Search

Individual differences in mindfulness have attracted interest for their potential to facilitate physical activity and reveal mechanisms of physical activity motivation. The objective of this paper ...

Objectives The conceptual models underlying physical activity interventions have been based largely on differences between more and less active people. Yet physical activity is a dynamic behavior, and such models are not sensitive to factors that regulate behavior at a momentary level or how people respond to individual attempts at intervening. We demonstrate how a control systems engineering approach can be applied to develop personalized models of behavioral responses to an intensive text message-based intervention. Design & method To establish proof-of-concept for this approach, 10 adults wore activity monitors for 16 weeks and received five text messages daily at random times. Message content was randomly selected from three types of messages designed to target (1) social-cognitive processes associated with increasing physical activity, (2) social-cognitive processes associated with reducing sedentary behavior, or (3) general facts unrelated to either physical activity or sedentary behavior. A dynamical systems model was estimated for each participant to examine the magnitude and timing of responses to each type of text message. Results Models revealed heterogeneous responses to different message types that varied between people and between weekdays and weekends. Conclusions This proof-of-concept demonstration suggests that parameters from this model can be used to develop personalized algorithms for intervention delivery. More generally, these results demonstrate the potential utility of control systems engineering models for optimizing physical activity interventions.

OBJECTIVE: Longitudinal within-subject (WS) associations of mothers’ momentary assessed physical activity (PA) parenting practices were examined with children’s objectively measured PA during the same 2-hr time frame. METHOD: Mother–child dyads (n = 189) completed five ecological momentary assessment (EMA) measurement bursts over 3 years. During each 7-day burst, mothers EMA-reported their past 2 hr PA parenting practices (i.e., encouraging their child to be physically active, taking their child someplace to be physically active), and children (M(age)=9.6 years, SD = 0.9) wore an accelerometer to measure moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Two-part multilevel models were used, with zero portions representing not meeting MVPA and positive portions representing any MVPA, controlling for demographic covariates. Cross-level interaction terms of child sex and age with parenting were created to test moderation effects. RESULTS: When mothers reported taking their child to be physically active, children were more likely to get some MVPA (b = −0.56, p

The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the emerging lower-burden mobile dietary self-monitoring approaches and provide a case study highlighting the role that habit formation (regularly logging meals) and burden played in two weight loss interventions examining three different methods of dietary self-monitoring: two lower-burden (wearable device and photo-based) and one higher-burden (standard database app). A review of the literature of current methods for dietary self-monitoring was conducted. In addition, a case study using data from two different remotely delivered weight loss interventions is presented. Participants (n = 100) were randomly assigned to one of the three mobile diet tracking methods. At 6 weeks, participants were asked seven questions on a Likert scale (1 completely disagree; 7 completely agree) assessing factors such as habit formation (e.g., remembering to use the device). Several emerging methods of dietary self-monitoring are presented. For the case study, the wearable device (5.0 ± 1.81) and photo-based app (4.0 ± 2.24) participants found it more difficult to remember to use their device than did the standard database app (2.35 ± 1.79; p < 0.001) participants, indicating that habit formation was stronger in the Standard App condition than the approaches that were aimed to be of lower burden. Gaining a better understanding of the current and innovative approaches to dietary self-monitoring, as well as considering how burden and habit formation may be influencing sustained engagement could help inform future effective dietary interventions.

Previous studies have examined the ability of the Fitbit to measure physical activity compared to research-grade accelerometers. However, few have examined whether Fitbits accurately measure sedentary behavior. This study examined whether the Fitbit Charge 3 adequately quantifies sedentary behavior compared to the gold standard in objectively measured sedentary behavior assessment, the activPAL. Eleven adults wore a Fitbit Charge 3 and activPAL device for 14 days and self-reported their sedentary behavior each week. ActivPAL epoch data were summed into minute-by-minute data and processed with two cutpoints (activPAL_Half and activPAL_Full) to compare to Fitbit data. Paired t-tests were used to examine differences between the two devices for sedentary behavior variables. Intraclass correlations were used to examine device agreement. There was no significant difference in sedentary time between activPAL_Half and Fitbit data, but activPAL_Full estimated significantly lower sedentary time than Fitbit. Intraclass correlations showed high agreement. We suggest that Fitbit could replace activPAL when measuring total sedentary time.

