Search for serendipitous TNO occultation in X-rays

To study the population properties of small, remote objects beyond Neptune's orbit in the outer solar system, of kilometer size or smaller, serendipitous occultation search is so far the only way. For hectometer-sized Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), optical shadows actually disappear because of diffraction. Observations at shorter wave lengths are needed. Here we report the effort of TNO occultation search in X-rays using RXTE/PCA data of Sco X-1 taken from June 2007 to October 2011. No definite TNO occultation events were found in the 334 ks data. We investigate the detection efficiency dependence on the TNO size to better define the sensible size range of our approach and suggest upper limits to the TNO size distribution in the size range from 30 m to 300 m. A list of X-ray sources suitable for future larger facilities to observe is proposed.Comment: Accepted to publish in MNRA

Haemophilus Aphrophilus Associated Spleen Abscess: An Unusual Presentation of Subacute Endocarditis

The HACEK group of bacteria (Haemophilus spp., Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corrodens, Kingella spp.), is uncommon pathogens of infective endocarditis, but can cause life-threatening events such as heart failure or formation of lethal emboli. Here we report a 58-year-old Asian man with a past history of congenital valvular heart disease who presented with sudden onset of left flank pain followed by fever with chills for 2 weeks. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) indicated a 1.6 cm abscess in the spleen. Culturing indicated the presence of Haemophilus aphrophilus. We diagnosed the patient with subacute endocarditis complicated with spleen abscess. The patient recovered fully after two weeks antibiotic (Ceftriaxone) treatment. Clinicians should give further attention to infective endocarditis caused by bacteria in the HACEK group in patients with metastatic infection such as spleen abscess with suspected valvular heart disease

Retraction and Generalized Extension of Computing with Words

Fuzzy automata, whose input alphabet is a set of numbers or symbols, are a formal model of computing with values. Motivated by Zadeh's paradigm of computing with words rather than numbers, Ying proposed a kind of fuzzy automata, whose input alphabet consists of all fuzzy subsets of a set of symbols, as a formal model of computing with all words. In this paper, we introduce a somewhat general formal model of computing with (some special) words. The new features of the model are that the input alphabet only comprises some (not necessarily all) fuzzy subsets of a set of symbols and the fuzzy transition function can be specified arbitrarily. By employing the methodology of fuzzy control, we establish a retraction principle from computing with words to computing with values for handling crisp inputs and a generalized extension principle from computing with words to computing with all words for handling fuzzy inputs. These principles show that computing with values and computing with all words can be respectively implemented by computing with words. Some algebraic properties of retractions and generalized extensions are addressed as well.Comment: 13 double column pages; 3 figures; to be published in the IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy System

A Mining-Based System Framework for Deploying Knowledge Maps of Composite E-Services

Providing e-services and composite e-services on the Internet is an important trend of e-business. Composite e-services are complex processes which consist of various e-services provided by different e-service providers. In such complex environments, the flexibility and success of e-business depend on effective knowledge supports to access related information and resources of composite e-services. This work proposes a knowledge map platform to provide an effective knowledge support for utilizing composite e-services. A mining-based system framework is proposed to construct the knowledge map. Moreover, the proposed knowledge map is integrated with recommendation capability to provide users customized decision support in utilizing composite e-services

Unraveling the Role of the rssC Gene of Serratia marcescens by Atomic Force Microscopy

100學年度研究獎補助論文[[abstract]]The product and direct role of the rssC gene of Serratia marcescens is unknown. For unraveling the role of the rssC gene, atomic force microscopy has been used to identify the surfaces of intact S. marcescens wild-type CH-1 cells and rssC mutant CH-1ΔC cells. The detailed surface topographies were directly visualized, and quantitative measurements of the physical properties of the membrane structures were provided. CH-1 and CH-1ΔC cells were observed before and after treatment with lysozyme, and their topography-related parameters, e.g., a valley-to-peak distance, mean height, surface roughness, and surface root-mean-square values, were defined and compared. The data obtained suggest that the cellular surface topography of mutant CH-1ΔC becomes rougher and more precipitous than that of wild-type CH-1 cells. Moreover, it was found that, compared with native wild-type CH-1, the cellular surface topography of lysozyme-treated CH-1 was not changed profoundly. The product of the rssC gene is thus predicted to be mainly responsible for fatty-acid biosynthesis of the S. marcescens outer membrane. This study represents the first direct observation of the structural changes in membranes of bacterial mutant cells and offers a new prospect for predicting gene expression in bacterial cells.[[journaltype]]國外[[incitationindex]]SCI[[booktype]]紙本[[countrycodes]]GB

