Showing papers by "Chung Yuan Christian University published in 2011"
TL;DR: Data showed that the two participants significantly increased their motivation for physical rehabilitation, thus improving exercise performance during the intervention phases, and this study assessed the possibility of rehabilitating two young adults with motor impairments using a Kinect-based system in a public school setting.
755 citations
TL;DR: In a chemical vapor deposition process the carbon species dissociated on Cu surfaces not only result in graphene layers on top of the catalytic Cu thin films but also diffuse through Cu grain boundaries to the interface between Cu and underlying dielectrics.
Abstract: Direct formation of high-quality and wafer scale graphenethinlayersoninsulatinggatedielectricssuchasSiO2is emergent for graphene electronics using Si-wafer compatible fabrication. Here, we report that in a chemical vapor deposition process the carbon species dissociated on Cu surfaces not only resultingraphenelayersontopofthecatalyticCuthin filmsbut also diffuse through Cu grain boundaries to the interface between Cu and underlying dielectrics. Optimization of the process parameters leads to a continuous and large-area gra- phene thin layers directly formed on top of the dielectrics. The bottom-gated transistor characteristics for the graphene films have shown quite comparable carrier mobility compared to the top-layer graphene. The proposed method allows us to achieve wafer-sized graphene on versatile insulating substrates without the need of graphene transfer.
316 citations
TL;DR: The optimized PSBMA surface graft layer in overall charge neutrality has a high hydration capability and the best antifouling, anticoagulant, and antihemolytic activities when comes into contact with human blood.
Abstract: Development of nonfouling membranes to prevent nonspecific protein adsorption and platelet adhesion is critical for many biomedical applications. It is always a challenge to control the surface graft copolymerization of a highly polar monomer from the highly hydrophobic surface of a fluoropolymer membrane. In this work, the blood compatibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes with surface-grafted electrically neutral zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA), from atmospheric plasma-induced surface copolymerization, was studied. The effect of surface composition and graft morphology, electrical neutrality, hydrophilicity and hydration capability on blood compatibility of the membranes were determined. Blood compatibility of the zwitterionic PVDF membranes was systematically evaluated by plasma protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, plasma-clotting time, and blood cell hemolysis. It was found that the nonfouling nature and hydration capability of grafted PSBMA polymers can be effectively controlled by regulating the grafting coverage and charge balance of the PSBMA layer on the PVDF membrane surface. Even a slight charge bias in the grafted zwitterionic PSBMA layer can induce electrostatic interactions between proteins and the membrane surfaces, leading to surface protein adsorption, platelet activation, plasma clotting and blood cell hemolysis. Thus, the optimized PSBMA surface graft layer in overall charge neutrality has a high hydration capability and the best antifouling, anticoagulant, and antihemolytic activities when comes into contact with human blood.
291 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, nonsingular, homogeneous and isotropic bouncing solutions of the conformal Galileon model were presented, and it was shown that such solutions necessarily begin with a radiation-dominated contracting phase.
Abstract: We present nonsingular, homogeneous and isotropic bouncing solutions of the conformal Galileon model. We show that such solutions necessarily begin with a radiation-dominated contracting phase. This is followed by a quintom scenario in which the background equation of state crosses the cosmological constant boundary allowing for a nonsingular bounce which in turn is followed by Galilean Genesis. We analyze the spectrum of cosmological perturbations in this background. Our results show that the fluctuations evolve smoothly and without any pathology, but the adiabatic modes form a blue tilted spectrum. In order to achieve a scale-invariant primordial power spectrum as required by current observations, we introduce a light scalar field coupling to the Galileon kinetically. We find two couplings which yield a scale-invariant spectrum, one of which requires a fine tuning of the initial conditions. This model also predicts a blue tilted spectrum of gravitational waves stemming from quantum vacuum fluctuations in the contracting phase.
