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Background/purpose: This study assessed the quality of life (QoL) and pregnancy outcomes among infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment to investigate the association between QoL and IVF pregnancy outcomes.Methods: This study included 686 women with 1205 embryo transfers (ETs). QoL was measured using the fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) tool before ET. FertiQoL comprises two modules: a Core module (including mind/body, emotional, relational, and social domains) and a Treatment module (covering treatment environment and tolerability domains). The FertiQol total and subscale scores were computed and scored in the range of 0-100 (higher scores indicate better QoL). Multivariate generalized estimating equation analyses were carried out to assess the association between QoL and IVF pregnancy outcomes, with adjustment for time-varying factors across multiple ETs for a given person.Results: The lowest score in the core module was for the emotional domain (62.0), and that in the Treatment module was for the tolerability domain (59.4). QoL scores were significantly and positively associated with pregnancy outcomes (i.e., ongoing pregnancy, live birth); with a one unit increase in the emotional domain score, the probabilities of ongoing pregnancy and live birth significantly increased by 2.4% and 2.6%, respectively (p < 0.05).Conclusion: This study evaluated the prospective association between QoL and IVF pregnancy outcomes among infertile women. The results highlight the importance of developing clinical strategies to improve QoL among infertile women undergoing IVF treatment, which may further improve the pregnancy rates of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal areas in Taiwan are facing significant problems, such as an aging population and outflow of local and talented individuals. Meanwhile, metropolitan areas are suffering issues brought on by high density populations. To help close the gap between the development levels of rural and urban areas, the Taiwanese government has initiated the local revitalization movement. The Ministry of Education in Taiwan is also encouraging universities in social responsibility and local revitalization. A number of universities have therefore brought their teams to the coastal areas. However, among the research being done about universities carrying out social responsibility projects in coastal areas, few have investigated the university role and the indispensable elements for future success. This study adopted a qualitative study method and collected and analyzed various sources of data. It first analyzed local revitalization and USR (University Social Responsibility) program in Taiwan. Then it focused on using case studies to explore two university teams that promoted the university social responsibility program in coastal revitalization. Stakeholder interviews were conducted to understand the role which Taiwanese universities play. Finally, suggestions for indispensable elements of university assisting coastal revitalization are proposed. • This study investigated the university role and the indispensable elements for future success when coastal revitalization is carried out via the university social responsibility (USR) program in Taiwan. • The USR teams discussed the local needs with the communities and proposed possible implementation plans. • The university teams combined the USR program and local and central government resources into the curricular so as to cultivate the youth. • The university considered national and local policies and acted as a think tank and provided a platform for communication to the communities. • To help the coastal revitalization movements succeed, the USR program should be problem-oriented, meet with policy, stress capacity building, adopt innovative strategies, and play the role as a resource-sharing platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations has set "Empowering Women in the Maritime Community" as the theme of World Maritime Day 2019, which specifically combines the subjects of gender equality and ocean protection, and emphasizes the need to increase opportunities of exploring the gender issue in the relationship between humans and the ocean. In order to enable diverse gender groups to equally participate in maritime affairs and to achieve substantive gender equality, the research targets to improve the low proportion of single-sex participation in maritime affairs through conducting survey and analysis on the gender statistics from three major sectors of government, education, and industry. Furthermore, the experts' opinions and suggestions were also added to the gender statistics when the researchers explored the actual gender equality situation in Taiwan's ocean affairs. The results of this research show that ocean affairs still do not deviate from traditional workplace stereotypes, and the maritime industry is still a male-dominated workplace. In recent years, with the vigorous advocacy of the government and the private sector, and the establishment of related laws and welfare measures, the proportion of women engaged in marine affairs has gradually increased. However, this field of marine affairs still has both gender level and vertical isolation. Based on the recommendations of experts and scholars, secondary data analysis, and survey statistics, this study integrates future policy research and recommendations for further research methods to urge the government and private organizations to establish a more complete mechanism for the cultivation of marine affairs talents and personnel recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, mesoporous Cu Fe/silicate catalysts were obtained from a simultaneously mixing the NaOH and metal-ion solution to sodium silicate solution and a hydrothermal treatment under alkaline condition without using any organic template. During hydrothermally reaction, the amorphous metal-silicate would reconstruct and formation of the mesostructured Cu Fe/silicate. At appropriate pH values, the silicate species can strongly bind with the Cu2+ ions to form the stable Cu Fe/silicate, and the [Cu2+] in the final filtrated solution is lower than the effluent standard in Taiwan (1.0 ppm). To find the appropriate synthetic parameters, the effects of the pH value, metal to silicate ratio, and the hydrothermal treatment time on the surface areas and mesostructure of the resulted Cu Fe/silicates were discussed in detail. In practice, the mesoporous Cu Fe/silicate catalyst with high surface area of 547 m2g-1 demonstrated a high methanol conversion within 1 h up to >99% at 180 °C to be used as high-performance catalysts for steam reformer of methanol. • Mesoporous Cu Fe/silicate catalysts with high surface area of 547 m2g-1 were obtained. • The [Cu2+] in the final filtrated solution is lower than 1.0 ppm. • The Cu Fe/silicate catalysts demonstrate high methanol conversion up to >99% at 180 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Devising effective management strategies to relieve dependency on private vehicles, i.e. cars and motorcycles, depends on the ability to accurately and carefully examine the effects of corresponding strategies. Disaggregate choice models regarding the ownership, type and usage of cars and motorcycles are required to achieve this. Consequently, this study proposes integrated car and motorcycle models based on a large-scale questionnaire survey of Taiwanese owners of cars and motorcycles, respectively. Incorporating gas mileage and emission coefficients for different types of cars and motorcycles into the proposed models can enable the estimation and comparison of reductions in energy consumption and emissions under various management strategies. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed integrated models, scenarios involving 10% and 30% increases in gas prices are analyzed and compared. The results indicate that gas price elasticities of cars and motorcycles are low, ranging from 0.47 to 0.50 for cars and 0.11 for motorcycles. Additionally, a high ratio of discouraged car users shifting to use of motorcycles neutralizes the effects of increased gas price in reducing energy consumption and emissions. Pollution of CO and HC even slightly increased because motorcycles are much more polluting in terms of CO and HC. At last, the reductions of energy consumption and emissions under 10% and 30% increase (or decrease) in other manipulating variables are also estimated and compared. The countermeasures for reducing ownership and usage of cars and motorcycles are then recommended accordingly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]