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The timing of cortical neurogenesis has a major effect on the size and organization of the mature cortex. The deletion of the LIM-homeodomain transcription factor Lhx2 in cortical progenitors by Nestin-cre leads to a dramatically smaller cortex. Here we report that Lhx2 regulates the cortex size by maintaining the cortical progenitor proliferation and delaying the initiation of neurogenesis. The loss of Lhx2 in cortical progenitors results in precocious radial glia differentiation and a temporal shift of cortical neurogenesis. We further investigated the underlying mechanisms at play and demonstrated that in the absence of Lhx2, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway failed to maintain progenitor proliferation. We developed and applied a mathematical model that reveals how precocious neurogenesis affected cortical surface and thickness. Thus, we concluded that Lhx2 is required for β-catenin function in maintaining cortical progenitor proliferation and controls the timing of cortical neurogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* STUDY DESIGN: A nationwide, population- based, retrospective cohort study. * OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether benign paroxysmal posit ional vertigo (BPPV) is associated with an increased risk of fracture. * BACKGROUND: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a brief rotational vertigo induced by head posit ion change that may increase the risk of falls and, therefore, fracture. * METHODS: Data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were used for this study. We selected a case cohort comprising 3796 patients aged over 20 years who were newly diagnosed with BPPV between 2000 and 2006. In addition, we randomly selected a control cohort of 15184 individuals without BPPV. Patients with BPPV were matched to individuals in the control group according to sex, age, and index year. A Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to compute the hazard ratio of fracture, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities. * RESULTS: The prevalence of comorbidities was higher among patients with BPPV. After adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities, patients with BPPV exhibited a 1.14-fold (95% confidence interval [Cl]: 1.04,1.25; P<.01) higher risk of fracture than those without BPPV. Trunk fracture (vertebra, rib, and pelvis) was the fracture type with the highest adjusted hazard ratio (1.24; 95% Cl: 1.06,1.45; P<01) in patients with BPPV relative to those without BPPV. An analysis stratified according to demographic factors revealed tha t men with BPPV exhibited a 1.43-fold (95% Cl; 1.22,1.66; P<.001) higher risk of fracture. Patients with BPPV aged over 65 years exhibited a significantly higher risk of fracture (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.17; 95% Cl: 1.03,1.33; P<.05) than did those without BPPV. * CONCLUSION: Patients with BPPV exhibited a higher risk of fracture than did those without BPPV. * LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognosis, level 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2015;45(5):406-412. Epub 26 Mar 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the communication and cooperation in life insurance industry across the Taiwan Strait are becoming deeper, it is necessary to have a deeper research on the efficiency of life insurance industry across the strait. This paper applies stochastic frontier approach extend from Zhou et al. (2012) to estimate the input factors efficiency of the 90 life insurance companies from 2006 to 2011. We treat the number of employees, shareholder's equity, and the liability as the input factors, while the operating revenue as the output factor. Our major empirical findings are as follows: The average labor efficiency score of Taiwan areas is higher than that in mainland China. Companies in mainland China get a better average liability efficiency score than those in Taiwan. The average shareholder's equity efficiency scores in the two areas are quite close, while companies in Taiwan do a little bit better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigated four Chinese American students' biliteracy development in two contexts: their heritage language school and public school. Data were collected through participant observa- tions, audio-recorded classroom interactions, student work samples, and semistructured interviews. Findings demonstrated how literacy instruction across languages and contexts helped to pave a path to biliteracy development. In addition, this study explored the influence of literacy instruction across languages and contexts and their effect on the focal students' biliteracy development. The study illustrated how cultural factors shaped literacy instruction across languages and contexts. Finally, pedagogical implications were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background aims Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue and umbilical cord blood can be induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells. MSC can also be isolated from umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (UC MSC), which can be easily obtained. UC MSC are more primitive MSC than those isolated from other tissue sources and do not express the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (HLA-DR) antigens. Previous studies have shown that UC MSC are still viable and not rejected 4 months after transplantation as xenografts, without the need for immune suppression, suggesting that they are a favorable cell source for transplantation. Methods UC MSC were induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells by a simple one-step protocol with hepatotic growth factor (HGF) and fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF-4). Differentiated cells were examined for the expression of hepatocyte-specific markers and hepatocyte functions. Results UC MSC were isolated. Flow cytometry analysis showed that they expressed the MSC-specific markers. They differentiated into osteoblast-, adipocyte- and chondrocyte-like cells, showing their multipotent differentiation potential. Immunocytochemistry, real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis demonstrated that UC MSC expressed the hepatocyte-specific markers albumin (ALB), human