilities and steel plants, rather than mobile sources. This study was an attempt to conduct a comprehensive and systematical examination of the holiday effect, defined as the difference in air pollutant concentrations between holiday and non-holiday periods, over the Kaohsiung metropolitan area. We documented evidence of a "holiday effect", where concentrations of NOx, CO, NMHC, SO2 and PM10 were significantly different between holidays and non-holidays, in the Kaohsiung metropolitan area from daily surface measurements of seven air quality monitoring stations of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration during the Chinese New Year (CNY) and non-Chinese New Year (NCNY) periods of 1994-2010. Concentrations of the five pollutants were lower in the CNY than in the NCNY period, however, that of O3 was higher in the CNY than in the NCNY period and had no holiday effect. The exclusion of the bad air quality day (PSI > 100) and the Lantern Festival Day showed no significant effects on the holiday effects of air pollutants. Ship transportation data of Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau showed a statistically significant difference in the CNY and NCNY period. This difference was consistent with those found in air pollutant concentrations of some industrial and general stations in coastal areas, implying the possible impact of traffic activity on the air quality of coastal areas. Holiday effects of air pollutants over the Taipei metropolitan area by Tan et al. (2009) are also compared.

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

PubMed

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

2018-05-26

Ground air monitoring stations have been installed in Taiwan since 1993 to ensure whether the criteria air pollutants meet the ambient air quality standards. In the present study, the data from the monitoring stations were used to evaluate long-term (2005-2015) trend of NO 2 and SO 2 in three metropolitan cities (northern Taipei, central Taichung, and southern Kaohsiung), two eastern coastal cities (Hualien and Taitung), and one agricultural city in west-central plain (Douliu); those cities essentially covered the entire region of Taiwan. The results indicate that SO 2 and NO 2 concentrations of all studied six cities meet the annual average standards of 30 and 50 ppb, respectively. After deseasonalizing the original data and using 7-month moving average, the trend analysis reveals a decreasing trend ranging from 0.15 to 0.57 ppb/year (R 2 from 0.33 to 0.85) for NO 2 and 0.06 to 0.45 ppb/year (R 2 from 0.32 to 0.92) for SO 2 ; the corresponding reductions over the 10-year span are 4 to 42% for NO 2 and 22 to 52% for SO 2 . The reduction trend, despite the growth in GDP, vehicle numbers and energy consumption, industrial output, etc., is similar to those of developed countries. Clearly, there are seasonal/monthly variation patterns for these two precursor gases with minimum levels in summer (July) and maximum in winter (December). The concentration reductions, however, were lagging behind the respective emission reductions. There are significant correlations among six cites for NO 2 (r = 0.58-0.93) and, to some extent, SO 2 (0.32-0.66). The correlation between SO 2 and NO 2 (r = 0.46-0.74) indicates same or similar emission sources. Furthermore, the correlation between observed pollutant concentrations and their emission is excellent for SO 2 in two cities (0.79-0.96). The SO 2 /NO 2 ratios vary with city and time and the value is site specific. For example, in 2005, the SO 2 /NO 2 ratio was 0.38 in Kaohsiung and 0.18 in both Taipei and Taichung, the latter reflecting significant contribution from mobile sources. However, they all converged to 0.18-0.28 in 2015 in the six cities evaluated. All in all, the policies/measures made by the central and local government are effective in reducing ambient SO 2 and NO 2 levels.

The soapberry bug, Jadera haematoloma (Insecta, Hemiptera, Rhopalidae): First Asian record, with a review of bionomics

PubMed Central

Tsai, Jing-Fu; Hsieh, Yi-Xuan; Rédei, Dávid

2013-01-01

Abstract The soapberry bug, Jadera haematoloma (Herrich-Schäffer, 1847) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhopalidae: Serinethinae), a species native in tropical and subtropical regions of the New World and accidentally introduced to Hawaii, is reported for the first time from Asia (Taiwan). This record represents the first occurrence of the species in Asia. Stable populations composed of hundreds of specimens were found in seven localities of Kaohsiung City and one locality in Tainan City, and a single specimen was observed in Chiayi County. Aggregating adults and larvae fed in large numbers on the sapindacean plants Cardiospermum halicacabum L. and Koelreuteria elegans (Seem.) A. C. Smith ssp. formosana (Hayata) F. G. Meyer. Diagnostic characters of adults and larvae of Jadera haematoloma are discussed. A review of its bionomics and a bibliography are provided. Initial observations on the populations in southern Taiwan are presented. The species is potentially invasive, and further extension of its range is anticipated in Southeast Asia. PMID:23794880

Program Changes in Technology Teacher Education in Taiwan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Chih-Chien Steven

Taiwan has two technology teacher departments: one at the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) and the other at National Kaohsiung Normal University (NKNU). In recent years, both universities' technology teacher education programs have simultaneously followed two lines of development: the transition from an industrial arts education program to…

A study on a instability slope in Taiwan subjected to rainfalls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-04-01

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

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

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

PubMed

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

2018-01-01

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

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

The Role of Language in National and Multinational Enterprises in Taiwan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du-Babcock, Bertha; Babcock, Richard D.

Communication patterns and language use in four national and multinational companies operating in Taiwan illustrate the potential for communication problems when more than one language is in use. The companies include Texas Instruments, Kaohsiung Monomer Company, Ltd., Bank of America, and Cheng-Yia International Corporation. In the four…

New species and records of the genus Geodromicus Redtenbacher, 1857 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Omaliinae) from Taiwan.

PubMed

Shavrin, Alexey V; Smetana, Aleš

2016-01-19

Two new species of the genus Geodromicus Redtenbacher, 1857 from Taiwan are described and illustrated: G. philydroides sp. n. (Nantou Hsien) and G. taiwanensis sp. n. (Kaohsiung Hsien, Hualien Hsien). Additional material and a new synonymy for G. ohkurai (Hayashi, 1992) = G. ohkurai yushanensis (Hayashi, 1992), syn. nov. are proposed. A key to species known from Taiwan is given.

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

PubMed

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

2016-04-01

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

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

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

We present the results of a laboratory-based surveillance of dengue in Taiwan in 2014. A total of 240 imported dengue cases were identified. The patients had arrived from 16 countries, and Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and China were the most frequent importing countries. Phylogenetic analyses showed that genotype I of dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) and the cosmopolitan genotype of DENV-2 were the predominant DENV strains circulating in southeast Asia. The 2014 dengue epidemic was the largest ever to occur in Taiwan since World War II, and there were 15,492 laboratory-confirmed indigenous dengue cases. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the explosive dengue epidemic in southern Taiwan was caused by a DENV-1 strain of genotype I imported from Indonesia. There were several possible causes of this outbreak, including delayed notification of the outbreak, limited staff and resources for control measures, abnormal weather conditions, and a serious gas pipeline explosion in the dengue hot spot areas in Kaohsiung City. However, the results of this surveillance indicated that both active and passive surveillance systems should be strengthened so appropriate public health measures can be taken promptly to prevent large-scale dengue outbreaks. PMID:26880779

Identifying controlling factors of ground-level ozone levels over southwestern Taiwan using a decision tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Hone-Jay; Lin, Chuan-Yao; Liau, Churn-Jung; Kuo, Yi-Ming

2012-12-01

Kaohsiung City and the suburban region of southwestern Taiwan have suffered from severe air pollution since becoming the largest center of heavy industry in Taiwan. The complex process of ozone (O3) formation and its precursor compounds (the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions), accompanied by meteorological conditions, make controlling ozone difficult. Using a decision tree is especially appropriate for analyzing time series data that contain ozone levels and meteorological and explanatory variables for ozone formation. Results show that dominant variables such as temperature, wind speed, VOCs, and NOx can play vital roles in describing ozone variations among observations. That temperature and wind speed are highly correlated with ozone levels indicates that these meteorological conditions largely affect ozone variability. The results also demonstrate that spatial heterogeneity of ozone patterns are in coastal and inland areas caused by sea-land breeze and pollutant sources during high ozone episodes over southwestern Taiwan. This study used a decision tree to obtain quantitative insight into spatial distributions of precursor compound emissions and effects of meteorological conditions on ozone levels that are useful for refining monitoring plans and developing management strategies.

A comparative study on the information ethics of junior high school students cognition and behavior between Taiwan and China: Kaohsiung and Nanjing regions used as examples.

PubMed

Chiang, Wen-Jiuh; Chen, Chihchia; Teng, Chiachien; Gu, Jiangjun

2008-03-01

A great deal of progress has been made on information ethics. Which portion is not sufficient? That might be the comparison from countries to countries. The purpose of this study was closely examined using the cross-cultural method for comparison. To determine the ethics cognitions and behaviors of the students, a comprehensive survey was distributed. The questionnaire for the study used Mason's four essential factors in information ethics that included Privacy, Accuracy, Property and Accessibility (PAPA). The samples were comprised of Kaohsiung Taiwan and Nanjing China, junior high school students in 2006. The sample and the survey were obtained from two stages of random sampling that was conducted using an Internet website. Students could read the online questionnaire in the computer laboratory and then send immediate feedback to the website server. The result of the experiment showed the divergence of information ethics in cognition and behavior between Kaohsiung and Nanjing school children. The effects of background and correlation are from cognition and behavior between two regions.

Risk factors for adolescent primigravida in Kaohsiung county, Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, C S; Chou, P

1999-07-01

To study the risk factors for adolescent primigravida in Kaohsiung county, Taiwan. This is a population survey on primigravida based on household registry to study risk factors affecting pregnancy of 215 women aged < 18; 341 women aged 18-19; and 590 women aged 20-34. The mean age of menarche, first intercourse, and first pregnancy, as well as the duration of menarche to the first intercourse increased significantly with the increased age of primigravida (P < 0.001). Adolescent primigravida, when compared to adult primigravida, were less likely to communicate well with their parents or be in a dual parent family (P < 0.05). They were also more likely to have alcoholic fathers, have drinking alcohol and smoking health behavior problems, exhibit poor school performance, have relatives or friends who became pregnant as adolescents, have been raped, and exhibit poorer knowledge of contraception before pregnancy (P < 0.05). Dose-response relationship in the odds ratio was found. Non-dual family, adolescent pregnancy in relatives or friends, smoking before pregnancy, and age of menarche were independent factors in multiple logistic regression on adolescent primigravida. The main risk factors for adolescent primigravida in Kaohsiung county. Taiwan, were family influence, health behavior problems, adolescent pregnancy in relatives or friends, and earlier onset of menarche. The age at which intercourse and smoking start appear to be two crucial factors that can be addressed through education as a means of intervention before pregnancy occurs.

An Analysis of English Language Education and Its Impact on Business Practice in Taiwan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du-Babcock, Bertha; Babcock, Richard D.

The state of English language instruction in Taiwan and its impact on firms doing business there are examined. The analysis draws on case studies of language training and use in four national and multinational corporations, each representing different nationalities and a different industry: Texas Instruments, Kaohsiung Monomer Company Limited,…

Composition and source of butyltins in sediments of Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Cheng-Di; Chen, Chih-Feng; Chen, Chiu-Wen

2015-04-01

Fifty-eight sediment samples were collected from the Kaohsiung Harbor (Taiwan) for analyses of monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT), using gas chromatography/flame photometric detector (GC/FPD). The concentration of total butyltins (ΣBTs), sum of MBT, DBT, and TBT, varied from 3.9 to 158.5 ng Sn/g dw in sediment samples with TBT being the major component of the sediment samples, except for the vicinity of the Love River mouth where MBT was the most abundant BT compound (a proportion of over 57%). Based on the BTs concentration, distribution, composition and correlations, the sources of BTs found in harbor sediments are shipping activities, and TBT is the main pollutant; the estuary (i.e. Love River) has been the anthropogenic source of MBT from upstream inputs. Influences of TBT on aquatic organisms are evaluated using the toxicity guidelines proposed by the US EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) and the ACCI (assessment class criterion for imposex) proposed by OSPAR (Oslo and Paris Commission). The evaluation shows that the TBT contained in the sediment at Kaohsiung Harbor is likely to have a negative influence at ACCI class C because gastropods present imposex and TBT levels are above ecotoxicological assessment criteria (EAC) limits.

Online platform for applying space-time scan statistics for prospectively detecting emerging hot spots of dengue fever.

PubMed

Chen, Chien-Chou; Teng, Yung-Chu; Lin, Bo-Cheng; Fan, I-Chun; Chan, Ta-Chien

2016-11-25

Cases of dengue fever have increased in areas of Southeast Asia in recent years. Taiwan hit a record-high 42,856 cases in 2015, with the majority in southern Tainan and Kaohsiung Cities. Leveraging spatial statistics and geo-visualization techniques, we aim to design an online analytical tool for local public health workers to prospectively identify ongoing hot spots of dengue fever weekly at the village level. A total of 57,516 confirmed cases of dengue fever in 2014 and 2015 were obtained from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (TCDC). Incorporating demographic information as covariates with cumulative cases (365 days) in a discrete Poisson model, we iteratively applied space-time scan statistics by SaTScan software to detect the currently active cluster of dengue fever (reported as relative risk) in each village of Tainan and Kaohsiung every week. A village with a relative risk >1 and p value <0.05 was identified as a dengue-epidemic area. Assuming an ongoing transmission might continuously spread for two consecutive weeks, we estimated the sensitivity and specificity for detecting outbreaks by comparing the scan-based classification (dengue-epidemic vs. dengue-free village) with the true cumulative case numbers from the TCDC's surveillance statistics. Among the 1648 villages in Tainan and Kaohsiung, the overall sensitivity for detecting outbreaks increases as case numbers grow in a total of 92 weekly simulations. The specificity for detecting outbreaks behaves inversely, compared to the sensitivity. On average, the mean sensitivity and specificity of 2-week hot spot detection were 0.615 and 0.891 respectively (p value <0.001) for the covariate adjustment model, as the maximum spatial and temporal windows were specified as 50% of the total population at risk and 28 days. Dengue-epidemic villages were visualized and explored in an interactive map. We designed an online analytical tool for front-line public health workers to prospectively detect ongoing dengue fever transmission on a weekly basis at the village level by using the routine surveillance data.

A zonation technique for landslide susceptibility in southern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, Jie-Lun; Tian, Yu-Qing; Chen, Yie-Ruey; Tsai, Kuang-Jung

2016-04-01

In recent years, global climate changes violently, extreme rainfall events occur frequently and also cause massive sediment related disasters in Taiwan. The disaster seriously hit the regional economic development and national infrastructures. For example, in August, 2009, the typhoon Morakot brought massive rainfall especially in the mountains in Chiayi County and Kaohsiung County in which the cumulative maximum rainfall was up to 2900 mm; meanwhile, the cumulative maximum rainfall was over 1500m.m. in Nantou County, Tainan County and Pingtung County. The typhoon caused severe damage in southern Taiwan. The study will search for the influence on the sediment hazards caused by the extreme rainfall and hydrological environmental changes focusing on southern Taiwan (including Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung). The instability index and kriging theories are applied to analyze the factors of landslide to determine the susceptibility in southern Taiwan. We collected the landslide records during the period year, 2007~2013 and analyzed the instability factors including elevation, slope, aspect, soil, and geology. Among these factors, slope got the highest weight. The steeper the slope is, the more the landslides occur. As for the factor of aspect, the highest probability falls on the Southwest. However, this factor has the lowest weight among all the factors. Likewise, Darkish colluvial soil holds the highest probability of collapses among all the soils. Miocene middle Ruifang group and its equivalents have the highest probability of collapses among all the geologies. In this study, Kriging was used to establish the susceptibility map in southern Taiwan. The instability index above 4.21 can correspond to those landslide records. The potential landslide area in southern Taiwan, where collapses more likely occur, belongs to high level and medium-high level; the area is 5.12% and 17.81% respectively.

Investigating the Local Three-dimensional Velocity Structure of the 2008 Taoyuan Earthquake Sequence of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, M. H.; Huang, B. S.

2016-12-01

March 4, 2008, a moderate earthquake (ML 5.2) occurred in Taoyuan district of Kaohsiung County in the southern Taiwan. It was followed by numerous aftershocks in the following 48 hours, including three events with magnitude larger than 4. The Taoyuan earthquake sequence occurred during the TAIGER (Taiwan Integrated Geodynamic Research) project which is to image lithospheric structure of Taiwan orogeny. The high-resolution waveform data of this sequence were well-recorded by a large number of recording stations belong to several different permanent and TAIGER networks all around Taiwan. We had collected the waveform data and archived to a mega database. Then, we had identified 2,340 events from database in the preliminary locating process by using 1-D velocity model. In this study, we applied the double-difference tomography to investigate not only the fault geometry of the main shock but also the detailed 3-D velocity structure in this area. A total of 3,034 events were selected from preliminary locating result and CWBSN catalog in the vicinity. The resulting aftershocks are extended along the NE-SW direction and located on a 45° SE-dipping plane which agrees to one of the nodal planes of Global CMT solution (strike = 45°, dip = 40° and rake = 119°). We can identify a clear low-velocity area which is enclosed by events next to the main shock in the final 3D velocity model. We also recognized a 45°-dipping zone which is extended to the ground surface with low-velocity; meanwhile, velocity structure variation in study area correspond with major geologic units in Taiwan.

Canine distemper virus in wild ferret-badgers of Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Chen-Chih; Pei, Kurtis Jai-Chyi; Liao, Ming-Huei; Mortenson, Jack A

2008-04-01

Canine distemper is an acute or subacute, highly contagious, febrile disease that is caused by canine distemper virus (CDV). Two CDV-infected wild Taiwan ferret-badgers (Melogale moschata subauantiaca) were found in Kaohsiung County, southern Taiwan, in 2005. Each case was confirmed by detecting CDV RNA in lung and brain tissues. A suspected third case was detected based on clinical signs and histology. These cases are the first record of wildlife infected by CDV in Taiwan. It is believed that domestic dogs or coexisting wild carnivores infected with the virus were the most likely source, and a serologic survey is needed to fully understand the host range of this virus in Taiwan. In addition, further genetic sequencing is needed to determine the source of these CDV cases.

Trend and geographic analysis of the prevalence of dengue in Taiwan, 2010-2015.

PubMed

Hsu, Jason C; Hsieh, Chin-Lin; Lu, Christine Y

2017-01-01

Dengue is the most rapidly spreading disease caused by a mosquito-borne virus in the world. The incidence of dengue globally has increased 30-fold in the last 50 years. Understanding the prevalence of dengue and its longitudinal trends can improve prevention and control strategies. This study assessed the trends in prevalence of dengue in Taiwan by population characteristics and geographical region. Dengue and population data for the years 2010-2015 were obtained from the public statistics databases of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Department of Statistics, Taiwan Ministry of Interior. Yearly prevalence rates of dengue were calculated by age group, sex, and administrative area within five geographic regions (northern, mid-western, southern, and eastern regions, and outer islands). The national prevalence rate of dengue decreased gradually from 8 to 4 per 100000 population between 2010 and 2013, but it increased substantially in 2014 and 2015 to 67 and 187 per 100000 population, respectively. There was no significant difference in prevalence rate between males and females. People aged 60-69 years had a significantly higher prevalence rate than those in the other age groups during 2010-2014, and people aged over 70 years had the highest rate in 2015 (309 per 100000 population). The southern region had the highest yearly dengue prevalence rate (the rate decreased from 23 to 9 per 100000 population between 2010 and 2013, but increased to 220 and 616 per 100000 population in 2014 and 2015, respectively). Three unexpected outbreaks of dengue were observed during the study period: the first outbreak occurred in Penghu County in 2011 (prevalence rate 101 per 100000 population), the second in Kaohsiung City in 2014 (prevalence rate 540 per 100000 population), and the third in Tainan City in 2015 (prevalence rate 1208 per 100000 population). More efforts are still needed to prevent and control dengue in Taiwan. The government should direct resources and interventions to southern Taiwan, which has a tropical climate and a high population density, and should target older people who are more likely to be infected. Strategies are also needed to respond quickly to unexpected incidents to prevent dengue outbreaks. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Transgressive Local Act: Tackling Domestic Violence with Forum and Popular Theatre in "Sisterhood Bound as Yuan Ze Flowers"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Wan-Jung

2010-01-01

This paper examines a community theatre project in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan that aimed to tackle domestic violence through a collaboration between local community female elders and the facilitator. The paper investigates how an outside facilitator could unfix the assumed community identities which tend to exclude outsiders or sub-groups, in this…

The Influences of the Sixth Graders' Parents' Internet Literacy and Parenting Style on Internet Parenting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lou, Shi-Jer; Shih, Ru-Chu; Liu, Hung-Tzu; Guo, Yuan-Chang; Tseng, Kuo-Hung

2010-01-01

This study aims to explore the sixth grade students' parents' Internet literacy and parenting style on Internet parenting in Kaohsiung County in Taiwan. Upon stratified cluster sampling, a total of 822 parents from 34 classes in 28 schools participated in this study. The descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyze the responses…

Cascading hazards: Understanding triggering relations between wet tropical cyclones, landslides, and earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wdowinski, S.; Peng, Z.; Ferrier, K.; Lin, C. H.; Hsu, Y. J.; Shyu, J. B. H.

2017-12-01

Earthquakes, landslides, and tropical cyclones are extreme hazards that pose significant threats to human life and property. Some of the couplings between these hazards are well known. For example, sudden, widespread landsliding can be triggered by large earthquakes and by extreme rainfall events like tropical cyclones. Recent studies have also shown that earthquakes can be triggered by erosional unloading over 100-year timescales. In a NASA supported project, titled "Cascading hazards: Understanding triggering relations between wet tropical cyclones, landslides, and earthquake", we study triggering relations between these hazard types. The project focuses on such triggering relations in Taiwan, which is subjected to very wet tropical storms, landslides, and earthquakes. One example for such triggering relations is the 2009 Morakot typhoon, which was the wettest recorded typhoon in Taiwan (2850 mm of rain in 100 hours). The typhoon caused widespread flooding and triggered more than 20,000 landslides, including the devastating Hsiaolin landslide. Six months later, the same area was hit by the 2010 M=6.4 Jiashian earthquake near Kaohsiung city, which added to the infrastructure damage induced by the typhoon and the landslides. Preliminary analysis of temporal relations between main-shock earthquakes and the six wettest typhoons in Taiwan's past 50 years reveals similar temporal relations between M≥5 events and wet typhoons. Future work in the project will include remote sensing analysis of landsliding, seismic and geodetic monitoring of landslides, detection of microseismicity and tremor activities, and mechanical modeling of crustal stress changes due to surface unloading.

Residential exposure to chlorinated hydrocarbons from groundwater contamination and the impairment of renal function-An ecological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hui-Ming; Wu, Ming-Tsang

2017-01-01

Groundwater pollution from the petrochemical industry causes serious deterioration of soil and groundwater quality and impacts on human health worldwide. However, few studies have examined the effect of residential exposure to petrochemical chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated groundwater on renal function impairment in humans. We conducted an ecological study to investigate the two. A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant was located in one of the six villages, the study area, in Kaohsiung city of southwestern Taiwan. Based on the direction of groundwater flow and previous groundwater measurements of chlorinated hydrocarbons from Taiwan Environmental Protection Bureau, we divided the six villages into highly-polluted villages, moderately-polluted villages, and a non-polluted village. All inhabitants in those six villages were invited to receive free health examinations between May-June, 2010. In total, 4,432 study subjects ≥18 yrs old were analyzed. Compared to those in the non-polluted village, subjects in highly-polluted villages had 1.89- and 1.46-fold the risk of impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria (95% CI = 1.15-1.85 and 1.09-3.28, respectively) after adjusting for other covariates. Given this relative large sample size, we found that groundwater chlorinated hydrocarbon pollution can cause kidney damage in adults.

Annual ambient atmospheric mercury speciation measurement from Longjing, a rural site in Taiwan.

