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This study reports a methodology for predicting surface roughness using data-driven models with grinding force as the input data. Prior to the model training process, the critical grinding parameters for brass material were selected and optimized using the Taguchi method. The experimental grinding force data were then collected and preprocessed into three features: the raw feature as the baseline feature, the statistical feature, and the fast Fourier transform (FFT) feature. The data were imported into a linear regression model as the baseline model and a deep neural network (DNN) model as the proposed strategy. The widely used surface roughness (Ra) of the ground workpiece was experimentally measured and served as the performance index. The model's performance was evaluated based on the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between the predicted and measured Ra values. The validation of the Ra prediction revealed that, among all test combinations, the DNN model with four hidden layers and the FFT feature as the input had the best performance of surface roughness prediction, with a MAPE of 3.17%. The independent testing and evaluation of the DNN model with the FFT feature yielded a MAPE of 6.96%, indicating that the proposed strategy effectively predicted the surface roughness of the workpiece. This work also proposes an automatic regrinding strategy in which the grinding system automatically regrinds the workpiece if the predicted Ra of the workpiece in the previous grinding process exceeds the threshold. Experimental results confirmed that among 24 ground areas, two areas have roughness exceeding the threshold and need to be regrind, and the proposed strategy can correctly identify and regrind these two areas (100% success rate). After automatic regrinding, the workpiece exhibited a roughness lower than the set threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between emotions and colors by showing robot animated emotion faces and colors to the participants through a series of surveys. We focused on representing a visualized emotion through a robot's facial expression and background colors. To complete the emotion design with animated faces and color background, we gave an experimental design for surveying the users' thoughts. We took an example of a robot animated face by using the ASUS Zenbo. We selected 11 colors as our color background and 24 facial expressions from Zenbo. To analyze our results from questionnaires, we used histograms to show the basic data situation and the multiple logistic regression analysis (MLRA) to see the marginal relationships. We separated our questionnaires into positive and negative questionnaires and divided the dataset into three cases to discuss the different relationships between color and emotion. Results showed that people preferred the blue color no matter whether the face was showing positive or negative emotion. The MLRA also showed the correct percentage is outstanding in case 2, either positive emotion or negative emotion. Participants thought Zenbo's robotic animated face was the same as they thought. Through our experimental design, we hope that people can consider more colors with emotion to design the human–robot interface that will be closer to the users' thoughts and make life more colorful with comfortable reactions with robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, many smart speakers, even social robots, appear on the market to help people's lives become more convenient. Usually, people use smart speakers to check their daily schedule or control home appliances in their house. Many social robots also include smart speakers. They have the common property of being used in voice control machines. Regardless of where the smart speaker is installed and used, when people start a conversation with voice equipment, a security or privacy risk is exposed. Hence, we want to build a speech recognition (SR) that contains the privacy identification information (PII) system in this paper. We call this the SR-PII system. We used a Google Artificial-Intelligence-Yourself (AIY) Voice Kit released from Google to build a simple, smart dialog speaker and included our SR-PII system. In our experiments, we test SR accuracy and the reliability of privacy settings in three environments (quiet, noise, and playing music). We also examine the cloud response and speaker response times during our experiments. The results show that the speaker response is approximately 3.74 s in the cloud environment and approximately 9.04 s from the speaker. We also showed the response accuracy of the speaker, which successfully prevented personal information with the SR-PII system in three environments. The speaker has a response mean time of approximately 8.86 s with 93% mean accuracy in a quiet room, approximately 9.18 s with 89% mean accuracy in a noisy environment, and approximately 9.62 s with 90% mean accuracy in an environment that plays music. We conclude that the SR-PII system can secure private information and that the most important factor affecting the response speed of the speaker is the network connection status. We hope that people can, through our experiments, have some guidelines in building social robots and installing the SR-PII system to protect users' personal identification information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explored whether the growth of food-delivery services has affected motorcycle accident patterns. When riders check their phones for directions and orders, safety risks rise. The study conducted analysis on the spatial pattern of motorcycle accidents. Separate models for food delivery and non-food delivery motorcycle accidents (FDMAs vs. NFDMAs) were built to detect differences, and the relative importance of spatial features particular to FDMAs is discussed. Trends in motorcycle accidents in Taiwan changed from 2012 to 2019. The cross-sectional analysis revealed that hotel and restaurant density along with FDMAs reported in the previous year can predict the number of FDMAs; whereas the number of NFDMAs can be determined by population density and the number of 3-legged intersections. The spatial analysis of motorcycle accidents help increase couriers' risk awareness in specific workplaces, provide insurance companies with a benchmark for regional pricing differentiation, and offer support for distracted riding regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Norovirus (NoV) infection is common in pediatric patients with immunodeficiency and is more likely to cause