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Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has mostly been examined using in-laboratory polysomnography (Lab-PSG), which may overestimate severity. This study compared sleep parameters in different environments and investigated the association between the plasma levels of neurochemical biomarkers and sleep parameters.Thirty Taiwanese participants underwent Lab-PSG while wearing a single-lead electrocardiogram patch. Participants' blood samples were obtained in the morning immediately after the recording. Participants wore the patch for the subsequent three nights at home. Sleep disorder indices were calculated, including the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), chest effort index, and cyclic variation of heart rate index (CVHRI). The 23 eligible participants' derived data were divided into the normal-to-moderate (N-M) group and the severe group according to American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidelines (Lab-PSG) and the recommendations of a previous study (Rooti Rx). Spearman's correlation was used to examine the correlations between sleep parameters and neurochemical biomarker levels.The mean T-Tau protein level was positively correlated with the home-based CVHRI (r = 0.53, p 0.05), whereas no significant correlation was noted between hospital-based CVHRI and the mean T-tau protein level (r = 0.25, p = 0.25). The home-based data revealed that the mean T-Tau protein level in the severe group was significantly higher than that in the N-M group (severe group: 24.75 ± 6.16 pg/mL, N-M group: 19.65 ± 3.90 pg/mL; p 0.05). Furthermore, the mean in-hospital CVHRI was higher than the mean at-home values (12.16 ± 13.66 events/h).Severe OSAS patients classified by home-based CVHRI demonstrated the higher T-Tau protein level, and CVHRI varied in different sleep environments.

Background Food-mediated transmission of pathological viruses is an enduring issue in food safety and public health. The globalization of manufacturing and supply chains has worsened the situation. A containable food-related disease, if not sensed early, could quickly escalate into a global calamity. To control the spread of these infectious diseases, especially when their route of transmission is unknown, timely detection of the causal virus for determining its origin and accurate diagnosis is as crucial as, if not more than medical interventions. The challenges for the developers of such detection methods are sensitivity, specificity, and beyond. Scope and approach Raman spectroscopy provides characteristic information of molecular vibrations for analytes ranging from small molecules to biological compounds and cells. The sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy has improved over time. Confocal Raman technique, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering are now available for use in food inspection. We conduct a systematic and comprehensive survey of recent studies on Raman spectroscopic techniques aimed at detecting viruses. Reports relating to the implementation of food safety, either intended or incidental, are selected and reviewed. The basic concepts of the involved Raman techniques are described and compared. And their applications to specific viruses and diseases are summarized. Key findings and conclusion The detection of viruses by Raman scattering takes either the nanotag or label-free approach. The competitive advantages of Raman spectroscopy allow rapid acquisition of spectral data, with minimal sample preparation and the applicability to point-of-care testing. Some of the reviewed methods are highly sophisticated. However, neither approach is free from limits. The emerging challenges and perspectives of the further development of Raman spectroscopic techniques in food-adherent pathogen testing are discussed and concluded.

Multiferroic toxicity-free perovskite BiFeO3-based materials reveal potentials in photoelectrical conversion, energy harvesting and photodetector. This work highlights polarization-enhanced photovoltaic (PV) effects and mechanisms in B-site Ni-doped (Bi0.93Gd0.07)FeO3 ceramics with indium tin oxide (top electrode) and Au (bottom electrode) thin films. The enhanced PV effects are attributed to the reduced bandgap, polarization-modulated Schottky barrier, increased O 2p-Fe 3d orbital hybridization, and nucleation of domain walls to improve transportation of charge carriers. Improved PV parameters of responsivity (R) ∼1.71 × 10−2 A/W, detectivity (D*) ∼9.56 × 1011 Hz1/2/W (Jones), open-circuit voltage (Voc) ∼0.65 V, and short-circuit current density (Jsc) ∼80 μA/cm2 were obtained from the ITO/ (Bi0.93Gd0.07)(Fe0.97Ni0.03)O3/ Au heterostructure after 2 kV/cm poling under 405 nm irradiation at 103 W/m2 intensity. This work demonstrates that Ni-doped (Bi0.93Gd0.07)FeO3 ceramics can be potential candidates for self-powered UV photodetector.

Post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins increases proteome diversity, which is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis. The importance of protein methylation in the regulation of diverse biological processes has been highlighted in the past decades. Methylation of the arginine residue on proteins is catalyzed by members of the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family. PRMTs play indispensable roles in various pathways that regulate cancer development, progression, and drug response. In this review, we discuss the role of PRMT3, a member of the PRMT family, in controlling oncogenic processes. Additionally, the effects of PRMT3 on the methylation of regulatory proteins involved in transcription, post-transcriptional control, ribosomal maturation, translation, biological synthesis, and metabolic signaling are summarized. Moreover, recent progresses in the development of PRMT3 inhibitors are introduced. Overall, this review highlights the importance of PRMT3 in tumorigenesis and discusses the underlying mechanisms by which PRMT3 modulates cellular metabolism and gene expression. These results also provide a molecular basis for therapeutic modalities by targeting PRMT3.

