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UV/cold shock-mediated frostbite involves non-apoptotic nuclear bubbling cell death (BCD) and participation of functional WWOX in cells (WWOXf). In contrast, cells with WWOX deficiency or dysfunction (WWOXd) undergo pop-out explosion death (POD). Here, by time-lapse microscopy, when WWOXf cells were exposed to UV or UV/cold shock and then incubated at room temperature, these cells rapidly and sequentially underwent: 1) loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, 2) formation of a nitric oxide (NO)-containing nuclear bubble per cell, 3) WWOX-dependent increase in calcium (Ca2+) influx, 4) shutdown of mRNA and protein synthesis machinery, as determined by RT/PCR and gene chip analysis, and 5) eventual cell death without caspase activation, stress fiber formation and chromosomal DNA fragmentation. In contrast, WWOXd cells exhibited a faster kinetics of stress fiber formation, explosion and death without NO production. Ectopic WWOX restored calcium influx and nuclear bubbling in WWOXd cells. In hairless mice, UV/cold shock rapidly downregulated protein expression in the skin and then liver, which may lead to organ damages. UV/cold shock induced complex formation of antiapoptotic TRAF2 and proapoptotic WWOX and their co-translocation to the nucleus, where the complex dissociation occurred. The observations suggest that WWOX and TRAF2 dissociation is needed for nuclear bubbling and death.

In this study, three in situ laterally loaded tests on bridge columns with caisson foundations in gravels were numerically explored. The three tests differed in the application position of lateral loads and the exposed length of the foundations. The analysis model used beam–column elements with distributed plastic hinges to simulate the column and a six-component Winkler beam model to simulate the foundation. The lateral stiffness of the foundation with combined moment and horizontal loading and a large exposed length was the smallest. Although the foundations were situated in a gravel stratum, the caisson with a large exposed length underwent significant foundation flexibility and nonlinearity; however, with increasing lateral loading, the influences of foundation flexibility and nonlinearity on the lateral displacement of the columns were reduced because column yielding limited the load transfer to the foundation. The horizontal soil reactions in front of the foundation and the side horizontal shear soil reactions along the caisson shaft provided major resistances to lateral loading (horizontal load and overturning moment). With increasing foundation exposure, the contribution of the base soil reactions increased, but the contribution of the side horizontal soil reactions decreased accordingly. The side vertical shear soil reactions and base normal soil reactions contributed moment resistance to reduce the foundation displacement and rotation and thus promoted the overall lateral capacity of the caisson foundations although they did not provide direct counterbalances to horizontal loads.

A new biocompatible triblock copolymer, poly(e-caprolactone-b-ethylene oxide-b-γ-benzyl l-glutamate) (PCL-b-PEO-b-PBLG), has been prepared through sequential ring-opening polymerizations, with two degrees of polymerization for the PBLG block segment when using an amino-terminated PCL-b-PEO diblock copolymer as the macroinitiator. The hydrogen bonding strengths (interassociation equilibrium constants) followed the order of phenolic/PEO (KA = 264.8) > phenolic/PCL (KC = 116.8) > phenolic/PBLG (KD = 9.0), indicating that the phenolic OH groups preferred to interact with the C–O–C units of PEO block, then the C═O units of PCL block, and finally with the C═O units of PBLG block. The hydrogen bonding behavior of these four competing functional units could be predicted accurately using the Painter–Coleman association model. These competitive hydrogen bonding interactions induced various miscibility behaviors and self-assembled hierarchical structures, ranging from the hexagonally packed cylinder structure of α-h...

