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Eye-gaze technology provides access to a computer through the control of eye movements, thus allowing students with severe motor and communication difficulties to communicate and participate in curriculum activities and leisure; however, few studies have investigated whether any challenges exist to its implementation. This study examines the feasibility for teachers, parents, and therapists of applying an eye-gaze technology intervention for students with severe motor and communication difficulties in everyday settings. A mixed-method design was applied, focusing on the acceptability, demands, implementation, and practicality of the technology applications. Data was collected from 16 participants who assisted five students using eye-gaze technology in a previous 6-month intervention. The intervention comprised (a) use of eye-gaze devices with individualized content; and (b) services including training in use, team meetings, and bi-monthly support on implementation problems. The results showed that the participants perceived the technology as appropriate to enhance interaction and understanding of the students' learning and communication messages. Portable and easy-to-adjust systems were crucial to apply eye-gaze technology in different contexts. Improving eye-gaze services was required to afford in-service education, follow-up services, and loaning programs for sustainable implementation. The facilitators and barriers could guide researchers and practitioners to enhance the implementation of eye-gaze technology.

Litchi is a subtropical fruit tree that undergoes flower bud differentiation under low-temperature conditions. However, climate change has affected litchi production in Taiwan, causing litchi farmers to experience economic losses. This study explored the influence of flowering temperature on litchi yield under climate change in Taiwan by analyzing litchi production data from 2001 to 2020 and observation data from meteorological stations in litchi-producing areas. Historical observed data were used to construct several regression models relating temperature to yield, with the performance of the models used to determine critical temperature thresholds for litchi flower bud differentiation. Analytical climate data (CMIP5) were used to project yield changes in Taiwan’s litchi-producing regions under anticipated low-temperature conditions for the mid- (2036–2065) and late- (2071–2100) 21st century. The variable that exhibited the highest correlation with yield changes was the number of days with an average flowering temperature below 16 °C. The production yield, in terms of yield variation per hectare, is expected to decrease by 12 % to 35 % by the end of the 21st century (2071–2100). Given the projected decline in the number of cooler days due to climate change, existing litchi cultivars may become unsuitable for cultivation in production areas in southern Taiwan. Practical Implications: Some fruit trees require a period of low temperature before their flowering stage. Climate change is expected to cause warming of winter temperatures in Taiwan, which is likely to lead to reduced litchi flowering. The current study assessed the potential effects of climate change on litchi flowering in the future.Historical observed data were used to establish models, and critical temperature thresholds for litchi flowering were determined on the basis of model performance. Days with average temperatures below 16 °C exhibited the highest correlation with litchi yield among the tested thresholds. According to our results, farmers can use this 16 °C threshold to evaluate the potential effects of future climate change at their current farm locations and to identify other areas with similar or more favorable conditions for litchi cultivation. For agricultural researchers, this temperature threshold could provide a target for new litchi variety breeding and a reference basis for research on optimal cultivation methods.Notably, because climate change projection data have a high degree of uncertainty, the results of this study may differ from those of studies using different databases. In this study, we used an ensemble of CMIP5 projections incorporating data from models from various research centers around the world, which can provide more robust results based on an ensemble mean than those obtainable from a single model or a few models. In addition, rainfall is a crucial factor during the flowering growth stage. Future studies should consider the effects of rainfall and temperature on yield and should consider using a model with yield being considered a function of both of these variables to improve model accuracy.To conclude, the present study provides researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders with insights into the primary effects of climate change on litchi production. It also lays the groundwork for future climate adaptation strategies in Taiwan’s litchi industry.

