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Publications in Renal Failure in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) between 1992 and 2021 were analyzed. Six publication indicators: total, independent, collaborative, first author, corresponding author, and single author publications as well as their related citation indicators, were used to compare performances of countries, institutes, and authors. Comparison of the highly cited papers and journal's impact factor (IF) contributors was discussed. In addition, the main research topics in the journal were presented. Results show that China published the most total articles and reviews, as well as the first-author papers and corresponding-author papers in the journal. The Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan ranked the top in five publication indicators: total, single-institution, inter-institutionally collaborative, first author, and corresponding-author papers. A low percentage of productive authors emerged as a journal IF contributor. Similarly, only a limited relationship between highly cited papers and IF contributing papers was found. Publications related to hemodialysis, chronic kidney disease, and acute kidney injury were the most popular topic, while meta-analysis was new focus in the last decade in the journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of plagiarism, cheating, and other acts of academic dishonesty may be as high as 80% in populations of high school and post-secondary students. Various educational interventions have been developed and implemented in an effort to educate students about academic integrity and to prevent academic misconduct. We reviewed the peer-reviewed research literature describing face-to-face workshops, e-learning tutorials, or blended approaches for promoting academic integrity and the effectiveness of these approaches. In general, the educational interventions were described as effective in terms of satisfaction with the intervention, and changes in students' attitudes and knowledge of academic integrity. Few studies provided evidence that the educational interventions changed student behaviour or outcomes outside the context of the intervention. Future research should explore how participation in educational interventions to promote academic integrity are linked to long-term student outcomes, such as graduate school admission, alumni career success, service to society, and personal stability.

Paper cultural relics such as double-sided printed newspapers and periodicals represent modern cultural heritage. Severe damage such as embrittlement, decay, and dreg generally occur to paper; hence, it urgently needs conservation and restoration. Therefore, herein, a new reinforcement method for the fragile double-sided printed paper cultural relics is proposed with cotton mesh and adhesive PVA217 as reinforcement materials. Using a computer measured and controlled folding endurance tester, a pendulum tensile strength tester, pH meter, pulp viscosimeter, and other instruments, the physical properties of newspaper samples before and after aging were evaluated. In addition, the mechanical properties, chromatic aberration and surface morphology of simulated samples before and after the cotton mesh reinforcement and Japanese washi paper reinforcement were assessed. The experimental results indicate that this new reinforcement method could effectively improve the physical strength, chromatic aberration and durability of the simulated samples. Widespread applications of this cotton mesh reinforcement method for the reinforcement and protection of the red revolutionary cultural relics such as double-sided printed newspaper and periodicals during the Republic of China era are foreseeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used bibliometrics to analyze the characteristics of funded papers in the social sciences in Taiwan from 2015 to 2019, including the number of funded papers, funded paper ratio, document types, fields, type of publishing organizations, journal impact, and paper citation impact. The results indicate that the number of funded papers and the funded paper ratio of SSCI papers from Taiwan have both increased. In addition to articles and reviews, conference papers are a major type of funded paper for local SSCI papers. In terms of fields, the nontraditional social sciences, such as environmental sciences, psychiatry, and public/environmental & occupational health, have a particularly high funded paper ratio. However, the number of funded papers and funded paper ratio is the highest in the field of education & educational research. The fields of economics, management, and business have a large number of funded papers but a low funded paper ratio. Universities are the main funded institutions, but hospitals have the highest funded paper ratio. Funded papers tend to have higher paper citation impacts. Therefore, funding positively affects the productivity and impact of SSCI papers from Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan's EPA has implemented a new guideline called the "Plastic Products Restriction Policy", prohibiting some industries to use plastics as packaging materials for the sake of sustainable use of resources. The significant effect resulting from this policy is the substitution of plastic products with paper products. Is this policy beneficial to achieve future sustainability? I attempt to analyze the resource choice between renewable resources and exhaustible resources for production of final products and services in case of exhaustion of natural resources. In this paper, I develop a framework to examine the dynamic responsiveness of a socio-economical system in facing a continual depletion of natural resources provided by an environmental system. In this framework, the status of an environmental system in terms of carrying capacity is affected by the cumulative impacts caused from human activities, including environmental pollution and resource exploitation. Conversely, it also affects the growth of renewable resources. This framework can serve as a guideline to construct indicators to measure the status of the environmental system and the socio-economical system in order to support a policy planner that formulates an appropriate environmental policy. Based on this framework, I also develop a mathematical model to determine the optimal ratio of resources choice between renewable resources and exhaustible resources.

