A Study of Energy Efficiency and Mitigation of Carbon Emission: Implication of Decomposing Energy Intensity of Manufacturing Sector in Taiwan

This paper applies the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) approach to examine aggregate energy intensity of the manufacturing sector in Taiwan from 1982 to 2014. We decompose aggregate energy intensity into three effects, which are the fuel mixed effect, the sectoral energy intensity effect, and the substructural effect. The results show that aggregate energy intensity is highly correlated with carbon intensity in Taiwan. Moreover, the aggregate energy intensity is mainly driven by sectoral energy intensity effect. The influence of the substructural effect and fuel mixed effect on improving the aggregate energy intensity has become larger in the recent years. The policy implication of study results suggests that internalizing the costs of carbon emission, creating incentives to invest energy-saving technology, establishing a fair and efficient electricity market are needed in Taiwan. Keywords: Logarithmic mean Divisia index, Energy intensity, Carbon intensity, Structural change, Fuel mixed effect JEL Classifications: O1, O2, Q4, Q

Women with endometriosis have higher comorbidities: Analysis of domestic data in Taiwan

AbstractEndometriosis, defined by the presence of viable extrauterine endometrial glands and stroma, can grow or bleed cyclically, and possesses characteristics including a destructive, invasive, and metastatic nature. Since endometriosis may result in pelvic inflammation, adhesion, chronic pain, and infertility, and can progress to biologically malignant tumors, it is a long-term major health issue in women of reproductive age. In this review, we analyze the Taiwan domestic research addressing associations between endometriosis and other diseases. Concerning malignant tumors, we identified four studies on the links between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, one on breast cancer, two on endometrial cancer, one on colorectal cancer, and one on other malignancies, as well as one on associations between endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome, one on links with migraine headache, three on links with pelvic inflammatory diseases, four on links with infertility, four on links with obesity, four on links with chronic liver disease, four on links with rheumatoid arthritis, four on links with chronic renal disease, five on links with diabetes mellitus, and five on links with cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc.). The data available to date support that women with endometriosis might be at risk of some chronic illnesses and certain malignancies, although we consider the evidence for some comorbidities to be of low quality, for example, the association between colon cancer and adenomyosis/endometriosis. We still believe that the risk of comorbidity might be higher in women with endometriosis than that we supposed before. More research is needed to determine whether women with endometriosis are really at risk of these comorbidities

An integrated energy planning model for Taiwan : multiobjective programming and input-output approaches

Typescript.Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1984.Bibliography: leaves 177-189.Photocopy.Microfilm.xiii, 189 leaves, bound illThe main purpose of this study is to investigate the physical and economic aspects of the trade-off between economic goals (e.g., growth and development) and energy goals (e.g., reducing oil dependence or energy consumption). To meet this purpose, a Non-Inferior Set Estimation Input-output (NISE-IO) model consisting of a combination of multiobjective programming techniques and Leontief input-output analyses is utilized. This model is compared with conventional linear programming, goal programming, input-output, and econometrics approaches. A major innovation of this NISE-IO algorithm is the computation of the maximum possible error, which the analyst may control to obtain an approximation within a desired degree of accuracy. The derived noninferior solutions in the objective space and optimal solutions in the decision space represent 5i.ulated scenarios of aggressive. moderate, and conservative policy alternatives. The analyses are focused on the economic performances resulting from these policy alternatives and the energy requirements for supporting these economic performances. The results are presented in graphic and tabular form as reference for Taiwan's energy policymakers. These solutions aid policy makers in energy planning~ of issues such as achieving a specified econo5ic growth rate with minimum consumption of energy, the relationship between energy demand/supply and economic development/growth lowering the elasticity of energy, considerations for "industrial restructuring," and estimating the economic impacts of assumed disruption of energy supply on the Taiwan economy. The key conclusions of this study show that whichever policy alternative is adopted, electricity (implying nuclear power) and coal should be the priorities for economic development/growth and substitutes for petroleum consumption. To reduce heavy reliance on energy and raw-material imports. the Taiwan economy should shift its industrial structure from labor- and energy-intensive to less-energy-intensive, high-technology, and light-engineering manufacturing such as "electrical machinery industrial blocks.

Renewable energy technology portfolio planning with scenario analysis: A case study for Taiwan

This paper presents the results of a case study of applying a systematic and proven process of technology portfolio planning with the use of scenario analysis to renewable energy developments in Taiwan. The planning process starts with decision values of technology development based on a survey of society leaders. It then generates, based on expert opinions and literature search, a set of major technology alternatives, which in this study include: wind energy, photovoltaic, bio-energy, solar thermal power, ocean energy, and geothermal energy. Through a committee of technical experts with diversified professional backgrounds, the process in this study next constructs three scenarios ("Season in the Sun", "More Desire than Energy", and "Castle in the Air") to encompass future uncertainties in the relationships between the technology alternatives and the decision values. Finally, through a second committee of professionals, the process assesses the importance and risks of these alternative technologies and develops a general strategic plan for the renewable energy technology portfolio that is responsive and robust for the future scenarios. The most important contributions of this paper are the clear description of the systematic process of technology portfolio planning and scenario analysis, the detailed demonstration of their application through a case study on the renewable energy development in Taiwan, and the valuable results and insights gained from the application.Technology portfolio planning Scenario analysis Strategy planning process

