Photocatalytic study of Zinc Oxide with bismuth doping prepared by spray pyrolysis

Lin, Tzu-Yang,Hsu, Yu-Ting,Lan, Wen-How,Huang, Chien-Jung,Chen, Lung-Chien,Huang, Yu-Hsuan,Lin, Jia-Ching,Chang, Kuo-Jen,Lin, Wen-Jen,Huang, Kai-Feng Techno-Press 2015 Advances in nano research Vol.3 No.3

The unintentionally doped and bismuth (Bi) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) films were prepared by spray pyrolysis at $450^{\circ}C$ with zinc acetate and bismuth nitrate precursor. The n-type conduction with concentration $6.13{\times}10^{16}cm^{-3}$ can be observed for the unintentionally doped ZnO. With the increasing of bismuth nitrate concentration in precursor, the p-type conduction can be observed. The p-type concentration $4.44{\times}10^{17}cm^{-3}$ can be achieved for the film with the Bi/Zn atomic ratio 5% in the precursor. The photoluminescence spectroscopy with HeCd laser light source was studied for films with different Bi doping. The photocatalytic activity for the unintentionally doped and Bi-doped ZnO films was studied through the photodegradation of Congo red under UV light illumination. The effects of different Bi contents on photocatalytic activity are studied and discussed. Results show that appropriate Bi doping in ZnO can increase photocatalytic activity.

Male Infertility Increases the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan

Chen Peng-Ciao,Chen Yu-Ju,Yang Chia-Chen,Lin Ting-Ti,Huang Chien-Chu,Chung Chi-Hsiang,Sun Chien-An,Chien Wu-Chien 대한남성과학회 2022 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.40 No.3

Purpose: Some evidence suggests that male infertility increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, the evidence in Asian populations is relatively scarce. The aim of this study is to determine whether male infertility increases the risk of CVDs. Materials and Methods: We used inpatient and outpatient data for the years 2000 to 2015 from the Taiwanese Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. We enrolled 7,016 males over 18 years old and diagnosed with male infertility. Of these, 2,326 matched our inclusion criteria and were assigned to the study group. For each infertility patient, four comparison patients were frequency-matched by age and index date to form a control cohort comprising 9,304 patients. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to estimate the association between male infertility and CVDs. Results: After a 15-year follow-up, the incidence rate of CVDs was higher in the infertility group than the control group (1,460.23 and 1,073.70 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that the adjusted HR for CVDs was 1.472 for the infertility group (95% CI, 1.288–1.683; p<0.001) relative to the control group. The Kaplan–Meier analysis of the cumulative incidence of CVDs in the two groups showed that the cumulative risk curve for CVDs was significantly higher for the infertility group than the control group. Conclusions: This study shows that men with infertility have a higher risk of developing incident CVDs. In the future, healthcare providers should pay attention to these patients because of their higher health risks.

A Novel Esterase from Paenibacillus sp. PBS-2 Is a New Member of the β-Lactamase Belonging to the Family VIII Lipases/Esterases

( Chien Hui Wu ),( Wei Chen Chien ),( Kai Chou Han ),( Jung Woo Yang ),( Hong Ting Victor Lin ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.9

Screening of a gene library from Paenibacillus sp. PBS-2 generated in Escherichia coli led to the identification of a clone with lipolytic activity. Sequence analysis showed an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 378 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 42 kDa. The esterase displayed 69% and 42% identity with the putative β-lactamases from Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2 and Clostridium sp. BNL1100, respectively. The esterase contained a Serx- x-Lys motif that is conserved among all β-lactamases found to date. The protein PBS-2 was produced in both soluble and insoluble forms when E. coli cells harboring the gene were cultured at 18°C. The enzyme is a serine protein and was active against p-nitrophenyl esters of C2, C4, C8, and C10. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were pH 9.0 and 30°C, respectively. Relative activity of 55% remained at up to 5°C with an activation energy of 5.84 kcal/mol, which indicates that the enzyme is cold-adapted. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Cd2+, Cu2+, and Hg2+ ions. As expected for a serine esterase, activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. The enzyme was remarkably active and stable in the presence of commercial detergents and organic solvents. This cold-adapted esterase has potential as a biocatalyst and detergent additive for use at low temperatures.

