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BackgroundLow infection and case-fatality rates have been thus far observed in Taiwan. One of the reasons for this major success is better use of big data analytics in efficient contact tracing and management and surveillance of those who require quarantine and isolation. ObjectiveWe present here a unique application of big data analytics among Taiwanese people who had contact with more than 3000 passengers that disembarked at Keelung harbor in Taiwan for a 1-day tour on January 31, 2020, 5 days before the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the Diamond Princess cruise ship on February 5, 2020, after an index case was identified on January 20, 2020. MethodsThe smart contact tracing–based mobile sensor data, cross-validated by other big sensor surveillance data, were analyzed by the mobile geopositioning method and rapid analysis to identify 627,386 potential contact-persons. Information on self-monitoring and self-quarantine was provided via SMS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) tests were offered for symptomatic contacts. National Health Insurance claims big data were linked, to follow-up on the outcome related to COVID-19 among those who were hospitalized due to pneumonia and advised to undergo screening for SARS-CoV-2. ResultsAs of February 29, a total of 67 contacts who were tested by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction were all negative and no confirmed COVID-19 cases were found. Less cases of respiratory syndrome and pneumonia were found after the follow-up of the contact population compared with the general population until March 10, 2020. ConclusionsBig data analytics with smart contact tracing, automated alert messaging for self-restriction, and follow-up of the outcome related to COVID-19 using health insurance data could curtail the resources required for conventional epidemiological contact tracing.

Teacher identity has increasingly become a major educational research area. Nevertheless, high school in-service English teachers' identity changes, as facilitated by their further studies in the pursuit of professional development are less explored. This study begins to fill this gap by examining their identities as to how they strike a balance as a teacher and a student concurrently. Based on interviews with 11 teachers at a high school in Taiwan, both positive and negative changes were reported by the teachers, despite wide-ranging foci. Their productive and additive identity changes were primarily related to their sense of competence and fulfillment in terms of enhancing professional knowledge, increasing research capacities, and broadening horizons, whereas subtractive and split changes were mainly related to disciplinary differences. It can be concluded that teachers' identities are constructed and reconstructed as they seek to negotiate between their own beliefs and the natures of different disciplines. Implications of this study are discussed.

The present study investigates Taiwanese researchers' perceptions, problems, and strategies of trying to get published in English in the field of English teaching. This discipline presents an interesting case for publishing, as in Taiwan, this group of researchers is highly expected to use English as a medium in writing for research. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 21 researchers, the findings show that regarding the role of English, all participants regarded it as an indispensable tool in their academic careers. They valued the significance of English journals and were keen to promote their ideas in the international market by using English as the medium. Most researchers reported that they had writing problems. However, if they were well-prepared, they would not be trapped into them. Except for language use, researchers were confident in their research topic. Because of Greater China's rapid growth, people may want to know more about it. They also reported different strategies to solve problems in English publication. Implications of this study are discussed and concluded.

Wnts are a conserved family of secreted glycoproteins that regulate various developmental processes in metazoans. Three of the five Caenorhabditis elegans Wnts, CWN-1, CWN-2 and EGL-20, and the sole Wnt receptor of the Ror kinase family, CAM-1, are known to regulate the anterior polarization of the mechanosensory neuron ALM. Here we show that CAM-1 and the Frizzled receptor MOM-5 act in parallel pathways to control ALM polarity. We also show that CAM-1 has two functions in this process: an autonomous signaling function that promotes anterior polarization and a nonautonomous Wnt-antagonistic function that inhibits anterior polarization. These antagonistic activities can account for the weak ALM phenotypes displayed by cam-1 mutants. Our observations suggest that CAM-1 could function as a Wnt receptor in many developmental processes, but the analysis of cam-1 mutants may fail to reveal CAM-1's role as a receptor in these processes because of its Wnt-antagonistic activity. In this model, loss of CAM-1 results in increased levels of Wnts that act through other Wnt receptors, masking CAM-1's autonomous role as a Wnt receptor.

The present study aims to explore the role of Chinese EFL learners' rhetorical strategy use in relation to their achievement in English writing in Taiwan. It has been argued that traditional Chinese text structures (indirect style) continue to influence the contemporary English writing of Chinese students in expository writing text. The manner of Chinese communication style and the origin of traditional Chinese text structures, in particular the four-part qi-cheng-zhuan-he and the eight-legged essay structures were examined. In considering their influence upon the expository writing of Chinese students, it is argued that, although these conventions do influence Chinese students' writing in Chinese to some extent, they are unlikely to exert a great influence upon their writing in English. Data were selected from students in 10 university academic English writing classes in Taiwan (n = 116 in total). English expository writings produced by 40 high- and low-achieving students indicate that they were mainly in contemporary Anglo-American direct rhetorical style rather than in traditional Chinese indirect style. In addition, from interviews with students, the findings show that teachers' writing instruction may be a crucial factor to influence students' writing rhetorical strategy use. (Contains 2 footnotes and 2 tables.)