222 citations
TL;DR: This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity and therapeutic efficacy of oleic acid in a liposomal formulation as an innate bactericide against methicillin-resistant S. aureus and suggested that LipoOA hold great potential to become a new, effective, and safe antimicrobial agent for the treatment of MRSA infections.
161 citations
TL;DR: The results indicate that the proposed probabilistic neural network-based feature selection approach is capable of efficiently eliminating nonessential features to improve the performance of classifiers, even in environments with noise interference.
Abstract: This paper proposes an optimal feature selection approach, namely, probabilistic neural network-based feature selection (PFS), for power-quality disturbances classification. The PFS combines a global optimization algorithm with an adaptive probabilistic neural network (APNN) to gradually remove redundant and irrelevant features in noisy environments. To validate the practicability of the features selected by the proposed PFS approach, we employed three common classifiers: multilayer perceptron, k-nearest neighbor and APNN. The results indicate that this PFS approach is capable of efficiently eliminating nonessential features to improve the performance of classifiers, even in environments with noise interference.
148 citations
TL;DR: In this article, nonsingular, homogeneous and isotropic bouncing solutions of the conformal Galileon model were presented, and it was shown that such solutions necessarily begin with a radiation-dominated contracting phase.
Abstract: We present nonsingular, homogeneous and isotropic bouncing solutions of the conformal Galileon model. We show that such solutions necessarily begin with a radiation-dominated contracting phase. This is followed by a quintom scenario in which the background equation of state crosses the cosmological constant boundary allowing for a nonsingular bounce which in turn is followed by Galilean Genesis. We analyze the spectrum of cosmological perturbations in this background. Our results show that the fluctuations evolve smoothly and without any pathology, but the adiabatic modes form a blue tilted spectrum. In order to achieve a scale-invariant primordial power spectrum as required by current observations, we introduce a light scalar field coupling to the Galileon kinetically. We find two couplings which yield a scale-invariant spectrum, one of which requires a fine tuning of the initial conditions. This model also predicts a blue tilted spectrum of gravitational waves stemming from quantum vacuum fluctuations in the contracting phase.
145 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated green product designs and remanufacturing efforts when they developed an integrated production inventory model with short life-cycles, and they showed that new technology evolution, re-manufacturing ratios and system's holding costs are critical factors affecting decision making in a green supply chain inventory control system.
144 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that poly(SBMA-co-AA) copolymers adsorbed on polyelectrolyte-base films via electrostatic interaction improve hemocompatibility effectively and are applicable for various substrates including TCPS, PU, and PDMS.
137 citations
TL;DR: A blended learning environment combining mobile learning, web-based learning, and classroom teaching to provide realistic, practical opportunities for learners and teachers to engage in problem solving activities is presented.
Abstract: Blended learning, thoughtfully combining the best elements of online and face-to-face education, is likely to emerge as the predominant teaching model of the future. In this paper, we present a blended learning environment combining mobile learning, web-based learning, and classroom teaching to provide realistic, practical opportunities for learners and teachers to engage in problem solving activities. The purpose of this study was to explore problem solving patterns and their impact on learning achievement in a blended learning environment. Through quasi-experimental instruction, we collected all of the data of the learning processes from 34 students in a blended learning environment using classroom instruction, mobile and web scenarios. By combining cluster analysis and content analysis, we were able to identify three groups with distinct characteristics: the hybrid-oriented group, the technology-oriented group, and the efficiency-oriented group. Learners in the hybrid-oriented group used the classroom, mobile and web scenario almost equally. They displayed a regular manner in following the instructor's teaching procedure, and tended to passively accept whatever the teacher said. Students in the technology-oriented group spent most of their time using mobile and web technologies but they revealed superficial problem solving abilities such as a lack of understanding and planning. The efficiency-oriented group was characterized by the efficient monitoring of learning processes. It was more task-oriented and performed better than the other two groups.
