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This article reports an investigation verifying and measuring the relationships among aspects in virtual storefronts and customers' patronage and purchase intention in physical commercial contexts, as well as the familiarity' impact on purchase intention. Based upon prior theoretical studies, a research model was established, and then the corresponding instrument's reliability and validity were confirmed through analyzing empirical data. The findings are valuable to click-and-mortar businesses aiming to increase revenue in physical storefronts by means of enhancing the design and contents of their online business footholds.

Mistakenly-tagged low prices are harmful to online merchants but difficult to avoid completely, thus it is meaningful to track shoppers’ abnormal response to them and develop resolutions accordingly. In light of relevant issues received rare attention from both practitioners and researchers, this work aimed to identify shoppers’ typical behavioural reactions to ultra-low prices at Internet merchants, and further investigate gender differences in particular behavioural aspects. A consensus-based positional voting system, the modified Borda count and the Pareto analysis were applied to profile general shoppers’ behavioural responses. A survey was conducted to measure the intensity of subjects’ intention toward the identified behavioural aspects. Analysis using independent samples t-tests were performed to investigate gender differences in these reactions. Besides providing an insight into shoppers’ behavioural reactions to ultra-low prices at Internet storefronts, this work provides practitioners a basis for developing resolutions that are adaptive to customer populations with different proportions of male to female.

To construct future visions of how innovative technologies should be used in the envisioned sustainable society while being aware of system-wide environmental impacts, consequential life cycle assessment (c-LCA) is useful. To systematically evaluate the technologies being aware of uncertainties in the choice of technologies made in the future, in this article, we propose a novel graphical representation for theoretical range of impacts that contain results from c-LCA studies. This approach allows analyses of the consequences of technology introduction without conducting a detailed modeling of consequences. We stand on an assumption that the future environmental impacts reduced by a new technology depends on (1) how much the efficiency of the technology is improved, (2) how much of the less efficient technology is directly and indirectly replaced by the new technology, and (3) how much product is needed in the envisioned future. The difficulty in c-LCA is that (2) and (3) are uncertain from various socioeconomic reasons that are often difficult to predict. By organizing the results from product life cycle assessments in a systematic way, the proposed methodology allows exhibiting the range of consequential changes in environmental impact associated with a technology innovation, taking into account those uncertainties on a plain coordinated by the amount of product needed in the future and environmental impact on the horizontal and vertical axes, respectively. Part 1 describes the methodological framework in detail, whereas Part 2 elaborates on the applications of the methodology. By taking transportation technologies assuming various energy sources in Taiwan, the choices of technologies and the evaluation of technology improvements serve as the case studies to demonstrate the application of the methodological framework. By using the proposed method to organize the assumptions in c-LCA, discussions on different choices of technologies are made more systematic. In this way, stakeholders can focus on visions of future society, which lead to different choices of technologies.

To construct future visions of how innovative technologies should be used in the envisioned sustainable society while being aware of system-wide environmental impacts, consequential life cycle assessment (c-LCA) is useful. To systematically evaluate the technologies being aware of uncertainties in choice of technologies made in the future, in this article, we propose a novel graphical representation for theoretical range of impacts that contain results from c-LCA studies. This approach allows analyses of the consequences of the technology introduction without conducting detailed modeling of consequences. We stand on an assumption that the future environmental impacts reduced by a new technology depends on (1) how much the efficiency of the technology is improved, (2) how much of less-efficient technology is directly and indirectly replaced by the new technology, and (3) how much product is needed in the envisioned future. The difficulty in c-LCA is that items 2 and 3 are uncertain from various socioeconomic reasons that are often difficult to predict. By organizing the results from product LCAs in a systematic way, the proposed methodology allows exhibiting the range of consequential changes in environmental impact associated with a technology innovation, taking into account of those uncertainties on a plain coordinated by the amount of product needed in the future and environmental impact on horizontal and vertical axes, respectively. Part 1 describes the methodological framework in detail, whereas part 2 elaborates on the applications of the methodology. By taking transportation technologies assuming various energy sources in Taiwan, choices of technologies and evaluation of technology improvements serve as the case studies to demonstrate the application of the methodological framework. By using the proposed method to organize the assumptions in c-LCA, discussions on different choices of technologies are made more systematic. In this way, stakeholders can focus on visions of the future society, which lead to different choices of technologies.