Summary: Background: Lipid‐lowering effect was observed during treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). However, the metabolic features in patients switching from TDF to tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) remain unclear. Aims: To compare the impacts of switching from TDF to TAF or from entecavir to TAF on body weight and metabolic features in patients with CHB. Methods: This was a multi‐centre, prospective, observational study in patients with CHB on TDF or entecavir who switched to TAF. Baseline characteristics, lipid profile and sugar profile were determined. This study received IRB approval from each hospital. Results: We enrolled 177 patients on TDF (99) or entecavir (78) and followed them for 48 weeks after the switch to TAF. At baseline, TDF‐experienced patients had lower serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol than entecavir‐experienced patients. The switch from TDF to TAF significantly increased body weight, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, fasting glucose, glycaemic haemoglobin, insulin and insulin resistance. The switch from entecavir to TAF did not affect these measures. There was no significant difference in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk scores between groups. Conclusions: The switch from TDF to TAF was associated with weight gain, derangements of lipid profile, and increased insulin resistance in patients with CHB. Long‐term effects on these metabolic features need further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Shih-Chieh Chien, Chanchal Chandramouli, Chi-In Lo, Chao-Feng Lin, Kuo-Tzu Sung, Wen-Hung Huang, Yau-Huei Lai, Chun-Ho Yun, Cheng Huang, Hung-I Yeh, Ta-Chuan Hung, Chung-Lieh Hung, Carolyn S. P. Lam In [...]

Background Obesity, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease and heart failure (HF), is associated with adverse cardiac remodeling in the general population. Little is known about how nutritional status modifies the relationship between obesity and outcomes. We aimed to investigate the association of obesity and nutritional status with clinical characteristics, echocardiographic changes, and clinical outcomes in the general community. Methods and findings We examined 5,300 consecutive asymptomatic Asian participants who were prospectively recruited in a cardiovascular health screening program (mean age 49.6 ± 11.4 years, 64.8% male) between June 2009 to December 2012. Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were described in participants, stratified by combined subgroups of obesity and nutritional status. Obesity was indexed by body mass index (BMI) (low, [less than or equal to]25 kg/m.sup.2 [lean]; high, >25 kg/m.sup.2 [obese]) (WHO-recommended Asian cutoffs). Nutritional status was defined primarily by serum albumin (SA) concentration (low, Conclusions In our cohort study among asymptomatic community-based adults in Taiwan, we found that obese individuals with poor nutritional status have the highest comorbidity burden, the most adverse cardiac remodeling, and the least favorable composite outcome., Author(s): Shih-Chieh Chien 1,2,3, Chanchal Chandramouli 4,5, Chi-In Lo 1,2, Chao-Feng Lin 2,3, Kuo-Tzu Sung 1,2,3, Wen-Hung Huang 3, Yau-Huei Lai 2,6, Chun-Ho Yun 2,7, Cheng-Huang Su 2,3, Hung-I Yeh [...]

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of students' use of writing strategies in light of their English writing achievements in Taiwan. This research used a cognitive approach to examine the process of writing. Forty student writers (including 20 low and 20 high achievers) in Taiwan participated in this study. Strategies used for writing by high and low achievers as revealed by a concurrent think-aloud protocol and immediate retrospective interviews with students were investigated, analysed, and compared. Results indicated that compared to low-achieving student writers, high-achieving student writers were more aware of and focused more on formulating their position statement in planning, generating text, and revising and editing their text, such as changing the meaning and fixing grammatical and spelling errors during their review. The findings are discussed in light of writing strategies and implications for writing pedagogy and teacher education. (Contains 2 tables.)

The present study compares the discourse organization in compositions by senior high school students in Taiwan in their Chinese and English classes and explores the influence of their teachers' writing instruction in order to extend the current understanding of students' discourse organization in the school context. The researcher collected data through the analysis of 432 writing samples taken from high school Chinese and English classes and interviewed their teachers to explore what kind of instruction they employed when teaching writing. The researcher interviewed 20 students to further probe their choices in adopting a "direct" or an "indirect" approach to writing. The findings show that, while most students often used a direct approach in their Chinese and English expository composition, different patterns of discourse organization did exist. The researcher interpreted the data as supporting the view that deductive thinking patterns may not be difficult for Chinese students in Taiwan, particularly in their English writing, and teachers' instruction and assessments of writing can be effective in this area. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure, and 1 note.)