Summary
Engrailed‐1 (EN1) is a developmental gene that encodes En1, a highly conserved transcription factor involved in regionalization during early embryogenesis and in the later maintenance of ...normal neurons. After birth, EN1 still plays a role in the development and physiology of the body; for example, it exerts a protective effect on midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons, and loss of EN1 causes mDA neurons in the ventral midbrain to gradually die approximately 6 weeks after birth, resulting in motor and nonmotor symptoms similar to those observed in Parkinson's disease. Notably, EN1 has been identified as a possible susceptibility gene for idiopathic Parkinson's disease in humans. EN1 is involved in the processes of wound‐healing scar production and tissue and organ fibrosis. Additionally, EN1 can lead to tumorigenesis and thus provides a target for the treatment of some tumors. In this review, we summarize the effects of EN1 on embryonic organ development, describe the consequences of the deletion or overexpression of the EN1 gene, and discuss the pathways in which EN1 is involved. We hope to clarify the role of EN1 as a developmental gene and present potential therapeutic targets for diseases involving the EN1 gene.
Time-lapse methodology was applied to cross-hole electrical resistivity tomography (CHERT) to investigate two groundwater contamination sites. In the first case study, resistivity profiles were used ...to delineate the transport direction and spatial distribution of the contaminant, which can serve as a basis for adjusting the remediation treatment by the remediation team. In the second case study, changes in electrical conductivity were used to evaluate the remediation reagent's transport direction and area of effect, and this was used to indirectly verify the effectiveness of the remediation efforts. CHERT equipment was installed simultaneously at the monitoring wells, which enhanced the benefits of the boreholes, enabling them to be even more economical. In large-scale groundwater contamination sites or sites with complex hydrogeological environments, application of CHERT techniques can result in greater amounts of data, particularly in analyzing localized preferential flow paths. This data would be greatly beneficial to the remediation of groundwater contamination sites and long-term groundwater management.
The Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) is an instrument for measuring the flow experiences of the general population while participating in daily activities. This study aimed to examine the ...equivalence in the measurement structure of Traditional Chinese DFS-2 (TCDFS-2) between the schizophrenic patients and healthy subjects.
We recruited 100 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from the psychiatric clinics or the centers for daycare or rehabilitation and 104 healthy adults. Each participant finished the TCDFS-2 by recalling the most important and meaningful daily activity.
We conducted two two-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) with the healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients as the reference group respectively in LISREL. When the healthy subjects as the reference standard, 43 items of the TCDFS-2 were added to this constrained two-group CFA model for the schizophrenic patients, but the cross-group equivalence was still unsatisfactory. By contrast, when the schizophrenic patients as the reference standard, only 6 items were added for the healthy subjects, and the cross-group equivalence was barely acceptable.
Thus, the measurement structures of the TCDFS-2 were quite different between the schizophrenic patients and healthy subjects. The flow states experienced by the schizophrenic patients might not entirely be the same as those of the healthy subjects.
With the rapid development of science and technology, more and more electronic devices, such as communication equipment, navigation equipment, and various information systems based on computer ...network installed in which leading to greatly improved possibilities of electromagnetic interference. Take consideration of other natural factors, the electromagnetic environment is getting more and more complicated. Normal operation of the electronic information systems installed in the vehicle are greatly threatened under the severe electromagnetic environment, improve interference prediction and design capability, to avoid electromagnetic compatibility problems, and to strengthen the electromagnetic environmental adaptability of electronic information systems has become widespread concern. The problem of evaluating the lightning disaster risk of electronic information system with intuitionistic fuzzy information is the multiple attribute decision making (MADM) problems. In this paper, we shall investigate the multiple attribute decision making problems for lightning disaster risk assessment of electronic information system with intuitionistic fuzzy information. Then, we used the induced intuitionistic fuzzy Hamacher ordered weighted averaging (I-IFHOWA) operator to evaluate the lightning disaster risk of electronic information system. Finally, an illustrative example is given to verify the developed approach.
“Restorative Justice,” firstly a research concept and later a criminal justice practice, was introduced into Taiwan at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This paper reviews how RJ grounded ...in the Taiwanese district prosecutors’ offices and gradually grows into a grassroots social movement. We propose that the RJ advancement benefits from open-minded policymakers, dedicated academics, and innovative facilitators. The facilitators trained from 2011 to 2012 became key players to spread the RJ practices to other criminal justice sectors and beyond. In addition, the third wave of judicial reform further enabled the embedding of the RJ procedure in the Juvenile Justice Act, the Code of Criminal Justice Procedure, the Prison Act, and the Detention Act. We compare the discourse of RJ advocacy in the east and the west and address the importance of cultural sensitivity, terminology translation, and the meaning of localized practice. In conclusion, we reflect on the existing evaluation reports of the Taiwanese RJ model and provide recommendations for future development.
•A one-secondary factor and six-primary factor CFA model for the 36-item TCDFS-2.•And, a one-secondary factor and six-primary factor CFA model for the 36-item TCFSS-2.•Schizophrenic subjects might ...have different measurement structures of TCDFS-2 and TCFSS-2 as compared to ordinary subjects.•The mental deficiencies might affect the flow experiences and the measurement structures of TCDFS-2 and TCFSS-2.
The 36-item Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) and Flow State Scale-2 (FSS-2) were developed to assess flow experience in daily and specific activities. Although their validity and reliability had been examined in general populations and different cultures, little is known for schizophrenic subjects. Thus, this study aimed to validate Traditional-Chinese DFS-2 (TCDFS-2) and FSS-2 (TCFSS-2) in Taiwanese subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
We recruited 229 adult participants from outpatient clinics, day care centers, and psychiatric rehabilitation centers in Taipei. They filled out 36-item TCDFS-2 and TCFSS-2 under guidance. The LISREL 9.30 software was used to conduct exploratory factor analysis for exploring measurement structures, and then confirmatory factor analysis for identifying factor models.
