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Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are keystone species in the terrestrial ecosystem. Application of AM fungi play a critical role in forestry or ecological restoration. Chamaecyparis formosensis is endemic to Taiwan and threatened by habitat loss and over-cutting. How to protect and increase their populations has become an important issue to be addressed. An efficient ecological strategy was to applicate native mycorrhizal community for afforestation programs, such as mycorrhizal inoculation in the seedling stage. Therefore, it is important to know the native AM fungal community associated with C. formosensis. In this study, we investigated the diversity of AM fungi associated with C. formosensis along an altitudinal gradient (1200–2500 m) in their natural habitat by observing and identifying the spores from soil. A total of 1071 spores belonging to 26 AM fungal species were isolated and identified. AM fungal species diversity and spore density were not correlated with the altitude of the study sites. However, spore composition of AM fungi changed responding to area and altitudes significantly. Acaulospora laevis, Sclerocystis rubiformis and Acaulospora morrowiae distributed widely and were especially abundant occurring in 35.0%, 21.0% and 8.9% of all spores, respectively. Acaulospora koskei prefer the medium and high elevation whereas Acaulospora mellea prefer low elevation. The diversity of AM fungi associated with C. formosensis along an altitudinal gradient was presented. This data provides avenues for the protection and cultivation of C. formosensis in different area and elevations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a cultural lens and engaging all stakeholders' perspectives (e.g., patients, family caregivers, and health care and community providers), this study aimed to understand risk factors that hinder effective patient-provider communication (PPC) among families experiencing rare diseases in Taiwan. Findings from five focus group discussions with 40 participants recruited using purposive sampling suggest various risk factors related to effective PPC, including high regard for authority, face-saving communication, keeping harmonious relationships with providers, low socioeconomic status, patients' and caregivers' limited disease literacy, symptom-oriented communication habits, limited channels for timely PPC, discordant information from different sources, forgetting to keep daily records of the disease, and confusion about seeking specialists' assistance. Families with rare diseases in Asian communities would benefit from culturally tailored services and educational programs to enhance their disease-specific health literacy, motivation, engagement, and communication skills. Structural barriers could be tackled by providing integrated care coordinating cross-departmental communication between medical and social services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhododendron, one of the most famous ornamental plants in the world, is traditionally a medicinal plant. However, the potential bioactivities of native Rhododendron in Taiwan have not been completely studied. In this study, the results revealed that Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum exhibited the best antioxidant activities among 10 native Rhododendron species in Taiwan. Furthermore, based on a bioactivity-guided isolation principle, nine specific phytochemicals were isolated and identified as (2R,3S)-catechin (1), (2R,3R)-epicatechin (1'), (2R,3R)-dihydromyricetin 3-O-β-L-arabinopyranoside (2), (2S,3S)-taxifolin 3-O-β-L-arabinopyranoside (2'), (2R,3R)-taxifolin 3-O-β-L-arabinopyranoside (3), myricetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (3'), rutin (4), hyperoside (5), and quercitrin (6). Of these compounds, 2 and 3 were found to be major bioactive compounds, and their concentrations in the n-butanol (BuOH) fraction were determined to be 52.0 and 67.3 mg per gram, respectively. These results demonstrated that methanolic extracts of Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum leaves have excellent antioxidant activities and great potential as a source for natural health products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the increasing public awareness of the greenhouse effect, geological emissions of methane (GEM) have gained more attention. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change included GEM in the natural sources of methane category in the Fourth Assessment Report in 2007. The methane flux from mud volcanoes (MVs) is the second leading source within GEM. However, given that gas flux from MVs has been measured directly only in Sicily and Azerbaijan, the global methane estimation is still a conservative assumption based on limited data. The behavior of MV activities is seldom reported. This study attempts to estimate annual methane emissions through MVs by using a video recorder to record MV activities along the Chishan Fault and determining the bubble size and flux rate of each MV. Observation results, after a 1 year observation period, indicate that the annual emissions of the 19 MVs along the Chishan Fault are 0.1–0.2% of the global methane flux from MVs, highlighting that the methane emission from these MVs should not be neglected. In addition, the continuous monitoring of a particular MV disclosed periodic characteristics of MV activities. These results manifest the spatial and temporal variations of MV activities along the Chishan Fault. The spatial variations are related to the extensional kinematics of the Chishan fault, while the temporal variation relates to the earth-tide-related MV activities. The estimated annual methane emissions from the study are far more than those of previous studies and are still considered conservative. Results of this study may provide valuable information for researchers attempting to estimate the quantity of GEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. An outbreak of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection among injection drug users (IDUs) occurred in Taiwan, and thereafter, injection drug use became the most frequent risk factor for HIV infection in Taiwan. We sought to study the prevalence of and genotypes causing hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among HIV-infected IDUs in Taiwan. Methods. A multicenter, longitudinal cohort study of 990 HIV-infected IDUs was conducted from 1993 through 2006. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of antibody to HCV and to determine the genotype of HCV. Results. The overall prevalence of HCV infection among HIV-infected IDUs was 96.6%. The annual prevalence increased from 65.5% before 2002 to 98.6% in 2006. The main circulating HCV genotypes were 1a (accounting for 29.2% of samples), 6a (23.5%), and 3a (20.2%), whereas 1b, the most predominant genotype circulating in the general population in Taiwan, accounted for only 13.2% of samples. Genotypes 2b (accounting for 6.6% of samples), 6k (2.9%), 2a (1.6%), 6g (1.6%), and 3b (1.2%) were present in only a few IDUs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that duration of injection drug use and a travel history to China or Southeast Asia were significantly associated with infection due to HCV genotypes 1a, 3, and 6. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of HCV infection among HIV-infected IDUs in Taiwan, with a predominance of infection due to genotypes 1a, 6a, and 3a, as a result of the impact of IDUs' behavior and their drug trafficking route. Our study revealed that HCV infection in IDUs originated from a geographically large transmission network that was mainly distinct from that associated with other HCV-infected individuals; this transmission network has also been documented in association with HIV infection in IDUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the results of a molecular epidemiological study of HIV-1-infected injection drug users in Taiwan from January 2004 to April 2005. All HIV-1-positive specimens collected contained detectable sequences, including 105 from the C2-V3 region of env and 87 from the protease and reverse transcriptase genes of pol. The results provide information relevant to the development of antiretroviral therapy and vaccine in Taiwan and may aid public health workers in the prevention of HIV-1 transmission.