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Hsiang-Lin Chan,1,2,* Wen-Sheng Liu,3–6,* Yi-Hsuan Hsieh,1,2 Chiao-Fan Lin,1,2 Tiing-Soon Ling,2,7 Yu-Shu Huang1,2 1Department of Child Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 2College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 3Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Zhong-Xing Branch, Taipei, Taiwan; 4School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; 6College of Science and Engineering, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; 7Department of Family Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the percentages of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Taiwanese aboriginal preschool children. Child development level was compared between the two groups. Methods: Teachers completed screening questionnaires for ADHD, ASD, and development level for 36- to 72-month-old children in kindergartens in Taiwan. The questionnaire results were compared between the aboriginal and nonaboriginal children. One child psychiatrist then interviewed the aboriginal preschool children to determine if they had ADHD and/or ASD. Results: We collected 93 questionnaires from the aboriginal group and 60 from the nonaboriginal group. In the aboriginal group, 5.37% of the children were identified to have ADHD, while 1.08% were identified to have ASD. Significantly fewer aboriginal children had developmental delays for situation comprehension and personal–social development (P=0.012 and 0.002, respectively) than nonaboriginal children. Conclusion: Aboriginal children in Taiwan had typical percentages of ADHD and ASD compared to those published in the literature. Aboriginal children showed relative strengths in situation comprehension and personal–social skills. Further studies are required to understand the learning styles of the aboriginal children and to develop effective screening and intervention strategies for ADHD and ASD. Keywords: attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, aboriginal children, child development, developmental delay

The sea cucumber Holothuria leucospilota has high me-dicinal value and rich nutritional edible value, and thus is a commercially important aquatic product in China. Microsatellite loci were developed and screened using a fast isolation protocol and amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats. In this study, 16 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers in H. leucospilota were identified, and the relevant genetic variability index was assessed using 30 individu-als from a wild population. The polymorphic information content ranged from 0.183 to 0.668, and the number of alleles per locus varied from 3 to 5. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.0370-0.5000 and 0.0776-0.6250, respectively. With the exception of 3 loci (Y1-15, Y11-1, and Y28), the polymorphic loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.003125). These polymorphic microsatellite loci will contribute to studies of genetic diversity, the research of population structure, and the design of conservation strategies for H. leucospilota.

The rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens is an economically valuable species that is widely distributed throughout the estuaries, intertidal, and offshore coasts of the Indo-Pacific and eastern Mediterranean. Ten novel microsatellite loci from the genome of S. fuscescens were developed using the fast isolation protocol with amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats. Polymorphisms in these 10 microsatellite markers were determined from 32 wild individuals. The number of alleles per locus and the polymorphism information content ranged from 2 to 5 and from 0.059 to 0.668, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.063 to 0.781 and from 0.062 to 0.731, respectively. Although 1 locus (LZY-X7, P < 0.005) showed significant deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, no deviations were detected in the other 9 loci. These microsatellite loci may be useful for further population genetic studies, conservation studies, population structure assessment, and linkage map construction of S. fuscescens.

The marbled rockfish, Sebastiscus marmoratus, is an important commercially near-shore fish that inhabits the beach rocky bottom from Japan to the South China Sea. Eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed from S. marmoratus and were used to identify polymorphisms in 30 samples from a wild population. The allele locus number ranged from 2 to 7. Polymorphism data content ranged from 0.032 to 0.751. The observed and expected heterozygosity levels were 0.0333-0.9667 and 0.0328-0.7675, respectively. Two loci, Smd1-112 and Smd2-80, deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These polymorphic microsatellite markers will facilitate further studies of genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of S. marmoratus.

Curry fish (Stichopus horrens) is a tropical holothurian species and is widely distributed in the India-West Pacific. In the present study, 9 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for S. horrens. These loci were tested in 30 individuals from Hainan Island in China. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 5. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.348-0.584. The levels of observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.1500-0.8000 and from 0.2014-0.5000, respectively. Most loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, except HCS1-27 and HCS2-7, after sequential Bonferroni's correction, and no significant linkage disequilibrium was detected for any pairwise combination of loci. These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful for studying population structure and conservation strategy design for S. horrens.

Holothuria leucospilota is a tropical holothurian species that is widely distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical India-Western Pacific Region. Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed from H. leucospilota by using the protocol fast isolation by amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats and tested in 30 individuals from Hainan Island in China. The number of alleles was 2-6 and polymorphism information content ranged from 0.371-0.694. The levels of expected and observed heterozygosities varied from 0.3913-0.6701 and from 0.1154-0.7000, respectively. No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected for any pairwise combination of loci. Only loci YZHS1-42 deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These polymorphic microsatellite loci may be useful for germplasm conservation of H. leucospilota.