PubMed

Fang, Guor-Cheng; Lo, Chaur-Tsuen; Cho, Meng-Hsien; Zhuang, Yuan-Jie; Tsai, Kai-Hsiang; Huang, Chao-Yang; Xiao, You-Fu

2017-08-01

The main purpose of this study was to monitor ambient air particulates and mercury species [RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury] concentrations and dry depositions over rural area at Longjing in central Taiwan during October 2014 to September 2015. In addition, passive air sampler and knife-edge surrogate surface samplers were used to collect the ambient air mercury species concentrations and dry depositions, respectively, in this study. Moreover, direct mercury analyzer was directly used to detect the mercury Hg(p) and RGM concentrations. The result indicated that: (1) The average highest RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, and dry depositions were observed in January, prevailing dust storm occurred in winter season was the possible major reason responsible for the above findings. (2) The highest average RGM, Hg(p), GEM and total mercury concentrations, dry depositions and velocities were occurred in winter. This is because that China is the largest atmospheric mercury (Hg) emitter in the world. Its Hg emissions and environmental impacts need to be evaluated. (3) The results indicated that the total mercury ratios of Kaohsiung to that of this study were 5.61. This is because that Kaohsiung has the largest industry density (~60 %) in Taiwan. (4) the USA showed average lower mercury species concentrations when compared to those of the other world countries. The average ratios of China/USA values were 89, 76 and 160 for total mercury, RGM and Hg(p), respectively, during the years of 2000-2012.

Vertical profile, contamination assessment, and source apportionment of heavy metals in sediment cores of Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Chih-Feng; Ju, Yun-Ru; Chen, Chiu-Wen; Dong, Cheng-Di

2016-12-01

Six sediment cores collected at the Kaohsiung Harbor of Taiwan were analyzed to evaluate their vertical profiles, enrichments, accumulations, and source apportionments of heavy metals. This was performed to investigate any potential ecological risks posed by heavy metals. Results indicated that the mean heavy metal content (mg kg -1 ) in the six sediment cores was as follows: Hg (0.4-6.4), Cd (<0.05-2.4), Cr (18-820), Cu (16-760), Pb (31-140), and Zn (76-1900). The patterns of heavy metal content in the sediment cores differed substantially among the four river mouths. However, the vertical profiles of metals were relatively stable, indicating that wastewater has the constant characteristics and has been discharged into the rivers for a long period of time. Results of pollution assessment of enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index, and pollution load index revealed that river mouths experience severe enrichment, strong accumulation, and high contamination from the primary heavy metals. It was not consistent in the assessment results of mean effect range median quotient, potential ecological risk index, and total toxic unit method. Potential ecological risks caused by Hg in the sediments at Canon River and Love River mouths on aquatic organisms were extremely high. The estimates derived from the receptor modeling of multiple linear regression of the absolute principal component scores indicated that the contributions of the composite heavy metals derived from the Canon River and the Love River on the potential toxicity and risks to the water environment of Kaohsiung Harbor were highest, followed by those derived from Salt River and Jen-Gen River. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution and contamination status of chromium in surface sediments of northern Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan.

PubMed

Dong, Cheng-Di; Chen, Chiu-Wen; Chen, Chih-Feng

2013-07-01

The distribution, enrichment, accumulation, and potential ecological risk of chromium (Cr) in the surface sediments of northern Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan, China were investigated. Sediment samples from ten locations located between the river mouths and harbor entrance of northern Kaohsiung Harbor were collected quarterly in 2011 and characterized for Cr, aluminum, water content, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, total grease, and grain size. Results showed that the Cr concentrations varied from 27.0 to 361.9 mg/kg with an average of (113.5 +/- 87.0) mg/kg. High Cr concentration was observed near the Jen-Gen River mouth. The mean Cr concentration was high at 255.5 mg/kg, which was at least 2 to 7 times than that of other sites. This might imply significant Cr contribution from upstream receiving tanneries wastewater into the Jen-Gen River. The spatial distribution of Cr reveals relatively high in the river mouth region, especially in Jen-Gen River, and gradually diminishes toward the harbor entrance region. This indicates that the major sources of Cr pollution from upstream industrial and municipal wastewaters discharged along the river bank; and Cr may drift with sea current and be dispersed into open sea. Moreover, Cr concentrations correlated closely to the physical-chemical properties of the sediments, which suggested the influence of industrial and municipal wastewaters discharged from the neighboring industrial parks and river basins. Results from the enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index analyses imply that the Jen-Gen River sediments can be characterized as moderate enrichment and none to medium accumulation of Cr, respectively. However, results of potential ecological risk index indicate that the sediment has low ecological potential risk. The results can provide valuable information to developing future strategies for the management of river mouth and harbor.

Relationship between Sugar Intake and Obesity among School-Age Children in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Pei-Ying; Lin, Fang-Yu; Chen, Ting-Chun; Chen, Wen-Lee; Doong, Jia-Yau; Shikanai, Saiko; Sarukura, Nobuko; Yamamoto, Shigeru

2016-01-01

In recent years, the prevalence and problem of overweight and obesity in Taiwanese children have increased. There are many reports that the excessive intake of sugar increases the risk of lifestyle-related disease. However, sugar intake in Taiwanese children is not known. In this study, we investigated sugar intake from sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks and desserts among school-age children in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. We also tried to determine the relationship between sugar intake and body mass index (BMI). We contacted all the public elementary schools (10 schools) in a district, Kaohsiung, and obtained permission from 3 schools. The survey subjects were 410 (210 boys, 200 girls) school-age children (7, 10 and 12 y old). A nutrition survey was conducted using 3 non-consecutive days of the 24 h dietary recall method for sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks and desserts. Height and weight were measured. Sugar intakes were not significantly different among the different genders or ages (p>0.05) and average intake of all was 51.6 g/d. Percentages of each sugar in total intake were sucrose 60%, glucose 18%, fructose 16%, and lactose 6%. The intake of glucose and fructose may have come from isomerized sugar. Contributions of sugar-sweetened beverages and snacks (desserts) were 83.5% and 16.5%, respectively. Among the sugar-sweetened beverages the top 3 sources were tea (22%), milk tea (19%) and milk beverages (18%). A relationship between sugar intake and BMI was not observed. In conclusion, sugar intake of the children was higher than the WHO recommendation due to the high intake from beverages; however, sugar was not the cause of the high obesity rate.

A new perspective on the generation of the 2016 M6.7 Kaohsiung earthquake, southwestern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhi

2017-04-01

In order to investigate the likely generation mechanism of the 2016 M6.7 Kaohsiung earthquake, a large number of high-quality travel times from P- and S-wave source-receiver pairs are used jointly in this study to invert three-dimensional (3-D) seismic velocity (Vp, Vs) and Poisson's ratio structures at high resolution. We also calculated crack density, saturate fracture, and bulk-sound velocity from our inverted Vp, Vs, and σgodels. In this way, multi-geophysical parameter imaging revealed that the 2016 Kaohsiung earthquake occurred along a distinctive edge portion exhibiting high-to-low variations in these parameters in both horizontal and vertical directions across the hypocenter. We consider that a slow velocity and high-σ body that has high ɛ and somewhat high ζ anomalies above the hypocenter under the Coastal Plain represents fluids contained in the young fold-and-thrust belt associated with the passive Asian continental margin in southwestern Taiwan. Intriguing, a continuous low Vp and Vs zone with high Poisson's ratio, crack density and saturate fracturegnomalies across the Laonung and Chishan faults is also clearly imaged in the northwestern upper crust beneath the Coastal Plain and Western Foothills as far as the southeastern lower crust under the Central Range. We therefore propose that this southeastern extending weakened zone was mainly the result of a fluid intrusion either from the young fold-and-thrust belt the shallow crust or the subducted Eurasian continental (EC) plate in the lower crust and uppermost mantle. We suggest that fluid intrusion into the upper Oligocene to Pleistocene shallow marine and clastic shelf units of the Eurasian continental crust and/or the relatively thin uppermost part of the transitional Pleistocene-Holocene foreland due to the subduction of the EC plate along the deformation front played a key role in earthquake generation in southwestern Taiwan. Such fluid penetration would reduce Vp, and Vs while increasing Poisson's ratio and saturate fracture across the source area, leading to mechanical strength failure of the rock matrix in the relative weakened and brittle seismogenic layer and triggering the 2016 earthquake. PIC

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 months of the intervention. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the charcoal-restriction program reduced method-specific and overall suicides. This study provides strong empirical evidence that restricting the accessibility of common lethal methods of suicide can effectively reduce suicide rates. PMID:26305374

Temporal characteristics of black carbon concentrations and its potential emission sources in a southern Taiwan industrial urban area.

PubMed

Cheng, Yu-Hsiang; Lin, Chi-Chi; Liu, Jyh-Jian; Hsieh, Cheng-Ju

2014-03-01

This study investigates the temporal characteristics of black carbon and its potential emission sources, as well as the fractions of BC in PM2.5 levels in Kaohsiung urban area, which is an industrial city in southern Taiwan. Concentrations of BC and PM2.5 are monitored continuously from March 2006 to February 2010, using an aethalometer and a tapered element oscillating microbalance monitor. Additionally, the presence of organic compounds (or UV enhanced species) in particles at the sampling site is determined using the Delta-C (UVBC-BC) value. According to long-term measurement results, BC and PM2.5 concentrations are 3.33 and 34.0 μg m(-3), respectively, in the Kaohsiung urban area. The ratio of BC/PM2.5 is approximately 11 %. Low concentration of BC and PM2.5 in the summer of this study period is mostly likely owing to meteorological conditions that favored dispersion of local air pollutants. Nevertheless, BC concentrations peaked markedly during morning hours (7:00-11:00), likely owing to local traffic congestion. Measurement results suggest that BC is released from local traffic activities and emitted from industrial activities at this sampling site. Additionally, Delta-C values are significantly higher than zero during January-March and November-December periods in this industrial urban area, implying that UV enhanced species can be observed. At this sampling site, these UV enhanced species do not only originate from household activity and solid waste burning but also release from industrial activities. The elevated Delta-C values during nighttime (18:00-6:00) in the autumn and winter seasons are likely related to those UV enhanced species in the atmosphere, which can be condensed on particle surface under low temperature conditions. According to long-term measurement results, significantly positive Delta-C values can be observed under temperatures <20 °C and relative humidity of 60-75 % in this study. Despite the household activity and solid waste burning, the major sources of particles that are bound with UV enhanced species in this sampling site are industrial parks and a coal-fired power plant.

Analysis of hydrologic variation under climate change environment in southern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-05-01

Impact and adaptation is an important issue in response to climate change. We need to know the affections of climate change on hydrologic characteristics before estimating the impacts and making adaptation strategies of concerned area. The wet and dry seasons of southern Taiwan are significant. In addition, the amount of average annual rainfall is about 2,100mm in southern Taiwan. Most of rainfalls happen in wet season and are caused by cyclones (typhoons) or thunderstorms in wet season. It implies that both quantity and intensity of rainfall are large in wet season, while they are small in dry season. Corresponding to the phenomena, the possibility of flood in wet season and draught in dry season is high. This means significant hydrologic variations may cause disasters. The purpose of this study is to analyze hydrologic variation due to recent climate changes in southern Taiwan, and provide decision makers some information to understand possible impacts and make adaptation strategies. Before typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan, southern Taiwan was suffering from aridity. As usual, people were expecting the rainfall accompanied with typhoons will resolve the drought in this area. However, it fell down huge amount of water within a short period of time and the rain became a big disaster in this area. The rainfall is an over 200-year event, a record breaker. The data used in this research is based on the records of Taiwan Central Weather Bureau at Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hengchun station, respectively. The trends of temperature, amount of rainfall, and number of rainy days are examined. Both Mann-Kendall trend test and linear regression method are chosen as the means to do trend examination.The results show that annual mean temperatures at Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Hengchun have raised 0.5~0.9°C during past decades under the impact of global warming. The amount of annual rainfall does not appear statistically significant trend. However, the number of annual rainy day is reduced by15%. It suggests that rainfall intensity is increased and the mean length of drought period is increased as well, generally. That means possibility of flood and drought is becoming larger in future. Decision makers should pay more attentions about it and proceed adaptation strategies plans.

Correlating precursory declines in groundwater radon with earthquake magnitude.

PubMed

Kuo, T

2014-01-01

Both studies at the Antung hot spring in eastern Taiwan and at the Paihe spring in southern Taiwan confirm that groundwater radon can be a consistent tracer for strain changes in the crust preceding an earthquake when observed in a low-porosity fractured aquifer surrounded by a ductile formation. Recurrent anomalous declines in groundwater radon were observed at the Antung D1 monitoring well in eastern Taiwan prior to the five earthquakes of magnitude (Mw ): 6.8, 6.1, 5.9, 5.4, and 5.0 that occurred on December 10, 2003; April 1, 2006; April 15, 2006; February 17, 2008; and July 12, 2011, respectively. For earthquakes occurring on the longitudinal valley fault in eastern Taiwan, the observed radon minima decrease as the earthquake magnitude increases. The above correlation has been proven to be useful for early warning local large earthquakes. In southern Taiwan, radon anomalous declines prior to the 2010 Mw 6.3 Jiasian, 2012 Mw 5.9 Wutai, and 2012 ML 5.4 Kaohsiung earthquakes were also recorded at the Paihe spring. For earthquakes occurring on different faults in southern Taiwan, the correlation between the observed radon minima and the earthquake magnitude is not yet possible. © 2013, National Ground Water Association.

Regulatory effects on particulate pollution in the early hours of Chinese New Year, 2015.

PubMed

Lai, Yonghang; Brimblecombe, Peter

2017-08-23

Human activities are a key driver of air pollution, so it is hardly surprising that celebrations affect air quality. The use of fireworks contributes to high particulate concentrations in many parts of the world, with the Chinese Lunar New Year (spring festival) particularly noticeable, as firecrackers are traditionally used to drive off evil spirits. Fireworks lead to short-term peaks in the concentration of PM10, PM2.5 and SO 2 . Regulatory actions that restrict the use of fireworks have been evident in China since the 1990s. This paper investigates the particulate concentrations in nine Chinese cities (Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, along with Hong Kong (a Special Administrative Region) and Taipei and Kaohsiung (Taiwan) with a particular focus on the celebrations of 2015. Extremely high concentrations of particulate matter were observed, with some sites revealing peak PM10 concentrations in excess of 1000 μg m -3 in the early hours of the New Year. In Beijing, Tianjin and Chongqing, the activities caused high particulate matter concentrations at most sites throughout the city. These peaks in particulate load in the early hours of Chinese New Year do not appear to be closely related to meteorological parameters. However, in cities where fireworks appear to be better regulated, there are fewer sharp pollution peaks just after midnight, although lowered air quality can still be found in the outer parts of some cities, remote from regulatory pressures. A few cities seem to have been effective at reducing the impact of the celebrations on air quality, with Nanjing a recent example. An increasing focus on light displays and electric lanterns also seems to offer a sense of celebration with much reduced impacts on air quality.

Vessel traffic patterns in the Port of Kaohsiung and the management implications for preventing the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species.

PubMed

Liu, Ta-Kang; Tsai, Tzung-Kuen

2011-03-01

Data on shipping traffic in one of the busiest seaports in the world, the Port of Kaohsiung, were analyzed to evaluate the implications for ballast water management. Results show that 67% of the arriving vessels were registered to a flag of convenience, which typically have a lower degree of environmental records. The top five donor countries historically suffer from harmful algal bloom problems. The short journey and busy trading between these countries and Taiwan lead to a higher risk of inoculation. In addition, only 1.4% of all vessels visited more than once every year during the 9-year span, indicating that the port authority encounters many new vessels each year. These findings could influence the design and application of ballast water management strategies as well as highlight the challenges in their implementation. We suggest that an analysis of vessel traffic patterns should be coupled with other useful vessel information to make risk assessment successful. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Employing crisis postcards with case management in Kaohsiung, Taiwan: 6-month outcomes of a randomised controlled trial for suicide attempters.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Jen; Ho, Chi-Kung; Shyu, Shi-Sen; Chen, Cheng-Chung; Lin, Guei-Ging; Chou, Li-Shiu; Fang, Yun-Ju; Yeh, Pin-Yang; Chung, Tieh-Chi; Chou, Frank Huang-Chih

2013-07-17

Suicide attempts constitute a serious clinical problem and have important implications for healthcare resources. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of case management using crisis postcards over a 6-month follow-up period. A randomised controlled trial was conducted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Prevention of further suicide attempts was compared between two groups with and without the postcard intervention. The intervention group consisted of 373 participants (139 males, 234 females; age: 39.8 ± 14.0 yrs.). The control group consisted of 388 participants (113 males, 275 females; age: 40.0 ± 16.0 yrs.). A survival analysis was used to test the effectiveness of the crisis postcard intervention for the prevention of suicide reattempts. Per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses were conducted. The intention-to-treat analysis indicated that the crisis postcard had no effect (hazard ratio = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.56 - 1.29), whereas the per-protocol analysis showed a strong benefit for the crisis postcard (hazard ratio = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.21 - 0.72). Although the results of the present study indicated that the postcard intervention did not reduce subsequent suicide behaviour, our study provides an alteration to the postcard intervention. Further studies need to be conducted to clarify whether this type of intervention can reduce subsequent suicidal behaviour, with a particular focus on reducing the rate of loss to follow-up.

Interactions between visitors and Formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) at Shou-Shan Nature Park, Taiwan.

PubMed

Hsu, Minna J; Kao, Chien-Ching; Agoramoorthy, Govindasamy

2009-03-01

Ecotourism involving feeding wildlife has raised public attention and is a controversial issue, especially concerning nonhuman primates. Between July 2002 and April 2005, the behavior of monkeys and tourists was collected through scan samplings, focal samplings and behavior samplings at the Shou-Shan Nature Park located in Taiwan's second largest city--Kaohsiung. In addition, the number of tourists and monkeys was counted in different hours and places within the park. Four hundred visitors were interviewed using a questionnaire to gather data on sex, age, purpose and frequency of visit to the park. The number of tourists was significantly higher during weekends than in weekdays in all locations. Humans dominated in the initiation of interspecies interactions--the overall ratio of human-initiated and monkey-initiated interactions was 2.44:1. Human-monkey conflicts accounted for only 16.4% of the total interactions (n=2,166), and adult human males and adult male macaques participated in higher rates than other age/sex groups in these conflicts. Visitors showed more affiliative behavior (15.9%) than agonistic behavior (8%) toward the macaques. In response to visitors' threat or attack, the Formosan macaques mostly showed submissive behavior with bared teeth, squealed or ran away to avoid confrontation (69.1%)--only few responded with counteraggression (18.7%). This study for the first time provided evidence that food provisioning increased both the frequency and duration of aggression among Formosan macaques (P<0.001). During food provisioning, the average frequency and the duration of agonistic events of macaques were more than 4 times higher compared with those without food provisioning. The average frequency of food provision by tourists was 0.73 times/hr--more than twice the incident that monkeys grabbed the food from tourists (0.34 times/hr). If people refrain from feeding monkeys and destroying the city park's natural vegetation, monkeys can be used to educate public about nature conservation in an urban setting. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Assessing dengue infection risk in the southern region of Taiwan: implications for control.

PubMed

Liao, C-M; Huang, T-L; Cheng, Y-H; Chen, W-Y; Hsieh, N-H; Chen, S-C; Chio, C-P

2015-04-01

Dengue, one of the most important mosquito-borne diseases, is a major international public health concern. This study aimed to assess potential dengue infection risk from Aedes aegypti in Kaohsiung and the implications for vector control. Here we investigated the impact of dengue transmission on human infection risk using a well-established dengue-mosquito-human transmission dynamics model. A basic reproduction number (R 0)-based probabilistic risk model was also developed to estimate dengue infection risk. Our findings confirm that the effect of biting rate plays a crucial role in shaping R 0 estimates. We demonstrated that there was 50% risk probability for increased dengue incidence rates exceeding 0.5-0.8 wk-1 for temperatures ranging from 26°C to 32°C. We further demonstrated that the weekly increased dengue incidence rate can be decreased to zero if vector control efficiencies reach 30-80% at temperatures of 19-32°C. We conclude that our analysis on dengue infection risk and control implications in Kaohsiung provide crucial information for policy-making on disease control.

Recovery and disposal of discarded tires in the Taiwan area.

PubMed

Hwang, J S; Roam, G D

1994-12-01

Urbanization and industrialization has resulted in a vast amount of artificial water containers in Taiwan, especially discarded automobile tires. 3.5 million automobile tires and several million motorcycle tires are discarded annually. The discarded tires contaminate the environment and also become a substantial number of breeding sites for the dengue vector mosquitoes. In order to establish a sound system for the recovery and disposal of discarded tires and to control dengue fever through source reduction, it has been emphasized that users must pay for their waste. It is necessary to recover and properly dispose of these discarded tired. The commercial firms which sell or manufacture tires are therefore advised to cooperate with the Environmental Protection Administration of the Executive Yuan, R.O.C. and follow the "Regulations of Recovery and Disposal of Discarded Tires". They are requested to establish foundations for the recovery of discarded tires. Those who are willing to join should prepay a deposit or related charge by the size of tire, which is imported or locally manufactured. The foundation utilizes the deposits for the recovery and disposal of discarded tires. From 1991 to 1993 the commercial tire firms had already achieved the 80% recovery rates declared by the authorities concerned. Some of the tires, after having been recovered, were recycled in the original form and the rest were cut into small pieces for recycling after physical treatment. It should be mentioned that the Department of Environmental Protection of Kaohsiung City has collected 80 thousand discarded automobile tires to be used as ocean jetty.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Source identification and ecological impact evaluation of PAHs in urban river sediments: A case study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tu, Y T; Ou, J H; Tsang, D C W; Dong, C D; Chen, C W; Kao, C M

2018-03-01

The Love River and Ho-Jin River, two major urban rivers in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, are moderately to heavily polluted because different types of improperly treated wastewaters are discharged into the rivers. In this study, sediment and river water samples were collected from two rivers to investigate the river water quality and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments. The spatial distribution, composition, and source appointment of PAHs of the sediments were examined. The impacts of PAHs on ecological system were assessed using toxic equivalence quotient (TEQ) of potentially carcinogenic PAHs (TEQ carc ) and sediment quality guidelines. The average PAHs concentrations ranged from 2161 ng/g in Love River sediment to 160 ng/g in Ho-Jin River sediment. This could be due to the fact that Love River Basin had much higher population density and pyrolytic activities. High-ring PAHs (4-6 rings) contributed to 59-90% of the total PAHs concentrations. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) had the highest toxic equivalence quotient (up to 188 ng TEQ/g). Moreover, the downstream sediments contained higher TEQ of total TPHs than midstream and upstream sediment samples. The PAHs were adsorbed onto the fine particles with high organic content. Results from diagnostic ratio analyses indicate that the PAHs in two urban river sediments might originate from oil/coal combustion, traffic-related emissions, and waste combustion (pyrogenic activities). Future pollution prevention and management should target the various industries, incinerators, and transportation emission in this region to reduce the PAHs pollution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Finite element model updating of multi-span steel-arch-steel-girder bridges based on ambient vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Tsung-Chin; Gao, Wei-Yuan; Chang, Chia-Sheng; Zhu, Guan-Rong; Su, Yu-Min

2017-04-01

The three-span steel-arch-steel-girder Jiaxian Bridge was newly constructed in 2010 to replace the former one that has been destroyed by Typhoon Sinlaku (2008, Taiwan). It was designed and built to continue the domestic service requirement, as well as to improve the tourism business of the Kaohsiung city government, Taiwan. This study aimed at establishing the baseline model of Jiaxian Bridge for hazardous scenario simulation such as typhoons, floods and earthquakes. Necessities of these precaution works were attributed to the inherent vulnerability of the sites: near fault and river cross. The uncalibrated baseline bridge model was built with structural finite element in accordance with the blueprints. Ambient vibration measurements were performed repeatedly to acquire the elastic dynamic characteristics of the bridge structure. Two frequency domain system identification algorithms were employed to extract the measured operational modal parameters. Modal shapes, frequencies, and modal assurance criteria (MAC) were configured as the fitting targets so as to calibrate/update the structural parameters of the baseline model. It has been recognized that different types of structural parameters contribute distinguishably to the fitting targets, as this study has similarly explored. For steel-arch-steel-girder bridges in particular this case, joint rigidity of the steel components was found to be dominant while material properties and section geometries relatively minor. The updated model was capable of providing more rational elastic responses of the bridge superstructure under normal service conditions as well as hazardous scenarios, and can be used for manage the health conditions of the bridge structure.

