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Parentage testing is crucial for forensic DNA analysis, using short tandem repeats (STRs). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with high minor allele frequency (MAF) are promising for human identification. This study aimed to develop SNP markers for parentage testing in the Taiwanese population and compare their accuracy with STRs. The TPMv1 SNP microarray (714,457 SNPs) was used to screen 180,000 Taiwanese individuals and analyze the SNP data using PLINK. After quality control, allelic distribution, and MAF considerations, a set of SNPs with significant inheritance information was selected. Parentage testing was conducted on 355 single parent-child pairs using both STRs and SNPs, employing three kinship algorithms: identity by descent, kinship-based inference for genome-wide association studies, and the combined paternity index/probability of paternity (CPI/PP). An Affymetrix signature probe for kinship testing (ASP) was also used. Based on the quality control and selection criteria, 176 SNPs with MAF > 0.4995 were selected from the Taiwanese population. The CPI/PP results calculated using SNPs were consistent with the STR results. The accuracy of the SNPs used in the single-parent-child parentage testing was > 99.99%. The set of 176 SNPs had a higher identification rate in the single parent-child parentage test than in the ASP. The CPI/PP value calculated using 176 SNPs was also more accurate than that calculated using ASP. Our findings suggest that these 176 SNPs could be used for single-parent-child parentage identification in the Taiwanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: The overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) has been observed in asthmatic patients, yet the role of MMP9 genotype in determining asthma susceptibility remains unresolved. This study aimed to elucidate the contribution of MMP9 promoter rs3918242 genotype to asthma risk in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: A cohort comprising 453 non-asthmatic healthy controls and 198 asthmatic cases was assembled, and the MMP9 rs3918242 genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. Results: Our findings indicated that people carrying the variant CT or TT genotype of MMP9 rs3918242 did not demonstrate an elevated risk of asthma compared to wild-type CC carriers (odds ratio=1.28 and 1.72, 95% confidence interval=0.87-1.87 and 0.72-4.13; p=0.2417 and 0.3201, respectively). Furthermore, individuals carrying the T allele at MMP9 rs3918242 did not exhibit a higher risk of asthma than those carrying the C allele (odds ratio=1.31, 95% confidence interval=0.96-1.79, p=0.0869). Interestingly, a positive association was observed between MMP9 rs3918242 CT or TT genotypes and the severity of asthma symptoms among asthmatic patients (p=0.0035). Conclusion: Although the T allele at MMP9 rs3918242 was not associated with asthma risk, it may serve as a predictor for asthma symptom severity. These findings warrant validation in larger and more diverse populations to further elucidate the significance of MMP9 in asthma etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Here, we report the distribution of HLA-DPB1 alleles studied in a cohort of 55 randomly collected blood samples from unrelated Taiwanese individuals and the deduced most likely HLA haplotypes associated with the defined DPB1 alleles in the cohort. Our aim is to reveal the unprecedented data on the distribution of HLA-DPB1 alleles in the Taiwanese population and to find out the most probable HLA haplotypes associated with the HLA-DPB1 alleles detected. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The material for this study was blood samples, preserved in K2EDTA and/or acid citrate dextrose anticoagulants. The blood donors were voluntary individuals of Tzu Chi Bone Marrow Donor Registry, Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital. Sequence-based typing of the Sanger’s sequencing method was performed for the HLA allelic typing. To discern the HLA-DPB1 alleles, exons 2 and 3 of the HLA-DPB1 locus were sequenced. Target exon sequence amplifications were achieved by polymerase chain reaction, and the resulting amplicons were sequenced by BigDye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction Kit according to the manufacturer’s protocols. Results: In the total number of 55 randomized unrelated Taiwanese individuals studied, we detected 11 different HLA-DPB1 alleles. DPB1*05:01 (44.54%) was the allele with the highest frequency observed and the next highest frequency allele found was DPB1*02:01 (17.27%), while DPB1*38:01 (0.90%) and DPB1*700:01N (0.90%) ranked the least observed DPB1 alleles. Conclusion: Our findings in this study may be useful in researches reinforcing the comprehensive understanding on the distribution of DPB1 alleles and their associated HLA haplotypes and their clinical applications in Taiwanese.