P-cresol (PC) shows toxic effects on a variety of cells such as renal proximal tubular cells, glomerular mesangial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, vascular endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts, monocytes, osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The molecular mechanism and role of PC in the progression of urothelial carcinoma have not been documented. To understand the impact of PC on bladder cancer progression, human bladder cancer TSGH8301 cells were treated PC with various concentration (25-100 μM). MTT assay revealed the toxicity of PC on TSGH8301 cells dose-dependently. MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions of the PC-treated cells were enhanced by using gelatin zymography. The wound healing assay and transwell migration analysis were performed to assay the migratory and invasive effects of PC on TSGH8301 cell and the migrated cell numbers were markedly increased by PC treatment. Moreover, we further detected the expression of Ras, PI3K and Akt proteins that involved in the invasion/migration of the cancer. Inhibiting the Ras and mTOR signaling pathways by Y27632 or/and everolimus improved cancer cell progression induced by PC. This study may clarify the impact of PC on migration and invasion of carcinoma cells.

Hollow Li2FeSiO4 spheres have been successfully prepared using hollow silica spheres as both reactant and template, for which the thickness of the nanoscale Li2FeSiO4 thin shells are about 50 nm. Then, the hollow Li2FeSiO4 spheres were coated by phenolic resin as a carbon precursor to obtain the hollow Li2FeSiO4/Carbon sphere (HLFS/C) composite. The structure characterizations by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy show that the HLFS/Cs are hollow structures with high purity. When used as the cathode material under charge/discharge rates at 0.05C (1C = 166 mAh g−1), the HLFS/C exhibited a capacity of 155 mAh g−1 with good cycle stability. Furthermore, the HLFS exhibited capacities of 820, 650 and 420 mAh g−1 for 0.15C, 0.3C and 0.6C rates for anode application, respectively, with good cycle stability. The hollow structure of HLFS/C enables us to overcome the aggregation and structural instability problems, which is essential for the improvement of the electrochemical performance.

For some special radiation practices, such as working with radioisotopes in the nuclear medicine department, hand exposure is inevitable and usually results in high radiation doses. Therefore, ring dosimeters are frequently worn on the finger to monitor the does to the hand (extremity). Most current commercial ring dosimeters are thermoluminescence type and consist of a single dosimetry chip; they do not have the ability to discern the energy of radiation. This study developed a new optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ring dosimeter. Each OSL ring dosimeter consists of two OSL chips, one cast, one ring holder, and one ring clip. A dose algorithm was also designed to calculate the dose with correction for energy dependence. The new OSL ring dosimeter and algorithm were validated using blind tests under irradiation from X-ray, gamma ray, and beta in the National Radiation Standard Laboratory at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in Taiwan. The newly designed OSL ring dosimeter and algorithm could pass the blind test following American National Standards Institute/Health Physics Society standard N13.32–2008 from category I to III. For category IV, the feasibility was confirmed under assumptions specific to this study. The reproducibility and lower limit of detection of this system were also represented in this study.

In this study, mesoporous Cu Fe/silicate catalysts were obtained from a simultaneously mixing the NaOH and metal-ion solution to sodium silicate solution and a hydrothermal treatment under alkaline condition without using any organic template. During hydrothermally reaction, the amorphous metal-silicate would reconstruct and formation of the mesostructured Cu Fe/silicate. At appropriate pH values, the silicate species can strongly bind with the Cu2+ ions to form the stable Cu Fe/silicate, and the [Cu2+] in the final filtrated solution is lower than the effluent standard in Taiwan (1.0 ppm). To find the appropriate synthetic parameters, the effects of the pH value, metal to silicate ratio, and the hydrothermal treatment time on the surface areas and mesostructure of the resulted Cu Fe/silicates were discussed in detail. In practice, the mesoporous Cu Fe/silicate catalyst with high surface area of 547 m2g-1 demonstrated a high methanol conversion within 1 h up to >99% at 180 °C to be used as high-performance catalysts for steam reformer of methanol.

Mesoporous Mn3O4-Al2O3 catalyst with highly dispersed Mn3O4 and a high surface area is prepared using a one-pot synthesis technique without any templates. The synthesis procedure is environmentally friendly due to the low concentration of residual metal ions in the filtered solution, which allows for its direct release without further processing. The results show that the presence of Mn2+ ions stabilizes the Al(OH)3 crystal phase during hydrothermal treatment and prevents the formation of the AlOOH phase otherwise observed in the absence of Mn2+ ions. Because of the high stability of the resulted Mn3O4-Al(OH)3 nanoplatelets, a mesoporous Mn3O4-Al2O3 structure was formed via the dehydration of the Al(OH)3 after high-temperature calcination. The catalytic efficiencies of the Mn3O4-Al2O3 catalysts in the low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 are examined under various reaction temperatures in the range of 80–200 °C. The results show that the NO conversion reaches as much as 94% at a reaction temperature of 80 °C. The proposed synthesis method thus holds considerable promise for the green, low-cost and scalable production of highly mesoporous Al2O3-based catalysts.

E-retailers and home delivery companies have struggled with logistics congestion. Hence, this study aims to develop a pricing model for alleviation of congestion in e-commerce logistics. The analytical results reveal that a congestion surcharge mechanism influences the behavior of a home delivery company and e-commerce consumers in terms of early delivery and delayed delivery, cargo volume, and consumers’ favorite delivery time. Moreover, e-commerce logistics fees in practice are established by negotiation between e-retailers and home delivery companies. The proposed model can be treated as a reference for e-retailers and home delivery companies to determine appropriate logistics fees. This pioneering study develops a congestion pricing model to deal with congestion problems in e-commerce logistics, which can effectively reflect the impact of various congestion fees on the behavior of e-commerce stakeholders.

