The Technical Benefits of Future GNSS for Taiwan

Kai-Wei Chiang,Ming Yang,Meng-Lun Tsai,Yao-Yun Chang,Chi-Kuang Chu 한국항해항만학회 2006 한국항해항만학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2 No.-

The next decade promises drastic improvements and additions to global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Plans for GPS modernization include a civilian code measurement on the L2 frequency and a new L5 signal at 1176.45MHz. Current speculations indicate that a fully operational constellation with these improvements could be available by 2013. Simultaneously, the Galileo Joint Undertaking is in the development and validation stages of introducing a parallel GNSS called Galileo. Galileo will also transmit freely available satellite navigation signals on three frequencies and is scheduled to be fully operational as early as 2008. In other words, a dual system receiver (e.g., GPS+GALILEO) for general users can access six civil frequencies transmitted by at least fifty eights navigation satellites in space. The advent of GALILEO and the modernization of GPS raise a lot of attention to the study of the compatibility and interoperability of the two systems. A number of performance analyses have been conducted in a global scale with respect to availability, reliability, accuracy and integrity in different simulated scenarios (such as open sky and urban canyons) for the two systems individually and when integrated. Therefore, the scope of this article aims at providing the technical benefits analysis for Taiwan specifically in terms of the performance indices mentioned above in a local scale, especially in typical urban canyon scenarios. The conclusions gained by this study will be applied by the Land Survey Bureau of Taiwanese as the guideline for developing future GNSS tracking facilities and dual GNSS processing module for precise surveying applications in static and kinematic modes.

Review : Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

( Kung Hung Lin ),( Wei Lun Tsai ) 대한간암학회 2013 대한간암학회지 Vol.13 No.2

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. HCC is a suitable disease for surveillance programs because it is relatively common in patients with chronic liver disease, and has very good prognosis if diagnosed at an early stage. When HCC presents with clinical symptoms, the tumor is typically very far advanced and the patient has few therapeutic options. Individuals with chronic viral hepatitis and other forms of liver disease are at risk for developing HCC. Thus, screening and surveillance for HCC would appear to be very appropriate. However, there is no definitive evidence that surveillance improves patient outcomes and the current surveillance tests have less than optimal sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Nonetheless, measurement of alpha-fetoprotein levels in serum and ultrasound of the liver have become routine practice in many countries, despite a lack of evidence of their overall benefit. Clearly, better methods are needed for early diagnosis of HCC. This review outlines the target population at risk for HCC and diagnostic techniques for screening and surveillance.

Significant down-regulation of growth hormone receptor expression revealed as a new unfavorable prognostic factor in hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

( Ching-chih Lin ),( Ta-wei Liu ),( Ming-lun Yeh ),( Yi-shan Tsai ),( Pei-chien Tsai ),( Chung-feng Huang ),( Jee-fu Huang ),( Wan-long Chuang ),( Chia-yen Dai ),( Ming-lung Yu ) 대한간학회 2021 Clinical and Molecular Hepatology(대한간학회지) Vol.27 No.2

Background/Aims: Growth hormone (GH) is the main regulator of somatic growth, metabolism, and gender dimorphism in the liver. GH receptor (GHR) signaling in cancer is derived from a large body of evidence, although the GHR signaling pathway involved in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC, remains unclear. We aimed to explore the expression of GHR and analyze its association with clinicopathologic features and prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis C and HCC. Methods: The expression of GHR mRNA was investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in paired tumors and adjacent non-tumorous (ANT) liver tissues of 200 patients with chronic hepatitis C and HCC. Western blotting and immunofluorescence assays using the HCV-infected Huh7.5.1 cell model was performed. Results: GHR mRNA was significantly lower in HCV-HCC tissues than in corresponding ANT liver tissues. GHR mRNA and protein levels also decreased in the HCV-infected Huh7.5.1 cell model. Notably, lower GHR expression was associated with age of >60 years (P=0.0111) and worse clinicopathologic characteristics, including alpha-fetoprotein >100 ng/mL (P=0.0403), cirrhosis (P=0.0075), vascular invasion (P=0.0052), pathological stage II-IV (P=0.0002), and albumin ≤4.0 g/dL (P=0.0055), which were linked with poor prognosis of HCC. Most importantly, the high incidence of recurrence and poor survival rates in patients with a low ratio of tumor/ANT GHR (≤0.1) were observed, indicating that low expression levels of GHR had great risk for development of HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a significant down-regulation of GHR expression as a new unfavorable independent prognostic factor in patients with chronic hepatitis C and HCC. (Clin Mol Hepatol 2021;27:313-328)