Purpose: Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) combined with endocrine therapy have demonstrated significant clinical benefits in progression-free and overall survival. This study investigates the outcomes associated with two kinds of CDK4/6i in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive metastatic and relapsed breast cancer to inform real-world evidence of treatment strategies. Methods: This retrospective study included 340 Taiwanese patients with HR-positive advanced breast cancer from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital, between 2018 and 2023. We analyzed patient characteristics, treatment strategies and outcomes associated with two CDK4/6i. The efficacy of patients who experienced economic burden and interrupted CDK4/6i treatment after 2 years of National Health Insurance (NHI) reimbursement was also investigated. Results: Patients receiving ribociclib and palbociclib showed no significant differences in age, histology, body mass index(BMI), or pathologic status. The distribution of disease status and endocrine therapy partners was comparable between the two groups. Dose reduction was similar, while patients with palbociclib tended to discontinue CDK4/6i usage, and those with ribociclib tended to switch to the other CDK4/6i or endocrine partners. There was no significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) between the two CDK4/6i in the first-line setting. Adverse prognostic factors were increasing HER2 IHC score, higher Ki-67 levels, visceral and liver metastasis, prior chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy resistance, while higher BMI, bone-only metastasis, and letrozole treatment were associated with a lower risk of progression. The limited follow-up time in our study was insufficient to assess the outcomes of patients treated with interrupted CDK4/6i for up to two years under the NHI reimbursement policy. Conclusion: Treatment outcomes between the two types of CDK4/6i did not differ significantly, indicating the safety and efficacy of CDK4/6i for the Asian population. Ribociclib and palbociclib showed similar efficacy in PFS in the real-world setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nucleotide mutation in codon 113 of HLA‐A*11:01:01:01 results in a novel allele HLA‐A*11:479N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. Several susceptibility loci associated with TS have been identified previously in populations of European descent using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, the exact pathogenic mechanism underlying TS is unknown; additionally, the results of previous GWAS for TS were based on Western populations, which may not translate to other populations. Therefore, we conducted a GWAS in Taiwanese patients with TS and chronic tic disorders (CTDs), with an aim to elucidate the genetic basis and potential risk factors for TS in this population. Methods: GWAS was performed on a Taiwanese TS/CTDs cohort with a sample size of 1007 patients with TS and 25,522 ancestry-matched controls. Additionally, polygenic risk score was calculated and assessed. Results: Genome-wide significant locus, rs12313062 (p = 1.43 × 10−8) and other 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms, were identified in chromosomes 12q23.2, associated with DRAM1 and was a novel susceptibility locus identified in TS/CTDs group. DRAM1, a lysosomal transmembrane protein regulated by p53, modulates autophagy and apoptosis, with potential implications for neuropsychiatric conditions associated with autophagy disruption. Conclusions: This study conducted the first GWAS for TS in a Taiwanese population, identifying a significant locus on chromosome 12q23.2 associated with DRAM1. These findings provide novel insights into the neurobiology of TS and potential directions for future research in this area.

A value–belief–norm (VBN) model for understanding the pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) of Taiwanese was developed. This formulated VBN model included personal values, openness to change, awareness of consequences, personal norms, social norms, and PEB. Ecological world view and ascription of responsibility were excluded to develop a tighter model. A total of 1079 completed questionnaires were collected and structural equation modelling was utilized, where standard estimates and coefficients of determination validated the formulated VBN model's effectiveness. Each construct served its role as the mediator between its distal variable and outcome variable, with a substantial level of predictive accuracy, and 74.3% of the variance in PEB was accounted for. Further findings found that mature individuals had a stronger tendency towards awareness of consequences due to personal values; the young had a stronger tendency towards personal norms due to awareness of consequences; men had a stronger tendency towards personal norms due to awareness of consequences; and women had a weaker tendency due to a greater emphasis on altruism. Future interventions, such as sharing of personal pro-environmental lifestyles verbally or through social media, periodically decluttering personal items and maintaining a minimalist lifestyle, where these personal norms are in line with collective social norms, could help to strengthen PEB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background People of color (POC) are often underrepresented in clinical studies evaluating the safety and effectiveness of aesthetic products, including hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, for which there is to date limited clinical data in POC. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of a new line of dynamic resilient HA fillers (RHA; Revance, Nashville, TN) for treating moderate-to-severe nasolabial folds (NLFs) in POC vs non-POC. Methods Post hoc subgroup analyses compared the efficacy and safety of POC vs non-POC subjects treated with RHA2, RHA3, or RHA4 for correction of moderate-to-severe NLFs in the pooled per-protocol population (N = 217) in 2 clinical trials. Evaluated population cohorts were classified by Fitzpatrick skin type (FST) (high FST [IV-VI] vs low FST [I-III]) and by subject-reported race (non-White vs White) relative to baseline at 6, 9, 12, and 15 months. Results POC consistently showed greater improvement in wrinkle severity and higher responder rates compared with non-POC, which reached statistical significance at several measured time points. Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale scores and subject satisfaction ratings were similar for POC and non-POC and remained high throughout the course of the study. Treatment-related adverse event rates were generally lower for high FSTs vs low FSTs, with no reported cases of keloidal scarring. Conclusion The RHA line of dynamic fillers is well tolerated and effective for the correction of moderate-to-severe NLFs in POC and can be confidently used in this important and growing patient population. See the abstract translated into Hindi, Portuguese, Korean, German, Italian, Arabic, Chinese, and Taiwanese online here: https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjad251. Level of Evidence: 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of young native speakers of Taiwanese, the variant of Southern Min spoken in Taiwan, has decreased. Technological advancements such as text-to-speech (TTS) systems could help arrest this decline. The aim of this study was to design a robust tonal phoneme corpus and a speech synthesis system for Modern Literal Taiwanese (MLT). MLT subsyllables were analyzed using phonetics and phonology to establish tonal phoneme models. These robust tonal phoneme models and hidden Markov models were used to construct an MLT