Tropical species with narrow elevational ranges may be thermally specialized and vulnerable to global warming. Local studies of distributions along elevational gradients reveal small-scale patterns but do not allow generalizations among geographic regions or taxa. We critically assessed data from 249 studies of species elevational distributions in the American, African, and Asia-Pacific tropics. Of these, 150 had sufficient data quality, sampling intensity, elevational range, and freedom from serious habitat disturbance to permit robust across-study comparisons. We found four main patterns: (1) species classified as elevational specialists (upper- or lower-zone specialists) are relatively more frequent in the American than Asia-Pacific tropics, with African tropics being intermediate; (2) elevational specialists are rare on islands, especially oceanic and smaller continental islands, largely due to a paucity of upper-zone specialists; (3) a relatively high proportion of plants and ectothermic vertebrates (amphibians and reptiles) are upper-zone specialists; and (4) relatively few endothermic vertebrates (birds and mammals) are upper-zone specialists. Understanding these broad-scale trends will help identify taxa and geographic regions vulnerable to global warming and highlight future research priorities.

Aim To estimate whether species have shifted at equal rates at their leading edges (cool boundaries) and trailing edges (warm boundaries) in response to climate change. We provide the first such evidence for tropical insects, here examining elevation shifts for the upper and lower boundaries shifts of montane moths. Threats to species on tropical mountains are considered.Location Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.Methods We surveyed Lepidoptera (Geometridae) on Mount Kinabalu in 2007, 42 years after the previous surveys in 1965. Changes in species upper and lower boundaries, elevational extents and range areas were assessed. We randomly subsampled the data to ensure comparable datasets between years. Estimated shifts were compared for endemic versus more widespread species, and for species that reached their range limits at different elevations.Results Species that reached their upper limits at 2500-2700 m (n= 28 species, 20% of those considered) retreated at both their lower and upper boundaries, and hence showed substantial average range contractions (-300 m in elevational extent and -45 km2 in estimated range area). These declines may be associated with changes in cloud cover and the presence of ecological barriers (geological and vegetation transitions) which impede uphill movement. Other than this group, most species (n= 109, 80% of the species considered) expanded their upper boundaries upwards (by an average of 152 m) more than they retreated at their lower boundaries (77 m).Main conclusions Without constraints, leading margins shifted uphill faster than trailing margins retreated, such that many species increased their elevational extents. However, this did not result in increases in range area because the area of land available declines with increasing elevation. Species close to a major ecological/geological transition zone on the mountain flank declined in their range areas. Extinction risk may increase long before species reach the summit, even when undisturbed habitats are available.

In this paper, a 6-bit 1-GS/s 49 mW two-channel two-step analog-to-digital converter (ADC) without calibration is implemented in 0.13- mum CMOS process. The proposed multiplying digital-to-analog converter (MDAC) processes the analog signal with two clock periods for one conversion: half for sampling, half for coarse ADC (CADC) resolving, and one for residue amplification. A self-timing technique is used to prevent disturbance at the beginning of the residue amplification. The reduction of the MDAC output swing by enhancing the accuracy of CADC increases the output devices' over-drive voltage and decreases output loading. The proposed design methods allow closed-loop MDAC to operate at high speed while maintaining low power consumption. The measured SFDR, SNR, and SNDR are 40.7 dB, 33.8 dB, and 33.7 dB, respectively, at the Nyquist rate input. The ADC power dissipation is 49 mW and corresponds to a figure-of-merit (FoM) of 1.24 pJ/conv.-step. The active area occupies 0.16 mm2.

