Accretion Disk at the Close Periastron Passage of a Symbiotic Binary System

Po-Sheng Huang,Hyosun Kim 한국천문학회 2023 天文學會報 Vol.48 No.2

Two-Dimensional ZnO Nanowalls for Gas Sensor and Photoelectrochemical Applications

Sheng-Po Chang,Chen-Hua Wen,Shoou-Jinn Chang 대한금속·재료학회 2014 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.10 No.4

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowalls were vertically grown on a glass substrate through a fast, low-temperature, catalystfree process in a tube furnace. The morphology and microstructure of ZnO nanowalls were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. The ZnO nanowall films showed strong UV emission and preferential c-axis orientation, with a hexagonal structure. Potential applications of the ZnO nanowalls were further investigated through experiments. The sensitivity of ZnO-based carbon monoxide gas sensors increased with increasing temperature and reached a maximum value at 300°C. In photoelectrochemical experiments, direct photoelectrolysis of water to generate hydrogen was performed using the ZnO nanowalls as the working photoelectrode. For an external bias of 1.2 V, the photocurrent densities reached 0.037 A/cm2 under Xe lamp illumination.

Investigation of Zinc-Tin-Oxide Thin-Film Transistors with Varying SnO2 Contents

Po-Jui Kuo,Sheng-Po Chang,Shoou-Jinn Chang 대한금속·재료학회 2014 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.10 No.1

Zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) were prepared on a glass substrate by deposition using radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering, followed by annealing at 300°C for 20 min. The properties of ZTO thin films were found to be dependent on the atomic compositional ratio of Zn:Sn; the device performance and operational stability of the fabricated ZTO TFTs, including the mobility, on-off current ratio, threshold voltage, and subthreshold slope, were strongly influenced by the Sn content. Better TFT performance was achieved when the Sn content in the ZTO thin film was low, and the optimal mobility was 18 cm2 V−1 s−1, threshold voltage was 0.5 V, and subthreshold slope was 0.227 V·dec−1. Notably, the device performance and operational stability of the RF magnetron co-sputtered ZTO TFTs could be improved by optimizing the Zn:Sn atomic compositional ratio in the films.

Comedications and potential drug-drug interactions with direct-acting antivirals in hepatitis C patients on hemodialysis

( Po-yao Hsu ),( Yu-ju Wei ),( Jia-jung Lee ),( Sheng-wen Niu ),( Jiun-chi Huang ),( Cheng-ting Hsu ),( Tyng-yuan Jang ),( Ming-lun Yeh ),( Ching-i Huang ),( Po-cheng Liang ),( Yi-hung Lin ),( Ming-ye 대한간학회 2021 Clinical and Molecular Hepatology(대한간학회지) Vol.27 No.1

Background/Aims: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have been approved for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis. Nevertheless, the complicated comedications and their potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with DAAs might limit clinical practice in this special population. Methods: The number, class, and characteristics of comedications and their potential DDIs with five DAA regimens were analyzed among HCV-viremic patients from 23 hemodialysis centers in Taiwan. Results: Of 2,015 hemodialysis patients screened in 2019, 169 patients seropositive for HCV RNA were enrolled (mean age, 65.6 years; median duration of hemodialysis, 5.8 years). All patients received at least one comedication (median number, 6; mean class number, 3.4). The most common comedication classes were ESRD-associated medications (94.1%), cardiovascular drugs (69.8%) and antidiabetic drugs (43.2%). ESRD-associated medications were excluded from DDI analysis. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir had the highest frequency of potential contraindicated DDIs (red, 5.6%), followed by glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (4.0%), sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (1.3%), sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (1.3%), and elbasvir/grazoprevir (0.3%). For potentially significant DDIs (orange, requiring close monitoring or dose adjustments), sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir had the highest frequency (19.9%), followed by sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (18.2%), glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (12.6%), sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (12.6%), and elbasvir/grazoprevir (7.3%). Overall, lipid-lowering agents were the most common comedication class with red-category DDIs to all DAA regimens (n=62), followed by cardiovascular agents (n=15), and central nervous system agents (n=10). Conclusions: HCV-viremic patients on hemodialysis had a very high prevalence of comedications with a broad spectrum, which had varied DDIs with currently available DAA regimens. Elbasvir/grazoprevir had the fewest potential DDIs, and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir had the most potential DDIs. (Clin Mol Hepatol 2021;27:186-196)