TTS synthesis system. Algorithm-based training resulted in 869 balanced sentences containing 12,544 syllables, with each sentence containing an average of 14.4 syllables. In total, 218 sentences, which included rare phonemes, were manually drafted to supplement the corpus. The synthesized phonemes were deemed to have high intelligibility and could be included in the developed TTS system. According to the HTK speech recognition tool, the overall phoneme recognition rate was 96.47%. Testers, who were native Taiwanese speakers, assigned the synthesized sentences a mean opinion score of 4, indicating that they sounded natural. This developed system and the results described herein can inspire future developments in speech technology and computational linguistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 5 years, aesthetic surgery of the buttock has changed a lot with the use of technologies like imaging ultrasound to get safer and more beautiful results. These techniques are not only used to make a safer fat infiltration in the buttock, but also for modeling it. The aim of this study was to describe ultrasound-guided subiliac crest deep fat liposuction for contouring the buttock-back region. This area is often overlooked in gluteal frame management because of the depth at which it is located. Healthy patients were chosen for whom this deep back ultrasound technique was performed to improve the gluteal frame. The technique involved making a small incision in the iliac crest of the ilium, followed by identification of the area of deep posterior fat below the iliac crest under ultrasonographic control. A cannula was positioned to deliver static tumescent infiltration and liposuction was performed. This study included 16 female patients aged 20 to 45 years old who underwent this procedure. The area was infiltrated with 150 to 200 mL of tumescent solution per side, and 175 to 200 mL of fat was obtained. The depth of the study area varied but was observed to be generally located between 3 and 5 cm from the skin. This study indicates that this technique is safe and effective in achieving aspiration of the subiliac crest deep fat, which enhances the frame for buttock-back contouring. Ultrasound was indispensable for locating the fat and infiltrating the area for subsequent liposuction. See the abstract translated into Hindi, Portuguese, Korean, German, Italian, Arabic, Chinese, and Taiwanese online here: https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjad236. Level of Evidence: 4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The kidney and eyes share common pathways and are thought to be closely connected. Chronic kidney disease and major eye diseases, such as cataract and glaucoma, are strongly associated with age. However, further investigation is needed to understand the joint impact of age and kidney diseases on eye diseases. In this study, we assessed the risk of eye diseases in relation to age and kidney failure in Taiwanese adults. Methods Our study included 127,561 cancer-free volunteers aged 30 to 70 years who participated in the Taiwan Biobank (TWB) project from 2008 to 2020. Information on the main exposures (kidney failure and age) and the outcome (eye diseases, including glaucoma, cataract, xerophthalmia, and retinal detachment) was collected through questionnaires. Results In general, kidney failure and older age were independently associated with a higher risk of eye, particularly cataract and retinal detachment: prevalence odds ratio (POR); 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.480; 1.635–3.761 for cataract and 3.885; 1.968–7.666 for retinal detachment. A significant interaction between kidney failure and age on cataract was observed (p-value = 0.0002). Age-stratified analysis revealed a higher risk of cataract among patients with kidney failure aged below 50 (POR = 6.534; 95% CI = 2.493–17.124) and between 50 and 60 years (POR = 3.957; 95%CI = 1.986–7.881). Combining kidney failure and age (reference: no kidney failure and age 60 years. Combining cataract and age (reference: no cataract and age

Abstract Background Design thinking (DT) competence, a creative problem-solving ability, has been investigated extensively among college students in various professional fields within the western cultures. No instrument, however, is available for assessing DT competence in nursing students, particularly, those in non-western cultures. Objective To adapt and validate the use of Creative Synthesis Inventory (CSI) assessing the four components (i.e., visualization, discovery, prototyping, and evaluation) of DT competence in nursing students in Taiwan. Design Cross-sectional, mixed methodological design combining qualitative and quantitative strategies. Participants A 19-item CSI was administered to a total of 520 nursing students from two campuses of a science and technology university in Taiwan. The data collection was conducted between September 2020 and June 2022. Methods The cross-cultural adaptation and validation of CSI-Taiwan was done in two phases: Phase I included content validity check, translation, and cross-cultural adaptation. Phase II involved pilot testing and psychometric evaluation. Results A first-order confirmatory factor analysis validated the four-component structure, namely visualization, discovery, prototyping, and evaluation, of an 18-item CSI-Taiwan (model fit indices: χ2/df = 3.953, NNFI = 0.942, CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.947, SRMR = 0.035, and RMSEA = 0.075). A second-order confirmatory factor analysis further indicated that the four components converged on a unitary construct of DT competence (model fit indices: χ2/df = 4.082, NNFI = 0.935, CFI = 0.949, TLI = 0.940, SRMR = 0.040, and RMSEA = 0.080). Moreover, the CSI-Taiwan also demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. Together these results validated the construct of DT competence and its components as theorized. Conclusions The CSI-Taiwan was a reliable and valid self-report instrument to be used by Taiwanese nursing students.

Background: The kidney and eyes share common pathways and are thought to be closely connected. Chronic kidney disease and major eye diseases, such as cataract and glaucoma, are strongly associated with age. However, further investigation is needed to understand the joint impact of age and kidney diseases on eye diseases. In this study, we assessed the risk of eye diseases in relation to age and kidney failure in Taiwanese adults. Methods: Our study included 127,561 cancer-free volunteers aged 30 to 70 years who participated in the Taiwan Biobank (TWB) project from 2008 to 2020. Information on the main exposures (kidney failure and age) and the outcome (eye diseases, including glaucoma, cataract, xerophthalmia, and retinal detachment) was collected through questionnaires. Results: In general, kidney failure and older age were independently associated with a higher risk of eye, particularly cataract and retinal detachment: prevalence odds ratio (POR); 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.480; 1.635–3.761 for cataract and 3.885; 1.968–7.666 for retinal detachment. A significant interaction between kidney failure and age on cataract was observed (p-value = 0.0002). Age-stratified analysis revealed a higher risk of cataract among patients with kidney failure aged below 50 (POR = 6.534; 95% CI = 2.493–17.124) and between 50 and 60 years (POR = 3.957; 95%CI = 1.986–7.881). Combining kidney failure and age (reference: no kidney failure and age < 50 years), kidney failure in all age groups was associated with a higher risk of cataract. The PORs; 95% CIs were 10.725; 4.227–27.211 for patients below 50 years, 28.487; 14.270-56.866 for those aged 50–60 