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The role of a point-of-care ultrasound protocol in facilitating clinical decisions for snakebite envenomation in Taiwan: a pilot study

Ho CH, Ismail AK, Liu SH, Tzeng YS, Li LY, Pai FC, et al.

Clin Toxicol (Phila), 2021 Sep;59(9):794-800.
PMID: 33605805 DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2021.1881535

BACKGROUND: The incidence of acute compartment syndrome (ACS) following snakebite envenomation may be seriously overestimated in Taiwan. Snakebite-induced ACS is difficult to determine solely by clinical examination. Snakebite patients previously underwent surgical intervention based on speculation and general clinical examinations suggesting ACS presentations instead of direct intracompartmental pressure (IP) measurement prior to fasciotomy. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a relatively widely available noninvasive tool. This study aimed to evaluate snakebite-envenomated patients for the presence of subcutaneous edema and diastolic retrograde arterial flow (DRAF).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Snakebite patients were prospectively recruited between 2017 and 2019. All patients were examined with POCUS to locate edema and directly visualize and measure the arterial flow in the compressed artery. The presence of DRAF in the compressed artery is suggestive of ACS development because when compartment space restriction occurs, increased retrograde arterial flow is observed in the artery.
RESULTS: Twenty-seven snakebite patients were analyzed. Seventeen patients (63%) were bitten by Crotalinae snakes, seven (26%) by Colubridae, one (4%) by Elapidae, and two (7%) had unidentified snakebites. All Crotalinae bit patients received antivenom, had subcutaneous edema and lacked DRAF in a POCUS examination series.
DISCUSSION: POCUS facilitates clinical decisions for snakebite envenomation. We also highlighted that the anatomic site of the snakebite is an important factor affecting the prognosis of the wounds. There were limitations of this study, including a small number of patients and no comparison with the generally accepted invasive evaluation for ACS.
CONCLUSIONS: We are unable to state that POCUS is a valid surrogate measurement of ACS from this study but see this as a starting point to develop further research in this area. Further study will be needed to better define the utility of POCUS in patients envenomated by snakes throughout the world.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan/epidemiology
Fulltext Risk factors and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes for women with dichorionic twin pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus: A retrospective cross-sectional study

Hung TH, Hsieh TT, Shaw SW, Kok Seong C, Chen SF

J Diabetes Investig, 2021 Jun;12(6):1083-1091.
PMID: 33064935 DOI: 10.1111/jdi.13441

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: The association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies remains unclear. This study was undertaken to highlight risk factors for GDM in women with dichorionic (DC) twins, and to determine the association between GDM DC twins and adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in a large homogeneous Taiwanese population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out on 645 women with DC twins, excluding pregnancies complicated by one or both fetuses with demise (n = 22) or congenital anomalies (n = 9), who gave birth after 28 complete gestational weeks between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2018. Univariable and multiple logistic regression analyses were carried out.
RESULTS: Maternal age >34 years (adjusted odds ratio 2.52; 95% confidence interval 1.25-5.07) and pre-pregnancy body mass index >24.9 kg/m2 (adjusted odds ratio 2.83, 95% confidence interval 1.47-5.46) were independent risk factors for GDM in women with DC twins. Newborns from women with GDM DC twins were more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (adjusted odds ratio 1.70, 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.72) than newborns from women with non-GDM DC twins. Other pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were similar between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Advanced maternal age and pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity are risk factors for GDM in women with DC twins. Except for a nearly twofold increased risk of neonatal intensive care unit admission of newborns, the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes for women with GDM DC twins are similar to those for women with non-GDM DC twins.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan/epidemiology
Haplotype diversity in 11 candidate genes across four populations

Beaty TH, Fallin MD, Hetmanski JB, McIntosh I, Chong SS, Ingersoll R, et al.