In the microbial fuel cells (MFCs) driven capacitive deionization (CDI) process, the electricity generated from MFCs can be utilized for downstream deionization processes in the CDI cell. However, due to the typical configuration of MFCs, i.e., anaerobic anode and aerobic cathode compartments, the MFC effluent still contains various ionic pollutants, e.g., NO 3 − and PO 4 3− . In this study, we present the proof-of-concept of an integrated MFC-CDI process for advanced wastewater treatment: the cost-effective continuous-flow MFCs perform as secondary treatment for organic carbon and ammonium removal, electricity production; the energy-efficient CDI cell works as the tertiary treatment to enhance the purification and desalination of domestic wastewater effluent. The results indicated that approximately 90% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium were removed in the MFCs. CDI, powered by connecting two MFCs in parallel and associated with a potential of 0.49 V, could subsequently remove multi-ionic species from the MFC-treated effluent. More specifically, nutrient ions (NO 3 − and PO 4 3− ) can be electrostatically removed by the CDI process. These results demonstrated that the integrated MFC-CDI technology, which harvested energy from wastewater, held great potential to be an advanced, energy-saving purification process for the simultaneous removal of carbonaceous pollutants, improved nutrient removal, and further electrosorptive desalination of domestic wastewater treatment, in order to achieve a sustainable water-energy system. They also showed that, in addition to effluent quality improvement, the tertiary electrosorption of CDI played a significant role in the stability of effluent quality so as to dampen variations in the quality of secondary-treated effluent.

A series of pile load tests was conducted at a fossil fuel power plant in Taiwan to evaluate the performance of piles in a coal ash deposit that were improved using gravel compaction. The data from lateral load tests on two large-sized reinforced concrete piles were analyzed in this study. The original penetration resistance of the coal ash layer was low, but it increased after the ground improvement. Based on the load-defection curves of the test piles, the complete relationships of equivalent subgrade reaction coefficient kh with lateral displacement were derived and compared with those suggested by the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ) and the Japan Road Association (JRA). A composite SPT-N value was adopted to include the contribution of the gravel piles. It was found that the JRA equation using the composite SPT-N value fitted well with the relationships. Moreover, the experimental pile response and p-y curves were deduced using the inclinometer slope data. The relationships of the secant kh of the p-y curves vs. the normalized lateral displacement were further compiled and compared with those predicted by the JRA method. It was shown that the predicted curves using the composite SPT-N values also agreed well with the experimental relationships. Through a comparison of the profiles of the soil reaction with some existing lateral limiting soil pressure formulas, it was found that Prasad and Chari’s method was able to yield predictions close to the ultimate soil reaction.

Lateral cyclic load tests were performed on an aluminum model pile in dry sand. Two levels of loading were adopted to represent different service load conditions. The maximum number of loading cycles was 1,000. From the test results, it was found that the even though in the service load condition, the pile response was still affected by cyclic effects and a larger load level would produce more significant influence. In a global point of view, the lateral displacement and maximum moment increased with loading cycles, while the secant stiffness within a cycle decreased with cycles. The cyclic effect was more significant on the lateral displacement than on the moment. In a local point of view, cyclic loading would degrade the equivalent subgrade stiffness for the soil shallower than about seven times diameter. In addition, the secant subgrade stiffness within a cycle increased with loading cycles. Some experimental relationships of lateral pile response and loading cycles were built and compared with...

This study is an attempt to explore proficient Taiwanese senior high school students’ difficulties and strategies toward L1 (Chinese) and L 2 (English) Reading. A total of eight proficient students participated in this study. An in-depth face to face interview was adopted for data collection. Through the enthusiastic response of the students, we can gain an overall understanding of their reading difficulties and strategies toward Chinese and English reading. This study shows that there are some similarities and differences between Chinese and English reading perceptions. Based on the findings of this study, classroom teachers will be able to design more effective reading strategy curriculum and instruction geared to the students’ needs.

This paper proposes a Personalized e-Course Composition approach based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, called PC2PSO, to compose appropriate e-learning materials into personalized e-courses for individual learners. The PC2PSO composes a personalized e-course according to (1) whether or not the covered learning concepts of the personalized e-course meets the expected learning target of a learner, (2) whether or not the difficulty of the e-learning material matches a learner's ability, (3) the limitation of learning time for individual learners, and (4) the balance of the weight of learning concepts that are covered in a personalized e-course. PC2PSO can provide a truly personalized learning environment when used in conjunction with an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS). When an e-course authoring tool is based on the proposed approach, the PC2PSO can facilitate instructors in selecting appropriate e-learning materials from a mass of candidate e-learning materials, and then saves time and effort in the e-course editing process.