Highlights • Mindful walking activity may sustain perceived and performance-based cognition. • Short- and longer-term cognitive changes may be related to mindful walking practice. • Randomized controlled trials are warranted to test the efficacy of mindful walking. • Integrating ambulatory cognitive measures in a behavioral intervention is feasible., Mindfulness practice and walking have been linked individually to sustain cognition in older adults. This early-phase study aimed to establish proof-of-concept by evaluating whether an intervention that integrates light-intensity walking with mindfulness practices shows promising signs of improving cognition in older adults. Participants (N = 25, Mage = 72.4 ± 6.45) were community-dwelling older adults who engaged in a supervised mindful walking program over one month (8 sessions total, 2 sessions per week, 30-minute slow walking containing mindfulness skills). They completed performance-based and subjective ratings of cognitive measures in field before and after two mindful walking bouts using a smartphone app. They also completed in-lab performance-based and self-report cognitive measures at baseline and after the entire program. Controlling for demographics, potential covariates, and time trends, short-term improvements in perceived cognition and processing speed were observed from pre- to post-mindful walking sessions (i.e., 30 min) across multiple ambulatory cognitive measures (Cohen’s ds range = 0.46–0.66). Longer-term improvements in processing speed and executive function were observed between baseline and end of the program (i.e., one month) across various performance-based cognitive measures (ds range = 0.43–1.28). No significant changes were observed for other cognitive domains. This early-phase study (Phase IIa) provides preliminary support that mindful walking activity is promising for sustaining cognition in older adults. Our promising findings form the building blocks of evidence needed to advance this intervention to a fully powered randomized controlled trial that examines program efficacy with a comparator. Favorable outcomes will inform the development of this lifestyle behavioral strategy for promoting healthy brain aging in late adulthood.

This study aimed to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of three walking parameters (frequency, duration, and intensity) with overall mental health in older adults.A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2014 with 1255 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older in Taipei, Taiwan. Among them, 408 participants completed the one-year follow-up survey in 2015. Self-reported outdoor walking during the past 7 days was measured by asking the frequency, duration, and intensity. Metabolic equivalent (MET) values (2.5, 2.5-3.5, 3.5-4.5, and ≥4.5 MET) were assigned to the four levels of speed (slow pace, average, brisk, and fast pace) based on the average walking distance per minute. Overall mental health was assessed using the Five-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5). Multivariable linear regression models were conducted to explore the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between outdoor walking and overall mental health, adjusting for socio-demographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, comorbidity and health status.Among the walking parameters, only walking intensity emerged as a significant predictor of subsequent overall mental health. Multivariable regression analysis showed that light-to-moderate intensity (approximately 2.5-4.5 METs) was significantly associated with better overall mental health at 12-month follow-up.Outdoor walking at light-to-moderate intensity is prospectively associated with better overall mental health in later life.

Despite compelling evidence that fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption can reduce the risk of obesity and chronic disease, most children fail to meet the daily recommendations for dietary consumption. Theoretical models and empirical findings suggest that parents play a key role in guiding children's overall dietary behaviors. To extend previous findings, the current study utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA) on smartphones to assess the within-subject and between-subject effects of maternal support (i.e., encouragement, preparation) of F/V on their child's F/V consumption. Mother-child dyads (n = 191) completed six semi-annual 7-day waves of EMA surveys. EMA assessed mothers' past 2-h support for F/V and children's F/V consumption. At the within-subject level, greater maternal encouragement for F/Vs (OR = 2.41) and maternal preparation of F/Vs (OR = 1.43) than usual were associated with increased odds of their child eating F/V during the same 2-h window. At the between-subject level, greater maternal preparation of F/V (OR = 5.99), compared to other mothers, was associated with increased odds of their child eating F/V. Children with lower BMI (vs. higher BMI) were more likely to consume F/Vs when their mothers encouraged them to eat F/V (OR = 0.74). These findings suggest that maternal support may have a strong and immediate effect on children's F/V consumption. Theoretical models on behavior change should consider how explanatory factors, such as parental support, may vary at the momentary level. Boosting maternal support at the momentary level may be a critical component of future mobile-based interventions to address childhood obesity.

High endurance ovonic threshold switch (OTS, here, TeAsGeSiSe-based) is integrated with phase change memory (PCM, here, doped Ge2Sb2Te5) to form a 3-D stackable pillar-type device. With the help of an etch buffer layer and a damage-free pillar reactive-ion etching process, we successfully demonstrate one-selector (OTS)/one-resistor (PCM) (1S1R OTS-PCM) pillar device without OTS/PCM composition modification. High temperature 400 °C annealing tests show this 1S1R OTS-PCM pillar device is back end of line compatible. We report the fundamental behavior of the OTS and the operation scheme of the 1S1R OTS-PCM device. The new Vth read scheme is proposed and excellent electrical performance is demonstrated. It provides the fast turn ON/ OFF speed which enables 10-ns fast RESET speed. Program endurance greater than 109 cycles is achieved, and read endurance is higher than 1011 cycles.