With the development of next-generation airplanes, the complexity of equipment has increased rapidly, and traditional maintenance solutions have become cost-intensive and time-consuming. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to adopt predictive maintenance techniques in daily maintenance in order to reduce manpower, time, and the cost of maintenance, as well as increase aircraft availability. The landing gear system is an important component of an aircraft. Wear and tear on the parts of the landing gear may result in oscillations during take-off and landing rolling and even affect the safety of the fuselage in severe cases. This study acquires vibration signals from the flight data recorder and uses prognostic and health management technology to evaluate the health indicators (HI) of the landing gear. The HI is used to monitor the health status and predict the remaining useful life (RUL). The RUL prediction model is optimized through hyperparameter optimization and using the random search algorithm. Using the RUL prediction model, the health status of the landing gear can be monitored, and adaptive maintenance can be carried out. After the optimization of the RUL prediction model, the root-mean-square errors of the three RUL prediction models, that is, the autoregressive model, Gaussian process regression, and the autoregressive integrated moving average, decreased by 45.69%, 55.18%, and 1.34%, respectively. In addition, the XGBoost algorithm is applied to simultaneously output multiple fault types. This model provides a more realistic representation of the actual conditions under which an aircraft might exhibit multiple faults. With an optimal fault diagnosis model, when an anomaly is detected in the landing gear, the faulty part can be quickly diagnosed, thus enabling faster and more adaptive maintenance. The optimized multi-fault diagnosis model proposed in this study achieves average accuracy, a precision rate, a recall rate, and an F1 score of more than 96.8% for twenty types of faults.

Natural polyphenol derivatives such as those found in green tea have been known for a long time for their useful therapeutic activity. Starting from EGCG, we have discovered a new fluorinated polyphenol derivative (1c) characterized by improved inhibitory activity against DYRK1A/B enzymes and by considerably improved bioavailability and selectivity. DYRK1A is an enzyme that has been implicated as an important drug target in various therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders (Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease), oncology, and type 2 diabetes (pancreatic β-cell expansion). Systematic structure–activity relationship (SAR) on trans-GCG led to the discovery that the introduction of a fluoro atom in the D ring and methylation of the hydroxy group from para to the fluoro atom provide a molecule (1c) with more desirable drug-like properties. Owing to its good ADMET properties, compound 1c showed excellent activity in two in vivo models, namely the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation model and the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) animal model for Parkinson’s disease.

Landing gear is an essential part of an aircraft. However, the components of landing gear are susceptible to degradation over the life of their operation, which can result in the shimmy effect occurring during take-off and landing. In order to reduce unplanned flight disruptions and increase the availability of aircraft, the predictive maintenance (PdM) technique is investigated in this study. This paper presents a case study on the implementation of a health assessment and prediction workflow for remaining useful life (RUL) based on the prognostics and health management (PHM) framework of currently in-service aircraft, which could significantly benefit fleet operators and aircraft maintenance. Machine learning is utilized to develop a health indicator (HI) for landing gear using a data-driven approach, whereas a time-series analysis (TSA) is used to predict its degradation. The degradation models are evaluated using large volumes of real sensor data from in-service aircraft. Finally, the challenges of implementing a built-in PHM system for next-generation aircraft are outlined.

Background: Picture My Participation (PMP) intended to measure participation, defined as attendance and involvement in everyday situations, of children with disabilities, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. Objectives: To explore structural validity of PMP by identifying possible subcomponents in the attendance scale and examining internal consistency of the total score and each subcomponent. Method: A picture-supported interview was conducted with 182 children, 7–18 years, with and without intellectual disability (ID). Frequency of attendance in 20 activities was rated on a four-point Likert scale (never, seldom, sometimes and always). Results: An exploratory principal component analysis extracted four subcomponents: (1) organised activities, (2) social activities and taking care of others, (3) family life activities and 4) personal care and development activities. Internal consistency for the total scale (alpha = 0.85) and the first two subcomponents (alpha = 0.72 and 0.75) was acceptable. The two last subcomponents alpha values were 0.57 and 0.49. Conclusion: The four possible subcomponents of PMP can be used to provide information about possible domains in which participation and participation restrictions exist. This study provided further psychometric evidence about PMP as a measure of participation. The stability and the utility of these subcomponents needed further exploration.

