Building Ubiquitous Computing Environment by Using RFID in Aircraft MRO Process

The implementation of RFID had aroused discussion in every area. Experts believe that the emergence of RFID will cause another business revolution. Many industries had deployed RFID, like aviation industry, in which RFID is used in maintenance materials and baggage management. This paper discusses the implementation of RFID in MRO process and the building of a ubiquitous computing environment. We believe that our proposal has three merits to MRO (1) anti-counterfeit parts (2) MRO liability (3) efficient and effective inspection. The architecture can address the competition pressure that aviation industry faces and consequently enhance competition advantages

The experience and attitude of TMU faculty and researchers toward predatory journals and research productivity

A questionnaire related to journal submission was sent to researchers for a 2-week period to investigate the submission status as well as the problems faced by Taipei Medical University faculties and researchers. This study has two major findings including the Experience of predatory journal and Calculations of academic performance point and discuss about users’ cognition and their needs from the library and the university, as well as the library policy and services related to predatory journals. It is authors’ hope that the research results can serve as reference for other medical libraries planning to provide relevant services

Study on the Stability of DeoxyArbutin in an Anhydrous Emulsion System

The skin-whitening agent, deoxyArbutin, is a potent tyrosinase inhibitor that is safer than hydroquinone and arbutin. However, it is thermolabile in aqueous solutions, where it decomposes to hydroquinone. Pharmaceutical and cosmetic emulsions are normally oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) systems; however, emulsions can be formulated with no aqueous phase to produce an anhydrous emulsion system. An anhydrous emulsion system could offer a stable vehicle for compounds that are sensitive to hydrolysis or oxidation. Therefore, to enhance the stability of deoxyArbutin in formulations, we chose the polyol-in-silicone, anhydrous emulsion system as the basic formulation for investigation. The quantity of deoxyArbutin and the accumulation of hydroquinone in both hydrous and anhydrous emulsions at various temperatures were analyzed through an established high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. The results indicated that water increased the decomposition of deoxyArbutin in the formulations and that the polyol-in-silicone, oil-based, anhydrous emulsion system provided a relatively stable surrounding for the deoxyArbutin that delayed its degradation at 25 °C and 45 °C. Moreover, the composition of the inner hydrophilic phase, containing different amounts of glycerin and propylene glycol, affected the stability of deoxyArbutin. Thus, these results will be beneficial when using deoxyArbutin in cosmetics and medicines in the future

Testing hydrostatic equilibrium in galaxy cluster MS 2137

We test the assumption of strict hydrostatic equilibrium in galaxy cluster MS2137.3-2353 (MS 2137) using the latest CHANDRA X-ray observations and results from a combined strong and weak lensing analysis based on optical observations. We deproject the two-dimensional X-ray surface brightness and mass surface density maps assuming spherical and spheroidal dark matter distributions. We find a significant, 40%-50%, contribution from non-thermal pressure in the core assuming a spherical model. This non-thermal pressure support is similar to what was found by Molnar et al. (2010) using a sample of massive relaxed clusters drawn from high resolution cosmological simulations. We have studied hydrostatic equilibrium in MS 2137 under the assumption of elliptical cluster geometry adopting prolate models for the dark matter density distribution with different axis ratios. Our results suggest that the main effect of ellipticity (compared to spherical models) is to decrease the non-thermal pressure support required for equilibrium at all radii without changing the distribution qualitatively. We find that a prolate model with an axis ratio of 1.25 (axis in the line of sight over perpendicular to it) provides a physically acceptable model implying that MS 2137 is close to hydrostatic equilibrium at about 0.04-0.15 Rvir and have an about 25% contribution from non-thermal pressure at the center. Our results provide further evidence that there is a significant contribution from non-thermal pressure in the core region of even relaxed clusters, i.e., the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium is not valid in this region, independently of the assumed shape of the cluster.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

A False Positive 18F-FDG PET/CT Scan Caused by Breast Silicone Injection

We present here the case of a 40-year-old woman with a greater than 10 year prior history of bilateral breast silicone injection and saline bag implantation. Bilateral palpable breast nodules were observed, but the ultrasound scan was suboptimal and the magnetic resonance imaging showed no gadolinium-enhanced tumor. The 18F-FDG PET/CT scan showed a hypermetabolic nodule in the left breast with a 30% increase of 18F-FDG uptake on the delayed imaging, and this mimicked breast cancer. She underwent a left partial mastectomy and the pathology demonstrated a siliconoma