Resilience-enhancing solution to mitigate risk for sustainable supply chain-an empirical study of elevator manufacturing

As the complexity of supply chains increases, the enhancement of resilience for mitigating sustainable disruption risks in supply chains is an important issue. Quality function deployment (QFD) has been successfully applied in many domains to solve multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. However, research on developing two houses of quality to connect sustainable supply chain disruption risks, resilience capacities, and resilience-enhancing features in elevator manufacturing supply chains by using the MCDM approach is lacking. This study aims to develop a framework for exploring useful decision-making by integrating the MCDM approach and QFD. By applying the framework, supply chain resilience can be improved by identifying the major sustainable risks and the key resilience to mitigate these risks. Important managerial insights and practical implications are obtained from the framework implementation in a case study of the elevator manufacturing industry. To strengthen resilience and thus mitigate key risks, the most urgent tasks are to connect the working site and the backstage to enhance product development and design and to share real-time job information. When these features are strengthened, agility, capacity, and visibility can be improved. Finally, unexpected events lead to changes in supplier delivery dates, and factors such as typhoon and lack of critical capacities/skilled employees with the greatest impact can be alleviated. This framework will provide an effective and pragmatic approach for constructing sustainable supply chain risk resilience in the elevator manufacturing industry.</p

Multiscale Cross-Approximate Entropy Analysis as a Measurement of Complexity between ECG R-R Interval and PPG Pulse Amplitude Series among the Normal and Diabetic Subjects

Physiological signals often show complex fluctuation (CF) under the dual influence of temporal and spatial scales, and CF can be used to assess the health of physiologic systems in the human body. This study applied multiscale cross-approximate entropy (MC-ApEn) to quantify the complex fluctuation between R-R intervals series and photoplethysmography amplitude series. All subjects were then divided into the following two groups: healthy upper middle-aged subjects (Group 1, age range: 41–80 years, n=27) and upper middle-aged subjects with type 2 diabetes (Group 2, age range: 41–80 years, n=24). There are significant differences of heart rate variability, LHR, between Groups 1 and 2 (1.94±1.21 versus 1.32±1.00, P=0.031). Results demonstrated differences in sum of large scale MC-ApEn (MC-ApEnLS) (5.32±0.50 versus 4.74±0.78, P=0.003). This parameter has a good agreement with pulse-pulse interval and pulse amplitude ratio (PAR), a simplified assessment for baroreflex activity. In conclusion, this study employed the MC-ApEn method, integrating multiple temporal and spatial scales, to quantify the complex interaction between the two physical signals. The MC-ApEnLS parameter could accurately reflect disease process in diabetics and might be another way for assessing the autonomic nerve function

Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Multiplex PCR Screening of AmpC Genes From Isolates of Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, and Serratia marcescens

Background/PurposeThe emergence of multiple drug resistance in Enterobacteriaceae is of particular concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility and screen for the ampC gene in three members of the Enterobacteriaceae family (Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, and Serratia marcescens) found at Taichung Veterans General Hospital during the past 5 years using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR).MethodsThe susceptibility of thirty isolates from each of the three Enterobacteriaceae family members to five antimicrobial agents (ceftazidime, flomoxef, imipenem, moxifloxacin, and colistin) was assessed. The susceptibility was analyzed by disk diffusion, screening and confirmatory tests for extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and minimum inhibitory concentration tests according to the recommendations of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The detection of ampC genes (3 families, including DHA, EBC and CIT) was performed by multiplex PCR. To detect the coexistence of ESBL genes, PCR was performed using five primer pairs: TEM, SHV, SHV-5, CTX-M-3, and CTX-M-14.ResultsOf the 90 isolates, 53 (58.9%) were positive in the screening test for ESBL. Resistance genes were detected in 12 (22.6%) of these isolates: ampC gene of DHA type in one E. cloacae isolate and EBC type in three E. cloacae isolates; ampC gene of CIT type in four C. freundii isolates; CTX-M-3-like in one C. freundii isolate and one S. marcescens isolate; TEM in three E. cloacae isolates, three C. freundii isolates and two S. marcescens isolates; SHV in one C. freundii isolate.ConclusionAntibiotic phenotypes cannot accurately distinguish the resistance mechanisms caused by ampC or ESBL, and especially in ESBL-ampC combinations. However, PCR is a useful technique for the identification of the different types of resistance genes