In Taiwan, the incidence and prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have risen significantly in recent years. Moreover, data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) show that more than 85% of PsA patients are treated with just non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). Taiwanese clinicians have also expressed concerns regarding uncertainties in the diagnosis of PsA and the delayed, interrupted, and/or tapered use of biologics, as well as differences in therapeutic preferences between and within dermatologists and rheumatologists. To address these issues, the Taiwan Rheumatology Association and the Taiwanese Association for Psoriasis and Skin Immunology jointly convened a committee of 28 clinicians from the fields of rheumatology, dermatology, orthopedics, and rehabilitation, to develop evidence-based consensus recommendations for the practical management of PsA in Taiwan. A total of six overarching principles and 13 recommendations were developed and approved, as well as a treatment algorithm with four separate tracks for axial PsA, peripheral PsA, enthesitis, and dactylitis. Psoriasis (PsO) management was not discussed here, as the Taiwanese Dermatological Association has recently published a comprehensive consensus statement on the management of PsO. Together, these recommendations provide an up-to-date, evidence-based framework for PsA care in Taiwan., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (Copyright © 2020 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Humans introduced paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) from Taiwan into the Pacific over 5000 years ago as a fiber source to make barkcloth textiles that were, and still are, important cultural artifacts throughout the Pacific. We have used B. papyrifera, a species closely associated to humans, as a proxy to understand the human settlement of the Pacific Islands. We report the first genetic analysis of paper mulberry textiles from historical and archaeological contexts (200 to 50 years before present) and compare our results with genetic data obtained from contemporary and herbarium paper mulberry samples. Following stringent ancient DNA protocols, we extracted DNA from 13 barkcloth textiles. We confirmed that the fiber source is paper mulberry in nine of the 13 textiles studied using the nuclear ITS-1 marker and by statistical estimates. We detected high genetic diversity in historical Pacific paper mulberry barkcloth with a set of ten microsatellites, showing new alleles and specific genetic patterns. These genetic signatures allow tracing connections to plants from the Asian homeland, Near and Remote Oceania, establishing links not observed previously (using the same genetic tools) in extant plants or herbaria samples. These results show that historic barkcloth textiles are cultural materials amenable to genetic analysis to reveal human history and that these artifacts may harbor evidence of greater genetic diversity in Pacific B. papyrifera in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used the subcritical hydrothermal liquefaction technique (SHLT) in the co- liquefaction of process rejects at a wastepaper-based paper mill (PRWPM) and waste soybean oil (WSO) for the production of biofuels and bio-char material. PRWPM emits complicated waste composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and plastic from sealing film. The waste is produced from the recycled paper process of a mill plant located in central Taiwan. The source of WSO is the rejected organic waste from a cooking oil factory located in north Taiwan. PRWPM and WSO are suitable for use as fuels, but due to their high oxygen content, their use as commercial liquid fuels is not frequent, thus making deoxygenation and hydrogenation necessary. The temperature and pressure of SHLT were set at 523–643 K and 40–250 bar, respectively. The experimental conditions included solvent ratios of oil–water, temperature, reaction time, and ratios of solvent to PRWPM. The analysis results contained approximated components, heating values, elements, surface features, simulated distillations, product compositions, and recovery yields. The HHV of the product occurred at an oil–water ratio of 75:25, with a value of 38.04 MJ kg−1. At an oil–water ratio of 25:75, the liquid oil-phase product of SHTL has the highest heating value 42.02 MJ kg−1. Higher WSO content implies a lower heating value of the oil-phase product. The simulated distillation result of the oil-phase product with higher content of alcohol and alkanes obtained at the oil–water ratio of 25:75 is better than the other ratios. Here, the carbon number of the oil product is between C8–C36. The product conversion rate rises with an increase of the WSO ratio. It is proved that blending soybean oil with water can significantly enhance the quality of liquefied oil and the conversion rate of PRWPM. Therefore, the solid and liquid biomass wastes co-liquefaction to produce gas and liquid biofuels under SHLT are quite feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We assessed the measurement equivalence and feasibility of the paper-and-pencil and touch-screen modes of administration of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-PR25, a commonly used questionnaire to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with prostate cancer in Taiwan., Methods: A cross-over design study was conducted in 99 prostate cancer patients at an urology outpatient clinic. Descriptive exact and global agreement percentages, intraclass correlation, and equivalence test based on minimal clinically important difference (MCID) approach were used to examine the equity of HRQOL scores between these two modes of administration. We also evaluated the feasibility of computerized assessment based on patients' acceptability and preference. Additionally, we used Rasch rating scale model to assess differential item functioning (DIF) between the two modes of administration., Results: The percentages of global agreement in all domains were greater than 85% in the EORTC QLQ-PR25. All results from equivalence tests were significant, except for Sexual functioning, indicating good equivalence. Only one item exhibited DIF between the two modes. Although nearly 80% of the study patients had no prior computer-use experience, the overall proportion of acceptance and preference for the touch-screen mode were quite high and there was no significant difference across age groups or between computer-use experience groups., Conclusions: The study results showed that the data obtained from the modes of administration were equivalent. The touch-screen mode of administration can be a feasible and suitable alternative to the paper-and-pencil mode for assessment of patient-reported outcomes in patients with prostate cancer.