Genetics, 2005 Sep;171(1):259-67.
PMID: 15965248

Analysis of haplotypes based on multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) is becoming common for both candidate gene and fine-mapping studies. Before embarking on studies of haplotypes from genetically distinct populations, however, it is important to consider variation both in linkage disequilibrium (LD) and in haplotype frequencies within and across populations, as both vary. Such diversity will influence the choice of "tagging" SNPs for candidate gene or whole-genome association studies because some markers will not be polymorphic in all samples and some haplotypes will be poorly represented or completely absent. Here we analyze 11 genes, originally chosen as candidate genes for oral clefts, where multiple markers were genotyped on individuals from four populations. Estimated haplotype frequencies, measures of pairwise LD, and genetic diversity were computed for 135 European-Americans, 57 Chinese-Singaporeans, 45 Malay-Singaporeans, and 46 Indian-Singaporeans. Patterns of pairwise LD were compared across these four populations and haplotype frequencies were used to assess genetic variation. Although these populations are fairly similar in allele frequencies and overall patterns of LD, both haplotype frequencies and genetic diversity varied significantly across populations. Such haplotype diversity has implications for designing studies of association involving samples from genetically distinct populations.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan/ethnology
Fulltext Perception of hypertension management by patients and doctors in Asia: potential to improve blood pressure control

Abdul Rahman AR, Wang JG, Kwong GM, Morales DD, Sritara P, Sukmawan R, et al.

Asia Pac Fam Med, 2015;14(1):2.
PMID: 25729324 DOI: 10.1186/s12930-015-0018-3

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is one of the world's most common health conditions and is a leading risk factor for mortality. Although blood pressure can be modified, there is a large proportion of patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled. The aim of this study, termed Edvantage 360°, was to gain a deeper understanding of hypertension management in Asia from the perspective of patients and doctors, and to propose strategies to improve blood pressure control.
METHODS: Conducted in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, Edvantage 360° was a mixed-methods observational study that used both qualitative and quantitative elements: qualitative interviews and focus groups with patients (N = 110), quantitative interviews with patients (N = 709), and qualitative interviews with doctors (N = 85).
RESULTS: This study found that, although there is good understanding of the causes and consequences of hypertension among Asian patients, there is a lack of urgency to control blood pressure. Doctors and patients have different expectations of each other and a divergent view on what constitutes successful hypertension management. We also identified a fundamental gap between the beliefs of doctors and patients as to who should be most responsible for the patients' hypertension management. In addition, because patients find it difficult to comply with lifestyle modifications (often because of a decreased understanding of the changes required), adherence to medication regimens may be less of a limiting factor than doctors believe.
CONCLUSIONS: Doctors may provide better care by aligning with their patients on a common understanding of successful hypertension management. Doctors may also find it helpful to provide a more personalized explanation of any needed lifestyle modifications. The willingness of the doctor to adjust their patient interaction style to form a 'doctor-patient team' is important. In addition, we recommend that doctors should not attribute ineffectiveness of the treatment plan to patient non-adherence to medications, but rather adjust the medication regimen as needed.
KEYWORDS: Attitude to health; Hong Kong; Hypertension; Indonesia; Malaysia; Philippines; Qualitative research; South Korea; Taiwan; Thailand

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Rapid developing basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in a young adult Taiwanese

Tsai HJ, Liou B, Li MC

Malays J Pathol, 2013 Dec;35(2):177-80.
PMID: 24362481

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) of the uterine cervix is a rare malignancy of the female genital tract with a poorer clinical outcome than SCC of the uterine cervix. We report a case of BSCC of the uterine cervix developing rapidly in a young adult Taiwanese. A 35-year-old woman, Para 2, visited the emergency room with severe dizziness, palpitations and sudden excessive vaginal bleeding with hemoglobin of 3.6 g/dl. She had been well and healthy but intermittent vaginal spotting developed for around 6 months previously and was treated as abnormal uterine bleeding by ob-gyn practitioners. She had a repeat cesarean operation 16 months prior to this episode and the last Pap smear showed reactive change 12 months ago at our hospital. On examination, she had an ulcerated, necrotic, and punched-out lesion of 5 cm of the cervix. A cervical biopsy revealed poorly differentiated typical BSCC. Abdominal/pelvic computerized tomography and whole body positron emission tomography confirmed FIGO staging IB2. She responded well to concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Follow-up for the patient is ongoing. This is a rapid developing BSCC of the uterine cervix, although we cannot actually ascertain when it started and how rapidly it progressed.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Clinical Epidemiology (CE) and Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) in the Asia Pacific region (Round Table Forum)

Su TT, Bulgiba AM, Sampatanukul P, Sastroasmoro S, Chang P, Tharyan P, et al.