years, and 43.183; 24.434–72.824 for those > 60 years. Combining cataract and age (reference: no cataract and age < 50 years), patients below 50 years had the highest risk of kidney failure (POR; 95% CI = 9.510; 3.722–24.297). Conclusions: Our study suggests that age and kidney failure may jointly contribute to eye diseases, particularly cataract. The association between cataract and kidney failure could be bidirectional, especially in individuals below 50 years. This significant bidirectional relationship underscores the need for screening patients with cataract for kidney failure and vice versa, particularly in younger adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer self-efficacy (CSE) continues to be an important construct in research and application. Two measures of CSE, the Brief Inventory of Technology Self-Efficacy (BITS) and the Brief Inventory of Technology Self-Efficacy – Short Form (BITS-SF) were recently developed to correct for issues in other available measures. The BITS and BITS-SF were originally written in English, and their psychometric properties assessed in samples from the United States. The current two studies translated the BITS and BITS-SF into simplified Chinese (Mainland China) and traditional Chinese (Taiwan) and assessed their psychometric properties. In Study 1, 207 adults in Mainland China completed the simplified Chinese BITS and BITS-SF, as well as measures given to assess convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. In Study 2, 273 adults in Taiwan did the same, except that they completed the traditional Chinese BITS and BITS-SF. In both studies, the translated BITS showed evidence of a three-factor correlated structure, and the translated BITS-SF yielded several underlying classes consistent with theory and scoring interpretation. Additionally, the translated measures' scores showed solid evidence of convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. The results replicate the findings using the original BITS and BITS-SF and extend them to simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese translated versions. These versions are recommended for use in research and applied settings to assess CSE and are available for use. Both the original and translated measures are available for download at www.bitssurvey.com. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have suggested that some endocrine disruptors such as synthetic phenols, parabens and phthalates may disrupt thyroid hormone signaling and associated negative feed-backs with the central hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. Therefore, we investigated urinary paraben and blood thyroid hormone levels in the Taiwanese population. Our sample comprised 264 adults (aged 18–97 years) and 75 minors (aged 7–17 years) from Taiwan Environmental Survey for Toxicants 2013. Urinary levels of methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben (EtP), propylparaben (PrP), and butylparaben (BuP) were assessed. Hormones of particular interest include: thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). We sought integrated parameters to describe the transfer of thyroid hormones in homeostatic models. The geometric mean urinary paraben levels of the adults were higher than those of the minors (adults vs. minors; MeP: 383 vs. 62.4 ng/mL; PrP: 109 vs. 8.00 ng/mL; EtP: 39.5 vs. 2.38 ng/mL, and BuP: 6.36 vs. 2.13 ng/mL). In the male adults, we discovered that 0.253% (p = 0.032), 0.256% (p = 0.041) and 0.257% (p = 0.037) decreases in the TSH, TSH/T4 and TSH/FreeT4 ratio was associated with 1% EtP increases, respectively. In the female minors, 0.093% (p = 0.044), 0.072% (p = 0.047) and 0.156 (p = 0.004) increases in the TSH ratios were associated with a 1% MeP, EtP and BuP increase, respectively. Moreover, 0.151% (p = 0.008) and 0.177% (p = 0.001) increases in TSH/T4 and TSH/free T4 ratios were associated with a BuP 1% increase, respectively. Finally, EtP was positively associated with SPINA-GT (β: 15.66, p = 0.036) in the male adults. By contrast, EtP were positively associated with Jostel's TSH index and sTSHI (β: 0.072, p = 0.049; β: 0.107, p = 0.049) in the female minors. The Taiwanese population is commonly exposed to parabens, which can potentially lead to alteration of thyroid hormone homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Design thinking (DT) competence, a creative problem-solving ability, has been investigated extensively among college students in various professional fields within the western cultures. No instrument, however, is available for assessing DT competence in nursing students, particularly, those in non-western cultures. Objective: To adapt and validate the use of Creative Synthesis Inventory (CSI) assessing the four components (i.e., visualization, discovery, prototyping, and evaluation) of DT competence in nursing students in Taiwan. Design: Cross-sectional, mixed methodological design combining qualitative and quantitative strategies. Participants: A 19-item CSI was administered to a total of 520 nursing students from two campuses of a science and technology university in Taiwan. The data collection was conducted between September 2020 and June 2022. Methods: The cross-cultural adaptation and validation of CSI-Taiwan was done in two phases: Phase I included content validity check, translation, and cross-cultural adaptation. Phase II involved pilot testing and psychometric evaluation. Results: A first-order confirmatory factor analysis validated the four-component structure, namely visualization, discovery, prototyping, and evaluation, of an 18-item CSI-Taiwan (model fit indices: χ2/df = 3.953, NNFI = 0.942, CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.947, SRMR = 0.035, and RMSEA = 0.075). A second-order confirmatory factor analysis further indicated that the four components converged on a unitary construct of DT competence (model fit indices: χ2/df = 4.082, NNFI = 0.935, CFI = 0.949, TLI = 0.940, SRMR = 0.040, and RMSEA = 0.080). Moreover, the CSI-Taiwan also demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. Together these results validated the construct of DT competence and its components as theorized. Conclusions: The CSI-Taiwan was a reliable and valid self-report instrument to be used by Taiwanese nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionEver since the use of bisphenol A (BPA) has been restricted, concerns have been raised regarding the use of its substitutes, such as bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF). Meanwhile, the EU European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued the new tolerable daily intake (TDI) after the latest re-risk assessment for BPA, which enforced the need for cumulative risk assessment in the population. This study was conducted to identify BPA and its substitute’s exposure characteristics of the general Taiwanese population and estimate the cumulative risk of bisphenol exposure.MethodsUrine samples (N = 366 [adult, 271; minor, 95]) were collected from individuals who participated in the Taiwan Environmental Survey for Toxicants 2013. The samples were analyzed for BPA, BPS, and BPF through ultraperformance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Daily intake (DI) levels were calculated for each bisphenol. Hazard quotients (HQs) were calculated with the consideration of tolerable DI and a reference dose. Additionally, hazard index (HI; sum of HQs for each bisphenol) values were calculated.ResultsOur study found that the median level of BPA was significantly higher in adults (9.63 μg/g creatinine) than in minors (6.63 μg/g creatinine) (p