Paper mulberry, Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’Hér. ex Vent. (Moraceae), a dioecious species, was transported by humans from Taiwan to the islands of Remote Oceania. Its introduction and cultivation in Remote Oceania was intentional due to its cultural importance as a fiber source for barkcloth textiles. The aim of this study was to explore the genetic diversity and structure of paper mulberry populations within Remote Oceania in order to infer dispersal patterns that may reflect past human interaction among island groups. We present the integrated analysis of 380 samples (313 contemporary and 67 herbarium specimens) collected in Near and Remote Oceania. Genetic characterization was based on a set of ten microsatellites developed for B. papyrifera and complemented with the analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ITS-1 sequence, a sex marker and the chloroplast ndhF–rpl32 intergenic spacer. Microsatellite data identify a total of 64 genotypes, despite this being a clonally propagated crop, and show three major dispersal hubs within Remote Oceania, centered on the islands of Fiji, Tonga, and Pitcairn. Of 64 genotypes identified, 55 correspond to genotypes associated to female-sexed plants that probably descend from plants introduced by the prehistoric Austronesian-speaking voyagers. The ratio of accessions to genotypes between herbarium and contemporary samples, suggests recent loss of genetic diversity. In addition to the chloroplast haplotypes described previously, we detected two new haplotypes within Remote Oceania both originating in Taiwan. This is the first study of a commensal species to show genetic structuring within Remote Oceania. In spite of the genetic bottleneck, the presence of only one sex, a timespan of less than 5000 years, and asexual propagation of this crop in Remote Oceania, we detect genetic diversity and regional structuring. These observations suggest specific migration routes between island groups within Remote Oceania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pineapples are an important agricultural economic crop in Taiwan. Considerable human resources are required to protect pineapples from excessive solar radiation, which could otherwise lead to overheating and subsequent deterioration. Note that simple covering all of the fruit with a paper bag is not a viable solution, due to the fact that it makes it impossible to determine whether the fruit is ripe. This paper proposes a system by which to automate the detection of ripe pineapples. The proposed deep learning architecture enables detection regardless of lighting conditions, achieving accuracy of more than 99.27% with error of less than 2% at distances of 300 ~ 800 mm. This proposed system using an Nvidia TX2 is capable of 15 frames per second, thereby making it possible to mount the device on machines that move at walking speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was determined in paired specimens of liquid plasma and of plasma that had been applied to a filter paper disk, dried, and eluted; the measurements were performed by an immunochemiluminometric assay (ICMA). The 129 paired assays showed good correlation: y = 1.04x + 4.99; R2 = 0.934, where y is the result on dried samples and x is that on liquid samples. In 18 patients with acromegaly who lived on an island off the West Pacific Rim, plasma specimens were collected, applied to filter paper, dried, and mailed to a laboratory in the Upper Midwest of the United States. IGF-I was eluted from the filter paper disks and measured by ICMA. IGF-I concentrations ranged from 101 to 254 ng/ml in 11 patients with newly diagnosed but untreated acromegaly, 138 to 503 ng/ml in 4 patients with recurrent acromegaly, and 27 to 88 ng/ml in 3 patients with surgically cured acromegaly. These data demonstrate that plasma specimens of patients with acromegaly can be collected on filter paper disks and mailed to a laboratory on a distant continent for measurement of IGF-I. Such use of laboratory resources in one continent to help another continent, "Laboratories Without Borders," is somewhat analogous to the program "Doctors Without Borders."

Oyster Farming is one of important fisheries and aquaculture industries in Taiwan. Each year, approximately 4000–5000 tons of discarded bamboo scaffolding (BS) used in oyster farming, are generated, so the treatment and utilization of BS should be taken seriously. This study evaluates the suitability of BS for pulp and papermaking by assessing the chemical compositions, microstructural, and fiber morphology. The pulping properties is investigated by soda pulping. The chemical composition of BS shows the potential for application in pulping. The BS microstructure shows that can enhance pulping reactions, while the fiber morphology indicates the possibility of producing high-strength paper. Through the pulping experiment, it demonstrated that BS is suitable for pulping with lower NaOH dosage and longer digestion time. The condition at 170 °C with 14% NaOH dosage for 90 min digestion has the highest yield. After refining the highest pulping yield BS pulp, it can improve the handsheet strength and bulk of the OCC-BS mixed pulp, which can achieve the strength property required for industrial paper. In summary, BS exhibits the potential for pulping application and produces a better paper strength than OCC pulp, exhibiting the feasibility of enhancing the circular utilization value of BS in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates research writing anxiety and self-efficacy beliefs among English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) graduate students in engineering-related fields. The relationship between the two writing affective constructs was examined and students' perspectives on research writing anxiety were also explored. A total of 218 survey responses from engineering graduate students at Taiwanese universities were analyzed, along with qualitative data from open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that while master's and doctoral students felt a similar moderate level of writing anxiety, senior doctoral students were more self-efficacious about writing research papers in English than their junior counterparts. Overall, students with higher writing self-efficacy felt less apprehensive. Additionally, among the individual variables, experience in writing for publication better predicted writing anxiety and self-efficacy than students' self-reported English proficiency and the number of writing courses taken. The qualitative findings indicated various sources of graduate-level writing anxiety, including insufficient writing skills in English, time constraints, and fear of negative comments. Furthermore, composing different sections of a research paper provoked different levels of anxiety due to the variations in the rhetorical purposes and discourse structures of particular sections. Implications on dealing with research writing anxiety are also discussed.

Objective We assessed the measurement equivalence and feasibility of the paper-and-pencil and touchscreen modes of administration of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-PR25, a commonly used questionnaire to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with prostate cancer in Taiwan. Methods A cross-over design study was conducted in 99 prostate cancer patients at an urology outpatient clinic. Descriptive exact and global agreement percentages, intraclass correlation, and equivalence test based on minimal clinically important difference (MCID) approach were used to examine the equity of HRQOL scores between these two modes of administration. We also evaluated the feasibility of computerized assessment based on patients' acceptability and preference. Additionally, we used Rasch rating scale model to assess differential item functioning (DIF) between the two modes of administration. Results The percentages of global agreement in all domains were greater than 85% in the EORTC QLQ-PR25. All results from equivalence tests were significant, except for Sexual functioning, indicating good equivalence. Only one item exhibited DIF between the two modes. Although nearly 80% of the study patients had no prior computer-use experience, the overall proportion of acceptance and preference for the touch-screen mode were quite high and there was no significant difference across age groups or between computer-use experience groups. Conclusions The study results showed that the data obtained from the modes of administration were equivalent. The touch-screen mode of administration can be a feasible and suitable alternative to the paper-and-pencil mode for assessment of patient-reported outcomes in patients with prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peopling of Remote Oceanic islands by Austronesian speakers is a fascinating and yet contentious part of human prehistory. Linguistic, archaeological, and genetic studies have shown the complex nature of the process in which different components that helped to shape Lapita culture in Near Oceania each have their own unique history. Important evidence points to Taiwan as an Austronesian ancestral homeland with a more distant origin in South China, whereas alternative models favor South China to North Vietnam or a Southeast Asian origin. We test these propositions by studying phylogeography of paper mulberry, a common East Asian tree species introduced and clonally propagated since prehistoric times across the Pacific for making barkcloth, a practical and symbolic component of Austronesian cultures. Using the hypervariable chloroplast ndhF-rpl32 sequences of 604 samples collected from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceanic islands (including 19 historical herbarium specimens from Near and Remote Oceania), 48 haplotypes are detected and haplotype cp-17 is predominant in both Near and Remote Oceania. Because cp-17 has an unambiguous Taiwanese origin and cp-17-carrying Oceanic paper mulberries are clonally propagated, our data concur with expectations of Taiwan as the Austronesian homeland, providing circumstantial support for the "out of Taiwan" hypothesis. Our data also provide insights into the dispersal of paper mulberry from South China "into North Taiwan," the "out of South China-Indochina" expansion to New Guinea, and the geographic origins of post-European introductions of paper mulberry into Oceania.