This study has investigated the influence of physiographic factors upon the probability of slide occurrence in the Kaoping River Basin. According to previous literature, statistical tests, ...

Background Movement-based behaviors and mindfulness can decrease many aspects of negative affect (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression). It is unclear whether mindfulness during waking movement-based behaviors (e.g., moving, standing, sitting) influences the associations between those movement-based behaviors and negative affect. Objective This study tested whether situational mindfulness moderated associations between (1) usual moving/standing behavior and negative affect, or (2) momentary moving/standing behavior and negative affect. Design A smartphone-based, 14-day experience sampling study was conducted to assess college students’ daily waking movement-based behaviors and subjective experiences. Method A multilevel model was estimated to predict momentary negative affect from a variety of predictors including the interaction between mindfulness and movement-based behaviors. Results Participants’ momentary negative affect was lower when moving (versus sitting) if they were more mindful than usual at that moment (b = 0.10, p Conclusions These results extend prior work by showing that mindfulness during movement-based behaviors is associated with less momentary negative affect. Integrating mindfulness practices with daily movement-based behaviors may lead to greater mental health benefits and this hypothesis should be tested in experimental research.

By controlling the synthesized conditions such as the compositions, pH and hydrothermal temperature of the In (or NH4)-V-O compounds, the structural information have been determined with the potential application in the hydrogen evolving efficiency. When the addition of ammonium ions to adjust the pH with the hydrothermal time of 4 h, there is a maximum hydrogen production of 140.8 μmol/g·cat. The maximum hydrogen production reaches at pH of 5. In addition, the (NH4)2V6O16 phase in the synthesized InVO4 has been observed. This crystalline ammonia vanadium-based material is capable to perform the photocatalysis process in hydrogen evolving.

Chronic and acute stress may have a detrimental effect on children’s physical activity. Research on stress as a predictor of children’s physical activity has mostly focused on stress between children, rather than how children’s within-day variation in stress may predict physical activity. The current study assessed the within- and between-effects of stress on subsequent physical activity in three different time windows using ecological momentary assessment (EMA()) and accelerometry. Children (N = 190; M(Baseline Age) =10.1±0.9, 53% female, 56% self-identified Hispanic/Latino) completed six semi-annual assessment bursts across three years. During each burst, participants responded to up to seven (weekend) or three (weekday) randomly prompted EMA surveys on smartphones for seven days and wore a waist-worn accelerometer. Multi-level structural equation modeling examined within- and between-subjects effects of stress as a predictor of children’s subsequent moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA()) in the 15, 30, and 60 minutes following the EMA prompt. Latent variables were created for within- and between-subjects stress were comprised of three EMA stress items. Higher than average levels of stress (within-subjects) significantly predicted lower MVPA in the subsequent 15, 30 and 60 minutes (ps < .05). Between-subjects stress was not significantly associated with subsequent MVPA (ps > .05). Results indicate that elevated momentary stress predicts less subsequent MVPA. These findings suggest that within-day fluctuations in stress may be a barrier for children engaging in physical activity. Childhood physical activity promotion and interventions should consider the role of children’s stress, aim to reduce the stress children experience throughout the day, and incorporate stress coping strategies.

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films have attracted much attention owing to their usefulness in equivalent oxide thickness scaling in microelectronics, which arises from their high dielectric constant and thermodynamic stability with silicon. However, the surface passivation properties of such films, particularly on crystalline silicon (c-Si), have rarely been reported upon. In this study, the HfO2 thin films were deposited on c-Si substrates with and without oxygen plasma pretreatments, using a remote plasma atomic layer deposition system. Post-annealing was performed using a rapid thermal processing system at different temperatures in N2 ambient for 10 min. The effects of oxygen plasma pretreatment and post-annealing on the properties of the HfO2 thin films were investigated. They indicate that the in situ remote plasma pretreatment of Si substrate can result in the formation of better SiO2, resulting in a better chemical passivation. The deposited HfO2 thin films with oxygen plasma pretreatment and post-annealing at 500 °C for 10 min were effective in improving the lifetime of c-Si (original lifetime of 1 μs) to up to 67 μs.

Insufficient physical activity (PA) and excessive stationary behavior (SB) are contributors to pediatric obesity, though antecedents and consequences of these behaviors in this population are relatively unknown. This pilot study examined affect, loss of control eating (LOCE), overeating, and hunger surrounding PA and SB in 17 youth with overweight/obesity. Participants completed a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) wearing accelerometers. At the momentary level, higher negative affect and lower positive affect predicted SB increases and PA decreases following EMA prompts; higher PA and lower SB also predicted increases in positive affect. Higher LOCE predicted SB increases and PA decreases, while increases in PA and decreases in SB predicted short-term increases in LOCE and overeating. At the individual level, higher SB and lower PA were related to lower positive affect and higher negative affect, LOCE, overeating, and hunger. Findings suggest affect is a relevant antecedent and consequence of PA/SB, and dysregulated eating may acutely impact PA/SB.