Characterization of Protein Arginine Methyltransferases in Porcine Brain

( Chien Jen Hung ),( Da Huang Chen ),( Yi Ting Shen ),( Yi Chen Li ),( Yi Wei Lin ),( Mingli Hsieh ),( Chuan Li ) 생화학분자생물학회 2007 BMB Reports Vol.40 No.5

An Empirical Investigation on Customer Dissatisfaction toward using Mobile Applications

Chien-Ta Ho,Chung-Lun Wei,Kai-Ting Lin 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Database Theory and Appli Vol.8 No.4

As technology advances, mobile phones have changed significantly with devices and operating systems becoming more sophisticated. Mobile Applications (Apps) have been increasingly popular in the recent years and are changing the people’s daily lives in leisure and businesses. The Booming industry of Apps makes great profit and the awareness to prevent customers or users from feeling dissatisfied is, accordingly, an important issue. Customer dissatisfaction may cause switching behavior, decreasing loyalty, and negative word-of-mouth among customers which may be the potential problem of business losses. Scarce researches have been done in discussing the effects of dissatisfaction among mobile products especially in applications issues. The purpose of this research is to propose a conceptual model and make an empirical investigation about the elements influencing customer dissatisfaction on using mobile applications. The sample consists of 200 respondents by using online questionnaires to collect data. The analysis employing structural equation modeling (SEM) shows that functionality, perceived usefulness and content have significant impacts on customer dissatisfaction. Implications for managerial perception and future research are discussed.

An Aligned Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Scaffold Fixed with Fibronectin to Enhance the Attachment and Growth of Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells

Chien-Ning Hsu,Ya-Ting Lin,Yu-Hsu Chen,Tsung-Yu Tseng,Hsing-Fen Tsai,Shinn-Gwo Hong,Chao-Ling Yao 한국생물공학회 2023 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.28 No.3

Repair and regeneration of vascular tissue is a crucial current research focus in the fields of biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine. Numerous studies revealed that cells are required to grow on an appropriate extracellular matrix to maintain or enhance functionality. In the present study, various surface modification methods were evaluated to fix fibronectin on the surface of a bio-based and aligned poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) film for vascular tissue engineering. After chemical modification, the properties of the fibronectin-fixed PHBV films were examined and compared with the original films, including -NH2 group expression, contact angle, mechanical properties, and fibronectin binding amount. Then, cytotoxicity and biocompatibility were measured by culture with L929 cells and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) of the fibronectinfixed PHBV films. In addition, cell morphology, cell growth kinetics, acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake ability, lectin binding ability and specific gene expressions of cultured EPCs on fibronectin-fixed PHBV films were also analyzed. Taken together, our data demonstrated that the surface of the aligned PHBV films could be successfully modified to immobilize fibronectin. Importantly, EPCs cultured on the fibronectin-fixed PHBV films showed excellent cell biocompatibility, a rapid proliferation rate, an aligned growth direction and correct cell functions. We believed that fibronectin-fixed PHBV films can serve as a potential scaffold for vascular tissue engineering.

Sulfuric Acid Hydrolysis and Detoxification of Red Alga Pterocladiella capillacea for Bioethanol Fermentation with Thermotolerant Yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus

( Chien Hui Wu ),( Wei Chen Chien ),( Han Kai Chou ),( Jung Woo Yang ),( Hong Ting Victor Lin ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.9

One-step sulfuric acid saccharification of the red alga Pterocladiella capillacea was optimized, and various detoxification methods (neutralization, overliming, and electrodialysis) of the acid hydrolysate were evaluated for fermentation with the thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus. A proximate composition analysis indicated that P. capillacea was rich in carbohydrates. A significant galactose recovery of 81.1 ± 5% was also achieved under the conditions of a 12% (w/v) biomass load, 5% (v/v) sulfuric acid, 121°C, and hydrolysis for 30 min. Among the various detoxification methods, electrodialysis was identified as the most suitable for fermentable sugar recovery and organic acid removal (100% reduction of formic and levulinic acids), even though it failed to reduce the amount of the inhibitor 5-HMF. As a result, K. marxianus fermentation with the electrodialyzed acid hydrolysate of P. capillacea resulted in the best ethanol levels and fermentation efficiency.

