The Adjustment of Taiwan, ROC, Fisheries to Coordinate with the Extending National Fisheries Jurisdiction

The establishment by coastal states of 12-mile territorial seas and 200-mile EEZs or fisheries Conservation Zones (FCZs) has resulted in tremendous impacts on Taiwan inshore fisheries and distant-water fisheries. The ROC has to adjust its approach to fisheries in the face of the new international fisheries challenge. Through the adjusted measures, it has successfully achieved increases in her fisheries production in recent years. The purpose of this study is to examine the problems that have occurred or may occur to the Taiwan ROC fisheries industry as a consequence of the establishment of national EEZs. An area of particular concern to Taiwan is the Western Central Pacific region, a traditional distant-water fishing ground for Taiwan fishing vessels

Mechanisms of Kidney Injury in Lupus Nephritis - the Role of Anti-dsDNA Antibodies

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Embodied carbon and construction cost differences between Hong Kong and Melbourne buildings

Limiting the amount of embodied carbon in buildings can help minimize the damaging impacts of global warming through lower upstream emission of CO2. This study empirically investigates the embodied carbon footprint of new-build and refurbished buildings in both Hong Kong and Melbourne to determine the embodied carbon profile and its relationship to both embodied energy and construction cost. The Hong Kong findings suggest that mean embodied carbon for refurbished buildings is 33-39% lower than new-build projects, and the cost for refurbished buildings is 22-50% lower than new-build projects (per square metre of floor area). The Melbourne findings, however, suggest that mean embodied carbon for refurbished buildings is 4% lower than new-build projects, and the cost for refurbished buildings is 24% higher than new-build projects (per square metre of floor area). Embodied carbon ranges from 645-1,059 kgCO2e/m2 for new-build and 294-655 kgCO2e/m2 for refurbished projects in Hong Kong, and 1,138-1,705 kgCO2e/m2 for new-build and 900-1,681 kgCO2e/m2 for refurbished projects in Melbourne. The reasons behind these locational discrepancies are explored and critiqued. Overall, a very strong linear relationship between embodied energy and construction cost in both cities was found and can be used to predict the former, given the latter

Development of a Cantonese version of the Birmingham cognitive screen (BCoS) for stroke survivors in Hong Kong

The Birmingham Cognitive Screen (BCoS) is a validated neuropsychological assessment tool developed to assess different cognitive domains including language disorders in patients who have brain injuries. The aim of the present study was to develop a valid Cantonese version of the BCoS so as to evaluate the ability of the BCoS to differentiate between stroke survivors and healthy individuals. Twenty two stroke participants and sixteen matched controls were recruited. The participants were administered the HK-BCoS as well as measures of cognitive and language function validated for the Cantonese-speaking population including the CAB, the C-MMSE and the HK-MoCA whereas the control participants were administered the HK-BCoS only. Results showed that the HK-BCoS has good concurrent validity with the CAB, the C-MMSE and the HK-MoCA. It can discriminate between stroke patients with cognitive impairments and healthy controls. Furthermore, the HK-BCoS was found to have excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability, good test-retest reliability and fair split-half reliability. In sum, the HK-BCoS is a valid and reliable assessment tool for assessing cognitive impairments in Cantonese-speaking stroke survivors in Hong Kong. The implications for clinical use in aphasia are described.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesBachelorBachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science

Pathophysiology of the Peritoneal Membrane during Peritoneal Dialysis: The Role of Hyaluronan

During peritoneal dialysis (PD), constant exposure of mesothelial cells to bioincompatible PD solutions results in the denudation of the mesothelial monolayer and impairment of mesothelial cell function. Hyaluronan, a major component of extracellular matrices, is synthesized by mesothelial cells and contributes to remesothelialization, maintenance of cell phenotype, and tissue remodeling and provides structural support to the peritoneal membrane. Chronic peritoneal inflammation is observed in long-term PD patients and is associated with increased hyaluronan synthesis. During inflammation, depolymerization of hyaluronan may occur with the generation of hyaluronan fragments. In contrast to native hyaluronan which offers a protective role to the peritoneum, hyaluronan fragments exacerbate inflammatory and fibrotic processes and therefore assist in the destruction of the tissue. This paper will discuss the contribution of mesothelial cells to peritoneal membrane alterations that are induced by PD and the putative role of hyaluronan in these processes

Pathophysiological Changes to the Peritoneal Membrane during PD-Related Peritonitis: The Role of Mesothelial Cells

The success of peritoneal dialysis (PD) is dependent on the structural and functional integrity of the peritoneal membrane. The mesothelium lines the peritoneal membrane and is the first line of defense against chemical and/or bacterial insult. Peritonitis remains a major complication of PD and is a predominant cause of technique failure, morbidity and mortality amongst PD patients. With appropriate antibiotic treatment, peritonitis resolves without further complications, but in some PD patients excessive peritoneal inflammatory responses lead to mesothelial cell exfoliation and thickening of the submesothelium, resulting in peritoneal fibrosis and sclerosis. The detrimental changes in the peritoneal membrane structure and function correlate with the number and severity of peritonitis episodes and the need for catheter removal. There is evidence that despite clinical resolution of peritonitis, increased levels of inflammatory and fibrotic mediators may persist in the peritoneal cavity, signifying persistent injury to the mesothelial cells. This review will describe the structural and functional changes that occur in the peritoneal membrane during peritonitis and how mesothelial cells contribute to these changes and respond to infection. The latter part of the review discusses the potential of mesothelial cell transplantation and genetic manipulation in the preservation of the peritoneal membrane

Endogenous repair by the activation of cell survival signalling cascades during the early stages of rat parkinsonism.

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Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane specifically depletes dopaminergic neurons in primary cell culture

Toxicity of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) to dopaminergic neurons in primary cell culture was investigated in the present study. Developing neurons from the substantia nigra of neonatal rats were cultured. After treatments with different concentrations of DDT (5-12.5 μM), specific cell death of tyrosine-hydroxylase-immunoreactive dopaminergic neurons was observed in the culture by flow cytometric analysis. More than 60% of dopaminergic neurons were depleted after treatments with 10 and 12.5 μM of DDT. In addition, significant reductions of intensity levels of tyrosine hydroxylase immunofluorescence were observed in dopaminergic neurons after DDT treatments even at low concentrations of DDT. The present findings indicate that dopaminergic neurons are more susceptible to DDT toxicity than other types of neurons in the primary cell culture. Moreover, it is shown that the synthesis of dopamine in dopaminergic neurons is also depressed. Previous studies have demonstrated that perinatal exposure of DDT causes neurons to be more susceptible to neurotoxic damages in later adult life. The present findings thus provide evidence that dopaminergic neurons that are undergoing growth and development are targets of DDT neurotoxic effects. Exposure to DDT from contaminated environments is therefore a potential risk of onset of Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.published_or_final_versio

Carbonization over PFA-protected dispersed platinum: An effective route to synthesize high performance mesoporous-carbon supported Pt electrocatalysts

An alternative and effective route of synthesizing mesoporous carbon supported Pt nanoparticles is introduced. In reverse order to the conventional synthetic route, carbonization occurs after dispersion of platinum. In this process, H2PtCl6 acts as a Pt source and also serves as a catalyst for the polymerization of furfuryl alcohol (FA). The polymerized FA around the H2PtCl6 nanoparticles functions as a protecting agent and prevents the growth of Pt nanoparticles in the later high temperature carbonization step. The resulting Pt nanoparticles are highly dispersed in the mesoporous carbon structure, CMK3, and give a much higher methanol oxidation current when compared with Pt/CMK3 electrocatalysts prepared via the conventional route. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011.postprin