Phenotypic plasticity describes the capacity of a single genotype to exhibit a variety of phenotypes as well as the mechanisms that translate environmental variation into reproducible phenotypic modifications. Polyphenism describes the unique sub-type of phenotypic plasticity where the outputs are not continuous, but rather discrete and multi-stable, resulting in several distinct phenotypes on the same genetic background. Epigenetic regulation underpins the stable phenotypic divergences that exemplify polyphenism and their evolutionary origin. Here, we briefly summarize the apparent ubiquity and diversity of polyphenisms across the animal kingdom. We briefly review the best characterized models across taxa and highlight the consistent themes both in their epidemiology and what little we know about molecular mechanisms. Finally, we highlight work that supports the possibility that humans may have a subtle polyphenism at the level of metabolism.

Background Mobile technology has increased the reach of health behavior interventions but raised new challenges in assessing the fidelity of treatment receipt. Fidelity can be compromised if participant fatigue or burden reduces engagement, leading to missed or delayed treatments for just-in-time interventions. Objective This study aimed to investigate the temporal dynamics of text message receipt confirmations. Methods Community-dwelling adults (N=10) were sent five text messages daily for 4 months (5598 messages sent in total), with a financial incentive to confirm receipt of 75% or more messages. Results Overall, the message receipt confirmation rate was very high (5504/5598, 98.32%) and timely (eg, two-thirds of confirmations within 2 min). Confirmation times were slightly slower on weekends (vs weekdays) and as a function of the cumulative time in the study. Neither time of message delivery nor message content was associated with message confirmation latencies. Conclusions Participants receiving financial incentives to confirm text message receipt exhibit extremely high and fast confirmation rates, although receipt confirmations were somewhat less timely on weekends (vs weekdays) and later in the intervention. The social calendar and treatment fatigue should be considered when planning text message–based interventions, especially if treatments are intended for a just-in-time delivery that requires extended engagement and precise timing.

Mindful walking has emerged as a potential intervention strategy to improve mental health and promote well-being in adult and clinical populations. This strategy has not been implemented specifically with older adults to date. This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, sustainability, and preliminary efficacy of a mindful walking program for reducing negative affect in older adults. Community-dwelling older adults (n = 29) completed a 1-month, outdoor mindful walking program distributed across eight 30-min sessions. Responses from postprogram and follow-up questionnaires revealed that mindful walking was well-accepted, highly valued, and maintained after the program ended. Analysis from the pre- and postwalk surveys also suggested the preliminary efficacy of a mindful walking program for reducing negative affect. Positive results identified in the current feasibility study indicate readiness for randomized controlled trials to further examine the efficacy and effectiveness of a mindful walking intervention for promoting health and well-being in older populations.

Summary To date, it remains largely unclear to what extent chromatin machinery contributes to the susceptibility and progression of complex diseases. Here, we combine deep epigenome mapping with single-cell transcriptomics to mine for evidence of chromatin dysregulation in type 2 diabetes. We find two chromatin-state signatures that track β cell dysfunction in mice and humans: ectopic activation of bivalent Polycomb-silenced domains and loss of expression at an epigenomically unique class of lineage-defining genes. β cell-specific Polycomb (Eed/PRC2) loss of function in mice triggers diabetes-mimicking transcriptional signatures and highly penetrant, hyperglycemia-independent dedifferentiation, indicating that PRC2 dysregulation contributes to disease. The work provides novel resources for exploring β cell transcriptional regulation and identifies PRC2 as necessary for long-term maintenance of β cell identity. Importantly, the data suggest a two-hit (chromatin and hyperglycemia) model for loss of β cell identity in diabetes., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Deep epigenome mapping and single-cell transcriptomics of β cells in T2D • Human and mouse diabetes mimic PRC2 loss of function • Eed/PRC2 safeguards transcription integrity in terminally differentiated β cells • Eed/PRC2-sensitive dedifferentiation is pharmacologically targetable, Lu et al. provide evidence of chromatin dysregulation in type 2 diabetes in mice and humans. Loss of Polycomb silencing in mouse pancreas triggers hyperglycemia-independent dedifferentiation of β cells and diabetes, suggesting a two-hit (chromatin and hyperglycemia) model for loss of β cell identity in diabetes.

