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The aim of this study was to explore the rehabilitation experiences and perceptions of patients with neurological disorders who have used the Lokomat Augmented Feedback module, a robot-assisted gait training device.A qualitative descriptive study was conducted.Purposive sampling was employed to recruit participants with neurological disorders who have used the Lokomat. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were completed in northern Taiwan. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used.Thirteen interviews were analyzed. Three themes were identified: learning to walk again, inspiring the fighting spirit, and the joys and worries of technological innovation.Strong positive emotions and logistical concerns were associated with the use of the Lokomat.Encouraging patients while also being transparent about the challenges involved in the rehabilitation process and helping set realistic goals is critical. Furthermore, attention directed toward anticipating and mitigating the physical strain associated with the Lokomat is important.

The characteristics of whistlers generated from an observed gigantic jet (GJ) are assessed and possible locations to detect these waves are deduced. Modeling is based on disturbances in the electric field, as measured by NCKU ELF/VLF station, associated with a tree-like GJ event over typhoon Lionrock. The power spectrum of GJ differs from that of common cloud-to-ground lightning; therefore, this study also investigates differences between GJ-generated signals and common lightning-generated whistlers. Detectability is evaluated by considering the absorption of amplitudes resulted from collisional damping associated with the propagation of generated waves. Our results show that in the ionosphere the waves are subject to greater attenuation as the frequency increases; however, a reversal occurs at lower frequencies of a few hundred Hz. The calculated waveforms show that the whistlers generated by the tree-like GJs are preceded by small fluctuations at high frequencies generated by the initiating lightning. Overall, the amplitudes increase with the passage of time; however, they are more randomly-distributed over time for whistlers generated from common lightning. The amplitudes decrease again when lower-frequency components below a few hundred Hz arrive. The amplitudes drop to the order of 1 mV/m as the waves propagate in the ionosphere, which puts them within a range detectable by the instruments on most satellites. Based on the locations of tree-like GJ events observed by ISUAL (Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning), regions of the western and southeastern Pacific Ocean, as well as northern Africa region are the most likely locations to detect these whistlers.

Macrophages (Mϕ) have been reported to downmodulate the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cell against solid tumor cells. However, the collaborative role between NK cells and Mϕ remains underappreciated, especially in hematological cancers, such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We observed a higher ratio of innate immune cells (Mϕ and NK) to adaptive immune cells (T and B cells) in CML bone marrow aspirates, prompting us to investigate the roles of NK and Mϕ in CML. Using coculture models simulating the tumor inflammatory environment, we observed that Mϕ protects CML from NK attack only when CML was itself mycoplasma‐infected and under chronic infection–inflammation condition. We found that the Mϕ‐protective effect on CML was associated with the maintenance of CD16 level on the NK cell membrane. Although the NK membrane CD16 (mCD16) was actively shed in Mϕ + NK + CML trioculture, the NK mCD16 level was maintained, and this was independent of the modulation of sheddase by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 or inhibitory cytokine transforming growth factor beta. Instead, we found that this process of NK mCD16 maintenance was conferred by Mϕ in a contact‐dependent manner. We propose a new perspective on anti‐CML strategy through abrogating Mϕ‐mediated retention of NK surface CD16., The collaborative role between natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages (Mϕ) remains unappreciated in hematological tumors. Here, we found that mycoplasma‐infected chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells were protected by Mϕ from NK cytotoxicity and this protective effect was associated with Mϕ‐mediated maintenance of NK membrane CD16 level in a contact‐dependent manner. Further studies would shed light into potential therapeutics for CML via modulation of interactions between innate immune cells, NK and Mϕ.

Simple Summary The dysregulation of UPS exacerbates the tumor microenvironment and drives malignant transformation. As the largest family of E3 ligases, the SCFF-boxes promotes BRCA progression. FBXL8 was recently identified to be a novel SCF E3 ligase that potently promotes BRCA. Here, we profiled the transcriptome of BRCA patient tissues by global NGS RNA-Seq and TCGA database analyses. A signature of four SCFF-box E3 ligases (FBXL8, FBXO43, FBXO15, CCNF) was found to be pivotal for BRCA advancement. Knockdown of FBXL8 and FBXO43 reduced cancer cell viability and proliferation, suggesting their pro-tumorigenic roles. However, the overexpression of CCNF inhibited cancer cell progression, indicating its anti-tumorigenic role. FBXL8 and FZR1 pulled down CCNF, and double knockdown of FBXL8 and FZR1 caused CCNF accumulation. Additionally, CCNF partnered with a pro-tumorigenic factor, RRM2, and overexpression of CCNF reduced RRM2. Our findings suggest a potential for drugging CCNF in co-modulatory partnership with FBXL8 and FZR1, for anti-BRCA therapy. Abstract Breast cancer (BRCA) malignancy causes major fatalities amongst women worldwide. SCF (Skp1-cullin-F-box proteins) E3 ubiquitin ligases are the most well-known members of the ubiquitination–proteasome system (UPS), which promotes cancer initiation and progression. Recently, we demonstrated that FBXL8, a novel F-box protein (SCFF-boxes) of SCF E3 ligase, accelerates BRCA advancement and metastasis. Since SCFF-boxes is a key component of E3 ligases, we hypothesized that other SCFF-boxes besides FBXL8 probably collaborate in regulating breast carcinogenesis. In this study, we retrospectively profiled the transcriptome of BRCA tissues and found a notable upregulation of four SCFF-box E3 ligases (FBXL8, FBXO43, FBXO15, and CCNF) in the carcinoma tissues. Similar to FBXL8, the knockdown of FBXO43 reduced cancer cell viability and proliferation, suggesting its pro-tumorigenic role. The overexpression of CCNF inhibited cancer cell progression, indicating its anti-tumorigenic role. Unexpectedly, CCNF protein was markedly downregulated in BRCA tissues, although its mRNA level was high. We showed that both E3 ligases, FBXL8 and FZR1, pulled down CCNF. Double knockdown of FBXL8 and FZR1 caused CCNF accumulation. On the other hand, CCNF itself pulled down a tumorigenic factor, RRM2, and CCNF overexpression reduced RRM2. Altogether, we propose a signature network of E3 ligases that collaboratively modulates CCNF anti-cancer activity. There is potential to target BRCA through modulation of the partnership axes of (i) CCNF-FBXL8, (ii) CCNF-FZR1, and (iii) CCNF-RRM2, particularly, via CCNF overexpression and activation and FBXL8/FZR1 suppression.