Prev Med, 2013;57 Suppl:S5-7.
PMID: 23624253 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.04.009

Clinical Epidemiology (CE) and Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) have become increasingly important in an era of rising costs, patient safety concerns and evidence-based health care. CE and EBM research in the Asia Pacific region have grown significantly. However, there are three main challenges such as linking evidence to practice and policy; developing a strong collaborative network; and a need for resources and technical expertise to produce evidence. The Cochrane Collaboration is a possible solution to resolve above challenges identified, particularly the challenge of transforming evidence to practice. In addition, training can be carried out to enhance technical expertise in the region and there is also the promising potential that collaborations could extend beyond systematic reviews. To improve the adoption of evidence-based health policy, selection of the best evidence for the right audience and focusing on the relevant issues through appropriate methodology are essential. Information on effectiveness and cost effectiveness needs to be highlighted for policy makers. The way forward to strengthen research and capacity building is to establish the Asia Pacific Consortium for CE and EBM. The consortium would help to create mutually rewarding scientific research and collaborations that will augur well for advances in CE and EBM.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
A comparison of factors associated with physical inactivity among East Asian college students

Seo DC, Torabi MR, Chin MK, Huang SF, Chen CK, Mok MM, et al.

Int J Behav Med, 2012 Sep;19(3):316-23.
PMID: 21562780 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-011-9167-4

BACKGROUND: Little is known on the level of physical inactivity and its behavioral and cultural correlates among East Asian college students.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to examine and compare the level and behavioral and cultural correlates of physical inactivity among college students in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.
METHOD: Data were collected from a representative sample of college students (N = 12,137) in five East Asian economies during the 2008-2009 academic year. The stratified random sampling (stratum: geographic region) was used to select participating institutions. The overall response rate was 77%.
RESULTS: The percentage of physically inactive students was 7.2% for Singapore, 8.0% for Malaysia, 13.5% for Taiwan, 16.8% for Hong Kong, and 28.5% for South Korea. When gender, age, and body mass index were controlled, fruit and vegetable consumptions were significant correlates for physical inactivity across all the five economies. In Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan, those who engaged in binge drinking at least once during the past 2 weeks were less likely to be physically inactive than those who did not. Religion and military experience did not independently predict physical inactivity in any of the five economies.
CONCLUSION: Physical inactivity varies greatly across different economies in East Asia that are usually grouped together and considered a single homogeneous entity by some researchers. However, in terms of correlates of physical inactivity, findings of the current study indicate that the transversal value of physical activity might be transformed into a universal.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Neurosurgery certification in member societies of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies: Asia

Gasco J, Braun JD, McCutcheon IE, Black PM

World Neurosurg, 2011 Mar-Apr;75(3-4):325-34.
PMID: 21600456 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2011.01.001

To objectively compare the complexity and diversity of the certification process in neurological surgery in member societies of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Perceptual processing of Mandarin nasals by L1 and L2 Mandarin speakers

Lai YH

J Psycholinguist Res, 2012 Aug;41(4):237-52.
PMID: 22089521 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-011-9190-2

Nasals are cross-linguistically susceptible to change, especially in the syllable final position. Acoustic reports on Mandarin nasal production have recently shown that the syllable-final distinction is frequently dropped. Few studies, however, have addressed the issue of perceptual processing in Mandarin nasals for L1 and L2 speakers of Mandarin Chinese. The current paper addressed to what extent and in what directions L1 and L2 speakers of Mandarin differed in perceiving Mandarin nasals. Possible variables, including the linguistic backgrounds (i.e. L1 vs. L2 speakers of Mandarin Chinese), the vocalic contexts (i.e. [i, ə, a, y, ua, uə, ia]) and the phonetic settings (i.e. syllable-initial vs. syllable-final), were discussed. Asymmetrical findings in the current investigation indicated limitations of speech learning theories developed from European languages in the context of Mandarin nasals. A tri-dimensional model was thus suggested for interpreting the cognitive mechanism in Mandarin nasal perception.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Fulltext Diagnosis and management of imported Chikungunya fever in Taiwan: a case report