O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair enzyme that removes the alkyl groups from the O6 position of guanine and is then degraded via ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Previous studies indicated that 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) facilitates the ubiquitination and degradation of MGMT in several types of cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism of MGMT ubiquitination remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 B (UBE2B) is a novel regulator of MGMT ubiquitination mediated by BCNU in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. The E3 ubiquitin ligase RAD18, a partner of UBE2B, is also involved in BCNU-mediated MGMT ubiquitination. Overexpression/knockdown of UBE2B enhanced/reduced BCNU-mediated MGMT ubiquitination. Surprisingly, UBE2B knockdown significantly increased BCNU cytotoxicity in NPC cells. Therefore, loss of UBE2B seems to disrupt ubiquitin-mediated degradation of alkylated MGMT. We found that UBE2B knockdown reduced MGMT activity, suggesting that loss of UBE2B leads to the accumulation of deactivated MGMT and suppresses MGMT protein turnover in BCNU-treated cells. These findings indicate that UBE2B modulates sensitivity to BCNU in NPC cells by regulating MGMT ubiquitination.

A novel vulcanized polymeric cathode (S@h-P) is prepared by an inexpensive, simple heat treatment of polyaniline with sulfur particles for lithium–sulfur batteries. Conventional lithium–sulfur batteries easily dissolve free polysulfides, which causes a long-term stability issue; therefore, modified separators and polysulfide absorbents are necessary. In this work, sulfur atoms form covalent bonds with aromatic rings of the polyaniline backbone, and so no free polysulfides from the novel cathode exist, as confirmed by XRD and DSC. From CV analysis, the S@h-P only exhibits lower-order polysulfide on the polymer backbone, which affects the charge-discharge profile during the cell test. S@h-P exhibits a satisfactory cyclic stability of 88% capacity retention after 200 cycles, and it offers the excellent rate performance of 55% capacity preservation at the current density of 10 A g−1 compared to 0.1 A g−1. Most interestingly, this polymeric cathode can function in a carbonated system, whereas conventional lithium–sulfur batteries can not. Accordingly, the novel S@h-P cathode can be employed to fabricate ultra-stable and high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries for practical application.

Facing the global trend of Industry 4.0, many countries around the world proposed its industry policy of smart factory, in which, cyber-physical production system (CPPS) plays the critical role. A CPPS has the characteristics of distributed control, real time communication, computation and modularized. In Taiwan, most of the manufacturing industries (e.g., metal manufacturing, machinery and equipment manufacturing etc.) still heavily rely on the excel-based production planning and scheduling approach although ERP systems are widely used today. Furthermore, the advanced planning and scheduling (APS) systems have been developed over 15 years in Taiwan, however, very few of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) have implemented APS system due to the high implementation cost for satisfying the specific production characteristics and planning constraints. Therefore, this research will consider the characteristics of manufacturing process, automation and digitalization of metal manufacturing, machinery and equipment manufacturing industry and develop a cloud-based advanced planning and scheduling (CAPS) system, the planning engine is based on an intelligent dynamic planning & scheduling (IDPS) system, which can dynamically and effectively generate production and operations schedule, and provide the timely visualized analysis data for production planners in SMEs. Applications of CAPS in a metal manufacturing company has been demonstrated in this paper.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommended that the equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye be decreased from 150 mSv/y ( ICRP, 2007 ) to 20 mSv/y averaged over five years ( ICRP, 2011 ). How to accurately measure the eye-lens dose has, therefore, been an issue of interest recently. Interventional radiologists are at a higher risk of radiation-induced eye injury, such as cataracts, than all other occupational radiation workers. The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the doses to the eye lenses of interventional radiologists measured by different commercial eye-lens dosimeters. This study measured a reference eye-lens dose, which involved placing thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips at the surface of the eye of the Rando Phantom, and the TLD chips were covered by a 3-mm-thick tissue-equivalent bolus. Commercial eye-lens dosimeters, such as a headband dosimeter and standard personnel dose badges, were placed at the positions recommended by the manufacturers. The results show that the personnel dose badge is not an appropriate dosimeter for evaluating eye-lens dose. Dose deviations for different dosimeters are discussed and presented in this study.

The architecture and distribution of mud diapirs are shaped by tectonic activity, sediment filling and unbalanced loading characteristics. Mud diapir development also controls spatial variations of intraslope basins in slope areas and can spur upward fluid migration with diapiric intrusion. The offshore area of southwestern Taiwan is an incipient collision zone in which thick sequences of deep marine sediments filled a rapidly subsided foredeep basin during the Pliocene. Large volumes of deposited sediment serve as source materials of diapiric ridges that extend NNE-SSW, and some mud diapirs even extend to on land SW Taiwan with subsurface signatures of gas. This study examines relationships between mud diapir and intraslope basin development in convergent tectonics through seismic and bathymetry data analyses. Four types of mud diapirs are identified: (1) buried symmetrical diapirs; (2) symmetrical diapirs extruded above the seafloor; (3) asymmetric and irregular diapirs; and (4) small individual diapirs manifested as mud intrusions found in local areas. A 3-stage model is proposed as a tool for describing the development and distribution of these types of diapirs. We further examine the relationship between mud diapirs and intraslope basin development patterns by analyzing 2D and 3D seismic images to reveal structural and sedimentary processes occurring in the Lower Fangliao Basin. This basin is characterized by BSR and amplitude anomalies of seismic profiles and is a prospect of the Taiwanese gas hydrate investigation project. An 8-stage development model with six depositional units is proposed as a means to explain the evolution of diapirs, submarine canyons, and fold and fault activities in the Lower Fangliao Basin, in turn revealing the relationship between mud diapir formation and intraslope basin development offshore of southwestern Taiwan.