Re-assess Vector Indices Threshold as an Early Warning Tool for Predicting Dengue Epidemic in a Dengue Non-endemic Country

PubMed Central

Hsu, Pi-Shan; Chen, Chaur-Dong; Lian, Ie-Bin; Chao, Day-Yu

2015-01-01

Background Despite dengue dynamics being driven by complex interactions between human hosts, mosquito vectors and viruses that are influenced by climate factors, an operational model that will enable health authorities to anticipate the outbreak risk in a dengue non-endemic area has not been developed. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the temporal relationship between meteorological variables, entomological surveillance indices and confirmed dengue cases; and to establish the threshold for entomological surveillance indices including three mosquito larval indices [Breteau (BI), Container (CI) and House indices (HI)] and one adult index (AI) as an early warning tool for dengue epidemic. Methodology/Principal Findings Epidemiological, entomological and meteorological data were analyzed from 2005 to 2012 in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The successive waves of dengue outbreaks with different magnitudes were recorded in Kaohsiung City, and involved a dominant serotype during each epidemic. The annual indigenous dengue cases usually started from May to June and reached a peak in October to November. Vector data from 2005–2012 showed that the peak of the adult mosquito population was followed by a peak in the corresponding dengue activity with a lag period of 1–2 months. Therefore, we focused the analysis on the data from May to December and the high risk district, where the inspection of the immature and mature mosquitoes was carried out on a weekly basis and about 97.9% dengue cases occurred. The two-stage model was utilized here to estimate the risk and time-lag effect of annual dengue outbreaks in Taiwan. First, Poisson regression was used to select the optimal subset of variables and time-lags for predicting the number of dengue cases, and the final results of the multivariate analysis were selected based on the smallest AIC value. Next, each vector index models with selected variables were subjected to multiple logistic regression models to examine the accuracy of predicting the occurrence of dengue cases. The results suggested that Model-AI, BI, CI and HI predicted the occurrence of dengue cases with 83.8, 87.8, 88.3 and 88.4% accuracy, respectively. The predicting threshold based on individual Model-AI, BI, CI and HI was 0.97, 1.16, 1.79 and 0.997, respectively. Conclusion/Significance There was little evidence of quantifiable association among vector indices, meteorological factors and dengue transmission that could reliably be used for outbreak prediction. Our study here provided the proof-of-concept of how to search for the optimal model and determine the threshold for dengue epidemics. Since those factors used for prediction varied, depending on the ecology and herd immunity level under different geological areas, different thresholds may be developed for different countries using a similar structure of the two-stage model. PMID:26366874

An expert system for municipal solid waste management simulation analysis

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

Hsieh, M.C.; Chang, N.B.

1996-12-31

Optimization techniques were usually used to model the complicated metropolitan solid waste management system to search for the best dynamic combination of waste recycling, facility siting, and system operation, where sophisticated and well-defined interrelationship are required in the modeling process. But this paper applied the Concurrent Object-Oriented Simulation (COOS), a new simulation software construction method, to bridge the gap between the physical system and its computer representation. The case study of Kaohsiung solid waste management system in Taiwan is prepared for the illustration of the analytical methodology of COOS and its implementation in the creation of an expert system.

Carbonyl compounds in dining areas, kitchens and exhaust streams in restaurants with varying cooking methods in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Cheng, Jen-Hsuan; Lee, Yi-Shiun; Chen, Kang-Shin

2016-03-01

Eighteen carbonyl species in C1-C10 were measured in the dining areas, kitchens and exhaust streams of six different restaurant types in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Measured results in the dining areas show that Japanese barbecue (45.06ppb) had the highest total carbonyl concentrations (sum of 18 compounds), followed by Chinese hotpot (38.21ppb), Chinese stir-frying (8.99ppb), Western fast-food (8.22ppb), Chinese-Western mixed style (7.38ppb), and Chinese buffet (3.08ppb), due to their different arrangements for dining and cooking spaces and different cooking methods. On average, low carbon-containing species (C1-C4), e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and butyraldehyde were dominant and contributed 55.01%-94.52% of total carbonyls in the dining areas of all restaurants. Meanwhile, Chinese-Western mixed restaurants (45.48ppb) had high total carbonyl concentrations in kitchens mainly because of its small kitchen and poor ventilation. However, high carbon-containing species (C5-C10) such as hexaldehyde, heptaldehyde and nonanaldehyde (16.62%-77.00% of total carbonyls) contributed comparatively with low carbon-containing compounds (23.01%-83.39% of total carbonyls) in kitchens. Furthermore, Chinese stir-frying (132.10ppb), Japanese barbecue (125.62ppb), Western fast-food (122.67ppb), and Chinese buffet (119.96ppb) were the four restaurant types with the highest total carbonyl concentrations in exhaust streams, indicating that stir-frying and grilling are inclined to produce polluted gases. Health risk assessments indicate that Chinese hotpot and Japanese barbecue exceeded the limits of cancer risk (10(-6)) and hazard index (=1), mainly due to high concentrations of formaldehyde. The other four restaurants were below both limits. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Variable uptake feature of focal nodular hyperplasia in Tc-99m phytate hepatic scintigraphy/single-photon emission computed tomography-A parametric analysis.

PubMed

Hsu, Yu-Ling; Chen, Yu-Wen; Lin, Chia-Yang; Lai, Yun-Chang; Chen, Shinn-Cherng; Lin, Zu-Yau

2015-12-01

Tc-99m phytate hepatic scintigraphy remains the standard method for evaluating the functional features of Kupffer cells. In this study, we demonstrate the variable uptake feature of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) in Tc-99m phytate scintigraphy. We reviewed all patients who underwent Tc-99m phytate hepatic scintigraphy between 2008 and 2012 in Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Cases with FNH were diagnosed on the basis of pathology or at least one or more prior imaging with a periodic clinical follow-up. All patients received a standard protocol of dynamic flow study and planar and Tc-99m phytate single-photon emission computed tomography (E. CAM; Siemens). The correlation of variable nodular radioactivity with parameters such as tumor size and localization was analyzed. In total, 15 lesions of 14 patients in the clinic were diagnosed as FNH. The tumor size was approximately 2.9-7.4 cm (mean size 4.6 cm). Four lesions were larger than 5 cm. The major anatomic distribution was in the right hepatic lobe (10 lesions), particularly in the superior segments (7 lesions). Tc-99m phytate single-photon emission computed tomography imaging for determining the functional features of Kupffer cells included cool/cold (8 lesions), isoradioactive/warm (6 lesions), and hot (1 lesion) patterns of uptake. We did not observe any statistically significant correlation between variable nodular radioactivity and tumor size (p=0.68) or localization (p=0.04). Herein, we demonstrate the variable uptake feature of FNH in Tc-99m phytate scintigraphy. In small FNH tumors (< 5 cm), increased or equal uptake still provided specificity for the differential diagnosis of hepatic solid tumors. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

Source impacts by volatile organic compounds in an industrial city of southern Taiwan.

PubMed

Liu, Pao-Wen Grace; Yao, Yung-Chen; Tsai, Jiun-Horng; Hsu, Yi-Chyun; Chang, Li-Peng; Chang, Ken-Hui

2008-07-15

This study investigates source impacts by airborne volatile organic compounds (VOC) at two sites designated for traffic and industry, in the largest industrial area Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. The samples were collected at the two sites simultaneously during rush and non-rush hours in summer and autumn seasons. Same pattern of VOC groups were found at both sites: most abundant aromatics (78-95%) followed by alkanes (2-16%) and alkenes (0-6%). The BTEX concentration measured at the two sites ranged from 69 to 301 ppbC. Toluene, isopentane, ethylbenzene, and benzene were found to be the most abundant species. Speciation of VOCs was characterized with several skills including principal component factor analysis and BTEX characteristic ratios. Each of the resulted principal factors at the two sites explained over 80% of the VOCs data variance, and indicated that both of the sampling sites were influenced by both traffic and industrial sources with separately different levels. The remarkable patterns of the first two factors described not only the similarity but also the discrepancy at the two sampling sites, in terms of the source impacts. The high T/B ratios (7.56-14.25) observed at the industrial site implied the important impact from mobile emissions. The indicators, m,p-xylene/benzene and o-xylene/benzene, also confirmed the potential source of motor vehicles at both of the sampling sites. Air age assessment showed that more than half of the total observations located in the domain of fresh air. Low X/E ratios implied somewhat aged air mass transported to the sampling sites. The industrial site might not only encounter emissions from the industry sources, but also under unavoidable impact from the traffic sources.

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

PubMed

Chen, Mei-Chih; Chang, Kaowen

2014-11-06

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

Deformation Front Development at the Northeast Margin of the Tainan Basin, Tainan-Kaohsiung Area, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shiuh-Tsann; Yang, Kenn-Ming; Hung, Jih-Hao; Wu, Jong-Chang; Ting, Hsin-Hsiu; Mei, Wen-Wei; Hsu, Shiang-Horng; Lee, Min

2004-03-01

The geological setting south of the Tsengwen River and the Tsochen Fault is the transitional zone between the Tainan foreland basin and Manila accretionary wedge in Southwestern Taiwan. This transitional zone is characterized by the triangle zone geological model associated with back thrusts that is quite unique compared to the other parts of the Western foreland that are dominated by thrust imbrications. The Hsinhua structure, the Tainan anticline, and the offshore H2 anticline are the first group of major culminations in the westernmost part of the Fold-and-Thrust belt that formed during the Penglay Orogeny. Structures in the the Tainan and Kaohsiung areas provide important features of the initial mountain building stage in Western Taiwan. A deeply buried basal detachment with ramp-flat geometry existed in the constructed geological sections. A typical triangle is found by back thrusting, such as where the Hsinhua Fault cuts upsection of the Upper Pliocene and Pleistocene from a lower detachment along the lower Gutingkeng Formation. The Tainan structure is a southward extension of the Hinhua Fault and has an asymmetric geometry of gentle western and steep eastern limbs. Our studies suggest that the Tainan anticline is similar to the structure formed by the Hsinhua Fault. Both are characterized by back thrusts and rooted into a detachment about 5 km deep. The triangle zone structure stops at H2 anticline offshore Tainan and beyond the west of it, All the structures are replaced by rift tectonic settings developed in the passive continental margin. On the basal detachment, a major ramp interpreted as a tectonic discontinuity was found in this study. Above the northeastern end of the major ramp of basal detachment, the Lungchuan Fault is associated with a triangle system development, while at the southwestern end a thrust wedge is present. It could be deduced that a thrust wedge intrudes northwestward. The area below the major ramp, or equivalent to the trailing edge of the basal detachment, mud diapers often occur in relation to the thickest deposits of the Gutingkeng Formation and caused by the mechanism of detachment folding

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Analcime from Kutingkeng Formation Mudstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsiao, Yin-Hsiu; Chen, Kuan-Ting; Ray, Dah-Tong

2015-04-01

In southwest of Taiwan, the foothill located in Tainan-Kaohsiung city is the exposed area of Pliocene strata to early Pleistocene strata. The strata are about a depth of five thousand, named as Kutigkeng Formation. The outcrop of Kutigkeng Formation is typical badlands, specifically called 'Moon World.' It is commonly known as no important economic applications of agricultural land. The mineral compositions of Kutingkeng Formation are quartz, clay minerals and feldspar. The clay minerals consist of illite, clinochlore and swelling clays. To study how the phase and morphology of analcime formed by hydrothermal synthesis were affected, analcime was synthesized from the mudstone of Kutinkeng Formation with microwave hydrothermal reaction was investigated. The parameters of the experiment were the reaction temperature, the concentration of mineralizer, solids/liquid ratio and time. The sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) were used as mineralizer. The results showed that the analcime could be synthesized by hydrothermal reaction above 180° from Kutinkeng Formation mudstone samples. At the highest temperature (240°) of this study, the high purity analcime could be produced. When the concentration of Na2SiO3=3~6M, analcime could be synthesized at 240°. The best solids/liquid ratio was approximate 1 to 5. The hydrothermal reaction almost was completed after 4 hours.

Magnetic signature of Siaolin Village, southern Taiwan, after burial by a catastrophic landslide due to Typhoon Morakot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doo, W.-B.; Hsu, S.-K.; Chen, C.-C.; Hsieh, H.-H.; Yen, H.-Y.; Chen, Y.-G.; Chang, W.-Y.

2011-03-01

Typhoon Morakot caused terrible flooding and torrential rains that severely damaged southern Taiwan. Swollen rivers wiped out roads and demolished buildings. Long-lasting and intense rainfall triggered landslides in many regions in southern Taiwan, including the landslide that buried Siaolin Village in Kaohsiung County and killed approximately 500 people. Locating buried buildings immediately after a landslide could be an emergent issue in life saving and hazard mitigation. Analyzing the magnetic signature of a buried area is an efficient and non-destructive way to detect subsurface buildings. This paper presents the results of a magnetic survey for the purpose of outlining subsurface images of Siaolin Village after the catastrophic landslide induced by Typhoon Morakot in 2009. We found that a high-resolution magnetic survey can reveal suspected building positions that match the initial locations of buildings in Siaolin Village. The estimated depths of the buried buildings are 5-10 m deep. The magnetic data further suggest a possible debris-flow direction of NE to SW because the northern part of the village was mostly destroyed, while buildings in the southern part of the village remained in place.

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

PubMed

Huang, Hui-Man; Sun, Fan-Ko

2014-04-01

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

Transfusion audit of fresh-frozen plasma in southern Taiwan.

PubMed

Yeh, C-J; Wu, C-F; Hsu, W-T; Hsieh, L-L; Lin, S-F; Liu, T-C

2006-10-01

The demand for transfusions has increased rapidly in southern Taiwan. Between 1993 and 2003, requests for fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) in particular rose dramatically at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH). Transfusion orders were not tightly regulated, and inappropriate use of blood products was common. We carried out a prospective analysis of transfusion requests from October 2003 to January 2004 at KMUH, and then repeated the audit for another 3-month period after the clinical faculty had undergone five sessions of education on transfusion guidelines. Later, our consultant haematologist applied computerized guidelines to periodic audits. A 5.2% decrease in inappropriate FFP usage followed the educational programme and a further 30% reduction took place after the application of computerized transfusion guidelines. With the guidelines and periodic audits, FFP transfusions decreased by 74.6% and inappropriate requests from 65.2% to 30%. Hospital policy, computerized transfusion guidelines and periodic audits greatly reduced inappropriate FFP transfusions. An educational campaign had a more limited effect.

Urinary tract infection in infants: a single-center clinical analysis in southern Taiwan.

PubMed

Wu, Jen-Hsi; Chiou, Yee-Hsuan; Chang, Jenn-Tzong; Wang, Hsiao-Ping; Chen, Ying-Yao; Hsieh, Kai-Sheng

2012-10-01

This study summarized the epidemiology, etiology, and susceptibility of pathogens to antibiotics, and specific characteristics in infants aged less than 4 months diagnosed with urinary tract infection in the past decade in Taiwan. The medical charts of patients aged less than 4 months admitted for urinary tract infection to Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital between January 2001 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 132 patients, with male predominance (68.9%), were enrolled. The top three pathogens were similar to those identified in previous studies in Taiwan. The most common pathogen, Escherichia coli (85.3%), was resistant to ampicillin (75.9%), followed by sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (31.7%), and cefazolin (28.5%). Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan revealed 34.5% positive findings, while the vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) rate was 37.8% by direct radionuclide voiding cystography and/or voiding cysto-urethrography. Positive DMSA findings significantly correlated with VUR (p<0.001) and higher C-reactive protein level (p<0.05). E coli was the most common pathogen in the present cohort, and the top three pathogens were similar to those found in general pediatric population in Taiwan. VUR was the most common genitourinary tract anomaly in this age group. Positive DMSA was well correlated with VUR and higher C-reactive protein level. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A study of masturbatory knowledge and attitudes and related factors among Taiwan adolescents.

PubMed

Wang, Rung-Jy; Huang, Yu; Lin, Yen-Chin

2007-09-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between masturbatory knowledge and masturbatory attitudes among Taiwan adolescents. This study was based on a structured questionnaire survey that used the Adolescent Masturbatory Knowledge Inventory (AMKI) and the Adolescent Negative Attitude toward Masturbation Inventory (ANAMI). Subjects were recruited from the third grade of high school and vocational school students aged 17-18 living in Kaohsiung (southern Taiwan) using stratified and cluster sampling approaches. Seven hundred and eighty questionnaires were sent out, with a 96.8% response rate. A total of 95.3% of male subjects and 30.3% of female subjects reported having masturbation experience. Masturbatory knowledge was significantly related to the variables "school system", "frequency of viewing pornographic media", "status of being sexually active", and "conversation about sex with friends". Masturbatory attitudes were significantly associated with the same variables as well as with gender and masturbatory behavior. Masturbatory attitudes were positively correlated with masturbatory knowledge. The school system explained 15.4% of masturbatory knowledge variance. Masturbatory knowledge, masturbatory behavior, frequency of viewing pornographic media and status of being sexually active explained 39.5% of masturbatory attitude variance. In conclusion, adolescents in Taiwan hold positive attitudes toward masturbation and reported having insufficient knowledge regarding masturbation. Results can assist school staffs and parents to gain a deeper understanding of adolescents' knowledge about and attitudes toward masturbation.

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

PubMed Central

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

2015-01-01

Background Evidence from our recent study suggested that the overall trend for cancer incidence in children and adolescents has been increasing in Taiwan. Methods To analyze geographic variations in this trend, cancer frequencies and incidence rates of disease groups were quantified according to geographic areas among 12,633 patients aged <20 years during 1995–2009 by using the population-based Taiwan Cancer Registry. Three geographic levels were defined, namely county or city, region (Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan), and local administrative area (special municipality, provincial city, county-administered city, township, and aboriginal area). Results Of the regions, Northern Taiwan had the highest incidence rate at 139.6 per million person-years, followed by Central (132.8), Southern (131.8), and Eastern (128.4) Taiwan. Significantly higher standardized rate ratios (SRRs) were observed in Northern Taiwan (SRR = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.10) and at the township level (SRR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03–1.11). Of the cities or counties, New Taipei City yielded the highest SRR (1.08), followed by Taipei City (SRR = 1.07). A comparison of the rates in the four regions and the remainder of Taiwan according to cancer type revealed that only the rate of neuroblastomas in Eastern Taiwan was significantly low. Trend analysis showed that the most significant increase in incidence rate was observed at the township level, with an annual percent change of 1.8% during the 15-year study period. Conclusions The high rate of childhood cancer in Northern Taiwan and at the township level deserves further attention. The potential impacts of environmental factors on the upward trend of childhood cancer incidence rate in townships warrant further investigation. PMID:26192415

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

PubMed

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

2015-01-01

Evidence from our recent study suggested that the overall trend for cancer incidence in children and adolescents has been increasing in Taiwan. To analyze geographic variations in this trend, cancer frequencies and incidence rates of disease groups were quantified according to geographic areas among 12,633 patients aged <20 years during 1995-2009 by using the population-based Taiwan Cancer Registry. Three geographic levels were defined, namely county or city, region (Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan), and local administrative area (special municipality, provincial city, county-administered city, township, and aboriginal area). Of the regions, Northern Taiwan had the highest incidence rate at 139.6 per million person-years, followed by Central (132.8), Southern (131.8), and Eastern (128.4) Taiwan. Significantly higher standardized rate ratios (SRRs) were observed in Northern Taiwan (SRR = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.10) and at the township level (SRR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03-1.11). Of the cities or counties, New Taipei City yielded the highest SRR (1.08), followed by Taipei City (SRR = 1.07). A comparison of the rates in the four regions and the remainder of Taiwan according to cancer type revealed that only the rate of neuroblastomas in Eastern Taiwan was significantly low. Trend analysis showed that the most significant increase in incidence rate was observed at the township level, with an annual percent change of 1.8% during the 15-year study period. The high rate of childhood cancer in Northern Taiwan and at the township level deserves further attention. The potential impacts of environmental factors on the upward trend of childhood cancer incidence rate in townships warrant further investigation.

Characteristics and features of the submarine landslides in passive and active margin southwestern offshore Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Y. C.

2016-12-01

In the past decade, numerous multi-channel seismic surveys as well as near seafloor high resolution geophysical investigations were conducted in order to explore and estimate the reserves of gas hydrate southwestern offshore Taiwan. The previous object was focused on searching substitute energy (i.e. gas hydrate) rather than geo-hazards. However, it is suggested that most of the gas hydrate is generally distributed at slope area southwestern offshore Taiwan, which indicates the slope may be failed when steady state was disturbed by some factors, such as sea level or climate change. In addition, once gas hydrate was dissociated, this may induce submarine landslide that further cause devastated tsunami. Thus, it is of great urgency to investigate potential landslide area, particularly, the hydrate-rich continental slope (active and passive margins) in adjacent to populous city like Kaohsiung. In this study, we collected several high resolution multi-channel seismic data with ten seconds shooting rate and 3.125 meters group interval streamer by using R/V ORI and R/V ORV. The seismic data were processed in conventional data processing strategy: bad trace clean, geometry settings, band-pass filter, de-convolution, surface-related multiple rejection, radon filter, stacking,kirchhoff migration and time to depth conversion. Combine the results obtained from the MCS data and subbottom profiles, two major results could be raised in the active margin as followed: (1) Most of the surface creeping and landslide was occurred shallower than 500 meters in water depth, which should be related to the inter-bedded fluid activities. (2) The landslide distribution is lagly affected by the presence of diaper, suggesting the subsequent mud diapirism may destruct slope stability; (3) The submarine landslide deeper than 800 meters in water depth distributes in the thrust fold area, that is probably referred to active thrusting. In the passive margin, large volume mass transportation deposits (MTDs) were identified in deeper stratigraphic section below BSR. This indicated several big former submarine landslide events occurred. In summary, the passive margin often show typical submarine landslide features than active margin, which driven by gravity force.

Neonatal outcomes for immigrant vs. native-born mothers in Taiwan: an epidemiological paradox.

PubMed

Xirasagar, Sudha; Fu, Jung-Chung; Liu, Jihong; Probst, Janice C; Lin, Duey-Perng

2011-02-01

In Taiwan, immigrant women by marriage face social discrimination due to widespread impressions that they give birth to low birth weight, high-risk, high cost babies due to their lower socioeconomic status, shorter stature, and lower pre-pregnant weight than native-born Taiwanese women. This study compared crude and adjusted birth outcomes of immigrant mothers (Chinese and Vietnamese) relative to native-born Taiwanese, and tested for the phenomenon of an epidemiological paradox of favorable neonatal outcomes among immigrants. Data from patient charts of all singleton live births during 2002-2007, weighing ≥500 and <4,000 g, and ≥20 weeks gestational age at a regional hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, were used. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis controlling for maternal characteristics (demographics, national origin, obstetric and prenatal factors) and neonatal characteristics (birth weight, gestational age). Of 3,267 births satisfying the inclusion criteria, 19.0% were to Chinese and Vietnamese mothers. Crude birth weight was lowest for Taiwanese mothers, who also had the highest rate of preterm delivery (<37 weeks). The adjusted birth weight for Chinese and Vietnamese mothers was 87.7 and 74.7 g higher, respectively than native-born Taiwanese (both P < 0.001). Chinese and Vietnamese mothers also had lower odds of preterm birth (ORs 0.46 and 0.47, respectively). Findings support paradoxically better neonatal outcomes among Chinese and Vietnamese immigrant mothers in Taiwan. Findings can be used to initiate public education to reverse the widespread negative perceptions and attitudes towards immigrant spouses in Taiwan.

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

PubMed

Hu, Susan C; Kuo, Hsien-Wen

2016-03-01

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

Simulation of Sediment Transport Caused by Landslide at Nanhua Reservoir Watershed in Southern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ming-Hsi; Huang, Cong-Gi; Lin, Huan-Hsuan

2016-04-01

As a result of heavy rainfall, steep topography, young and weak geological formations, earthquakes, loose soils, slope land cultivation and other human disturbance, much area in Taiwan are prone to the occurrence of disastrous mass movements such as landslides and sediment disasters. During recent years, the extreme rainfall events brought huge amounts of rainfall and triggered severe changes in watershed environments. Typhoon Morakot in August 2009 caused severe landslides, debris flow, flooding and sediment disasters induced by record-break rainfall. The maximum rainfall of mountain area in Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County were over 2,900 mm. The study area is located at Nanhua reservoir watershed in southern Taiwan. The numerical model (HEC-RAS 4.1 and FLO-2D) will be used to simulate the sediment transport caused by landslide and the study will find out the separating location of erosion and deposition in the river, the danger area of riverbank, and the safety of the river terrace village under the return period of 50-year, 100-year and 200-year (such as Typhoon Morakot). The results of this study can provide for the disaster risk management of administrative decisions to lessen the impacts of natural hazards and may also be useful for time-space variation of sediment disasters caused by Climate Change.

The effects of group health education on childbearing knowledge, attitude, and behaviour among Southeast Asian immigrant women in Taiwan.