Chang K, Hsieh HC, Tsai JJ, Lin WR, Lu PL, Chen YH

Kaohsiung J. Med. Sci., 2010 May;26(5):256-60.
PMID: 20466336 DOI: 10.1016/S1607-551X(10)70037-1

Chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne alphavirus, is endemic in Africa and Southeast Asia but is rarely reported in Taiwan. We report the case of a Taiwanese woman who developed Chikungunya fever, which was first diagnosed by a clinician rather than by fever screening at an airport. The woman presented with fever, maculopapular rash, and arthralgia, the triad for the disease, on the day she returned home after a trip to Malaysia. These symptoms are very similar to those of dengue fever, which is endemic in Southern Taiwan. Chikungunya infection was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and seroconversion on paired serum specimens. For approximately 40 years until 2006, no cases of Chikungunya fever had been found in Taiwan. Clinicians in Taiwan should consider Chikungunya fever as a possible diagnosis for a febrile patient with arthralgia, rash, and a history of travel to an endemic area, such as Africa or Southeast Asia.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Electronic health records approaches and challenges: a comparison between Malaysia and four East Asian countries

Abd Ghani MK, Bali RK, Naguib RN, Marshall IM, Nilmini S. Wickramasinghe

Int J Electron Healthc, 2008;4(1):78-104.
PMID: 18583297

An integrated Lifetime Health Record (LHR) is fundamental for achieving seamless and continuous access to patient medical information and for the continuum of care. However, the aim has not yet been fully realised. The efforts are actively progressing around the globe. Every stage of the development of the LHR initiatives had presented peculiar challenges. The best lessons in life are those of someone else's experiences. This paper presents an overview of the development approaches undertaken by four East Asian countries in implementing a national Electronic Health Record (EHR) in the public health system. The major challenges elicited from the review including integration efforts, process reengineering, funding, people, and law and regulation will be presented, compared, discussed and used as lessons learned for the further development of the Malaysian integrated LHR.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
An Asian perspective on relationship and marriage education

Huang WJ

Fam Process, 2005 Jun;44(2):161-73.
PMID: 16013743

The goal of this article is to provide couple therapists and relationship educators with information to enhance the cultural relevance of their work with Asian populations. Because of the rapid social, economic, cultural, and gender role changes, the various Asian interpretations of the institution of marriage are undergoing major transformation. This article describes the general trends in marriage in several Asian nations, with a focus on the swiftly rising divorce rates and changing cultural attitudes to marriage, and discusses current relationship education initiatives in these nations. Finally, based on my experiences working with Asian populations, I present a few humble insights regarding adaptation of marriage education to render it more culturally appropriate for Asians.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Measles surveillance in Taiwan, 2012-2014: Changing epidemiology, immune response, and circulating genotypes

Cheng WY, Wang HC, Wu HS, Liu MT

J Med Virol, 2016 May;88(5):746-53.
PMID: 26400063 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24392

In Taiwan, although the coverage rate of two doses of measles-containing vaccine has been maintained at over 95% since 2001, measles outbreaks occurred in 2002, 2009, and 2011. The present study reports that 43 cases were confirmed by laboratory testing in Taiwan in 2012-2014 and that adults have emerged as one of groups susceptible to measles virus (MV) infection, who may have discrepant humoral immune reactions-indicated by the level of IgM and IgG antibodies compared to a naïve, susceptible measles case. Thirty-seven of 43 cases confirmed by RT-PCR were further characterized by genotyping. In Taiwan, genotype H1 was the major strain in circulation prior to 2010, while D9 was the most frequently detected MV genotype between 2010 and 2011. The genotyping data collected between 2012 and 2014 revealed that H1 rebounded in 2012 after an absence in 2011 and was imported from China and Vietnam. In 2014, genotype B3 first appeared in Taiwan following import from the Philippines and became the most frequently detected strain. Genotype D8, linked to importation from various countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, showed sequence divergence. D9 was imported from Malaysia in 2014. The MV genotypes detected in Taiwan reflected the genotypes of circulating endemic measles strains in neighboring countries. A significant rise in the number of measles cases and in measles with genotypes imported from surrounding countries indicated that measles resurged in Asia in 2014. J. Med. Virol. 88:746-753, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Fulltext Delineating taxonomic boundaries in the largest species complex of black flies (Simuliidae) in the Oriental Region