Background Mobile applications (apps) for physical activity are popular and hold promise for promoting behavior change and reducing non-communicable disease risk. App marketing materials describe a limited number of behavior change techniques (BCTs), but apps may include unmarketed BCTs, which are important as well. Purpose To characterize the extent to which BCTs have been implemented in apps from a systematic user inspection of apps. Methods Top-ranked physical activity apps (N=100) were identified in November 2013 and analyzed in 2014. BCTs were coded using a contemporary taxonomy following a user inspection of apps. Results Users identified an average of 6.6 BCTs per app and most BCTs in the taxonomy were not represented in any apps. The most common BCTs involved providing social support, information about others' approval, instructions on how to perform a behavior, demonstrations of the behavior, and feedback on the behavior. A latent class analysis of BCT configurations revealed that apps focused on providing support and feedback as well as support and education. Conclusions Contemporary physical activity apps have implemented a limited number of BCTs and have favored BCTs with a modest evidence base over others with more established evidence of efficacy (e.g., social media integration for providing social support versus active self-monitoring by users). Social support is a ubiquitous feature of contemporary physical activity apps and differences between apps lie primarily in whether the limited BCTs provide education or feedback about physical activity.

This study focuses on the effects of physiographic factors, such as landslide area, on the occurrence of debris flows in central Taiwan. Four physiographic factors were selected for their significance to the occurrence of debris flows, including landslide ratio (the ratio of landslide area over watershed area), average steepness of the streambed, effective watershed area, and form factor. Two quantifying methods of factors were performed and compared: one using genuine values of factors and another one using values converted by degree of membership from fuzzy theory. Then the logistic regression method was applied for building a model to assess the occurrence probability of debris flows from five variables: four physiographic factors and one hydrologic factor. The model is consistent with the mechanism of debris flow occurrence, with all physiographic and hydrologic factors positively correlated with the occurrence probability. In addition, the accuracy of the model was validated with randomly selected historical events and demonstrated fairly satisfactory validity, ranging from 70 to 80 %. It was found that adopting the degree of membership made the model more stable and more reliable. In addition, the model also shows that reducing the landslide area can significantly reduce the occurrence probability of debris flows. The results show that the model built in this study has the potential to be well applied and fully integrated into current or future warning systems.

Insufficient physical activity and excessive sedentary behavior elevate health risk. Mobile applications (apps) provide one mode for delivering interventions to modify these behaviors and reduce health risk. The purpose of this study was to characterize the need for and acceptability of health behavior interventions among rural adults and evaluate the interest in and the value of app-based interventions in this population. Central Pennsylvania adults with smartphones (N = 258) completed a brief web survey in October–November 2012. Most adults report one or both inactivity-related behavioral risk factors, would use a free app to modify those risk behaviors, and would pay a small amount for that app. Low-cost, efficacious apps to increase physical activity or reduce sedentary behavior should be promoted in public health practice. User experience should be at the forefront of this process to increase value and minimize burden in the service of long-term engagement, behavior change, and health risk reduction., Highlights • Rural adults report high levels of inactivity-related behavioral risk factors. • Low-cost mobile applications (apps) to reduce behavioral risks would be accepted. • Insufficiently active participants were least accepting of behavior change apps.

Mobile applications (apps) have potential for helping people increase their physical activity, but little is known about the behavior change techniques marketed in these apps.The aim of this study was to characterize the behavior change techniques represented in online descriptions of top-ranked apps for physical activity.Top-ranked apps (n=167) were identified on August 28, 2013, and coded using the Coventry, Aberdeen and London-Revised (CALO-RE) taxonomy of behavior change techniques during the following month. Analyses were conducted during 2013.Most descriptions of apps incorporated fewer than four behavior change techniques. The most common techniques involved providing instruction on how to perform exercises, modeling how to perform exercises, providing feedback on performance, goal-setting for physical activity, and planning social support/change. A latent class analysis revealed the existence of two types of apps, educational and motivational, based on their configurations of behavior change techniques.Behavior change techniques are not widely marketed in contemporary physical activity apps. Based on the available descriptions and functions of the observed techniques in contemporary health behavior theories, people may need multiple apps to initiate and maintain behavior change. This audit provides a starting point for scientists, developers, clinicians, and consumers to evaluate and enhance apps in this market.

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) thin films have attracted much attention owing to their usefulness in equivalent oxide thickness scaling in microelectronics, which arises from their high dielectric constant and thermodynamic stability with silicon. However, the surface passivation properties of such films, particularly on crystalline silicon (c-Si), have rarely been reported upon. In this study, the HfO2 thin films were deposited on c-Si substrates with and without oxygen plasma pretreatments, using a remote plasma atomic layer deposition system. Post-annealing was performed using a rapid thermal processing system at different temperatures in N2 ambient for 10 min. The effects of oxygen plasma pretreatment and post-annealing on the properties of the HfO2 thin films were investigated. They indicate that the in situ remote plasma pretreatment of Si substrate can result in the formation of better SiO2, resulting in a better chemical passivation. The deposited HfO2 thin films with oxygen plasma pretreatment and post-annealing at 500 °C for 10 min were effective in improving the lifetime of c-Si (original lifetime of 1 μs) to up to 67 μs.