Thirteen new polymorphic microsatellite markers in Fenneropenaeus penicillatus were isolated and characterized. The polymorphism of the thirteen microsatellite markers was tested by 30 individuals from Lianjiang, China. It showed that the number of al-leles per locus ranged from 3 to 6 and the Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) was from 0.324 to 0.706. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.3217-0.8023 and 0.1977-0.6783, respectively. Only one loci (LJ-19) deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) (P 0.00385). The thirteen polymorphic microsatellite markers could pro-vide more genetic data for further research on cultivation and recovery of F. penicillatus.

The pen shell, Atrina vexillum Born, is an edible shellfish that is widely consumed in the Asia-Pacific region. In this study, 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from A. vexillum, and 30 wild individuals were used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism of these markers. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 8. The polymorphism information content varied from 0.199 to 0.831. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.1000-0.8667 and 0.1244-0.8356, respectively. Two loci deviated significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) after a Bonferroni correction, while the other nine loci were at HWE. These microsatellite loci will be useful in further studies on population genetic analyses, and will provide important genetic data for the conservation and recovery of A. vexillum.

Branchiostoma belcheri Gray is a second-class, nationally protected protochordate in China. We developed 10 novel polymorphic sites in B. belcheri, which were examined using a population of 30 wild individuals from Xiamen, China. The polymorphism information content ranged between 0.141 and 0.681, and the number of alleles varied from 2 to 5. The expected and observed heterozygosities varied between 0.1528 and 0.6920, and between 0.1429 and 0.5000, respectively. These novel microsatellite markers will facilitate the genetic analysis and protection of wild B. belcheri individuals, and the possible re-stocking of the species in the long-term.

Oesophageal problems are common in patients with scleroderma. but the association of primary biliary cirrhosis and scleroderma is uncommon. A Barrett's oesophagus identified in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis and scleroderma is described. The Barrett's oesophagus was probably a complication of scleroderma and resulted from low lower-oesophageal sphincter pressure and severe gastro-oesophageal reflux.

Rabbitfish, Siganus fuscescens, is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific regions and eastern Mediterranean. Its dwelling place includes reef flats, coral reef regions, and seagrass meadows in tropical area and reef areas or shallow waters in locations at high latitudes. In the present study, 10 new polymorphic microsatellite markers were screened from 30 wild S. fuscescens individuals, using a method of fast isolation protocol and amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats. The number of polymorphic alleles per locus was 3 to 5 with a mean of 4.3, while the value of polymorphic information content ranged from 0.283 to 0.680. The values of the observed and expected heterozygosities were in the range 0.3333-0.8462 and 0.3011-0.7424, respectively. Deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was not observed in this study. These polymorphic loci are expected to be effective in evaluating the genetic diversity, population structure, and gene flow and in determining the paternity in S. fuscescens, as well as for conservation management.

Acanthopagrus schlegelii is a warm temperate demersal fish, which inhabits the sediment substrate or rocky reefs in shallow seas. As this fish is a nutritionally endowed species with good palatability, it is a highly valuable commercial species for aquaculture and has a long historical standing in Western Pacific countries. Because the population of this fish is currently declining in China, studies and measures aimed at addressing this decline are needed. In this study, eight microsatellite markers were screened from 30 wild A. schlegelii fishes through the FIASCO method, whereby sequences containing repeats were obtained from amplified fragment length polymorphisms. The allelic number ranged from 3 to 5, with a mean number of 3.625. The average observed heterozygosity was 0.6290, ranging from 0.3214 to 0.8966, while the expected heterozygosity was 0.5435, ranging from 0.3452 to 0.6721. The value for polymorphism information content ranged from 0.313 to 0.666. These results show this population has moderate genetic variation and low genetic diversity. These novel polymorphic loci will be useful for future genetic studies of A. schlegelii.

Mercenaria mercenaria, also known as the hard clam, is widely distributed in the coastal waters of temperate and tropical areas in the Asian Pacific region. This species is widely popular in the international market, especially in the United States, Europe, and other Western countries, because of its high protein value, taste, and simple farming requirements. In this study, 17 novel microsatellite loci from the M. mercenaria genome were developed using the fast isolation by amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats protocol. Thirty-two wild individuals were used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism of these markers. Results indicated that there were 11 polymorphic loci and six monomorphic loci, and the number of alleles per locus and the polymorphism information content ranged from two to six and from 0.059 to 0.498, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.0625 to 0.5333 and 0.0615 to 0.4977, respectively. The Y1-4 locus deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) after Bonferroni correction was applied, while the other loci were in HWE. These loci will provide useful information for M. mercenaria population genetic studies.