Aims Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has always been a concerning issue for pregnant women. In recent studies, GDM was found to be related to epigenetic modifications, which would alter gene expressions, thus affecting the patients’ and their offspring’s health, leading to a higher probability of developing metabolic syndromes and diabetes later in life. Methods In this study, we collected both maternal and cord blood samples from 16 pregnant women and their newborns, including eight exposed to GDM. GDM was diagnosed via a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24–28 weeks of pregnancy. DNA methylation was measured at 841,573 CpG sites via the Infinium HumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip. An Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was conducted afterwards to identify genes and pathways epigenetically affected by GDM. Results We identified the top 200 loci and their corresponding genes in the maternal blood group (n = 151) and cord blood group (n = 167), both of which were methylated differently in the GDM and unexposed group. Metabolic disease-related pathways and molecules, such as interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 were identified in both groups. These results suggested that GDM has epigenetic effects on both mother and their offspring, which might result in future metabolic syndromes or diabetes. Conclusions The high-throughput platform enabled us to analyze methylation sites throughout the genome and identify the most promising genes and pathways associated with GDM.

The present study focused on the preparation and characterization of a bio-based carbon-silica material derived from rice husk agricultural waste and its function in epoxy matrix for electronic packaging applications. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the structure as well as morphology of the resultant carbon–silica material, namely black rice husk ash, called BRH. Thermogravimetric analysis results suggest that improved thermal stability can be achieved by reducing the ionic content of the BRH materials through the pre-acid-hydrothermal technique. The ionic content of [Cl−], [Na+], and [K+] of the BRH sample respectively were 4.3, 9.8, and 9.0 ppm after further post-hydrothermal process. In addition, the XRD diagram shows that the structure of the calcined BRH material, is in amorphous form, which is non-toxic to humans. For packaging application, an improvement of 147% in storage modulus and 49% in CTE by the addition of 46% filler was realized. In addition, compared with pure polymer, the thermal conductivity values of the epoxy/pre-BRH composites were improved by 142%. From these results, it was concluded that this BRH filler derived from waste rice husks can promote the thermal stability, thermal-mechanical strength, and thermal conduction of the Epoxy/BRH composites.

Based on the multi-channel seismic (MCS) and gravity data offshore north of Taiping Island (Itu Aba Island) in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands), we revisited the crustal structures in the northern part of the southern margin of the Southwest (SW) Sub-basin of the South China Sea (SCS). The MCS data suggest that the basement structural highs in the southwest margin of the SCS are dominated by both fault blocks and volcanic basement structures that probably formed along with the basement faults. The gravity modeling results reveal that these volcanic basement structures were probably associated with the high velocity or density lower crust (HVDLC), suggesting that the southern margin of the SW Sub-basin serves as an intermediate margin. Based on the tectonic features in the SCS margins, including (1) the transition between the magma-poor margins of the Northwest (NW) Sub-basin and intermediate margins of the East and SW Sub-basins; (2) the cessation of the seafloor spreading in the NW Sub-basin being succeeded by a major ridge jump event, which was very likely to reflect an active mantle upwelling event; (3) the extensive distribution of the HVDLC beneath in the well-investigated northern margin of the East Sub-basin and as explored in the SW Sub-basin in this study; and (4) basement faulting and volcanism shown in this study that may be related to the HVDLC and hyper-extension, we proposed a conceptual model to interpret the origin of the HVDLC in the southern margin of the SW Sub-basin. The margin of the SCS basin was magma-poor at the time it occurred. An active mantle upwelling event caused by small-scale mantle convection, possibly related to the influence of the nascent Hainan mantle plume, was formed subsequently, resulting in a southward ridge jump and the HVDLC beneath the current margins of the East and SW Sub-basins. The East and SW Sub-basins continued to spread, latitudinally dividing their HVDLCs as the margins separated accordingly. Afterwards, the hyper-extension in the distal margins may also be responsible for a crust weakening zone wherein the subsequent volcanic events could occur.

Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, is the largest natural terrestrial landmass in the South China Sea and is centrally located. Using bathymetry and marine multi-channel seismic data, we explored the seismic stratigraphic features of the offshore and isolated carbonate platform north of Taiping Island. The western flank of the carbonate platform is characterized by an intercalation between high-amplitude and low-amplitude reflections, showing the landward and seaward migration of the platform foreslope deposits. In addition, there are two offshore carbonate build-ups that are underlain by normal faults. Six sequence boundaries and five depositional sequences caused by eustatic sea level cycles are identified and correlated with the eustatic sea level change chart. Although the evolution of the seismic sequences is partly controlled by local tectonics, the overall stacking pattern of the sedimentary strata in our study area reveals five third-order cycles and one second-order cycle, which is in accordance with the eustatic sea level chart. Additionally, the formations of the Western Taiping Seamount Group and the Zhenghe-Daoming Trough are preliminarily analyzed based on seismic data.