α-fetoprotein (AFP) and cytokeratin 18 (CK-18) following hepatocyte induction. Periodic acid-Schiff staining showed that differentiated UC MSC could store glycogen, and an low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-uptake assay showed that they could uptake LDL. Conclusions This study demonstrates that UC MSC can differentiate into functional hepatocyte-like cells following the induction of HGF and FGF-4. UC MSC can serve as a favorable cell source for tissue engineering in the treatment of liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from umbilical cord Wharton''s jelly (UC-MSC) and UC can be easily obtained, representing a noncontroversial source of MSCs. UC-MSCs are more primitive than other tissue sources. Previous studies showed that UC-MSCs were still viable and were not rejected 4 months after transplantation as xenografts without the need for immune suppression, indicating that they are favorable cell source for transplantation. In this study, UC-MSCs were induced to differentiate into endothelial-like cells and compared with bone marrow (BM)-MSCs for their endothelial differentiation potential. Materials and Methods: UC-MSCs and BM-MSCs were characterized for expression of MSC-specific markers and osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. They were induced to differentiate into endothelial-like cells and analyzed for expression of the endothelial-specific markers and functions. Results: UC-MSCs and BM-MSCs showed similarities in expression of the MSC-specific markers and osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. They showed similar low-density lipoprotein-uptaking capacity following endothelial differentiation. However, UC-MSCs had higher proliferative potential than BM-MSCs. Both real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemical analyses demonstrated that UC-MSCs had higher expression of the endothelial-specific markers than BM-MSCs following endothelial differentiation. Both Matrigel and coculture angiogenesis assays showed that UC-MSCs and BM-MSCs after endothelial differentiation were able to form the capillary network and differentiated UC-MSCs had significantly higher total tubule length, diameter, and area than differentiated BM-MSCs. Conclusion: These results showed that UC-MSCs had higher endothelial differentiation potential than BM-MSCs. Therefore, UC-MSCs are more favorable choice than BM-MSCs for neovascularization of engineered tissues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since 1998, the EPA (Environmental Protection Administration) of Taiwan has been promoting the four-in-one recycling system to reduce waste production and increase the collection of recyclable resources, but there has been no objective evaluation to assess the recycling performance of local governments. This paper introduces a useful indicator (recycling efficiency) for accurate and meaningful measures to achieve better recycling performance and efficiency, and analyses the recycling efficiency of 23 local governments in Taiwan during 1998-2004. The data envelopment analysis, with multiple inputs and outputs, is used in constructing a recycling efficiency indicator. This study takes up four input variables, including the budget for environmental protection per capita, waste-cleaning vehicles per capita, waste-cleaning persons per square kilometre, and participants in promoting activities per capita frequency, along with two outputs (recycling volume per capita and recycling rate). The local governments are divided into three groups, and four environmental variables are incorporated to analyse the effects. According to the results, Keelung City has the highest performance, and Kaohsiung City and Taipei County the least. The high- education population proportion, real mean household income, and urban population proportion all have a positive relation with recycling efficiency. These results may help the EPA and local governments form feasible and efficient recycling targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A half-sibship relationship is when two siblings share only one parent. It may be necessary to determine if two individuals are half-siblings in cases of immigration, inheritance, genetic counseling or the identification of human remains. In such instances a combined half-sibship index (CHSI) can be calculated. Support for this kinship is also based upon the number of shared-alleles at DNA loci. We report on the combination of the calculation of CHSI with the all-shared-alleles (ASA) to enhance the specificity of any half-sibship test. The 15 STR loci (including CODIS 13) that comprise the Identifiler® loci were applied to three populations using 355,620 simulated pairs of half-siblings and 178,815 unrelated pairs. Based upon the data obtained, the sensitivity and specificity can be evaluated to determine the existence of half-sibship. This report highlights the uncertainty problems inherent in this form of indirect kinship testing and recommends a combination evaluation of CHSI and ASA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Paternity disputes and other forms of kinship testing are routinely resolved using short tandem repeat (STR) DNA loci. Sibship determination is encountered in instances where the DNA profiles of two individuals are compared to determine if they are siblings. If either parent is available for testing then the situation is simplified but if neither parent of the two individuals is available for DNA testing, a combined sibling indices (CSI) for the determination of sibship between two people can be determined. Support for kinship is also based upon the sharing of alleles, particularly when both alleles are shared at the same locus, termed two-allele-sharing-loci (TASL). We report on the combination of CSI and TASL to enhance the determination of sibship. The 15 STR loci that comprise the Identifiler® loci were applied to three populations using pairs of full siblings or unrelated pairs. Based upon the data obtained, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) can be applied to determining whether two DNA profiles come from full or non-sibling pairs. This report highlights the problems inherent in this form of kinship testing and recommends a combination use of CSI and TASL for sibship determination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]