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Developing adaptive skills poses a significant challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Personal hygiene, including hand-washing, was particularly important during the Covid-19 pandemic. Video self-modeling (VSM) is an effective strategy for teaching adaptive skills due to its inherent individualization nature. However, the production and implementation of VSM face certain barriers. To address this issue, the present study employed an innovative approach termed iVSM, which utilizes the head-swapping technique to generate self-modeling videos. To evaluate the efficacy of iVSM in teaching hand-washing skills, a single-subject multiple probe design was employed across three preschool children with ASD. The findings indicated that all participants successfully acquired the targeted skill, with two of them achieving mastery following a single intervention session. The implications of these findings underscore the potential of this novel approach to strike a balance between individualization and feasibility, thereby enhancing the broader implementation of VSM within the context of inclusive education. Furthermore, future studies can focus on the comparative research and explore more applications.

Developing adaptive skills poses a significant challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Personal hygiene, including hand-washing, was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Video self-modeling (VSM) is an effective strategy for teaching adaptive skills due to its inherent individualization nature. However, the production and implementation of VSM face certain barriers. To address this issue, the present study employed an innovative approach termed iVSM, which utilizes the head-swapping technique to generate self-modeling videos. To evaluate the efficacy of iVSM in teaching hand-washing skills, a single-subject multiple probe design was employed across three preschool children with ASD. The findings indicated that all participants successfully acquired the targeted skill, with two of them achieving mastery following a single intervention session. The implications of these findings underscore the potential of this novel approach to strike a balance between individualization and feasibility, thereby enhancing the broader implementation of VSM within the context of inclusive education. Furthermore, future studies can focus on the comparative research and explore more applications.

Effective professional development is critical for improving implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in special education. The present systematic review sought to gather evidence exploring the effects and key components of in-service special education teacher training in EBPs. This review identifies six essential components of training programs, including didactic presentation, live modeling, video modeling, practical exercise, performance feedback, and on-site coaching. Our findings suggest that training programs containing all or some of these components demonstrated 90% of effectiveness on teachers' outcomes. Specifically, practical exercises and performance feedback are key components to improve the rate of implementing EBPs with sufficient fidelity and on-site coaching is critical for sustaining the outcomes. Recommendations for effective professional development for special education teachers are discussed.

Abstract Background Vaccine equity has been a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the principle of vaccine equity, donor countries should apply the criterion of needs to make decisions about vaccine donation instead of considering recipient countries’ economic status. We examine whether people follow the same criterion or consider other factors to decide which country to donate vaccines and how many vaccines should be delivered. Methods We conducted online surveys with the design of conjoint experiment in the United States and Taiwan in 2021. 1,532 American citizens and 1,587 Taiwanese citizens were interviewed. The respondents were broadly quota-matched to their respective demographic proportions on the dimensions of age, gender, and education. We estimated the average marginal component effects (AMCEs) of the conjoint attributes by using the OLS regression models with standard errors clustered at the respondent level. Results 15,320 and 15,870 decisions on vaccine donation generated by conjoint experiment respectively in the United States and Taiwan were included in the analysis. Both American and Taiwanese people tend to donate vaccines to countries that suffer severe consequences of COVID-19 and democracies compared to authoritarian countries. However, they are less willing to donate vaccines to those with higher levels of capability in response to COVID-19. Taiwanese people tend to donate vaccines to countries having formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan (AMCE 13.4%, 95% CI 11.8%-15.1%). Nonetheless, American people would rather donate vaccines to countries without formal diplomatic relations with the United States (AMCE − 4.0%, 95% CI -5.6%--2.4%). Conclusions The findings reveal that politics plays a significant role in people’s decisions about vaccine donation. Under electoral pressure, political leaders must think about how to respond to the public’s preferences over vaccine donation to achieve vaccine equity and address the global health crisis.

Background/purpose: Two urease operons were identified in Klebsiella pneumoniae CG43, ure-1 and ure-2. This study investigates whether a differential regulation of the expression of ure-1 and ure-2 exists and how urease activity influences the acid stress response and expression of type 1 and type 3 fimbriae. Methods: The ureA1 and ureA2 gene specific deletion mutants were constructed. Promoter activity was assessed using a LacZ reporter system. The sensitivity to acid stress was determined by assessing the survival after pH 2.5 treatment. The influence on type 1 and type 3 fimbriae expression was assessed using western blotting and mannose-sensitive yeast agglutination and biofilm formation assay, respectively. Results: Bacterial growth analysis in mM9-U or modified Stuart broth revealed that ure-1 was the principal urease system, and ure-2 had a negative effect on ure-1 activity. Deletion of the fur or nac gene had no apparent effect on the activity of Pure1, Pure2-1, and Pure2-2. The Pure2-2 activity was enhanced by deletion of the hns gene. ureA1 deletion increased acid stress sensitivity, whereas the deleting effect of ureA2 was notable without hns. Deletion of ureA1 or ureA2 significantly induced the expression of type 1 fimbriae but decreased MrkA production and biofilm formation. Conclusion: ure-1 is the primary expression system in K. pneumoniae CG43, while ure-2 is active in the absence of hns. Impairment of urease activity increases the sensitivity to acid stress, and the accumulation of urea induces the expression of type 1 fimbriae but represses type 3 fimbriae expression.