In aerospace applications, surface coatings have been widely applied for variouspurposes. One typical example is the use of thermal barrier coating (TBC) applied on anisotropic substrate for enhancing the heat resistance of the substrate under severe operational environments. Numerical modeling of thin coatings usually present difficulties for most techniques, due to their dimensional orders being far below that of the substrate. This paper presents a numerical methodology to efficiently model the heat conduction across thin layered coatings on 3D, generally anisotropic, media by the boundary element method (BEM). In the modeling, singularities of the surface-integrals are weakened by using Green’s Second Identity, where a newly introduced function is solved by the finite volume method. Using the proposed approach, the heat conduction problem can be efficiently analyzed, despite the great difference in dimensional orders in comparison with that of the substrate beneath, by simply employing very coarse surface meshes. Such analysis shows great efficiency in calculating the nearly singular boundary integrals for the modeling. Finally, two benchmark examples of thermal barrier coatings are analyzed to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach.

In this study, we aim to develop an automated needle placement machine using a printed circuit board (PCB) composite board fixture for electrical testing purposes. The machine consists of hardware development and software control system design. The machine is equipped with an XY platform placed on an aluminum extrusion base. Above the XY platform, two tilted testing platforms (A and B) and an industrial CCD camera are installed. The industrial camera primarily monitors and prevents human errors while observing the needle placement coordinates. The software development involves reading the original drill hole needle pattern files and converting them into editable coordinate files. These files are then imported into the Raspberry Pi operating system and processed using the Python programming language. The program reads the absolute coordinate points of the needle placement machine center and plans the path between the needle points and the absolute coordinate points. The proportional-integralderivative (PID) controller drives the X, Y, A, and B four-axis motors, and the position data from the four-axis motor encoders is read to obtain the target coordinates. After performing position fine-tuning compensation, the probe is inserted into the fixture until the needle placement is completed. The electrical testing of the next program on the fixture is then carried out. The advantage of this research lies in using the automated machine to assist human operators, ensuring accurate probe insertion into the needle fixture. This reduces the defect rate in PCB electrical testing processes and improves work efficiency, leading to automated production realization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health—Children and Youth version (ICF-CY) depicts human functioning [body functions (b), structures (s), and activities and participation (d) components] as the product of the interaction between health conditions and contextual factors [environmental factors (e) and personal factors]. In Taiwan, testers use the Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System—Child version (FUNDES-Child) to collect information related to b, d, and e for children aged 6.0–17.9 years in the Disability Eligibility System (DES). The purpose of this study was to examine the content and construct validity of the FUNDES-Child. Methods: We developed the FUNDES-Child through translating the existing questionnaires, cross-cultural adaptation, expert consensus, and field tests. Consensus meetings were conducted to link items from the FUNDES-Child to ICF-CY codes. To investigate construct validity, we examined associations among scores from the FUNDES-Child that reflected ICF-CY chapter-linked components. Results: The FUNDES-Child items were successfully linked to all nine d-, five b-, and four e-chapters of the ICF-CY. Moderate correlations were found between scores that were expected to be related to specific chapters in the b, d, and e components. The scores of the b-chapters had stronger relationships with the d independence scores, while attitudes of others (e4) had stronger relationships with the d participation frequency scores. Conclusion: The FUNDES-Child had acceptable content validity and construct validity in the DES. The associations found among the ICF-CY chapter scores provided a model for investigating the impact of body functions and environmental factors on children's activities and participation.

Formation of Ta5Si3 by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from elemental powder compacts of Ta:Si = 5:3 was experimentally and numerically studied. Experimental evidence showed that the increase of either sample density or preheating temperature led to the increase of combustion wave velocity and reaction temperature. The apparent activation energy, Ea ≈ 108 kJ/mol, was determined for the synthesis reaction. Based upon numerical simulation, the Arrhenius factor of the rate function, K0 = 2.5 × 107 s−1, was obtained for the 5Ta + 3Si combustion system. In addition, the influence of sample density on combustion wave kinetics was correlated with the effective thermal conductivity (keff) of the powder compact. By adopting 0.005 ≤ keff/kbulk ≤ 0.016 in the computation model, the calculated combustion velocity and temperature were in good agreement with experimental data of the samples with compaction densities between 35% and 45% theoretical maximum density (TMD).