On behalf of the editorial office of Neurospine, we would like to extend our appreciation to all the readers who have supported the journal throughout the year. Neurospine was established in March 2018 through a collaboration of 3 leading spinal neurosurgery societies from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Since then, Neurospine has continued to enhance its academic impact, serving as a platform for sharing knowledge and information related to the management of spinal diseases. In this article, we aim to present the bibliometrics of Neurospine, including the submission and publication of manuscripts and the peer review process. We are looking forward to continued growth and serving the academic community to the best of our ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multimedia version of Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale 2 (Piers-Harris 2) was created with audio and cartoon animation to facilitate the measurement of self-concept among younger children. This study aimed to assess the psychometric qualities of the computer version of Piers-Harris 2 scores, examine its score equivalence with the paper-and-pencil version, and survey the respondent preference of the two versions. Two hundred and forty eight Taiwanese students from the first to fourth grade were recruited. In regard to the psychometric properties, high internal consistency (α = .91) was found for the total score of multimedia Piers-Harris 2. High interscale correlations (.77 to .83) of the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 scores and the results of confirmatory factor analysis suggested the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 contained good structural characteristics. The scores of the multimedia Piers-Harris 2 also had significant correlations with the scores of the Elementary School Children's Self Concept Scale. The equality of convergence and criterion-related validities of Piers-Harris 2 scores for the multimedia and paper-and-pencil versions and the results of ICCs between the scores of the multimedia and paper-and-pencil Piers-Harris 2 suggested their high level of equivalence. Participants showed more positive attitudes towards the multimedia version.

Background: Social innovation is often used as a mechanism to jump-start public–private partnerships to leverage resources to achieve social impact; the analysis of sustainability and the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) cannot be emphasized enough. Due to advances in the information and communication technology industry in Taiwan, this paper aims to explore whether these advancements drive CSR as a form of social innovation to meet health needs in Taiwan. Methodology: This paper uses a case study to look at CSR programs in the health sector in Taiwan. Corporations with diverse missions and different CSR approaches that are available on the internet are selected. The analysis of the case study takes a qualitative, exploratory approach to shed light on current initiatives. Results: The majority of CSR programs in Taiwan are private sector activities that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic; current CSR activities in Taiwan are driven by awards, public relations, and external interests. Corporations in Taiwan have the potential to address the health care gaps of urban–rural health utilization among Taiwanese indigenous communities. It is recommended for corporations to (1) develop partnerships with public health experts or to (2) employ CSR personnel with health care backgrounds who can navigate the intersection between health, business, and policies to develop CSR strategies. Conclusions: Further evaluation of the projects mentioned in this paper to assess the direct and indirect impact on health outcomes could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the field of CSR in the health sector in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy justice remains relatively under-researched outside of the Western context, especially in Asia. This paper addresses that gap by investigating the process of energy transition in Taiwan through the socio-spatial lens and institutional points of view. The paper underscores the urgency of recognizing and addressing the overlooked social injustices across different territories, advocating an integrated planning approach that incorporates a just energy transition perspective to reduce the uneven negative impacts of deploying renewable energies across communities and regional territories. Drawing on a case study of the Changhua region, the paper identifies conflicts arising from the rapid deployment of renewable energy, such as land use changes that displace farming activities and negatively affect rural stakeholders. The findings suggest the need to urgently address the gap between top–down goals in energy transition and bottom–up considerations to raise awareness and prevent injustices that risk deepening the existing socio-economic inequities. This paper also proposes a new framework for both new research and policy for (just) energy transition, incorporating distributional, procedural, and recognitional concerns together with a critical view on the cross-scale and cross-sectoral integration as part of the spatial planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the February 2000 white paper by the People's Republic of China about the relations of Mainland China and Taiwan. China's basis and prerequisite for achieving peaceful reunification; Questions involving the One China Principle in cross-strait relations; Adherence to the One China principle in the international community. INSET: PRC White Paper....

This study aimed to explore the timing and strategies of teacher participation in children's play and the factors which have a bearing on teacher participation. This study used qualitative research and conducted observation of natural situations. The samples were preschool teachers in an elementary school's affiliated kindergarten in Hualien. The children were observed while playing at learning areas during free play time. In order to enhance the depth of the research, data were collected from observations of play, interviews with the teacher, and examination of on-site documents. The results of qualitative analysis revealed that preschool teachers usually intervene in children's play actively. Preschool teachers used different strategies depending on the different behavior of children play. As for whether or not to participate; these depend on the teacher's educational philosophy, degree of familiarity with the children, and the overall situation in which the play is occurring. Moreover, each of these factors influences one another, and thus need to be considered together.