Environmental education in the academic level is the most effective way to increase environmental awareness of college students particularly in handling plastic waste problems. This study aimed to compare the student&rsquo, s knowledge and behavior on plastic waste problem between environmental science and social science students and to examine the correlation of knowledge and behavior to reduce plastic waste. Through survey of 98 students of National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, we compared the students&rsquo, knowledge and behavior on plastic waste problems by t-Test and Chi-square analysis, and we used Kendall&rsquo, s rank correlation to evaluate the correlation of knowledge and behavior. This study found that the differences in majors resulted in the significant differences in knowledge on the negative impacts of plastic waste, where the students who are majoring in environmental sciences have higher score than the students in social science. Relating behaviors, the differences in majors also resulted in the significant different behaviors to reduce plastic usage, where the students with major in environmental sciences have the better behavior to reduce plastic usage for daily life than the social science students. These behaviors were shown in purchasing products with plastic packaging, preparing shopping bag, re-using plastic bags, taking own meal box, and having food on the sites to reduce single used plastic package. This study also found the positive correlation between environmental knowledge on plastic waste and behavior to reduce plastic waste in the daily life.

In view of global warming issues, the Taiwan government has implemented environmental-related policies and measures for sustainable development through promoting &ldquo, carbon labeling&rdquo, in recent years. Many studies related to carbon labeling have been conducted after its promotion, but the studies on the relationship of subjective knowledge or perceived knowledge on carbon labeling, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), and willingness to buy the products are still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship of subjective knowledge on carbon labeling, consumer perception, and willingness to buy carbon label products, with a case study of packaged tea products in Taiwan. The respondents were Taiwanese adults aged 18 years old and over, who have experience of buying packaged tea. The research was conducted by survey method using non-probability sampling method at convenience retail stores i.e., 7-Eleven and Family Mart. The result showed that (1) the consumers with high subjective knowledge have high willingness to purchase packaged tea products with carbon labels, consumers with high PCE have high subjective knowledge of carbon labeling, and consumers with high PCE have high willingness to buy carbon-labeled packaged tea products, (2) there is a positive linear relationship of subjective knowledge and PCE toward purchase intention of carbon label, and (3) a significant positive correlation between subjective knowledge, PCE, and willingness to buy packaged tea beverage products with carbon labels for the female respondents.

The initiation and progression of breast cancer (BRCA) is associated with inflammation and immune-overactivation, which is critically modulated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase. However, the underlying mechanisms and key factors involved in BRCA formation and disease advancement remains under-explored. By retrospective studies of BRCA patient tissues, and gene knockdown and gain/loss-of-function studies, we uncovered a novel E3 ligase, FBXL8, in BRCA. A signature expression profile of F-box factors that specifically target and degrade proteins involved in cell death/survival, was identified. FBXL8 emerged as a prominent member of the F-box factors. Ex vivo analysis of 1349 matched BRCA tissues indicated that FBXL8 promotes cell survival and tumorigenesis, and its level escalates with BRCA progression. Knockdown of FBXL8 caused: (i) intrinsic apoptosis, (ii) inhibition of cell migration and invasion, (iii) accumulation of two tumor-suppressors, CCND2 and IRF5, and (iv) downregulation of cancer-promoting cytokines/chemokines, all of which curtailed the tumor microenvironment and displayed potential to suppress cancer progression. Co-IP study suggests that two tumor-suppressors, CCND2 and IRF5 are part of the immune-complex of FBXL8. The protein levels of CCND2 and IRF5 inversely correlated with FBXL8 expression, implying that FBXL8 E3 ligase was associated with the degradation of CCND2 and IRF5. Altogether, we propose the exploitation of the ubiquitin signaling axis of FBXL8-CCND2-IRF5 for anti-cancer strategies and potential therapeutics.