The six first-order factor and one second-order factor measurement models were obtained for both 36-item TCDFS-2 (Chi-square statistic = 999.1, df = 545, p < 0.0001, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation RMSEA = 0.0603, and Comparative Fit Index CFI = 0.9213) and TCFSS-2 (Chi-square statistic = 987.9, df = 539, p < 0.0001, RMSEA = 0.0603, and CFI = 0.9213).
Our factor models differed remarkably from those of 36-item DFS-2 and FSS-2. Yet, they were barely acceptable to be used to measure flow experiences in schizophrenic subjects in clinical applications. Since the factor scores, measurement structures, or even definitions of flow experiences could differ substantially between healthy people and patients with mental illness, disease-specific instruments of flow experiences should be considered in the future.
Transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is associated with occupational exposure to 4,4′-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA). A program to monitor MBOCA levels in the work environment ...and to screen for bladder cancer was performed at four MBOCA manufacturing factories.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration analytic method No. 24 was adopted in this study to measure air MBOCA concentrations. A total of 70 MBOCA-exposed workers and another 92 nonexposed workers were recruited for screening. Urine occult blood tests, urine cytology, tests for the urine tumor marker nuclear matrix protein, and abdominal ultrasonography were performed in all patients. Intravenous urography and cystoscopy were used to confirm the presence of bladder cancer.
The air concentration of MBOCA was greatest in the purification area (0.23 to 0.41 mg/m
3), followed by the washing area (less than 0.02 to 0.08 mg/m
3) and neutralization area (less than 0.05 to 0.06 mg/m
3). This study identified a current worker with proved bladder cancer. In addition, we also identified 1 worker with suspected malignant cells on urine cytology and 1 worker with atypical cytology combined with gross hematuria. Although the prevalence of atypical urinary cells and the nuclear matrix protein 22 tumor marker was not significantly different between the MBOCA-exposed workers and nonexposed workers as a whole or when grouped by sex, the prevalence of positive occult blood was marginally significantly (
P = 0.055) greater in male exposed workers (18%) than in male nonexposed workers (7%).
The findings of this study support the conclusions from other studies that MBOCA is potentially carcinogenic to humans. Control measures are needed to prevent overexposure from inhalation and skin absorption.
Although scholarly interest in empirically assessing Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) self-control theory continues to grow, there is little research available on evaluating its utility in China. The ...current study examines the power of self-control theory as an explanation of juvenile minor risky behavior as well as minor delinquent behaviors in China, while simultaneously considering the role of social bonds. The data were collected from a probability sample of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders in Hangzhou, China (N = 1,043) using the second International Self-Report Delinquency (ISRD-2) survey instrument. The results from the logistic regression analyses show that self-control is associated with both measures of Chinese youth deviance in the expected direction, suggesting that the youth with low self-control have a higher likelihood to report minor risky and delinquent behavior. The effects of self-control remain when controlling for social bonding measures. Among the social bonding factors, beliefs (pro-violence attitude) and family bonding were found to be the significant predictors of risky behavior and minor delinquency, respectively.
A 52-year-old male chemical worker was admitted to the hospital with a history of paroxysmal microscopic hematuria for about 2 years and nocturia with gross hematuria about five times per night for 2 ...months. He was a nonsmoker and denied a history of any other bladder carcinogen exposure except for occasional pesticide application during agricultural work. Intravenous urogram imaging showed a mass occupying half of the bladder capacity. Cystoscopy revealed a mass over the left dome of the bladder. Cystoscopic biopsy revealed a grade 3 invasive transitional cell carcinoma with marked necrosis. From 1987 until hospital admission in 2001, the patient had worked in a company that produced the 4,4′-methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) curing agent. He did not wear any personal protective equipment during work. Ambient air MBOCA levels in the purification process area (0.23-0.41 mg/ m3) exceeded the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's permissible exposure level. Urinary MBOCA levels (267.9-15701.1 μg/g creatinine) far exceeded the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration's reference value of 100 μg/L. This patient worked in the purification process with occupational exposure to MBOCA for 14 years. According to the environmental and biologic monitoring data and latency period, and excluding other potential bladder carcinogen exposure, this worker was diagnosed as having occupational bladder cancer due to high exposure to MBOCA through inhalation or dermal absorption in the purification area. This case finding supports that MBOCA is a potential human carcinogen. Safe use of skin-protective equipment and respirators is required to prevent workers from MBOCA exposure.
A voluntary compliance program for occupational health and safety management, Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), was implemented with a strategy of cooperation and encouragement in Taiwan. Due to ...limitations on increasing the human forces of inspection, a regulatory-based guideline addressing the essence of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) was promulgated, which combined the resources of third parties and insurance providers to accredit a self-improving worksite with the benefits of waived general inspection and a merit contributing to insurance premium payment reduction. A designated institute accepts enterprise's applications, performs document review and organizes the onsite inspection. A final review committee of Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) confers a two-year certificate on an approved site. After ten years, the efforts have shown a dramatic reduction of occupational injuries and illness in the total number of 724 worksites granted certification. VPP worksites, in comparison with all industries, had 49% lower frequency rate in the past three years. The severity rate reduction was 80% in the same period. The characteristics of Taiwan VPP program and international occupational safety and health management programs are provided. A Plan-Do-Check-Act management cycle was employed for pursuing continual improvements to the culture fostered. The use of a quantitative measurement for assessing the performance of enterprises' occupational safety and health management showed the efficiency of the rating. The results demonstrate that an employer voluntary protection program is a promising strategy for a developing country.
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