PubMed

Wang, Hsiu-Hung; Lin, Miao-Ling; Yang, Yung-Mei; Tsai, Hsiu-Min; Huang, Joh-Jong

2012-12-01

to explore the effects of a group health education programme on the childbearing knowledge, attitude, and behaviours among Southeast Asian immigrant women in Taiwan. a quasi-experimental design with convenience sampling was used. participants living in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan, were randomly divided by districts into either the experimental group or the control group. one hundred Southeast Asian immigrant women were recruited as research participants. Among the 100 participants, 50 were in the experimental group and 50 were in the control group. A total of 99 participants completed the entire research procedure. a structured interview was used to evaluate the effects of a group health education programme. the interview consisted of four measurements: the Demographic Inventory Scale, the Childbearing Knowledge Scale, the Childbearing Attitude Scale, and the Childbearing Planning Scale. after employing the group health education intervention, statistically significant changes from the pre-test to the post-test were found in the experimental group's scores for the Childbearing Knowledge Scale (P<0.0001), the Childbearing Attitude Scale (P<0.01), and the Childbearing Planning Scale (P<0.0001). The study's results indicated that providing education through group learning with guidance and support in childbearing health significantly improved Southeast Asian immigrant women's childbearing health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. an appropriate, community-based group health education programme can create awareness for childbearing health among Southeast Asian immigrant women in Taiwan and improve their childbearing attitudes and behaviours. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The study of aerosol and ozone measurements in lower boundary layer with UAV helicopter platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Po-hsiung; Chen, Wen-nai

2013-04-01

This study describes the aerosol and ozone measurement in the lower atmospheric boundary layer of highly polluted region at Kao-hsiung, Taiwan with a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) helicopter platform. This UAV helicopter, modified from Gaui-X7 electronic-power model helicopter with autopilot AHRS (Altitude-Head-Reference System) kit, has fast climb speed up to 700 m height and keeps stable status for atmospheric measurements in five-minute fly leg. Several quick-replaced battery packages are ready on ground for field intensive observation. The payload rack under this UAV helicopter carries a micro-Aethalometer (black carbon concentration), ozone meter, temperature-humidity sensor, barometer and a time-lapse digital camera. The field measurement site closes to Linyuan Petrochemical Industrial Park, where is one of the heavy polluted regions in Taiwan. Balloon-borne Vaisala RS-92 radiosonde and CL31 Lidar Ceilometer are used to provide the background of the atmosphere at the same time. More data analysis measured by UAV helicopter and its potential application will be discussed.

A Re-Examination of the Suicide Rates in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chuang, Hwei-Lin; Huang, Wei-Chiao

2007-01-01

This paper examines the suicide rates of 23 cities and counties in Taiwan from 1983 to 2001. We found that a combination of economic and social variables can significantly account for the tremendous variations in suicide rates across Taiwan's cities and counties over the last two decades. The level of income per capita in a region appears as the…

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

PubMed Central

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

2017-01-01

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

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

PubMed

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

2017-01-01

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

On the tidally driven circulation in the South China Sea: modeling and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelko, Varjola; Saha, Abhishek; Chua, Vivien P.

2014-03-01

The South China Sea is a large marginal sea surrounded by land masses and island chains, and characterized by complex bathymetry and irregular coastlines. An unstructured-grid SUNTANS model is employed to perform depth-averaged simulations of the circulation in the South China Sea. The model is tidally forced at the open ocean boundaries using the eight main tidal constituents as derived from the OSU Tidal Prediction Software. The model simulations are performed for the year 2005 using a time step of 60 s. The model reproduces the spring-neap and diurnal and semidiurnal variability in the observed data. Skill assessment of the model is performed by comparing model-predicted surface elevations with observations. For stations located in the central region of the South China Sea, the root mean squared errors (RMSE) are less than 10 % and the Pearson's correlation coefficient ( r) is as high as 0.9. The simulations show that the quality of the model prediction is dependent on the horizontal grid resolution, coastline accuracy, and boundary locations. The maximum RMSE errors and minimum correlation coefficients occur at Kaohsiung (located in northern South China Sea off Taiwan coast) and Tioman (located in southern South China Sea off Malaysia coast). This may be explained with spectral analysis of sea level residuals and winds, which reveal dynamics at Kaohsiung and Tioman are strongly influenced by the seasonal monsoon winds. Our model demonstrates the importance of tidally driven circulation in the central region of the South China Sea.

Catatonic features noted in patients with post-partum mental illness.

PubMed

Lai, Jiun-Yang; Huang, Tiao-Lai

2004-04-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, distribution of psychiatric diagnoses, and treatment responses of patients with post-partum mental illness at an emergency unit at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung in Taiwan. During a 1 year period a total of 636 Taiwanese women received psychiatric consultation on their visits to the emergency room. Fifteen of these were noted to have post-partum mental illnesses. All subjects were followed up for a minimum of 3-6 months. The prevalence of patients with post-partum mental illness at an emergency unit at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung was 2.4% (15/636). The distribution of psychiatric diagnoses according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn; DSM-IV) criteria included eight cases of major depressive disorders (53.3%), three cases of bipolar I disorder (20%), three cases of schizophrenia (20%), and one case of psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition (6.7%). Four subjects manifested catatonic features. Of these four, three had complete remission in catatonic symptoms after receiving intramuscular injection of lorazepam. The fourth subject died of multiple medical diseases. The treatment results suggest that most of the clinical presentations in patients with post-partum mental illness could be relieved by antipsychotics, mood stabilizers or antidepressants. In addition, it was found that intramuscular injection of lorazepam was also effective in patients with catatonic features and post-partum depression or psychosis.

Vertical profile, source apportionment, and toxicity of PAHs in sediment cores of a wharf near the coal-based steel refining industrial zone in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Chih-Feng; Chen, Chiu-Wen; Ju, Yun-Ru; Dong, Cheng-Di

2016-03-01

Three sediment cores were collected from a wharf near a coal-based steel refining industrial zone in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Analyses for 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of the US Environmental Protection Agency priority list in the core sediment samples were conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The vertical profiles of PAHs in the core sediments were assessed, possible sources and apportionment were identified, and the toxicity risk of the core sediments was determined. The results from the sediment analyses showed that total concentrations of the 16 PAHs varied from 11774 ± 4244 to 16755 ± 4593 ng/g dry weight (dw). Generally, the vertical profiles of the PAHs in the sediment cores exhibited a decreasing trend from the top to the lower levels of the S1 core and an increasing trend of PAHs from the top to the lower levels of the S2 and S3 cores. Among the core sediment samples, the five- and six-ring PAHs were predominantly in the S1 core, ranging from 42 to 54 %, whereas the composition of the PAHs in the S2 and S3 cores were distributed equally across three groups: two- and three-ring, four-ring, and five- and six-ring PAHs. The results indicated that PAH contamination at the site of the S1 core had a different source. The molecular indices and principal component analyses with multivariate linear regression were used to determine the source contributions, with the results showing that the contributions of coal, oil-related, and vehicle sources were 38.6, 35.9, and 25.5 %, respectively. A PAH toxicity assessment using the mean effect range-median quotient (m-ERM-q, 0.59-0.79), benzo[a]pyrene toxicity equivalent (TEQ(carc), 1466-1954 ng TEQ/g dw), and dioxin toxicity equivalent (TEQ(fish), 3036-4174 pg TEQ/g dw) identified the wharf as the most affected area. The results can be used for regular monitoring, and future pollution prevention and management should target the coal-based industries in this region for pollution reduction.

[Air pollution and its health effects on residents in Taiwanese communities].

PubMed

Ko, Y C

1996-12-01

The are a number of particular features of air pollution in Taiwan, as described below: (1) In Taiwan area, the air load of pollutants is more serious than previously reported. (2) There exists severe air pollution throughout the island. (3) Industry is the major source of pollution. (4) No demarcation exists between plants and residential quarters. (5) There is a high concentration of pollutants indoors/outdoors. The influence of air pollution spreads over all aspects of physical health, primarily on the respiratory tract, causing lung cancer and exaggerating cardiovascular diseases. A few Taiwanese studies are reviewed below which deserve more elaboration. (1) Use PM10 for indexing health effect. The annual average value of PM10 in Taiwan has been around 70 micrograms/m3 in 1994. Dr. Schwarz indicated that no safety margin could be derived; for each additional 10 micrograms/ m3 of PM10, the death number could be increased by 1% on the basis of Western studies. (2) Research with reference to lung cancer cases in the Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital. Living within 3 km of industrial district counted for 9% of cases and caused a 6-fold increase in the risk of disease for people living more than 20 years in the case control study for lung cancer. (3) Death due to cancer of inhabitants close to petroleum and petrochemical industries. For youths and children below 20 years, cancers related to brain tumors were 2-4 fold of what was expected deaths. Analysis of another petrochemical complex in Chienchen, Kaohsiung, revealed the inhabitants within 1 km showed a higher standardized mortality ratio for cancers of the lung, kidney, urinary bladder, and leukemia than was to be expected. (4) Lower lung function and higher incidence of respiratory diseases among residents near a coal-fired power plant (within 3 Km) compared to residents who lived further away from the plant (3-11 Km). (5) Lead contamination around a kindergarten near a battery recycling plant. There was increased lead absorption among children of the exposed kindergarten and its this was associated with the extent of air and soil pollution in the surrounding area. In considering above limited epidemiologic evidence, the following recommendations are presented: (1) to conduct investigation promptly for the correlation of air pollution to disease morbidity and death of inhabitants of Taiwan. (2) to reevaluate ambient air quality standards on the basis of Taiwanese health studies. (3) to assess the analytical data of past records on the concentrations of air pollutants. (4) collection of surcharge fee for air pollution. (5) Regulation for compensation of pollution victims among industry. (6) development of environmental health related industries. (7) Participation of various parties who are concerned the environmental health. One thing is certain, everyong would be able to breath air which, as far as possible, is clean.

The effect on patient loyalty of service quality, patient visit experience and perceived switching costs: lessons from one Taiwan university hospital.

PubMed

Wang, Hsiu-Ling; Huang, Jun-Ying; Howng, Shen-Long

2011-02-01

The reimbursement system changed from fee-for-service to fixed prospective payments in Taiwan, the effect on the physician-patient's relationship is worth being studied. We examined the relationship between patient visit experience, cost perceptions and the two important aspects of quality of care, curing and interpersonal performance, and patients' loyalty to the hospital physicians. A total of 404 patients from an acute care hospital in Taiwan, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH), were investigated using a self-administered mailing survey. All measures including patient loyalty (PL), curing service quality (CSQ), interpersonal service quality (ISQ), visit experience (VE) and perceived switching costs (PSC), were adapted and modified from existing scales. Our results showed that the physician's CSQ and ISQ positively affected patients' loyalty to KMUH. The interaction between the main effects of service quality, patients' VE and three types of switching visit costs, yielded additional insights into the importance of service quality for patient retention. The CSQ of physicians becomes a more important determinant of loyalty than ISQ as patients' VE increases. The importance of CSQ and ISQ increases in relation to PL as the perceived procedural and relational costs of changing care providers increases. Neither CSQ nor ISQ has a reduced relationship with PL as the perceived financial costs of switching hospitals increase. Our study indicates that the impact of CSQ and ISQ on loyalty varies according to the perceived visit costs of changing hospitals and the patients' VE.

Mortality among shipbreaking workers in Taiwan--a retrospective cohort study from 1985 to 2008.

PubMed

Wu, Wei-Te; Lu, Yao-Hua; Lin, Yu-Jen; Yang, Ya-Hui; Shiue, Huei-Sheng; Hsu, Jin-Huei; Li, Chung-Yi; Yang, Chun-Yuh; Liou, Saou-Hsing; Wu, Trong-Neng

2013-06-01

Shipbreaking workers are typically exposed to a wide range of hazardous chemicals. However, long-term follow-up studies of their mortality patterns are lacking. This study examined mortality among shipbreaking workers over a 24-year follow-up period. A total of 4,962 shipbreaking workers were recruited from the database of the Kaohsiung Shipbreaking Workers Union. The data were then linked to the Taiwan National Death Registry from 1985 to 2008. The mortality ratios-standardized for age and calendar years-(SMRs) for various causes of deaths were calculated with reference to the general population of Taiwan. Among men workers, a statistically significant increased SMR was observed for all causes (SMR = 1.28), all cancers (SMR = 1.26; particularly noteworthy for lesions of oral and nasopharyngeal: SMR 2.03, liver: SMR 4.63, and lung: SMR 1.36), cirrhosis of the liver (SMR = 1.32), and accidents (SMR = 1.91). A statistically significant increase in mortality was observed for respiratory system cancer (SMR = 1.87) and lung cancer (SMR = 1.91) among workers with a longer duration of employment (≥7 years). The result also showed that among shipbreaking workers who were still alive, two people had mesothelioma and 10 people have asbestosis. Those employed in shipbreaking industries experienced an increase in mortality from all causes. The increased SMR for lung cancer was probably related to asbestos, metals, and welding fume exposure. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Building core capacities at the designated points of entry according to the International Health Regulations 2005: a review of the progress and prospects in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chiu, Hsiao-Hsuan; Hsieh, Jui-Wei; Wu, Yi-Chun; Chou, Jih-Haw; Chang, Feng-Yee

2014-01-01

Background As designated points of entry (PoEs) play a critical role in preventing the transmission of international public health risks, huge efforts have been invested in Taiwan to improve the core capacities specified in the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR 2005). This article reviews how Taiwan strengthened the core capacities at the Taoyuan International Airport (TIA) and the Port of Kaohsiung (PoK) by applying a new, practicable model. Design An IHR PoE program was initiated for implementing the IHR core capacities at designated PoEs. The main methods of this program were 1) identifying the designated PoEs according to the pre-determined criteria, 2) identifying the competent authority for each health measure, 3) building a close collaborative relationship between stakeholders from the central and PoE level, 4) designing three stages of systematic assessment using the assessment tool published by the World Health Organization (WHO), and 5) undertaking action plans targeting the gaps identified by the assessments. Results Results of the self-assessment, preliminary external assessment, and follow-up external assessment revealed a continuous progressive trend at the TIA (86, 91, and 100%, respectively), and at the PoK (77, 97, and 99.9%, respectively). The results of the follow-up external assessment indicated that both these designated PoEs already conformed to the IHR requirements. These achievements were highly associated with strong collaboration, continuous empowerment, efficient resource integration, and sustained commitments. Conclusions Considering that many countries had requested for an extension on the deadline to fulfill the IHR 2005 core capacity requirements, Taiwan's experiences can be a source of learning for countries striving to fully implement these requirements. Further, in order to broaden the scope of public health protection into promoting global security, Taiwan will keep its commitments on multisectoral cooperation, human resource capacity building, and maintaining routine and emergency capacities. PMID:25037903

Building core capacities at the designated points of entry according to the International Health Regulations 2005: a review of the progress and prospects in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chiu, Hsiao-Hsuan; Hsieh, Jui-Wei; Wu, Yi-Chun; Chou, Jih-Haw; Chang, Feng-Yee

2014-01-01

As designated points of entry (PoEs) play a critical role in preventing the transmission of international public health risks, huge efforts have been invested in Taiwan to improve the core capacities specified in the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR 2005). This article reviews how Taiwan strengthened the core capacities at the Taoyuan International Airport (TIA) and the Port of Kaohsiung (PoK) by applying a new, practicable model. An IHR PoE program was initiated for implementing the IHR core capacities at designated PoEs. The main methods of this program were 1) identifying the designated PoEs according to the pre-determined criteria, 2) identifying the competent authority for each health measure, 3) building a close collaborative relationship between stakeholders from the central and PoE level, 4) designing three stages of systematic assessment using the assessment tool published by the World Health Organization (WHO), and 5) undertaking action plans targeting the gaps identified by the assessments. Results of the self-assessment, preliminary external assessment, and follow-up external assessment revealed a continuous progressive trend at the TIA (86, 91, and 100%, respectively), and at the PoK (77, 97, and 99.9%, respectively). The results of the follow-up external assessment indicated that both these designated PoEs already conformed to the IHR requirements. These achievements were highly associated with strong collaboration, continuous empowerment, efficient resource integration, and sustained commitments. Considering that many countries had requested for an extension on the deadline to fulfill the IHR 2005 core capacity requirements, Taiwan's experiences can be a source of learning for countries striving to fully implement these requirements. Further, in order to broaden the scope of public health protection into promoting global security, Taiwan will keep its commitments on multisectoral cooperation, human resource capacity building, and maintaining routine and emergency capacities.

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

PubMed

Chang, Yuanmay

2008-06-01

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

Current Kindergarten Parents' Attitudes toward and Beliefs about Children's Art Education in Majority Cities and Counties of Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsiao, Ching-Yuan

2015-01-01

Current kindergarten parents' attitudes toward and beliefs about children's art education in majority cities and counties of Taiwan were investigated. A review of the literature was conducted to identify several possible influences on parents' interpretation/ assessment of children's art education. Then, the researcher developed and distributed a…

The psychometric testing of the diabetes health promotion self-care scale.

PubMed

Wang, Ruey-Hsia; Lin, Li-Ying; Cheng, Chung-Ping; Hsu, Min-Tao; Kao, Chia-Chan

2012-06-01

Health-promoting behavior is an important strategy to maintain and enhance health of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Few instruments have been developed to measure health promotion self-care behavior of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Developing and psychometric testing of the Chinese version of the Diabetes Health Promotion Self-Care Scale (DHPSC) for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Four hundred and eighty-nine patients with Type 2 diabetes were recruited from endocrine clinics in four hospitals in Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the construct validity of the scale. Correlations between the DHPSC and the satisfaction subscale of Diabetes Quality of Life, Diabetes Empowerment Scale, and HbA1c were calculated to evaluate concurrent validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were used to assess the reliability of the scale. The study was conducted in 2007 and 2008. A proposed second-order factor model with seven subscales and 26 items fit the data well. The seven subscales were interpersonal relationships, diet, blood glucose self-monitoring, personal health responsibility, exercise, adherence to the recommended regimens, and foot care. The DHPSC statistically significantly correlated with the satisfaction subscale of Diabetes Quality of Life and the Diabetes Empowerment Scale. HbA1c only statistically significantly correlated with the subscale of health responsibility. Reliability was supported by acceptable Cronbach's alpha (range, .78-.94) and test-retest reliability (range, .76-.95). The DHPSC has satisfactory reliability and validity. Healthcare providers can use the DHPSC to comprehensively assess the health promotion self-care behaviors of patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Transboundary movement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Kuroshio Sphere of the western Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hu-Ching; Lee, Chon-Lin; Lai, Chin-Hsing; Fang, Meng-Der; Lai, I.-Chien

2012-07-01

Atmospheric PAHs in the Kuroshio Sphere of southern Taiwan were measured and characterized using samples collected simultaneously at four sites from February to October in 2007. Higher PAH concentrations occurred in winter (range 2.41 ± 1.85 to 40.8 ± 6.97 ng m-3) and autumn (range 1.21 ± 0.32 to 65.1 ± 57.4 ng m-3) than in summer (range 0.87 ± 0.36 to 17.7 ± 2.88 ng m-3). Comparison of the total PAH concentrations from the four sampling sites showed that the total PAH concentrations from the Kaohsiung urban site (KHU) were 1.7-4.4 times higher than those from the Kaohsiung coastal site (KHC), 3.6-26 times those from a rural coastal site (Kenting, KT), and 16.9-53.8 times those from an offshore island site (Lanyu, LY). The PAH compositional pattern, diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis indicated that the major sources of PAHs in the study area can be classified into three categories. The first is vehicular sources from local traffic, the second is natural soils, and the third is industrial activities including coke ovens and incinerator emissions. The results from back trajectories also demonstrated that atmospheric PAHs were produced by local sources but were also influenced by transboundary movement of terrestrial pollutants. The characteristics and sources of atmospheric PAHs identified in this study provide useful information for estimating the effects and transportation of PAHs in the Kuroshio Sphere.

The Critical Role of Early Dengue Surveillance and Limitations of Clinical Reporting – Implications for Non-Endemic Countries

PubMed Central

Kao, Jui-Hung; Chen, Chaur-Dong; Chu, Yin-Hsia; Cheng, Hau-Yuan; Liu, Jien-Wei; Shih, Fuh-Yuan; Shu, Pei-Yun; Lin, Chien-Chou; Tsai, Wu-Hsiung; Ku, Chia-Chi; Ho, Chi-Kung; King, Chwan-Chuen

2016-01-01

The increasing dengue burden and epidemic severity worldwide have highlighted the need to improve surveillance. In non-endemic areas such as Taiwan, where outbreaks start mostly with imported cases from Southeast Asia, a closer examination of surveillance dynamics to detect cases early is necessary. To evaluate problems with dengue surveillance and investigate the involvement of different factors at various epidemic stages, we investigated 632 laboratory-confirmed indigenous dengue cases in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan during 2009–2010. The estimated sensitivity of clinical surveillance was 82.4% (521/632). Initially, the modified serological surveillance (targeting only the contacts of laboratory-confirmed dengue cases) identified clinically unrecognized afebrile cases in younger patients who visited private clinics and accounted for 30.4% (35/115) of the early-stage cases. Multivariate regression indicated that hospital/medical center visits [Adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 11.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.3–21.4], middle epidemic stage [aOR: 2.4 (1.2–4.7)], fever [aOR: 2.3 (2.3–12.9)], and musculo-articular pain [aOR: 1.9 (1.05–3.3)] were significantly associated with clinical reporting. However, cases with pruritus/rash [aOR: 0.47 (0.26–0.83)] and diarrhea [aOR: 0.47 (0.26–0.85)] were underreported. In conclusion, multiple factors contributed to dengue surveillance problems. To prevent a large-scale epidemic and minimize severe dengue cases, there is a need for integrated surveillance incorporating entomological, clinical, serological, and virological surveillance systems to detect early cases, followed by immediate prevention and control measures and continuous evaluation to ensure effectiveness. This effort will be particularly important for an arbovirus, such as Zika virus, with a high asymptomatic infection ratio. For dengue- non-endemic countries, we recommend serological surveillance be implemented in areas with high Aedes mosquito indices or many breeding sites. Syndromic surveillance, spatial analysis and monitoring changes in epidemiological characteristics using a geographical information system, as well as epidemic prediction models involving epidemiological, meteorological and environmental variables will be helpful for early risk communication to increase awareness. PMID:27501302

Using interactive multimedia e-Books for learning blood cell morphology in pediatric hematology.

PubMed

Hsiao, Chih-Cheng; Tiao, Mao-Meng; Chen, Chih-Cheng

2016-11-14

This prospective study compares the use of interactive multimedia eBooks (IME) with traditional PowerPoint (TPP) for teaching cell morphology of blood and bone marrow. Fifty-one interns from three Taiwan medical schools training by a single teacher in the pediatric hematology department of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, participated in this study. 25 interns were allocated for training with a traditional PowerPoint atlas and 26 interns for training with an interactive multimedia eBook atlas. Learning outcomes were examined by pre-test and post-test using the CellQuiz of CellAtlas App. Attitudes and perceptions were collected by survey questions regarding interest, motivation and effectiveness. There was no difference in the pre-test scores between TPP and IME groups (mean score 27.0 versus 27.9, p = 0.807). However, the interns in the interactive multimedia eBook group achieved significantly better scores in the post-test than the ones in the PowerPoint group (mean score 103.2 versus 70.6; p < 0.001). Overall results of interest, motivation and effectiveness were strongly positive in the multimedia eBook group. Our data supports that interactive multimedia eBooks are more effective than PowerPoint to facilitate learning of cell morphology of blood and bone marrow.

Computer laboratory notification system via short message service to reduce health care delays in management of tuberculosis in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Tun-Chieh; Lin, Wei-Ru; Lu, Po-Liang; Lin, Chun-Yu; Lin, Shu-Hui; Lin, Chuen-Ju; Feng, Ming-Chu; Chiang, Horn-Che; Chen, Yen-Hsu; Huang, Ming-Shyan

2011-06-01

We investigated the impacts of introducing an expedited acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear laboratory procedure and an automatic, real-time laboratory notification system by short message with mobile phones on delays in prompt isolation of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). We analyzed the data for all patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis at a hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, a 1,600-bed medical center, during baseline (January 2004 to February 2005) and intervention (July 2005 to August 2006) phases. A total of 96 and 127 patients with AFB-positive TB was reported during the baseline and intervention phases, respectively. There were significant decreases in health care system delays (ie, laboratory delays: reception of sputum to reporting, P < .001; response delays: reporting to patient isolation, P = .045; and interval from admission to patient isolation, P < .001) during the intervention phase. Significantly fewer nurses were exposed to each patient with active pulmonary TB during the intervention phase (P = .039). Implementation of expedited AFB smear laboratory procedures and an automatic, real-time laboratory mobile notification system significantly decreased delays in the diagnosis and isolation of patients with active TB. Copyright © 2011 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between indoor and outdoor air pollution and adolescent asthma from 1995 to 1996 in Taiwan

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

Wang, T.N.; Ko, Y.C.; Chao, Y.Y.