Low VL, Takaoka H, Pramual P, Adler PH, Ya'cob Z, Huang YT, et al.

Sci Rep, 2016 Feb 03;6:20346.
PMID: 26839292 DOI: 10.1038/srep20346

Perspicuous assessments of taxonomic boundaries and discovery of cryptic taxa are of paramount importance in interpreting ecological and evolutionary phenomena among black flies (Simuliidae) and combating associated vector-borne diseases. Simulium tani Takaoka & Davies is the largest and perhaps the most taxonomically challenging species complex of black flies in the Oriental Region. We use a DNA sequence-based method to delineate currently recognized chromosomal and morphological taxa in the S. tani complex on the Southeast Asian mainland and Taiwan, while elucidating their phylogenetic relationships. A molecular approach using multiple genes, coupled with morphological and chromosomal data, supported recognition of cytoform K and morphoform 'b' as valid species; indicated that S. xuandei, cytoform L, and morphoform 'a' contain possible cryptic species; and suggested that cytoform B is in the early stages of reproductive isolation whereas lineage sorting is incomplete in cytoforms A, C, and G.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer and sub-surface water at estuarine locations: Their concentration, distribution, enrichment, and relation to physicochemical characteristics

Huang YJ, Brimblecombe P, Lee CL, Latif MT

Mar Pollut Bull, 2015 Aug 15;97(1-2):78-84.
PMID: 26093815 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.06.031

Samples of sea-surface microlayer (SML) and sub-surface water (SSW) were collected from two areas-Kaohsiung City (Taiwan) and the southwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia to study the influence of SML on enrichment and distribution and to compare SML with the SSW. Anionic surfactants (MBAS) predominated in this study and were significantly higher in Kaohsiung than in Malaysia. Industrial areas in Kaohsiung were enriched with high loads of anthropogenic sources, accounted for higher surfactant amounts, and pose higher environmental disadvantages than in Malaysia, where pollutants were associated with agricultural activities. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC), MBAS, and cationic surfactant (DBAS) concentrations in the SML correlated to the SSW, reflecting exchanges between the SML and SSW in Kaohsiung. The relationships between surfactants and the physiochemical parameters indicated that DOC and saltwater dilution might affect the distributions of MBAS and DBAS in Kaohsiung. In Malaysia, DOC might be the important factor controlling DBAS.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Fulltext Long-Term Resistance of Drosophila melanogaster to the Mushroom Toxin Alpha-Amanitin

Mitchell CL, Yeager RD, Johnson ZJ, D'Annunzio SE, Vogel KR, Werner T

PLoS One, 2015;10(5):e0127569.
PMID: 25978397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127569

Insect resistance to toxins exerts not only a great impact on our economy, but also on the ecology of many species. Resistance to one toxin is often associated with cross-resistance to other, sometimes unrelated, chemicals. In this study, we investigated mushroom toxin resistance in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen). This fruit fly species does not feed on mushrooms in nature and may thus have evolved cross-resistance to α-amanitin, the principal toxin of deadly poisonous mushrooms, due to previous pesticide exposure. The three Asian D. melanogaster stocks used in this study, Ama-KTT, Ama-MI, and Ama-KLM, acquired α-amanitin resistance at least five decades ago in their natural habitats in Taiwan, India, and Malaysia, respectively. Here we show that all three stocks have not lost the resistance phenotype despite the absence of selective pressure over the past half century. In response to α-amanitin in the larval food, several signs of developmental retardation become apparent in a concentration-dependent manner: higher pre-adult mortality, prolonged larva-to-adult developmental time, decreased adult body size, and reduced adult longevity. In contrast, female fecundity nearly doubles in response to higher α-amanitin concentrations. Our results suggest that α-amanitin resistance has no fitness cost, which could explain why the resistance has persisted in all three stocks over the past five decades. If pesticides caused α-amanitin resistance in D. melanogaster, their use may go far beyond their intended effects and have long-lasting effects on ecosystems.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Fulltext Tests of conspecificity for allopatric vectors: Simulium nodosum and Simulium shirakii (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Asia