This paper applies a Diagonal BEKK model to investigate the risk spillovers of three major cryptocurrencies to ten leading traditional currencies and two gold prices (Spot Gold and Gold Futures). The daily data used are from 7 August 2015 to 15 June 2020. The dataset is analyzed in its entirety and is also subdivided into four distinct subsets in order to study and compare the patterns of spillover effects during economic turmoil, such as the 2018 cryptocurrency crash and the COVID-19 pandemic. The results reveal significant co-volatility spillover effects between cryptocurrency and traditional currency or gold markets, especially during the whole sample period and amid the uncertainty raised by COVID-19. The capabilities of cryptocurrency are time-varying and related to economic uncertainty or shocks. There are significant differences between normal and extreme markets with regard to the capabilities of cryptocurrency as a diversifier, a hedge or a safe haven. We find the significant co-volatility spillover effects are asymmetric in most cases especially during the COVID-19 pandemic period, which means the negative return shocks have larger impacts on co-volatility than positive return shocks of the same magnitude. Evidently, cryptocurrencies and traditional currencies or gold can be incorporated into financial portfolios for financial market participants who seek effective risk management and also for optimal dynamic hedging purposes against economic turmoil and downward movements.

Newly compiled bathymetry, sub-bottom profiling and seismic data are used to illustrate seafloor morphology, submarine canyon networks and stratigraphic framework in Huatung Basin (HB) and an adjacent sub-basin, named as East Luzon Arc Basin offshore east Taiwan. Based on seismic facies characteristics and isopach maps, three major stratigraphic sequences are recognized and we suggest that they could be resulted from pre- and syn-Taiwan arc-continent collision. Based on the sediment thickness and sedimentation rates, ages of the HB strata could be estimated. Pelagic sediments formed the lower HB sequence which follows the HB basement reliefs since 50–102 Ma. Then, the initiation of Taiwan orogen and Luzon Arc volcanic activities changed the deposition pattern after 5 Ma, and mass transport deposits developed in middle HB sequence. After rapid uplift of the Taiwan mountain belt since about 1.5 Ma, complex canyon-levee systems and thick strata formed the upper sequence in the northern HB. In contrast, sediment thickness is thin and no submarine canyon developed in southern HB. The seafloor in South Huatung Basin is flat, except in its eastern part where couple basement ridges appeared. In North Huatung Basin, canyon-levee complex and sediment waves are the most distinct morphological features in the drainages of two submarine canyons. We propose a three-stage process for sediment wave development: (1) sediment gravity flow can initiate a base of sediment wave; (2) wavy geometry begins to develop; (3) sediment waves continuously aggrade due to overbank sediments in the canyon-levee system. This study presents the evolution of sedimentary processes in a deep-sea basin and how the deposition patterns were affected by the convergent tectonics.

What is the structural geometry of the southern Taiwan transition zone from the Manila subduction offshore to the Taiwan onshore collision, specifically in the western flank of the Hengchun peninsula that corresponds to the summit of the Manila subduction accretionary prism? This paper aims to decipher the onshore/offshore structures and tectonic deformation that occur west of the Hengchun Ridge through both detailed topographic analyses and interpretation of numerous old and new seismic profiles. From a geomorphic point of view, both Fangliao and Hongchai submarine canyons have different structural and landslide implications. The Fangliao Canyon is guided by a N-S elongated mud diapir (the Fangliao Ridge), intruding an inferred N010°E trending, left lateral strike-slip fault zone. Conversely, the arcuate and concave shape of the Hongchai Canyon appear to follow the crown and the northern boundary of a newly recognized Hongchai submarine landslide situated on the steep western flank of the onshore asymmetric Hengchun Anticline. Our results highlight that both Fangliao and Hengchun Faults are linear, near-vertical left-lateral strike-slip faults. They converge onshore to the Chaochou Fault. This study demonstrates that neotectonics combine with morphostructural analysis of the submarine canyon drainages lead to a better comprehension of the present deformation in the northern part of the Manila accretionary prism.

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the geometric and electronic structures of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite, MAPbX 3 (MA = CH 3 NH 3 + , X = Cl, Br, I), the key materials for the highest efficiency solid-state solar cells. The different halide elements in perovskite compound control the electronic characteristics of the materials, such as their orbitals, density of states and spatial distribution of the charges. We identify the orbitals consisting of the conduction and valence bands. Furthermore, we show that MAPbI 3 can produce and transfer more electrons than other hybrid perovskite solar cells do.

We reported for the first time that GaOOH nanorods, which were prepared using a facile chemical precipitation method, may display noticeable photocatalytic activities toward methanol oxidation under light illumination, a significant revelation for demonstrating their use as the anode photocatalyst in the half-cell reaction of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The GaOOH nanorods were further decorated with Au nanoparticles to endow them with increasingly pronounced charge separation, which conduced to a remarkable enhancement in the photocatalytic performance. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy was employed to depict the charge transfer event across the interface of GaOOH/Au, from which a correlation between photocatalytic efficiency and interfacial charge dynamics was realized. By incorporating GaOOH nanorods into the traditional Pt-catalyzed half-cell reaction, a 12.7% increase in anodic current generation can be attained under light illumination, demonstrating the promising potential of GaOOH as a practical anode photocatalyst in DFMCs. A further enhancement in methanol oxidation current up to 70.8% can be achieved by employing Au-decorated GaOOH nanorods, which was attributed to the efficient charge carrier transfer rendered by the Au decoration. The current study delivers both fundamental and practical importance as it broadens the scope of electrocatalysts for fuel cells, specifically by introducing a new class of highly efficient photocatalysts for promoting electrochemical reactions.

