海內外台灣學者學術交流合作

Kuan-Ming Chen*

National Taiwan University

kuanmingchen@ntu.edu.tw

Ming-Jen Lin

National Taiwan University

Wei-Lun Lo

National Taiwan University

Impacts of Childhood Disability on Family: Labor, Marriage, Fertility, and Depression

Childhood disability has enormous impacts on family members. Using administrative data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance, we study one of the most prevalent and unexpected causes of childhood disability—cerebral palsy (CP). We examine 12,228 children diagnosed with CP and their families from 2000 to 2019. Estimations from an event study approach show that having a CP child decreases the mother’s probability of work by 5.6 pp, increases divorce by 1.9 pp and depression by 25%. We also find a significant decrease in long-run fertility. These effects are larger for parents with worse socioeconomic conditions and for CP daughters.

Yun-Wen Chan*

Texas State University, San Marcos

ywchan@txstate.edu

Theresa Alviar-Martin

Kennesaw State University

Michelle E. Forsythe

Texas State University, San Marcos

Making Sense of Place as Political Entity: Place-based Deliberations on Sustainability Challenges: Taiwan, Georgia and Texas

Tensions between environmental conservations and economic needs can create challenging issues in sustainability. Instead of collaboration, the interactions in natural resource decision-making tend to center on approving or opposing single-issue policy positions favored by an alliance of interest groups—the politics of interests. Sustainability challenges, such as natural resource management and environmental policymaking, usually encompass contesting values and interests, especially on regional scales, because different stakeholders value the same place for different reasons. As such, there is an inevitable tension between groups with different experiential perspectives, identities, or worldviews. These different values take shape in multi-stakeholders’ decisions about the past, present, and future of the place, thus making the place, often assumed to be neutral and a-political, a political entity. 

This presentation demonstrates three cases of a place-based deliberative approach (PBD) utilized in different geographical contexts with different foci. To cultivate the sense of place as a political entity, PBD engages students in discussing local sustainability challenges through exploring different stakeholders’ contesting viewpoints. 

Case 1: The Changhua coastal wetland designation controversy

This case discusses the origin of PBD. The 1st author engages 24 Dacheng junior high students in deliberating over whether the Changhua coastal wetland should be designated as a national reserve (國家濕地). Tracing five focal students’ learning trajectories, this study discusses how these students conceptualize  their roles toward pluralistic environmental citizenship. 

Case 2: The Okefenokee mining controversy in Georgia

This case elaborates how PBD combined with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)  to lead in-service teachers in Georgia to deliberate whether titanium mining construction should be allowed in the Okefenokee swamp. 

Case 3: The Hollywood film studio controversy in Texas 

This case unfolds how preservice students utilize democratic deliberations and scientific augmentation to discuss a controversy about a film studio planned to be built on the Edward Aquifer recharge zone.

Vincent Chen *

Georgian Court University

vin268@gmail.com

Chang Woock Lee

University of Houston-Victoria

Steve Bui

Dixie State University

Teak Lee

Pierce College

James Fluckey

Texas A&M University

Steven Riechman

Texas A&M University

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors delta content is increased and associated with altered serum lipid profile with resistance exercise training

Objectives

While resistance exercise increases plasma free fatty acids and mobilizes kinases activity, the direct effect of resistance exercise on skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors delta (PPARδ) remained unclear. The present study investigated the acute and training effects of resistance exercise on PPARδ protein content and its association with serum lipid profile.

Methods

Seventeen young males (n = 8) and females (n = 9) performed a 10-week progressive resistance exercise-training regimen. Body composition was measured before, at the midpoint, and after the training. Vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained 24 hours before and after the first exercise and 24 hours after the last exercise to assess PPARδ content. Blood samples were collected immediately before and after, and 24 hours after the first and the last exercises.