Low VL, Adler PH, Sofian-Azirun M, Srisuka W, Saeung A, Huang YT, et al.

Parasit Vectors, 2015 May 29;8:297.
PMID: 26022092 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0911-5

BACKGROUND: Allopatric populations present challenges for biologists working with vectors. We suggest that conspecificity can be concluded in these cases when data from four character sets-chromosomal, ecological, molecular, and morphological-express variation no greater between the allopatric populations than between corresponding sympatric populations. We use this approach to test the conspecificity of Simulium nodosum Puri on the mainland of Southeast Asia and Simulium shirakii Kono & Takahasi in Taiwan. The validity of these two putative species has long been disputed given that they are morphologically indistinguishable.
FINDINGS: The mitochondria-encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 12S rRNA, and 16S rRNA genes and the nuclear-encoded 28S rRNA gene support the conspecific status of S. nodosum from Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam and S. shirakii from Taiwan; 0 to 0.19 % genetic differences between the two taxa suggest intraspecific polymorphism. The banding patterns of the polytene chromosomes of the insular Taiwanese population of S. shirakii and mainland populations of S. nodosum are congruent. The overlapping ranges of habitat characteristics and hosts of S. nodosum and S. shirakii corroborate the chromosomal, molecular, and morphological data.
CONCLUSIONS: Four independent sources of evidence (chromosomes, DNA, ecology, and morphology) support the conspecificity of S. nodosum and S. shirakii. We, therefore, synonymize S. shirakii with S. nodosum. This study provides a guide for applying the procedure of testing conspecificity to other sets of allopatric vectors.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Fulltext Phylogeography of the coastal mosquito Aedes togoi across climatic zones: testing an anthropogenic dispersal hypothesis

Sota T, Belton P, Tseng M, Yong HS, Mogi M

PLoS One, 2015;10(6):e0131230.
PMID: 26107619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131230

The coastal mosquito Aedes togoi occurs more or less continuously from subarctic to subtropic zones along the coasts of the Japanese islands and the East Asian mainland. It occurs also in tropical Southeast Asia and the North American Pacific coast, and the populations there are thought to have been introduced from Japan by ship. To test this hypothesis, the genetic divergence among geographic populations of A. togoi was studied using one mitochondrial and three nuclear gene sequences. We detected 71 mitochondrial haplotypes forming four lineages, with high nucleotide diversity around temperate Japan and declining towards peripheral ranges. The major lineage (L1) comprised 57 haplotypes from temperate and subarctic zones in Japan and Southeast Asia including southern China and Taiwan. Two other lineages were found from subtropical islands (L3) and a subarctic area (L4) of Japan. The Canadian population showed one unique haplotype (L2) diverged from the other lineages. In the combined nuclear gene tree, individuals with mitochondrial L4 haplotypes diverged from those with the other mitochondrial haplotypes L1-L3; although individuals with L1-L3 haplotypes showed shallow divergences in the nuclear gene sequences, individuals from Southeast Asia and Canada each formed a monophyletic group. Overall, the genetic composition of the Southeast Asian populations was closely related to that of temperate Japanese populations, suggesting recent gene flow between these regions. The Canadian population might have originated from anthropogenic introduction from somewhere in Asia, but the possibility that it could have spread across the Beringian land bridge cannot be ruled out.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Revision of the frog fly genus Caiusa Surcouf, 1920 (Diptera, Calliphoridae), with a note on the identity of Plinthomyia emimelania Rondani, 1875