The initiation and progression of breast cancer (BRCA) is associated with inflammation and immune-overactivation. The E3 ubiquitin ligase is known to subtly balance immune-overactivation and pro-tumorigenesis. Here, by global transcriptional profiling of BRCA patient tissues, we identified a signature expression profile of F-box factors, of which FBXL8 emerged as a novel key component of E3 ligase. Our ex vivo studies (n=1349) indicate that FBXL8 promotes tumorigenesis and its level escalates with BRCA advancement. Knockdown of FBXL8 caused: (i) accumulation of two tumor-suppressors,CCND2 and IRF5, suggesting their collaborative regulation of BRCA status, (ii) intrinsic apoptosis in BRCA, (iii) inhibition of cell migration and invasion and (iv) downregulation of cancer-promoting cytokines/ chemokines; all of these effects curtailed the tumor microenvironment and suppressed cancer progression. Our findings highlight the translational impact of exploiting FBXL8 and its interaction partners (CCND2 and IRF5) for developing anti-cancer strategies and potential therapeutics to limit BRCA progression.

Cells and soluble mediators of the innate and adaptive immune systems are fundamental components of the tumor microenvironment. Nuclear factors, e.g. transcription factors (TFs) and oncoproteins/cancer suppressors, play important roles in controlling cytokine functions leading to the development, maintenance and metastasis of cancers. Studies focusing on the regulators of the pro-tumorigenic microenvironment are particularly pertinent to early diagnosis and potential development of targeted cancer therapeutics. This review is motivated by new insights into the molecular dynamics of ubiquitination and SUMOylation, which post-translationally modify tumor suppressor TFs, leading to initiation and progression of various cancers like prostate, colorectal, liver and breast cancers. These modification pathways are differentially modulated under various stimuli or stresses in order to sustain the oncogenic potentials. We deliberate on the vicious cycle of infection and chronic inflammation-driven processes of ubiquitination and SUMOylation, resulting in the imbalance in cytokine profiles in the pro-tumorigenic microenvironment.

The social influence in the form of peer pressure is prevalent in many countries across the globe. Peer pressure is the influence of a group on behaviors of individual members of that group such that the individuals tend to follow what everybody does. In the field of business, understanding consumer’s interest is of paramount importance and therefore understanding peer pressure can be a useful tool to persuade consumers to follow their peers and buy the targeted products. How this can help businessmen promote sales and increase the brand awareness thus remains an open question for many researchers. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the importance of peer pressure on the consumption behavior of customers in Taiwan. The hypothesis is that peer pressure has a positive correlation with consumers’ decisions to buy, that is, the more consumers are affected by their peers, the more they are willing to buy products that their friends buy. This study also investigated the possible explanations for the influence of peer pressure on consumption behaviors in Taiwan (if any) and from the results obtained, suggestions on how to attract more customers and increase brand awareness in Taiwan, with respect to peer pressure, were also proposed. Online and printed questionnaires were given to a wide range of participants of different characteristics including age groups, races and gender. The results were then statistically processed using SPSS software. A total of 103 participants took part in the research and the impacts of peer pressure, together with possible explanations, were examined. Possible applications of the results in real life businesses were also given. Key words: Peer pressure, business, consumer behavior, Taiwan.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) modulates carcinogenesis through ubiquitination of cancer-related target proteins, leading to their degradation in the proteasome. This may deactivate tumor suppressors or activate tumor promoters- either way causing homeostatic imbalance. As major components of the UPS, the E2 and E3 enzymes are recognized as pivotal determinants of substrate recognition and ubiquitination. Identification of E2-E3 pairing selectivity is particularly pertinent to early diagnosis and potential development of targeted cancer therapeutics. This review is motivated by recent findings and new insights into the molecular dynamics of ubiquitination triggered by specific E2-E3 pairing, leading to cancer initiation and progression if cancer suppressors are degraded or cancer suppression (if cancer promoters are degraded), respectively. We provide an overview of strategies employed in screening for E2-E3 interactions based on up-to-date studies focusing on the E2-E3 interface motifs. Of considerable recent interest is how E2 and E3 might switch their functional partnerships via UBE2O, which suggests an emerging significance on how UBE2O might influence E2-E3 pairing. Thus, a reflection on the role of UBE2O is included. Finally, we deliberate on the rational and cautious development of anti-cancer cocktail drugs which specifically target E2-E3 interacting residues for precision in cancer-killing with minimal side-effects. To this end, a list of potential future research is proposed.

The purpose of this study is to identify Japanese's green tea consumption preferences among young people in Taiwan between the age of 18-30 and assess the possible tea market opportunities for Japanese's green tea in Taiwan, among young people. Questionnaire was used to collect data which were spread to 200 university students, aged between 18-30 years. Firstly, the tea product tasting survey provided four kinds of Japanese green tea. Next, the questionnaire was divided into four parts. Findings of this study show Taiwanese young people prefer taste attribute as the main factor to selecting their tea preference, to others who choose Minamisayaka mostly as their tea preference, with Benifuuki in second place. This study also aggregates the evaluation of Japanese green tea after tea tasting. Keywords: Green tea, Taiwanese, Japanese, preference. See: Notice of Retraction