Objective To determine the integrity of the sperm plasma membrane, mitochondria, and DNA, which are essential for accurate transmission of genetic material to offspring, and to quantify possible apoptosis and investigate any relationship between these parameters in ejaculated sperm from men with or without varicoceles. Design Retrospective study. Setting University teaching hospital. Patient(s) Twenty-five patients with varicocele and 10 normal, fertile controls. Intervention(s) Apoptosis-related phenotype activations including the plasma membrane translocation of phosphatidylserine, mitochondrial dysfunction, and nuclear DNA damage, were assessed by using the annexin-V/propidium iodide double staining assay, 3,3'-dihexloxacarbocyanine iodide staining assay, and single-cell gel electrophoresis assay (comet assay). Main Outcome Measure(s) Apoptosis-related phenotype. Result(s) Patients with varicocele had statistically significantly more annexin V live sperm cells and nuclear DNA fragmentation than did the control men. In contrast, their numbers of 3,3′-dihexloxacarbocyanine iodide live cells were statistically significantly less than those in control men. Conclusion(s) The increased externalization of phosphatidylserine, mitochondrial dysfunction, and nuclear DNA damage occurred in the sperm of men with varicoceles, suggesting that certain apoptotic mechanisms may relate to the condition of varicocele, originating in the mitochondria of spermatocytes and then functioning within the nucleus of the cell.

This study is to investigate the change of morphology of the meiotic spindle and the extent of zona hardening relating to the morphological survival and developmental competence of thawed oocytes. Four- to 8-week-old female mice (C57BL/6) primed with an intraperitoneal injection of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin. Cryopreserved oocytes using two protocols: vitrificaton using ethylene glycol (EG) and slow freezing using propanediol (PROH). The freezing oocytes were thawed and were fertilized and subsequently cultured in vitro. Spindle/chromosome imagery, dissolution of zona pellucida, and post-thawing survival and development were comparable between two groups. The vitrification cryopreservation method proved to be better than the slow-freezing protocol when comparing the frequency of normal-shaped spindle development post-thawing. The difference in the time required for the dissolution of the zona pellucida under treatment of pronase that was determined to exist between the two cryopreservation methods was statistically significant (P

Public affair administrators around the globe show increasing interests in seeking the public’s opinions and insights into critical issues through Internet. The public’s collective intelligence could be distilled via the deliberative processes in various online forums. To successfully serve as a source of group intelligence, an online forum needs active participation and contributions from its visitors. However, just like common information systems, most online forum systems were designed without consideration of motivating users. This article presents the gamification process of an open-sourced online forum system. The gamified JForum embeds several game mechanisms motivating visitors to participate and contribute more actively, which facilitates forming a resource of productive consensus.

The distribution pattern of albacore, Thunnus alalunga, in the Indian Ocean was analyzed based on catch data from the Taiwanese tuna longline fishery during the period 1979‐85. The Taiwanese tuna fishery began operating in the Indian Ocean in 1967. We used a geographic information system to compile a fishery and environmental database and statistically explored the catch per unit effort (CPUE) distribution of albacore. Our results indicated that immature albacore were mainly distributed in areas south of 30S although some displayed a north‐south seasonal migration. Mature albacore, which were mainly concentrated between 10S and 25S, also showed a north‐south migration. Within 10S and 30S, the separation of mature, spawning, and immature albacore life history stages roughly coincided with the boundaries of the three oceanic current systems in the Indian Ocean. The optimal environmental variables for CPUE prediction by stepwise discriminant analysis differed among life history stages. For immature albacore, the sea surface variables sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll concentration and surface salinity were significant. For mature albacore, SST was significant, while for spawning albacore, the sub-surface variables temperature at 100 m and oxygen at 200 m were significant. Spawning albacore evidently prefer deep oceanographic conditions. Our results on the oceanographic conditions preferred by different developmental stages of albacore in the Indian Ocean were compatible with previous studies found in the Pacific Ocean.

Fossil fuel depletion, environmental pollution, and global warming have attracted interest in developing green and replaceable energy storage devices. Among various energy storage devices, supercapacitors (SCs) have been widely recognized in a wide range of applications in energy storage over the past decade, such as electric vehicles, mobile electronic devices, large industrial equipment, memory backup systems, and military devices. It is due to their unique properties including high power capability, long cycle lifetime, and fast charge/discharge rate. In this work, nickel sulfide (Ni3S2) nanosheets were growth on the surface of graphitic-nanofibres (GNFs) by using pulse-reversal (PR) electrodeposition method. Compared to the pristine Ni3S2 electrode with discharged capacitance of 461 F g-1, the GNFs@ Ni3S2 electrode revealed a higher capacitance of 635 F g-1 at the same charge-discharge current density of 0.5 mA cm-2. The GNFs@ Ni3S2 electrode still retained 79% of the capacitance at 0.5 mA cm-2 when it was charged/discharged at 4 mAcm-2. Furthermore, the GNFs@ Ni3S2 electrode showed great electrochemical stability. For instance, the GNFs@ Ni3S2 electrode displayed 90% of initial capacitance after the consecutive 200 cycles charged/discharged at current density of 0.5 mAcm-2.