The study aim was to estimate the contribution of indoor and outdoor air pollution to the 1-year prevalence of adolescent asthma after personal susceptibility and other potential risk factors were taken into account. A large-scaled cross-sectional study was conducted among 165,173 high school students aged 11 to 16 years in the different communities of Kaohsiung and Pintong in Taiwan, from October 1995 to June 1996. Each student and his/her parents participating in the study completed a video and a written International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire about symptoms of wheezing and allergies, passive smoking, and demographic variables.more » After adjustment for potential confounders, adolescents exposed to cigarette smoking and environmental tobacco smoke were found to suffer from asthma at an increased frequency. The authors observed a statistically significant association between outdoor air pollution and asthma, after controlling for potential confound variables. Total suspended particulate, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and airborne dust particles all displayed an independent association with asthma, respectively. There were no selection biases in this community-based study, which provides evidence that passive smoking and long-term, high average outdoor air pollution are independent risk factors of asthma.« less

LiDAR observation of the flow structure in typhoons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yu-Ting; Hsuan, Chung-Yao; Lin, Ta-Hui

2015-04-01

Taiwan is subject to 3.4 landfall typhoons each year in average, generally occurring in the third quarter of every year (July-September). Understanding of boundary-layer turbulence characteristics of a typhoon is needed to ensure the safety of both onshore and offshore wind turbines used for power generation. In this study, a floating LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) was deployed in a harbor to collect data of wind turbulence, atmospheric pressure, and temperature in three typhoon events (Matmo typhoon, Soulik typhoon, Trami typhoon). Data collected from the floating LiDAR and from meteorological stations located at Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung are adopted to analyse the wind turbulence characteristics in the three typhoon events. The measurement results show that the maximum 10-min average wind speed measured with the floating LiDAR is up to 24 m/s at a height of 200 m. Compared with other normal days, the turbulence intensity is lower in the three typhoon events where the wind speed has a rapid increase. Changes of wind direction take place clearly as the typhoons cross Taiwan from East to West. Within the crossing intervals, the vertical momentum flux is observed to have a significant pattern with both upward and downward propagating waves which are relevant to the flow structure of the typhoons.

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

PubMed

Chiou, Shu-Ti; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh

2014-01-01

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

75 FR 36442 - In the Matter of Certain Inkjet Ink Cartridges With Printheads and Components Thereof; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-25

... Co., Ltd., 1F, No. 28, R&D 2nd Rd., Science-Based Industrial Park, Hsinchu City, Taiwan 30076, Asia Pacific Microsystems, Inc., No. 2, R&D Rd. 6, Science-Based Industrial Park, Hsinchu City, Taiwan 30076... Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Rm. 3310-3313, Xin Yuan Building, No. 898 North Tianhe Road...

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.

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

PubMed

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

2016-05-01

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

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

PubMed

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

2017-06-01

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

Prenatal examination behavior of Southeast Asian pregnant women in Taiwan: a questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Lin, Miao-Ling; Wang, Hsiu-Hung

2008-05-01

There is growing concern about the factors affecting the prenatal examinations of immigrant women. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the knowledge of pregnancy, attitude toward pregnancy and experience of medical services, and prenatal examination behavior of pregnant Southeast Asian women in Taiwan. This was a cross-sectional study with a structured questionnaire administered to participants. Participants were recruited from the community health centers in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. The sampling criteria were as follows: each subject was to (a) have come from a Southeast Asian country, (b) be over 28 weeks pregnant to less than one year postpartum, (c) be able to communicate either in Mandarin or Taiwanese, and (d) be willing to participate in the research after hearing an explanation of it. As a result, 140 participants were recruited. A total of 132 participants completed the questionnaire and were used for data analysis. The participants completed structured questionnaires, which included the Demographic Inventory Scale, Knowledge of Pregnancy Scale, Attitudes toward Pregnancy Scale, Experience of Medical Services Scale and the Prenatal Examination Behavior Scale. Findings show that 80.3% of the subjects attended their first-time prenatal examination during the first trimester and 59.1% of the subjects evaluated their prenatal examinations as being adequate. Their attitude toward childbearing was significantly correlated with their prenatal examination behavior, including the initial time of prenatal examination and frequencies of prenatal examinations during pregnancy. Positive attitudes toward childbearing and prenatal examination, and the number of years spent in Taiwan were all significant predictive factors of frequencies of prenatal examinations during pregnancy. The findings of this study can not only help healthcare professionals understand the prenatal examination behavior and related factors of the participants, but also provide guidance to healthcare professionals as they assist these pregnant Southeast Asian women in Taiwan in developing childbearing and family plans. The attitude toward childbearing of the participants was significantly correlated with their prenatal examination behavior. They require professional help in seeking out appropriate medical services that will improve their healthcare quality during pregnancy.

Validation of the traditional Chinese version of the prolapse quality of life questionnaire (P-QOL) in a Mandarin-speaking Taiwanese population.

PubMed

Chuang, Fei-Chi; Chu, Li-Ching; Kung, Fu-Tsai; Huang, Kuan-Hui

2016-10-01

To validate the traditional Chinese translated version of the prolapse quality of life questionnaire (P-QOL). The P-QOL questionnaire was translated into traditional Chinese characters and administered to women recruited from gynecologic outpatient clinics of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. After the test-retest reliability and internal consistency were established in a pilot study, all participants completed the P-QOL questionnaire and were examined in the lithotomy position using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System (POP-Q). The construct validity was assessed by comparing symptom scores and quality-of-life domain scores between symptomatic and asymptomatic women. Of the 244 women recruited, 159 were symptomatic for pelvic organ prolapse, and 85 were asymptomatic. The test-retest reliability confirmed a significant positive monotonic correlation between the total scores of each domain (n = 30, Spearman's rho was from 0.411 to 0.888, p < 0.05 of all). All items achieved a Cronbach α > 0.80 showing good internal consistency. Among the 18 symptom questions, the scores differed significantly between symptomatic and asymptomatic women for 12/18 symptom questions. These 12 questions referred to the prolapse/vaginal symptoms. All the quality of life domains differed significantly (p < 0.05) between symptomatic and asymptomatic women except for the domain of sleep/energy (p = 0.108). The traditional Chinese language version of the P-QOL is a reliable instrument for the assessment of symptom severity and impact on quality of life in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Listening to Mozart K.448 decreases electroencephalography oscillatory power associated with an increase in sympathetic tone in adults: a post-intervention study

PubMed Central

Lin, Lung-Chang; Ouyang, Chen-Sen; Chiang, Ching-Tai; Wu, Rong-Ching; Wu, Hui-Chuan

2014-01-01

Summary Objective Listening to Mozart K.448 has been demonstrated to improve spatial task scores, leading to what is known as the Mozart Effect. However, most of these reports only describe the phenomena but lack the scientific evidence needed to properly investigate the mechanism of Mozart Effect. In this study, we used electroencephalography (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) to evaluate the effects of Mozart K.448 on healthy volunteers to explore Mozart Effect. Design An EEG-based post-intervention analysis. Setting Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Participants Twenty-nine college students were enrolled. They received EEG and electrocardiogram examinations simultaneously before, during and after listening to the first movement of Mozart K.448. Main outcome measure EEG alpha, theta and beta power and HRV were compared in each stage. Results The results showed a significant decrease in alpha, theta and beta power when they listened to Mozart K.448. In addition, the average root mean square successive difference, the proportion derived by dividing NN50 by the total number of NN intervals, standard deviations of NN intervals and standard deviations of differences between adjacent NN intervals showed a significant decrease, while the high frequency revealed a significant decrease with a significantly elevated low-frequency/high-frequency ratio. Conclusion Listening to Mozart K.448 significantly decreased EEG alpha, theta and beta power and HRV. This study indicates that there is brain cortical function and sympathetic tone activation in healthy adults when listening to Mozart K.448, which may play an important role in the mechanism of Mozart Effect. PMID:25383198

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.

Space Radar Image of Taipei, Taiwan

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-15

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

Ozone Production and Control Strategies for Southern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2006-12-01

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

Detection and identification of occult HBV in blood donors in Taiwan using a commercial, multiplex, multi-dye nucleic acid amplification technology screening test.

PubMed

Lin, K T; Chang, C L; Tsai, M H; Lin, K S; Saldanha, J; Hung, C M

2014-02-01

The ability of a new generation commercial, multiplex, multi-dye test from Roche, the cobas TaqScreen MPX test, version 2.0, to detect and identify occult HBV infections was evaluated using routine donor samples from Kaohsiung Blood Bank, Taiwan. A total of 5973 samples were tested by nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT); 5898 in pools of six, 66 in pools of less than six and nine samples individually. NAT-reactive samples were retested with alternative NAT tests, and follow-up samples from the donors were tested individually by NAT and for all the HBV serological markers. Eight NAT-only-reactive donors were identified, and follow-up samples were obtained from six of the donors. The results indicated that all eight donors had an occult HBV infection with viral loads <12 IU/ml. The cobas(®) TaqScreen MPX test, version 2.0, has an advantage over the current Roche blood screening test, the cobas TaqScreen MPX test, for screening donations in countries with a high prevalence of occult HBV infections since the uncertainty associated with identifying samples with very low viremia is removed by the ability of the test to identify the viral target in samples that are reactive with the cobas TaqScreen MPX test, version 2.0. © 2013 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

The East Asian age-friendly cities promotion - Taiwan's experience and the need for an oriental paradigm.

PubMed

Chao, Tzuyuan Stessa; Huang, Huiwen

2016-03-01

It is the consensus that the rapid increase of the ageing population has become a global phenomenon. In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) advanced a handbook called Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide The core concept of the age-friendly cities (AFC) movement is 'active ageing'. Taiwan became one of the few Asian countries that initially responded to the WHO AFC movement in 2010. Following the guidance set by the WHO, Taiwan began its promotion at a national level, and with local authorities. However, during the advocacy process, the fundamental differences between Eastern and Western cultures in terms of family values and deep-rooted respect for the elderly have raised an awareness of the need for an oriental paradigm. This paper identifies three key elements for AFC promotion in East Asian countries based on an analysis of Taiwan's experience: during needs assessment take collectivism into consideration, during action plans at the community level community leaders' views will be more important (particularism), and when promoting AFC at the institutional level a top-down approach will be more acceptable (high power distance concept). © The Author(s) 2016.

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

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

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

Influence of waste management policy on the characteristics of beach litter in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

PubMed

Liu, Ta-Kang; Wang, Meng-Wei; Chen, Ping

2013-07-15

Marine debris is a ubiquitous problem that poses a serious threat to the global oceans; it has motivated public participation in clean-up campaigns, as well as governmental involvement in developing mitigation strategies. While it is known that the problem of marine litter may be affected by waste management practices on land, beach survey results have seldom been compared with them. In this study, marine litter surveys on four beaches of Cijin Island were conducted to explore the effects of waste management and policy implications. Indirect evidence shows that chances for land-based litter, such as plastic bags and bottles, entering the marine environment can be greatly decreased if they can be properly reduced, reused and recycled. We suggest that mitigation measures should focus on source reduction, waste recycling and management, utilizing effective economic instruments, and pursuing a long-term public education campaign to raise the public awareness of this problem. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Barcoding to Reduce Error of Patient Identification and to Increase Patient's Information Confidentiality of Test Tube Labelling in a Psychiatric Teaching Hospital.

PubMed

Liu, Hsiu-Chu; Li, Hsing; Chang, Hsin-Fei; Lu, Mei-Rou; Chen, Feng-Chuan

2015-01-01

Learning from the experience of another medical center in Taiwan, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Suan Psychiatric Hospital has changed the nursing informatics system step by step in the past year and a half . We considered ethics in the original idea of implementing barcodes on the test tube labels to process the identification of the psychiatric patients. The main aims of this project are to maintain the confidential information and to transport the sample effectively. The primary nurses had been using different work sheets for this project to ensure the acceptance of the new barcode system. In the past two years the errors in the blood testing process were as high as 11,000 in 14,000 events per year, resulting in wastage of resources. The actions taken by the nurses and the new barcode system implementation can improve the clinical nursing care quality, safety of the patients, and efficiency, while decreasing the cost due to the human error.

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.

Sediment Transportation Induced by Deep-Seated Landslides in a Debris Flow Basin in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Meei Ling; Chen, Te Wei; Chen, Yong Sheng; Sin Jhuang, Han

2016-04-01

Typhoon Morakot brought huge amount of rainfall to the southern Taiwan in 2009 and caused severe landslides and debris flow hazard. After Typhoon Morakot, it was found that the volume of sediment transported by the debris flow and its effects on the affected area were much more significant compared to previous case history, which may due to the huge amount of rainfall causing significant deep-seated landslides in the basin. In this study, the effects and tendency of the sediment transportation in a river basin following deep-seated landslides caused by typhoon Morakot were evaluated. We used LiDAR, DEM, and aerial photo to identify characteristics of deep-seated landslides in a debris flow river basin, KSDF079 in Liuoguey District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Eight deep-seated landslides were identified in the basin. To estimate the potential landslide volume associated with the deep-seated landslides, the stability analysis was conducted to locate the critical sliding surface, and the potential landside volume was estimated based on the estimation equation proposed by the International Geotechnical Societies' UNESCO Working Party on World Landslide Inventory (WP/WLI, 1990). The total potential landslide volume of the eight deep-seated landslides in KSDF079 basin was about 28,906,856 m3. Topographic analysis was performed by using DEM before and LiDAR derived DEM after typhoon Morakot to calculate the landslide volume transported. The result of erosion volume and deposition volume lead to a run out volume of 5,832,433 m3. The results appeared to consist well with the field condition and aerial photo. Comparing the potential landslide volume and run out volume of eight deep-seated landslides, it was found that the remaining potential landslide volume was about 80%. Field investigation and topographic analysis of the KSDF079 debris flow revealed that a significant amount of sediment deposition remained in the river channel ranging from the middle to the downstream section of the channel, and the channel has been widen. Such large proportion of landslide volume remained in the basin on deep-seated landslide scars and debris flow river channel would likely to cause further debris transportation in the future events. The stability analysis used in this study provided a feasible method and satisfactory results for estimating sediment volume transportation associated with the deep-seated landslides in the study area. Combination of the stability analysis results and the topographic analysis provided estimation of sediment transportation caused by the deep-seated landslides, and trend variation of further sediment transport of the basin, which could provide vital information for hazard mitigation. Keyword: deep-seated landslide, sediment transport, DEM, LiDAR, stability analysis

Gender differences in postneonatal infant mortality in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yang, W S; Knöbel, H H; Chen, C J

1996-11-01

Numerous studies have indicated that gender discrimination influencing child survival is widespread in Asia. Therefore, we have investigated gender and cause-specific postneonatal mortality in Taiwan. Mortality data derived from death certificates and demographic statistics in Taiwan between 1981 and 1990 were analyzed. Postneonatal mortality decreased from 9.4 per 1000 live births to 5.5 per 1000 live births for males, and from 8.3 to 5.0 for females. The trends for cause-specific mortality for male and female infants were similar during the study period. The male-to-female ratio of overall death rates was 1.11. It was slightly higher in cities and lower in rural areas, and lowest in the least developed eastern region of Taiwan. Mortality from congenital diseases had the lowest male-to-female ratio, specifically in the North, the cities and areas of indigenous people. Infectious disease mortality showed low male-to-female ratios in the rural areas and in the eastern region. The place of death from infectious diseases as a measure for the use of sophisticated medical care showed that more female than male deaths occurred at home in the rural areas, cities, and central regions. It was concluded that a high level of socio-economic development created conditions of gender equality, whereas in situations of low socio-economic development males were favoured. The tendency to discriminate according to gender is very subtle in Taiwan, much less so than in other regions of Asia, including Thailand and India.

Parallels between Objective Indicators and Subjective Perceptions of Quality of Life: A Study of Metropolitan and County Areas in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Pei-shan

2009-01-01

This study explores the consistency between objective indicators and subjective perceptions of quality of life in a ranking of survey data for cities and counties in Taiwan. Data used for analysis included the Statistical Yearbook of Hsiens and Municipalities and the Survey on Living Conditions of Citizens in Taiwan, both given for the year 2000.…

Is suicide mortality associated with meteorological and socio-economic factors? An ecological study in a city in Taiwan with a high suicide rate.

PubMed

Wu, Ya Wen; Chen, Chih Ken; Wang, Liang Jen

2014-06-01

Keelung City has the highest suicide rate in Taiwan. This study aimed to determine whether meteorological and socio-economic factors are associated with suicide mortality in Keelung City, by gender and by means of suicide. Data on suicides between January 2006 and December 2010 were provided by the Department of Health, Keelung City Government. The suicide victims were categorized into non-violent and violent groups, based on the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision. Meteorological data were obtained from the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan. Socio-economic data were gathered from the Accounting and Statistics Office, Keelung City Government. Multiple linear regression analysis with backward elimination was performed to determine the model that was most effective in predicting dependent variables. During the 5-year study period, the overall suicide mortality rate was negatively associated with ambient temperature. Male suicide mortality was positively correlated with unemployment, and negatively correlated with ambient temperature, barometric pressure, rainy days, family income and number of holidays. Female suicide mortality and violent suicide mortality were not significantly correlated with any meteorological or socio-economic factors. Non-violent suicide mortality was positively correlated with unemployment, and negatively correlated with ambient temperature, barometric pressure and family income. Suicide is a complex psychopathological phenomenon. Further studies with individual data are warranted to confirm how meteorological and socio-economic conditions influence ones' suicidal behaviour.

An agent-based model for an air emissions cap and trade program: A case study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Hsing-Fu; Ma, Hwong-Wen

2016-12-01

To determine the actual status of individuals in a system and the trading interaction between polluters, this study uses an agent-based model to set up a virtual world that represents the Kaohsiung and Pingtung regions in Taiwan, which are under the country's air emissions cap and trade program. The model can simulate each controlled industry's dynamic behavioral condition with the bottom-up method and can investigate the impact of the program and determine the industry's emissions reduction and trading condition. This model can be used elastically to predict the impact of the trading market through adjusting different settings of the program rules or combining the settings with other measures. The simulation results show that the emissions trading market has an oversupply, but we find that the market trading amounts are low. Additionally, we find that increasing the air pollution fee and offset rate restrains the agents' trading decision, according to the simulation results of each scenario. In particular, NO x and SO x trading amounts are easily impacted by the pollution fee, reduction rate, and offset rate. Also, the more transparent the market, the more it can help polluters trade. Therefore, if authorities want to intervene in the emissions trading market, they must be careful in adjusting the air pollution fee and program rules; otherwise, the trading market system cannot work effectively. We also suggest setting up a trading platform to help the dealers negotiate successfully. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlation between Novel Potential Indoor Risk Factors and Frequency of Doctor's Visit for Respiratory Problem in Taiwan's Tropical Environment.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Hao; Su, Hsing-Hao; Hsu, Lan; Wang, Chung-Yang; Wu, Pi-Hsiung

2018-01-01

With a global rising trend in prevalence of allergic diseases, more attention has been paid to investigation of environmental risk factors. Many risk factors have so far been identified. However, novel risk factors specific to Taiwanese environment and lifestyle were still relatively unknown. To investigate the potential effects of a number of little-known indoor risk factors on the frequency of doctor's visit for respiratory problems in context of Taiwanese environment and lifestyle. A cross-sectional, population-based study was performed on a 861 participants around Kaohsiung area, Taiwan. Survey investigation was employed to assess the household environment and the frequency of doctor's visit for respiratory problems. Participants who performed "daily cleaning" was shown to have a significantly (p=0.007) higher mean number of doctor's visits in comparison to those who did not. Similar observation was made for participants who periodically took out beddings (p=0.042). Age had a significant positive correlation (linear regression β 0.089) with frequency of respiratory problems. The habit of daily cleaning was implicated as a potential indoor risk factor due to the unique nature of Taiwanese cleaning habit and close contact with cleaning supplies, which could serve as chemical irritants. Bedding takeout was predicted to be an indicator of chronic allergies rather than an actual risk factor. However, both were controversial in their role as potential indoor risk factor, and required further examination.

Reasoning the Causality of City Sprawl, Traffic Congestion, and Green Land Disappearance in Taiwan Using the CLD Model

PubMed Central

Chen, Mei-Chih; Chang, Kaowen

2014-01-01

Many city governments choose to supply more developable land and transportation infrastructure with the hope of attracting people and businesses to their cities. However, like those in Taiwan, major cities worldwide suffer from traffic congestion. This study applies the system thinking logic of the causal loops diagram (CLD) model in the System Dynamics (SD) approach to analyze the issue of traffic congestion and other issues related to roads and land development in Taiwan’s cities. Comparing the characteristics of development trends with yearbook data for 2002 to 2013 for all of Taiwan’s cities, this study explores the developing phenomenon of unlimited city sprawl and identifies the cause and effect relationships in the characteristics of development trends in traffic congestion, high-density population aggregation in cities, land development, and green land disappearance resulting from city sprawl. This study provides conclusions for Taiwan’s cities’ sustainability and development (S&D). When developing S&D policies, during decision making processes concerning city planning and land use management, governments should think with a holistic view of carrying capacity with the assistance of system thinking to clarify the prejudices in favor of the unlimited developing phenomena resulting from city sprawl. PMID:25383609

The Epidemiology and Characteristics of Q fever and Co-infections with Scrub Typhus, Murine Typhus or Leptospirosis in Taiwan: A Nationwide Database Study.

PubMed

Lai, C-H; Sun, W; Lee, C-H; Lin, J-N; Liao, M-H; Liu, S-S; Chang, T-Y; Tsai, K-F; Chang, Y-C; Lin, H-H; Chen, Y-H

2017-11-01

Q fever (QF) is a worldwide zoonosis associated with outbreaks. Only a few nationwide studies regarding the surveillance and epidemiology of human QF have been reported. Although QF is endemic in Taiwan, a nationwide database investigation of the epidemiology and characteristics of QF and its associations with scrub typhus (ST), murine typhus (MT) and leptospirosis (LS) has never been reported. We analysed nationwide databases of suspected QF, ST, MT and LS cases from October 2007 to December 2014 obtained from the Centers for Disease Control, Taiwan. A total of 468 (4.2%) QF cases were identified among 11 109 suspected QF cases. QF cases were mainly distributed in the southern and Kaohsiung-Pingtung regions but rarely in the eastern region. Compared to non-QF cases, QF cases had significantly higher percentages of males (88.7 versus 66.2%) and high-risk occupations (farming, animal husbandry or veterinary medicine) (16.2 versus 10.5%). But the percentages of specific animal contact, including cattle (0.6 versus 0.8%) and goats (0.9 versus 1.0%), were low in both. The majority of suspected QF cases (89.4%) were simultaneously suspected with ST, MT or LS, and the combinations of suspected diseases differed between regions. The number of suspected QF cases from the eastern region decreased since 2009, which was not observed in other regions. A total of 1420 (12.8%) cases had confirmed diseases, including QF (453, 4.1%), QF+ST (7, 0.06%), QF+MT (4, 0.04%), QF+LS (4, 0.04%), MT (186, 1.7%), ST (545, 4.9%), ST+LS (11, 0.1%) and LS (210, 1.9%). Compared to cases of unknown disease, QF cases had larger percentages of high-risk occupations (16.2 versus 9.6%) but similar histories of animal contact (29.8 versus 25.1%). QF is an endemic disease in southern Taiwan. It is difficult to differentiate QF from ST, MT or LS only by high-risk occupations and history of animal contact, and co-infection of QF with these diseases should be considered. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

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

PubMed

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

2007-07-01

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

Outcomes of 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy for acute postoperative endophthalmitis.