The elve is the dominant type of transient luminous event (TLE) at the base of the E region ionosphere. The hydroxyl nightglow (OH* nightglow hereafter) has been reported at a similar altitude. Statistical studies show that the mean heights of elve and OH* nightglow are 87 km and 87.5 km, respectively, and that 91% of the 291 limb elves are located within ±5 km of the altitude of the brightest OH* nightglow emission and both elves and OH* nightglow show the semiannual oscillation (SAO) at low latitude. The physical reasons for the collocation of elves and OH* nightglow are the main focus of attention. A model for elve emission with the environmental-adapted electron density profile is tested with three density profiles of atomic oxygen (O): the original profile from the NRLMSISE-00 model and two other profiles which are shifted 5 km upward/downward from the original. For higher altitudes of the given O density profile, the peak altitudes of the elve emission layers are also increased. This result reveals the leading role of atomic oxygen in the collocation. Furthermore, the altitude variation of elves is compared with the VLF reflection height observed by DEMETER. The latter height not only shows the SAO similarity to the elve/OH* heights but also exhibits a difference between land and ocean. The possible relationship between VLF reflection height and elve/OH* height is also discussed.

// Wai Hoe Lau 1 , Xiphias Ge Zhu 1 , Shamaine Wei Ting Ho 1 , Shu Chun Chang 1, 2 and Jeak Ling Ding 1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore 2 Taipei Medical University, College for Medical Science and Technology, Taipei 110, Taiwan Correspondence to: Jeak Ling Ding, email: dbsdjl@nus.edu.sg Keywords: lung cancer cells, polyI:C-TLR3 suppression of survival and metastasis, anti-IL6 antibody, JAK2/STAT3 antagonists, cytokines and caspase 3/7 apoptosis Received: November 30, 2016 Accepted: February 07, 2017 Published: March 02, 2017 ABSTRACT Activation of TLR3 stimulates cancer cell apoptosis and triggers secretion of inflammatory cytokines. PolyI:C, a TLR3 agonist, activates immune cells and regresses metastatic lung cancer in vivo . Although polyI:C reportedly kills lung carcinomas, the mechanism remains elusive. Here, we demonstrated that polyI:C suppressed the proliferation and survival of metastatic (NCI-H358 and NCI-H292) and non-metastatic (A549) lung cancer cells. Notably, A549, NCI-H292 and NCI-H358 which are inducible by polyI:C, expressed low-to-medium level of TLR3 protein, and were susceptible to polyI:C treatment. By contrast, NCI-H1299, which endogenously expresses high level of TLR3 protein, was insensitive to polyI:C. We showed that polyI:C stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with survival and metastasis in a cell type-specific manner. While A549 and NCI-H292 released high levels of IL6, IL8 and GRO, the NCI-H358 cells endogenously secretes abundant levels of these cytokines, and was not further induced by polyI:C. Thus, NCI-H358 was resistant to the inhibition of cytokine-dependent metastasis. NCI-H1299, which was unresponsive to polyI:C, did not produce any of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. Treatment of A549 with a combination of polyI:C and anti-IL6 antibody significantly decreased IL6 production, and enhanced polyI:C-mediated killing and suppression of oncogenicity and metastasis. While polyI:C stimulated the phosphorylation of STAT3 and JAK2, blockade of these proteins enhanced polyI:C-mediated suppression of survival and metastasis. Taken together, polyI:C alone provoked apoptosis of lung cancer cells that express low-to-medium levels of functional TLR3 protein. The combinatorial treatment with polyI:C and anti-IL6 enhanced polyI:C-mediated anticancer activities through IL6/JAK2/STAT3 signalling, and apoptosis via TLR3-mediated caspase 3/8 pathway.

This study intended to discuss the interactive influence of the emergence, transformation and decline of the railway in Kaohsiung Port on urban development, the population, the activities and the economy in the region during the period of 1895–2010, from the perspectives of urban planning, railway development, population and industry. This study used the crossover analysis method, and used the factors of railway development and urban planning, within a fixed time period, to explore the chain dependence relationship among the industry, the population, the regional economy and the railway stations in Kaohsiung city. This study found that urban planning, economic development, railway development and industry have an interactive influence on the overall urban development. Urban planning promotes the rapid growth of the population, and economic development propels the growth and shaping of the regional economy, thus increasing employment opportunities. In addition, the railway development process moves...

The Sprite and Upper Atmospheric Lightning Imager (ISUAL) on board the Taiwanese satellite Formosat-2 accomplished its first decade operating in orbit. A comprehensive method defining the standardized elve anomaly occurrence rate using limb-viewed observation is demonstrated. We revisit the occurrence of elves during El Niño and La Niña and extend the time series analysis to November 2015. The variation in the enhanced elve anomalies occurrence density (AEOD) follows the change in sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the SSTA-Horseshoe, SSTA-Pacific, and SSTA-Indian Ocean during the warm and cold phases. However, the variation in lightning flash density anomalies (ALFD) is rather ambiguous. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) correlation with the Elve Anomaly Index (EAI) remains significant in Tahiti, while the best correlation between SOI and elves is found in the western/central Pacific Ocean with a correlation coefficient as high as 0.7. In the Indian Ocean the 10-year time frame correlation is moderate, but the relation is obvious during the transition phase between a strong El Niño following La Niña in the region where the synoptic circulation is affected. The weaker convection available potential energy (CAPE) in the upwelling synoptic circulation region provides an environment conducive to the development of elve-producing thunderstorms. This work substantiates the relation between elves/lightning and ENSO in a longer10-year time frame in which elves are more sensitive than lightning to ENSO and the variation in the synoptic circulation.