To many consumers, online shopping has become one major way to shop, so e-commerce and other related industries has enjoyed fast growth in recent years. Online retailers interact with their customers via Web-based or so-called virtual storefronts. Inevitably, various unpleasant shopping experience keep emerging along with increasing adoption of shopping via virtual storefronts. A successful online retailer must be aware of these negative factors and know how to handle them effectively. This research work investigates the perceptions of online shoppers, identifies the critical incidents leading to consumers' unpleasant experiences during shopping processes, and gains insight into the reasons behind these experiences. Furthermore, a set of solutions for increasing customers' satisfaction were proposed accordingly.

In this paper, a dual-beam laser interferometer measurement system for precision machine tools was presented. The straightness measurement module and the angular measurement module were combined to form this measurement system such that the operations of precision machine tools, the positioning, vertical straightness, horizontal straightness, pitch and yaw, can be obtained. The resolution of the positioning, straightness and angle has achieved 0.1 nm, 1 nm and 0.1 arcsec, respectively. The performance of this measurement system has been proved by experiments.

In recent years, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biopolymers have attracted much research attention and been considered as a promising material when being employed in many optoelectronic devices. Since performance of many DNA biopolymer-based devices relies on carrier transport, it is crucial to study the carrier mobility of these DNA-surfactant complexes for practical implement. In this work, we present hole mobility characterization of cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA)-modified DNA biopolymer by using space-charge-limited current (SCLC) method. Devices were fabricated using a sandwich structure with a buffer layer of MoO3 to enhance hole injection and achieve ohmic contact between the anode and the DNA layer. Current-voltage (I-V) curves of the devices were analyzed. A trap-free SCLC behavior can ultimately be achieved and a quadratic dependence in I-V curve was observed. With increasing electric field, a positive field-dependent mobility was demonstrated. The correlation between mobility and temperature was also investigated and a positive relation was found. The characterization results can be further utilized for DNA-based device design and applications.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biopolymers have shown promise to be utilized in optoelectronic devices owing to several unique features of DNA molecules. In this study, we present the fabrication of DNA-Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) nanocomposite and incorporate it in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). DNA biopolymer attributes to a high lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level for electron blocking, whereas Au NPs are the hole traps to retard hole injection. We evaluate the performance of DNA-Au NPs nanocomposite OLEDs comprised of different concentrations of Au NPs. The results indicate that the utilization of DNA-Au NPs nanocomposite gives rise to higher luminance and higher current efficiency compared to the DNA-based device without Au NPs.

Three ml of semen collected from 20 volunteers were divided into three aliquots: a) semen cryopreserved for 48 hr then swim-up method; b) using swim-up method then cryopreserving for 48 h; and c) using 45%-90% two layers PureSperm to prepare sperm then cryopreserved for 48 h. Motility characteristics were evaluated before cryopreservation and after thawing. NO was measured using the chemiluminescence method after centrifugation. The recovery rate and motion parameters were the highest in the swim-up group. NO produced in the swim-up group was significantly lower than the PureSperm group, and the PureSperm group was lower than the semen treated with cryoprotectant group. Best semen quality was achieved due to the decreased NO production.

