| 1 | Author(s):
Hsien-Chuan Fan. Page No : 1-18 |
Potential Threats of Megafires to Astronomical Observatories and an Optimal Protection Decision Model: Grey-System Trend Forecasting and Multi-Criteria Analysis
摘要
Against the backdrop of global warming, extreme weather is becoming increasingly frequent, and megafires are rising steadily in frequency, scale, and destructive power, posing a growing threat to immovable facilities such as astronomical observatories located deep within forests. The paper first describes the ecological role of wildfire and the drivers of megafires, and reviews cases in which observatories-Mount Stromlo, Siding Spring, Lick, Mount Wilson, the Allen Telescope Array, and Kitt Peak-were struck or threatened by wildfire. On this basis, and recognizing that fire records for any single site are characterized by small samples and poor information, a two-stage optimal protection decision model grounded in grey-system theory is constructed. In the first stage, a grey-prediction is built from the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center burned-area series, and the urgency of the threat is gauged from the exceedance frequency of megafire years and the roughly 30-year fire cycle of the Lulin Observatory site. In the second stage, criterion weights are determined objectively by grey entropy, and grey relational analysis is used to rank five protection strategies under multiple criteria. The results show that the “integrated prevention plus managed evacuation” strategy attains the highest grey relational grade (γ = 0.91), markedly outperforming conventional aggressive suppression (γ = 0.44); the ranking is robust to the distinguishing coefficient. The model provides a cardinal decision basis for wildfire protection at mountain observatories such as Lulin.
| 2 | Author(s):
Miao-Jung Lin. Page No : 19-34 |
Differences and Effectiveness of English Language Teaching in International Schools versus Mainstream-System Schools: An Integrative Review and a Proposed Comparative Research Framework
摘要
The rapid global expansion of English-medium international schools has intensified public and scholarly interest in whether such institutions deliver superior English-language outcomes relative to mainstream, national-curriculum schools in which English is taught as a discrete foreign-language subject. This paper offers an integrative review of the conceptual, theoretical, and empirical literature on the two school types and synthesizes evidence on the mechanisms through which they differ. Drawing on second-language acquisition theory and on recent meta-analyses of content-and-language-integrated learning and English-medium instruction, the review argues that the documented advantages of immersive, content-based environments stem less from the institutional label of an international school than from a cluster of modifiable instructional variables: cumulative exposure to comprehensible input, opportunities for meaningful output and interaction, integration of language with academic content, teacher language proficiency and pedagogical preparation, and the motivational climate. Existing comparative evidence consistently favours immersive models for receptive skills and vocabulary, with smaller and more variable effects for productive accuracy, while raising persistent concerns about selection bias, socioeconomic stratification, and equity. The paper situates these findings within Taiwan's Bilingual 2030 policy and proposes a mixed-methods comparative research framework, combining propensity-score matching with a quasi-experimental design, to estimate the effectiveness of international versus mainstream English provision while controlling for confounding. The central conclusion is that effectiveness is best understood as a function of instructional design and exposure rather than of school category per se.
| 3 | Author(s):
Yuan-Shuh Lii, Shan-Ni Cheng. Page No : 35-52 |
The Formation Mechanism of Channel Choice in Preventive Health Consumption among Older Adults from a Value Co-Creation Perspective on Health Literacy, Digital Trust, and Health Agency
摘要
With the accelerating trend of global population aging, the paradigm of health consumption has shifted from traditional passive treatment models toward proactive preventive healthcare. Despite the information transparency and convenience offered by digital technologies, the choice behavior of older adults between online digital platforms and offline physical channels remains complex, characterized by intricate psychological trade-offs and resource integration needs. This study aims to delineate the decision-making mechanism of older adults in the context of preventive health consumption. By integrating service-dominant logic, social cognitive theory, and health literacy models, this research constructs a comprehensive theoretical framework encompassing health literacy, digital trust, and health agency, emphasizing the psychological agency of older adults as active agents of value co-creation. Adopting a cross-sectional research design, this study empirically investigates over 300 individuals aged 65 and above with experience in preventive health consumption, utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) for hypothesis testing. The results are expected to show that health agency serves as a critical mediator between information reception and channel choice, while digital trust acts as a moderator between information empowerment and behavioral decision-making. This study not only elucidates the underlying psychological drivers of omnichannel choice behavior among older adults, thereby transcending the technological determinism of traditional technology acceptance models, but also offers novel theoretical insights and practical paradigms for future smart aging policies and digital transformation strategies in the retail sector, ultimately affirming the central role of older adults in a smart aging society.
| 4 | Author(s):
Wen-Yi Zheng, Yu-Feng Huang. Page No : 53-68 |
Interaction Patterns, Core Demands, and Limitations of Generative AI among the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
摘要
The study examines how the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community interacts with Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI): their core demands and the limitations of current tools. Grounded in Uses and Gratifications theory and recent scholarship on digital inclusion and AI accessibility, it draws on semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation to explore how GenAI meets the distinctive communication and psychological needs of DHH individuals. The findings show that although GenAI is a vital tool for information access and emotional support, substantial barriers remain, including linguistic mismatches, limited cultural competence, and the risk of reinforcing existing digital divides. The study offers empirical grounding for strengthening technological empowerment and advancing a more inclusive, barrier-free society.