Hyperglycemia is the most prominent sign that characterizes diabetes. Hyperglycemia favors malignant cell growth by providing energy to cancer cells. Clinical studies also showed an increased risk of diabetes being associated with different types of cancers. In addition, poorly regulated glucose metabolism in diabetic patients is often found with increased levels of chronic inflammatory markers, e.g., interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and emerging evidence has highlighted activation of the immune response in the progression and development of cancer cells. Therefore, uncontrolled proinflammatory responses could conceivably create a chronic inflammatory state, promoting a tumor-favorable microenvironment and potentially triggering immune overactivation and cancer growth. To further understand how hyperglycemia contributes to immune overactivation, the tumor microenvironment and the development of chronic inflammation-associated tumors may provide insights into tumor biology and immunology. This paper provides a brief introduction to hyperglycemia-associated diseases, followed by a comprehensive overview of the current findings of regulatory molecular mechanisms of glycosylation on proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix under hyperglycemic conditions. Then, the authors discuss the role of hyperglycemia in tumorigenesis (particularly in prostate, liver, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers), as well as the contribution of hyperglycemia to chronic inflammation. The authors end with a brief discussion on the future perspectives of hyperglycemia/tumorigenesis and potential applications of alternative/effective therapeutic strategies for hyperglycemia-associated cancers.

NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Clinical trials showed that Hiltonol, a stable dsRNA representing an advanced form of polyI:C (polyinosinic-polycytidilic acid), is an adjuvant cancer-immunomodulator. However, its mechanisms of action and effect on lung cancer have not been explored pre-clinically. Here, we examined, for the first time, how a novel Hiltonol cocktail kills NSCLC cells. By retrospective analysis of NSCLC patient tissues obtained from the tumor biobank, pre-clinical studies with Hiltonol alone or Hiltonol+++ cocktail [Hiltonol+anti-IL6+AG490 (JAK2 inhibitor)+Stattic (STAT3 inhibitor)], cytokine analysis, gene knockdown and gain/loss-of-function studies, we uncovered the mechanisms of action of Hiltonol+++. We demonstrated that Hiltonol+++ kills the cancer cells and suppresses the metastatic potential of NSCLC through: (i) upregulation of pro-apoptotic Caspase-9 and Caspase-3, (ii) induction of cytosolic cytochrome c, (iii) modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (GRO, MCP-1, IL-8, and IL-6) and anticancer IL-24 in NSCLC subtypes, and (iv) upregulation of tumor suppressors, PKR (protein kinase R) and OAS (2′5′ oligoadenylate synthetase). In silico analysis showed that Lys296 of PKR and Lys66 of OAS interact with Hiltonol. These Lys residues are purportedly involved in the catalytic/signaling activity of the tumor suppressors. Furthermore, knockdown of PKR/OAS abrogated the anticancer action of Hiltonol, provoking survival of cancer cells. Ex vivo analysis of NSCLC patient tissues corroborated that loss of PKR and OAS is associated with cancer advancement. Altogether, our findings unraveled the significance of studying tumor biobank tissues, which suggests PKR and OAS as precision oncological suppressor candidates to be targeted by this novel Hiltonol+++ cocktail which represents a prospective drug for development into a potent and tailored therapy for NSCLC subtypes.

A sustainable lifestyle and green consumption are becoming popular nowadays due to increased awareness of environmental issues and many incidents regarding food safety. This has triggered the rapid development of the marketing of green products and the promotion of many green brands which causes confusion among consumers. This paper’s purpose is to evaluate the relationship between this consumer confusion and different Food-Related Lifestyles (FRLs) tending towards green consumption, taking as a case study organic infant milk formula. This study was based on an online survey which was conducted with 381 Taiwanese parents and carried out from January to February 2019. Through cluster analysis, this study categorized the different FRLs into three groups, i.e., consumers unfamiliar with food product quality, consumers who value food quality, and consumers who value food practicality. This study found that there is no significant correlation between different levels of consumer confusion and different FRLs. Furthermore, different consumers’ FRLs have significant correlations with green consumption intention. This study also found a positive relationship between consumer confusion and green consumption intention.

This study addresses the technologies the farmers adopted, their reasons for adopting these technologies and the result of adopting these technologies. The design and strategy used to collect the data needed are both qualitative and quantitative. Farmers who practised traditional farming methods and those who adopted the new technologies were both given survey questionnaires and were interviewed.The result of the study shows that the technologies applied by the farmers are the use of tractors in tilling the ground, the use of machinery in planting, the practice of irrigation and the use of a combination of organic and commercial fertilizers. The reasons for the adoption of the latter are the availability of chemicals and the convenience of their use, and this is used to enhance the growth of plants. The results of the new technology adoption are high yields of produce, production of hybrid crops, and the saving of labour, thus increasing the income of the farmers.

It is necessary to study the reliability of highway and transportation network. The highway and transportation network model was constructed and the degree centrality was measured, at last the reliability of Road-model was analyzed with different nodes failure strategy.

