Theory and Techniques for Vibration-Induced Conductivity Fluctuation testing of Soils

First we present and theoretically analyze the phenomenological physical picture behind Vibration-Induced Conductivity Fluctuations. We identify the relevant tensors characterizing the electromechanical response against the vibrations for both longitudinal and transversal responses. We analyze the conductivity response with acceleration type vibrations and a new scheme, measurements with more advantageous compression type vibrations that are first introduced here. Compression vibrations provide sideband spectral lines shifted by the frequency of the vibration instead of its second harmonics; moreover the application of this method is less problematic with loose electrodes. Concerning geometry and electrodes, the large measurement errors in earlier experiment indicated electrode effects which justify using four-electrode type measurements. We propose and analyze new arrangements for the longitudinal and transversal measurements with both compression vibration and acceleration vibration for laboratory and field conditions

ZnSe/ZnSeTe Superlattice Nanotips

The authors report the growth of ZnSe/ZnSeTe superlattice nanotips on oxidized Si(100) substrate. It was found the nanotips exhibit mixture of cubic zinc-blende and hexagonal wurtzite structures. It was also found that photoluminescence intensities observed from the ZnSe/ZnSeTe superlattice nanotips were much larger than that observed from the homogeneous ZnSeTe nanotips. Furthermore, it was found that activation energies for the ZnSe/ZnSeTe superlattice nanotips with well widths of 16, 20, and 24 nm were 76, 46, and 19 meV, respectively

On Holo-Hilbert spectral analysis: a full informational spectral representation for nonlinear and non-stationary data

The Holo-Hilbert spectral analysis (HHSA) method is introduced to cure the deficiencies of traditional spectral analysis and to give a full informational representation of nonlinear and non-stationary data. It uses a nested empirical mode decomposition and Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) approach to identify intrinsic amplitude and frequency modulations often present in nonlinear systems. Comparisons are first made with traditional spectrum analysis, which usually achieved its results through convolutional integral transforms based on additive expansions of an a priori determined basis, mostly under linear and stationary assumptions. Thus, for non-stationary processes, the best one could do historically was to use the time–frequency representations, in which the amplitude (or energy density) variation is still represented in terms of time. For nonlinear processes, the data can have both amplitude and frequency modulations (intra-mode and inter-mode) generated by two different mechanisms: linear additive or nonlinear multiplicative processes. As all existing spectral analysis methods are based on additive expansions, either a priori or adaptive, none of them could possibly represent the multiplicative processes. While the earlier adaptive HHT spectral analysis approach could accommodate the intra-wave nonlinearity quite remarkably, it remained that any inter-wave nonlinear multiplicative mechanisms that include cross-scale coupling and phase-lock modulations were left untreated. To resolve the multiplicative processes issue, additional dimensions in the spectrum result are needed to account for the variations in both the amplitude and frequency modulations simultaneously. HHSA accommodates all the processes: additive and multiplicative, intra-mode and inter-mode, stationary and non-stationary, linear and nonlinear interactions. The Holo prefix in HHSA denotes a multiple dimensional representation with both additive and multiplicative capabilities

Primjena teorije sivih sustava na kvalitetu softverskih projekata

The aim of this work is the identification of software project quality performance measures that would enable valid comparison and ranking of the completed projects. Software projects can be characterized by a set of influence factors. A subset of the influence factors is relevant for software project quality. In order to predict and determine the ranking of software projects by their success, and thus present a valid software project quality performance measure, we employ Grey system theory. Grey relational analysis is a kind of method which enables determination of the relational degree of every factor in the system. The method can be used for systems that are incompletely described with relatively few data available, and for which standard statistical assumptions are not satisfied. Relational degree between seven relevant software project quality influence factors is calculated for a set of ten software projects. The results demonstrate the usefulness and applicability of the Grey system theory in software project quality assessment.Cilj rada je identifikacija mjera performanse kvalitete softverskog projekta koje bi omogućile usporedbu i rangiranje završenih projekata. Softverski projekti mogu se okarakterizirati skupom faktora utjecaja. Podskup tih faktora važan je za kvalitetu softverskih projekata. Da bi se predvidio i odredio poredak sofverskih projekata prema uspješnosti i na taj način predstavilo valjanu mjeru performanse kvalitete sofverskih projekata, koristi se teorija sivih sustava. Siva analiza odnosa je takva metoda koja omogućava određivanje stupnja odnosa svakog faktora u sustavu. Takva metoda koristi se za sustave koji su nepotpuno opisani s relativno malo podataka i za koje standardne statističke pretpostavke nisu zadovoljene. Stupanj odnosa između sedam bitnih faktora kvalitete softverskih projekata izračunat je na skupu od deset softverskih projekata. Rezultati pokazuju učinkovitost i primijenjivost teorije sivih sustava u ocjeni kvalitete softverskih projekata

Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) for the Subaru Telescope: Overview, recent progress, and future perspectives