Fenneropenaeus penicillatus is one of the major economic shrimp species in China. In this study, 14 novel microsatellite loci were developed using the fast isolation protocol with amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO). Polymorphisms were tested in 30 individuals from a single-wild population. The results showed that the number of alleles at each locus ranged from two to four, and the polymorphism information content varied from 0.314 to 0.692. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.3343 to 0.6542 and from 0.3458 to 0.6657, respectively. Three loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after a Bonferroni correction was applied, while no deviations were detected in the other 11 loci. The new microsatellite loci identified in this study could be useful in future F. penicillatus population genetic, conservation research, population structure assessment, and linkage map construction studies.

Atrina vexillum Born is an economically valuable species, widely distributed in the coastal waters of temperate and tropical areas of the Asia Pacific region. Twenty one novel microsatellite loci were identified in the genome of A. vexillum Born using the protocol for fast isolation by amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequence containing repeats. Thirty-two wild type individuals were used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism of these markers. We identified 13 polymorphic and 8 monomorphic loci with the number of alleles per locus and the polymorphism information content ranging from 2 to 5 and 0.141 to 0.664, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.1250 to 0.7000 and 0.1223 to 0.6216, respectively. Two loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) after Bonferroni correction, whereas the other loci were in HWE. These loci are expected to provide useful information for population genetic studies of A. vexillum Born.

Ruditapes philippinarum is considered a commercially valuable species, which is commonly found in tidal flats along West Pacific coasts. In China, it is mainly distributed in the southeast sea. In this study, 16 novel microsatellite loci from the R. philippinarum genome were developed, using the protocol of fast isolation by amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequence containing repeats. Thirty-two wild-caught individuals were used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism of these markers. Our results show that there were 10 polymorphic loci and 6 monomorphic loci. The number of alleles per locus and the polymorphism information content ranged from 2 to 6 and from 0.199 to 0.751, respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.1333 to 0.6207 and 0.1603 to 0.7412, respectively. Of all loci, only one locus was found to deviate significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. The loci identified here will provide useful information for future population genetic studies of R. philippinarum.

Until recently, Fenneropenaeus penicillatus was considered a commercial shrimp species. However, in 2005, it was included on the Red List as an endangered species by the Chinese government. In this study, 19 new microsatellite markers in F. penicillatus were developed and tested in samples of 32 wild individuals from Nanao, China. Twelve loci were polymorphic and 7 were monomorphic. Of the 12 polymorphic loci, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 6, with an average of 4.42 alleles per locus. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.302 to 0.670, with a mean of 0.4817. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.2250 to 0.8889 and from 0.1111 to 0.7750, respectively. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE, adjusted P < 0.0042) after a Bonferroni correction were observed in 3 loci (NA-9, NA-57, and NA-64), whereas the other 9 loci were in HWE. These new microsatellite markers will be useful in further research on the population genetic structure of F. penicillatus.

The hybrid giant tiger grouper is a fish that has considerable commercial value and has become increasingly important for aquaculture in South East Asia since 2008. In order to prevent any reduction in genetic diversity in hybrid grouper as a result of aquaculture, we have identified 21 microsatellite markers that can be used to estimate genetic variation in the fish population. The number of alleles at polymorphic microsatellite loci ranged from 2 to 7, and observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.0323 to 0.9643 and 0.0921 to 0.7174, respectively. Polymorphism information content values ranged from 0.088 to 0.737. Nineteen of the 21 loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.005) after application of the Bonferroni correction (k = 10), the exceptions being ZZLD35 (P < 0.005) and ZZLD36 (P < 0.001). No linkage disequilibrium was detected. These 21 microsatellite markers are potentially of great value for analyzing genetic diversity to provide essential information for sustainable management of these fish.

Tropical commercial sea cucumber Stichopus horrens is extensively distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region, and wild stocks have been severely depleted over the past decade. In this study, we used the microsatellite enrichment library of S. horrens to identify and characterize 13 microsatellite loci, including 11 polymorphic loci and 2 monomorphic loci. Among the 11 polymorphic loci, the number of alleles was 3-8. The observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.1364 to 0.8966 and from 0.1653 to 0.7551, respectively. Additionally, all 11 polymorphic loci showed moderate and high polymorphism with the polymorphism information content (0.271-0.7311). A total of 9 polymorphic loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, except for 2 loci (adjusted P = 0.004545). Linkage disequilibrium was not detected in any pairs of polymorphic loci. The present study will be useful for studying genetic structure, population conservation, and breeding of wild S. horrens; moreover, our results contribute to the phylogeny and evolutionary research of Holothuroidea.

