Economic development and intergenerational earnings mobility: Evidence from Taiwan

How economic development affects intergenerational earnings elasticity is not well-documented. In this paper, we estimate intergenerational earnings elasticities between fathers and sons in two periods. In the current period, 2005–2010, Taiwan is already a developed economy with slower economic growth. We apply the two-sample approach developed by Björklund and Jäntti (1997) and find that intergenerational earnings elasticity is around 0.4–0.5 in this period. In the earlier period, 1990–1994, Taiwan was still a developing economy with fast economic growth. We mimic the Björklund-Jäntti two-sample approach and use average earnings by occupation as a proxy for fathers’ earnings. To quantify potential bias, we apply the same method to the 2005–2010 data. Our proxy method yields similar estimates in both the early 1990s and late 2000s. These results suggest stable intergenerational transmission of economic status in Taiwan, despite its rapid economic development

Evaluación y Adecuación Sísmica del Edificio Laureano Echandi

El objetivo de este proyecto consiste en realizar la evaluación y la adecuación sísmica del edificio Laureano Echandi de la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social según los lineamientos del Código Sísmico de Costa Rica 2010 y del estándar Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings ASCE/SEI 41-17 mediante el método de capacidad espectral. El objetivo de desempeño propuesto para la evaluación y la adecuación sísmica consiste en cumplir con el nivel de desempeño de seguridad de vida, ante la ocurrencia de un sismo fuerte (período de retorno de 475 años). Para el objetivo de desempeño propuesto, los resultados de la evaluación sísmica del edificio en su estado actual muestran debilidades y oportunidades de mejora que pueden ser subsanadas mediante el reforzamiento local de componentes y la adición de elementos estructurales nuevos. El desempeño de la estructura modificada con las estrategias de adecuación sísmica supera ampliamente el desempeño de la estructura original y cumple con el objetivo de desempeño propuesto con base en los lineamientos del Código Sísmico de Costa Rica 2010 y del estándar Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings ASCE/SEI 41-17.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ingeniería::Facultad de Ingeniería::Escuela de Ingeniería Civi

A COMPARISON OF BALANCE CONTROL BETWEEN JAVELIN THROWERS AND BASEBALL PITCHERS

This study evaluated the balance control in javelin throwers and baseball pitchers. Twenty-four athletes took part in the study and for each we measured their static and dynamic balance by Biodex Balance System, AMTl AccuSway force plate and Y balance test. The paired t-test was conducted to compare all the variables within subjects. The independent t-test was used to compare trail leg (TL) of baseball pitchers with propulsive leg (PL) of javelin throwers and stride leg (SL) of baseball pitchers with braking leg (BL) of javelin throwers. The results showed that there was no difference between the PL and BL in dynamic and static balance in javelin throwers. However, the dynamic balance in the TL was significantly better than the SL in baseball pitchers. The static balance in the PL in javelin throwers was also better than the TL in baseball pitchers. The research improves the understanding of balance control in elite athletes

Use of an open-source CAD software program and additive manufacturing technology to design and fabricate a definitive cast for retrofitting a crown to an existing removable partial denture

This technical report describes a digital process for designing and fabricating a stackable definitive cast and die system to facilitate the fabrication of a new surveyed crown to retrofit to a removable partial denture (RPD). By using an open-source computer-aided design (CAD) software program, this technique provides an economical option for dental clinicians and laboratory technicians to use intraoral scans and design a stackable definitive cast and die system with minimal financial investment in the CAD software. In addition, this technique provides the advantage of a conventional indirect technique in that it can create a definitive cast with an RPD clasp assembly ready for the dental technician to properly contour the new surveyed crown, but without the need for the patient to be without the RPD during the process

Reduced Stroke Risk among Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Chinese Herbal Medicines Treatment: Analysis of Domestic Data in Taiwan

Background and objectives: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) reportedly have a much higher risk of death due to stroke. Faced with this heavy burden, it remains unclear if the Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs), the most common form complementary and alternative medicine, can lower the risk of stroke for them. This study aimed to evaluate the association of CHMs use with stroke risk among them. Materials and Methods: From a nationwide database, 11,456 AF patients aged ≧ 20 years between 1998 and 2007 were identified. Afterwards, we enrolled 2670 CHMs users and randomly selected 2670 non-CHMs users using the propensity score method. The occurrence of stroke was recorded until the end of 2012. Results: Within the follow-up period, 671 CHMs users and 900 non-CHMs users developed stroke, with incidence rates of 33.02 and 45.46 per 1000 person-years, respectively. CHMs use was associated with a 30% lower stroke risk, especially for those receiving CHMs for over two years. Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest that adding CHMs to conventional therapy could decrease subsequent stroke risk for AF patients. It is also suggested that prospective randomized trials are needed to further clarify if the detected association revealed in this study supports a causal link, and to identify the specific CHMs that may be beneficial to AF patients

Plasma-cell type Castleman’s disease of the neck and lymphocyte-depletion Hodgkin lymphoma associated with intestinal intussusception in an AIDS patient

A 36-year-old man was diagnosed with plasma-cell type Castleman’s disease with the presentation of recurrent lymphadenpathy of the neck. HIV infection was not suspected or confirmed until esophageal candidiasis developed one year later. Meanwhile, surgery was performed for intestinal intussusception and obstruction caused by lymphocyte-depletion Hodgkin lymphoma. However, he died of rapidly progressive pneumonia and disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with intracerebral hemorrhage, which occurred 6 months later during the course of chemotherapy. This case suggests that HIV infection should be considered in patients who present with plasma-cell type Castleman’s disease or lymphocyte-depletion Hodgkin lymphoma with extra-nodal involvement in order to conduct appropriate diagnosis and initiate treatment for HIV infection