Wolbachia in field populations of Forcipomyia taiwana (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Taiwan

Yu-Der Wen,Wei-Lung Wang,Chung-Chi Lin,Wei-Ming Liou 한국응용곤충학회 2011 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.14 No.3

Wolbachia pipientis is an endosymbiotic alpha-proteobacterium that is found in numerous insects and arthropods. Only a few studies have been made on Wolbachia in blood-sucking midges. In this study, we identified and determined the molecular characteristics of Wolbachia strains in Forcipomyia taiwana (Shiraki),a blood-suckingmidge found in Taiwan and southern China. Our results indicate that all F. taiwana individuals captured in Nantou County, Taiwan were infected with Wolbachia strains closely related to the A-supergroup wAlbA. Moreover, 2 individuals captured at low-abundance locations were also infected with a B-supergroup Wolbachia strain. We observed that 63% F. taiwana individuals captured at the low-abundance locations harbored the wAlbA-like strain which has a particular substitution pattern (D51G, T84A, and A85V) in the Wolbachia surface protein. Taken together, our results indicate that distinct Wolbachia strains exist in F. taiwana populations in the field.

Processing of high conductive Bi2O3/8YSZ composites as SOFC electrolyte

Li-Der Liu,Yu-Hung Cheng,Wen-Chen J. Wei 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2019 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.20 No.4

Dual-phasic composites consisted of continuous Bi2O3 matrix and 8 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia particulates were prepared by solid-state-sintering or liquid-phase-sintering, and investigated over the temperature range between 250-650 oC to reveal good electrical conductivity and matched thermal expansion to the components used for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Interface reactions occurred during sintering either at 750 oC or 900 oC could enhance the diffusion of Zr, Y and Bi ions, to form effective diffusion zone for stabilizing δ-Bi2O3 matrix. The results showed a dual-structure of 66 mol% 8YSZ-34 m% Bi2O3 with up to 76% δ-phase content was stabilized by solid-state sintering, surpassing a bulk conductivity of 10−2 Scm−1 at 500 oC. The coefficient of thermal expansion value exhibited by the composite between 25 oC and 650 oC was found to be 10-12.2 ppm*K−1, which was in good agreement with that of CeO2-based electrolyte. Thus, it was confirmed that the addition of ZrO2 could stabilize the Bi2O3, by improving its capability as a solid electrolyte for intermediate temperature SOFC

Folic Acid in Stroke Prevention in Countries without Mandatory Folic Acid Food Fortification: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Chia-Yu Hsu,Shao-Wen Chiu,Keun-Sik Hong,Jeffrey L. Saver,Yi-Ling Wu,Jiann-Der Lee,Meng Lee,Bruce Ovbiagele 대한뇌졸중학회 2018 Journal of stroke Vol.20 No.1

Background and Purpose Additional folic acid (FA) treatment appears to have a neutral effect on reducing vascular risk in countries that mandate FA fortification of food (e.g., USA and Canada). However, it is uncertain whether FA therapy reduces stroke risk in countries without FA food fortification. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of FA therapy on stroke prevention in countries without FA food fortification. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, and clinicaltrials.gov from January 1966 to August 2016 were searched to identify relevant studies. Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of the association between FA supplementation and risk of stroke, after pooling data across trials in a random-effects model. Results The search identified 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving treatment with FA that had enrolled 65,812 participants, all of which stroke was reported as an outcome measure. After all 13 RCTs were pooled, FA therapy versus control was associated with a lower risk of any future stroke (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.95). FA alone or combination of FA and minimal cyanocobalamin (≤0.05 mg/day) was associated with a lower risk of future stroke (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.86) whereas combination of FA and cyanocobalamin (≥0.4 mg/day) was not associated with a lower risk of future stroke (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.05). Conclusions FA supplement reduced stroke in countries without mandatory FA food fortification. The benefit was found mostly in patients receiving FA alone or combination of FA and minimal cyanocobalamin.

Development of primary cell cultures from the adult xylem-feeding leafhopper, Kolla paulula, as a tool for studying Wolbachia biology

Rong-Jen Shiau,Yu-Der Wen,Hsien-Tzung Shih,Shin-Yi Chen,Chiou-Chu Su,Wei-Huang Tsai 한국응용곤충학회 2011 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.14 No.4

Xylophagous leafhoppers are vectors of xylem-limited plant pathogens such as citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and Pierce's disease, which cause Xylella diseases. Currently, no cure for Xylella diseases exists. The objective of endosymbiont control using Wolbachia pipientis is to reduce the populations of insect vectors,potentially preventing the expansion of Xylella diseases. The purpose of this study was to establish primary cell cultures from adult xylem-feeding leafhoppers to study Wolbachia biology. Cells from adult male and female Kolla paulula (Walker) (Hemiptera: Membracoidea: Cicadellinae) were successfully cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium containing 20% fetal bovine serum and were maintained for more than 6 months. Cells of both male and female adults are round and semi-attached. The doubling times for male and female K. paulula cells are approximately 8 and 10 days, respectively. The presence of Wolbachia in K. paulula cell cultures was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. The cell cultures developed in this study may be useful in studying interactions between Wolbachia and its hosts of different genders.

