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Background: Long-term behaviour change in type 2 diabetic patients may provide effective glycemic control. Purpose: To investigate the key factors that promote behaviour change in diabetic subjects using the transtheoretical model. Methods: Subjects were selected by purposive sampling from type 2 diabetes outpatients. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data related to the stages of behavioural change. HbA1C values were measured to evaluate glycemic control. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple regression and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Routine management of diabetes was a key factor in behaviour change, which correlated indirectly with HbA1C values through compliance and was positively affected by social support. Undermining from family or friends was directly associated with HbA1C. Conclusions: Based on factors influencing stages of behaviour change in diabetic subjects, tailoring a programme to help patients balancing life-style with diabetes, strengthening the patients' perceived confidence in routine management, and establishing a patient-friendly environment as well as support systems may show promise for changing the behaviours in all diabetic patients. (Contains 5 tables, 1 figure, and 1 note.)

Simple Summary: This study reviews the development of the cetacean stranding response program in Taiwan from 1994 to 2018, and examines 1320 stranding events involving 1698 animals across at least 27 species. The stranding rates have increased significantly over the years, with a notable rise in annual events from 16 to over 90. Seasonal variation demonstrates higher stranding rates during the northeastern monsoon season. The study highlights the spatial distribution of strandings, with the highest frequency in northern Taiwan and mass strandings predominantly in the southwest. Additionally, live strandings accounted for 29.5% of events and 38.9% of animals. The rescue and rehabilitation of some individuals have been conducted, and 15 individuals have been released since 2000. The findings underscore the diversity and stranding patterns of cetaceans around Taiwanese waters, and provide valuable information for developing conservation strategies in the western Pacific. A national cetacean stranding response program in Taiwan has evolved significantly in the past three decades. Initially co-ordinated by National Taiwan University from 1994, the program transitioned to the Taiwan Cetacean Society in 1999, and local governments took on a more prominent role after 2009. A comprehensive stranding database (1994–2018) has been maintained, which documented 1320 stranding events involving 1698 animals from at least 27 species. The most commonly stranded species include finless porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, Kogia spp., and Risso's dolphins. The stranding rates varied annually and seasonally, with increases noted from an average of 16 events per year for the first 3 years to 44–58 events per year between 1997 and 2015, and a sharp rise to over 90 events per year for the period of the last three years. Seasonal variations were also significant, with higher stranding rates during the northeastern monsoon (NEM, October to next April) than that during southwestern monsoon (SWM, May to September). From the aspect of distribution, more frequent and even strandings occurred along the coast of northern Taiwan, while mass strandings were concentrated in the southwestern counties during NEM. Among all strandings, 390 events (29.5%) and 660 animals (38.9%) were live ones. Under great effort in rescuing and rehabilitating 52 cases, 15 cetacean individuals have been released since 2000. Additionally, there have been 56 mass strandings involving at least 11 species since 1994, predominated by pygmy killer whales, particularly during the NEM season along the southwest coast. This study not only contributes to our understanding of the stranding patterns and diversity of the cetaceans in Taiwan, but also provides valuable insights for future conservation strategies on cetaceans in the western Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale and Objective: Gut microbiota have been targeted by alternative therapies for non-communicable diseases. We examined the gut microbiota of a healthy Taiwanese population, identified various bacterial drivers in different demographics, and compared them with dialysis patients to associate kidney disease progression with changes in gut microbiota. Study Design: This was a cross-sectional cohort study. Settings and Participants: Fecal samples were obtained from 119 healthy Taiwanese volunteers, and 16S rRNA sequencing was done on the V3-V4 regions to identify the bacterial enterotypes. Twenty-six samples from the above cohort were compared with fecal samples from 22 peritoneal dialysis and 16 hemodialysis patients to identify species-level bacterial biomarkers in the dysbiotic gut of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Results: Specific bacterial species were identified pertaining to different demographics such as gender, age, BMI, physical activity, and sleeping habits. Dialysis patients had a significant difference in gut microbiome composition compared to healthy controls. The most abundant genus identified in CKD patients was Bacteroides , and at the species level hemodialysis patients showed significant abundance in B. ovatus , B. caccae, B. uniformis , and peritoneal dialysis patients showed higher abundance in Blautia producta (p ≤ 0.05) than the control group. Pathways pertaining to the production of uremic toxins were enriched in CKD patients. The abundance of the bacterial species depended on the type of dialysis treatment. Conclusion: This study characterizes the healthy gut microbiome of a Taiwanese population in terms of various demographics. In a case-control examination, the results showed the alteration in gut microbiota in CKD patients corresponding to different dialysis treatments. Also, this study identified the bacterial species abundant in CKD patients and their possible role in complicating the patients' condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study applied the social-ecological framework to explore factors associated with adolescents' experiences in bullying victimization in Taiwanese middle schools. Data include a random sample of 1,262 students, ages 13–15, from 43 middle schools in Taiwan's New Taipei City. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling was utilized to analyze the data, which included hierarchical and nested structures, such as individual and area level variables. Descriptive statistics and basic inferential analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses that individual (delinquency), family (parental monitoring), school (teacher support and teacher/staff punishment), community (community environment), and area levels (poverty rate) were associated with bullying victimization. Findings reveal that individual (Grade 7, conduct problems), school (teacher/staff punishment), community environment, and criminal activities had significant effects on bullying victimization in Taiwan. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As culture has brought unlimited possibility and business opportunities, the countries propose the cultural and creative industry to strengthen the distinctive feature of their own, to distinguish the cultural differences of every country, and to avoid assimilation of powerful countries and neighbor countries, thereby revitalize the economy of that country. In countries affected by Austronesian culture, such as Taiwan and New Zealand, the rules by the Western colonial powers caused impact of different cultural uniqueness, which led to cultural differences. It is important to figure out the way to integrate exclusive cultures into diverse cultures in order to identify the cultural features of the country, promote the country's culture to others and realize the goal of the cultural and creative industry. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to provide the application of Fuzzy C‐means on cultural and creative products for designers. Finally, through the result of the design of case, cultural and creative products developed from Taiwan and New Zealand, fulfilled the purpose that the theory has been realized in practice, and the products successfully entered the markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employment of migrant care workers (MCWs) is increasing, globalising, and is feminised, but the style, nature and extent of MCW policy in Taiwan is very different. This study explores the specific path for MCW policies amidst the globalisation of MCWs and analyses the intersection of the care, migration and employment regimes and compares these to South Korea’s and Japan’s migrant worker policies. This gives a deeper understanding of the formation and transition for Taiwan’s MCW policy. The similarities and uniqueness of Taiwan MCW policy are discussed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Asia will soon have the majority of demented patients in the world.Objective: To assess dementia using a uniform data system to update the current status of dementia in Asia.Methods: A uniformed data set was administered in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia to gather data with regard to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its related issues for these countries.Results: In total, 2,370 AD patients and their caregivers were recruited from 2011 to 2014. The demographic characteristics of these patients and the relationships between patients and caregivers were different among individuals in these countries (p < 0.001). Of note, the family history for having dementia was 8.2% for females in contrast to 3.2% for males.Conclusion: Our study highlighted the differences in dementia assessment and care in developing versus developed countries. Greater effort with regard to studying dementia, especially in developing countries, is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse is a serious issue in Taiwan because of rapid growth among the aging population and the deterioration of traditional values. Understanding of elder abuse in Taiwan has been fragmented, as a bulk of studies have primarily focused on socio-demographic characteristics and past childhood abuse. Only a handful of studies have focused on the environmental contexts. To address this research gap, we systematically review the prevalence, socio-demographic characteristics, and risk factors associated with elder abuse in Taiwan by applying Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework. Twenty-nine research articles are reviewed to address this research gap. Practice and policy implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest thinning is an important method for managing forests, changing forest structure, biological diversity and community. This study examined forest thinning effects on macrofungal diversity and the environmental factors affecting fruiting and community structure. Field surveys were conducted from 2006 to 2010 in 35-year-old Cryptomeria japonica plantations in central Taiwan. Thinning was completed in October 2007 and included control, 25% thinning, and 50% thinning treatments. Each treatment had four replications. Forest thinning and time affected macrofungal species richness observed but not abundance. Thinning influenced macrofungal community compositions; however, the difference between the two thinning intensities was not significant. The macrofungal community showed significant differences between communities of eastern and northern aspect. A redundancy analysis indicated that macrofungal communities in the C. japonica plantations were significantly affected by relative humidity, light, canopy cover, soil water content, soil temperature, soil pH value and soil texture. The fruiting of a dominant coral fungal species, Scytinopogon sp., was affected by thinning and light. The fruiting bodies of this species decreased in the 25% thinning plots and disappeared in 50% thinning plots in the first two years post-thinning, but were recorded in the third year post-thinning. After thinning, macrofungal species richness observed decreased, the community changed, and changes were associated with environmental conditions. Forest thinning decreased observable macrofungal diversity and changed the community structure, and these changes were associated with environmental variation after thinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food is one of the most important dimensions of resource partitioning for species coexistence. In this study, we investigated the dietary composition and foraging habits of three sympatric odontocetes in order to identify their levels of food niche overlap and ecological separation. Stomach content analysis was performed on samples collected from carcasses confiscated by police or entangled in gill nets from 1994 to 2001, including 27 Risso's dolphins (GG) ( Grampus griseus), 27 Fraser's dolphins (LH) ( Lagenodelphis hosei), and 45 pantropical spotted dolphins (SA) ( Stenella attenuata). GG consumed only cephalopods, with Enoploteuthis chunii accounting for 90.5% of total prey consumed, LH fed on