This study aimed to explore the differences between genders as well as the proficiency differences of students who experienced English listening anxiety at a senior high school in Taiwan. The participants were 102 randomly selected students at a senior high school in Taiwan. An English listening anxiety questionnaire was adopted for data collection. The results have shown that students attributed the cause of anxiety to the fear of listening time constraint, the fear of fast speaking speed, a lack of prior knowledge, a lack of adequate knowledge about vocabulary and topics. The results showed there was no significant difference between male and female students in terms of their English listening anxieties in this study. On the contrary, the results showed there was a significant difference between two different proficiency groups in terms of their English listening anxieties. On the average, lower level listening proficiency group students had higher English listening anxieties than higher level listening proficiency group students. Keywords: EFL listening anxiety, gender, proficiency levels, senior high school students

The majority of published cases of prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) have been of B-cell origin. Nineteen cases of PLL of T-cell type have been described, as has a single case of PLL having a surface phenotype with features of both B-cells and T-cells. This report presents a review of these cases and comparison with one case of T-cell PLL. By using specific monoclonal antibody technique, this case was subcategorized into helper-cell phenotype: E-rosette(+), SIG(-), Anti-T(+), Anti-B(-), Anti-monocyte(-), OKT3(+), OKT4(+), OKT6(-), OKT8(-), Ia(+), and Tdt(-). Cytochemical studies showed paranuclear acid phosphatase granules. Postmortem examination revealed a predominant T-cell zone infiltration by the leukemic cells in the spleen and lymph nodes, with involvement of multiple organs. The application of the monoclonal antibody technique, which can be standardized among different laboratories to subclassify lymphoproliferative disorders into functional subtypes, should lead to a better understanding and more effective treatment of this disease.

Thirty-five patients with unexplained congestive heart failure were evaluated with endomyocardial biopsy. Utilizing microscopic, ultrastructural and immunofluores-cent studies, samples were classified as exhibiting either no inflammation (cardiomyopathy) or active lymphocytic myocarditis, grade I to IV. Twenty-two (63%) of the patients had inflammatory changes. Of these 22 patients, 18 had low grade I or II inflammation, 7 were treated with immunosuppressive agents with improvement in 5 and stabilization in 1. One patient died of progressive congestive heart failure. Three of four patients with high grade III or IV myocarditis died after a fulminant course. The results suggest that inflammatory myocarditis may be more common than previously suspected and add evidence that there may be ongoing inflammation in many cases of congestive cardiomyopathy.

• A 16-year-old boy with acute perimyocarditis had serological evidence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. The endomyocardial biopsy specimen showed grade 2 active lymphocytic myocarditis. A T-cell study suggested a cell-mediated immune process in the pathogenesis of carditis. Mycoplasma pneumoniae needs to be considered as a possible cause of acute carditis, and histological findings may influence management. (AJDC1986;140:471-472)

Despite two controlled investigations of childhood nephrosis totalling 373 patients, there remains a paucity of detailed clinical and pathologic information of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis with the nephrotic syndrome in childhood. We had the opportunity to study 8 patients with the nephrotic syndrome, the mean age of onset was 7.2 years with a range of 3.5 to 12.2 years; there were 5 males and 3 females. All patients had renal biopsies which were studied by light, electron and immuno-fluorescent microscopy. The pathologic findings with hematoxylin-eosin showed predominant mesangial proliferation in all patients. Immunofluorescences revealed positive mesangial fluorescence to immunoglobulin (Ig) M in 8 patients, 6 of 8 had C3 complement and fibrin/fibrinogen, 4 of 8 had IgG. Electron microscopy showed electron dense deposits in the mesangium. Seven of the 8 patients were steroid sensitive and frequent relapsing nephrotics. One is steroid resistant for 1.5 years but renal function remained normal. It has been assumed that children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome with the onset before 5 years of age have idlopathic nephrotic syndrom: (I.N.S.), 2 of the present patients ware leas than 5 years at onset; therefore, this may no longer be an accurate assunption. Therefore previous studies of steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome with onset less than 5 years without renal biopsies may not fulfill the pathologic criteria of I.N.S.