PubMed

Hsu, Chia-Ming; Chen, Shih-Chou; Wu, Tsung-Tien; Sheu, Shwu-Jiuan

2017-08-01

To report our 3-year experience of 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) for acute postoperative endophthalmitis at a tertiary referral center in southern Taiwan. This retrospective chart review study included 19 patients with acute postoperative endophthalmitis who underwent 23-gauge TSV from January 2011 to January 2015 at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. Bacterial and fungal cultures from aqueous samples, vitreous samples, or both were performed. Nineteen patients (12 male; 7 female) were included. The mean age was 72.4 ± 8.29 years. Acute postoperative endophthalmitis was noted in 18 patients after cataract surgery and in 1 patient after 23-gauge vitrectomy for a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Upon presentation, visual acuity was less than hand movement for 80% of the patients. Chief complaints included blurred vision (19 patients, 100%), followed by pain (10 patients, 52.6%) and red eye (4 patients, 21%). All patients were administered an intravitreal injection (IVI) of antibiotics and 23-gauge TSV, and the average number of IVIs was 2.68 ± 1.73 (1-9 IVIs). The interval between their initial eye symptoms and vitrectomy was 4.11 ± 4.73 days (0-2 days), and the interval between diagnosis with endophthalmitis and a vitrectomy was 1.11 ± 1.52 days (0-6 days). The final visual acuity was no light perception for 1 patient (5.3%), between 6/60 and 6/12 for 8 patients (42.1%), and 6/12 or better for 9 patients (47.4%). No retinal detachment or hypotony was noted postoperatively in any case. 23-gauge vitrectomy is safe and effective for the management of acute postoperative endophthalmitis. Early diagnosis and treatment with 23-gauge vitrectomy may provide a good visual outcome. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

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

PubMed

Chiao, Chi

2017-05-25

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

Correlates of depression in type 2 diabetic elderly patients: a correlational study.

PubMed

Bai, Yu-Ling; Chiou, Chou-Ping; Chang, Yong-Yuan; Lam, Hing-Chung

2008-04-01

This aim of this study was to investigate depression and related factors in elderly patients (65 years) with type 2 diabetics. The study utilized a descriptive-correlational design. Convenience sampling was applied to enroll 156 subjects, aged >or= 65 years from diabetic outpatient clinics at three hospitals in Kaohsiung. This study applied the Personal Resource Questionnaire 2000 (PRQ 2000), Taiwan Geriatric Depression Scale (TGDS), and a form for demographic data. (1) The mean index score for depression level was 26, indicating that study subjects had a low level of depression. The social support index score was 76. (2) Significant differences in TGDS scores existed for diabetes duration, diabetes complications, and treatment type. (3) Social support and regular exercise were significantly and negatively correlated with depression. (4) Social support and diabetes complications were significant correlates of depression and accounted for 25.9% of variance in depression. Analytical results may assist nurses in understanding depression and related factors for diabetic patients aged >or= 65. Therefore, this study could form a basis for caring older people with diabetes, and provide a reference for further research.

Occurrence of nonylphenol and bisphenol A in household water pipes made of different materials.

PubMed

Cheng, Yang-Chen; Chen, Huei-Wen; Chen, Wen-Ling; Chen, Chia-Yang; Wang, Gen-Shuh

2015-10-01

We assessed the occurrence of nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in tap water supplied through polyvinyl chloride (PVC), stainless steel, and galvanized pipes. Water samples were collected from selected households in Taipei and Kaohsiung (Northern and Southern Taiwan, respectively) in different seasons to elucidate the effects of pipeline materials and ambient temperatures on NP and BPA concentrations in tap water. We detected higher concentrations of NP in tap water from households using PVC pipes (64-195 ng/L) than from those using stainless steel pipes (17-44 ng/L) and galvanized pipes (27-96 ng/L). To verify that water can absorb NP and BPA from PVC pipes, we sealed Milli-Q and tap water in PVC and stainless steel pipes to assess the potential release of NP and BPA from the pipes into the water. Both NP and BPA concentrations initially increased with contact time in the PVC pipes, and the concentration profiles during the retention appeared to be more strongly affected by ambient temperatures. Concentration variations in the stainless steel pipes were smaller than those in the PVC pipes.

Tributyltin distribution and producing androgenic activity in water, sediment, and fish muscle.

PubMed

Shue, Meei-Fang; Chen, Ting-Chien; Bellotindos, Luzvisminda M; Lu, Ming-Chun

2014-01-01

This study investigated the concentrations of Tributyltin (TBT) in water, sediment, and fish muscle samples taken from Kaohsiung Harbor and Kaoping River estuary, Taiwan. TBT concentrations in water and sediment samples ranged from less than 18.5 to 34.1 ng Sn L(-1) and from 2.44 to 29.7 ng Sn g(-1) weight per weight (w/w), respectively. Concentrations in the TBT-contaminated fish muscle samples ranged from 10.8 to 79.6 ng Sn g(-1) w/w. The TBT concentrations in fish muscle were higher than those in water and sediment samples. The fish muscle/water TBT bioconcentration factor (BCF) ranged from 590 to 3363 L kg(-1). Additionally, the water samples were assessed for androgenic activity with an MCF7-AR1 human breast cancer cell line. The androgenic activity ranged from 0.94 to 3.1 ng-dihydrotestosterone per litre water (ng-DHT L(-1)). Higher concentrations of TBT in water and sediment samples occurred in the dry season, but the androgenic activity had higher values in the rainy season.

The Media and Suicide: Evidence Based on Population Data over 9 Years in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Jui-Feng

2010-01-01

The relationship between the regional distribution densities of different media and the suicide death rate was explored by analyzing the annual total, male, and female suicide rates and media densities from 23 cities/counties in Taiwan during 1998-2006 by univariate and multivariate regression adjusted for five socioeconomic factors. The regional…

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jeen-Hwa

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

Mucoceles of the oral cavity in pediatric patients.

PubMed

Wu, Chung Wei; Kao, Yu-Hsun; Chen, Chao-Ming; Hsu, Han Jen; Chen, Chun-Ming; Huang, I-Yueh

2011-07-01

Mucoceles are quite common in the oral cavity, but reports on pediatric patients are very rare. The aims of this study were to present our data and experience in the treatment of mucoceles of the oral cavity in pediatric patients, to compare them with those of other countries, and to remind the pediatric physician to devote much attention to lesions of the oral cavity in children. This retrospective study is based on the record of the patients who received surgical treatment for mucoceles of the oral cavity with pathologic confirmation at the Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan, between 2000 and 2004. Patients younger than 18 years were included in this study. The analyzed data included age, gender, site, size, histopathologic findings, surgical methods, and complications. There were a total of 289 patients with mucoceles confirmed by histopathologic examination. As many as 64 patients were younger than 18 years. Of the 64, 34 were girls and 30 were boys; 89.1% of the lesions were in the lower lip; and 48.4% of the lesions were less than 5mm in diameter. Histopathologic findings showed that all mucoceles were of the extravasation type. As many as 30 patients were treated by carbon dioxide laser vaporization, and two cases recurred (6.67%); 34 patients were treated by surgical excision, and the recurrence rate (5.88%) was not statistically different for the treatment methods. The laser vaporization has the advantage of less bleeding, no sutures, and saving time, especially suitable for children with oral mucocele. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.

Atypical work schedules are associated with poor sleep quality and mental health in Taiwan female nurses.

PubMed

Lin, Pei-Chen; Chen, Chung-Hey; Pan, Shung-Mei; Pan, Chih-Hong; Chen, Chiou-Jong; Chen, Yao-Mei; Hung, Hsin-Chia; Wu, Ming-Tsang

2012-11-01

To investigate the effects of shift work schedules on sleep quality and mental health in female nurses in south Taiwan. This study recruited 1,360 female registered nurses in the Kaohsiung area for the first survey, and among them, 769 nurses had a rotation shift schedule. Among the 769 rotation shift work nurses, 407 completed another second survey 6-10 months later. Data collection included demographic variables, work status, shift work schedule, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and mental health (Chinese Health Questionnaire-12). Nurses on rotation shift had the poor sleep quality and mental health compared to nurses on day shift. The nurses on rotation shift had a relatively higher OR of reporting poor sleep quality and poor mental health (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.57-3.28; and OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.39-2.63, respectively). Additionally, rotation shift nurses who had ≥2 days off after their most recent night shifts showed significantly improved sleep quality and mental health (PSQI decreased of 1.23 and CHQ-12 decreased of 0.86, respectively). Comparison of sleep quality between the first and second surveys showed aggravated sleep quality only in nurses who had an increased frequency of night shifts. Female nurses who have a rotation shift work schedule tend to experience poor sleep quality and mental health, but their sleep quality and mental health improve if they have ≥2 days off after their most recent night shifts. This empirical information is useful for optimizing work schedules for nurses.

Using aerated gravel-packed contact bed and constructed wetland system for polluted river water purification: A case study in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, J. L.; Tu, Y. T.; Chiang, P. C.; Chen, S. H.; Kao, C. M.

2015-06-01

The Ju-Liao Stream is one of the most contaminated streams in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. A constructed wetland (CW) system was built in 2010 for polluted stream water purification and ecosystem improvement. An aerated gravel-packed contact bed (CB) system was built in 2011 and part of the stream water was treated by the CB before discharging to the CW. The influent rates of the CW and CB were approximately 5570 and 900 m3/d, respectively. The CW contained one free-water surface basin planted with emergent wetland plants, followed by the plug-flow channel-shaped free-water surface basin planted with emergent and floating wetland plants. The mean measured hydraulic loading rate (HLR), hydraulic retention time (HRT), water depth, and total volume of wetland system were 1.7 m/d, 0.68 d, 0.7 m, and 4400 m3, respectively. The aeration zone of the CB system had a dimension of 24 m (L) × 8 m (W) × 3 m (H), which was filled with gravels (average diameter = 5 cm) with a porosity of 0.4, and the aeration rate was 7.8 m3/min. Results show that the CB system was able to remove 69% of suspended solid (SS), 86% of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and 58% of total nitrogen (TN). Up to 82% of BOD and 27% of TN could be removed in the CW system. Removal efficiency of SS was affected by the growth of chlorophyll a in the CW system due to the growth of algae. The observed first-order decay rates (k) for BOD and TN in CB were 9.3 and 4.2 1/d, and the k values for BOD and TN removal in CW were 2.5 and 0.45 1/d. The high pollutant removal efficiencies in the CB system indicate that the system could enhance the organic and nutrient removal through the biological processes effectively. Sediments contained high total organic matter (1.9-4.5%), sediment total nitrogen (6.4-10.1 g/kg), sediment total phosphorus (0.59-0.94 g/kg), and sediment oxygen demand (0.9-4.1 g O2/m2 d). The organic and nutrient-abundant sediments resulted in reduced conditions (oxidation-reduction potential measurements <158 mV). Increased evenness, richness, and biodiversity for birds and amphibious animals reveal that the CW had a positive impact on the ecosystem conservation and wildlife habitat rehabilitation.

A Study of Smoking Disparity and Factors Associated with Children Smoking Behavior in the Mountain and City Schools in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsiao-Ling; Chen, Ted; Chen, Fu-Li; Magnus, Jeanette; Rice, Janet; Yen, Yea-Yin; Hsu, Chih-Cheng

2009-01-01

Background: While higher smoking prevalences have been better described for adults and adolescents in the mountainous areas than in the plain area in Taiwan, no studies have previously examined whether this disparity begins with children in elementary schools. The purpose of this study was thus designed to explore clustering in smoking behavior…

Health Status, Social Support, and Quality of Life among Family Carers of Adults with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities (PIMD) in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Yueh-Ching; Chiao, Chi; Fu, Li-Yeh

2011-01-01

Background: Primary family carers of adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) experience a range of considerable demands. Method: A census survey was conducted in a city of Taiwan; 796 family carers of adults (aged 18 or older) diagnosed with intellectual disability and/or with multiple disabilities living with the family…

Effects of Global Budgeting on the Distribution of Dentists and Use of Dental Care in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Hsueh, Ya-Seng A; Lee, Shoou-Yih D; Huang, Yu-Tung A

2004-01-01

Objective To examine the effects of global budgeting on the distribution of dentists and the use and cost of dental care in Taiwan. Data Sources (1) Monthly dental claim data from January 1996 to December 2001 for the entire insured population in Taiwan. (2) The 1996–2001 population information for the cities, counties and townships in Taiwan, abstracted from the Taiwan-Fukien Demographic Fact Book. Study Design Longitudinal, using the autocorrelation model. Principal Findings Results indicated decline in dental care utilization, particularly after the implementation of dental global budgeting. With few exceptions, dental global budgeting did not improve the distribution of dental care and dentist supply. Conclusions The experience of the dental global budget program in Taiwan suggested that dental global budgeting might contain dental care utilization and that several conditions might have to be met in order for the reimbursement system to have effective redistributive impact on dental care and dentist supply. PMID:15544648

Scrap car recycling in Taiwan

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

Lee, C.H.; Tai, H.S.; Fan, R.K.S.

1997-12-31

The official figure of registered automobiles released by the Ministry of Transportation of Taiwan, R.O.C. as of the end of April 1996, is approximately 4.8 millions. Among them, 18% of the cars are between seven and ten years old and 15% of the cars are old than ten years. The result of this large number of old cars is the problem of abandoned cars on the street of Taiwan. This phenomena not only hinders traffic flow but also undermines the living quality in the cities. To minimize these negative effects, EPA has promulgated a Scrap Motor Vehicles Management Regulation tomore » enforce the scrap car recycling in Taiwan. Under this regulation, a buyer of a new vehicle has to pay the Scrap Motor Vehicle Disposal fee (NT$ 3000, or US$ 110 for a car; and NT$ 700, or US$ 25 for a motorcycle). This paper presents the current status of scrap car recycling in Taiwan.« less

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.

Mortality related to extreme temperature for 15 cities in northeast Asia.

PubMed

Chung, Yeonseung; Lim, Youn-Hee; Honda, Yasushi; Guo, Yue-Liang Leon; Hashizume, Masahiro; Bell, Michelle L; Chen, Bing-Yu; Kim, Ho

2015-03-01

Multisite time-series studies for temperature-related mortality have been conducted mainly in the United States and Europe, but are lacking in Asia. This multisite time-series study examined mortality related to extreme temperatures (both cold and hot) in Northeast Asia, focusing on 15 cities of 3 high-income countries. This study includes 3 cities in Taiwan for 1994-2007, 6 cities in Korea for 1992-2010, and 6 cities in Japan for 1972-2009. We used 2-stage Bayesian hierarchical Poisson semiparametric regression to model the nonlinear relationship between temperature and mortality, providing city-specific and country-wide estimates for cold and heat effects. Various exposure time frames, age groups, and causes of death were considered. Cold effects had longer time lags (5-11 days) than heat effects, which were immediate (1-3 days). Cold effects were larger for cities in Taiwan, whereas heat effects were larger for cities in Korea and Japan. Patterns of increasing effects with age were observed in both cold and heat effects. Both cold and heat effects were larger for cardiorespiratory mortality than for other causes of death. Several city characteristics related to weather or air pollution were associated with both cold and heat effects. Mortality increased with either cold or hot temperature in urban populations of high-income countries in Northeast Asia, with spatial variations of effects among cities and countries. Findings suggest that climate factors are major contributors to the spatial heterogeneity of effects in this region, although further research is merited to identify other factors as determinants of variability.

Vocational rehabilitation case manager factors associated with vocational rehabilitation service program outcomes for people with disabilities in Taiwan - an exploratory study.

PubMed

Wang, Yun-Tung; Lin, Yi-Jiun

2017-02-01

Purpose The aim of this study is to explore whether/which vocational rehabilitation case manager (VRCMer) factors were significantly associated with the vocational rehabilitation service (VRS) program outcomes in Taiwan. Method This study used the 2011 VRS Program for People with Disabilities Database in a metropolitan city in Taiwan (N = 466) to do a secondary data analysis using hierarchical logistic regression. Results This study found that the employment rate and stable employment rate created by the 2011 VRS program in a metropolitan city in Taiwan were 48.7% and 42.1%, respectively. For the predictors of employment/stable employment, "occurrences of the services provided by the VRCMer" variable was definitely dominant. In addition, "level of the disability" was the second-ranking predictor, and was significantly negatively correlated with both employment and stable employment outcomes. Conclusions Vocational rehabilitation case manager factors in this study were significantly correlated with VRS program outcomes for people with disabilities in Taiwan after controlling for the clients' socio-demographic variables. The results indicate that greater input by VRCMers for people with disabilities equates to better employment outcomes in metropolitan Taiwan. Implications for Rehabilitation This is the first study to build an inferential statistical model in attempt to explain and predict the association between vocational rehabilitation case manager factors and vocational rehabilitation service program outcomes for people with disabilities in Taiwan. In cases of severe disability, a vocational rehabilitation case manager should seek out more in-kind and in-cash resources, and choose a suitable job coach to cooperate in assisting the client to become employed. Based on the findings, government has to continue implementing opportunities for people with disabilities to attain higher and better quality educational levels, for increasing their employment rate. Vocational rehabilitation case managers should raise the referral rate and cooperation with job coaches as this directly affects the quality of services and clients' employment rate.

Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Education on Childhood Fever Management by Taiwanese Parents.

PubMed

Chang, Li-Chuan; Lee, Ping-Ing; Guo, Nai-Wen; Huang, Mei-Chih

2016-12-01

Childhood fever is a common symptom managed by parents at home. Most parents do not know the definition of fever, its effect, or its management. To establish simulation-based education for parents and evaluate its effectiveness for fever management at home are essential for nursing care. This study assesses the long-term effects of simulation-based education on information, motivation, behavioral skills, and behaviors related to parental fever management in Taiwan. Cluster random sampling was used to recruit parents having children aged from 3 months to 5 years who were attending kindergartens in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. A total of 160 parents were randomly assigned into experimental (EP) and control (CP) groups equally. Parents in the EP group received simulation-based education with fever education brochures, while the CP group received only the brochure. Data on parental fever information, motivation, behavioral skills, and management behaviors were collected before the 1 st day, on the 1 st day (except management behaviors), at the 6-month, and at the 12-month marks post-training with a self-developed instrument based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model. The results of a generalized estimating equation analysis indicated that the information, motivation, behavioral skills, and management behaviors of all participants had improved at the post-test assessment, with the EP group showing significantly better improvement than the CP group. This study supports that simulation-based education effectively enhances fever management of parents for a long period of time. Simulation-based education, compared to using the brochure, was a better strategy for improving parental information, motivation, behavioral skills, and behaviors regarding fever management. We suggest that providing community-based education on fever with scenario simulation is needed to increase parental competence for child care. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A study on work stress, stress coping strategies and health promoting lifestyle among district hospital nurses in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lee, Wei-Lun; Tsai, Shieunt-Han; Tsai, Chao-Wen; Lee, Chia-Ying

2011-01-01

To determine work stress, and stress-coping strategies, and to analyze their the relationships in order to improve health-promoting lifestyle of nurses in Taiwan. Three hundred eighty-five nurses who had work experience for more than 6 mo, were selected from four district hospitals in Kaohsiung and Ping Tung. We used a stratified cluster random sampling method for the selection. The nurses answered a self-report questionnaire, which was categorized into four sections: personal background data, work stress, stress-coping strategies, and health-promoting lifestyle. The findings indicate work stress and the health promoting lifestyle of nurses are at a higher level, with stress-coping strategies being at a medium level. Work stress and stress-coping strategies were significantly and positively correlated. Professional relationships, managerial role, personal responsibility, and recognition of work stress and the responsibilities of a health-promoting lifestyle were negatively correlated. Managerial role, personal responsibility, and organizational atmosphere of work stress as well as realization, an item of health-promoting lifestyle, were negatively correlated. Recognition of work stress and stress management, items of health-promoting lifestyle, were negatively correlated. Health responsibility, and self-actualization, items of health-promoting lifestyle, as well as stress-coping strategies were negatively correlated. Nutrition, an item of health-promoting lifestyle, and the support stress-coping strategy was negatively correlated. Nurses have greater work pressure and better work stress-coping strategies, but worse health responsibility and realization of a health-promoting lifestyle. We suggest hospitals build good relationships and appropriately increase employment of nurses through a good work atmosphere to achieve nurses' realization of a health-promoting lifestyle.

The Concentrations of Ambient Burkholderia Pseudomallei during Typhoon Season in Endemic Area of Melioidosis in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Yang, Chun-Yuh; Lee, Min Sheng; Ho, Chi-Kung; Mena, Kristina D.; Wang, Peng-Yau; Chen, Pei-Shih

2014-01-01

Background Melioidosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei with a high case-fatality rate. Epidemiological and animal studies show the possibility of inhalation transmission. However, no B. pseudomallei concentrations in ambient air have been researched. Here, we developed a method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei and then measured concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei during the typhoon season and the non-typhoon season to determine the factors influencing ambient B. pseudomallei levels. Methods We quantified ambient B. pseudomallei by using a filter/real-time qPCR method in the Zoynan Region in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Twenty-four hour samples were collected at a sampling rate of 20 L/min every day from June 11 to December 21, 2012 including during the typhoon season (June to September) and reference season (October to December). Results We successfully developed a filtration/real-time qPCR method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei. Ambient B. pseudomallei were only detected during the typhoon season when compared to the reference season. For the typhoons affecting the Zoynan Region, the positive rates of ambient B. pseudomallei were very high at 80% to 100%. During June to December, rainfall was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei with a statistical significance. Sediment at a nearby pond significantly influenced the concentration of ambient B. pseudomallei. During the typhoon month, the typhoon was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei whereas wind speed was reversely correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei. Conclusions Our data suggest the possibility of transmission of B. pseudomallei via inhalation during the typhoon season. PMID:24874950

The concentrations of ambient Burkholderia pseudomallei during typhoon season in endemic area of melioidosis in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Ya-Lei; Yen, Yu-Chuan; Yang, Chun-Yuh; Lee, Min Sheng; Ho, Chi-Kung; Mena, Kristina D; Wang, Peng-Yau; Chen, Pei-Shih

2014-01-01

Melioidosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei with a high case-fatality rate. Epidemiological and animal studies show the possibility of inhalation transmission. However, no B. pseudomallei concentrations in ambient air have been researched. Here, we developed a method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei and then measured concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei during the typhoon season and the non-typhoon season to determine the factors influencing ambient B. pseudomallei levels. We quantified ambient B. pseudomallei by using a filter/real-time qPCR method in the Zoynan Region in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan. Twenty-four hour samples were collected at a sampling rate of 20 L/min every day from June 11 to December 21, 2012 including during the typhoon season (June to September) and reference season (October to December). We successfully developed a filtration/real-time qPCR method to quantify ambient B. pseudomallei. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing concentrations of ambient B. pseudomallei. Ambient B. pseudomallei were only detected during the typhoon season when compared to the reference season. For the typhoons affecting the Zoynan Region, the positive rates of ambient B. pseudomallei were very high at 80% to 100%. During June to December, rainfall was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei with a statistical significance. Sediment at a nearby pond significantly influenced the concentration of ambient B. pseudomallei. During the typhoon month, the typhoon was positively correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei whereas wind speed was reversely correlated with ambient B. pseudomallei. Our data suggest the possibility of transmission of B. pseudomallei via inhalation during the typhoon season.

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 exponential and peak phases in areas with high cluster cases. PMID:22328930

Earth Observation

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-11

ISS036-E-017943 (11 July 2013) --- One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the International Space Station photographed this image of Typhoon Soulik just east of northern Taiwan The city of Guangzhou can be seen along the coast. [Editor?s update: Thousands of people were evacuated in Taiwan; and the entire island was declared an "alert zone," as Typhoon Soulik made landfall early on July 13 (local time), pounding the country with powerful winds and heavy rain].