Using multidomain developmental screening tools is a feasible method for pediatric health care professionals to identify children at risk of developmental problems in multiple domains simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to develop a Rasch-based tool for Multidimensional Screening in Child Development (MuSiC) for children aged 0–3 years. Methods: The MuSic was developed by constructing items bank based on three commonly used screening tools, validating with developmental status (at risk for delay or not) on five developmental domains. Parents of a convenient sample of 632 children (aged 3–35.5 months) with and without developmental delays responded to items from the three screening tools funded by health authorities in Taiwan. Item bank was determined by item fit of Rasch analysis for each of the five developmental domains (cognitive skills, language skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and socioadaptive skills). Children's performance scores in logits derived in Rasch analysis were validated with developmental status for each domain using the area under receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: MuSiC, a 75-item developmental screening tool for five domains, was derived. The diagnostic validity of all five domains was acceptable for all stages of development, except for the infant stage (≤11 months and 15 days). Conclusion: MuSiC can be applied simultaneously to well-child care visits as a universal screening tool for children aged 1–3 years on multiple domains. Items with sound validity for infants need to be further developed.

The DYRK1A (dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A) gene encodes a proline-directed Ser/Thr kinase. Elevated expression and/or altered distribution of the kinase have been implicated in the neurological impairments associated with Down syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Consequently, DYRK1A inhibition has been of significant interest as a potential strategy for therapeutic intervention of DS and AD. Many classes of novel inhibitors have been described in the past decade. Although non-radioactive methods for analyzing DYRK1A inhibition have been developed, methods employing radioactive tracers are still commonly used for quantitative characterization of DYRK1A inhibitors. Here, we present a non-radioactive ELISA assay based on the detection of DYRK1A-phosphorylated dynamin 1a fragment using a phosphorylation site-specific antibody. The assay was verified by the use of two well-characterized DYRK1A inhibitors, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and harmine. The IC 50s for EGCG and harmine determined by the ELISA method were found to be comparable to those previously measured by radioactive tracing methods. Furthermore, we determined the mode of inhibition for EGCG and harmine by a modification of the ELISA assay. This assay confirms the mode of inhibition of EGCG (non-ATP-competitive) and harmine (ATP-competitive), as previously determined. We conclude that the ELISA platform demonstrated here is a viable alternative to the traditional radioactive tracer assays for analyzing DYRK1A inhibitors.

The DYRK1A (dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A) gene encodes a proline-directed Ser/Thr kinase. Elevated expression and/or altered distribution of the kinase have been implicated in the neurological impairments associated with Down syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Consequently, DYRK1A inhibition has been of significant interest as a potential strategy for therapeutic intervention of DS and AD. Many classes of novel inhibitors have been described in the past decade. Although non-radioactive methods for analyzing DYRK1A inhibition have been developed, methods employing radioactive tracers are still commonly used for quantitative characterization of DYRK1A inhibitors. Here, we present a non-radioactive ELISA assay based on the detection of DYRK1A-phosphorylated dynamin 1a fragment using a phosphorylation site-specific antibody. The assay was verified by the use of two well-characterized DYRK1A inhibitors, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and harmine. The IC 50s for EGCG and harmine determined by the ELISA method were found to be comparable to those previously measured by radioactive tracing methods. Furthermore, we determined the mode of inhibition for EGCG and harmine by a modification of the ELISA assay. This assay confirms the mode of inhibition of EGCG (non-ATP-competitive) and harmine (ATP-competitive), as previously determined. We conclude that the ELISA platform demonstrated here is a viable alternative to the traditional radioactive tracer assays for analyzing DYRK1A inhibitors.