Results

PPARδ content acutely increased 49.1 ± 28.7% after exercise when adjusted for body fat percentage, and the increase was inversely proportional to body fat percentage (R = −0.877). The acute change in PPARδ was associated with the initial lean mass (R = 0.789) before training. After training, PPARδ content increased 114.7 ± 31.9% and was inversely associated with resting serum total cholesterol (TC) (R = −0.731) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (R = −0.746). Ten-week Lean mass gain was associated with greater changes in resting serum TC (R = 0.592), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) (R = 0.616), and LDL (R = 0.587).

Conclusion

The associations among altered serum lipid profile, lean mass gain, and the increased PPARδ protein content induced by resistance exercise suggest that resistance exercise may alter lipid metabolism and play a role in lean mass gain through PPARδ.

Yachi Chiang

National Taiwan Ocean University

christyangel@ntou.edu.tw

The Legitimacy and Effectiveness of Local Content Requirements: The case of the Offshore Wind Power Industry in Taiwan

This paper begins with a background introduction to the development of the off-shore wind power industry and the local content requirement policies in Taiwan. Subsequently it discusses the conflict and exceptions between local content re-quirement (LCR) policies and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, further to probe into the pros and cons discussed in the literature about LCR policies, with particular emphasis on the energy sector. In the conclusion and policy recom-mendations section, the author suggests that the effectiveness of LCR policies differs across countries, and that the Taiwanese government should find its own way on a trial-and-error basis. It should also be considered that the government could align the LCR policies with the WTO framework to avoid conflict by design-ing them more carefully.

Hsing-Hua Sylvia Lin 林杏樺

University of Pittsburgh

HsingChi von Bergmann 山人幸琪*

University of British Columbia

hsingchi.von.bergmann@ubc.ca

Winnie Davis 葉芸青

Yun-Tse Tsai 蔡昀澤

Michael Wu 吳宗澤

Tun-Hou Lee 李敦厚

A First Look at the Professional Lives of Global Taiwanese: Lens of NATPA DEI Survey

The North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association (NATPA) developed a collective effort to support scholars who have experienced Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) issues when conducting Taiwan-related research or being Taiwanese scholars, which will be referred to as “DEI-Taiwan” in this survey. The DEI-Taiwan issues include but are not limited to Taiwan being listed as “a province of China” or other names in academic institutions, and scientific journals, and/or being requested/required to change the spelling of your name or terms used in Taiwan. Since mid-April 2023, after receiving UBC ethics certificate, the survey was widely disseminated. This session is to present the first set of data result. 

北美洲台灣人教授協會 (NATPA)透過DEI-Taiwan問卷，來搜集全球各地學者在學術經歷上，是否曾因台灣相關研究或自身的台灣國籍遭受過不平等待遇？我們了解很多台灣學者和學生們在過去遇到這類的問題，常求助無門。有鑑於此，NATPA希望透過這次問卷了解在北美、台灣或其他國家的學者和學生們是否曾遇到如此的不平等待遇。NATPA將統整問卷結果及可能蒐集到的多元的應對方式，來提供學術工作者相關資源做為參考。今年四月中，本問卷在獲得UBC的人權委員會認證後，已經開始廣大地搜集問卷資料。本次NATPA年會，代表委員會分享截至目前蒐集到的資料分析。

Shinn-Shyr Wang*

Department of Economics, National Chengchi University

sswang@nccu.edu.tw

Jui-Huang Tsai

Department of Management Information Systems, National Chengchi University

Smart Agriculture and its Applications – A Trail in Wenshan Tieguanyin Tea

Background: Tea, a beverage of immense historical and cultural significance, holds a pivotal role in consumer decision-making. The authors seek to delve into the application and associated research of artificial intelligence recommendation systems specifically in the realm of Tieguanyin tea. This undertaking serves as a foundation for future endeavors, aiming to extend the system's capabilities to encompass diverse tea varieties as well as other agricultural products.

Methods: The ongoing initiatives, which adopt Wenshan Tieguanyin tea as an example, in this study, focus on the exploration of technical principles, application cases, and user experiences concerning beverage recommendation systems.