Abstract HLA‐G is considered as an immune checkpoint protein and a tumor‐associated antigen. In the previous work, it is reported that CAR‐NK targeting of HLA‐G can be used to treat certain solid tumors. However, the frequent co‐expression of PD‐L1 and HLA‐G) and up‐regulation of PD‐L1 after adoptive immunotherapy may decrease the effectiveness of HLA‐G‐CAR. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of HLA‐G and PD‐L1 by multi‐specific CAR could represent an appropriate solution. Furthermore, gamma‐delta T (γδT) cells exhibit MHC‐independent cytotoxicity against tumor cells and possess allogeneic potential. The utilization of nanobodies offers flexibility for CAR engineering and the ability to recognize novel epitopes. In this study, Vδ2 γδT cells are used as effector cells and electroporated with an mRNA‐driven, nanobody‐based HLA‐G‐CAR with a secreted PD‐L1/CD3ε Bispecific T‐cell engager (BiTE) construct (Nb‐CAR.BiTE). Both in vivo and in vitro experiments reveal that the Nb‐CAR.BiTE‐γδT cells could effectively eliminate PD‐L1 and/or HLA‐G‐positive solid tumors. The secreted PD‐L1/CD3ε Nb‐BiTE can not only redirect Nb‐CAR‐γδT but also recruit un‐transduced bystander T cells against tumor cells expressing PD‐L1, thereby enhancing the activity of Nb‐CAR‐γδT therapy. Furthermore, evidence is provided that Nb‐CAR.BiTE redirectes γδT into tumor‐implanted tissues and that the secreted Nb‐BiTE is restricted to the tumor site without apparent toxicity.

Summary: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy in the world. Recently, scientists have focused on therapeutic strategies to determine the regulation of tumors and design molecules for specific targets. Some studies have demonstrated the clinical significance of human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) in malignancy and NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in promoting tumorigenesis in OSCC. This is the first study to investigate whether aberrant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) induces HLA-G expression through NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated IL-1β secretion in OSCC. Our results showed that the upregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome leads to abundant HLA-G in the cytoplasm and cell membrane of FaDu cells. In addition, we also generated anti-HLA-G chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells and provided evidence for their effects in EGFR-mutated and overexpressed oral cancer. Our results may be integrated with OSCC patient data to translate basic research into clinical significance and may lead to novel EGFR-aberrant OSCC treatment.

ABSTRACT Almost all known Liberibacters can be transmitted by psyllids. This suggests that there is a coevolutionary relationship between these two groups of organisms. However, detailed investigation of Liberibacters and psyllids have often focused on only a few species, thus potentially limiting knowledge on Liberibacter-psyllid associations. This study investigated the infection patterns of a Liberibacter inhabiting Macrohomotoma gladiata, a psyllid species feeding on Ficus microcarpa. Comparison of the Liberibacter’s near-full-length 16S rDNA sequence with those of other known Liberibacters revealed that it is closely related to Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. A survey of different M. gladiata populations in Taiwan using conventional and quantitative PCR (qPCR) indicated that the Liberibacter could be detected with variable frequencies in all the tested populations; the proportions of individuals carrying large Liberibacter populations also differed depending on the population. Additional analysis of a larger set of samples collected from one specific population revealed that the psyllid’s gender and abdominal color were associated with Liberibacter infection density. Significantly greater proportions of individuals with a blue/green abdomen carried high Liberibacter titers. Analysis of the psyllids’ body lengths revealed that body size was not affected by Liberibacter infection status and that females, particularly those with an orange abdomen, tended to be larger. The infection patterns of Liberibacter in nymph-infested and nymph-free twigs of F. microcarpa were also determined, and Liberibacter distribution was found to be associated with the presence of nymphs. These findings broaden the understanding of Liberibacter ecology in general and have implications for managing Liberibacter-associated diseases. IMPORTANCE Despite the ever-increasing interest in Liberibacter-psyllid interactions, most of the current knowledge on the subject has been established from studies focusing on species associated with crop diseases. To obtain a more holistic understanding of Liberibacter ecology, we investigated the infection patterns of a Liberibacter recently detected in Macrohomotoma gladiata, a psyllid pest of Ficus microcarpa. We showed that a Liberibacter closely related to Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus is widely distributed across M. gladiata populations in Taiwan. The study also identified factors associated with the Liberibacter infection patterns, both in M. gladiata and in F. microcarpa. The effects of Liberibacter infection status on psyllid body sizes were also examined. Some of the patterns detected in this work were similar those found in well-known Liberibacters, while some were the opposite. The findings in this work broaden our understanding of Liberibacter ecology in general and may facilitate development of strategies for managing plant diseases.