Applying Factor Analysis Combined with Kriging and Information Entropy Theory for Mapping and Evaluating the Stability of Groundwater Quality Variation in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Shyu, Guey-Shin; Cheng, Bai-You; Chiang, Chi-Ting; Yao, Pei-Hsuan; Chang, Tsun-Kuo

2011-01-01

In Taiwan many factors, whether geological parent materials, human activities, and climate change, can affect the groundwater quality and its stability. This work combines factor analysis and kriging with information entropy theory to interpret the stability of groundwater quality variation in Taiwan between 2005 and 2007. Groundwater quality demonstrated apparent differences between the northern and southern areas of Taiwan when divided by the Wu River. Approximately 52% of the monitoring wells in southern Taiwan suffered from progressing seawater intrusion, causing unstable groundwater quality. Industrial and livestock wastewaters also polluted 59.6% of the monitoring wells, resulting in elevated EC and TOC concentrations in the groundwater. In northern Taiwan, domestic wastewaters polluted city groundwater, resulting in higher NH3-N concentration and groundwater quality instability was apparent among 10.3% of the monitoring wells. The method proposed in this study for analyzing groundwater quality inspects common stability factors, identifies potential areas influenced by common factors, and assists in elevating and reinforcing information in support of an overall groundwater management strategy. PMID:21695030

Globalization’s Impact on the Chinese War Machine

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-19

friendship , peace, and good wishes from China to children all across the world.35 With Beijing as 11 host city, 2008 Olympic events will also take...China’s anti-satellite weapon and its decision to extend the battlefield into the realm of space and cyber -space. Perhaps most unsettling is China’s...Taiwan is our country and our country cannot be bullied , diminished, marginalized, or downgraded as a local entity. Taiwan does not belong to someone

Association of Sociodemographic and Perceived Environmental Factors with Public Bicycle Use among Taiwanese Urban Adults.

PubMed

Liao, Yung

2016-03-19

This study examined the sociodemographic and perceived environmental factors associated with public bicycle use among Taiwanese urban adults. A random-digit-dialing telephone-based cross-sectional survey was administered to Taiwanese urban adults aged 20-64 years in 2015. Data on sociodemographic variables, perceived environmental factors (for attributes identified in the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Environmental Module), and public bicycle use were obtained from 1002 adults in three cities. Adjusted logistic regression was used. After adjustment for potential confounders, the results showed that adults aged 20-29 years (odds ratio (OR) = 4.42) with a university degree or higher (OR = 2.03) were more likely to use public bicycles. In addition, adults living in Kaohsiung City were less likely to use public bicycles (OR = 0.24). Adults who saw people being active (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.05-2.86) and had positive aesthetic experiences of their environment (OR = 1.69) were more likely to use public bicycles. Our findings suggest that seeing physically active people and positive aesthetic perceptions of the environment are key factors for developing transportation policies and intervention strategies for promoting public bicycle use among Taiwanese urban adults.

Implication of Groundwater Resources Utilization in Mountainous Region for Slopeland Disaster Prevention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chi-Chao; Hsu, Shih-Meng; Lo, Hung-Chieh

2016-04-01

In recent years, groundwater resources from mountainous regions have been considered as an alternative water resource in Taiwan. According to previous research outcomes (Hsu, 2011), such a groundwater resource is capable of providing stable and high quality water resources. Additionally, another advantage of using the water resources is attributed to the contribution of slopeland disaster prevention. While pumping groundwater as water resources in hilly areas (e.g., at landslide-prone sites), pore-water pressures can be dropped, which can result in stabilizing landslide-prone slopes. However, the benefit to slope stability by using groundwater resources needs to be quantified. The purpose of this study is to investigate groundwater potential of a deep-seated landslide site first, and then to evaluate variations of slope stability by changing well pumping rate conditions. In this paper, the Baolong landslide site located at the Jiasian district of Kaohsiung city in Southern Taiwan has been selected as a case study. Hydrogeological investigation for the landslide site was conducted to clarify the complexity of field characteristics and to establish a precise conceptual model for simulation. The investigation content includes surficial geology investigation, borehole drilling (6 drilling boreholes and 350 meters drilling length in total), 45 m pumping well construction, borehole hydrogeological tests (borehole televiewer, caliper, borehole electrical logging, sonic logging, flowmeter measurement, pumping test, and double packer test), and laboratory tests from rock core samples (physical properties test of soil and rocks, triaxial permeability test of soil, porosity determination test using helium, and gas permeability test). Based on the aforementioned investigation results, a hydrogeological conceptual model for the Baolong landslide site was constructed, and a 2D slope stability model coupled with transient seepage flow model was used for numerical simulation to determine changes of slope stability by means of different well pumping rate conditions. The simulation results show that a positive relationship between the pumping rate and drawdown of well exists. In addition, the positive relationship was found between the pumping rate and the increase of safety factor for both shallow and deep sliding surfaces. If the constant pumping rate reached up to 180 L/min with the decline of groundwater level by 10.6 m, the safety factors of shallow and deep sliding surfaces are raised up to 11.87% and 15.72%, respectively. The amount of pumped water can provide daily water demand for approximately 997 people. This demonstrates the groundwater resource at this area is productive. Meanwhile, the benefit to slope stabilization by pumping groundwater is proved. Therefore, this study can provide the solution for ensuring both the safety of slopeland environment and the supply of water resources in mountainous areas. Such a win-win idea is a good mitigation measure for meeting the aim of territorial and resource sustainability.

Migration of women to cities: the Asian situation in comparative perspective.

PubMed

Khoo, S E; Smith, P C; Fawcett, J T

1984-01-01

Contrary to the popular notion that women migrate only as part of families, and therefore, the causes and consequences of their migration are those of their spouses' or families,' studies of migration in some Asian countries have reported indications of increasing numbers of young women joining the migrant flow to the cities. Many of the women go on their own to find employment in the service, manufacturing and informal sectors, as factory and assembly line workers, as in Southeast Asia. The Philippines has the highest level of female participation in rural-urban migration. However, there is no consistent selectivity of 1 sex over the other in the migration process within subregions, except perhaps in the South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka which show male selectivity in migration to the cities. In East Asia, women also form a majority among migrants to the cities in South Korea. Japan appears to have male dominant migrant streams, while the pattern in Taiwan and Malaysia seem to be in transition toward increasing female migration. Female migration appears to be associated with: 1) female participation in agriculture; 2) availability of job opportunities for women in the cities; and 3) sociocultural restrictions on the mobility of women. In keeping with this typology by Boserup (1970), the present study finds a positive correlation between employment opportunities for women in the cities and female migration, as in the case of Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan. In Thailand and the Philippines, women face a flexible attitude toward their roles and few cultural restrictions on their movement, whereas, in Taiwan and Malaysia, benefits of development and monetary attractions have weakened previously strong traditional forces. Alternatively, where cultural and religious constraints on freedom of movement continue to exist for women, along with few economic opportunities, as in the South Asian countries, a relatively low level of female migration is observed. There is also much evidence that rural-urban migration of men as well as women is positively linked to schooling.

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

PubMed Central

Ng, Ka-Chon; Nguyen, Thi Luong

2018-01-01

The metropolitan region of Tainan City in southern Taiwan experienced a dengue outbreak in 2015. This manuscript describes basic epidemiological features of this outbreak and uses spatial and temporal analysis tools to understand the spread of dengue during the outbreak. The analysis found that, independently of gender, dengue incidence rate increased with age, and proportionally affected more males below the age of 40 years but females above the age of 40 years. A spatial scan statistic was applied to detect clusters of disease transmission. The scan statistic found that dengue spread in a north-south diffusion direction, which is across the North, West-Central and South districts of Tainan City. Spatial regression models were used to quantify factors associated with transmission. This analysis indicated that neighborhoods with high proportions of residential area (or low wetland cover) were associated with dengue transmission. However, these association patterns were non-linear. The findings presented here can help Taiwanese public health agencies to understand the fundamental epidemiological characteristics and diffusion patterns of the 2015 dengue outbreak in Tainan City. This type of information is fundamental for policy making to prevent future uncontrolled dengue outbreaks, given that results from this study suggest that control interventions should be emphasized in the North and West-Central districts of Tainan city, in areas with a moderate percentage of residential land cover. PMID:29495351

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

PubMed

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

2018-02-26

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

The interaction of serum testosterone levels and androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism on the risk of erectile dysfunction in aging Taiwanese men.

PubMed

Liu, C C; Lee, Y C; Tsai, V F S; Cheng, K H; Wu, W J; Bao, B Y; Huang, C N; Yeh, H C; Tsai, C C; Wang, C J; Huang, S P

2015-09-01

Testosterone has been found to play important roles in men's sexual function. However, the effects of testosterone can be modulated by androgen receptor (AR) CAG repeat polymorphism. It could also contribute to the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study is to evaluate the interaction of serum testosterone levels and AR CAG repeat polymorphism on the risk of ED in aging Taiwanese men. This cross-sectional data of Taiwanese men older than 40 years were collected from a free health screening held between August 2010 and August 2011 in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan. All participants completed a health questionnaires included five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and the International Prostate Symptoms Score, received a detailed physical examination and provided 20 cm3 whole blood samples for biochemical and genetic evaluation. The IIEF-5 was used to evaluate ED. Serum albumin, total testosterone (TT), and sex hormone-binding globulin levels were measured. Free testosterone level was calculated. AR gene CAG repeat polymorphism was determined by direct sequencing. Finally, 478 men with the mean age of 55.7 ± 4.8 years were included. When TT levels were above 330 ng/dL, the effect of testosterone level on erectile function seemed to reach a plateau and a significantly negative correlation between AR CAG repeat length and the score of IIEF-5 was found (r = -0.119, p = 0.034). After adjusting for other covariates, the longer AR CAG repeat length was still an independent risk factor for ED in subjects with TT above 330 ng/dL (p = 0.006), but not in TT of 330 ng/dL or below. In conclusion, both serum testosterone levels and AR CAG repeat polymorphism can influence erectile function concomitantly. In subjects with normal TT concentration, those with longer AR CAG repeat lengths have a higher risk of developing ED. © 2015 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

Adjunctive Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Healing of Chronic Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Chen, Chen-Yu; Wu, Re-Wen; Hsu, Mei-Chi; Hsieh, Ching-Jung; Chou, Man-Chun

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of standard wound care with adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to standard wound care alone on wound healing, markers of inflammation, glycemic control, amputation rate, survival rate of tissue, and health-related quality of life in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Prospective, randomized, open-label, controlled study. The sample comprised 38 patients with nonhealing DFUs who were deemed poor candidates for vascular surgery. Subjects were randomly allocated to an experimental group (standard care plus HBOT, n = 20) or a control group (standard care alone, n = 18). The study setting was a medical center in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was administered in a hyperbaric chamber under 2.5 absolute atmospheric pressure for 120 minutes; subjects were treated 5 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks. Both groups received standard wound care including debridement of necrotic tissue, topical therapy for Wagner grade 2 DFUs, dietary control and pharmacotherapy to maintain optimal blood glucose levels. Wound physiological indices were measured and blood tests (eg, markers of inflammation) were undertaken. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form. Complete DFU closure was achieved in 5 patients (25%) in the HBOT group (n = 20) versus 1 participant (5.5%) in the routine care group (n = 18) (P = .001). The amputation rate was 5% for the HBOT group and 11% for the routine care group (χ = 15.204, P = .010). The HBOT group showed statistically significant improvements in inflammation index, blood flow, and health-related quality of life from pretreatment to 2 weeks after the last therapy ended (P < .05). Hemoglobin A1c was significantly lower in the HBOT group following treatment (P < .05) but not in the routine care group. Adjunctive HBOT improved wound healing in persons with DFU. Therapy also reduced the risk of amputation of the affected limb. We assert that at least 20 HBOT sessions are required to be effective.

Spatial decision on allocating automated external defibrillators (AED) in communities by multi-criterion two-step floating catchment area (MC2SFCA).

PubMed

Lin, Bo-Cheng; Chen, Chao-Wen; Chen, Chien-Chou; Kuo, Chiao-Ling; Fan, I-Chun; Ho, Chi-Kung; Liu, I-Chuan; Chan, Ta-Chien

2016-05-25

The occurrence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a critical life-threatening event which frequently warrants early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED). The optimization of allocating a limited number of AEDs in various types of communities is challenging. We aimed to propose a two-stage modeling framework including spatial accessibility evaluation and priority ranking to identify the highest gaps between demand and supply for allocating AEDs. In this study, a total of 6135 OHCA patients were defined as demand, and the existing 476 publicly available AEDs locations and 51 emergency medical service (EMS) stations were defined as supply. To identify the demand for AEDs, Bayesian spatial analysis with the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) method is applied to estimate the composite spatial risks from multiple factors. The population density, proportion of elderly people, and land use classifications are identified as risk factors. Then, the multi-criterion two-step floating catchment area (MC2SFCA) method is used to measure spatial accessibility of AEDs between the spatial risks and the supply of AEDs. Priority ranking is utilized for prioritizing deployment of AEDs among communities because of limited resources. Among 6135 OHCA patients, 56.85 % were older than 65 years old, and 79.04 % were in a residential area. The spatial distribution of OHCA incidents was found to be concentrated in the metropolitan area of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. According to the posterior mean estimated by INLA, the spatial effects including population density and proportion of elderly people, and land use classifications are positively associated with the OHCA incidence. Utilizing the MC2SFCA for spatial accessibility, we found that supply of AEDs is less than demand in most areas, especially in rural areas. Under limited resources, we identify priority places for deploying AEDs based on transportation time to the nearest hospital and population size of the communities. The proposed method will be beneficial for optimizing resource allocation while considering multiple local risks. The optimized deployment of AEDs can broaden EMS coverage and minimize the problems of the disparity in urban areas and the deficiency in rural areas.

One-year Monitoring of Iodine-129 spread in Pacific Ocean After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, C.; Burr, G. S.; Jull, A. T.; Pandey, A.; Thiemens, M. H.; Biddulph, D.; Russell, J. L.

2012-12-01

The long-lived radionuclide Iodine-129 is well known as a useful environmental tracer. At present, the global I-129 in surface water is about 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than pre-1990 levels. The anthropogenic I-129 signal produced from industrial nuclear fuel reprocessing plants is known to be the primary source of I-129 in marine surface waters of the Atlantic, and elevated I-129 values are found globally. On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake produced a devastating tsunami that severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The damage caused a substantial release of radionuclides into the atmosphere and ocean in the weeks following the catastrophe. We expect to be able to identify I-129 from surface seawater in the Pacific Ocean. We will present I-129 results of water samples collected weekly near Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA for a year. We also have a pair of measurements collected a year apart from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. By establishing I-129 time series, we can observe the spread of I-129 in the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean that resulted from the accidental releases. This information can also be used to better understand surface ocean circulation.

Over Three years of Monitoring 129I spread in Pacific Ocean After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, C. C.; Burr, G.; Jull, A. J. T.; Priyadarshi, A.; Thiemens, M. H.; Biddulph, D.; Russell, J. L.

2014-12-01

129I is a long-lived radionuclide that has been used as a useful environmental tracer. At present, the global 129I in surface water is about 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than pre-1990 levels. The anthropogenic 129I signal produced from industrial nuclear fuel reprocessing plants is known to be the primary source of 129I in marine surface waters of the Atlantic, and elevated 129I values are found globally. The Great East Japan Earthquake and the induced tsunami in 2011 triggered the nuclear shutdowns, failures, and partial meltdowns of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The accident resulted in a series of radioactive material releases into the environment and spread out through atmospheric and ocean circulation. We will present 129I results of water samples collected weekly near Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA for the past 3 years. We also have several measurements collected a year apart from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, which represent west margin of Pacific Ocean, and from Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. By establishing 129I time series, we can observe the spread of 129I in the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean that resulted from the accidental releases.

Childlessness patterns in Taiwan.

PubMed

Poston Dl

1988-06-01

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

Socioeconomic factors outweigh climate in the regional difference of suicide death rate in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Jui-Feng

2010-09-30

The present study explored both socioeconomic and climatic factors to obtain a more comprehensive view of the asymmetric regional suicide death rate during 1998-2006 in Taiwan. The annual suicide death rate, population and meteorological data from 19 cities/counties in Taiwan were analysed by multiple regression. Five socioeconomic (sex ratio, no spouse, aged, unemployment and low income) and three climatic (temperature, rainfall and sunshine) factors were identified as significant, explaining 59.0% of the variance in the total suicide death rate. 'Without spouse' and 'aged' were associated with the highest risk, while 'low income with financial aids' was strongly protective. The most influential climatic factor was 'temperature,' which was negatively correlated with suicide. 'Sunshine' was positively associated with suicide. The socioeconomic and climatic factors contributed 52.7% and 6.8%, respectively, to the variance of the total suicide death rate. Limitations of the study included the fact that no individual events were considered, the study was of relatively short duration and it was confined to the territory of Taiwan. Socioeconomic factors outweighed climatic factors in explaining regional differences in the suicide death rate in Taiwan. Temperature weighed more than sunshine. 'Thermotherapy' seems more clinically relevant than the popular light therapy, at least in Taiwan. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2015-08-01

This review article aims to introduce the screening and referral network of genetic evaluation for children with developmental delay in Taiwan. For these children, integrated systems provide services from the medical, educational, and social welfare sectors. All cities and counties in Taiwan have established a network for screening, detection, referral, evaluation, and intervention services. Increased awareness improves early detection and intervention. There remains a gap between supply and demand, especially with regard to financial resources and professional manpower. Genetic etiology has a major role in prenatal causes of developmental delay. A summary of reports on some related genetic disorders in the Taiwanese population is included in this review. Genetic diagnosis allows counseling with regard to recurrence risk and prevention. Networking with neonatal screening, laboratory diagnosis, genetic counseling, and orphan drugs logistics systems can provide effective treatment for patients. In Taiwan, several laboratories provide genetic tests for clinical diagnosis. Accessibility to advanced expensive tests such as gene chips or whole exome sequencing is limited because of funding problems; however, the service system in Taiwan can still operate in a relatively cost-effective manner. This experience in Taiwan may serve as a reference for other countries. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Association between the accessibility to lethal methods and method-specific suicide rates: An ecological study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Jin-Jia; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh

2006-07-01

To examine the association between availability of lethal methods of suicide and method-specific suicide rates at the city/ county level in Taiwan. Age-adjusted and age-specific suicide rates of 23 cities/counties in Taiwan for the years 1999 to 2003 were calculated. Partial correlation coefficients were used to examine cross-sectional associations between independent variables, i.e., proportion of agricultural population and proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above, and suicide rates by different methods (poisoning by solids/liquids, jumping, and hanging) after adjusting for unemployment rates and prevalence of depression. The partial correlation coefficient was 0.77 (p < .001) for proportion of agricultural population with solids/liquids poisoning suicide rates. It was 0.73 (p < .001) for the proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above with suicide rates by jumping. Correlations between hanging suicide rates and proportion of agricultural population or between hanging suicide rates and proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above were not significant. The results showed strong positive associations between access to lethal methods and method-specific suicide rates. Controlling the availability of pesticides and fencing high buildings or installing window guards may be effective measures for suicide prevention.

Chemical characteristics of Northeast Asian fly ash particles: Implications for their long-range transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Jun; Momose, Azusa; Okudaira, Takamoto; Murakami-Kitase, Akiko; Yamazaki, Hideo; Yoshikawa, Shusaku

2014-10-01

The chemical compositions of fly ash particles emitted in Northeast Asia were studied to better understand the long-range transportation of atmospheric pollutants. We examined the compositions of spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs), a type of fly ash from several to ˜20 μm in diameter found in surface sediments in or near the main industrial cities of Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan. SCPs from different countries were found to vary; SCPs from Japan and South Korea were characterized by low Ti/Si and high S/Si ratios, whereas SCPs in China exhibited high Ti/Si and low S/Si ratios and particles from Taiwan showed high Ti/Si and S/Si ratios. We also examined the SCPs found in remote islands in the Sea of Japan, at least 100 km from any industrial city. On the basis of their chemical compositions, these SCPs were classified as Japan and Korea, China, and Taiwan types using discriminant analysis. The results indicated that 30-50% of the particles found in these islands were assigned to the China type, suggesting that most of these SCPs were probably transported from Chinese industrial regions to these islands. It implies that even large particulate pollutants of ˜10 μm, such as SCPs, could be transported long distances of ˜1000 km.

Impact of tobacco control policies on adolescent smoking: findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey in Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Song-Lih; Lin, I-Feng; Chen, Chuan-Yu; Tsai, Tzu-I

2013-10-01

To assess the impact of a set of comprehensive tobacco control policies implemented in Taiwan in 2009, including extensive smoke-free policy, advertisement ban, pictorial warning and price increase, on adolescent smoking prevalence. Five waves of cross-sectional surveys. Taiwan, 2004-11. Nationally representative sample of junior high schools aged 13-15 years, in a biennial survey, total sample size 101,100. Core questionnaire of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, including ever smoking, 30-day smoking and number of cigarettes smoked. The magnitude of prevalence change before and after the 2009 policy implementation was quantified by adjusted odds ratios estimated by piecewise logistic regression models. The 30-day smoking prevalence demonstrated an upward trend [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.10] between 2004 and 2008. Significant decline in 30-day smoking prevalence after the 2009 law implementation was observed (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.71-0.99). Those living in non-city areas demonstrated a greater magnitude of change. In addition to changes in prevalence, we observed some delay in the age starting smoking, reduction in smokers who smoke fewer than one cigarette per day, and decrease in smokers who did not buy cigarettes. The decline in smoking prevalence was contributed primarily by the reduction in experimenters. The comprehensive tobacco control programme introduced in Taiwan in 2009 was associated with a reduction in adolescent smoking, particularly among those in earlier stages of smoking and those who resided in non-city areas. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Factors affecting therapeutic response to Rivastigmine in Alzheimer's disease patients in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Tzu-Hua; Chou, Mei-Chuan; Lai, Chiou-Lian; Wu, Shyh-Jong; Hsu, Chia-Ling; Yang, Yuan-Han

2017-06-01

Rivastigmine has been widely used in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the therapeutic response rate varies from 20 to 60%. A dose-dependent effect has been suggested, but the plasma concentration of rivastigmine and its metabolite, NAP 226-90, were not measured in previous studies. The influencing factors of therapeutic response are complicated and discordant in various studies among different ethnic groups. Hence, we analyzed the therapeutic responses of rivastigmine, measured by neuropsychological assessments, among 63 clinically diagnosed AD patients taking a daily dosage of 6-9 mg in relation to their plasma concentration of rivastigmine and NAP 226-90, apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and demographic characteristics. Our reports revealed that 41.3% of recruited AD patients had improvement in cognition, measured by Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), and 63.5% in global status, by Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) score. In cognition, the clinically improving group had a significantly higher rivastigmine concentration [p = 0.049, odds ratio (OR) = 1.029, 95%CI = 1.000-1.058], lower initial MMSE score (p = 0.010, OR = 0.708, 95%CI = 0.546-0.920), and lower initial CDR-SB score (p = 0.003, OR = 0.552, 95%CI = 0.372-0.817). The patients with APOE ε4 allele had worsening cognition (p = 0.037, OR = 3.870, 95%CI = 1.082-13.840). In global status, only higher education (p = 0.043, OR = 1.222, 95%CI = 1.007-1.484) was significantly associated with clinical improvement. In conclusion, high concentrations of rivastigmine may benefit cognitive function of AD patients, especially in APOE ε4 (-) carriers. Copyright © 2017 Kaohsiung Medical University. Published by Elsevier Taiwan. All rights reserved.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism is associated with cerebral white matter changes in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Chou, Ping-Song; Wu, Shyh-Jong; Kao, Yi-Hui; Chou, Mei-Chuan; Tai, Shu-Yu; Yang, Yuan-Han

2017-06-01

The presence of cerebral white matter changes (WMC) has been reported as an important predictor of the rapidity of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The association between the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and WMC in AD is yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to examine the association between the ACE I/D polymorphism and WMC among AD patients in Taiwan. A total of 403 patients clinically diagnosed with AD were recruited in a cross-sectional study carried out in an area hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The ACE I/D polymorphism was genotyped, and cerebral white matter rating was carried out using the visual rating scale for age-related white matter changes. The I allele was associated with a significantly lower total age-related white matter changes scale score compared with the D allele (4.83 vs 5.93, P = 0.013). The total age-related white matter changes scale score was significantly lower for the I/I genotype than for the I/D (4.37 vs 5.87, P = 0.009) and I/D + D/D genotypes (4.37 vs 5.91, P = 0.006), with no differences observed between the I/I + I/D and the D/D genotypes (5.08 vs 6.09, P = 0.373), after adjustment for age and hypertension. A stratified analysis by sex demonstrated that the I/I genotype was associated with significant lower WMC than other genotypes in women, but not in men. The present study supports the hypothesis that the ACE I/D polymorphism is associated with the severity of WMC in patients with AD. Patients with AD who are homozygous for the I allele might be less likely to develop WMC, especially women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 945-950. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

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

PubMed

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

2017-11-09

Heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, has long been recognized in Taiwanese dogs but feline heartworm infection has been largely overlooked by veterinarians and pet owners. The main goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and epidemiology of canine and feline heartworm infection in Taiwan. Household dogs and cats were selected from 103 veterinary hospitals in 13 cities throughout Taiwan. All animals were at least 1 year old, had received no heartworm prevention for more than 1 year, and had lived in the same city for at least 1 year. Client consent was obtained and an owner questionnaire was completed for each patient. Blood samples were collected from each canine patient and tested at each veterinary hospital for microfilariae and for circulating antigen. A positive result on either test was considered to confirm mature heartworm infection. Blood was collected from each feline patient and examined for microfilariae and a feline heartworm antigen/antibody test was performed. Descriptive statistics were used for heartworm prevalence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationships between heartworm infection and multiple risk factors. A total of 2064 household dogs and 616 household cats from 103 veterinary hospitals throughout Taiwan were included in the study. The overall prevalence of canine heartworm disease was 22.8% (471/2064). In heartworm-positive dogs, 63% were both microfilaria positive and antigen positive, 35% were microfilaria negative and antigen positive, and only 2% were microfilaria positive and antigen negative. In the comparison of different life style groups, outdoor dogs (N = 797) had significantly higher heartworm prevalence rate than indoor dogs (N = 1267; p = 0.000). The heartworm prevalence rate in dogs presented with dyspnea and cough was as high as 51%. The overall prevalence of antibody-positive cats was 6.7% (41/616) and the antigen-positive prevalence rate was 3.1% (19/616). In 41 antibody-positive cats, 6 of them were also antigen-positive. In 19 antigen-positive cats, 13 of them were antibody negative. In antibody-positive and antigen-negative cats, half had no clinical signs. In antigen-positive cats, 21% had no clinical signs and only 38% had classic heartworm clinical signs (dyspnea, cough, or gastrointestinal signs). Our canine study showed that southern and eastern Taiwan have the highest heartworm prevalence. Dogs not receiving preventive and living outdoors or those that have either cough or dyspnea have a high incidence of heartworm infection. We also confirmed that feline heartworm exposure exists in most cities in Taiwan. The diagnosis of feline heartworm infection will remain challenging for clinicians, however, without a consistent relationship between the presence of heartworm infection and clinical signs and the vagaries of microfilaria and antigen/antibody testing.

