A New On-Land Seismogenic Structure Source Database from the Taiwan Earthquake Model (TEM) Project for Seismic Hazard Analysis of Taiwan

Taiwan is located at an active plate boundary and prone to earthquake hazards. To evaluate the island’s seismic risk, the Taiwan Earthquake Model (TEM) project, supported by the Ministry of Sciences and Technology, evaluates earthquake hazard, risk, and related social and economic impact models for Taiwan through multidisciplinary collaboration. One of the major tasks of TEM is to construct a complete and updated seismogenic structure database for Taiwan to assess future seismic hazards. Toward this end, we have combined information from pre-existing databases and data obtained from new analyses to build an updated and digitized three-dimensional seismogenic structure map for Taiwan. Thirty-eight on-land active seismogenic structures are identified. For detailed information of individual structures such as their long-term slip rates and potential recurrence intervals, we collected data from existing publications, as well as calculated from results of our own field surveys and investigations. We hope this updated database would become a significant constraint for seismic hazard assessment calculations in Taiwan, and would provide important information for engineers and hazard mitigation agencies

Cryopreservation of Orchid Genetic Resources by Desiccation: A Case Study of Bletilla formosana

Many native orchid populations declined yearly due to economic development and climate change. This resulted in some wild orchids being threatened. In order to maintain the orchid genetic resources, development of proper methods for the long‐term preservation is urgent. Low temperature or dry storage methods for the preservation of orchid genetic resources have been implemented but are not effective in maintaining high viability of certain orchids for long periods. Cryopreservation is one of the most acceptable methods for long‐term conservation of plant germplasm. Orchid seeds and pollens are ideal materials for long‐term preservation (seed banking) in liquid nitrogen (LN) as the seeds and pollens are minute, enabling the storage of many hundreds of thousands of seeds or pollens in a small vial, and as most species germinate readily, making the technique very economical. This article describes cryopreservation of orchid genetic resources by desiccation and a case study of Bletilla formosana. We hope to provide a more practical potential cryopreservation method for future research needs

Earthquake Probability Assessment for the Active Faults in Central Taiwan: A Case Study

Frequent high seismic activities occur in Taiwan due to fast plate motions. According to the historical records the most destructive earthquakes in Taiwan were caused mainly by inland active faults. The Central Geological Survey (CGS) of Taiwan has published active fault maps in Taiwan since 1998. There are 33 active faults noted in the 2012 active fault map. After the Chi-Chi earthquake, CGS launched a series of projects to investigate the details to better understand each active fault in Taiwan. This article collected this data to develop active fault parameters and referred to certain experiences from Japan and the United States to establish a methodology for earthquake probability assessment via active faults. We consider the active faults in Central Taiwan as a good example to present the earthquake probability assessment process and results. The appropriate “probability model” was used to estimate the conditional probability where M ≥ 6.5 and M ≥ 7.0 earthquakes. Our result shows that the highest earthquake probability for M ≥ 6.5 earthquake occurring in 30, 50, and 100 years in Central Taiwan is the Tachia-Changhua fault system. Conversely, the lowest earthquake probability is the Chelungpu fault. The goal of our research is to calculate the earthquake probability of the 33 active faults in Taiwan. The active fault parameters are important information that can be applied in the following seismic hazard analysis and seismic simulation

Effect of capsule maturity and desiccation time on viability of Taiwan native orchid, Bletilla formosana seeds (Orchidaceae) after cryopreservation

Desiccation method has been successfully applied to the cryopreservation of Bletilla formosana seeds (Orchidaceae). This study investigated the effects of capsule maturity and desiccation time on the viability of B. formosana seeds after cryopreservation. Seeds with various degrees of maturity (60, 70, 80, 90, 100, and 110 days after pollination; DAP) were used as the test samples and dried for 0 and 24 h prior to cryopreservation. The results demonstrated that the germination percentage of the 110 DAP seeds with 24 h desiccation pretreatment was the highest (96.7%). The 110 DAP seeds were then used to further test the effects of various desiccation time (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 h) on the viability of the seeds after cryopreservation. The results demonstrated that when seeds were dried for 4-24 h prior to preservation, the water content was reduced to 10.8-0.6% (w/w), and the germination percentage (86.7-95.5%) were significant difference higher than un-desiccation treatment after cryopreservation and thawing to room temperature. The seeds of B. formosana were highly tolerant to desiccation, thus, they should be orthodox seeds and are suitable for long-term storage through cryopreservation

Effects of chemical and organic fertilizers on the growth, flower quality and nutrient uptake of Anthurium andreanum, cultivated for cut flower production