129 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of heat transfer and the associated higher pressure drop for liquid flow in rectangular micochannels with longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs) were determined experimentally for the Reynolds numbers of 170-1200 with hydraulic diameter of 187.5μm and aspect ratio of 0.067 for LVGs with different number of pairs and angles of attack.
TL;DR: A particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithm is developed to solve problems defined by bi-level pricing models and can achieve a profit increase for buyers or vendors if they are treated as the leaders under some situations, compared with the existing methods.
Abstract: With rapid technological innovation and strong competition in hi-tech industries such as computer and communication organizations, the upstream component price and the downstream product cost usually decline significantly with time. As a result, an effective pricing supply chain model is very important. This paper first establishes two bi-level pricing models for pricing problems with the buyer and the vendor in a supply chain designated as the leader and the follower, respectively. A particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithm is developed to solve problems defined by these bi-level pricing models. Experiments illustrate that this PSO based algorithm can achieve a profit increase for buyers or vendors if they are treated as the leaders under some situations, compared with the existing methods.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed a two-step methodology to facilitate an examination of the impact of oil shocks on stock returns, with the presence of jumps subsequently being taken into consideration to examine the asymmetric effects of oil prices.
TL;DR: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) contains ganglionated plexuses and adipocytes that can affect the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF) and was independently related to AF recurrence after ablation.
Abstract: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) contains ganglionated plexuses and adipocytes that can affect the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to quantify the EAT surrounding the left atrium (LA) and correlate it with occurrence of AF and outcome after catheter ablation. EAT was evaluated using 64-slice multidetector computed tomography in 68 patients with AF and 34 controls. EAT volume was acquired by semiautomatically tracing axial images from the pulmonary artery to the coronary sinus. Topographic distribution of EAT was assessed by dividing the periatrial space into 8 equal regions. EAT volume significantly increased in patients with AF than in controls (29.9 ± 12.1 vs 20.2 ± 6.5 cm(3), p <0.001). Most EAT was located in regions (1) within the superior vena cava, right pulmonary artery, and right-sided roof of the LA (29.8%), (2) within the aortic root, pulmonary trunk, and left atrial appendage (26.5%), and (3) between the left inferior pulmonary vein and left atrioventricular groove (18.1%). Baseline variables were analyzed in patients with (n = 24) and without (n = 44) AF recurrence after ablation. The recurrent group showed significantly increased EAT (35.2 ± 12.5 vs 26.8 ± 11.1 cm(3), p = 0.007). Multivariate analysis revealed that EAT was an independent predictor of AF recurrence after ablation (p = 0.038). In conclusion, EAT of LA was increased in patients with AF. Large clusters of EAT were observed adjacent to the anterior roof, left atrial appendage, and lateral mitral isthmus. Abundance of EAT was independently related to AF recurrence after ablation.
TL;DR: An automated system for the quantification and classification of mitochondrial morphology is presented and new roles of Caspases in the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial dynamics are revealed, as well as applicable to the investigation of other subcellular organelle morphology.
Abstract: Morphological dynamics of mitochondria is associated with key cellular processes related to aging and neuronal degenerative diseases, but the lack of standard quantification of mitochondrial morphology impedes systematic investigation. This paper presents an automated system for the quantification and classification of mitochondrial morphology. We discovered six morphological subtypes of mitochondria for objective quantification of mitochondrial morphology. These six subtypes are small globules, swollen globules, straight tubules, twisted tubules, branched tubules and loops. The subtyping was derived by applying consensus clustering to a huge collection of more than 200 thousand mitochondrial images extracted from 1422 micrographs of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells treated with different drugs, and was validated by evidence of functional similarity reported in the literature. Quantitative statistics of subtype compositions in cells is useful for correlating drug response and mitochondrial dynamics. Combining the quantitative results with our biochemical studies about the effects of squamocin on CHO cells reveals new roles of Caspases in the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial dynamics. This system is not only of value to the mitochondrial field, but also applicable to the investigation of other subcellular organelle morphology.