Observing from southern Taiwan on 2 August 2010, a thunderstorm near Luzon Island, Philippines, about 500 km away was found to produce 72 transient luminous events (TLEs). Besides optical images, ULF and VLF sferics of lightning from this thunderstorm were also recorded. This work examines the characteristics of TLE-producing lightning through studying their ULF and VLF sferics. The attenuation of ULF and VLF sferics in the Earth cavity is obtained through analyzing the sferics associated with Imager of Sprite and Upper Atmospheric Lightning elves that occurred within ~1500 km of Taiwan. Amplitudes of the ULF and the VLF sferics are found to vary as D−0.871 and D−1.207, respectively, where D is the source distance from the sferic stations. After normalizing the sferics from the 2 August 2010 storm to 500 km distance, the ratio of the peak ULF and the VLF magnetic fields is found to be distinct for different TLE-producing lightning. The ratio for the halo-producing lightning is nearly 3 times that of the elve-producing lightning, but it is comparable to that of the halo-sprite-producing lightning, although the ULF strength for the halo-sprite lightning is significantly larger than that for the halo lightning. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between the TLE-types using the ULF to VLF peak ratio or the strength of ULF/VLF band emissions of the parent lightning. Comparison of numerically simulated and the observed lightning radiation fields indicates that the best fit discharge time of the elve lightning is about 100 µs, while that for the halo-producing lightning is between 200 and 500 µs.

The checkpoint between the life and death of macrophages is crucial for the host's frontline immune defense during acute phase infection. However, the mechanism as to how the immune cell equilibrates between apoptosis and immune response is unclear. Using in vitro and ex vivo approaches, we showed that macrophage survival is synchronized by SAG (sensitive to apoptosis gene), which is a key member of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS). When challenged by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), we observed a reciprocal expression profile of pro- and antiapoptotic factors in macrophages. However, SAG knockdown disrupted this balance. Further analysis revealed that ubiquitination of Bax and SARM (sterile α- and HEAT/armadillo-motif-containing protein) by SAG-UPS confers survival advantage to infected macrophages. SAG knockdown caused the accumulation of proapoptotic Bax and SARM, imbalance of Bcl-2/Bax in the mitochondria, induction of cytosolic cytochrome c and activation of caspase-9 and -3, all of which led to disequilibrium between life and death of macrophages. In contrast, SAG-overexpressing macrophages challenged with PAMPs exhibited upregulation of protumorigenic cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α), and downregulation of antitumorigenic cytokine (IL-12p40) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). This suggests that SAG-dependent UPS is a key switch between immune defense and apoptosis or immune overactivation and tumorigenesis. Altogether, our results indicate that SAG-UPS facilitates a timely and appropriate level of immune response, prompting future development of potential immunomodulators of SAG-UPS.

Purpose – The purposes of this study are: to investigate the relationship of personal background to online group buying's satisfaction and to establish the relationship between consumer's satisfactions and repurchase intention. Design/methodology/approach – This research used a questionnaire to survey and chose consumers with online group buying experience as research subjects. The study used SPSS statistic software to analyze. Findings – The outcomes of this study are: demographic variables have effects on consumer's online food group-buying satisfaction. Consumer's satisfaction has an effect on repurchase intention. Originality/value – This paper investigates the relationship of personal background to online group buying's satisfaction. It establishes the relationship between consumer's satisfaction and repurchase intention.

For cities, the liberalization of national economies and the creation of a global economy have profound and far-reaching implications: global capitalist restructuring has been a key force in reshaping cities during the late1980s, 1990s and 2000s; it has demanded the production and use of new information technologies and in doing so, has forged new relationships among new technologies and new spatial forms and processes in cities. Technological innovation and territorial restructuring have also deeply modified cities’ emerging socio-economic systems. At the centre of change are the three major global cities – New York, Tokyo and London (Sassen, 1993). Other cities that have been affected by the liberalization and creation of a global economy are found mainly in newly industrializing Asian countries such as Seoul, Singapore and Hong Kong. Bombay, Mexico City and cities in South America are among countries in the developing world that have experienced some change in their economies in response to changing wo...

[1] Three multi-transient luminous events, which were recorded by ISUAL on FORMOSAT-2 and shared a similar generating sequence, are reported. Each event began with a positive cloud-to-ground lightning discharge (CG)-induced sprite, and a secondary gigantic jet (GJ) followed within ~30–50 ms. Then, 1 ms after the GJ, a new sprite occurred near the GJ without associated impulsive lightning signal. The associated electromagnetic signal for one of the events indicates that the GJ is a negative cloud-to-ionosphere discharge carrying a high peak current moment. Cross-analysis of the spectral, image, and electromagnetic data of these three events indicates that the new sprites are likely induced by the secondary GJs, and the high current moment of the secondary GJs appears to be a crucial factor for the induction of the new sprites. Hence, these secondary GJs may have played a role in inducing sprites as much as the negative CGs do for the occurrence of negative sprites.

The Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL), on board the FORMOSAT-2 satellite launched in 2004, is the first instrument primarily dedicated to transient luminous event (TLE) surveys from space. The ISUAL TLE geolocation accuracy and detection efficiency are validated in this paper through two coordinated observation events using ISUAL and the Taiwan TLE ground campaign, the first coordinated space and ground observations. Due to the long distances between TLEs and the observation stations, triangulation required taking the Earth’s curvature into account using spherical trigonometry. After a series of systematic triangulation procedures, the results indicate that the coordinated ISUAL and ground station geolation accuracy is less than 7 km. Moreover, three columniform sprites were recorded at multiple sites during the ground campaign. The triangulation of individual elements shows that the map projection of columniform sprites is nearly circular, parallel and fan shaped. The aforementioned events demonstrate that the columniform sprite distribution patterns are diverse. The average base altitude of the columns is 72.4 ± 2.4 km, and the average terminal altitude is 82.3 ± 1.8 km. The sprite column width is estimated to be < 0.5 km.

The Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) has been operated for more than ten years. The onboard spectrophotometer channel-1 (SP1) was designed to detect the far-ultraviolet (FUV) emissions (N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band) from space. It was found that most of the transient luminous events (TLEs), such as sprites, halos, elves, and gigantic jets, are usually accompanied by FUV emissions. The FUV emission could be utilized as an indicator for searching TLEs because the FUV emission of lightning is severely attenuated in the atmosphere during propagation, although the TLE FUV emissions are still detectable. Furthermore, the elves FUV emission photon flux can also be used to estimate the parent lightning peak current. Therefore, SP1 sensitivity degradation assessment, which affects the observed intensity of FUV emissions, is important. Although ISUAL has a light-emitting diode (LED) which is preset as a standard light source, the emission wavelength range of the LED does not cover the FUV band. We established a method in this study to determine the ISUAL Imager and SP1 sensitivity degradation. We found that the annual degradation rates of the ISUAL Imager and the SP1 are 8.4 and 9.7%, respectively.

The study aims, through an examination of social capital on post-earthquake reconstruction programmes, to assess the impact of government's programmes on integrated community development and to draw policy implications. To this end, the study explores the programmes implemented by the government in the communities of Nantou County after the earthquake. The findings show that of the three measurements, ‘infrastructure improvement’ satisfied most respondents in the three survey areas, but in Lugu Township and in Nantou City, further improvements are needed in ‘unemployment reduction’ and ‘respondents betterment’.

The impact of employee performance on customer behavioural intentions and consumption behaviour is important to service marketers. In many service settings, service organizations require emotional display and personal selling to stay competitive in todays market. Based on a review of service literature, this study investigates the effect of emotions displayed and personal selling on customer purchase amount and re-patronage intention in convenience-goods retail service settings. This work applies mystery shopper methods to data collected from a Taiwan bakery chain. Analysis of the results from 519 responded questionnaires in this study reveal that positive emotions displayed by contact personnel are unrelated to consumption expenditure, but do affect re-patronage intention. Further, the results show that personal selling negatively influences consumption amount. This study suggests that service managers consider enhancing their emotional display perspective in human resource practices, and focus on perfor...

Hedgehog (Hh) proteins are morphogens that mediate many developmental processes. Hh signaling is significant for many aspects of embryonic development, whereas dysregulation of this pathway is associated with several types of cancer. Hh proteins require heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) for their normal distribution and signaling activity. Here, we have used molecular modeling to examine the heparin-binding domain of sonic hedgehog (Shh). In biochemical and cell biological assays, the importance of specific residues of the putative heparin-binding domain for signaling was assessed. It was determined that key residues in human (h) Shh involved in heparin and HSPG syndecan-4 binding and biological activity included the well known cationic Cardin-Weintraub motif (lysines 32-38) but also a previously unidentified major role for lysine 178. The activity of Shh mutated in these residues was tested by quantitation of alkaline phosphatase activity in C3H10T1/2 cells differentiating into osteoblasts and hShh-inducible gene expression in PANC1 human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells. Mutated hShhs such as K37S/K38S, K178S, and particularly K37S/K38S/K178S that could not interact with heparin efficiently had reduced signaling activity compared with wild type hShh or a control mutation (K74S). In addition, the mutant hShh proteins supported reduced proliferation and invasion of PANC1 cells compared with control hShh proteins, following endogenous hShh depletion by RNAi knockdown. The data correlated with reduced Shh multimerization where the Lys-37/38 and/or Lys-178 mutations were examined. These studies provide a new insight into the functional roles of hShh interactions with HSPGs, which may allow targeting this aspect of hShh biology in, for example, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

In this study 2 key interrelated issues were addressed: the main reasons for out-migration occurring in I-Lan county and the characteristics of out-migrants from I-Lan County to Taipei City. The research design and strategy for data collection employed in this study incorporated 2 representative sample surveys, the first comprising 200 out-migrants from I-Lan County, and the second 100 stayers who remained in I-Lan County. It was found that increasing income is not the main reason behind migration.

This study makes use of information on geography, climate, immigration, history and anthropology to analyse interactions between changes in terrain and migration developments in these two areas from 1624 to 1894. Bangang, on the Yunlin-Chiayi plain, was the biggest city in Taiwan during the period 1624–1720. However, the terrain of this area has changed greatly with the coastline moving toward the west about 20 meters per year. Therefore, many cities and harbours in this area were gradually replaced. As a result, much new land was created and many races immigrated into the area. The first Han Chinese migration was led by Yen Shih-Chi and Cheng Chih-Lung in 1624, and entered the coastal area of Yunlin-Chiayi for exploitation. By 1650 it had grown to 25 000 people and that huge number forced the Tsou tribe to begin moving toward Ali Mountain.