Sustainable agriculture has become a concern, due to the pressures of the “energy crisis” and issues of “environmental protection”. The use of organic fertilizer made from agricultural waste regenerates natural resources and reduces the consumption of fossil energy as well as phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) deposits. There is scant information available concerning the use of organic fertilizer as the sole source of nutrients in flower production, especially in the cultivation of flowers in a soilless condition. The objective of this study was to develop an organic fertilization management system to replace the chemical fertilization management of the cut flower production of Anthurium andreanum Lind. cultivated under soilless conditions. Four fertilization treatments were carried out consisting of two chemical fertilizers [controlled release fertilizer (CRF) and a chemical nutrient solution (CNS)], and two organic fertilizers [pea and rice hull compost (PRHC) and cattle dung with tea leaf residue compost (CDTC)]. The effects of the various fertilizations on A. andreanum were evaluated based on plant growth, nutrient uptake, and cut flower quality during the 1-year experimental period. The results show that the growth, yield, and cut flower quality of plants receiving PRHC were the same as those receiving CNS and CRF, indicating that PRHC can substitute for CRF and CNS as a nutrient source for cut flower production of A. andreanum cultivated in soilless condition. The plants that received the CNS and PRHC treatments had a significantly increased leaf number and new leaf growth area than those that received the CRF and CDTC treatments. The plants receiving the CDTC showed the lowest increase in leaf area and number of flowers. The retardant growth of plants treated with CDTC has been explained as being due to less carbon (C) being assimilated, most likely as the result of an insufficient supply of nitrogen (N) and manganese (Mn) toxicity. The petiole and peduncle length of the plants receiving the CRF were the shortest, which might be due to the low level of potassium (K) accompanying the magnesium (Mg) deficiency. Even though there were significant differences in the N and K concentrations of the plants among the different treatments, no significant differences were observed in the cut flower quality. In short, the organic fertilizer PRHC can meet the nutrient requirements of A. andreanum cultivation for the cut flower production under soilless conditions

Imiquimod-induced ROS production disrupts the balance of mitochondrial dynamics and increases mitophagy in skin cancer cells

Background: Mitochondrial homeostasis is a highly dynamic process involving continuous fission and fusion cycles and mitophagy to maintain mitochondrial functionality. Imiquimod (IMQ), a Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 ligand, is used to treat various skin malignancies. IMQ also induces apoptotic and autophagic cell death in various cancers through a TLR7-independent pathway. Objective: To investigate whether IMQ-induced ROS production is involved in mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial fragmentation and mitophagy in skin cancer cells. Methods: BCC/KMC-1, B16F10 and A375 skin cancer cells, AGS gastric cancer cells and primary human keratinocytes were treated with 50 μg/mL IMQ. After 4 h, ROS were detected by CM-H2DCFDA, DHE, and MitoSOX Red staining. After 24 h, cell viability and the mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated by a CCK-8 assay and JC-1 staining, respectively. Oxygen consumption was assessed with an Oroboros instrument. Mitochondrial morphology and mitophagy were evaluated by MitoTracker and LysoTracker staining. Mitochondrial dynamics markers, including MFN-1, DRP-1 and OPA1, and mitophagy markers, including LC3, S65-phosphorylated ubiquitin, PINK1 and TOM20, were detected by immunoblotting. Results: IMQ not only induced severe ROS production but also resulted in increased mitochondrial membrane potential loss, mitochondrial fission and mitophagy and decreased oxygen consumption in skin cancer cells compared with normal keratinocytes. Pretreatment with the antioxidant NAC reduced IMQ-induced ROS production and attenuated IMQ-induced mitochondrial fission and mitophagy in skin cancer cells. Conclusions: IMQ-induced ROS might be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial fission and mitophagy in cancer cells. Alleviating IMQ-induced ROS production would reduce mitochondrial fission-to-fusion skewing and further reduce IMQ-induced mitophagy

Validation of a concise screening tool for the identification of palliative care needs among inpatients: A prospective study in hospital setting

Background/Purpose: Very few studies have investigated the screening tools that aim to identify the need of palliative care services among patients with advanced cancer or chronic non-malignant diseases. This study validated the one-page Taiwanese version-Palliative Care Screening Tool (TW-PCST) for screening inpatients with potential palliative care needs. Method: ROC curves were produced to examine the sensitivities and specificities at varying cut-off points. The optimal cut-off value to predict mortality was justified using the Youden’s index. The screening was conducted on the first day of admission. Patients were prospectively followed-up after the baseline assessment. Three followed-up periods, namely 14 days, 90 days, and 180 days were analyzed. Results: A total of 21,596 patients were screened. AUCs for all cut-off scores varied from 0.84 to 0.88. A total-ABCD score ≥2 gave the highest Youden’s index for 90 days and 180 days follow-up periods. The optimal cut-point for 14 days was score ≥3. Conclusion: The TW-PCST demonstrated a good sensitivity and specificity in identification of inpatients with palliative care needs. A total-ABCD score ≥2 may be considered as a trigger for further referral. Keywords: Chronic disease, Palliative care, Screening tool, Referral and consultation, Admitted patien