Fuzzy Time Series Model Based on Fitting Function for Forecasting TAIEX Index

Chung-Ho Su,Ching-Hsue Cheng,Wei-Lun Tsai 보안공학연구지원센터 2013 International Journal of Hybrid Information Techno Vol.6 No.1

Assessing impact of Natural Disasters on Tourist Arrivals: The Case of Xitou Nature Education Area (XNEA), Taiwan

Chyi-Rong Chiou,Ming-Yuan Huang,Wei-Lun Tsai,Li-Chen Lin,Chia-Pin (Simon) Yu 한국관광학회 2013 International Journal of Tourism Sciences Vol.13 No.1

Tourist arrivals represent popularity of a recreation site. However it could be changed due to accessibility, weather, and natural disaster. These factors are complex and their effects on tourist arrival are mixed. This study applies switching regression approach to assess impact of natural disasters on tourist arrivals in the popular forest recreation and education site, Xitou Nature Education Area (XNEA), Taiwan. Natural disaster in a tourist destination cause environmental changes which impact short- and long-term changes on tourist arrivals. Precisely estimating the impacts on tourist arrivals could therefore provide an insight to management. The results show that (1) Typhoon Herb reduced tourist arrivals by an estimated 530 thousand over three years; (2) the Chichi earthquake caused a 2.59 million loss in tourist arrivals over seven years; (3) Typhoons Toraji and Nari resulted in a 360 thousand reduction in tourist arrivals over three years; and (4) Typhoon Mindulle reduced tourist arrivals by 80 thousand over a one-year period.

Solution-processable end-functionalized tetrathienoacene semiconductors: Synthesis, characterization and organic field effect transistors applications

Mamillapalli, Narendra Chary,Vegiraju, Sureshraju,Priyanka, Pragya,Lin, Chih-Yu,Luo, Xian-Lun,Tsai, Hsiang-Chi,Hong, Shao-Huan,Ni, Jen-Shyang,Lien, Wei-Chieh,Kwon, Guhyun,Yau, Shueh Lin,Kim, Choongik Applied Science Publishers 2017 Dyes and pigments Vol.145 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>A series of dialkylated tetrathienoacene (<B>TTAR</B>)-based solution-processable small molecular organic semiconductors have been synthesized and characterized for organic field effect transistor (OFET) applications. The central dialkylated <B>TTAR</B> moiety was end-capped with thiophenylvinylthiophene (<B>TVT</B>), bithiophene (<B>bT</B>), and thienothiophene (<B>TT</B>) to afford new π-conjugated p-type active materials, <B>DTVT-TTAR</B> (<B>1</B>), <B>DbT-TTAR</B> (<B>2</B>), and <B>DTT-TTAR</B> (<B>3</B>), respectively. The physical and electrochemical properties and theoretical calculations as well as OFETs performance and thin film morphologies and microstructures of these new soluble <B>TTAR</B>s are systematically studied. Using a solution-shearing method, <B>DTVT-TTAR</B> exhibits p-channel transport with the highest mobility of up to 0.18 cm<SUP>2</SUP> V<SUP>−1</SUP>s<SUP>−1</SUP> and current ON/OFF ratios of 10<SUP>4</SUP>-10<SUP>6</SUP>, which is one of the highest hole mobilities for the solution-processed <B>TTAR</B>-based small molecules.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Synthesis and characterization of dialkylated tetrathienoacene derivatives as semiconductors. </LI> <LI> Various substituents as end groups for solution-processed p-type semiconductors. </LI> <LI> P-type transport with highest mobility up to 0.18 cm<SUP>2</SUP> V<SUP>−1</SUP>s<SUP>−1</SUP>. </LI> <LI> One of the highest mobilities for dialkylated tetratheinoacene derivaties. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>