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.

Tropical Cyclone Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY, BANGKOK LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY CHUNG CHENG INSTITUTE, TAIWAN MASS INST OF TECH CITIES SERVICES OIL GAS CORP MCAS FUTENMA CIUDAD ...reached the mountainous oceanic sensible and latent heat sources . The terrain of Laos. system was downgraded to a typhoon at 190600Z, and then to a

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

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

Distribution of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidative Activities of Rice Kernel and Their Relationships with Agronomic Practice

PubMed Central

Kesarwani, Amit; Chiang, Po-Yuan; Chen, Shih-Shiung

2014-01-01

The phenolic and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of two Japonica rice cultivars, Taikeng no. 16 (medium and slender grain) and Kaohsiung no. 139 (short and round grain), grown under organic and conventional farming were examined. Analyses shows that Kaohsiung no. 139 contains the highest amount of secondary metabolites and continuous farming can increase its production. Results also suggest that phenolic content under different agronomic practices, has not shown significant differences but organically grown rice has proven to be better in higher accumulation of other secondary metabolites (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), flavonoid content, and ferrous chelating capacity). In nutshell, genetic traits and environment have significant effect on phenolic compounds and the least variation reported under agronomic practices. PMID:25506072

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.

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

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

PubMed

Yun-Tung, Wang

2010-01-01

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

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

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77 FR 42764 - Certain Integrated Circuits, Chipsets, & Products Containing Same Including Televisions; Notice...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-20

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

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Pesticide self-poisoning is the most commonly used suicide method worldwide, but few studies have investigated the national epidemiology of pesticide suicide in countries where it is a major public health problem. This study aims to investigate geographic variations in pesticide suicide and their impact on the spatial distribution of suicide in Taiwan. Methods Smoothed standardized mortality ratios for pesticide suicide (2002-2009) were mapped across Taiwan's 358 districts (median population aged 15 or above = 27 000), and their associations with the size of agricultural workforce were investigated using Bayesian hierarchical models. Results In 2002-2009 pesticide poisoning was the third most common suicide method in Taiwan, accounting for 13.6% (4913/36 110) of all suicides. Rates were higher in agricultural East and Central Taiwan and lower in major cities. Almost half (47%) of all pesticide suicides occurred in areas where only 13% of Taiwan's population lived. The geographic distribution of overall suicides was more similar to that of pesticide suicides than non-pesticide suicides. Rural-urban differences in suicide were mostly due to pesticide suicide. Areas where a higher proportion of people worked in agriculture showed higher pesticide suicide rates (adjusted rate ratio [ARR] per standard deviation increase in the proportion of agricultural workers = 1.58, 95% Credible Interval [CrI] 1.44-1.74) and overall suicide rates (ARR = 1.06, 95% CrI 1.03-1.10) but lower non-pesticide suicide rates (ARR = 0.91, 95% CrI 0.87-0.95). Conclusion Easy access to pesticides appears to influence the geographic distribution of suicide in Taiwan, highlighting the potential benefits of targeted prevention strategies such as restricting access to highly toxic pesticides. PMID:22471759

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

PubMed

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

2012-04-02

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

PREFACE: International Conference on Inverse Problems 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hon, Yiu-Chung; Ling, Leevan

2011-03-01

Following the first International Conference on Inverse Problems - Recent Theoretical Development and Numerical Approaches held at the City University of Hong Kong in 2002, the fifth International Conference was held again at the City University during December 13-17, 2010. This fifth conference was jointly organized by Professor Yiu-Chung Hon (Co-Chair, City University of Hong Kong, HKSAR), Dr Leevan Ling (Co-Chair, Hong Kong Baptist University, HKSAR), Professor Jin Cheng (Fudan University, China), Professor June-Yub Lee (Ewha Womans University, South Korea), Professor Gui-Rong Liu (University of Cincinnati, USA), Professor Jenn-Nan Wang (National Taiwan University, Taiwan), and Professor Masahiro Yamamoto (The University of Tokyo, Japan). It was agreed to alternate holding the conference among the above places (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) once every two years. The next conference has been scheduled to be held at the Southeast University (Nanjing, China) in 2012. The purpose of this series of conferences is to establish a strong collaborative link among the universities of the Asian-Pacific regions and worldwide leading researchers in inverse problems. The conference addressed both theoretical (mathematics), applied (engineering) and developmental aspects of inverse problems. The conference was intended to nurture Asian-American-European collaborations in the evolving interdisciplinary areas and it was envisioned that the conference would lead to long-term commitments and collaborations among the participating countries and researchers. There was a total of more than 100 participants. A call for the submission of papers was sent out after the conference, and a total of 19 papers were finally accepted for publication in this proceedings. The papers included in the proceedings cover a wide scope, which reflects the current flourishing theoretical and numerical research into inverse problems. Finally, as the co-chairs of the Inverse Problems Conference 2010, we wish to express our cordial thanks to all the keynote, plenary, and invited speakers and members of the Advisory Board. We would like to thank the City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Mathematical Society, the K C Wong Education Foundation, the Lee Hysan Foundation, and the Wei Lun Foundation for their generous financial support. Particularly, we wish to thank Miss Lonn Chan for her excellent administrative work in making all the arrangements for the conference. March 2011Yiu-Chung Hon, City University of Hong Kong, HKSARLeevan Ling, Hong Kong Baptist University, HKSAR Invited Keynote SpeakerH Thomas Banks, North Carolina State University, USA Invited Plenary SpeakersRyuichi Ashino, Osaka Kyoiku University, JapanAndrea Caponnetto, City University of Hong Kong, HKSARJeng-Tzong Chen, National Taiwan Ocean University, TaiwanHiromichi Itou, Gunma University, JapanHyeonbae Kang, Inha University, South KoreaMichael Klibanov, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USAKim Knudsen, Technical University of Denmark, DenmarkRainer Kress, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, GermanyJérôme Le Rousseau, University of Orleans, FranceChang-Ock Lee, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South KoreaGui-Rong Liu, University of Cincinnati, USAShuai Lu, Fudan University, ChinaFadil Santosa, University of Minnesota, USATomoya Takeuchi, North Carolina State University, USAXiang Xu, Zhejiang University, ChinaJun Zou, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HKSAR Invited SpeakersMohamed Abdel-Mooty, The American University in Cairo, EgyptKrishna Agarwal, National University of Singapore, SingaporeHui Cao, Sun Yat-sen University, ChinaWen Chen, Hohai University, ChinaJin Cheng, Fudan University, ChinaLian Duan, University of Oxford, UKMeibao Ge, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, ChinaRalf Hielscher, TU Chemnitz, GermanyGuanghui Hu, Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS), GermanyKiwan Jeon, National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, South KoreaYu Jiang, Hokkaido University, JapanDe-Xing Kong, Zhejiang University, ChinaOlga Krivorotko, Novosibirsk State University, RussiaPhilipp Küegler, Austrian Academy of Sciences, AustriaKiwoon Kwon, Dongguk University, South KoreaChun-Kong Law, National Sun Yat-sen University, TaiwanJune-Yub Lee, Ewha Womans University, South KoreaMing Li, City University of Hong Kong, HKSARMikyoung Lim, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South KoreaJijun Liu, Southeast University, ChinaXiaodong Liu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ChinaFuming Ma, Jilin University, ChinaHang Ma, Shanghai University, ChinaValdemar Melicher, Ghent University, BelgiumGen Nakamura, Hokkaido University, JapanLong Tuan Nguyen, Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, GermanyEtibar Panakhov, Firat University, TurkeyRobert Plato, University of Siegen, GermanyJean-Pierre Puel, The University of Tokyo, JapanHans-Jürgen Reinhardt, University of Siegen, GermanyMaxim Shishlenin, Sobolev Institute of Mathematics, RussiaIlya Silvestrov, Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics SB RAS, RussiaMourad Sini, Austrian Academy of Sciences, AustriaJán Sládek, Slovak Academy of Sciences, SlovakiaZhijun Tan, Sun Yat-sen University, ChinaQuan-Fang Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HKSARWenyan Wang, The University of Tokyo, JapanPihua Wen, Queen Mary, University of London, UKZhihai Xiang, Tsinghua University, ChinaXiang-Tuan Xiong, Northwest Normal University, ChinaDinghua Xu, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, ChinaYongzhi Steve Xu, University of Louisville, USAJiaqing Yang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ChinaJian Zhang, Sichuan Normal University, ChinaYing Zhang, Fudan University, ChinaTing Zhou, University of Washington, USAJianxin Zhu, Zhejiang University, China Advisory BoardH Thomas Banks, North Carolina State University, USATony F Chan, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HKSARHeinz W Engl, Johannes Kepler Universitát Linz, AustriaRainer Kress, Georg-August-Universitát Góttingen, GermanyTatsien (Daqian) Li, Fudan University, ChinaGunther Uhlmann, University of Washington, USA Organizing CommitteeJin Cheng, Fudan University, ChinaYiu-Chung Hon (Co-Chair), City University of Hong Kong, HKSARJune-Yub Lee, Ewha Womans University, South KoreaLeevan Ling (Co-Chair), Hong Kong Baptist University, HKSARGui-Rong Liu, University of Cincinnati, USAJenn-Nan Wang, National Taiwan University, TaiwanMasahiro Yamamoto, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Distribution of Gaseous and Particulate Mercury in the Coastal Rregion of Taiwan Strait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, J.

2017-12-01

This investigation provides information in the distribution patterns and sources of the atmospheric mercury species in the coastal region across Taiwan Strait. Total gaseous mercury (TGM) and total particulate mercury (TPM) were monitored from 2013 to 2017 in Xiamen, Fujian; and Kaosiung, Taiwan respectively. Results indicated that the average concentrations of TGM were 4.07±1.75 ng/m3, and 4.63±0.39 ng/m3, and the average concentrations of TPM were 195.72±132.37 pg/m3 and 194.72±42.19 pg/m3, respectively in Xiamen and Kaosiung. It is also found that seasonal variation of gaseous Hg was similar for those two cities, with higher concentration occurred in cold months and lower in warm months. The monsoon weather played a critical role in the seasonal variation of atmospheric mercury concentrations. Correlation analysis showed the concentrations of two atmospheric species mercury correlated negatively with wind speed, ambient temperature, and positively with NO2, CO and O3 in both cities. TPM had a more significant relationship with criteria air pollutants than that of TGM in Xiamen. Backward trajectory simulation (HYSPLIT) showed that the air masses originated commonly from North China and the Yellow Sea. They can transport through the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and arrived in Xiamen when the events of high TGM concentration occurred. However, the clean air masses from open sea could dilute the concentration of atmospheric mercury.

Microbiological Quality of Seafood Marketed in Taiwan.

PubMed

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

2015-11-01

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

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…

Partners | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

Awardees and Affiliated Institutions Agilent Technologies, Inc., Cambridge, MA Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX Biomedical Hosting LLC, Arlington, MA Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cambridge, MA Brown University, Providence, RI Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA Chang Gung University, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Taoyuan City, Taiwan Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA Fluidigm Corp., Cambridge, MA

Perceptions of Mathematics Curricula and Teaching in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moy, Robert; Peverly, Stephen T.

2005-01-01

China and other East Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) have consistently outperformed the United States and other Western countries in mathematics achievement. As part of a Fulbright-sponsored trip to China in the Summer of 2002, a New York City public school teacher and a trainer of school psychologists offer their impressions of some…

Representing Chineseness in New York City's Chinatown.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Jennifer M.

This paper explores the range of arguments and sentiments regarding the promotion and/or abolition of types of Chinese scripts. The written representations of Cantonese in Hong Kong, Mandarin in Taiwan as well as Mandarin in China are examined via issues of identity and of discourse both at national and international levels. Chinese scripts are…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ku, David Tawei; Cheng, Yu-Mei

2016-01-01

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

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-11

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

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... Certain Semiconductor Chips and Products Containing Same, DN 2771; the Commission is soliciting comments... semiconductor chips and products containing same The complaint names as respondents Freescale Semiconductor, Inc... Microtech (U.S.A.) Corp. of City of Industry, CA; Biostar Microtech International Corp. of Hsin Tien, Taiwan...

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.

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

Empowerment Program for People With Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Chen, Mei-Fang; Hung, Shu-Ling; Chen, Shu-Lin

2017-04-01

Practicing a health-promoting lifestyle is believed to be effective for delaying or preventing the onset of diabetes. However, although empowerment interventions have proven effective for encouraging the adoption of a health-promoting lifestyle in people with diabetes, these interventions are rarely promoted to people with prediabetes. The aims of this study were to develop an empowerment program for people with prediabetes and to examine its efficacy in terms of the adoption of a health-promoting lifestyle and improvements in blood sugar, body mass index, and self-efficacy. A randomized controlled trial was conducted between May and December 2013. A convenience sample of people with a fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dl during the previous 3 months was recruited from the health examination center of a hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Participants were assigned to either the experimental group or the control group using block randomization with a block size of 8. The experimental group (n = 38) participated in a 4-month empowerment program (the ABC empowerment program), which encouraged participants to practice a health-promoting lifestyle in three phases: awareness raising, behavior building, and results checking. The control group (n = 40) received routine clinical care. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t test, paired t test, and generalized estimated equations. After controlling for the differences at baseline and considering the interaction between group and time from baseline to 1 week and 3 months after completing the intervention, the generalized estimating equation showed significantly larger improvements in a health-promoting lifestyle, blood sugar, and self-efficacy in the experimental group than in the control group (p < .01). Furthermore, the experimental group achieved a larger reduction in body mass index than the control group at 3 months after completing the intervention (p = .001). The empowerment program was shown to have short-term, positive effects on behavioral, physical, and psychosocial outcomes in a Taiwan population with prediabetes. The results of this study provide a useful reference not only for healthcare personnel when implementing empowerment interventions in people with prediabetes but also for nursing educators and healthcare policymakers.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2014-01-01

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

A Comparison of American and Taiwanese Students: Their Math Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsao, Yea-Ling

2004-01-01

The major purpose of this study was to attempt to understand some of the reasons for Mathematics perception of Taiwanese children compared to American children. The study was conducted with elementary schools in the Denver metropolitan area and Taipei, Taiwan in which fifth graders in each city (21 and 37 respectively) were selected as target…

Young Children's Metacognition in the Context of Telling a Written Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Wu-Ying; Ku, Yu-Min; Chen, Yi-Hsin

2013-01-01

This study examines young children's metacognition in the context of telling a written story. The participants were 36 children: 12 preschoolers, 12 kindergarteners, and 12 first graders in a kindergarten and a nearby elementary school in a northwestern city in Taiwan. Each child was asked to "read" a 13-page wordless picture book and…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2017-01-01

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

Multiword Lexical Units and Their Relationship to Impromptu Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Jeng-yih

2007-01-01

Public speaking can be very threatening to any native speakers of English, not to mention non-native EFL learners. Impromptu speech, perhaps the most challenging form of public speaking, is however being promoted in every city of the EFL countries. The case in Taiwan is no exceptional. Every year, dozens of impromptu speech contexts are held…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Mei-Ying; McConkey, Roy

2008-01-01

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

Study on the Computational Estimation Performance and Computational Estimation Attitude of Elementary School Fifth Graders in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsao, Yea-Ling; Pan, Ting-Rung

2011-01-01

Main purpose of this study is to investigate what level of computational estimation performance is possessed by fifth graders and explore computational estimation attitude towards fifth graders. Two hundred and thirty-five Grade-5 students from four elementary schools in Taipei City were selected for "Computational Estimation Test" and…

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…

Do Child-Rearing Values in Taiwan and the United States Reflect Cultural Values of Collectivism and Individualism?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shuyuan; Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S.

2003-01-01

Interviewed mothers of young children from Taiwanese and U.S. cities regarding their child rearing values. Mothers in both societies embraced both individualist and collectivist values, which could be grouped into five categories: individuality, achievement, proper demeanor, decency, and connectedness. U.S. mothers' values were somewhat consistent…

Integration of School Features into Taiwanese Elementary School New English Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2014-01-01

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

Treatability assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated marine sediments using permanganate, persulfate and Fenton oxidation processes.

PubMed

Shih, Yu-Jen; Binh, Nguyen Thanh; Chen, Chiu-Wen; Chen, Chih-Feng; Dong, Cheng-Di

2016-05-01

Various chemical oxidation techniques, such as potassium permanganate (KMnO4), sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8), Fenton (H2O2/Fe(2+)), and the modified persulfate and Fenton reagents (activated by ferrous complexes), were carried out to treat marine sediments that were contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dredged from Kaohsiung Harbor in Taiwan. Experimental results revealed that KMnO4 was the most effective of the tested oxidants in PAH degradation. Owing to the high organic matter content in the sediment that reduced the efficiencies of Na2S2O8 and regular Fenton reactions, a large excess of oxidant was required. Nevertheless, KH2PO4, Na4P2O7 and four chelating agents (EDTA, sodium citrate, oxalic acid, and sodium oxalate) were utilized to stabilize Fe(II) in activating the Na2S2O8 and Fenton oxidations, while Fe(II)-citrate remarkably promoted the PAH degradation. Increasing the molecular weight and number of rings of PAH did not affect the overall removal efficiencies. The correlation between the effectiveness of the oxidation processes and the physicochemical properties of individual PAH was statistically analyzed. The data implied that the reactivity of PAH (electron affinity and ionization potential) affected its treatability more than did its hydrophobicity (Kow, Koc and Sw), particularly using experimental conditions under which PAHs could be effectively oxidized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Integrated Movement Activities on Children's FMS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Shu-Chu; Lin, Shu-Jung; Hsu, Li-Chuan

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of an integrated movement course on the FMSs of preschool children. Purposive sampling was used to select two classes at a public preschool in Chiayi City, Taiwan. The experimental group consisted of 9 boys and 12 girls, and the control group consisted of 11 boys and 8 girls. Both were…

Menopause Experiences and Attitudes in Women with Intellectual Disability and in Their Family Carers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Yueh-Ching; Lu, Zxy-Yann Jane; Pu, Cheng-Yun

2013-01-01

Background: Little is known about how middle-aged and older women with intellectual disability (ID) cope with life transitions such as perimenopause and postmenopause. Method: A mixed methods approach was employed to explore the attitudes toward and experiences of menopause among women with ID and their family carers in one city in Taiwan.…

A Longitudinal Study of Childhood Obesity, Weight Status Change, and Subsequent Academic Performance in Taiwanese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Li-Jung; Fox, Kenneth R.; Ku, Po-Wen; Wang, Ching-Hui

2012-01-01

Backround: This study examined the association among childhood obesity, weight status change, and subsequent academic performance at 6-year follow-up. Methods: First-grade students from one elementary school district in Taichung City, Taiwan were followed for 6 years (N = 409). Academic performance was extracted from the school records at the end…

Older and Younger Family Caregivers of Adults with Intellectual Disability: Factors Associated with Future Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Yueh-Ching; Lee, Yue-Chune; Lin, Li-Chan; Kroger, Teppo; Chang, Ai-Ning

2009-01-01

A structured interview survey was conducted in a major city in Taiwan to explore and compare older and younger family primary caregivers' well being and their future caregiving plans for these adults with intellectual disability. The sample size was 315 caregivers who were 55 years or older and who cared for adults with intellectual disability and…

Proceedings of the International Conferences on Education Technologies (ICEduTech) and Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE) (New Tapei City, Taiwan, December 10-12, 2014)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kommers, Piet, Ed.; Issa, Tomayess, Ed.; Issa, Theodora, Ed.; Chang, Dian-Fu, Ed.; Isias, Pedro, Ed.

2014-01-01

These proceedings contain the papers of the International Conferences on Educational Technologies (ICEduTech 2014), and Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE 2014). The International Conference on Educational Technologies (ICEduTech 2014) is the scientific conference addressing the real topics as seen by teachers, students, parents and…

Collaboration between the University Pre-Service Teacher Education Program and the Local Elementary School on English Remedial Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2015-01-01

This study analyzed 24 pre-service elementary school English teachers' design and delivery of remedial education to the fifth and sixth graders in the collaboration between the university pre-service teacher education program and the local elementary school in a city in northwest Taiwan. The pre-service teachers were encouraged by the elementary…

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

PubMed

Lin, Tser-Sheng; Wu, Chin-Ching

2011-12-01

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-12-01

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

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 dB.

Asian longhorned beetle in Austria: critical comments on phytosanitary measures and regulations

Treesearch

Hannes Krehan

2003-01-01

The ALB is indigenous to East Asia (China, Korea, Taiwan, but not actually present in Japan). It has been introduced twice into North America: New York City, N.Y (1996) and Chicago, Illinois (1998). The first record for Europe was in August 2001 in Braunau, Austria where it was likely introduced through wood packing material (i.g. pallets, crates, dunnage etc.) from...

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.

The effectiveness of a popular science promotion program on nanotechnology for elementary school students in I-Lan City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Show-Yu; Wu, Ming-Ta; Cho, Ya-I.; Chen, Hui-Huang

2015-01-01

Background:Nanotechnology education has become an urgent priority to nurture skilled human resources for the rapidly developing nanotechnology-related industries. The promotion of popular science education focusing on nanotechnology is an ideal approach to bridge the gaps in formal curricula, and to stimulate curiosity about and interest in nanotechnology among schoolchildren. Purpose:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Nanotechnology-based Popular Science Education Promotion and Teaching (NPSEPT) program through camp activity that was implemented in elementary schools in I-Lan City, Taiwan. Program description:To create a competitive advantage, a human resources development program was implemented as one of the nanotechnology incubation projects in Taiwan and focused on developing an appropriately-skilled professional workforce as well as promoting popular science education. Sample:The volunteer research participants were 323 sixth grade students in four elementary schools in I-Lan City, Taiwan, who were evaluated at the beginning and the end of the nanotechnology-based popular science promotion camp activity. Design and methods:A research tool called the 'NPSEPT test' was designed specifically for this study and was approved by experts who evaluated its content and face validity. The questionnaire was divided into three aspects: 'Nanophenomena in the natural world'; 'Nanomaterials and their scaling effects'; and 'Definition, characteristics, and applications of nanotechnology.' The effectiveness of learning among the students was analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired sample t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a post hoc comparison. Results:The results of the three-part 'NPSEPT test' revealed that NPSEPT significantly advanced nanotechnology learning performance and outcomes among students in the four participating elementary schools. Of the 15 questions included in the NPSEPT test, positive change for more than 30% of students was achieved for eight questions related to nanotechnology concepts.