TL;DR: The proposed T-S fuzzy controller does not require searching the maximum power operational point and using coordinate transformation, so all the buck, boost, or buck-boost converters can be used to achieve MPPT in the same control method.
Abstract: This paper presents a unified T-S fuzzy model-based maximum power control approach to enhance the efficiency and robustness of the solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation. First, the maximum-power-voltage-based control scheme and direct maximum power control scheme are introduced for the maximum power point tracking (MPPT). By using T-S fuzzy model representation, the two MPPT control schemes are formulated to an output tracking control problem in a unified form. Then, the T-S fuzzy observer and controller are developed to achieve asymptotic MPPT for uncertain PV power systems, where the controller and observer gains are able to be separately solved from novel linear matrix inequality formulation. Furthermore, the MPPT robustness is also discussed in the presence of rapidly changing atmosphere and external disturbances. Different from the traditional MPPT approaches, the proposed T-S fuzzy controller does not require searching the maximum power operational point and using coordinate transformation. All the buck, boost, or buck-boost converters can be used to achieve MPPT in the same control method. Finally, the satisfactory performance is shown from the simulation and experimental results.
24 Oct 2011
TL;DR: Using Microsoft's Kinect motion sensor to develop an intelligent rehabilitation system for students with muscle atrophy and cerebral palsy increased their motivation to participate in rehabilitation and enhanced the efficiency of rehab activities, greatly contributing to the recovery of muscle endurance and reducing the workload of therapists.
Abstract: This study used Microsoft's Kinect motion sensor to develop an intelligent rehabilitation system. Through discussion with physical therapists at the Kaohsiung County Special Education School, researchers understood that students with physical disabilities typically lack enthusiasm for rehabilitation, hindering their recovery of limb function and ability to care for themselves. Because therapists must simultaneously care for numerous students, there is also a shortage of human resources. Using fieldwork and recommendations by physical therapists, this study applied the proposed system to students with muscle atrophy and cerebral palsy, and assisted them in physical therapy. The system increased their motivation to participate in rehabilitation and enhanced the efficiency of rehab activities, greatly contributing to the recovery of muscle endurance and reducing the workload of therapists.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the surface can be used for the selective binding of avidin, followed by the binding of Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-biotin and enhanced cell attachment by specific cell-ligand interactions, and provides a simple tool to fabricate surfaces with controllable cell affinity.
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of metal oxide nanocrystals with various crystal sizes on the production of hydrogen from the reaction in tap water under ambient condition were investigated in details. And they found that metal oxide nanoparticles such as TiO2, Co3O4 and Cr2O3 were very effective to promote hydrogen generation from reaction of Al and deionized water at 25-45°C.
TL;DR: Conformational data from circular dichroism, kinetics and thermodynamics information from surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) are combined to compare the binding mechanism between the two aptamers with thrombin and indicated reasonably that the 15-mer aptamer bound to fibrinogen-binding site of throm bin using a G-quadruplex structure and was dominated by electrostatic interactions.
TL;DR: Elevated serum AMH levels increase the risk of PCOS but do not affect therisk of insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, andAMH levels were negatively correlated with age, body mass index, and the number of menstrual cycles per year.
TL;DR: It was found that PVDF membranes grafted with brush-like PEGylated layers presented higher hydration capability with binding water molecules than with network-likePEGylation layers to improve the hemocompatible character of plasma protein and blood platelet resistance in human blood.