This paper presents a high speed intra panel interface which applies point to point topology, phase locked loop (PLL) type clock data recovery (CDR) and DC self-adjusting data encoder. The preliminary measurement result on Altera stratix5 FPGA platform shows that the maximum data rate can be operated up to 5Gbps/lane.

Understanding the main trends in human behavior is fundamental to developing effective adaptive treatments. Inspired by this insight, this paper presents a mathematical quantification of the change of human behavior following external stimuli. In particular, statistical methods are applied to real physical activity data collected intensively using mobile wearable technologies. We explain the setup of the study conducted with multiple participants. Then, a preprocessing of the collected measurements, required to overcome the hurdles associated with behavioral data, is briefly discussed. Furthermore, we identify a dynamical affine model that approximates humans' sedentary behavior. The affine model is simple yet insightful. We show results of fitting time-invariant as well as switched models along with a quantification of the prediction errors. Moreover, the effect of various types of treatments on the sedentary behavior of several subjects is investigated. As expected, the results show that people react differently to external stimuli. However, common tendencies are clearly observed. Our findings emphasize the necessity of the application of personalized adaptive intervention. Future research directions are discussed accordingly.

This paper proposes an Unequaled Single Source Driver (USSD) with multi-chip topology to achieve large source driver outputs for WXGA resolution TFT-LCD. The proposed driver used a multi-domain power scheme in a chip, and was implemented by using a Bipolar CMOS DMOS (BCD) process. It incorporated a LVDS/MIPI combo receiver, timing controller, level shifter, charge pump, boost, inverter, and LED driver in a source driver to generate multiple power supply to the panel. Furthermore, the integral chip bus (iCB) with embedded code technique was used to synchronize data indices of color engines and control between the applications of multi-chips. The proposed USSD was verified by a 15.6-in WXGA TFT-LCD, in which the 1 Gbps data rate was achieved by multi-drop mobile industry processor interface.

This paper presents an integrated-Stream Protocol (iSP) interface that is capable of high data rate operation with less signal lines for the next generation TFT-LCD application. An 8b/9b encoding technique is employed to synchronize the system without separate clock and control signal lines, and it achieves low overhead and electromagnetic interference (EMI) performance. In order to compensate the channel attenuation, the receiver is equipped with the equalizer function. The power consumption is effectively reduced by applying the transfer-impedance amplifier (TIA) receiver. The iSP interface has been verified on an 11.6-inch full-HD Chip-On-Glass (COG) TFT-LCD panel with 1.35Gbps data rate. Additionally, it could be operated at higher data rate up to 1.8Gbps on Chip-On-Board (COB) platform.

This paper presents an intra-panel interface that adopts a skew-less point-to-point mini-LVDS (SPPmL) using 240 Hz of driving technology. A differential data signal with an embedded code was applied between the timing controller (TCON) and column driver ICs (DICs) to synchronize the clock and data. The synchronization core circuit was based on a delay cell that eliminates clock and data skew problems. Power consumption was effectively reduced using a delay cell circuit lower than using a phase-locked loop (PLL) and a delay-locked loop (DLL) circuit. The proposed SPPmL interface was verified on a 65-in. full HD (1920times1080) TFT-LCD panel to achieve the high data transfer rate required for high-resolution LCD models. The measured results show that the maximum data rate is higher than 2.0 Gb/s.

Increasing the light scattering in monocrystalline silicon solar cells by surface texturing is an emerging field of practice in modern silicon photovoltaic. In this article, the surface micro-textures were performed on the monocrystalline silicon surface in potassium hydroxide solution without adding isopropyl alcohol. The parameters of the etching process such as concentration, time duration and temperature were examined to study the effects on shape and geometry of the microstructure. In addition, ray-tracing simulations of the light trapping were performed on these textured structures. The textured surfaces resemble the structures of uniform pyramids, mostly small pyramids, and mostly big pyramids. The simulation technique was applied in order to evaluate the light trapping effect by textured surfaces based on above pyramidal shape models. Afterwards, theoretical and experimental values of reflection data were compared. Such a simulation model was perceived as an effective tool for optimizing the micro structural shape, thus improving the light trapping. In this study, for solar cell applications, the double-side heterojunction solar cell with mostly big pyramids shape yielded an active area conversion efficiency of 16.3% with an open circuit voltage of 0.645 V, a short circuit current of 34.8 mA cm−2 and a fill factor of 0.73.