ALDH2 Gene: Its Effects on the Neuropsychological Functions in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Po-Wei Lee,Tzu-Yun Wang,Yun-Hsuan Chang,Sheng-Yu Lee,Shiou-Lan Chen,Ze-Cheng Wang,Po See Chen,Chun-Hsien Chu,San-Yuan Huang,Nian-Sheng Tzeng,I Hui Lee,Kao Chin Chen,Yen Kuang Yang,Jau-Shyong Hong,Ru-B 대한정신약물학회 2020 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.18 No.1

Objective: Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) have impaired attention, inhibition control, and memory function. The aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2 ) gene has been associated with OUD and ALDH2 gene polymorphisms may affect aldehyde metabolism and cognitive function in other substance use disorder. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether ALDH2 genotypes have significant effects on neuropsychological functions in OUD patients undergoing methadone maintenance therapy (MMT). Methods: OUD patients undergoing MMT were investigated and followed-up for 12 weeks. ALDH2 gene polymorphisms were genotyped. Connors’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) were administered at baseline and after 12 weeks of MMT. Multivariate linear regressions and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to examine the correlation between the ALDH2 genotypes and performance on the CPTs and WMS-R. Results: We enrolled 86 patients at baseline; 61 patients completed the end-of-study assessments. The GEE analysis showed that, after the 12 weeks of MMT, OUD patients with the ALDH2 *1/*2+*2/*2 (ALDH2 inactive) genotypes had significantly higher commission error T-scores (p = 0.03), significantly lower hit reaction time T-scores (p = 0.04), and significantly lower WMS-R visual memory index scores (p = 0.03) than did patients with the ALDH2 1 */*1 (ALDH2 active) genotype. Conclusion: OUD patients with the ALDH2 inactive genotypes performed worse in cognitive domains of attention, impulse control, and memory than did those with the ALDH2 active genotype. We conclude that the ALDH2 gene is important in OUD and is associated with neuropsychological performance after MMT.

THE UPDATED ORBITAL PERIOD OF LOW MASS X-ray BINARY 4U 1323-62

CHUANG, PO-SHENG,CHOU, YI,HU, CHIN-PING,YANG, TING-CHANG,SU, YI-HAO,LIAO, NAI-HUI,HSIEH, HUNG-EN,LIN, CHING-PING The Korean Astronomical Society 2015 天文學論叢 Vol.30 No.2

4U 1323-62, a low mass X-ray binary with an orbital period of 2.94 hr, exhibits periodic X-ray dips, which are due to absorption by the bulge of the outer accretion disk. The purpose of this study is to search for orbital period changes using archived X-ray data over a time span of 20 years. We present our preliminary results from analyzing light curves observed by RXTE, BeppoSAX, XMM-Newton and Suzaku. We used the method proposed by Hu et al. (2008) to estimate dip center time and adopted the Observed - Calculated method to measure changes in period. We obtained an orbital period of 2.941917(36) hr and a period derivative of $\dot{P}_{orb}/P_{orb}=(-9.9{\pm}3.5){\times}10^{-7}yr^{-1}$. The F-test result shows that the quadratic ephemeris is describes the evolution of the dip phases better than the linear ephemeris at a greater than 95% confidence level. More X-ray data collected from the early 80s will be included to further refine the orbital ephemeris.

A Control Approach Integrating Electric Vehicle Charger and Dynamic Response of Demand‑Side Resource Aggregators

Fu‑Sheng Pai,Po‑Sheng Tseng 대한전기학회 2020 Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology Vol.15 No.3

Regardless of whether level 1, level 2, or dc fast charging, several methods are under development or available as an aftermarket option for Plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). While confning the charging behavior of EVs to low-load periods is diffcult, it leads to signifcant and uncertain load peaks and valleys in the utility power network. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method for an electric vehicle charger. The proposed charging method involves power supervisory characteristics on the basis of the paradigm of a constant-current and a constant-voltage (CC–CV) charger so that the external commands from the demand-side resource aggregator in the smart grid can be executed. In the method, frst, a feedback loop is included in the controller to formulate the relationship between battery voltage and charging power as a quadratic concave downward polynomial. The controlled output power at the beginning of constant voltage charging is then set to the maximum value of the quadratic polynomial because the charging power requirement near this point is closed to the highest. Hence, if the charging power is lower than the allowable maximum power, the proposed charger is determined to have followed the traditional CC–CV charging steps. On contrast, the proposed circuit launches the power control loop when the actual charging power is beyond the maximum power limitation of aggregator. The proposed charger can keep the power consumption inside an allowable range of aggregator. That is the power consumption at the EV charging sites becomes directly programmable by their aggregators. The proposed method is examined by conducting an interactive test of a remote energy management system and the proposed controller. The results revealed that the proposed method provide an easy method to dynamically control consumption pattern of the EV charging for demand-side power management.