This article investigates the thought on literary language that arose from the circulation of the New Sensationalist School in Japan, Shanghai, and Taiwan. Divided into three sections, it first examines Yokomitsu Riichi's modernist formal renovation, which was based on a rediscovery of the Chinese ideogram's physical and visual features. Situating this formal renovation in the literary Sinitic context (Kanbunmyaku 漢文脈) sheds light on Yokomitsu's ambition to build a modernist nationalist literary language. Second, this article analyzes the characteristics of the multilingual fragments in Liu Na'ou's works and suggests three possible explanations for his linguistic style. This article also points out that Liu's linguistic diversity might be criticized for being a kind of comprador literature, which, consciously or not, imported the colonial or orientalist gaze inherent in foreign literary texts. Third, this article focuses on Weng Nao, a Taiwanese New Sensationalist writer working in Japanese, and highlights how his eclecticist writing strategy championed archetypically Taiwanese subjects while allowing the form to parallel those of his Japanese counterparts. In the conclusion, we discuss the hybridity of the literary languages of Yokomitsu, Liu Na'ou, and Weng Nao, and some possible ways to reflect upon written language (bun/wen) in the Sinosphere (Kanjibunkaken/Hanjiwenhuaquan). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One nucleotide substitution in codon 118 of HLA‐B*55:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐B*55:39. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One nucleotide substitution in codon 136 of HLA‐B*40:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐B*40:78. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A value–belief–norm (VBN) model for understanding the pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) of Taiwanese was developed. This formulated VBN model included personal values, openness to change, awareness of consequences, personal norms, social norms, and PEB. Ecological world view and ascription of responsibility were excluded to develop a tighter model. A total of 1079 completed questionnaires were collected and structural equation modelling was utilized, where standard estimates and coefficients of determination validated the formulated VBN model’s effectiveness. Each construct served its role as the mediator between its distal variable and outcome variable, with a substantial level of predictive accuracy, and 74.3% of the variance in PEB was accounted for. Further findings found that mature individuals had a stronger tendency towards awareness of consequences due to personal values; the young had a stronger tendency towards personal norms due to awareness of consequences; men had a stronger tendency towards personal norms due to awareness of consequences; and women had a weaker tendency due to a greater emphasis on altruism. Future interventions, such as sharing of personal pro-environmental lifestyles verbally or through social media, periodically decluttering personal items and maintaining a minimalist lifestyle, where these personal norms are in line with collective social norms, could help to strengthen PEB.

This paper employs qualitative data collected through focus group and in-depth interviews during the period of 2000-2021., tThe proposed research aims to explore how Taiwanese people define and interpret "Taiwanese", "Chinese" and "both Taiwanese and Chinese (dual identities)", and also to clarify people's identity target and boundary. The result shows that Taiwanese people's identity contents are continuous and concentrated in the Taiwan-centered "we group" consciousness. The primordialist ties with China persists, yet most of them are regarded as objective facts and cannot be generated or converted into the "we group" consciousness. The major change is that the Chinese consciousness has almost disappeared from popular discourse. Our data also shows that many Taiwanese people have treated Taiwan (Republic of China) as the "we group", and China (People's Republic of China) as the "they group". This finding indicates that Taiwan identity has reached the stage of national identity in terms of boundary setting. The gradual clarity and elevationed consciousness of national identity impliesy that Taiwan has the tendency of reaching a collective identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of one trabecular microbypass stent (first generation iStent) combined with phacoemulsification cataract surgery (phaco) in eyes with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in a Taiwanese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One trabecular microbypass stent was implanted after phacoemulsification cataract surgery by one surgeon. Intraocular pressure (IOP), medications, corrected distance visual acuity, complications, and adverse events were evaluated. RESULTS: This case series included 28 eyes of 25 patients with OAG (19 primary open-angle glaucoma [POAG] and 9 normal tension glaucoma [NTG]). None had previous trabeculectomy or laser trabeculoplasty. At 1 year, the mean IOP decreased from 19.34 ± 3.92 mmHg to 15.84 ± 3.05 mmHg, and the mean number of glaucoma medications decreased from 1.82 ± 1.12 to 0.79 ± 1.17 (both P < 0.001). Longer survival was observed in the NTG eyes (NTG: 11.67 ± 1.00 months, POAG: 9.53 ± 3.78 months, P = 0.031). iStent reposition was performed in one eye, and four eyes received laser treatment for stent occlusion. None had secondary glaucoma surgery. CONCLUSION: Combined phacoemulsification and iStent implantations are a safe and effective way in reducing IOP and medication burden in patients with OAG, especially NTG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune disease affecting mainly spine and sacroiliac joints and adjacent soft tissues. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are used to evaluate genetic associations and to predict genetic risk factors that determine the biological basis of disease susceptibility. We aimed to explore the race-specific SNP susceptibility of AS in Taiwanese individuals and to investigate the association between HLA-B27 and AS susceptibility SNPs in Taiwan. Methods Genotyping data were collected from a medical center participating in the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI) in the northern district of Taiwan. We designed a case–control study to identify AS susceptibility SNPs through GWAS. We searched the genome browser to find the corresponding susceptibility genes and used the GTEx database to confirm the regulation of gene expression. A polygenic risk score approach was also applied to evaluate the genetic variants in the prediction of developing AS. Results The results showed that the SNPs located on the sixth chromosome were related to higher susceptibility in the AS group. There was no overlap between our results and the susceptibility SNPs found in other races. The 12 tag SNPs located in the MHC region that were found through the linkage disequilibrium method had higher gene expression. Furthermore, Taiwanese people with HLA-B27 positivity had a higher proportion of minor alleles. This might be the reason that the AS prevalence is higher in Taiwan than in other countries. We developed AS polygenic risk score models with six different methods in which those with the top 10% polygenic risk had a fivefold increased risk of developing AS compared to the remaining group with low risk. Conclusion A total of 147 SNPs in the Taiwanese population were found to be statistically significantly associated with AS on the sixth pair of chromosomes and did not overlap with previously published sites in the GWAS Catalog. Whether those genes mapped by AS-associated SNPs are involved in AS and what the pathogenic mechanism of the mapped genes is remain to be further studied.