Current reliable strategies for information security are all chosen using incomplete information. With standards, problems resulting from incomplete information can be reduced, since with standards, we can decrease the choices and simplify the process for reliable supply and demand decision making. This paper is to study the certification of information security management systems based on specifications promulgated by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI), Ministry of Economic Affairs in accordance with international standards and their related organizations. And we suggest a certification requirement concept for five different levels of “Information and Communication Security Protection System” in our country, the Republic of China, Taiwan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Phosphorus (P) is the limiting nutrient in many mature tropical forests. The ecological significance of declining P stocks as soils age is exacerbated by much of the remaining P being progressively sequestered. However, the details of how and where P is sequestered during the ageing in tropical forest soils remains unclear. Results: We examined the relationships between various forms of the Fe and Al sesquioxides and the Hedley fractions of P in soils of an incipient ferralitic chronosequence on an altitudinal series of gently sloping benches on Green Island, off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. These soils contain limited amounts of easily exchangeable P. Of the sesquioxide variables, only Fe and Al crystallinities increased significantly with bench altitude/soil age, indicating that the ferralisation trend is weak. The bulk of the soil P was in the NaOH and residual extractable fractions, and of low lability. The P fractions that correlated best with the sesquioxides were the organic components of the NaHCO3 and NaOH extracts. Conclusions: The amorphous sesquioxides, Feo and Alo, were the forms that correlated best with the P fractions. A substantial proportion of the labile P appears to be organic and to be associated with Alo in organic-aluminium complexes. The progression of P sequestration appears to be slightly slower than the chemical and mineralogical indicators of ferralisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the potential for collaboration between China and Pakistan in the healthcare field, specifically in terms of research and publications. While China has made significant progress in medical research and publications, there are concerns about unethical publication practices that regulatory bodies are addressing. The Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences has been receiving research papers from China for the past twenty years, but the acceptance rate has remained low due to a commitment to maintaining standards and intellectual integrity. The author recently visited China to promote academic collaboration and met with faculty members from hospitals in Shanghai and Changsha. The article emphasizes the importance of following ethical guidelines and provides tips for Chinese researchers to improve their chances of acceptance. Overall, the article highlights the potential for collaboration while acknowledging the challenges and the importance of maintaining quality and ethical standards in research and publications. [Extracted from the article]

This article introduces readers to the articles presented in this special issue of "Tsing Hua Journal of Chinese Studies" devoted to the history of modern Chinese calligraphy, much of which is seen as departing from traditional styles. The articles were chosen among many presented at a conference, "Beyond Pen and Ink: International Research Conference on Chinese Calligraphy Outside of Historical Boundaries," sponsored by National Taiwan Normal University's Institute for Research on Art History, in Taibei, Taiwan, on November 1-2, 2008.

Tackles a variety of issues concerning national reunification and territorial integrity of China over Taiwan in 1949. History of China's administrative authority in Taiwan; Efforts of the Chinese government to protect Taiwan from foreign invasions and occupation; Origin of the issue concerning China's jurisdiction over Taiwan.

Many non-native English speaking (NNES) graduates are required to write academic papers in English; consequently, recent research in the past decade has been devoted to investigating the usefulness of genre-based Writing Instructions (GBWI) on learners' writing cultivation. There is little specific guidance, however, on how GBWI can be employed in online learning environments. The study aimed to design an e-learning tool with a Chinese-based interface and to evaluate its perceived usefulness on users' English academic writing development. Needs analysis and GBWI were employed as the main approaches for the system development, for which 32 participants involved in the trail. The results indicate that the participants considered the system useful and helpful while learning English academic writing and extract the design principles derived from the empirical results in the study. The findings provide both learning content developers and e-learning tool designers with developmental insights for graduates to acquire academic writing ability in English. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of GBWI acting on the NNES engineering graduates' development of English academic writing knowledge and skills with the development of e-learning tools.

This paper aimed to explore customer value-driven factors and evaluated competitive positioning to formulate the sustainable business strategy for theme parks in Taiwan. We employed Borda count to obtained the customer value-driven factors. This paper further developed a hybrid quantified SWOT analysis to identify the competitive positioning for the four major theme parks in Taiwan, The findings in this paper were: (1) There are nine customer value-driven factors attributed into the three dimensions of park characteristics, service characteristics, and exogenous characteristics, which are significant important for theme park sustainable survive; (2) Lihpao Resort is located in the first (SO) quadrant with its internal strengths and external opportunities simultaneously but it has less external opportunities; (3) Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is located in the third (WT) quadrant with its internal weakness and external threats, which has the worst performance compared with other theme parks in this paper; (4) Leafoo Village Theme Park is located in the first (SO) quadrant with its internal strengths and external opportunities, which has less internal strengths compared with Lihpao Resort; and (5) Janfusun Fancy World is located in the fourth (TS) quadrant with its the external threats and internal strengths. Conclusions and suggestions are also discussed. Plain Language Summary: Label the Competitive positioning for Theme Parks In a time where consumers are increasingly informed, adopting a customer-focused marketing approach is crucial for long-term business success. This means that effective marketing strategies can not only benefit customers but also enhance the competitiveness of the theme park industry. This paper presents a methodology to discover customer value-driven factors and assess the competitive position of theme parks. It highlights areas for improvement in each park, serving as a valuable guide for operators aiming to strengthen their competitive edge. However, it's important to note a limitation of this study, which arises from collecting data during a specific period in Taiwan, namely, the summer vacation. This restricts the generalizability of the findings. To enhance external validity, future studies should consider gathering a more diverse sample from various time periods. Additionally, exploring whether there are cultural differences in customer value-driven factors and competitive positioning through replication of this study presents an intriguing avenue for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to compare international conferences, "The International Educational Technology Conference" (IETC, 2011) and "The International Conference on Computers in Education" (ICCE, 2010), from various dimensions. The comparison is expected to conclude a better approach for every IETC and ICCE to be held. (Contains 4 tables.)