severe disease. Objective Our study aims to figure out the clinical differences and distribution of intestinal microbiota in immunocompromised children with NoV gastroenteritis. Methods: Pediatric patients admitted to Shang-Ho Hospital with diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis including different immune status were enrolled and their medical records were reviewed. NoV gastroenteritis was validated using RT-PCR molecular methods. Viral shedding period was determined by real-time RT-PCR assays. Intestinal microbiota enrichment analysis was carried out by next generation sequencing after fecal DNA extraction and subsequent Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) Effect Size (LEfSe) method. Results: Significantly higher frequency of diarrhea [mean, (IQR), 3.8 (3–5) /day] and longer viral shedding time [mean, IQR, 8.5 (5–13) days] was found in immunocompromised NoV infections than in immunocompetent patients without NoV infections (p = 0.013*) and immunocompetent patients with NoV infections (p = 0.030**). The fever prevalence was significantly lower in immunocompromised NoV infections than in different immune or infection status. Intestinal microbiota metagenomics analysis showed no significant community richness difference while the LEfSe analysis showed a significant difference in commensal richness at the phylum level, the family level, and the genus level in patients under different immune status. Conclusion: We evaluated the clinical significances and microbiota composition in immunocompromised children with norovirus gastroenteritis. This will further facilitate studies of the interaction between the intestinal microbiota in such patients with precise determination of their bacterial infection control and probiotic supplements strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry contributes eight percent to global carbon emissions, directly and indirectly. Indirect carbon emissions are often neglected because they are difficult to calculate. The traditional approach to calculating indirect emissions – Life Cycle Assessment – is expensive and requires an expert data analyst. We introduce an alternative approach, the Environmentally Extended Input-Output Analysis. We show how this approach – currently used at macro-level to estimate carbon emissions at national or regional level – can be applied to the business level using carbon emissions generated by one hotel room clean as an example. Our comparative analysis shows that Environmentally Extended Input-Output Analysis leads to similar results as Life Cycle Assessment, while being substantially cheaper and more user-friendly. Environmentally Extended Input-Output Analysis, we conclude, enables tourism businesses to estimate the indirect carbon emissions of their operations, which is the key to identifying target areas for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses a capacitated vehicle routing problem with time windows and simultaneous pickup and delivery (VRPTWPD) for scheduling bus-type taxis formerly served by regular buses. The effects of varying the maximum number of passenger seats on service quality and costs are investigated. Taiwan's government has subsidized public transport in order to ensure consistency between service shifts and demands, improve the efficiency of public transport operations, and maintain an ongoing supply of services while reducing the number of scooters and/or private cars on roads to minimize traffic congestion. Ultimately, the intent is to reduce government subsidies further and maintain service quality at reasonable levels. Transit planners have also introduced the Demand Responsive Transit System (DRTS) to connect routes. Particularity in rural areas, local transit planners have replaced buses with taxis to form a bus-type taxi service that increases efficiency. As a consequence, the transit service in low-density or rural areas has not been abandoned. The study acknowledges that optimal routes for successful bus-type taxis services vary by area. Routing and scheduling results will assist route planners' efforts to provide sufficient transit services in rural areas. The study results also suggest that further reductions in government subsidies are possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study collected the annual revenue data of the top three supermarket chains in Taiwan (PX Mart, Simple Mart, and Wellcome), shopping frequency in supermarkets, and the average expenditure of the general public in order to construct models for simulating supermarket revenue by calibrating model parameters to the actual data. This study employed the competing destinations model (CDM) to designate supermarket shoppers' shopping areas and simulate supermarket sales. The CDM calculated the probability of consumers selecting each supermarket, simulated the total revenues of supermarkets and the average daily revenue of a single store using the expenditure equation, and added spatial competition and agglomeration effect parameters to the model to observe variations in revenue with changing parameter values. The study results revealed profitable expansion opportunities and highly competitive locations not advised for new outlets. Beitou district had the lowest population density in Taipei City yet a high-sales cluster, making it an area suitable for new PX Mart stores. Shilin and Xinyi districts could also be considered suitable areas for new stores because they had insignificant distributions of stores, high-sales clusters, and competition was not yet severe. The study extends the use of analytical revenue and spatial models to empirically study the agglomeration forces between supermarket chains, analyzes the influence of distance variation on supermarket revenues, and determines the most suitable locations for the future inauguration of supermarket stores in Taipei City. • This study collected the annual revenue data of the top three supermarket chains in Taiwan. • The agglomeration forces between supermarket chains were investigated. • This study constructed models for simulating supermarket revenue by calibrating parameters to the actual data. • The study analyzed the influence of distance variation on supermarket revenues. • The study results revealed profitable expansion opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined how bus and taxi drivers’ public self-consciousness interacted with social anxiety to influence their aberrant driving behaviors. Questionnaires were distributed to 331 male and female Taiwanese bus and taxi drivers whose working environment involves