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the second most common psychiatric comorbidity of epilepsy. GAD has a negative impact on seizure control, and it is underrecognized. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) questionnaire is useful for screening GAD in patients with epilepsy (PWE). This study aimed to validate the traditional Chinese version of the GAD-7 for Taiwanese patients by obtaining data on adult PWE from our hospital. Method: PWE were recruited from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital from April 2017 to January 2020. The mood disorder module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used for the psychiatric assessment. The traditional Chinese version of the GAD-7 and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were included as self-rated psychiatric evaluation. To investigate the psychometric properties, internal consistency, external validation, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were conducted to assess the utility of the Taiwanese version of the GAD-7. Results: We recruited 109 patients in the present study. Seventeen patients (15.9%) had GAD according to the MINI. The mean GAD-7 score was 10.28 ± 10.68. All the GAD-7 items were significantly and positively associated with the corrected overall GAD-7 score (Cronbach's alpha = 0.928, p

Two nucleotide substitutions in codon 24 of HLA‐A*02:01:01:01 result in a novel allele HLA‐A*02:570:01. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One nucleotide substitution in codon 81 of HLA‐B*40:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐B*40:400. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nucleotide mutation in codon 171 of HLA‐A*11:01:01:01 results in a novel allele HLA‐A*11:127N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two nucleotide substitutions in codon 152 of HLA‐C*08:01:01:01 result in a novel allele HLA‐C*08:66. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nucleotide deletion in the residue 371 of HLA‐A*11:01:01:01 results in a novel allele HLA‐A*11:466N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One nucleotide substitution in codon 130 of HLA‐DQB1*03:03:02:01 results in a novel allele HLA‐DQB1*03:96. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study, using a moderated mediational model, explored levels of distal/proximal stressors, rumination, resilience, and health in a group of Italian and Taiwanese LGB+ people. The study also examined the role of internalized sexual stigma (ISS) and rumination as mediators between discrimination and health, and resilience as a moderator of the relationship between discrimination and ISS, rumination, and health, respectively. An online survey was administered to 508 LGB+ participants (270 Italian and 238 Taiwanese) whose age ranged from 18 to 70 years (M = 37.93, SD = 13.53). The moderated mediation model was tested through a series of path analyses stratified by group nationality. Italian participants reported higher discrimination and resilience, but lower ISS, rumination, and health problems compared to their Taiwanese counterparts. The only common path between groups was the direct effect of discrimination on health problems. The mediating role of ISS and rumination in the relationship between discrimination and health, as well as the moderating role of resilience, were partly significant only for the Italian group. Conclusions: The findings suggest that mediators and moderators used to evaluate the effects of minority stress on health may differ between groups; further culturally sensitive research in the field of LGB+ health is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune disease affecting mainly spine and sacroiliac joints and adjacent soft tissues. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are used to evaluate genetic associations and to predict genetic risk factors that determine the biological basis of disease susceptibility. We aimed to explore the race-specific SNP susceptibility of AS in Taiwanese individuals and to investigate the association between HLA-B27 and AS susceptibility SNPs in Taiwan. Methods: Genotyping data were collected from a medical center participating in the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI) in the northern district of Taiwan. We designed a case–control study to identify AS susceptibility SNPs through GWAS. We searched the genome browser to find the corresponding susceptibility genes and used the GTEx database to confirm the regulation of gene expression. A polygenic risk score approach was also applied to evaluate the genetic variants in the prediction of developing AS. Results: The results showed that the SNPs located on the sixth chromosome were related to higher susceptibility in the AS group. There was no overlap between our results and the susceptibility SNPs found in other races. The 12 tag SNPs located in the MHC region that were found through the linkage disequilibrium method had higher gene expression. Furthermore, Taiwanese people with HLA-B27 positivity had a higher proportion of minor alleles. This might be the reason that the AS prevalence is higher in Taiwan than in other countries. We developed AS polygenic risk score models with six different methods in which those with the top 10% polygenic risk had a fivefold increased risk of developing AS compared to the remaining group with low risk. Conclusion: A total of 147 SNPs in the Taiwanese population were found to be statistically significantly associated with AS on the sixth pair of chromosomes and did not overlap with previously published sites in the GWAS Catalog. Whether those genes mapped by AS-associated SNPs are involved in AS and what the pathogenic mechanism of the mapped genes is remain to be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous sustainability initiatives have been discussed and widely adopted in various sectors worldwide. This research aims to identify which essential parameters affect sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practice through the case of the Taiwanese fresh-fruit sector. An industry has great importance to the households of indigenous people, significantly contributing to the sustainable development in rural areas of Taiwan. A total of twelve SSCM parameters have been verified, and then the authors conducted the TOPSIS approach process to determine the importance level of these SSCM parameters. The analysis results suggested that "Collaboration", "Distribution and Logistics service", "Customer" have supreme importance, respectively. On the contrary, at the bottom of the prioritized list is three variables consisting of "Warehouse/Storage", "Organizational social responsibilities", and "Processing and packaging". This is the unique study to consider SSCM practice through the case of the Taiwanese fresh-fruit chain; hence, these key findings could be a valuable reference for the top managers to make decisions.