Anti-Cancer Effects of Radix Angelica Sinensis (Danggui) and N-Butylidenephthalide on Gastric Cancer: Implications for REDD1 Activation and mTOR Inhibition

Background/Aims: Radix Angelica Sinensis (danggui in Chinese) is widely used in traditional chinese medicine (TCM). N-butylidenephthalide (BP), a bioactive compound in danggui, is a potential antitumor agent for various cancer types. However, its clinical effect and mechanism in the treatment of gastric cancer remain undetermined. Methods: The in vivo protective effect of danggui in patients with gastric cancer were validated using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). The genes induced by BP-treatment were analyzed by whole transcriptome RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and validated by real-time PCR, western blot and siRNA transfection. The effect of BP on AGS cell migration and invasion was evaluated in transwell assays. The antitumor effects of BP were evaluated in vivo in an AGS xenograft animal model. Results: Danggui users were found to have an increased survival rate when compared with danggui nonusers (log-rank test p = 0.002) . The use of danggui highly associated with decreased mortality (the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of danggui user was 0.72 [95 % CI, 0.57-0.92] (p = 0.009). The in vitro results showed that BP inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation, and triggered cellular apoptosis depending on the activation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Using RNA-seq analysis we found that REDD1 was the highest transcript induced by BP in gastric cancer cells. BP induce an increase of REDD1 expression that inhibits mTOR signaling, thus inhibiting gastric cancer growth. We used RNA interference to demonstrate that the knock-down of REDD1 attenuated the BP-induced mTORC1 activation and growth inhibition. BP suppressed the growth of AGS xenografts tumor in vivo. Conclusion: Danggui can prolong the survival rate of gastric cancer patients in Taiwan. BP caused gastric cancer cell death through the activation of mitochondria-intrinsic pathway and induced the REDD1 expression leading to mTOR signal pathway inhibition in gastric cancer cells. BP inhibited the in vivo growth of AGS xenograft tumors. These results may provide the basis for a new therapeutic approach toward the treatment of gastric cancer progression

Alternative Complement Pathway Is Activated and Associated with Galactose-Deficient IgA1 Antibody in IgA Nephropathy Patients

BackgroundGalactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) and alternative complement pathway activation are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Nevertheless, the relationships between alternative pathway activation and disease activity or Gd-IgA1 level remains unclear.MethodsNinety-eight biopsy-diagnosed IgAN, twenty-five primary focal segmental sclerosis (FSGS) patients and forty-two healthy individuals were recruited in this study. Among them, fifty IgAN patients received immunosuppression. Follow-up blood samples at 1 and 3~6 months after immunosuppression were collected. Plasma levels of complement C5a, factor Ba and Gd-IgA1 were measured and analyzed. Immunostaining for complement was performed in twenty-five IgAN and FSGS patients.ResultsAt baseline, IgAN patients had higher levels of plasma C5a, factor Ba and Gd-IgA1 than control subjects. Gd-IgA1 levels positively correlated with plasma C5a and factor Ba. In addition, levels of factor Ba and Gd-IgA1 were positively associated with proteinuria and negatively associated with renal function. Immunostaining revealed positive staining for factor Bb and C3c in glomeruli in IgAN patients, but not in FSGS patients. At baseline, patients receiving immunosuppression had more severe proteinuria and higher factor Ba. After 6 months, eGFR declined and proteinuria persisted in patients without immunosuppression. In contrast, patients who received immunosuppression exhibited decreased plasma levels of C5a, factor Ba, and Gd-IgA1 as early as 1 month after treatment. Proteinuria decreased and renal function also remained stable 6 months after immunosuppression.ConclusionsOur results indicate a close relationship between alternative complement pathway activation, Gd-IgA1 concentration and clinical severity of IgAN. Level of complement factor B may be a potential marker for disease activity and therapeutic target in IgAN patients

Investigations on the Mechanical Properties of Conducting Polymer Coating-Substrate Structures and Their Influencing Factors

This review covers recent advances and work on the microstructure features, mechanical properties and cracking processes of conducting polymer film/coating- substrate structures under different testing conditions. An attempt is made to characterize and quantify the relationships between mechanical properties and microstructure features. In addition, the film cracking mechanism on the micro scale and some influencing factors that play a significant role in the service of the film-substrate structure are presented. These investigations cover the conducting polymer film/coating nucleation process, microstructure-fracture characterization, translation of brittle-ductile fractures, and cracking processes near the largest inherent macromolecule defects under thermal-mechanical loadings, and were carried out using in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, as a novel method for evaluation of interface strength and critical failure stress