Electrophysiologic study and radiofrequency ablation therapy were performed in 23 patients with atypical (8 patients) or multiple (15) atrioventricular node reentry tachycardias. Dual pathways with anterograde fast and slow pathway conductions were demonstrated in 16 patients. Studies on retrograde conduction revealed the presence of three different pathways, including fast (15 patients), intermediate (17), and slow (16). The radiofrequency current was applied to the inferior aspect, one-third anterior two-thirds posterior between the His bundle and the ostium of the coronary sinus, of Koch's triangle along the tricuspid annulus in all patients. Application of the current resulted in selective ablation or modification of both retrograde intermediate and slow pathway conductions in 20 patients. In two patients retrograde fast pathway conduction was also modified. Complete atrioventricular block occurred in the remaining patient. Sixteen patients had no induction of tachycardia or echo, 4 had induction of a single echo, and 2 had induction of the slow-fast form tachycardia; one of those 2 patients underwent a second trial and was successful. A median application of 2 was delivered at a power of 25 +/- 5 W and a duration of 18 +/- 4 sec. The total fluoroscopic time was 25 +/- 21 minutes. The anterograde fast pathway conduction was unaffected; the shortest atrial paced cycle length that sustained 1:1 fast pathway conduction was 329 +/- 65 msec and 330 +/- 68 msec before and after ablation, respectively. A follow-up electrophysiologic study was performed in 16 patients 60 +/- 15 days after ablation. Eleven had no induction of tachycardia or echo, and five had induction of < 3 echoes. This study demonstrated that radiofrequency ablation with the inferior approach is effective and safe in atypical or multiple atrioventricular node reentry tachycardias. It resulted in ablation of the slow pathway and retrograde intermediate pathway conduction with preserved atrioventricular conduction.

The distributions of many terrestrial organisms are currently shifting in latitude or elevation in response to changing climate. Using a meta-analysis, we estimated that the distributions of species have recently shifted to higher elevations at a median rate of 11.0 meters per decade, and to higher latitudes at a median rate of 16.9 kilometers per decade. These rates are approximately two and three times faster than previously reported. The distances moved by species are greatest in studies showing the highest levels of warming, with average latitudinal shifts being generally sufficient to track temperature changes. However, individual species vary greatly in their rates of change, suggesting that the range shift of each species depends on multiple internal species traits and external drivers of change. Rapid average shifts derive from a wide diversity of responses by individual species.

We demonstrated high luminance of blue organic light-emitting devices using DNA biopolymer modified by aromatic surfactant. Such material helps to improve hole-electron balance at the emitting layer without increasing the driving voltage significantly, which is attributed to the use of aromatic surfactant in DNA biopolymer. Maximum luminance of 12014 cd/m2 at 14V for DNA biopolymer-based OLED was achieved. Further enhancement can be obtained while metallic nanoparticles were hybridized in DNA biopolymer matrix forming nanoparticle/DNA biopolymer nanocomposite using a rapid photosynthesis method.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the Notch 1 signaling pathway and the embryo implantation rate. Design Mouse embryos were cultured in vitro, and implantation competency was quantified. Setting Tertiary fertility center of a university teaching hospital. Animal(s) Outbred ICR strain mouse embryos. Intervention(s) The expression of Notch 1 was altered by adding a γ-secretase inhibitor to the culture medium. We quantified the consequent effect on embryo implantation. Main Outcome Measure(s) We measured the messenger RNA level of Notch 1 gene at different embryonic stages, embryo implantation rate under different culture conditions, the amount of Notch 1, and related implantation competency. Result(s) Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression of Notch 1 increased during the implantation window. Adding γ-secretase inhibitor in the culture medium decreased the percentage of blastocysts in a dose-dependent manner. A Matrigel invasion assay showed that the competency of implantation required adequate expression of Notch 1 intracellular domain. Conclusion(s) Expression of Notch 1 at the proper time is required for the competency of embryo implantation; this effect is mediated through regulation of Notch 1 intracellular domain expression.