"Tea Melody - Recommendation System": This versatile, entry-level, streamlined, and rapid recommendation system caters to novices and individuals seeking tea for personal use or gifting. By considering factors such as flavor, specifications, features, and recipient preferences, the system provides relevant recommendations for Wenshan Tieguanyin tea products, accompanied by purchasing links.

"Find Good Tea - Recommendation System": Tailored to tea enthusiasts well-acquainted with Wenshan Tieguanyin tea and its flavors, this system prioritizes precision, expertise, and in-depth recommendations. Users can express their flavor preferences through selection, allowing the system to suggest Wenshan Tieguanyin tea products closely aligned with the provided flavor descriptions alongside purchase links. The goal is to deliver a more accurate and efficient tea purchasing experience without requiring the input of all indicators.

Results: The present study explores the utilization of artificial intelligence recommendation systems in the tea domain. We are currently engaged in the construction and beta testing of the system, with the aim of collecting feedback data to refine the recommendation system model. Leveraging user feedback, we will continuously enhance the accuracy and personalization of the recommendation service.

Conclusion: Through the utilization of data collected from tea farmers and retailers in Maokong, Taipei, we endeavor to construct a model aligned with our research objectives. This research contributes to the advancement of artificial intelligence in the field of beverage recommendation, providing consumers with an improved and more tailored tea purchasing experience. Moving forward, our aspirations include expanding this model to encompass a wider range of agricultural products."

Lei-Shih Chen*

Department of Health Behavior, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

lacechen@tamu.edu

Aditi Tomar

School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

Haocen Wang

School of Nursing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

Robin Page

School of Nursing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

Developing and Pilot Testing a Mobile Application for Improving Prenatal Genetic Testing Informed Decision-making among Pregnant Latinas

Background: Latina mothers face a disproportionately high risk of delivering newborns with birth defects. Although Prenatal Genetic Testing (PGT) is widely used to detect genetic abnormalities, its knowledge, and utilization remain at low levels among pregnant Latinas. Due to a shortage of genetic counselors and the brevity of prenatal appointments with obstetric providers, communicating the importance of PGT to Latina mothers is an ongoing challenge. Findings from our preliminary study suggest that pregnant Latinas are willing to use a mobile application for PGT. Based on these findings, we propose to develop and pilot test a culturally appropriate, mobile application (app) that is designed to empower the PGT informed decision-making of pregnant Latinas.

Methods: We are currently engaged in the development of a PGT app that will provide a wide range of features including a personal profile, communication modalities, interactive chat, and a curated PGT information and resource library. 

Results: We will partner with the Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) clinics of the Driscoll Children’s Health System (DCHS) in South Texas to recruit 30 medically underserved, pregnant Latinas at high risk of having a baby with birth defects to pilot test our app. We will use decisional conflict, self-efficacy, PGT awareness, and knowledge measures to assess the app and conduct interviews to obtain in-depth information about the experiences of the participants with the app.

Conclusion: Based on our pilot findings from this study, we will evaluate the effectiveness of our PGT app by recruiting a large sample of pregnant Latinas in follow-up studies who are at high risk of having a baby with birth defects. Ultimately, our efforts are focused on empowering pregnant Latinas to make informed decisions about the use of PGT that will improve both their health and the health of their child. 

Chung-Tse Michael Wu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

ctm.wu@rutgers.edu

Spectro-Temporal Dispersion-Engineered Electromagnetic Metamaterials for Sensing and Communications

Metamaterials (MTMs) are artificial electromagnetic materials that possess unique effective medium properties not found in nature. These metamaterial structures have opened up avenues for designing novel circuits with enhanced components. Among them, composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH-TL) leaky-wave antennas (LWAs) represent a type of metamaterial-based antenna structure. These antennas offer continuous backfire-to-endfire frequency-dependent beam scanning, allowing for a true broadside beam, excellent impedance matching across the entire operating band, and a simple feeding structure.