Abstract: In this work, the hemocompatibility of PEGylated poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) microporous membranes with varying grafting coverage and structures via plasma-induced surface PEGylation was studied. Network-like and brush-like PEGylated layers on PVDF membrane surfaces were achieved by low-pressure and atmospheric plasma treatment. The chemical composition, physical morphology, grafting structure, surface hydrophilicity, and hydration capability of prepared membranes were determined to illustrate the correlations between grafting qualities and hemocompatibility of PEGylated PVDF membranes in contact with human blood. Plasma protein adsorption onto different PEGylated PVDF membranes from single-protein solutions and the complex medium of 100% human plasma were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with monoclonal antibodies. Hemocompatibility of the PEGylated membranes was evaluated by the antifouling property of platelet adhesion observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the anticoagulant activity of the blood coagulant determined by testing plasma-clotting time. The control of grafting structures of PEGylated layers highly regulates the PVDF membrane to resist the adsorption of plasma proteins, the adhesion of platelets, and the coagulation of human plasma. It was found that PVDF membranes grafted with brush-like PEGylated layers presented higher hydration capability with binding water molecules than with network-like PEGylated layers to improve the hemocompatible character of plasma protein and blood platelet resistance in human blood. This work suggests that the hemocompatible nature of grafted PEGylated polymers by controlling grafting structures gives them great potential in the molecular design of antithrombogenic membranes for use in human blood.
TL;DR: It is found that predicting the citation number from the coauthors number can be more reliable than predicting the coauthor number fromThe citation number.
Abstract: We obtained data of statistical significance to verify the intuitive impression that collaboration leads to higher impact. We selected eight scientific journals to analyze the correlations between the number of citations and the number of coauthors. For different journals, the single-authored articles always contained the lowest citations. The citations to those articles with fewer than five coauthors are lower than the average citations of the journal. We also provided a simple measurement to the value of authorship with regards to the increase number of citations. Compared to the citation distribution, similar but smaller fluctuations appeared in the coauthor distribution. Around 70% of the citations were accumulated in 30% of the papers, while 60% of the coauthors appeared in 40% of the papers. We find that predicting the citation number from the coauthor number can be more reliable than predicting the coauthor number from the citation number. For both citation distribution and coauthor distribution, the standard deviation is larger than the average value. We caution the use of such an unrepresentative average value. The average value can be biased significantly by extreme minority, and might not reflect the majority.
TL;DR: This study is one of the first attempts by researchers to solve a deteriorating inventory problem with a simplified approach and the optimal solutions are compared with the classical methods for solving deteriorating inventory model.
TL;DR: Biomaterials for the Feeder-Free Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem cells are presented.
Abstract: Biomaterials for the Feeder-Free Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Akon Higuchi,* Qing-Dong Ling, Yi-An Ko, Yung Chang, and Akihiro Umezawa Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan, 32001 Taiwan Department of Reproduction, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan Cathay Medical Research Institute, Cathay General Hospital, No. 32, Ln 160, Jian-Cheng Road, Xi-Zhi Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan Institute of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, National Central University, No. 300, Jhongda RD., Jhongli, Taoyuan, 32001 Taiwan Department of Chemical Engineering, R&DCenter forMembrane Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung-Bei Rd., Jhongli, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan
TL;DR: In this article, a segmented copolymer was synthesized by coupling reaction of phenoxide-terminated oligomers with bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone and decafluorobiphenyl (DFBP), followed by postpolymerization sulfonation of the blocks containing pendent phenyl substituents.
Abstract: Segmented copoly(arylene ether sulfone) membranes having densely sulfonated pendent phenyl blocks were synthesized by the coupling reaction of phenoxide-terminated oligomers with bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone and decafluorobiphenyl (DFBP), followed by postpolymerization sulfonation of the blocks containing pendent phenyl substituents. The coupling reaction was conducted at relatively low temperature by utilizing highly reactive DFBP to prevent any possible trans-etherification that would randomize the hydrophilic–hydrophobic sequences. Segmented copolymer molecular weights were reasonably high, as determined by viscosity measurements. Postsulfonation occurred selectively on the pendent phenyl substituent to yield hydrophilic blocks that were highly sulfonated in regular sequence on the linked phenyl rings. The resulting polymers gave transparent, flexible, and tough membranes by solution casting. Morphological observation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed th...