The current approach of packing and delivering instructional materials in asynchronous Web-based learning environments has a number of intrinsic drawbacks. To resolve them, it is rational to provide instructional data and activities in the form of services. To conduct service-composed instructional processes in cloud learning environments, a mechanism for accessing and mashing-up various pedagogical Web services is critical. This article aims to clarify the corresponding requirements and design principles, then propose a reference architecture for this mechanism accordingly.

since its inception in mid-90s, the World Wide Web has become a major platform for presenting and distributing data in various domains. Much instrumentation and measurement data also are automatically processed and posted on the Web to reach more people of interest. However, the numerous sources and large volume of data will overwhelm data consumers. The RSS, a widely-adopted information dissemination tool, can bring textual messages from different sources into a single interface for relieving overloaded information consumers. However, it can not syndicate and manipulate other non-textual data, including those numerical data for presenting instrumentation and measurement results. Accordingly, this research aims to develop a platform on which numeric data from multiple sources could be syndicated and manipulated. With this kind of platform, people can collect data from diverse sources more efficiently, and then generate more valuable information for either decision-making or bookkeeping.

Physiological research suggests that tropical insects are particularly sensitive to temperature, but information on their responses to climate change has been lacking—even though the majority of all terrestrial species are insects and their diversity is concentrated in the tropics. Here, we provide evidence that tropical insect species have already undertaken altitude increases, confirming the global reach of climate change impacts on biodiversity. In 2007, we repeated a historical altitudinal transect, originally carried out in 1965 on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, sampling 6 moth assemblages between 1,885 and 3,675 m elevation. We estimate that the average altitudes of individuals of 102 montane moth species, in the family Geometridae, increased by a mean of 67 m over the 42 years. Our findings indicate that tropical species are likely to be as sensitive as temperate species to climate warming, and we urge ecologists to seek other historic tropical samples to carry out similar repeat surveys. These observed changes, in combination with the high diversity and thermal sensitivity of insects, suggest that large numbers of tropical insect species could be affected by climate warming. As the highest mountain in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, Mount Kinabalu is a globally important refuge for terrestrial species that become restricted to high altitudes by climate warming.

To understand process executed in many activities, process mining technologies are now extensively studied. However, three major problems in the current process mining techniques are identified. First, most process mining techniques mainly use local search strategy to generate process models. Second, time intervals between two actives are not considered so that patterns that are different in view of time are regarded as the same behaviors. Third, no precision evaluation measure is defined to evaluate the quality of process models. To solve these difficulties, this research proposes a time-interval process mining method. A genetic process mining algorithm with time-interval consideration is developed. Then, a precision evaluation measure is defined to evaluate the quality of the generated process models. Finally, the best process model with highest precision value is reported.

Compared to the current approach of delivering instructional materials to learners in Web-based learning environments, the service-oriented instructional processes bring benefits in multiple facets. To realize the concept of service-oriented instructional processes, the capability of dynamically searching and binding pedagogical services is inevitable. However, linking remote services results in more latency, which will undermine learning experience and thus needs to be minimized. It is rational to support cache for holding metadata of available instructional resources locally. Besides the cache mechanism, subscription and syndication of pedagogical resourcespsila metadata also will make the implementation of service-oriented instructional processes more practical and efficient. This paper aims to clarify the corresponding design principles and propose the reference architecture for realizing the concept.

The filamentous fungus Monascus pilosus was genetically transformed with a reporter plasmid, pMS-1.5hp, by aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) treatment to obtain an efficient red-pigment producing mutant. The transformation efficiency of Monascus pilosus was higher with the ATA-treatment than with either a non-restriction-enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) or a REMI method. This valid and convenient random mutagenesis method shows that ATA can be applied in fungi for efficient genetic transformation.

Objective To present male gender preselection after successive gestational hyperandrogenism and female pseudohermaphroditism by pregnancy luteomas. Design Case report. Setting University-based teaching hospital. Patient(s) We describe herein a gravida who presented two successive 46, XX disorders of sex development with apparent female genitalia with an enlarged clitoris due to maternal androgen excess from pregnancy luteoma. The maternal hyperandrogenemia returned to a normal level and bilateral luteoma regressed spontaneously postpartum. After gender preselection by Y-bearing spermatozoa for intrauterine insemination at the third gestation, a healthy boy was born in spite of the exaggerated maternal androgen production of pregnancy luteoma to avoid 46, XX disorders of sex development. Intervention(s) Y-bearing spermatozoa for intrauterine insemination as male gender preselection. Main Outcome Measure(s) Boy born after gender preselection for intrauterine insemination and cesarean section. Result(s) Healthy boy born without disorder of sex development after antenatal maternal androgen excess of ovarian luteoma. Conclusion(s) Successive pregnancy luteomas associated with maternal hyperandrogenism may cause female disorders of sex development. Male preselection ameliorates the insult of external genitalia ambiguity by antenatal androgen excess in this matter of concern.