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, as of January 2023, there have been over 670 million cases and more than 6.8 million deaths worldwide. Infections can cause inflammation in the lungs and decrease blood oxygen levels, which can lead to breathing difficulties and endanger life. As the situation continues to escalate, non-contact machines are used to assist patients at home to monitor their blood oxygen levels without encountering others. This paper uses a general network camera to capture the forehead area of a person's face, using the RPPG (remote photoplethysmography) principle. Then, image signal processing of red and blue light waves is carried out. By utilizing the principle of light reflection, the standard deviation and mean are calculated, and the blood oxygen saturation is computed. Finally, the effect of illuminance on the experimental values is discussed. The experimental results of this paper were compared with a blood oxygen meter certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan, and the experimental results had only a maximum error of 2%, which is better than the 3% to 5% error rates in other studies The measurement time was only 30 s, which is better than the one minute reported using similar equipment in other studies. Therefore, this paper not only saves equipment expenses but also provides convenience and safety for those who need to monitor their blood oxygen levels at home. Future applications can combine the SpO2 detection software with camera-equipped devices such as smartphones and laptops. The public can detect SpO2 on their own mobile devices, providing a convenient and effective tool for personal health management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation examines English proficiency levels across Taiwanese primary education, revealing a significant divergence in skills characterized by an M-shaped distribution among students in the fifth and sixth grades. To address this disparity, the study employs a performance evaluation method that combines importance–performance analysis (IPA) and the refined Kano model, aiming to identify and improve upon the current deficiencies in English language teaching. Further analytical depth is provided by applying a three-factor theory, which re-evaluates the traditional five-factor framework of the Kano model, informed by a survey of 443 respondents. The analysis identified that, out of twenty evaluative items, four are critical and demand targeted enhancement efforts. The paper has identified four items for enhancement to improve English language instruction quality. Specifically, it suggests that two items from the importance–performance analysis are critically under resourced and require immediate intervention. Additionally, the paper recognizes two items from the Kano model that also need focused improvement. The study recommends swift and targeted actions to address these areas, with the goal of raising the overall standard of teaching. Based on these findings, the study proposes a set of practical recommendations aimed at increasing the overall effectiveness of teaching and fostering an environment that enhances student motivation. The ultimate goal of this study is to support English teachers in primary schools by providing strategic insights that can lead to the enhancement of teaching practices and the amelioration of English language education deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), as coating materials, possess oil-resistant and waterproof properties. However, their persistency and toxicity have caused concerns. This study developed a method for determining five types of 20 PFASs with ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and measured seven categories of 32 commercial samples of oil-resistant food packaging in Taiwan. The assay was validated according to the specification of Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA). Samples of 100 cm² were cut into pieces and were ultra-sonicated in 20-mL methanol at 50 °C for 45 minutes. The extracts were concentrated to 1 mL for instrumental analysis. Most matrix effect factors and extraction efficiencies of the analytes were 50%e80% and 52%e99%, respectively. Most limits of detection and limits of quantification were between 0.07e11.3 ng/dm² and 0.17e18.3 ng/dm², respectively. Most recoveries ranged from 70% to 117% at three tested levels, and the precisions (%RSD) were lower than 19%. Microwave popcorn paper contained more types and higher levels of PFASs than other packaging, with perfluoroalkyl acids at 8.3e1960 ng/dm² and fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) at 9.7e7188 ng/dm². High concentrations of FTOHs were also observed in one oil-proof paper bag at 454¡2595 ng/dm² and in one French fries paper bag at 22.4e167 ng/dm². [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the various factors that influence the relationship between mainland China and Taiwan. Details on international factors; Factors originating in mainland China; Factors arising from developments within Taiwan.

Examines issues surrounding the national unity and territorial integrity of Taiwan. Significance of national reunification of China and Taiwan; Discussion on the civil war started by the Kuomintang; Position of the Chinese government regarding the settlement of the Taiwan question.