In this work, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(acrylonitrile) (PEO-b-PAN) copolymer is used as a binder for LiFePO 4 cathodes, where PEO-b-PAN not only conducts Li + inside the cathode but also acts as a dispersant to disperse LiFePO 4 . This binder significantly increases the capacity under high discharge rate and overcome the limitation of LiFePO 4 for high power density application. By XPS analysis, the incorporation of the PEO-b-PAN binder to the active materials of the LiFePO 4 cathodes can be clearly observed from the binding energy of the nitrogen atom of the PEO-b-PAN. Due to the surface active properties of the PEO and PAN, PEO-b-PAN obviously increases the effective contact area and reduces electronical resistance. In addition to the surface active properties, this binder provides Li + pathway; thus, it features low polarization, less interfacial resistance and good activity for electrochemical reaction. Consequently, these properties enable the PEO-b-PAN binder to have a higher discharge plateau potential at 3.10 V, while it is only 2.86 V for the PVDF binder at a 5C rate. Moreover, even at a 10C rate, the PEO-b-PAN binder still delivers extraordinary discharge capacities of 101 mAh g −1 , significantly higher than that of the PVDF binder (32 mAh g −1 ). Overall, this ionic conducting and surface active binder exhibits good electrochemical properties and excellent high rate performance.

A new scheme to solve the issue of premature convergence of differential evolution.New test functions to evaluate constrained min-max optimization algorithms (CMMOA).An improved CMMOA to achieve a quite satisfied success rate. In system design, the best system designed under a simple experimental environment may not be suitable for application in real world if dramatic changes caused by uncertainties contained in the real world are considered. To deal with the problem caused by uncertainties, designers should try their best to get the most robust solution. The most robust solution can be obtained by constrained min-max optimization algorithms. In this paper, the scheme of generating escape vectors has been proposed to solve the problem of premature convergence of differential evolution. After applying the proposed scheme to the constrained min-max optimization algorithm, the performance of the algorithm could be greatly improved. To evaluate the performance of constrained min-max optimization algorithms, more complex test problems have also been proposed in this paper. Experimental results show that the improved constrained min-max optimization algorithm is able to achieve a quite satisfied success rate on all considered test problems under limited accuracy.

To accurately determine the reliability of SRAMs, we propose a method to estimate the wearout parameters of FEOL TDDB using on-line data collected during operations. Errors in estimating lifetime model parameters are determined as a function of time, which are based on the available failure sample size. Systematic errors are also computed due to uncertainty in estimation of temperature and supply voltage during operations, as well as uncertainty in process parameters and use conditions.

The accuracy of accelerated lifetime tests may vary due to the choice of test conditions, which presents a problem in interpreting results. Furthermore, testing is generally performed on test structures which are simplified compared to circuits and systems. To have an in-depth understanding on the actual usage conditions, we use 14 nm FinFET ring oscillator as the test vehicle for accelerated testing, focusing on detecting front-end time dependent dielectric breakdown. The factors impacting errors in lifetime estimation are investigated, such as sample size, testing times, and number of inverters in the ring oscillators.

Released thyroid cancer patients treated with 131I may cause a radiation risk to their family members. However, no current regulations exist in Taiwan to limit the radiation dose among patients released post-treatment. This study assessed radiation exposure to caregivers of thyroid cancer patients treated with 131I to verify whether their doses exceed the 5-mSv limit per treatment session. The study population comprised 63 patients from four hospitals and their caregivers. Dose rates at a 1-m distance from patients were quantified before their release. Dosimetry data of caregivers were obtained using personalized thermoluminescent dosimetry badges. Upon the release of patients treated with 131I, Dose rates at a 1-m distance from the patients were 3.9–55 μSv/h. The radiation doses to caregivers ranged from 0.21 to 1.7 mSv after the patients released. When the 1-m dose rate of patients upon hospital release was 50 μSv/h, the highest possible radiation dose was assessed of 4.76 mSv for caregivers. In conclusion, as the dose rates at a 1-m distance from patients upon release were

In radiotherapy for colorectal cancer, control of the testicular dose in young patients is important, as exposure of the testis could lead to temporary or permanent infertility. Although the testis is located out of the treatment field in patients receiving radiotherapy, it is inevitably exposed to scattered radiation resulting from the interaction between primary beams and patients and collimators. In this study, dosimeters were used to measure the testicular dose with and without testicular shielding to verify the effect of shielding. Anthropomorphic phantoms representing a human were used to estimate the doses absorbed in testicular and whole-body studies. The anthropomorphic phantom was irradiated according to the treatment protocol for colorectal cancer. Measurements were made using optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs), composed of carbon-doped aluminum oxide, with characteristics suitable for radiotherapy dosimetry studies. A set of OSLDs was placed on a testicular phantom, attached to the lower edge of the pelvis of the anthropomorphic phantom. Dosimeters were also placed surround a testicular shielding to estimate the scattered dose. The testicular dose was 60–85 cGy when a dose of 4500 cGy was delivered to the whole pelvic area, while the dose was reduced to 34–50 cGy when testicular shielding was used. In addition, the increase in the surrounding scattered dose due to the testicular shielding was not significant.