The pen shell, Atrina pectinata, is an economically valuable species that is widely distributed along the coastal waters of temperate and tropical areas, mainly growing in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Eight novel microsatellite loci from the genome of A. pectinata were developed using fast isolation by amplified fragment length polymorphism of sequence containing repeats. The loci were screened in 30 wild individuals. The results showed that the number of alleles per locus and the polymorphism information content ranged from 2-6 and from 0.233-0.447, respectively. Observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.2069-0.7931 and 0.1887-0.5124, respectively. No significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were detected. These microsatellite loci will be useful for further population studies of genetic diversity, population structure assessment, and conservation of A. pectinata.

The sea cucumber Holothuria scabra is an endangered species. In this study, nine new polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and tested in 30 individuals. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 5, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.1200 to 0.7391 and from 0.2408 to 0.5983, respectively. No loci significantly deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium af - ter a Bonferroni correction, and no significant linkage disequilibrium was found between pairs of loci. These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful in studying the genetic diversity of H. scabra and its conservation.

Aims: To evaluate the protective effectiveness of gloves from occupational exposure to 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME); and to examine the association of 2-methoxyacetic acid (MAA) in urine and plasma collected simultaneously from low 2-ME exposure and high 2-ME exposure workers in a semiconductor copper laminate circuit board manufacturing plant. Methods: Eight hour time weighted breathing zone monitoring was performed to verify the 2-ME exposure classification between workers in regular and special operations. Urine and plasma samples were simultaneously collected from 74 exposed and 80 non-exposed workers. MAA concentrations in the urine (UMAA) and plasma (PMAA) were measured using previously published methods. Three types of gloves worn by workers (cotton, rubber, and no gloves) were recorded by direct observations in the workplace and validated by person-to-person interview. Protective effectiveness indices (PEI) were used to evaluate the glove effectiveness. Results: There was no detectable 2-ME/MAA in the air, or in urine and plasma samples in non-exposed workers. The average UMAA and PMAA in special operations were 72.63 mg/g Cr. and 29.72 mg/l, significantly higher than values in regular operations (5.44 mg/g Cr. and 2.58 mg/l, respectively). PMAA showed satisfactory correlation to UMAA in all participants from both regular and special operations. The rubber gloves provided significant reduction in 2-ME uptake, whereas cotton gloves provided little protection with fluctuating effectiveness, based on PEI estimates. Conclusions: PMAA, similar to UMAA, could serve as a specific biomarker for 2-ME exposure. Wearing impermeable rubber gloves during high risk tasks can reduce major 2-ME exposure. Other improvements, including engineering control, should be provided to diminish worker exposure to 2-ME in occupational environments.

The National Cancer Institute-funded cooperative oncology group trials have improved overall survival for children with cancer from 10% to 85% and have set standards of care for adults with malignancies. Despite these successes, cooperative oncology groups currently face substantial challenges. We are working to develop methods to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these trials. Specifically, we merged data from the Children's Oncology Group (COG) and the Pediatric Health Information Systems (PHIS) to improve toxicity monitoring, to estimate treatment-associated resource utilization and costs, and to address important clinical epidemiology questions.COG and PHIS data on patients enrolled on a phase III COG trial for de novo acute myeloid leukemia at 43 PHIS hospitals were merged using a probabilistic algorithm. Resource utilization summary statistics were then tabulated for the first chemotherapy course based on PHIS data.Of 416 patients enrolled on the phase III COG trial at PHIS centers, 392 (94%) were successfully matched. Of these, 378 (96%) had inpatient PHIS data available beginning at the date of study enrollment. For these, daily blood product usage and anti-infective exposures were tabulated and standardized costs were described.These data demonstrate that patients enrolled in a cooperative group oncology trial can be successfully identified in an administrative data set and that supportive care resource utilization can be described. Further work is required to optimize the merging algorithm, map resource utilization metrics to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for monitoring toxicity, to perform comparative effectiveness studies, and to estimate the costs associated with protocol therapy.

Hypophysial stalk-transected (ST) and sham-operated animals were subjected to a chronic intermittent salt loading regimen (CISL) for 14 days beginning 1 day post surgery (dps). Animals were sacrificed at 15 and 36 dps. Three days after the termination of CISL, water consumption in ST + CISL animals decreased to the same level as that of sham-operated animals, while that of ST + water animals was maintained at a significantly higher level. The number of the surviving vasopressinergic neurons in the supraoptic nuclei of the ST + CISL group was significantly higher than that of ST + water group. CISL induced vasopressinergic axonal sprouting into the external zone of the median eminence, and formation of subependymal perivascular plexus. While CISL also enhanced regeneration of oxytocinergic axons into the external zone, it did not, however, have any effect on the number of oxytocinergic neurons surviving axotomy.