By using CLIGEN and long-term meteorological data, consecutive daily rainfall data can be simulated. At present, the applicability of CLIGEN to regions other than the United States remains to be tested. In this study, CLIGEN was first applied in a subtropical monsoon climate region. Rainfall data from 1961 to 1990 at three weather stations in northern Taiwan were collected, and rainfall parameters and patterns were validated. The results showed no significant difference in the mean and distribution patterns between observed and simulated values for rainfall parameters including precipitation for each month, wet days for each month, precipitation on wet days for each month and standard deviation of daily precipitation for each month. Regarding rainfall pattern, after re-calibration of storm pattern coefficients, the accuracy of the simulated storm duration was greatly enhanced. However, the simulated daily maximum 5- and 30-min peak intensities were overestimated, and there is room for improvement.

The Shotcrete Vegetation Mulching Technique (SVMT) was introduced to revegetate existing steep concrete-face slopes. By mixing cement and greening additives with hydraulic mulching materials in a particular proportion and directly spraying the mixture on steep concrete-face slopes, SVMT was proven to be superior to several traditional methods. SVMT can make a slope surface resistant to erosion within a short time (the uniaxial compressive strength of the slope was higher than 294.3 kN/m2 on the 14th day), create an environment suitable for plant growth (the vegetation coverage rate on the 90th day was higher than 90%) and foster a plant community capable of natural succession (competition and succession among Bermudagrass, turf-type tall fescue, hairy beggarticks, chamber bitter, oriental false hawksbeard, American burnweed, Pacific Island silvergrass, and inchplant were observed), effectively improving wildlife habitat and increasing biodiversity (small arthropods were found on the site, including spiders, grasshoppers, ants, ladybirds, etc.). Furthermore, the ecological engineering effects of SVMT on the experiment site were evaluated according to Mitsch and Jorgensen’s 19 Ecological Design Principles. It was found that the site treated with SVMT conformed to principles 2, 3, 8, 10, 11, and 16.

The kinetics of the reaction of dense CaO particles (2.5 mm dia.) with sulfur dioxide was studied using a thermogravimetric technique under the conditions of 750–950 °C, 1000–5000 ppm SO2, and 6 h ...

The amorphous silicon/amorphous silicon (a-Si/a-Si) tandem solar cells have attracted much attention in recent years, due to the high efficiency and low manufacturing cost compared to the single-junction a-Si solar cells. In this paper, the tandem cells are fabricated by high-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD) at 27.1 MHz. The effects of the recombination layer and the i-layer thickness matching on the cell performance have been investigated. The results show that the tandem cell with a p+recombination layer and i2/i1thickness ratio of 6 exhibits a maximum efficiency of 9.0% with the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.59 V, short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 7.96 mA/cm2, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.70. After light-soaking test, our a-Si/a-Si tandem cell with p+recombination layer shows the excellent stability and the stabilized efficiency of 8.7%.

In this paper, we propose a novel method to calculate the color gamut especially for wide color gamut display. The features of the proposed method are 1) luminance consideration, 2) large color space and 3) distinguishable color by human eyes.

This letter presents a compact and novel folded antenna with curved slots for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications.The proposed antenna originates from an antenna, which consists of a pair of symmetrically curved radiating slots fed by a CPW transmission line. This pair of planar curved slots is symmetrically folded in relation to the central feeding lines so that the size is shrunk to one half of the original geometric size. Using the HFSS software, the simulated results shows that the folded type antenna still preserves the UWB transmission characteristics. The impedance bandwidth, radiation pattern, and radiation gains of this shrunken UWB antenna are investigated and further measurement are performed to verify its UWB characteristics. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1872–1877, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25299

This study compares the total harmonic distortion for cascade H-bridge multilevel (CHBML) active front-end converter with low carrier ratio. The low carrier ratio is utilized to reduce the switching loss of active front-end converters. Furthermore, the low carrier ratio is discussed with 9th, 15th and 21st carrier ratio and difference modulation index. The performances of the CHBML active front-end converter with low carrier ratio are validated by simulation results.

This paper presents a novel multi-view input data format that is efficient and applicable to any 3D rendering engine. A multi-view system is also developed to overcome the challenge in 3D image quality caused by the lens misalignment. Finally, the verification is performed on our nine-view glasses-free 3D display.

We have developed a new viewing angle control (VAC) technology by using unbalanced domain design. With this approach, a switchable viewing angle control function which provides users the privacy protection mode and the wide viewing mode can be realized with a single-cell panel. The advantages of light weight and slim characteristics make it appropriate for portable display applications. Besides, high transmittance performance in the wide viewing mode and the ease of integration with the established LCD technology provide another benefits for LCD manufacturers as well.