In the present work, a new strategy is used to economically synthesize an oligomeric ionic liquid from conventional phenolic epoxy resin. This oligomeric ionic liquid is further blended with PVdF-co-HFP and organic liquid electrolyte to prepare a high performance, nonflammable gel polymer membrane. Although the liquid electrolyte uptake is low ( −1 at 30 °C and 6.6 mS cm −1 at 80 °C, respectively. The AC impedance results show that the interfacial compatibility between this gel polymer electrolyte and the electrodes is good. These two factors result in high cell capacity under different charge/discharge rates. Further, excellent cell-cycle stability after being charged and discharged 100 cycles is also demonstrated with the columbic efficiency to be up to 99. Due to the existence of the oligomeric ionic liquid, this novel gel polymer electrolyte exhibits superior dimensional stability; that is, at high temperature (150 °C) the dimensional change is less than 1%. Notably, the electrolyte’s limiting oxygen index can be as high as 29, meaning that it achieves the flame-retardant requirement under a normal atmosphere, which is essential to the safety of lithium ion batteries. These features allow this novel gel polymer electrolyte to function as a high performance and high safety lithium ionic conductor as well as a separator for lithium-ion batteries.

The cytotoxic activity of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) flower ethanolic extract (LFEE) against A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma), KB (human nasopharyngeal carcinoma), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) and HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) cells was evaluated. LFEE exhibited better anti-proliferative action against HepG2 cells, which induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells treated with LFEE (0.3 mg/mL) enhanced expressions of p53, tBid, Bad and Bax, along with decreased expressions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, and induced the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. That also accompanied by activation of caspases-3, -8 and -9 and cleavage of poly (adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose) polymerase (PARP); furthermore, down-regulations of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K), Akt, Akt phosphorylation and Bad phosphorylation could also be observed. Five flavonoids (total amount, 101.07 mg/g dried extract (g DE)), nine phenolic acids (total amount, 55.07 mg/ g DE) and proanthocyanidin A2 (81.20 mg/ g DE) could be determined in LFEE.

According to cytogenetic aberrations, sarcomas can be categorized as complex or simple karyotype tumors. Alternative lengthening of telomeres is a telomere-maintenance mechanism common in sarcomas. Recently, this mechanism was found to be associated with loss of either α-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) or death domain-associated (DAXX) protein. We previously reported that alternative lengthening of telomeres and loss of ATRX expression were common in leiomyosarcoma, angiosarcoma, pleomorphic liposarcoma, and dedifferentiated liposarcoma. In the present study, we screened an additional 245 sarcomas of other types to determine the prevalence of alternative lengthening of telomeres, loss of ATRX/DAXX expression, and their relationship. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas were frequently alternative lengthening of telomeres positive (65%) and loss of ATRX was seen in approximately half of the alternative lengthening of telomeres-positive tumors. Nineteen of 25 myxofibrosarcomas were alternative lengthening of telomeres-positive, but only one was ATRX deficient. Three of 15 radiation-associated sarcomas were alternative lengthening of telomeres positive, but none of them was ATRX deficient. Alternative lengthening of telomeres and/or loss of ATRX were uncommon in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas. By contrast, none of the 71 gene fusion-associated sarcomas was ATRX deficient or alternative lengthening of telomeres positive. All tumors exhibited preserved DAXX expression. Combining our previous studies and this study, a total of 384 sarcomas with complex karyotypes were examined, 83 of which were ATRX deficient (22%). By telomere-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization, 45% (138/308) were alternative lengthening of telomeres positive, 55% (76/138) of which were ATRX deficient. Loss of ATRX was highly associated with alternative lengthening of telomeres (P

Whether the formation of the isolated sand body deposition in the forebulge area of a foreland basin system is structure- or deposition-controlled has puzzled geologists for decades, although sand body deposition is generally believed to be indicative of the position of the flexural forebulge in a foreland basin. The formation of a modern sand body in the forebulge area is thus examined by multi-scale geophysical observations based on combined reflection seismic profiles and compressed high-intensity radar pulse (CHIRP) profiles across the sand deposition along the forebulge of the Western Taiwan Foreland Basin (WTFB), which is a Late Miocene-present foreland basin in the overfilled stage. These profiles suggest that the accumulation of the sand deposits along the forebulge of the WTFB is not directly associated with forebulge faultings. The relief map of the forebulge deposit substratum shows a northwestward tilting slope, and the isopach of the forebulge sand body indicates that a large part of the sand body accumulated along the axis of the Taiwan Strait and the subdued forebulge of the WTFB. The difference between the prevailing directions of tidal currents between the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea reflects the probable sedimentary influence of the cratonward migrating fold-thrust belt within a foreland shelf. We suggest that the formation and distribution of the sand deposits along the forebulge of the WTFB are generally controlled not only by the transverse downslope sedimentation but also longitudinal hydrodynamic processes at distal parts of the foreland basin. Our explanation provides a plausible tectono-sedimentary cause of the sand body deposition in the forebulge area in an overfilled foreland basin. The sedimentary dynamics of the sand body in the Taiwan Strait may be applicable for understanding the formation of isolated sand bodies in the distal part of the Cretaceous Western Interior Foreland Basin.

Alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) is a mechanism using homologous recombination to maintain telomere length and sustain limitless replicability of cancer cells. Recently, ALT has been found to be associated with inactivation of either α-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) or death domain-associated (DAXX) protein. In this study, 119 tumors (88 angiosarcomas, 11 epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas, and 20 Kaposi sarcomas) were analyzed to determine the ALT status, its relationship to loss of ATRX/DAXX expression, and the clinicopathological features. In addition, the mutation status in the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT) promoter was also studied. Loss of ATRX expression was observed in 21% (16/77) of the primary angiosarcomas and 9% (1/11) of epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas. DAXX expression was intact in all but 2 ATRX-deficient angiosarcomas. Telomere-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization assay showed 28% (17/61) of the primary angiosarcomas were ALT positive. Remarkably, ALT was highly associated with loss of ATRX expression: all but 2 ALT-positive angiosarcomas were ATRX deficient. Notably, hepatic angiosarcomas were frequently ATRX deficient (8/13) and/or ALT positive (8/12). None of the secondary angiosarcomas were ATRX/DAXX deficient or ALT positive. The only ATRX-deficient epithelioid hemangioendothelioma was positive for ALT. Forty-seven angiosarcomas were tested for TERT promoter mutation. Despite the fact that angiosarcoma occurs most commonly in sun-damaged skin, mutation was detected in only 1 radiation-associated angiosarcoma (2%). We conclude that ALT is an important telomere maintenance mechanism in primary angiosarcomas. This feature is highly associated with loss of ATRX expression and is frequently observed in hepatic angiosarcomas.

The present study explores the quenching of two metallic spheres, i.e., stainless steel 304 and zircaloy-702, respectively, in natural sea water, compared with that in de-ionized water. The diameters of the spheres are 17.5 mm. In this study, the superiority of sea water compared to deionized water for nuclear power plant quenching was established. By visualization using a high-speed video camera, it was observed that when deionized water was used for quenching, the formation of a stable vapor film around the metallic quenching test spheres was not immediate as traditionally thought, but occurred through the coalescence of nucleated bubbles at ultra-high temperatures. Conversely, sea water was observed to enable much more rapid quenching through the prevention of stable film boiling due to a zeta-potential effect and quenching starting with transition boiling characterized with moderate bubble nucleation sites and possible burst out of bubble clusters.

Since 2008, when Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-Jeou relaxed the Cross-Strait policy, China has become Taiwan’s largest source of international tourism. In order to understand the risk persistence of Chinese tourists, the paper investigates the short-run and long-run persistence of shocks to the change rate of Chinese tourists to Taiwan. The daily data used for the empirical analysis is from 1 January 2013 to 28 February 2018. McAleer’s (2015) fundamental equation in tourism finance is used to link the change rate of tourist arrivals and the change in tourist revenues. Three widely-used univariate conditional volatility models, namely GARCH(1,1), GJR(1,1) and EGARCH(1,1), are used to measure the short-run and long-run persistence of shocks, as well as symmetric, asymmetric and leverage effects. Three different Heterogeneous AutoRegressive (HAR) models, HAR(1), HAR(1,7) HAR(1,7,28), are considered as alternative mean equations for capturing a variety of long memory effects. The mean equations associated with GARCH(1,1), GJR(1,1) and EGARCH(1,1) are used to analyse the risk persistence of the change in Chinese tourists. The exponential smoothing process is used to adjust the seasonality around the trend in Chinese tourists. The empirical results show asymmetric impacts of positive and negative shocks on the volatility of the change in the number of Group-type and Medical-type tourists, while Individual-type tourists display a symmetric volatility pattern. Somewhat unusually, leverage effects are observed in EGARCH for Medical-type tourists, which shows a negative correlation between shocks in tourist numbers and the subsequent shocks to volatility. For both Group-type and Medical-type tourists, the asymmetric impacts on volatility show that negative shocks have larger effects than do positive shocks. The leverage effect in EGARCH for Medical-type tourists implies that larger shocks would decrease volatility in the change in the numbers of Medical-type tourists. These results suggest that Taiwan tourism authorities should act to prevent the negative shocks for the Group-type and Medical-type Chinese tourists to dampen the shocks that arise from having fewer Chinese tourists to Taiwan.

Fluctuations in the numbers of visitors directly affect the rates of return on tourism business activities. Therefore, maintaining a firm grasp of the relationship between the changes in the numbers of Chinese tourists and international travellers visiting Taiwan is conducive to the formulation of an effective and practical tourism strategy. Although the topic of international visitors to Taiwan is important, existing research has discussed the issue of the travel demand between Chinese tourists and international travellers visiting Taiwan. This paper is the first to examine the spillover effects between the rate of change in the numbers of Chinese tourist arrivals and the rate of change in the numbers of international traveller arrivals. Using daily data for Chinese tourists and international travellers visiting Taiwan over the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 October 2016, together with the Diagonal BEKK model, the paper analyses the co-volatility spillover effects between the rate of change in the numbers of international travellers and the rate of change in the numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan. The empirical results show that there is no dependency relationship between the rate of change in the numbers of Chinese tourists and the rate of change in the numbers of international travellers visiting Taiwan. However, there is a significant negative co-volatility spillover effect between the rate of change in the numbers of Chinese tourists and the rate of change in the numbers of international travellers. The empirical findings suggest that Taiwan should abandon its development strategy of focusing only on a single market, namely China, and to be pro-active in encouraging visits by international travellers to Taiwan for sightseeing purposes, thereby increasing the willingness of international travellers to visit Taiwan. Moreover, with the reduction in the numbers of Chinese tour groups visiting Taiwan, and increases in the numbers of individual travellers, the Taiwan Government should change its previous travel policies of mainly attracting Chinese tour group travellers and actively promoting in-depth tourism among international tourists, by developing tourism that focuses on the special characteristics of different localities. In this way, the government can enhance the quality of Taiwan’s tourism, and also attract travellers with high spending power.