Personalization of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder According to the Existing Psychiatric Comorbidity

Po-Han Chou,Yen-Feng Lin,Ming-Kuei Lu,Hsin-An Chang,Che-Sheng Chu,Wei Hung Chang,Taishiro Kishimoto,Alexander T. Sack,Kuan-Pin Su 대한정신약물학회 2021 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.19 No.2

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) are evidenced-based treatments for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who fail to respond to standard first-line therapies. However, although various TMS protocols have been proven to be clinically effective, the response rate varies across clinical applications due to the heterogeneity of real-world psychiatric comorbidities, such as generalized anxiety dis-order, posttraumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, or substance use disorder, which are often observed in patients with MDD. Therefore, individualized treatment approaches are important to increase treatment response by assigning a given patient to the most optimal TMS treatment protocol based on his or her individual profile. This literature review summarizes different rTMS or TBS protocols that have been applied in researches investigating MDD patients with certain psychiatric comorbidities and discusses biomarkers that may be used to predict rTMS treatment response. Furthermore, we highlight the need for the validation of neuroimaging and electrophysiological biomarkers associated with rTMS treatment responses. Finally, we discuss on which directions future efforts should focus for developing the personalization of the treatment of depression with rTMS or iTBS.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Interbody Debridement and Fusion for Pyogenic Lumbar Spondylodiskitis: Surgical Technique and the Comparison With Percutaneous Endoscopic Drainage and Debridement

Po-Ju Lai,Sheng-Fen Wang,Tsung-Ting Tsai,Yun-Da Li,Ping-Yeh Chiu,Ming-Kai Hsieh,Fu-Cheng Kao 대한척추신경외과학회 2021 Neurospine Vol.18 No.4

Objective: Surgical treatment of severe infectious spondylodiskitis remains challenging. Although minimally invasive percutaneous endoscopic drainage and debridement (PEDD) may yield good results in complicated cases, outcomes of patients with extensive structural damage and mechanical instability may be unsatisfactory. To address severe infectious spondylodiskitis, we have developed a surgical technique called percutaneous endoscopic interbody debridement and fusion (PEIDF), which comprises endoscopic debridement, bone-graft interbody fusion, and percutaneous posterior instrumentation. Methods: Outcomes of PEIDF in 12 patients and PEDD in 15 patients with infectious spondylodiskitis from April 2014 to July 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Outcome were compared between 2 kinds of surgical procedures. Results: Patients in PEIDF group had significantly lower rate of revision surgery (8.3% vs. 58.3%), better kyphosis angle (-5.73°±8.74 vs. 1.07°±2.70 in postoperative; 7.09°±7.23 vs. 0.79°±4.08 in kyphosis correction at 1 year), and higher fusion rate (83.3% vs. 46.7%) than those who received PEDD. Conclusion: PEIDF is an effective approach for treating infectious spondylodiskitis, especially in patients with spinal instability and multiple medical comorbidities.

Diverse genetic spectrum among patients who met the criteria of hereditary breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer syndrome

Po-Han Lin,Yun-Wen Tien,Wen-Fang Cheng,Ying-Cheng Chiang,Chien-Huei Wu,Karen Yang,Chiun-Sheng Huang 대한부인종양학회 2023 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.34 No.5

Objective: Genetic high-risk assessment combines hereditary breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer into one syndrome. However, there is a lack of data for comparing the germline mutational spectrum of the cancer predisposing genes between these three cancers. Methods: Patients who met the criteria of the hereditary breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer were enrolled and received multi-gene sequencing. Results: We enrolled 730 probands: 418 developed breast cancer, 185 had ovarian cancer, and 145 had pancreatic cancer. Out of the 18 patients who had two types of cancer, 16 had breast and ovarian cancer and 2 had breast and pancreatic cancer. A total of 167 (22.9%) patients had 170 mutations. Mutation frequency in breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer was 22.3%, 33.5% and 17.2%, respectively. The mutation rate was significantly higher in patients with double cancers than those with a single cancer (p<0.001). BRCA1 and BRCA2 were the most dominant genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, whereas ATM was the most prevalent gene related to hereditary pancreatic cancer. Genes of hereditary colon cancer such as lynch syndrome were presented in a part of patients with pancreatic or ovarian cancer but seldom in those with breast cancer. Families with a history of both ovarian and breast cancer were associated with a higher mutation rate than those with other histories. Conclusion: The mutation spectrum varies across the three cancer types and family histories. Our analysis provides guidance for physicians, counsellors, and counselees on the offer and uptake of genetic counseling.