Species of the genus Physarum collected from Taiwan were critically reviewed. In this paper, we also described and illustrated three new records of Taiwan: Physarum dictyosporum, P. nasuense, and P. tenerum, and a rediscovered species P. flavicomum. A key to the 51 Physarum species of Taiwan is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the threat of global warming to human beings has gradually received attention, this article introduces the terror management theory to explain whether health risk awareness will affect their willingness to accept smart green buildings and that relationship is positively regulated by death anxiety. In addition, this article introduces the concept of materialismto propose that consumers will also accept smart green buildings due to the influence of materialism. This article interviewed two consumers and two professors in Taiwan, and verified the three hypotheses of this article through qualitative coding analysis. This article also used quantitative research methods to verify the theoretical model. This article not only introduces the cross-cutting contributions between terrormanagement theory, materialism and smart green buildings, but also helps the construction industry develop strategies to attract consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an action research project investigating a Global Englishes course offered at a Taiwanese university, in the context of Taiwan’s Bilingual 2030 policy. The study aimed to address the issue of English being viewed as a foreign language in Taiwan, and native speakers being stereotypically considered as the custodians of the language and culture. To address these problems, the researcher implemented a course called Learning Englishes and Cultures Through Movies based on the Global Englishes paradigm. 14 secondyear undergraduate English majors fully participated in the course during the second semester of the 2020–2021 academic year. Qualitative data were collected from biweekly reflections provided by the students and analysed through content analysis. The findings showed that the course helped students develop more global attitudes and perceptions, and supported the effectiveness of the materials and tasks included in the course. The results offer guidance for future cycles of action research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined Taiwanese graduate students' language anxiety over writing academic papers utilizing an adapted version of the FLCAS and in-depth individual interviews. The results suggested that the majority of these ten Taiwanese graduate students have experienced high anxiety over writing academic papers. The anxiety they experience over writing stems primarily from grammatical errors, using Chinese English, lacking adequate vocabulary or misuse of English vocabulary, lack of personal opinions, and not understanding the instructions for assignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the distribution of papers published by Asian authors in Operations Research and Management Science (OR/MS) journals from 1968 to 2006. The impact of OR/MS research in Asia is compared with that of the United States and the World, and research trends are highlighted through an analysis of keywords. From 1968 to 2006, 89,293 papers were published in 60 OR/MS journals. Of these, 41.4% came from USA and 16.6% came from seven Asian countries/regions. The contribution of different countries/regions is as follows: Japan 3.7%, Taiwan 3.2%, India 2.3%, Hong Kong 2.2%, South Korea 2.1%, People's Republic of China (PRC) 1.9%, and Singapore 1.2%. Among all the articles analyzed, 20% have a single author, and 9% have more than three authors; additionally, 22 papers have been cited more than 100 times and 29% have never been cited. Most articles originating in Japan, Taiwan, India, South Korea, PRC, and Singapore are produced in collaboration with local scholars, followed by authors from the United States. Hong Kong is a notable exception, 73% of articles from Hong Kong are produced in cooperation with the PRC, followed by local scholars. The five most productive institutions are as follows: The Indian Institute of Technology, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the National University of Singapore, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the National Chiao-Tung University (Taiwan). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a decision analysis on product integration of family security services and residential fire insurance in the London and Taiwan markets by using the proposed mathematical models for counting sustainable value. This paper shows the five main different results between London and Taiwan markets with ten different parameters of the family security market, to find out the optimal number of family security integrated services for each security company in London. The improvement of the risk aversion effect based on risk and financial management will enhance the market share of the private security industries in the London and Taiwan markets. The results of this research can serve as a reference for the decision-making of private security industries on product integration under sustainable value consideration. The research findings highlight the potential benefits for both the private security industry and the insurance industry in their design and negotiation for product integration to improve both of business operation and achieve corporate social responsibility goals to match the sustainability in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic entomology as the study and ordering of insect biodiversity is a material-based practice that relies on insect bodies as a resource. Especially large amounts of insect specimens were collected and traded globally in the decades surrounding the turn of the twentieth century, often relying on colonial infrastructures. Taking colonial-era Taiwan as a case study, this paper asks under which circumstances specific places became collecting sites. It takes a series of articles on the insect fauna of the island as a point of departure, titled H. Sauter's Formosa-Ausbeute after the German naturalist who sent the specimens around the world in the early twentieth century. It explores how collecting specimens was entangled with colonial infrastructure projects, insect policies, and forest-based industries. After Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, newly constructed railways, including push car lines and logging trains, gave naturalists access to inner frontiers. Conversely, insects moved into the spotlight by disrupting these same infrastructures. A rush into the mountains was brought on by the island's abundance in old growth forests, as evergreen trees such as camphor laurels became valuable export resources. The location of insect collecting sites was determined not just by ecological factors but by forest-based industries and colonial policies as well. As ancient trees were felled and aboriginal peoples violently displaced, insect collectors followed colonial infrastructures into the mountains, resulting in what a German entomologist called the "mass fabrication" of articles about Taiwan's insect fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved one-line evolution formulation is proposed and derived for the dynamic shoreline planforms of embayed beaches. Although embayed sandy beaches can perform several functions, serving as leisure spots and areas of coastal protection, shoreline advances and retreats occur continuously as a result of many natural forces, such as winds, waves, currents, tides, etc. The one-line evolution formulation for dynamic shoreline planforms based on the polar coordinate can be adopted to simulate high-planform-curvature shorelines and achieve better stability and simplicity in comparison with other description coordinates. While the polar coordinate and rectangular control volume are adopted to derive the one-line evolution formulation for dynamic shoreline planforms, the difference between the radial direction of the polar coordinate and the normal direction of the shoreline segment may result in inaccurate predictions of shoreline movements. In this study, a correction coefficient, which can adjust the influence of these two misaligned directions, is derived and included in the one-line evolution formulation, which is based on the polar coordinate. Thus, by considering the correction coefficient, an improved one-line evolution formulation for dynamic shoreline planforms of crenulate-shaped bays is proposed in this paper. Some numerical examples are provided to verify the merits of the proposed improved one-line evolution formulation. Moreover, the proposed numerical approach is applied to simulate the dynamic movements