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Diamond films were deposited on (111) silicon wafers by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). The deposition parameters included a system power of 1200 W, chamber pressure of 110 torr, H2 flowing rate of 300 sccm, and a CH4 flowing rate of 15 sccm. The diamond particles measured about 5-6 μm, and morphology analysis revealed a rectangular structure stacked regularly on diamond films after deposition. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis detected (220) square structures. Annealing at 600 ℃ improved the quality of diamond film, making the peak of the Raman spectra at 1350 cm-1 sharper and higher. The (220) and (311) orientation structures on the diamond films decreased after annealing broke the surface morphology. To conduct electric and optical experiments conveniently, the deposited samples were immersed in acid (HNA, HF：HNO3：CH3COOH = 3：25：10) to remove the silicon layers. The HNA acid did not corrode diamond films seriously, but slightly damaged the incomplete (220) and (311) structures.

Between 2001 and 2005, the Disaster Prevention Research Center of National Cheng-Kung University established a groundwater observation network consisting of 16 wells. Most of these were located along active faults for research on earthquake-related groundwater changes. They were selected mainly from among the 550 groundwater observation wells of the Water Resources Agency (WRA), which monitors and manages groundwater resources in Taiwan. The groundwater level was observed at a resolution of 0.2 mm at the wells. The depths of the well screens ranged between 80 and 252 m. Groundwater level data at six of the 16 wells were analyzed between 2003 and 2006 in an evaluation of such data for use in detecting earthquake-related groundwater level changes. The strain sensitivities of the groundwater level at these six wells ranged between 0.1 and 0.5 mm/10−9, indicating that an analysis of groundwater level data at these six wells can detect volumetric strain changes on the order of 10−9. Coseismic and/or postseismic groundwater level changes associated with 17 earthquakes in and around Taiwan whose magnitudes were ≥6 were also analyzed. Our analysis shows that ground shaking seems the main reason for earthquake-related changes but that the acceleration of ground shaking cannot always explain the observed groundwater level changes.

The effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) on polyomavirus BK virus (BKV) replication remains unclear. The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the effect of CsA on BKV replication in human uroepithelial cells.

The groundwater level changes induced by the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake were well recorded at the monitoring wells in and around the Choshui River alluvial fan, Taiwan, which is adjacent to the focal region. We analyzed the coseismic groundwater level changes related to the geological setting and seismic ground motion. In a typical fan area, the groundwater levels coseismically rose and those amplitudes increased as the ground acceleration and hydraulic conductivity became larger. In the slope area near the earthquake fault, the groundwater levels coseismically dropped and those amplitudes increased as the ground acceleration became larger. The liquefaction and permeability enhancement, whose degrees depend on the geological setting and seismic ground motion, might explain the characteristics of the coseismic groundwater level changes in the Choshui River alluvial fan.

Atherosclerosis and its thrombotic complications plague developed countries. The rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques contributes to acute cardiovascular events and sudden cardiac deaths. Historically, coronary angiography has proved an invaluable tool for the detection and treatment of coronary stenoses that may cause myocardial ischemia; however, the method lacks the capacity to provide thorough information about properties of the lesion (i.e. whether it is lipid-rich, fibrotic, or calcified). Recent advances in electronics, biomaterials and microfabrication techniques have enabled novel multimodality catheters for the assessment of atherosclerotic plaques, such as the integration of intravascular ultrasound with photoacoustic microscopy or optical coherence tomography as well as the utilization of stretchable electrodes for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. These technologies enable the identification of the complexity and composition of potentially unstable plaques as well as investigations of stenosis severity, plaque formation, and remodeling in both humans and studied animal models. However, real-time detection of vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions prepared for clinical trials remains an unmet challenge. In this context, this review highlights existing and newly-emerged intravascular sensors to assess unstable plaques and their compositions. Advantages and limitations, as well as further development and potential clinical applications, will be thoroughly discussed.