PFS (Prime Focus Spectrograph), a next generation facility instrument on the 8.2-meter Subaru Telescope, is a very wide-field, massively multiplexed, optical and near-infrared spectrograph. Exploiting the Subaru prime focus, 2394 reconfigurable fibers will be distributed over the 1.3 deg field of view. The spectrograph has been designed with 3 arms of blue, red, and near-infrared cameras to simultaneously observe spectra from 380nm to 1260nm in one exposure at a resolution of ~1.6-2.7A. An international collaboration is developing this instrument under the initiative of Kavli IPMU. The project is now going into the construction phase aiming at undertaking system integration in 2017-2018 and subsequently carrying out engineering operations in 2018-2019. This article gives an overview of the instrument, current project status and future paths forward.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. Proceeding of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 201

ITPKC Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Associated with the Kawasaki Disease in a Taiwanese Population

Kawasaki disease (KD) is characterized by systemic vasculitis with unknown etiology. Previous studies from Japan indicated that a gene polymorphism of ITPKC (rs28493229) is responsible for susceptibility to KD. We collected DNA samples from 1,531 Taiwanese subjects (341 KD patients and 1,190 controls) for genotyping ITPKC. In this study, no significant association was noted for the ITPKC polymorphism (rs28493229) between the controls and KD patients, although the CC genotype was overrepresented. We further combined our data with previously published case/control KD studies in the Taiwanese population and performed a meta-analysis. A significant association between rs28493229 and KD was found (Odds Ratio:1.36, 95% Confidence Interval 1.12–1.66). Importantly, a significant association was obtained between rs28493229 and KD patients with aneurysm formation (P = 0.001, under the recessive model). Taken together, our results indicated that C-allele of ITPKC SNP rs28493229 is associated with the susceptibility and aneurysm formation in KD patients in a Taiwanese population

The evaluation of a Taiwanese training program in smoking cessation and the trainees' adherence to a practice guideline

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Taiwanese government began reimbursement for smoking cessation in 2002. Certification from a training program was required for physicians who wanted reimbursement. The program certified 6,009 physicians till 2007. The objective of this study is to evaluate the short- and long term efficacy of the training program.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For short term evaluation, all trainees in 2007 were recruited. For long term evaluation, computer randomly selected 2,000 trainees who received training from 2002 to 2006 were recruited. Course satisfaction, knowledge, confidence in providing smoking cessation services and the adherence to a practice guideline were evaluated by questionnaires.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Trainees reported high satisfaction with the training program. There was significant difference between pre- and post-test scores in knowledge. Confidence in providing services was lower in the long term evaluation compared to short term evaluation. For adherence to a practice guideline, 86% asked the status of smoking, 88% advised the smokers to quit, 76% assessed the smoker's willingness to quit, 59% assisted the smokers to quit, and 60% arranged follow-up visits for smokers. The incentive of reimbursement was the most significant factor affecting confidence and adherence.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The training program was satisfactory and effective. Adherence to a practice guideline in our study was better than studies without physician training in other countries.</p

Invasive fungal infection among hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients with mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Invasive fungal infection (IFI) is associated with high morbidity and high mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patientsThe purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics and outcomes of HSCT patients with IFIs who are undergoing MV at a single institution in Taiwan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed an observational retrospective analysis of IFIs in HSCT patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) in an intensive care unit (ICU) from the year 2000 to 2009. The characteristics of these HSCT patients and risk factors related to IFIs were evaluated. The status of discharge, length of ICU stay, date of death and cause of death were also recorded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 326 HSCT patients at the Linkou Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) during the study period. Sixty of these patients (18%) were transferred to the ICU and placed on mechanical ventilators. A total of 20 of these 60 patients (33%) had IFIs. Multivariate analysis indicated that independent risk factors for IFI were admission to an ICU more than 40 days after HSCT, graft versus host disease (GVHD), and high dose corticosteroid (<it>p </it>< 0.01 for all). The overall ICU mortality rate was 88% (53 of 60 patients), and was not significantly different for patients with IFIs (85%) and those without IFIs (90%, <it>p </it>= 0.676).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There was a high incidence of IFIs in HSCT patients requiring MV in the ICU in our study cohort. The independent risk factors for IFI are ICU admission more than 40 days after HSCT, GVHD, and use of high-dose corticosteroid.</p

ORAI1 Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with the Susceptibility of Atopic Dermatitis in Japanese and Taiwanese Populations

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Multiple genetic and environmental factors are thought to be responsible for susceptibility to AD. In this study, we collected 2,478 DNA samples including 209 AD patients and 729 control subjects from Taiwanese population and 513 AD patients and 1027 control subject from Japanese population for sequencing and genotyping ORAI1. A total of 14 genetic variants including 3 novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ORAI1 gene were identified. Our results indicated that a non-synonymous SNP (rs3741596, Ser218Gly) associated with the susceptibility of AD in the Japanese population but not in the Taiwanese population. However, there is another SNP of ORAI1 (rs3741595) associated with the risk of AD in the Taiwanese population but not in the Japanese population. Taken together, our results indicated that genetic polymorphisms of ORAI1 are very likely to be involved in the susceptibility of AD