Rognes K

Zootaxa, 2015;3952(1):1-80.
PMID: 25947832 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3952.1.1

The Oriental, Australasian and Oceanian genus Caiusa Surcouf, 1920 is revised, species concepts being based on male and female genitalia. A key to males for all known species, and a key to females for all except one are given. All relevant types still in existence have been studied, complete synonymies given and the geographical distribution reconsidered. The eight species included in the genus are: Caiusa borneoensis sp. nov. (Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam); Caiusa coomani Séguy, 1948 (China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam); Caiusa indica Surcouf, 1920 (Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam); Caiusa karrakerae sp. nov. (Malaysia, Thailand); Caiusa kurahashii sp. nov. (Indonesia, Japan, Philippines); Caiusa pooae sp. nov. (Thailand); Caiusa testacea Senior-White, 1923 (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and Caiusa violacea Séguy, 1925, stat. rev. (Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam). A lectotype is designated for Caiusa indica to fix the interpretation of the name. Caiusa nigronitens Senior-White, 1923, syn. nov. and Caiusa surcoufi Bezzi, 1927, syn. nov. are established as junior synonyms of Caiusa indica. Caiusa violacea is correctly diagnosed and errors in the original description of the female holotype are pointed out. Caiusa dubiosa Villeneuve, 1927 is established as a junior synonym of C. violacea, syn. nov. Seven Caiusa species have been reared from the egg mass of various species of frogs. The reproductive mode of the eighth species, i.e., C. indica, is unknown. Five species, i.e., C. borneoensis, C. coomani, C. karrakerae, C. kurahashii and C. violacea have been reared from one or more of the foam nesting frog species Chiromantis nongkhorensis (Cochran, 1927), Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst, 1927), Polypedates megacephalus Hallowell, 1861, Rhacophorus annamensis Smith, 1924, Rhacophorus dulitensis Boulenger, 1892, Rhacophorus kio Ohler & Delorme, 2005 and Rhacophorus owstoni (Stejneger, 1907) all belonging in the family Rhacophoridae in Anura. These five Caiusa species all have a specialised ovipositor tip, with small spine-like setae on the ST8 and the hypoproct, probably enabling the flies to oviposit on a foam nest with a hardened outer surface. They form a monophyletic group on account of these features of the ovipositor, unique in the Oestroidea. The sixth species, C. testacea, has been reared from a frog egg mass, the frog species being unknown. Its ovipositor structure is also unknown. The seventh species, C. pooae, has been reared once from the jelly-like egg mass of Feihyla hansenae (Cochran, 1927), also in Rhacophoridae. Caiusa pooae females do not have spine-like setae on the ovipositor, a fact correlated with the soft outer surface of the jelly-like egg mass on which a C. pooae female had oviposited. The extreme rarity of C. pooae oviposition on Feihyla hansenae egg masses may indicate that this fly perhaps has another, unknown, regular oviposition substrate. Caiusa pooae and C. indica make up a second monophyletic group within Caiusa. Caiusa indica, the most common and most widespread species of the genus, has an ovipositor structure similar to C. pooae. Its breeding substrate is unknown and it occurs both within and outside the distributional area of Rhacophoridae. Possibly both C. indica and C. pooae share a regular oviposition substrate that has still to be discovered. The holotype female of Plinthomyia emimelania Rondani, 1875 from Sarawak is established as a member of the genus Bengalia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, thus Plinthomyia Rondani, 1875 becomes a junior synonym of Bengalia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, syn. nov. It is removed from the synonymy of Phumosia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830.

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan
Estimates of mineral intakes using food composition tables vs measures by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Part 1. calcium, phosphorus and iron

Zhang ZW, Shimbo S, Miyake K, Watanabe T, Nakatsuka H, Matsuda-Inoguchi N, et al.

Eur J Clin Nutr, 1999 Mar;53(3):226-32.
PMID: 10201805

To examine the accuracy of food composition table (FCT)-based estimation of dietary nutrient element intake in reference to the instrumental measurement by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Matched MeSH terms: Taiwan

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