The Potential Economic Impact of Avian Flu Pandemic on Taiwan

This study analyzes the potential consequences of an outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) on Taiwan¡¦s macro economy and individual industries. Both the Input-Output (IO) Analysis Model and Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model are used to simulate the possible damage brought by lowering domestic consumption, export, and labor supply. The simulation results indicates that if the disease is confined within the poultry sector, then the impact on real GDP is around -0.1%~-0.4%. Once it becomes a human-to-human pandemic, the IO analysis suggests that the potential impacts on real GDP would be as much as -4.2%~-5.9% while labor demand would decrease 4.9%~6.4%. In the CGE analysis, which allows for resource mobility and substitutions through price adjustments, the real GDP and labor demand would contract 2.0%~2.4% and 2.2%~2.4%, respectively, and bringing down consumer prices by 3%. As for the individual sector, the outbreak will not only damage the poultry sector and its upstream and downstream industries, but also affect the service sectors including wholesale, retail, trade, air transportation, restaurants, as well as healthcare services. These results can be used to support public investment in animal disease control measures.Avian Flu Pandemic, Input-output Model, Computable General Equilibrium Model, Livestock Production/Industries,

Celecoxib extends C. elegans lifespan via inhibition of insulin‐like signaling but not cyclooxygenase‐2 activity

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86911/1/ACEL_688_sm_FigS1-S2-TableS1-S2.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/86911/2/j.1474-9726.2011.00688.x.pd

Constrained K-means and Genetic Algorithm-based Approaches for Optimal Placement of Wireless Structural Health Monitoring Sensors

Optimal placement of wireless structural health monitoring (SHM) sensors has to consider modal identification accuracy and power efficiency. In this study, two-tier wireless sensor network (WSN)-based SHM systems with clusters of sensors are investigated to overcome this difficulty. Each cluster contains a number of sensor nodes and a cluster head (CH). The lower tier is composed of sensors communicating with their associated CHs, and the upper tier is composed of the network of CHs. The first step is the optimal placement of sensors in the lower tier via the effective independence method by considering the modal identification accuracy. The second step is the optimal placement of CHs in the upper tier by considering power efficiency. The sensors in the lower tier are partitioned into clusters before determining the optimal locations of CHs in the upper tier. Two approaches, a constrained K-means clustering approach and a genetic algorithm (GA)-based clustering approach, are proposed in this study to cluster sensors in the lower tier by considering two constraints: (1) the maximum data transmission distance of each sensor; (2) the maximum number of sensors in each cluster. Given that each CH can only manage a limited number of sensors, these constraints should be considered in practice to avoid overload of CHs. The CHs in the upper tier are located at the centers of the clusters determined after clustering sensors in the lower tier. The two proposed approaches aim to construct a balanced size of clusters by minimizing the number of clusters (or CHs) and the total sum of the squared distance between each sensor and its associated CH under the two constraints. Accordingly, the energy consumption in each cluster is decreased and balanced, and the network lifetime is extended. A numerical example is studied to demonstrate the feasibility of using the two proposed clustering approaches for sensor clustering in WSN-based SHM systems. In this example, the performances of the two proposed clustering approaches and the K-means clustering method are also compared. The two proposed clustering approaches outperform the K-means clustering method in terms of constructing balanced size of clusters for a small number of clusters. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2022-08-12-01 Full Text: PD

Caffeamide 36-13 Regulates the Antidiabetic and Hypolipidemic Signs of High-Fat-Fed Mice on Glucose Transporter 4, AMPK Phosphorylation, and Regulated Hepatic Glucose Production