A Quantity-Based Method to Predict More Accurate Project Completion Time

Hsien-Kuan Chang,Wen-der Yu,Tao-Ming Cheng 대한토목학회 2020 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.24 No.10

‘Completion in time’ is a crucial element of project management. Previous studies show that earned value management (EVM), earned schedule method, or earned duration management do not give an accurate project completion time estimation (PCTE) because of theoretical weaknesses. Inaccurate PCTE may provide misleading information, so that the project manager cannot take effective schedule control actions timely, and thus it results in failure of project time management. To improve the above-mentioned problem, this research proposes a quantity-based project duration estimating method (Q-PDEM), which calculates the PCTE using the de facto work quantities and the updated productivity information of activities. The results of two case studies show that the proposed Q-PDEM gives a 7.55% better mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) than the existing methods for predicted project completion duration for Case I, and 24.54% for Case II. It is concluded that the proposed Q-PDEM gives a more accurate estimation of the time for project completion and allows more effective control of the project schedule.

The Use of a Multiple Risk Level Model to Tackle the Duration of Risk for Construction Activity

Hsien-Kuan Chang,Wen-der Yu,Shao-Tsai Cheng,Tao-Ming Cheng 대한토목학회 2019 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.23 No.6

The project evaluation and review technique (PERT) is the most well-known method to handle the risk due to uncertain activity durations, previous studies show that the β-distribution-based PERT estimation tends to be over-optimistic and it offers no control of the project in terms of risk duration. This study proposes a multiple risk-level (MRL) model that uses a site spatial constraint, environmental effects and the “5 Ms” of construction management to tackle the duration of risk during a construction project. A Risk-based Critical Path Scheduling Method (R-CPSM) that uses MRL is developed to calculate the duration of the project. A case study using a project selected from a previous study is used to compare the four estimation methods: two traditional PERT methods (3.2σs and 6σs), a Monte Carlo Simulation and the proposed MRL model. The results show that, compared with traditional approaches to estimate durations of uncertain activity, the proposed R-CPSM method is more systematic that can be combined with a cost estimation process and offers a rectification mechanism that dynamically monitors and adjusts the important factors that affect the risk duration. This method gives a more realistic estimate that is in agreement with the results of previous studies.

Seasonal yeast compositions in Forcipomyia taiwana (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Hung-Wei Chen,Jui-Yu Chou,Chung-Chi Lin,Yu-Der Wen,Wei-Lung Wang 한국응용곤충학회 2016 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.19 No.2

Forcipomyia taiwana, a biting midge, is one of the most annoying blood-sucking pests in Taiwan. The larvae of Forcipomyia species feed primarily on algae, and the adults feed on nectar for nutrition. After mating with male adults, females bite humans and digest blood for the formation and development of their eggs. The bites often cause human itching, swelling, skin lesion and even fatal shock. Harassment from this biting pest has become a serious problem and has influenced the quality of outdoor recreational activities. Thus, it is necessary to understand the ecology of F. taiwana to develop an effective control strategy. This study showed the seasonal variation of yeast compositions in the interior of F. taiwana. Furthermore, we found that Aureobasidium spp. appeared the most during collection times and these yeasts are able to decompose the cellulose, a major component in the cell wall of algae and Oomycete fungi. These fungi infect a broad range of host and have adverse effect on fitness of the biting midges. Thus, Aureobasidium spp. play a crucial role in the defense system of F. taiwana against pathogens. The study provides useful information that could be used in the development of biocontrol strategy in the future.

Developing a General Model for Construction Problem Solving for an Engineering Consulting Firm

Pei-Lun Chang,Wen-der Yu 대한토목학회 2016 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.20 No.6

This paper presents the development of a lessons-learned-based general construction problem-solving model, namely GCPM, within an engineering consulting firm to assist construction engineers in finding the preliminary solution for a construction problem. The proposed GCPM is developed using an induction method based on 631 historical lesson-learned files collected from a leading engineering consulting firm in Taiwan. Elements of the Construction Project Management Body of Knowledge (CPMBOK) of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and Data Mining (DM), are adopted so that the Management Parameters (MPs) and Problem-Solving Principles (PSPs) are defined and derived. Finally, a Construction Problem- Solving Matrix (CPSM) is obtained comprising of two types of MPs and a set of 76 PSPs. After tested with 54 real world cases, the proposed GCPM is verified to achieve 96.5% overall successful application rate. It is concluded that the proposed GCPM provides a promising tool for construction engineers of engineering consultants to direct appropriate problem-solving principles regardless of the complexity and diversity of construction problems.