One nucleotide substitution in codon 227 of HLA‐C*03:04:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐C*03:04:20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the second most common psychiatric comorbidity of epilepsy. GAD has a negative impact on seizure control, and it is underrecognized. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) questionnaire is useful for screening GAD in patients with epilepsy (PWE). This study aimed to validate the traditional Chinese version of the GAD-7 for Taiwanese patients by obtaining data on adult PWE from our hospital.Method: PWE were recruited from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital from April 2017 to January 2020. The mood disorder module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used for the psychiatric assessment. The traditional Chinese version of the GAD-7 and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were included as self-rated psychiatric evaluation. To investigate the psychometric properties, internal consistency, external validation, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were conducted to assess the utility of the Taiwanese version of the GAD-7.Results: We recruited 109 patients in the present study. Seventeen patients (15.9%) had GAD according to the MINI. The mean GAD-7 score was 10.28 ± 10.68. All the GAD-7 items were significantly and positively associated with the corrected overall GAD-7 score (Cronbach's alpha = 0.928, p < 0.0001). The cut-off point for the GAD-7 in ROC curve analysis was 7. The patients with GAD were more likely to be female and single.Conclusion: The traditional Chinese version of the GAD-7 is a reliable and valid self-report questionnaire for detecting GAD in Taiwanese PWE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study determined the consumption and preferences of dairy products, especially fermented products, in respect of Polish and Taiwanese students, through their answers to seven research questions (RQs) as part of the design process. The research for the study was conducted in two countries: in Poland at WULS and in Taiwan at NCHU. Two-hundred students in total (19–25 years old) were selected for the study. Responses to the research questions were collected using Paper & Pen Personal Interview (PAPI). The results indicate that Taiwanese students were less likely to declare consuming dairy products daily compared to Polish students (p < 0.0001). Poles declared consuming dairy products every day, or once or several times a week, while Taiwanese declared several times a week or several times a month. A total of 89% of Polish students indicated milk as their most commonly consumed dairy product, followed by yoghurts (80%) and ripened cheeses (69%). A total of 95% of Taiwanese students also mentioned milk as their most consumed dairy product, then yoghurt (especially drinking yoghurt) (81%), milk desserts (70%) and Yakult (69%). In the case of fat content preference in yoghurt, Poles significantly preferred yoghurts with regular fat content, while Taiwanese significantly preferred fatty yoghurts (p < 0.0001). The most common characteristic of yoghurt that influenced Polish students' purchase decisions was its composition, followed by its consistency, appearance and its sour taste. However, for Taiwanese, the most important factors were the consistency, price and sweetness of the yoghurt. Polish students were significantly more willing to pay a higher price for a dairy functional product than Taiwanese students (p = 0.0009). The responses obtained show differences and similarities in the preferences and consumption of these products between Polish and Taiwanese students. The results of this study were used to direct the next stage of the project's development research, the goal of which was to develop a functional dairy product that meets the preferences of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One nucleotide substitution in codon 206 of HLA-DRB1*16:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-DRB1*16:02:13., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background/aim: The overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) has been observed in asthmatic patients, yet the role of MMP9 genotype in determining asthma susceptibility remains unresolved. This study aimed to elucidate the contribution of MMP9 promoter rs3918242 genotype to asthma risk in Taiwan., Materials and Methods: A cohort comprising 453 non-asthmatic healthy controls and 198 asthmatic cases was assembled, and the MMP9 rs3918242 genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology., Results: Our findings indicated that people carrying the variant CT or TT genotype of MMP9 rs3918242 did not demonstrate an elevated risk of asthma compared to wild-type CC carriers (odds ratio=1.28 and 1.72, 95% confidence interval=0.87-1.87 and 0.72-4.13; p=0.2417 and 0.3201, respectively). Furthermore, individuals carrying the T allele at MMP9 rs3918242 did not exhibit a higher risk of asthma than those carrying the C allele (odds ratio=1.31, 95% confidence interval=0.96-1.79, p=0.0869). Interestingly, a positive association was observed between MMP9 rs3918242 CT or TT genotypes and the severity of asthma symptoms among asthmatic patients (p=0.0035)., Conclusion: Although the T allele at MMP9 rs3918242 was not associated with asthma risk, it may serve as a predictor for asthma symptom severity. These findings warrant validation in larger and more diverse populations to further elucidate the significance of MMP9 in asthma etiology., (Copyright © 2024, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Nucleotide substitution in codon 238 of HLA‐C*12:02:02:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐C*12:02:53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One nucleotide substitution in codon 264 of HLA‐C*07:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐C*07:359. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs qualitative data collected through focus group and in-depth interviews during the period of 2000-2021., tThe proposed research aims to explore how Taiwanese people define and interpret "Taiwanese", "Chinese" and "both Taiwanese and Chinese (dual identities)", and also to clarify people's identity target and boundary. The result shows that Taiwanese people's identity contents are continuous and concentrated in the Taiwan-centered "we group" consciousness. The primordialist ties with China persists, yet most of them are regarded as objective facts and cannot be generated or converted into the "we group" consciousness. The major change is that the Chinese consciousness has almost disappeared from popular discourse. Our data also shows that many Taiwanese people have treated Taiwan (Republic of China) as the "we group", and China (People's Republic of China) as the "they group". This finding indicates that Taiwan identity has reached the stage of national identity in terms of boundary setting. The gradual clarity and elevationed consciousness of national identity impliesy that Taiwan has the tendency of reaching a collective identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to reveal the efficacy of the artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted dental age (DA) assessment in identifying the characteristics of growth delay (GD) in children. Methods: The panoramic films matching the inclusion criteria were collected for the AI model training to establish the population-based DA standard. Subsequently, the DA of the validation dataset of the healthy children and the images of the GD children were assessed by both the conventional methods and the AI-assisted standards. The efficacy of all the studied modalities was compared by the paired sample t-test. Results: The AI-assisted standards can provide much more accurate chronological age (CA) predictions with mean errors of less than 0.05 years, while the traditional methods presented overestimated results in both genders. For the GD children, the convolutional neural network (CNN) revealed the delayed DA in GD children of both genders, while the machine learning models presented so only in the GD boys. Conclusion: The AI-assisted DA assessments help overcome the long-standing populational limitation observed in traditional methods. The image feature extraction of the CNN models provided the best efficacy to reveal the nature of delayed DA in GD children of both genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Hypertension increases the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is related to caffeine metabolism and the risk of CVD among coffee drinkers. CYP1A2 rs762551 influenced the risk of stroke among hypertensive patients. We examined the relationship between hypertension and coffee drinking based on CYP1A2 rs762551 SNP in Taiwanese adults. Methods We used data contained in the Taiwan Biobank database (2011–2018) and included 19,133 participants having complete information on hypertension, rs762551 polymorphism, coffee intake, etc. The risk of hypertension was determined using multiple logistic regression. Results Coffee intake was significantly associated with a lower risk of hypertension. The odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and p-value were 0.877, 0.807–0.954, and 0.0032, respectively. CYP1A2 rs762551 was not significantly associated with the risk of hypertension, but it had a significant interactive association with coffee drinking (p value = 0.0303). After stratification by rs762551 genotypes, the inverse coffee drinking-hypertension association was retained, but significant results were observed only in those with the AC + CC genotype (OR 0.678, 95% CI 0.722–900, p value = 0.0001). According to the combination of coffee drinking and rs762551 genotypes (reference group: no coffee drinking and rs762551 AA), the coffee drinking-AC + CC group had a lower risk of hypertension (OR 0.888, 95% CI 0.789–0.999, p value = 0.0483). Conclusion Coffee drinking, particularly among individuals with the CYP1A2 rs762551 AC + CC genotype was associated with lower odds of hypertension.

Reflective learning plays an important role in students' professional and personal development. However, some nursing curricula provide insufficient opportunity for students to understand how to reflect and what reflection is. The study aimed to explore baccalaureate nursing students' experiences of reflective writing. The study used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Through purposive sampling, 15 participants were recruited for individual in-depth face-to-face interviews which were conducted after they had completed the course 'Application of Emergency Nursing'. Interviews were semi-structured and audio-recorded. Additional data were obtained from 20 documents on consulting faculty for reflective writing. Data analysis was undertaken through a hermeneutic phenomenological framework based on van Manen's approach. Participants reported that reflective writing had helped them to optimise their personal and professional development. Four themes emerged from the analysis: recording a personal story, presenting a process of events, confronting challenges, and strengthening personal characteristics. Students were satisfied with their learning achievements and growth and felt they had become better through reflective writing. The results demonstrated that: reflective writing needs to be elaborated objectively and carefully; continuing self-dialogue can reveal the true meaning of an incident; students learned strategies to apply in future situations. • Reflective writing means recording a personal story and presenting a process of events. • Reflective writing clarifies one's thought through ongoing self-dialogue. • Reflective writing can optimise one's personal development. • Reflective writing can improve one's confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The large interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of recombinant Factor VIII (rFVIII) observed in haemophilia A hinders efficient and cost‐beneficial prophylactic regimen initiation. Identification of factors influencing the PK of rFVIII may shed more light on personalised treatment. Aim: This study aimed to develop a population PK model in the Taiwanese haemophilia A and evaluate the current national health insurance (NHI) reimbursement guidelines of Taiwan for haemophilia treatment. Methods: A population PK analysis was established based on 69 Taiwanese with moderate or severe haemophilia A. A nonlinear mixed‐effects modelling (NONMEM®) was used to estimate PK parameters and their variabilities. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed to evaluate different prophylactic regimens. Results: A two‐compartment model with first‐order elimination best described the rFVIII data. Weight‐based allometric scaling was related to clearance and central volume of distribution. Blood type and baseline von Willebrand factor (VWF) were significant covariates for clearance. For single dose simulations, a time achieving target level (> 1 IU/dL) was associated with increasing rFVIII dose and VWF level. The multiple dose simulations showed that > 96.4% of patients with high VWF level (> 200%) had predicted trough level > 1 IU/dL for all dosing regimens (15‐40 IU/kg, two to three times weekly). However, for twice weekly dosing, lower percentage (47.62‐62.20%) of patients with blood group O and low VWF level (< 50%) achieved a predicted trough level > 1 IU/dL. Conclusion: The population PK of rFVIII was successfully developed. Dose adjustment based on blood type and VWF level should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]