The essential SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease is of interest as a drug target. Here, the authors identify three 3CL inhibitors and characterize them both in vitro and with a cell-based assay, and they also present the inhibitor-bound 3CL crystal structures, which may allow for the design of improved compounds.

Purpose – As an emerging market of international education, Asian countries ambitiously launched internationalization initiatives and strategies to attract international talent. Since the 1990s, Taiwan's government has implemented various internationalization policies. Partly affected by the political forces of neighboring China, Taiwan's government launched the New Southbound Policy (NSP) as the main regional strategy in 2016. One of the aims of this strategy was to promote mutual talent mobility between Taiwan and New Southbound Policy countries (NSPC). The purpose of this study is to explore how the NSP influences the student mobility scheme in Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopted the qualitative document analysis to investigate and compare the major Asian countries' internationalization focus and summarize Taiwan's internationalization development process and policy priorities. Moreover, a qualitative approach was adopted in order to collect data from 2005 to 2018 to examine Taiwan's student mobility scheme under the policy change. Findings – Under the influence of the NSP after 2016, the student mobility scheme between Taiwan and NSPC could be categorized into five categories in accordance with the mobility rate. Although the nation-driven policy was considered powerful, the unbalanced flow between Taiwan and NSPC became severe. Research limitations/implications – The study lacked statistics on the degree level of outbound Taiwanese students going to NSPC. It could not compare the student mobility scheme between Taiwan and NSPC by degree level. Originality/value – The research looked at the initiatives Asian countries have developed in order to raise higher education internationalization and regional status, which shed light on the national/regional approaches under the global change.

為積極拓展臺灣與東南亞區域之連結，2016 年蔡英文總統在就任後提出新南向政策，希望重新定位臺灣的區域角色，並與區域國家共享資源、人才及市場，建立新興合作模式。本研究以為在人才為國家競爭力重要指標之二十一世紀，如何有效延攬人才成為各國的重要課題，尤其是具備各項流動優勢之國際學生，不僅被視為二十一世紀的重要勞動力來源，更是國際間積極網羅的人才。因此，本研究以東南亞國家協會所領頭的東南亞區域為研究範疇， 探討區域國際學生流動情況，同時透過文件分析與深度訪談，試歸結東南亞區域國家延攬國際人才之具體策略供我國參考運用，並以此檢視我國現行新南向人才交流政策之作為與利基。本研究發現，有鑑於區域經濟崛起，部分東南亞國家正以經濟潛能翻轉國際學生流動市場之地位，猶如世界體系理論中所論：「核心─半邊陲─邊陲」的國家關係為相對且會變動的，在區域尺度流動變革之際，東南亞區域國家積極以政府作為主導力量推行相關措施，此點為我國推行人才交流政策可參照學習之處。尤其在區域國家興起之際，我國更應積極瞭解區域國家需求，提供區域國家發展協助及學生流動所需，方能在區域興起之趨勢下，掌握機會並奠定我國在國際學生市場之優勢與地位。 To actively strengthen the relationship between Taiwan and Southeast Asia, Taiwan launched the New Southbound Policy after the inauguration of President Tsai Ing-Wen’s administration in 2016. The policy aims to reposition Taiwan's critical role in Southeast Asia and share regional resources, talents, and markets with regional countries and establish a new cooperation mode. Especially when talent has become a primary indicator of national competitiveness in the 21st century, attracting talent has become an important issue for all countries. With knowledge and high mobility capabilities, since the 21st century, international students are regarded not only as key labor but also an important talent source in the global market. This study adopted Southeast Asia as the research area to explore the current changes and trends in international student mobility. Through documentary analysis and in-depth interviews, this study examined the current role and foundation of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy and identified specific strategies and recommendations that can be employed by Southeast Asian countries to recruit international talent. The study discovered that in response to economic rising, some Southeast Asian countries have changed their position in the global international student market. As world-system theory highlights, the relationships between core, semi-periphery, and periphery countries are relative and changeable. Notably, Southeast Asian countries have actively implemented relevant measures, with the government as the leading force; this can serve as a reference for Taiwan to promote talent exchange policies. At a time when regional countries are emerging, Taiwan should actively meet their needs and provide assistance to utilize this opportunity to reposition Taiwan in the international student market in response to regional countries rising to prominence.