Web-based training gains popularity due to the pervasiveness of Web applications, abundant hyper media contents, and other attractive attributes. However, previous experience and research indicate that learners in Web-based learning environments tend to drop out when they lose orientation or have insufficient interaction with support providers during self-directed learning process. Formative assessment activities can not only identify weakness of learners, but also can provide guidance toward ultimate learning goals through interactions with learners. Various instructional resources have been designed to enrich e-learning context, and most of these resources are integrated proprietarily within Web-based learning platforms. The service oriented approach, which enables a more flexible way for architecting software systems, could be applied in a variety of domains, including those with the purpose of pedagogy. This research work aims to investigate a method of enhancing interactivity in Web-central learning environments by means of blending formative assessment services into instructional processes. A proof-of-concept prototype has been implemented and the preliminary usage shows that the interactions between self-directed learners and support-providers are critical to sustaining those learners as well as better learning achievements.

This study was conducted to compare pregnancy rates following two different timings of intrauterine insemination (IUI) in ovarian stimulated cycles. This retrospective study included 135 couples undergoing treatment for infertility. IUI was performed at either 24 hr or 36 hr after hCG injection. Pregnancy rates did not differ between the two groups or in subgroups receiving different methods of ovarian stimulation. Pregnancy rates were similar when IUI was performed at either 24 or 36 hr after hCG injection in ovarian stimulated cycles.

A 6-bit 1.6 GS/s CMOS flash ADC using reversed-reference dummy method is demonstrated in a standard 0.18-μm CMOS process. The proposed method improves linearity error at the boundary of offset averaging networks. The prototype circuit exhibits an INL of +0.32/-0.28 LSB and a DNL of +0.28/-0.28 LSB. The SNDR and SFDR achieve 32 and 44 dB at 1.6 GS/s for Nyquist input frequency. The ADC consumes 350 mW at 1.8 V supply and occupies an active chip area of 0.46 mm2.

The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is often observed in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). In severe form OHSS is a serious and potentially life-threatening. Here we report a 36-year-old woman with primary infertility due to endometriosis who underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Ten days later, severe late-onset ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, severe ascites and pulmonary effusion, developed. Continuous abdominal paracentesis of 5000 mL/day was performed on the third day. With this procedure, ascitic fluid was drained efficiently and the patient's condition improved. This report suggests that early continuous abdominal paracentesis with drainage of ascitic fluid is an efficacious procedure for management of the severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome as soon as euvolemia is achieved clinically.

Increased DNA fragmentation is found in sperm from infertile men. Varicocele is an important cause of male infertility, even though it is present in 15% of men who father children. Semen analysis does not always identify infertility in these patients. Sperm motility is strongly correlated with male fertility potential. The goal of this study was to determine the correlation between apoptosis and kinematics in the ejaculated spermatozoa of patients affected by varicocele. Fresh semen samples were obtained from 30 patients with varicocele and 15 fertile controls. These samples were compared using computer-assisted semen analysis and were assayed to determine the degree of sperm apoptosis. The apoptotic index (AI) was calculated by dividing the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine-5'-triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) stained spermatozoa by the total number of Hoechst 33258-stained sperm cells for 300 sperm. Five microscopic fields were analyzed to obtain 5 AIs for each individual. Results demonstrated no significant difference in semen quality and sperm motion characteristics; however, a significantly higher AI (23.05% +/- 4.07%: mean difference +/- SE, 95% CI, 15.06%-31.03%, P

A 38-year-old man with no significant structural heart disease suffered from one episode of wide QRS tachycardia. The electrocardiogram showed a PR interval of 0.20 second and a QRS duration of 0.10 second. His bundle recording revealed an HV interval of 90–100 ms. The tachycardia was inducible with programmed stimulation and displayed a QRS morphology of complete left bundle branch block. It was characterized by an atrioventricular dissociation, a cycle length of 280 ms, and an H deflection preceding each QRS complex. Pacing from the right ventricular apex at a cycle length of 270 ms entrained the tachycardia, while at a cycle length of 260 ms, the tachycardia was terminated. Four years later, the patient presented with complete atrioventricular block with a wide QRS escape rhythm. An electrophysiologic study conducted while he was in 1:1 atrioventricular conduction showed an HV interval of 100 ms. Second-degree infrahisian block developed at an atrial paced cycle length of 700 ms. There was no induction of tachycardia with programmed stimulation before or after isoproterenol. The patient was treated with an implantation of a permanent pacemaker.

