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The finite element method is commonly used to conduct the excavation project and to ensure the safety of the adjacent building. Hence, the analysis method should be rigorous, and the soil parameters used in the analysis should be carefully determined. In this paper, a small strain stiffness model was performed to assess the influence of small-strain soil behavior on ground movement induced by deep excavation in soft clays. The results revealed that when the stiff soil is far away from the excavation base, the hardening small strain model should be used to obtain a better prediction. On the other hand, the ground movement is restrained by the stiff soil when the location of stiff soil is near the excavation base. Under such conditions, the results from hardening soil and hardening small strain models are similar. In addition, this paper also provides a method to determine the small strain parameters (shear modulus and shear strain). Furthermore, the analysis method was verified through several case histories in Taipei and San Francisco. The results from case studies concluded that the small strain parameter should be determined by considering soil conditions and construction methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of teaching via virtual reality (VR) on creative design performance and creative experiential learning processes by using a pretest–post-test nonequivalent group design to sample 138 seventh graders from a junior high school in Taipei City. The main conclusions from this study are: (1) VR has significant positive effects on creative design processes, particularly in the design and planning, testing and revision and thoughts and appreciation stages. (2) VR has significant positive effects on creative design outcomes, with high- and low-level effects on creative design and functional appropriateness, respectively. (3) The learning process for VR and creative experiential learning shifts from concrete experiences to reflective observations, abstract conceptualization and, finally, innovative applications. Behaviors of reflective observation and innovative application are active and vital to the performance of creative processes and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak occurred in Wanhua District of Taipei City. It was traced to a cluster infection originating from a teahouse. To prevent further large-scaled community spread, the Taipei City Government established the first community rapid test screening station. This report describes the station's strategy and performance and key factors that contributed to its operation. The project involves collaboration among various departments of Taipei City Government, including the health, environmental, police, transportation, and fire departments. The station provides rapid screening, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and immediate isolation and follow-up medical services upon the detection of a positive case. These services are accessible to local residents and are intended to ease hospitals' burdens. In 36 days, a total of 8532 people were tested, and 419 confirmed cases were identified. Over the same period, the weekly number of positive cases in Wanhua District decreased from 356 to 40, and the PCR positive rate decreased from 21.7% to 1.2%. The policy of establishing rapid screening station, contact tracing and mask wearing policy are key strategies for interrupting chains of transmission of COVID-19. This intervention has become a model for preventing the spread of the epidemic and establishing community rapid screening stations in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial correlation of pollution of the water resource in Taipei, Taiwan, were examined by analyzing the antibiotic resistance patterns (ARPs) of 96 Escherichia coli colonies, which were isolated from 7 sampling sites in 3 river sections. The ARPs were the growth patterns of isolated E. coli colonies in the medium with seven kinds of antibiotics, including ampicillin, chlortetracycline, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, streptomycin, tetracycline, and salinomycin of different concentrations. The results showed that the survival rate of E. coli decreased with increasing concentration of antibiotics; however, various ARPs under different antibiotics of different concentrations significantly increased both the useful information and complexities. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and two-stage principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to analyze the spatial correlations and interrelations of distinct ARPs among sampling sites in this study. It was found that the seven sampling sites can be categorized into three groups which may represent three possible pollution characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Genomic epidemiology of ESC-R NTS in a teaching hospital, Taiwan. • A conserved bla CMY-2 -harbouring plasmid is found in diverse serovars from high transfer ability over two decades, whereas two emerging clones, Goldcoast and Anatum, still persist in Taiwan. • Movement of bla CTX-M-55 and bla DHA-1 from plasmids to bacterial chromosomes mostly mediates by IS 26. • Amplification of bla DHA-1 -containing region flanked by IS 26 is observed. Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a major foodborne pathogen causing from acute gastroenteritis to bacteraemia, particularly in paediatric and elderly patients. Antimicrobial resistance of NTS, especially resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, has emerged over the past decades. Thirteen NTS isolates resistant to ceftriaxone or cefotaxime were collected from a teaching hospital in Taipei, and another three from a tertiary hospital, in New Taipei City, Taiwan, from September 2018 to December 2019. Ten other archived isolates from 2000 to 2017 were also obtained. Complete genomes of the 26 isolates were obtained. Serovars, sequence types, resistomes, genetic relatedness, and sequence comparison of plasmids were analyzed. Serogroups B, C2 and E were significantly associated with ampicillin resistance. Over 90% of these 26 isolates are susceptible to carbapenems and colistin. Genomic epidemiology of these isolates shows that bla CMY-2 -harbouring isolates in different serovars were prevalent over two decades, presumably resulting from highly mobile IncI1 plasmid harbouring bla CMY-2. One type of the IncI1 plasmids contained a mobile element, IS 26 , which might be involved in the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance genes. Two emerging serovars, S. Goldcoast ST358 harbouring bla CTX-M-55 on IncHI2 plasmids and S. Anatum ST64 harbouring bla DHA-1 on IncA/C 2 plasmids persisted in Taiwan, possibly through the clonal spread. Integration of complete or partial plasmid sequences into host chromosomes or multiplications of the antimicrobial resistance genes also appears to be mediated by IS 26 , in the two