This study was to investigate the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of (E)-3-[3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl-1-(piperidin-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one] (36-13) (TS), one of caffeic acid amide derivatives, on high-fat (HF-) fed mice. The C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the control (CON) group and the experimental group, which was firstly fed a HF diet for 8 weeks. Then, the HF group was subdivided into four groups and was given TS orally (including two doses) or rosiglitazone (Rosi) or vehicle for 4 weeks. Blood, skeletal muscle, and tissues were examined by measuring glycaemia and dyslipidemia-associated events. TS effectively prevented HF diet-induced increases in the levels of blood glucose, triglyceride, insulin, leptin, and free fatty acid (FFA) and weights of visceral fa; moreover, adipocytes in the visceral depots showed a reduction in size. TS treatment significantly increased the protein contents of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in skeletal muscle; TS also significantly enhanced Akt phosphorylation in liver, whereas it reduced the expressions of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase). Moreover, TS enhanced phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (phospho-AMPK) both in skeletal muscle and liver tissue. Therefore, it is possible that the activation of AMPK by TS resulted in enhanced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, contrasting with diminished gluconeogenesis in liver. TS exhibits hypolipidemic effect by decreasing the expressions of fatty acid synthase (FAS). Thus, antidiabetic properties of TS occurred as a result of decreased hepatic glucose production by PEPCK and G6Pase downregulation and improved insulin sensitization. Thus, amelioration of diabetic and dyslipidemic state by TS in HF-fed mice occurred by regulation of GLUT4, G6Pase, and FAS and phosphorylation of AMPK

Exploring the Role of Dynamic Capabilities of Information System Development Project Teams

The increasingly dynamic external environment serves as one risk factor which undermines information system development (ISD) project performance. This highlights the importance of ISD teams having certain capabilities to respond to the external variations. In this study, we proposed that ISD teams can better react to external changes and achieve goals if they have sufficient dynamic capabilities: a combination of market/environment orientation, absorptive capacity, coordination capability and collective mind. We also proposed that a team has stronger dynamic capabilities when team members possess complementary expertise and know the expertise and tasks of others. In addition, after examining the moderating effect of knowing the expertise and tasks of others on the relationship between complementary expertise and team dynamic capabilities, we found that complementary expertise can substitute for knowing the location of expertise and complements knowing the tasks of others. Based on the results, implications for academia and practitioners are also provided

Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs underlie West Nile virus encephalitis in ∼40% of patients

Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) infection is benign in most individuals but can cause encephalitis in \u3c1% of infected individuals. We show that ∼35% of patients hospitalized for WNV disease (WNVD) in six independent cohorts from the EU and USA carry auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-α and/or -ω. The prevalence of these antibodies is highest in patients with encephalitis (∼40%), and that in individuals with silent WNV infection is as low as that in the general population. The odds ratios for WNVD in individuals with these auto-Abs relative to those without them in the general population range from 19.0 (95% CI 15.0-24.0, P value \u3c10-15) for auto-Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml IFN-α and/or IFN-ω to 127.4 (CI 87.1-186.4, P value \u3c10-15) for auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-α and IFN-ω at a concentration of 10 ng/ml. These antibodies block the protective effect of IFN-α in Vero cells infected with WNV in vitro. Auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-α and/or IFN-ω underlie ∼40% of cases of WNV encephalitis

Intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate (Hyalgan®) in osteoarthritis of the knee. a randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial in the asian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The efficacy and tolerability of 500-730 kDa sodium hyaluronate (Hyalgan^®) for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) pain has been established in clinical trials, but few data are available in the Asian population. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of this preparation in a Taiwanese population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two hundred patients with mild to moderate OA of the knee were randomized to receive five weekly intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome was the change from baseline to Week 25 in patients' evaluation of pain using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) during the 50-foot walking test. Additional outcomes included Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) scores, time on the 50-foot walking test, patient's and investigator's subjective assessment of effectiveness, acetaminophen consumption, and the amounts of synovial fluid.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The Hyalgan^®treatment group showed a significantly greater improvement from baseline to Week 25 in VAS pain on the 50-foot walking test than the placebo group (p = 0.0020). The Hyalgan^®group revealed significant improvements from baseline to week 25 in WOMAC pain and function score than the placebo group (p = 0.005 and 0.0038, respectively) Other outcomes, such as time on the 50-foot walking test and subjective assessment of effectiveness, did not show any significant difference between groups. Both groups were safe and well tolerated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study suggests that five weekly intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate are well tolerated, can provide sustained relief of pain, and can improve function in Asian patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.</p> <p>Level of Evidence</p> <p>Therapeutic study, Level I-1a (randomized controlled trial with a significant difference).</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01319461">NCT01319461</a></p