The Recommending Agricultural Product Sales Promotion Mode in E-Commerce Using Reinforcement Learning with Contextual Multiarmed Bandit Algorithms

In recent years, sales of agricultural products in Taiwan have been transformed into electronic marketing, and agricultural products with better consumer orientation have been recommended, and farmers’ income has been improved through sales websites. In the past, A/B testing was used to determine the degree of preference for website solutions, which required a large number of tests for evaluation, and could not respond to environmental variables that made it difficult to predict the actual recommendation in advance. Therefore, in this study, the reinforcement learning model combined with different contextual Multiarmed Bandit algorithms can be tested in data sets of different complexity, which can actually perform well in changing products. It is helpful to predict the preferences of the promotion model

The Recommending Agricultural Product Sales Promotion Mode in E-Commerce Using Reinforcement Learning with Contextual Multiarmed Bandit Algorithms

In recent years, sales of agricultural products in Taiwan have been transformed into electronic marketing, and agricultural products with better consumer orientation have been recommended, and farmers’ income has been improved through sales websites. In the past, A/B testing was used to determine the degree of preference for website solutions, which required a large number of tests for evaluation, and could not respond to environmental variables that made it difficult to predict the actual recommendation in advance. Therefore, in this study, the reinforcement learning model combined with different contextual Multiarmed Bandit algorithms can be tested in data sets of different complexity, which can actually perform well in changing products. It is helpful to predict the preferences of the promotion model

Octanoic acid promotes clearance of antibiotic-tolerant cells and eradicates biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from recurrent bovine mastitis

Antibiotic therapy is the primary treatment for bovine mastitis, but the drawbacks of this strategy include poor cure rate and economic losses from the need to discard milk with antibiotic residues. Unfortunately, few other treatment options are currently available for mastitis. Failure of antibiotic treatments is often attributed to formation of bacterial biofilms and abscesses in the mammary gland tissue, which lead to chronic infections that are difficult to eradicate and drive recurrent disease. A major mastitis-causing pathogen (MCP) associated with biofilms in bovine mastitis is Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, we demonstrate that octanoic acid has broad-spectrum microbicidal activity against MCPs and effectively inhibits S. aureus biofilm formation in milk (>50% inhibition at 3.13 mM). Octanoic acid effectively clears biofilms (95% eradication at 1X minimum bactericidal concentration, MBC) and infrequently induces S. aureus small colony variants (SCVs) that may cause recurrent mastitis. Additionally, octanoic acid rapidly kills persistent biofilm cells and cells with antibiotic tolerance (within 4 h). In contrast, antibiotics treated at >100X MBC cannot eradicate biofilms but do induce SCVs and antibiotic-tolerant cells. These effects may accelerate the transition from biofilm to chronic infection. Thus, octanoic acid exhibits bactericidal action against S. aureus biofilms, and it is less likely than antibiotic therapy to induce persistent cells and pathogen tolerance. Moreover, octanoic acid acts additively with antibiotics against S. aureus, and it attenuates tetracycline-induced virulence factor gene expression in S. aureus cells. According to these data, octanoic acid may prevent the pathological progression of bovine mastitis and offer a new strategy for treating the condition

Genome-wide mapping and characterization of hypomethylated sites in human tissues and breast cancer cell lines

We have developed a method for mapping unmethylated sites in the human genome based on the resistance of TspRI-digested ends to ExoIII nuclease degradation. Digestion with TspRI and methylation-sensitive restriction endonuclease HpaII, followed by ExoIII and single-strand DNA nuclease allowed removal of DNA fragments containing unmethylated HpaII sites. We then used array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to map the sequences depleted by these procedures in human genomes derived from five human tissues, a primary breast tumor, and two breast tumor cell lines. Analysis of methylation patterns of the normal tissue genomes indicates that the hypomethylated sites are enriched in the 5′ end of widely expressed genes, including promoter, first exon, and first intron. In contrast, genomes of the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines show extensive hypomethylation in the intragenic and intergenic regions whereas the primary tumor exhibits a pattern between those of the normal tissue and the cell lines. A striking characteristic of tumor cell lines is the presence of megabase-sized hypomethylated zones. These hypomethylated zones are associated with large genes, fragile sites, evolutionary breakpoints, chromosomal rearrangement breakpoints, tumor suppressor genes, and with regions containing tissue-specific gene clusters or with gene-poor regions containing novel tissue-specific genes. Correlation with microarray analysis shows that genes with a hypomethylated sequence 2 kb up- or downstream of the transcription start site are highly expressed, whereas genes with extensive intragenic and 3′ untranslated region (UTR) hypomethylation are silenced. The method described herein can be used for large-scale screening of changes in the methylation pattern in the genome of interest