mesopelagic fishes and cephalopods, dominated by hatchetfish, Polyipnus stereope (50.2%), and SA ate both mesopelagic and epipelagic preys, primarily fishes of Myctophum asperum (20.3%) and squids of E. chunii (25.8%). Among the three odontocetes, GG had the narrowest dietary niche width, while SA had the widest width. Both the niche overlap index and the analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) showed significant diet differentiation among these three dolphin species. The depth distribution of their principal prey items further suggests that LH feeds in the deepest waters while SA utilizes prey resources near surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a laboratory incubation approach to measure rates of net N mineralization and nitrification in forest soils from Fu-shan Experimental Forest WS1 in northern Taiwan. Net mineralization rates in the O horizon ranged from 4.0 to 13.8 mg N kg−1 day−1, and net nitrification rates ranged from 2.2 to 11.6 mg N kg−1 day−1. For mineral (10–20 cm depth) soil, net mineralization ranged from 0.06 to 2.8 mg N kg−1 day−1 and net nitrification rates ranged from 0.02 to 2.8 mg N kg−1 day−1. We did not find any consistent differences in N mineralization or nitrification rates in soils from the upper and lower part of the watershed. We compared the rates of these processes in three soil horizons (to a soil depth of 30 cm) on a single sampling date and found a large decrease in both net N mineralization and nitrification with depth. We estimated that the soil total N pool was 6,909 kg N ha−1. The present study demonstrates the importance of the stock of mineral soil N in WS1, mostly organic N, which can be transformed to inorganic N and potentially exported to surface and ground water from this watershed. Additional studies quantifying the rates of soil N cycling, particularly multi-site comparisons within Taiwan and the East Asia–Pacific region, will greatly improve our understanding of regional patterns in nitrogen cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porphyritic hornblende andesite showing wheat-grain stone is known as a “wheat-rice-stone” (WRS) or “mei-fun-shi” (MFS), and has many applications in industry. However, its compositions have not yet been fully investigated. Samples of the porphyritic hornblende andesite from the Tuluanshan Formation (Pleistocene) on the eastern coast range of Taiwan, the Mainland China, and commercial products from Japan were collected in order to characterize their physical and chemical properties, and mineralogical compositions. The major component in the WRS has been identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) as a smectite. Cation-exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable cations of the WRS were related to its water-softening ability. Infrared and elemental analyses indicated that this smectite contained large amounts of water and has a low concentration of nitrogen. Scanning electron micrographs of the porphyritic hornblende andesite displayed a honeycombed polygonal pattern, which has replaced the original bubbled-wall shards. It is because of its water retention capacity rather than its mineral composition that the WRS was used as a fertilizer. The WRS is capable to sorb heavy metals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We used the buried-bag in situ incubation technique to quantify net rates of N mineralization and nitrification in a forest ecosystem in northeastern Taiwan. At the near-ridge top site, NH4+ concentrations in the organic horizon (O horizon; 2–0 cm) ranged from 14.5 to 58.5 mg N kg−1 and NO3− varied from 2.5 to 7.8 mg N kg−1. In the lower part of the watershed, NH4+ concentrations in the O horizon were between 10.3 and 28.8 mg N kg−1 and NO3− varied from 2.6 to 20.1 mg N kg−1. There were slightly lower soil NH4+ concentrations during the summer than other seasons. Using the buried-bag technique, we estimated net mineralization rates to vary between 0.02 and 0.28 mg N kg−1 soil per day and net nitrification rates between 0.02 and 0.26 mg N kg−1 soil per day at the upper site. Rates of both processes were lower during the summer and were positively related to soil moisture content. We speculate that differences in soil texture are likely related to the differing pattern in concentrations of inorganic soil N between the two sites. N mineralization was positively correlated with nitrification rate (r=0.820, P<0.001) and relative nitrification (slope of this relationship) was 0.709, indicating the dominance of nitrate cycling relative to ammonium cycling. Our results show that improved knowledge about rates of fundamental ecosystem nutrient cycling processes in watersheds in Taiwan can contribute to our understanding of regional variation in rates of ecosystem function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Sixteen third-order Oligo-Miocene well-log sequences are identified in Taiwan. • These sequences are deposited in the northeast passive margin of the South China Sea. • Sequence development is governed by eustasy but modulated by local tectonics. Oligocene-Miocene sediments in the Taiwan region were accumulated in the NE passive-continental margin of the South China Sea. We utilized around ~200 boreholes and reflection seismic data to study the Oligo-Miocene sequence stratigraphic framework in the Taiwan region. Major sequence boundaries are used to map out various sediment isopach maps, enabling us to decipher dominant tectonic events during the course of passive-margin evolution. The Oligocene-Miocene succession is divided into 16 sequences on the basis of well-log correlation. These 16 sequences can be grouped into four (A, B, C, D) sequence sets. Isopach maps of sequence sets B and C (~21–12.5 Ma) show that they blanket the west Taiwan basins with relatively uniform thickness deposited during uniform and slow basement subsidence. Sequence sets A (~30–21 Ma) and D (~12.5–6.5 Ma), however, thickened into fault-bounded troughs, recording two extensional events that were especially active in the outer margin (i.e., the Tainan Basin). There is a general correlation between the Taiwan Miocene sequences and the glacioeustasy during the interval ~21–6.5 Ma. Therefore, eustasy is the dominant control on the Taiwan Miocene stratigraphic development. The deposition of the sequence set A during ~30–21 Ma and possibly the sequence set D in the outer margin during the late Miocene, however, appears to have been strongly modulated by extensional tectonics and local sedimentary factors (e.g., rates of basin subsidence, sediment supply and basin physiography, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]