Our objectives were to examine the model fitness of leisure volunteering constraint and then to discuss the impact of socioeconomic status on leisure volunteering constraint. Intrapersonal, constraint, and structural constraint were used as the 3 dimensions to measure leisure volunteering constraint. A causal model was tested and the impact of socioeconomic status on leisure volunteering constraint was theoretically constructed. Participants were 285 volunteers who belonged to community volunteering organizations. Results indicate that socioeconomic status has a negative impact on leisure volunteering constraint.

In this paper, the culture and origins of the Shau Aborigines of Sun Moon Lake in Central Taiwan are examined. Conclusions presented in this article depend on clues from documents and long-term observation, that reveal that the characteristics of the Shau Aborigines are quite different from those of other aboriginal inhabitants of Taiwan. They lived on islands for a long time, were good at trading, and had a high material living standard, versatile language, and facial features similar to Western people. It is assumed from many reasonable interpretations of questions concerning their cultural characteristics that they may be descended from Dutch preachers and their families in Shaulon, Tainan, who married local Pingpu Aborigines. The Shau fled from Soulang when Zheng Chen-Kung (also known as Coxinja) attacked in 1661, moving to Mattauw, then to Dorcko, Tilaossen, and finally to Lehyee, the territory of Chou Aborigines, where they settled at Laichi for a time. When they discovered Sun Moon Lake, they moved to its island where they are today.

In this study we analyzed the relationship between social capital and future cooperation intention of owners of recreational farm areas in Taiwan, and explored whether cooperative performance plays a role as a mediating factor between social capital and future cooperation intention. We employed structural equation modeling for the research framework, and LISREL was used to analyze the model. The findings indicate that social capital is a crucial factor that affects future cooperation intention, and cooperative performance is a partial mediator between social capital and future cooperation intention. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The transition from an agricultural based society to an industrial and commercial based society resulted in urbanization in the case of Kaohsiung City. However, in accordance with development, the parks, the green spaces, the rivers, and other natural resources of urban areas should support the concept of biodiversity and promote the ideals of sustainable development, creating rich and exciting views within the city. The ecological corridors of urban areas should not only provide for the propagation of wild animals and organisms, it should also strike a balance in the ecosystem, improve the quality of life for the residents, and strive for the ideals of sustainable development. The study found that Kaohsiung City has its excellent conditions due to the fact that the opening of the harbor and the ecological corridor can be used to direct the wind and through natural convection, lower the city’s temperature. Consequently, it will lower the usage of air condition and energy consumption, creating a green urba...

The author discusses the changing nature of Central Business Districts (CBDs). CBD economic activity measurement through land-use indicators includes CBD resident populations, floor space, and rateable values/rents. Economic indicators include productivity (value added) and employment (working population). Communication links and transportation surveys are discussed. The basic function of a transportation system is moving people from the suburbs to the CBDs. An insufficient and costly transportation system raises the cost of labor. By using transportation surveys and traffic counts, planners can assess the demand for and supply of public and private transportation, and hence efficiently manage the traffic system within CBDs. Some governments have attempted to solve congestion problems by relocating CBDs, but this has not proven successful. In fact, the result has been to spread congestion as firms relocate their labor-intensive activities to new centers in other sections, while keeping their headquarters in the CBD. All these have serious implications on transportation. Thus, planning intervention of this nature must take cognizance of transportation systems. The author discusses CBDs in both London and the New York Metropolitan Region.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly cancer because of its commonly late diagnosis and limited treatment options. SAG (sensitive to apoptosis gene)-dependent UPS (ubiquitin–proteasome system) is a key switch between immune-mediated apoptosis and overactivation-mediated protumorigenesis, prompting us to hypothesize that SAG-UPS modulates chronic inflammation-induced tumorigenesis. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which SAG-UPS regulates death/survival of liver cancer cells. By retrospective studies, we found reciprocal expressions of anti-/proapoptotic factors: SAG/SARM and SAG/Noxa in human primary HCC tissues – the antiapoptotic SAG was significantly upregulated whereas the proapoptotic SARM and Noxa were markedly downregulated, suggesting their involvement in hepatocarcinogenesis. Upregulated SAG-UPS effectively manipulates the levels of high-molecular-weight ubiquitinated SARM and Noxa in carcinoma tissues compared with corresponding normal tissues. SAG-overexpressing HCC cell lines display reduced SARM and Noxa (but not Bcl-2, Bax and Bcl-xL), suggesting that SARM and Noxa are specific substrates of SAG-dependent ubiquitination. SARM overexpression activated caspase-3 and caspase-9, reducing cell viability. SAG knockdown significantly elevated apoptosis with increased cytosolic cytochrome c, confirming SAG-mediated antiapoptosis in HCC. SAG overexpression stimulated protumorigenic cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF, but not antitumorigenic IL-12p40 and anti-inflammatory IL-10. This is consistent with higher proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF) in hepatoma compared with healthy tissues. Altogether, early stage-upregulated SAG-UPS exacerbates hepatocarcinogenesis progression, through: (1) ubiquitination-mediated degradation of proapoptotic SARM and Noxa; and (2) production of protumorigenic cytokines that induce a protumorigenic microenvironment, conferring survival advantage to HCC cells. Thus, we propose SAG-UPS to be an early diagnostic marker for HCC, and a potential target for therapeutics development.