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Background: The Binge Eating Scale (BES) is a widely used measuring tool to assess binge eating problems in Western countries. However, the psychometric properties of such scales among cross-cultural youth groups are insufficient, and the factor structure continues to be debated; therefore, further research is needed. The aim of this study was to examine the properties of BES among overweight college students in Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional design and convenience sampling were adopted to recruit 300 overweight students from five universities. A translated Traditional Chinese version of BES was used for the survey, and the validity of the scale was tested using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE). The reliability was evaluated using internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Results: The CFA results showed a reasonable model fit. The first-order two-factor model was consistent with that of the original BES and significantly correlated with the criterion of BITE score. Cronbach's α value, representing internal consistency reliability, and the intraclass correlation coefficient of repeated measures made one month apart were both 0.83, indicating good reliability and stability. Significant correlations were observed between the BES score and sex and BMI; however, no correlation was observed between BES scores and age. Conclusion: The BES presents sound psychometric properties, has good cross-cultural applicability, and can be used as a first-line screening tool by mental health professionals to identify the severity of binge eating behavior among overweight college students in Taiwan. It is recommended that participant diversity and obesity indicators be incorporated into the scale in the future to establish a universal psychometric tool. Plain English summary: The Binge Eating Scale (BES) is a screening tool that has been widely used to assess binge eating problems in Western countries. The current study aimed to test the validity and reliability properties of the BES among overweight college students in Taiwan. This research involved 300 overweight and obese college students while using a traditional Chinese-translated questionnaire in the survey and analyzed with subjective and scientific statistics methods afterward. The results indicated that BES has good cross-cultural applicability and can be used as a first-line measuring tool by mental health professionals to identify the severity of binge eating behavior among overweight or obese college students in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an evaluation model combining the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) for analyzing Taiwan solar energy industries. To begin with, construct a framework and definition criteria based on Balance Scorecard (BSC). Then, the analytical hierarchy process is used in obtaining the relative weight of criteria. Finally, the GRA approach is applied to ranking the performance of solar energy industries in terms of their overall system on multiple evaluation criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-one cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) occurred after exposure in the emergency room at the National Taiwan University Hospital. The index patient was linked to an outbreak at a nearby municipal hospital. Three clusters were identified over a 3-week period. The first cluster (5 patients) and the second cluster (14 patients) occurred among patients, family members, and nursing aids. The third cluster (12 patients) occurred exclusively among healthcare workers. Six healthcare workers had close contact with SARS patients. Six others, with different working patterns, indicated that they did not have contact with a SARS patient. Environmental surveys found 9 of 119 samples of inanimate objects to be positive for SARS coronavirus RNA. These observations indicate that although transmission by direct contact with known SARS patients was responsible for most cases, environmental contamination with the SARS coronavirus may have lead to infection among healthcare workers without documented contact with known hospitalized SARS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]