The disability eligibility determination system is based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework in Taiwan. The Functioning Disability Evaluation Scale (FUNDES) has been developed since 2007 for assessing the status of an individual's activities and participation in the disability eligibility system. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the FUNDES-Adult Version (FUNDES-Adult). Methods: During 2011–2012, a total of 5736 adults with disabilities (aged 58.4 ± 18.2 years) were randomly recruited for a national population-based study. These adults were assessed in person by certified professionals in the authorized hospitals. Domains 1–6 of the FUNDES-Adult addressing the performance and capability dimensions are modified from the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0–36-item version, and Domain 7 (Environmental attribute) and capability and capacity dimensions of Domain 8 (Motor action) are designed based on the ICF coding system. Results: The internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.9). An exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor FUNDES structure with a variance of 76.1% and 76.9% and factor loadings of 0.56–0.94 and 0.55–0.94 for the performance and capability dimensions, respectively. The factor loadings for the second-order confirmatory factor analysis for the performance and capability dimensions were from 0.81 to 0.89. In Domains 1–6 and 8, the ceiling effects were from 9% to 36%, and the floor effects were from 5% to 45%. Conclusion: FUNDES-Adult has acceptable reliability and validity and can be used to measure activities and participation for people with disabilities.

Previous cohort studies for the general pediatric population had a limited focus on either environmental or biological influences, or a specific theoretical framework. The child's development, however, is a composite of physical, mental, social, environmental, and personal factors. The framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Children and Youth Version (ICF-CY) provides a comprehensive model for investigating the influential factors of child development within a biopsychosocial perspective. Methods: A birth cohort study followed up 122 child-parent dyads at birth and when the children were 4 months, 6 months, and 2.5 years old. Structural equation modeling was conducted based on the concept and the definitions of ICF-CY. Results: The path coefficients linking exposures and outcome variables were significant except for the paths from birth weight to general development of infants and toddlers. Home environment explained 59% of variance of infant developmental outcomes. Conclusion: The proposed model based on ICF-CY showed acceptable fit to the data and provides support for the importance of the home environment on general development of infants and toddlers.

Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a prevalent disease causing a body disability, the third leading cause of death in Taiwan. It shows that the level of intercellular adhesion molecular-1 (ICAM-1) in IS patients is higher than control subjects. Objective: This study is to investigate the possible association of ICAM-1 (G1548A) polymorphism in IS patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 646 subjects were enrolled in this study, including 312 IS patients, and 334 controls without a history of symptomatic IS. The ICAM-1 (G1548A) polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Clinical factors were also determined. Results: The frequencies of the ICAM-1 (G1548A) polymorphism for G/G, G/A, and A/A were 74.8%, 23.9%, and 0.3%, respectively, in healthy controls, and 62.8%, 32.1%, and 5.1%, respectively, in patients. The frequency of the ICAM-1 (G1548A) A allele (21.2% versus 13.2%, respectively; P = 0.007) and the carriers of the ICAM-1 (G1548A) A allele (37.2% versus 25.2%; P = 0.019, OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.1-2.83) are great in IS patients compared with healthy controls. There is a higher risk of IS associated with homozygosity for the ICAM-1 (G1548A) A allele (AA genotype) compared with the control population (5.1% vs. 0.3%, respectively, P = 0.04; OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.19-21.66). We also observed both hypertension and diabetes has shown a positive association with IS. Conclusions: The ICAM-1 (G1548A) polymorphism was associated with independent risk factor for the development of IS.