The purpose of this pilot research is to conduct a virtual-reality-(VR)-based feasibility study of evacuation time compared to traditional calculation method for evacuation planning in Japan and Taiwan. The difference between traditional assumptions and VR test results of occupant evacuation is compared. The study shows that most of the subjects tested, as occupants, choose different exits from the ones pre-assumed in the space zoning stage. A significant difference exists between the result derived from traditional calculation method and VR simulation. The function used to calculate evacuation time seems to be effective only when egress signs work properly. Very few subjects choose the shortest egress route as expected, although zoning-based calculation may conclude that a building is secure based on tolerable evacuation time. The route indicated by evacuation signs is not necessarily the shortest one. A case associated with four scenarios is simulated and tested. The result reflects the importance of layout in the planning strategy applied in zoning and egress routes due to building fire.

Shallow junction formation and low thermal budget control are important for advanced device manufacturing. Implant into silicide (IIS) method is a candidate to achieve both requirements. In this work we show that the high activation ability of the implant into nickel silicide method at low activated temperature is strongly related to the solid phase epitaxial regrowth (SPER) process. The SIMS, capacitance–voltage (C–V), four points probe (FPP), and current–voltage (I–V) measurements are combined to demonstrate that the SPER process of the IIS method is starting from the silicide/silicon (M/S) interface. The best N+/P interface is formed when SPER is complete. After SPER process finished, additional thermal budget may cause junction performance degradation at the temperature higher than 550 °C.

The NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multiprotein complex, triggers caspase-1 activation and maturation of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 upon sensing a wide range of pathogen- and damage-associated molecules. Dysregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome activity contributes to the pathogenesis of many diseases, but its regulation remains poorly defined. Here we show that depletion of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 2 (PAI-2), a serine protease inhibitor, resulted in NLRP3- and ASC (apoptosis-associated Speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain)‐dependent caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion in macrophages upon Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 engagement. TLR2 or TLR4 agonist induced PAI-2 expression, which subsequently stabilized the autophagic protein Beclin 1 to promote autophagy, resulting in decreases in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, NLRP3 protein level, and pro–IL-1β processing. Likewise, overexpressing Beclin 1 in PAI-2–deficient cells rescued the suppression of NLRP3 activation in response to LPS. Together, our data identify a tier of TLR signaling in controlling NLRP3 inflammasome activation and reveal a cell-autonomous mechanism which inversely regulates TLR- or Escherichia coli -induced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and IL-1β–driven inflammation.

Composite silicon dioxide-titanium dioxide (SiO2-TiO2) films are deposited on a large area of 15.6 × 15.6 cm2textured multicrystalline silicon solar cells to increase the incident light trapped within the device. For further improvement of the antireflective coatings (ARCs) quality, dimethylformamide (DMF) solution is added to the original SiO2-TiO2solutions. DMF solution solves the cracking problem, thus effectively decreasing reflectance as well as surface recombination. The ARCs prepared by sol-gel process and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on multicrystalline silicon substrate are compared. The average efficiency of the devices with improved sol-gel ARCs is 16.3%, only 0.5% lower than that of devices with PECVD ARCs (16.8%). However, from equipment depreciation point of view (the expiration date of equipment is generally considered as 5 years), the running cost (USD/watt) of sol-gel technique is 80% lower than that of PECVD method for the first five years and 66% lower than that of PECVD method from the start of the sixth year. This result proves that sol-gel-deposited ARCs process has potential applications in manufacturing low-cost, large-area solar cells.

Corona discharge plays an important role in industrial and commercial applications, especially for large-area corona discharge need. It is a common method for the electrets industry. Nevertheless, achieving uniform charge distribution of the large area electret films is difficult. In order to achieve uniform surface charges distribution in large plane, the multi-pin-grid-plate electrode system which was powered from two continuously-adjustable DC high negative voltage suppliers (one for the multi-pins, the other for the grid) was employed. In this paper, electrostatic potential was measured by a large-scale automatic-controlled XY table which could efficiently measure over 30 cm × 30 cm electret materials. First of all, one pin experiment in large plane was established to find out the optimal charge range and surface potential with the temperature and relative humidity fixed. The set of associated parameters for the single pin system was identified with respect to a set of different spacing between the discharging pin and the sample. Then, the spacing that can has strong influence on the electric field applied to the film became the only parameter monitored. The surface potential measured was around 30 cm × 30 cm, which was limited by the operating ranges of the automatic-controlled XY table used. The aim of this paper is to establish the optimal distance between the multi-pins. In addition, the grid device was added to ensure uniform charge distribution within the samples.