emerging clones. The dynamic movement of cephalosporinase genes mediated by IS 26 in NTS is of great concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During the COVID-19 outbreak in May 2021, Taipei City has transformed many vacant hotels to augmented quarantine hotels, recruiting retired medical staff to provide medical care, in order to preserve hospitals' medical capabilities. In an augmented quarantine hotel at Caesar Park Hotel Taipei, the complexity of COVID quarantine, quarantine status of the residents, and hotel staff working with medical staff has made the original emergency response plan inappropriate. Henceforth, a series of modifications were made to ensure the emergency response readiness of Caesar Park Hotel Taipei. Method: The enhancements of emergency response capability of the augmented quarantine hotel at the Caesar Park Hotel Taipei, were made in accordance with the following list: 1. Revise evacuation plan, 2. Setup emergency equipment cart, 3. Modify emergency response procedure, 4. Update staff training and resident notice, 5. Routine stock count of medical supplies and emergency equipment. Results: The enhanced emergency response plan has ensured the safety of all personnel, plans were made in accordance with the COVID-19 quarantine status, and the staff has a clear perception of their duty with a picture of the overall emergency response plan. Conclusion: The enhanced emergency response plan was completed and under implementation in June 2021, and at the end of that month there was a fire that took four lives with 22 injured at a quarantine hotel in Changhua County. A review of the enhanced emergency response plan was made by the staff and corresponding hospital; many problems that happened at the Chunghua County quarantine hotel fire had already been considered or prevented in the enhanced emergency response plan. Such a method for building an enhanced emergency response plan has the potential to be implemented in more locations, and possibly in different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of this study is to examine the mechanism of the long-term settlement induced in shield tunneling. A series of finite element analysis were conducted using PLAXIS 3D on a well document shield tunneling case in Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System. Various simulation were executed assessing the impact of consolidation on long-term settlement using Soft Soil and Hardening Soil with Small-strain models. Simulation to assess the impact of the creep behavior of the soil on the long-term settlement was also executed using the Soft Soil Creep model. The computed surface settlements were compared to the field measurements. It was found from this study that the computed settlement matched the field measurement when creep behavior of the soft soil was considered but if creep was not accounted for, the computed settlement undervalued the field measurements. Finally, a series of parametric study was executed to examine the influence of various parameters on the long-term settlement. The results obtained from the parametric study of shield tunneling in thick clay clearly distinguished that mechanism of long-term settlement in shield tunneling is predominantly due to creep behavior of the soft soil since consolidation constitutes 5% of the total settlement while creep accounts for 80% of the total settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• VR has a significant and positive influence on the creative design process (particularly the design and planning, testing and modification, and thinking and sharing stages). • VR has moderate effects on the functional integrity, technical requirements, sophistication and esthetics, and originality and novelty of creative design outcomes. • VR users have comprehensive design thinking processes that transition smoothly from empathy to problem definition, creative ideation, prototyping, and testing and verification. This study explores the influences of virtual reality (VR) on creative design performance and design thinking processes. In this pretest−posttest experiment, nonequivalent groups of 180 seventh-grade students from a junior high school in Taipei were enrolled as research participants. For interior design lesson activities, the experimental and control groups were taught using VR applications and multimedia lectures, respectively, after which their creative design performance and design thinking processes were assessed and compared. The main conclusions are as follows: VR has a significant and positive influence on the creative design process (particularly the design and planning, testing and modification, and thinking and sharing stages), but it did not influence the data collection stage; VR has moderate effects on the functional integrity, technical requirements, sophistication and esthetics, and originality and novelty of creative design outcomes; and VR users have comprehensive design thinking processes that transition smoothly from empathy to problem definition, creative ideation, prototyping, and testing and verification. The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in empathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of earthquake-induced basin amplification are caused by the interaction of wave-fields with a basin boundary, which depend on complex source to site distances, basin geometry (topography), and sediment distribution within the basin. In this study the identification of long-period waves induced by strong earthquake motions through basin topography together with local site effects of the basin is investigated. Through multivariate singular spectrum analysis (MSSA), a unique analysis tool for extracting tendencies and harmonic components in geophysical time series is used to extract the long-period wave of basin response caused by the seismic events. Seismic response data of Taipei Basin were used to examine the existing of the lowest dominant frequency of the basin caused by basin topography. Finally, the seismic-induced ground motion data can be separated to local site effects and the basin motion caused by the effect of topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newly designed triaxial testing system equipped with a high-precision servo motor and local strain sensors is developed to perform the triaxial test. The servo motor (a direct-drive motor) was used to provide the necessary axial displacement, and to measure the induced strain. A set of accessories for preparation of a specimen was used to eliminate bedding errors and tilting errors. Differences of strains measured through the direct-drive motor and the local strain sensor were studied by conducting triaxial tests on both reconstituted samples and tube samples of Taipei silty clay. The results of the tests show that effective confining pressures or shearing rates cause little difference in the strains measured in the two ways: the difference in strain was less than 6% at small strain. The