TL;DR: This review summarizes the latest research progress on six herbs for AD therapy and focuses on the analysis of their active components and possible mechanisms of pharmacological actions on AD.
Abstract: Traditional Chinese medicines have been widely investigated for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) because none of the current therapies-either the cholinesterase inhibitors or antagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors-has profound effects on halting the progression of AD. In recent years, scientists have isolated many active compounds from herbs, which can alleviate dementia and neurodegenerative syndrome with fewer side effects than conventional drugs and, thus, are regarded as promising drug candidates for AD therapy. In this review, we summarize the latest research progress on six herbs for AD therapy-Huperzia serrata, Amaryllidaceae family, Ginkgo biloba, Uncaria rhynchophylla, Polygala tenuifolia, and Salvia officinalis-and focus on the analysis of their active components and possible mechanisms of pharmacological actions on AD.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of various initial molar ratios of aniline (AN), ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS) and HCl (AN]:[APS]:[HCl]) on the polymerization of AN were investigated.
Abstract: Effects from various initial molar ratios of aniline (AN), ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS) and HCl ([AN]:[APS]:[HCl]) on the polymerization of AN were investigated. First, a scheme derived from a molecular point of view was proposed to distinguish formation mechanisms based on their initial conditions. Thereafter, by choosing a relatively low ratio of [APS]/[AN]=0.23 at [AN]=0.27 M, three cases can be categorized according to this scheme: (A) [AN]≫[HCl], (B) [AN] slightly larger than [HCl] and (C) [AN]<[HCl]. For case (A), the initial solution has a richness of neutral ANs. Both the doped and the dedoped samples are confirmed to have features of phenazine-like oligomers. For case (C), neutral ANs are almost protonated to become anilinium cations. The final products possess features of polyaniline. For case (B), the samples possess both features from cases (A) and (C). Finally, the formation mechanisms for polymerization of AN were discussed. A schematic diagram to reveal the effects from various initial molar ratios of [AN]:[APS]:[HCl] on the polymerization of aniline (AN) is proposed with [APS]/[AN]=0.23 at [AN]=0.27 M. For [AN]=[HCl], the initial solution has a richness of neutral ANs. The as-obtained samples have features of phenazine-like oligomers. For [AN]<[HCl], neutral ANs are almost protonated to become anilinium cations. The as-obtained samples possess features of polyaniline. Finally, the formation mechanisms for polymerization of AN into various forms of nanostructures were discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, Nafion- and polybenzimidazole (PBI)-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-Nafion and MWCNT-PBI) have been prepared through an ozone mediated process and used as additives in the preparation of PBI and MWCNT nanocomposite membranes.
Abstract: Nafion- and polybenzimidazole (PBI)-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT–Nafion and MWCNT–PBI) have been prepared through an ozone mediated process and used as additives in the preparation of PBI/MWCNT nanocomposite membranes. Scanning electron microscopy images of the nanocomposite membranes show a high compatibility between functionalized-MWCNTs and the PBI matrix. Addition of the functionalized MWCNTs enhances the thermal and mechanical properties of the composite membranes. Moreover, compared to the proton conductivity of 0.03 S cm−1 of the phosphoric acid (PA)-doped PBI membrane, the PA-doped nanocomposite membranes containing 0.2 wt% of MWCNT–Nafion (N-0.2) and MWCNT–PBI (P-0.2) have proton conductivities of 0.05 and 0.08 S cm−1 at 160 °C under anhydrous conditions, respectively. In single cell tests at 150 °C, N-0.2 and P-0.2 demonstrated maximum power densities of 700 and 600 mW cm−2, respectively. The values are much higher than that found with pristine PBI membrane (530 mW cm−2).
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a reverse supply chain model for green electronic products, which considers vendor managed inventory strategy and conducts a life cycle cost and benefit analysis for Green electronic products.