An electrophysiologic study followed by transcatheter radiofrequency ablation therapy was performed in two adult patients with a permanent form of junctional tachycardia. Both patients had no structural heart disease and exhibited a normal resting ECG. The P wave during tachycardia was negative in leads 1, 3, and a VF, biphasic over V 6 , and positive in V 1 and aVL in both patients, while the P-R/R-P interval ratio during tachycardia was 0.82 and 0.36, respectively, in both patients. Both patients displayed an eccentric atrial activation sequence with the earliest atrial activation occurring at the distal coronary sinus and a decremental retrograde conduction property during incremental ventricular pacing, suggesting the presence of a concealed slowly conducting left free wall accessory pathway. The tachycardia used the normal atrioventricular pathway for anterograde conduction and the concealed slow left accessory pathway for retrograde conduction. It was terminated following adenosine administration in both patients; termination of tachycardia was due to a block in the retrograde accessory pathway in one patient and due to a block in the atrioventricular node in the other patient. Radiofrequency ablation was performed by the retrograde transaortic approach. The radiofrequency current was delivered to the site of the earliest atrial activation during tachycardia at the ventricular aspect of the mitral annulus. The successful ablation site had a ventriculoatrial (VA) interval of 120 and 130 ms, respectively, and was located at the posterolateral and lateral aspects of the mitral annulus. Following ablation, there was no VA conduction; however, conduction through the normal atrioventricular pathway was noted during isoproterenol infusion in both patients. There was no induction of tachycardia. This study demonstrates that the permanent form of junctional tachycardia in adults can incorporate a concealed left free wall accessory pathway with a decremental property. Radiofrequency ablation therapy is effective and safe in this form of arrhythmia.

In this study, the hole mobility of DNA biopolymer is examined by time-of-flight measurement. DNA biopolymer film is characterized under different electric fields and temperatures. The hole mobility exhibits a negative field dependence at lower fields above 273 K and is found to be positively correlated with temperature. Analysis of the experimental results is carried out and the carrier transport mechanisms in DNA biopolymer based on the experimental results are proposed and discussed.

We demonstrate blue organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) with high luminance based on DNA biopolymer. We incorporated aromatic surfactant in the synthesis of DNA biopolymer, which results in lower operation voltage of biopolymer-based OLEDs and a turn-on voltage of 3.77 V was achieved. Maximum luminance of 12277 cd/m2 and a 46.4% enhancement in luminous efficacy of blue OLED based on DNA biopolymer was demonstrated compared to the reference device. This demonstrates a viable and facile route to adjust the conductivity of DNA biopolymer and paves the way towards multifunctional biomaterial-based optoelectronic devices and applications.

We have developed a stable green organic electroluminescent (EL) device by using an Al–Cu alloy as a cathode, which has better performance and reliability than the device with an Al cathode. The device with an Al–Cu alloy cathode achieved an EL efficiency of 3.78cd∕A(2.18lm∕W) at 20mA∕cm2 and the operating voltage was 5.46 V, while device with Al cathode had an EL efficiency of 3.1cd∕A(1.34lm∕W) and 7.3 V at the same drive condition. The Al–Cu device achieved a 20% decay lifetime (t80) of 1234 h at an initial brightness of 756cd∕m2, which is twice the lifetime of conventional device with the state-of-the-art LiF∕Al cathode.

Sauropus Androgynus, known as cekur manis or sweet shoot, is a popular vegetable in Southeast Asia and is used as a weight-reducing vegetable in Taiwan. Three women who developed torsade de pointes after consuming large amounts of sauropus androgynus are described in this report.