of the shoreline in Taitung—the southeastern part of Taiwan—and the effectiveness of the proposed formulation in solving realistic engineering applications is evidently verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career building can be challenging for young surgeons, especially when topics such as lifestyle, work–life balance and subspecialization arise. Suggestions and advice from senior colleagues is very valuable but many young surgeons do not have such opportunities or are limited to a few senior surgeons. The International Microsurgery Club (IMC), in collaboration with the World Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, organized a combined webinar for this topic and invited world renowned microsurgery masters polled by the IMC members to join, including Prof. Peter Neligan (Emeritus from University of Washington, United States), Prof. Raja Sabapathy (Ganga Hospital, India), Dr. Gregory Buncke (The Buncke Clinic, United States), Prof. Isao Koshima (Hiroshima University Hospital, Japan), Prof. David Chwei-Chin Chuang (Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan), and Prof. Eric Santamaria (Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez, Mexico) on May 1, 2022. Prof. Joon-Pio Hong (Asan Medical Center, South Korea) and Prof. Fu-Chan Wei (Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan) were also selected but unfortunately could not make it and were therefore invited to another event in April 2023, summarized in a recently published paper. There is ample literature reporting on different aspects of developing a microsurgical career but the goal of this session was to offer an opportunity for direct exchange with experienced mentors. Moreover, insights from experienced microsurgeons from different part of the world were more likely to offer different perspectives on aspects such as career building, failure management, and team culture. This webinar event was moderated by Dr. Jung-Ju Huang (Taiwan), Dr. Susana Heredero (Spain), and Dr. Wei F. Chen (United States). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a 50G passive optical network (PON) low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder, decoding performance and area efficiency must be balanced. This paper adopts a layered decoder method to improve the area efficiency of the decoder. By parallel processing of three submatrices and storage reuse of node information, optimizing the matrix partitioning and processing order of the 50G-PON standard, the throughput of 1235 bps was reached under 100 MHz circuit frequency in field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation, and 9.864 Gbps was achieved based on Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company (TSMC) 65 nm synthesis with 800 MHz circuit frequency in an area of 2.61 mm 2 by proposing a mechanism of spare decision storage to avoid errors caused by quantization overflow of the decoder and using full verification to terminate decoding in advance to improve performance. Finally, at an input bit error rate (BER) of 2.3 × 10 − 2 (signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of about 3.72 dB), the output BER was lower than 10 − 12 , and the throughput area rate (TAR) also increased by 2 to 4 times compared with other papers. In conclusion, an area-efficient LDPC decoder without sacrificing decoding performance is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing pressure to cut carbon emissions and develop sustainability plans, companies need carbon credits to offset emissions that cannot be eliminated from their operations, new global carbon exchange to launch in Singapore by 2021 end, the high-quality credit can bridge this gap and play an important role in the overall climate change mitigation strategy. The purpose of this research is to use the production data (including carbon emissions) of paper-making companies in Taiwan to establish a circular economy mathematical programming model and the concept based on the activity cost method (ABC) to explore the impact of different carbon emissions costs (such carbon tax, carbon cap-and-trade, etc.) on the company's production structure and profitability impact. The research results show that different carbon emission cost models have different effects on the company's optimal product-mix and profitability. The managerial implication is to combine the extensive application of the carbon emission credit mechanism, which can offset the carbon emissions in the production process and have a significant impact on the company's sustainable competitiveness. In addition, this study can also enable decision makers to understand the impact of different carbon emission cost models on the profitability of the company's product mix, which can be used as a reference for production planning decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of cultural and creative industries, cultural creativity has gradually become an important factor to promote the value of design in the future, and it is also a trend to integrate "cultural elements" into the design of products. At present, the cultural and creative industries in Western countries and Taiwan are the mainstay of their economic development. We should actively absorb their successful experiences and, with the support of national policies, carry out effective and lasting development of them, as well as continuously improve the quality of cultural and creative products. In today's steady economic development, the emotionalization of cultural and creative consumption has gradually formed a new consumption trend. When cultural and creative consumers buy stationery, they will inevitably have three situations: purchasing instinct, purchasing behavior, and reflection. Therefore, this paper adopts the method based on machine learning to conduct in-depth research on the users of cultural and creative products of "Forbidden Day and Night Set Gift Box." Through the research on the cultural and creative consumption intention of "Forbidden Day and Night Set Gift Box," it can effectively promote the development of domestic cultural and creative enterprises, and then promote the customer satisfaction of cultural and creative enterprises. This paper makes a detailed analysis of it from the perspectives of data processing, feature engineering, classification prediction models, and future development directions. By studying the cultural and creative behavior of users, a deep learning model based on neural network is established. The feature extraction, feature preprocessing, feature selection, and asymmetric data collection in the process of data processing are discussed in depth. In order to further improve the prediction accuracy and conduct more in-depth research, this paper establishes a deep learning prediction model based on depth. This model is experimentally validated and it can be observed that the model is 10% more efficient than the traditional model, so the model can learn data better from the user's behavior in several aspects, and the proposed and practice of this model has good practical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translation plays an important role in communication across languages and cultures. Because translation must balance various requirements arising from globalisation against the goal of communicating distinctive cultural characteristics, it is the focus of increasing attention in culture studies research. This study employs Pathfinding techniques to compare emerging transcultural concepts in translation studies in Taiwan with those found in international literature. Two data banks were established by compiling the abstracts of academic papers in the field of translation studies from the period 2000-2009. The first data bank included abstracts of papers published in major Taiwanese journals, as well as abstracts of master and doctoral theses; the second data bank included abstracts of papers published in international journals listed in the Web of Science (WOS) database. All of the abstracts in the data banks contained at least one word beginning with one of the four prefixes 'trans-', 'post-', 'inter-', and 'cross-'. The researcher then used tools in the WordSmith linguistic analysis software package to extract twenty keywords representing important transcultural concepts. Co-occurrence analysis was carried out on the two data banks and the key concepts were mapped on two-dimensional graphs. The resulting graphs were then examined to gain insight into translation issues relevant to transculturation. It is hoped that comparative studies of this kind can shed light on both domestic and international perspectives on the phenomenon of transculturation and its effects on translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]