variations in stiffness measured by the two methods at small strain were in the range −3% to +5%. The ratios of strain measured by the two methods near the failure state of the sample were close to 1. The results have shown that measuring axial strain by a direct-drive motor is reliable, and may be used to improve strain measurement for triaxial tests on soft clay under similar testing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines the practicability and validity of the Multi-Objective Goal Programming (MOGP) model in designing a point-to-point airline network. The MOGP mathematical model is used in this study to identify and select a best central airport and its connecting airports providing the best overall optimal performance. By using the proposed model in the selection process, one can expect to achieve the following objectives: (1) an airline network designed at less cost, (2) an airline network that generates more revenues, and (3) an airline network that serves more passengers. Route data from Taipei to the Southeast Asian region were selected for this experiment to validate the model’s practicability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract  Two single-well and group-well pumping tests in the gravel formation of the Taipei basin were conducted to investigate the hydraulic parameters of the gravel formation and to understand the characteristics of the drawdown at both the construction and remote sites. As the base of the gravel formation at the construction site was unknown, the wells were assumed to be partial penetration wells. A simple method was developed to derive the hydraulic parameters from the pumping test results, taking into account the site-specific influencing factors. The parameters obtained were verified by the group-well pumping test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We examine the small-strain behavior of Taipei clays in braced excavation through a detailed analysis of a well-documented case history. Specifically, we analyze the case of the Taipei National Enterprise Center (TNEC) excavation using two soil models, the Modified Cam-clay model (MCC) and the three-Surface Kinematic Hardening model (3-SKH). Our finite element analysis includes a consideration of the over-consolidated stress state and the high initial shear modulus of the clay. Results show that the observed wall deflection and surface settlement can be satisfactorily predicted simultaneously using the 3-SKH model. This is an improvement on the MCC model, for which only wall deflection, not ground settlement, can be accurately predicted. This study re-confirms the importance of considering small-strain non-linear behavior for the over-consolidated stress state in finite element analyses of braced excavation responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Cloud-based learning exerted a moderate influence on the steps of problem identification, preparation, and response validation and communication in the creative process. • Creative self-efficacy positively influenced the steps of response generation, validation, and communication. • Cloud-based learning had positive effects on sophistication in the assessment of participants with low creative self-efficacy. This paper discusses the effects of cloud-based learning and creative self-efficacy on creativity in engineering design. A nonequivalent pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was used to recruit 97 students from a university in Taipei City in northern Taiwan. This study revealed two main conclusions. First, cloud-based learning exerted a moderate influence on the steps of problem identification, preparation, and response validation and communication in the creative process; creative self-efficacy positively influenced the steps of response generation, validation, and communication. Second, cloud-based learning had positive effects on novelty and functionality in the assessment of product creativity and significant positive effects on sophistication in the assessment of participants with low creative self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• VR application has a positive effects on engineering design thinking. • VR application has moderately positive effects on design process stages. • VR application has greater effects on engineering design in girls than in boys. In the context of the importance of promoting women's participation in engineering design and the trend toward applying virtual reality (VR) to teaching, this study investigated the influences of gender and a VR teaching application on engineering design creativity. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test. A teaching experiment was conducted with 169 seventh-grade students in a junior high school in Taipei City, Taiwan.The primary conclusions reached were as follows: 1.Application of VR to teaching has a moderately positive influence on the Empathize, Define, and Ideate stages of the design process as well as on the total scores for engineering design thinking. This effect is more pronounced in girls than in boys. 2.The application of VR to teaching has a moderately positive influence on the engineering design thought processes of students, with a greater effect observed in girls than in boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the impact of transportation on the environment, promoting urban bike-sharing service toward the transit-oriented-mode becomes one of the important issues of green transportation. Bike-sharing service maintained a balance urban development and ecological systems, also improved public health. Citizen in Taipei City rely on this system as their daily transportation tools recently because program are easy, convenient, affordability and human-centered maintained. If sharing economy with the policy and the surrounding built environment, there is a significant help to improve the urban economy, environment and health. Hence, the studies of the environment benefits which affect the use of bike-sharing become an important issue.To study the issue mentioned above, this research based on rental database, which included the rental information of YouBike in Taipei, carbon emissions of transportation. The data will be analyzed by statistical analysis which attempted to evaluate the environment benefits that affect the use of bike-sharing service.The results shown that, the positive impact factors to urban transportation are location of station, and finds the average velocity(8.2 km/h). Based on different analysis group, the evaluation results are PBS(Public bike share system) obtained benefit to improve urban road congestion. In addition, this article used carbon emissions of transportation in Taiwan to estimate bike-sharing average carbon reduction is 0.27 kgCO2 at every turn in vehicles use. The empirical study results can be beneficial for future to urban authorities in enacting relevant green transportation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]