An Integrated Monitoring System for 5G Crosshaul Network

Ting-Che Chuang,Yueh-Hsien Lin,Chien-Wen Yang,Min Liu,Yong-Zen Haung 한국통신학회 2020 한국통신학회 APNOMS Vol.2020 No.09

Abstract : Arsenic sequestration in iron plaque and its effect on As uptake by rice plants grown in paddy soils with high contents of As, iron oxides, and organic matter

( Chien Hui Syu ),( Pei Yu Jiang ),( Hsuan Han Huang ),( Wen Ting Chen ),( Tzu Huei Lin ),( Dar Yuan Lee ) 한국환경농학회 2012 한국환경농학회 워크샵자료 Vol.2012 No.2

The iron plaque formed on rice root has been confirmed to be a barrier on the uptake of arsenic in many hydroponic experiments. However, few studies provide the information about the relationship between soil characteristics, iron plaque formation and As uptake by rice in Ascontaminated soils. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the rice root`s iron plaques on the As uptake by rice plants grown in geologically As-contaminated soils with high contents of iron oxides and organic matter from the Guandu Plain of northern Taiwan. A soil flooding incubation study was performed and a pot experiment was conducted. The rice seedling was pre-cultivated in solution cultures and then transplanted in three level As-contaminated soils for growing 39 days. The amounts of iron plaque on rice root were determined by extraction using dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB). The As species on iron plaque and the concentrations of As and Fe in iron plaque, root, root base and shoot of rice plants were determined. The results of the soil incubation study showed that both As and Fe concentrations in the soil solutions increased with flooding time due to reductive dissolution of iron oxides induced by high contents of organic matter in soils. High amounts of iron plaque were deposited on rice roots and large amounts of As were sequestrated in these iron plaques. Results of the As K-edge X-ray absorption nearedge spectroscopy (XANES) indicated that arsenate was the main species of arsenic sorbed on iron plaque of rice roots. About 74.0 to 93.2 % of total As released from soils were distributed in the iron plaques and only small proportion was distributed in the rice plants. This study provides evidence that the iron plaques of the rice roots was the main controlling factor in limiting the uptake and accumulation of As into the rice plants grown in paddy soils with high contents of iron oxides and organic matter, meanwhile, it suggests that enhancement of iron plaque formation could be the approach used for reducing the uptake of As by paddy rice grown in As-contaminated soils.

Sequencial Enzymatic Synthesis of Sugar nucleotides and Poly-LacNAc

Wei-Ting Chien,Ching-Ching Yu,Chun-Cheng Lin 한국당과학회 2012 한국당과학회 학술대회 Vol.2012 No.1

Poly-N-acetyllactosamine (poly-LacNAc, (3Gal1-4GlcNAc1-)n) is a linear carbohydrate polymer composed by repeatingN-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and galactose (Gal) residues. These polysaccharides are found either on N- / O-linked glycoproteins or glycolipids and involve in diverse cellular functions such as differentiation, apoptosis, and metastasis. Poly-LacNAc can be further modified by various glycosyltransferases to create branched structures and display terminal epitopes. Sialylated and fucosylated derivatives of poly-LacNAc have been characterized as specific ligands for different lectins such as selectins and galectins as well as being tumor-associated antigens.It is demanded to have various lengths of oligo-LacNAc for studying LacNAc associated biology. However, the traditional organic synthesis requires tedious multiple protection and de-protection steps which are heavily relied on labor-intensive and time-consuming synthetic routes. To efficiently and quickly produce oligo-LacNAc, we expressed the recombinant bacterial enzymes, □ - 1,3-N-acetyl-glucosaminyltransferase of Helicobacter pylori (HpGnT) and □ -1,4-galactosyltransferase of Neisseria meningitides (NmGalT), from E. coli. Defined lengths of oligo-LacNAcs were synthesized by using the expressed enzymes in the presence of sugar donors, uridine 5’-diphosphate galactose (UDP- Gal) and uridine 5’-diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc). To reduce the cost of NDP-sugars used in the oligo-LacNAc synthesis, we set up an enzymatic system for one-pot synthesis of NDP- sugars by using a wild-type bacterial thymidylyltransferase (RmlA). In this study, we applied RmlA to synthesize both UDP-Gal and UDP-GlcNAc. In combination with the use of corresponding kinases, UDP- GlcNAc and UDP-Gal were obtained from cheap starting materials, GlcNAc and Gal. Take the advantage of the great thermal stability of RmlA, the sugar nucleotides were prepared with quantitative yield at 55 oC within two hours. By the alternative addition of HpGnT and NmGalT, different lengths of oligo-LacNAc were synthesized. Compare to previous report, we successfully achieve the synthesis of oligo-LacNAc with a more economical way.