A kinetics model was established to investigate the effects of condensation of water vapour on the growth of coal-fired particles. The effects of operating parameters on particle growth were numerically studied, including growth time, supersaturation, flue gas temperature, and particle number concentration. The results showed that almost all the particles could grow rapidly more than 2.7 microns in tens of milliseconds. When initial supersaturation is constant, the higher the temperature of flue gas, the larger the amount of condensable vapour and the final diameter of particles. Moreover, when the gas temperature is constant, the higher the degree of saturation, the larger the driving force for vapour condensation and the particle size distribution becomes narrower. Additionally, with the increase of particle number concentration, the competition between particles for water vapours become more intense, and the final diameter for particles are smaller.

With the advent of the aging era, healthcare and elderly care have become the focus of medical care, especially the care of the elderly with dementia. Patients’ confidential data hiding is a useful technology for healthcare and patient information privacy. In this study, we implement an intelligent healthcare system using the multiple-coefficient quantization technology in transform domain to hide patients’ confidential data into electrocardiogram (ECG) signals obtained by ECG sensor module. In embedding patients’ confidential data, we first consider a non-linear model for optimizing the quality of the embedded ECG signals. Next, we apply simulated annealing (SA) to solve the non-linear model so as to have good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), root mean square error (RMSE), and relative RMSE (rRMSE). Accordingly, the distortion of the PQRST complexes and the ECG amplitude is very small so that the embedded confidential data can satisfy the requirements of physiological diagnostics. In end devices, one can receive the ECG signals with the embedded confidential data and without the original ECG signals. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of our method, which remains high quality for each ECG signal with the embedded confidential data no matter how the quantization size Q is increased.

Macrophages and monocytes are innate immune cells playing an important role in orchestrating the initial innate immune response to bacterial infection and the tissue damage. This response is facilitated by specific receptors on the cell surface and intracellularly.

Zinc ions (Zn2+) are important messenger molecules involved in various physiological functions. To maintain the homeostasis of cytosolic Zn2+ concentration ([Zn2+]c), Zrt/Irt-related proteins (ZIPs) and Zn2+ transporters (ZnTs) are the two families of proteins responsible for decreasing and increasing the [Zn2+]c, respectively, by fluxing Zn2+ across the membranes of the cell and intracellular compartments in opposite directions. Most studies focus on the cytotoxicity incurred by a high concentration of [Zn2+]c and less investigate the [Zn2+]c at physiological levels. Zinc oxide-nanoparticle (ZnO-NP) is blood brain barrier-permeable and elevates the [Zn2+]c to different levels according to the concentrations of ZnO-NP applied. In this study, we mildly elevated the [Zn2+]c by ZnO-NP at concentrations below 1 μg/ml, which had little cytotoxicity, in cultured human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and characterized the importance of Zn2+ transporters in 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cell death. The results show that ZnO-NP at low concentrations elevated the [Zn2+]c transiently in 6 hr, then declined gradually to a basal level in 24 hr. Knocking down the expression levels of ZnT1 (located mostly at the plasma membrane) and ZIP8 (present in endosomes and lysosomes) increased and decreased the ZnO-NP-induced elevation of [Zn2+]c, respectively. ZnO-NP treatment reduced the basal levels of reactive oxygen species and Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA ratios; in addition, ZnO-NP decreased the 6-OHDA-induced ROS production, p53 expression, and cell death. These results show that ZnO-NP-induced mild elevation in [Zn2+]c activates beneficial effects in reducing the 6-OHDA-induced cytotoxic effects. Therefore, brain-delivery of ZnO-NP can be regarded as a potential therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Conventional Doppler imaging does not provide angle information, which makes it difficult to obtain flow information, especially for lateral flows. A correlation-based transit-time approach has been developed for estimating the Doppler angle under the framework of a focused-beam architecture, which has a fast computation capability. However, there is still a trade-off between the estimation accuracy and data acquisition time, and so this study applied plane-wave excitation with the aim of mitigating this limitation. In addition, three Doppler-angle estimation methods based on (1) the fast Fourier transform, (2) correlation, and (3) an autoregressive model were used to estimate Doppler angles. The estimation performances and computation loads of the three approaches were compared using simulations and a flow phantom. The simulation results showed that the Doppler angle can be correctly estimated with a sufficient aspect ratio, and Doppler-angle estimation using plane-wave excitation outperformed the focused-beam method. The flow-phantom experiments revealed the minimum number of ensembles required for the different approaches. The velocity-vector profiles were also demonstrated using the correlation and autoregressive methods, to show the feasibility of both lateral and axial velocity estimation using the proposed methods.