The frequency-space mapping characteristics of CRLH LWAs enable the determination of unknown target locations by analyzing the spectral components of the reflected wave. This real-time detection scheme benefits from the fast data acquisition speed, which primarily depends on the frequency sweeping speed of the signal source. Additionally, CRLH LWAs provide a wide scanning angle, allowing for an expanded field-of-view of the sensor. Leveraging these unique features of MTM antennas, various applications become feasible, such as fast 2-D beamforming, real-time remote sensing with a large field-of-view, vital sign detection, motion sensing, and microwave imaging.

Furthermore, by applying temporal modulation to CRLH LWAs, it becomes possible to achieve physical layer (PHY) security for secure wireless communications. This additional capability enhances the functionality of the antennas, enabling secure transmission and reception of wireless signals.

Hsuan‐Yu Mu

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Chiao-Min Lin

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Li-An Chu

Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Ji Li

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Chao-Yu Liu

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Hsi-Chien Huang

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Sheng-Liang Cheng

Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Yunching Chen

Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Jen-Huang Huang*

Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

jenhuang@mx.nthu.edu.tw

Screening of Combination Immunotherapy Using Tumor-Microenvironment-on-Chip

Background: Combination immunotherapy represents a promising approach to address challenges associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in cancer treatment. However, the systematic identification of synergistic therapies remains challenging. Conventional 2D cell culture fails to accurately replicate the heterogeneity and complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in unreliable screening outcomes. 3D spheroids offer potential for high-throughput drug screening, but distinguishing regional variations presents challenges. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) animal models better mimic physiological complexity and drug response, but their reproducibility is limited and resource requirements are high. Tumor-on-a-chip technology shows promise in controlling tissue culture conditions and manipulating the TME for drug screening purposes. However, incorporating immune and stromal cells and replicating the hypoxic environment continue to pose challenges. Therefore, the development of a controllable in vivo-like platform is necessary to overcome limitations.

Methods: We designed and fabricated a tumor-microenvironment-on-chip (TMoC) for screening chemotherapeutic agents that synergize with ICIs to enhance T cell-mediated cytotoxicity against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Results: The TMoC comprised a circulation and strip-like 3D tissue culture area with physiological oxygen and nutrient gradients, facilitating the spatial infiltration and attack of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells within a tumor environment that accurately preserves complexity and heterogeneity. Moreover, the feasibility and accuracy of chemo-immunotherapy drug screening were achieved within a short timeframe of only 36 hours. We evaluated the synergistic effects of five potential immunotherapy-promoting drugs and determined that the combination of galunisertib with an anti-PD-1 antibody most effectively inhibits tumor growth in both the TMoC and TNBC mouse models.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the TMoC successfully emulates clinical scenarios, providing clinicians with valuable guidance for medication selection in the context of chemotherapy and chemo-immunotherapy. It is anticipated that TMoC will serve as a supplementary platform for clinical drug selection in the future.

Yu-Chuan Shen

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

mikeshen.tw@gmail.com

Adapting Teach For America to Taiwan: A Case Study of Social Entrepreneurship in a Rural Educational Setting

This study investigates how the model of Teach For America (TFA) is localized to fit the educational and social context of rural Taiwan. Founded in 1989 using a social entrepreneurship framework, TFA recruits freshly minted college graduates as teachers for underserved communities. This case study of a rural school draws on 10 classroom observations and 49 semi-structured interviews undertaken with Teach For Taiwan (TFT) staff, TFT teachers, and TFT affiliated local school teachers and administrators during the 2019-2020 academic year. The findings are as follows: (1) TFT adjusted to the local context to survive and thrive; (2) the social entrepreneurship model in TFT was flexible and innovative; (3) TFT teachers were passionate and quick learners, albeit with limited experiences; (4) TFT’s five-week teacher training and the following professional development workshops and reunions were helpful, but it was substantially not enough; (5) “Teaching as Leadership” guideline of TFA worked differently in U.S. and Taiwan social contexts. In sum, TFT helps facilitate the short-term teacher pipeline in rural Taiwan and bring living water and enthusiasm to the local schools and communities, but the issues of TFT teachers with limited experiences and the long-term sustainability are still the major concerns for future research and policy reformation.