BackgroundIndependence and frequency are two distinct dimensions of participation in daily life. The gap between independence and frequency may reflect the role of the environment on participation, but this distinction has not been fully explored.MethodsA total of 18,119 parents or primary caregivers of children with disabilities aged 6.0-17.9 years were interviewed in a cross-sectional nationwide survey with the Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System - Child version (FUNDES-Child). A section consisting of 20 items measured the children's daily participation in 4 environmental settings: home, neighborhood/community, school, and home/community. Higher independence and frequency restriction scores indicated greater limitation of participation in daily activities. Scores for independence, frequency and independence-frequency gaps were examined across ages along with trend analysis. ANOVA was used to compare the gaps across settings and diagnoses for children with mild levels of severity of impairment.FindingsA negative independence-frequency gap (restriction of frequency was greater than that of independence) was found for children with mild to severe levels of impairment. A positive gap (restriction of independence was greater than that of frequency) was found for children with profound levels of severity. The gaps became wider with age in most settings of children with mild impairment and different diagnoses. Widest negative gaps were found for the neighborhood/community settings than for the other three settings for children with mild to severe impairment.ConclusionsChildren's participation and independence-frequency gaps depend not only on the severity of their impairments or diagnoses, but also on their age, the setting and the support provided by their environment. In Taiwan, more frequency restrictions than ability restrictions were found for children with mild to moderate severity, especially in the neighborhood/community setting, and increased with age. Further identification of environmental opportunities that positively impact frequency of participation is needed.

BACKGROUND: More than 1000 scientific papers have been devoted to flatfoot issue. However, a bimodal distribution of flatfoot indices in school-aged children has never been discovered. The purposes of this study were to establish a new classification of flatfoot by characteristic in frequency distribution of footprint index and to endue the classification with discrepancy in physical fitness. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a longitudinal survey of physical fitness and body structure, weight bearing footprints and 3 physical fitness related tests were measured in 1228 school-aged children. Frequency distribution of initial data was tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality and a unique bimodal distribution of footprint index was identified. The frequency distribution of footprint index manifests two distinct modes, flatfoot and non-flatfoot, by deconvolution and bootstrapping procedures. A constant intersection value of 1.0 in Staheli's arch index and 0.6 in Chippaux-Smirak index could distinguish the two modes of children, and the value was constant in different age, sex, and weight status. The performance of the one leg balance was inferior in flatfoot girls (median, 4.0 seconds in flatfoot girls vs. 4.3 seconds in non-flatfoot girls, p = 0.04, 95% CI 0.404-0.484). DISCUSSION: The natural bimodality lends itself to a flatfoot classification. Bimodality suggests development of the child's foot arch would be a leap from one state to another, rather than a continuous growth as body height and weight. The underlying dynamics of the human foot arch and motor development will trigger research prospects.

Möbius syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by congenital facial weakness with impairment of ocular abduction. It is considered as a rhombencephalic disorder, and is often accompanied with hypoplasia of the pons and cerebellum. Here we report a male infant who had congenital facial asymmetry with absence of right-sided expression. Evident developmental delay was also found. The bilateral auditory brain stem response showed no response at 85 dB. A reconstructive brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed the absence of the right facial nerve as well as hypoplasia of the pons and cerebellum of the same side. Some voluntary contraction over the patient's right lower face was noted after facial muscle electrical stimulation.

Dyrk1A phosphorylated multiple proteins in the clathrin-coated vesicle (CCV) preparations obtained from rat brains. Mass spectrometric analysis identified MAP1A, MAP2, AP180, and α- and β-adaptins as the phosphorylated proteins in the CCVs. Each protein was subsequently confirmed by [(32)P]-labeling and immunological methods. The Dyrk1A-mediated phosphorylation released the majority of MAP1A and MAP2 and enhanced the release of AP180 and adaptin subunits from the CCVs. Furthermore, Dyrk1A displaced adaptor proteins physically from CCVs in a kinase-concentration dependent manner. The clathrin heavy chain release rate, in contrast, was not affected by Dyrk1A. Surprisingly, the Dyrk1A-mediated phosphorylation of α- and β-adaptins led to dissociation of the AP2 complex, and released only β-adaptin from the CCVs. AP180 was phosphorylated by Dyrk1A also in the membrane-free fractions, but α- and β-adaptins were not. Dyrk1A was detected in the isolated CCVs and was co-localized with clathrin in neurons from mouse brain sections and from primary cultured rat hippocampus. Previously, we proposed that Dyrk1A inhibits the onset of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in neurons by phosphorylating dynamin 1, amphiphysin 1, and synaptojanin 1. Current results suggest that besides the inhibition, Dyrk1A promotes the uncoating process of endocytosed CCVs.