frequent and direct interaction with passengers. Questionnaire statements measured drivers’ dispositional public self-consciousness and social anxiety, and their intentions and driving behaviors related to speeding, errors and violations. The study utilized a mediating model and path analysis explored causal relationships between the constructs. The study found that both public self-consciousness and social anxiety explained bus drivers’ aberrant driving behaviors. Female drivers reported less aberrant driving behaviors than their male counterparts did. Bus drivers reported less aberrant driving behaviors than taxi drivers. Drivers with crash involvement within three years reported higher public self-consciousness than did those without that involvement. The suitable research frameworks, which describe the influence of public self-consciousness and social anxiety on aberrant driving behaviors, fit to bus and taxi drivers are different, so as different to male and female drivers. The study findings suggest bus and taxi driver should receive special training in general attitude as a condition of their employment in order to avoid aggressive behaviors and provide a better and safer service to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of noncoding introns from pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) is an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression and is catalyzed by a dynamic multi-megadalton ribonucleoprotein complex called the spliceosome. The spliceosome assembles on pre-mRNA substrates by the stepwise addition of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles and numerous protein factors. Extensive remodeling is required to form the RNA-based active site and to mediate the pre-mRNA branching and ligation reactions. In the past two years, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of spliceosomes captured in different assembly and catalytic states have greatly advanced our understanding of its mechanism. This was made possible by long-standing efforts in the purification of spliceosome intermediates as well as recent developments in cryo-EM imaging and computational methodology. The resulting high-resolution densities allow for de novo model building in core regions of the complexes. In peripheral and less ordered regions, the combination of cross-linking, bioinformatics, biochemical, and genetic data is essential for accurate modeling. Here, we summarize these achievements and highlight the critical steps in obtaining near-atomic resolution structures of the spliceosome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent changes in the world economy have had a significant impact on container shipping in recent decades. A growing number of studies have demonstrated that service capabilities are related to competitive advantage and organizational performance. When encountering an environment characterized by economic uncertainty, the shipping industry was required to emphasize dynamic capabilities associated with adaptation to sustain competitive advantage. The purpose of this study was to examine the linkages between dynamic capabilities, service capabilities, competitive advantage, and organizational performance in container shipping using data surveys from 134 respondents in container shipping firms in Taiwan. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify the crucial dimensions underlying dynamic capabilities, and service capabilities. Furthermore, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the research hypotheses. The research findings indicated that dynamic capabilities positively influenced both competitive advantage and service capabilities. Service capabilities and competitive advantage were positively related to organizational performance. Practical implications of the research findings for container shipping firms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are major causes of acute gastroenteritis around the world. The high mutation rate and recombination potential of noroviruses are significant challenges in studying the genetic diversity and evolution pattern of novel strains. In this review, we describe recent advances in the development of technologies for not only the detection but also the analysis of complete genome sequences of noroviruses and the future prospects of detection methods for tracing the evolution and genetic diversity of human noroviruses. The mechanisms of HuNoV infection and the development of antiviral drugs have been hampered by failure to develop the infectious virus in a cell model. However, recent studies have demonstrated the potential of reverse genetics for the recovery and generation of infectious viral particles, suggesting the utility of this genetics-based system as an alternative for studying the mechanisms of viral infection, such as cell entry and replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The root locus is one of the major topics covered in an undergraduate-level automatic control course. It usually involves a nontrivial number of constructing steps, which on many occasions is hard for students to follow. Here, a short summary lecture taught after the normal root locus lecture is proposed. This method treats the root locus as a variation of the one or multi coefficients of the polynomials, and it categorizes various root locus plots into groups by utilizing complementary root loci and analytic or breakaway analysis. Through the combined lecture, the student learning process can be executed more smoothly and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In real-world applications, sometimes randomness and fuzziness may coexist. In facility-location problems, the data expressed in natural language may contain vague information. We discuss the uncertainty included in demands in facility-location problems. The uncertain demand is called fuzzy demand in this paper. In the facility-location model, the parameters of fuzzy demand are determined by calculating the estimated expected value of the fuzzy demand, which is obtained by using the estimated parameters of the underlying probability distribution function of the fuzzy data. Moreover, we propose a defuzzification formula of the fuzzy demand called the realization of fuzzy demand. The defuzzification formula of fuzzy demand comprises the upper bound and the lower bound of the fuzzy demand. Moreover, the error of the fuzzy demand is assessed as the mean absolute percentage error of the fuzzy demand. Empirical studies show that we can solve real-life location problems by using the defuzzification formula of fuzzy demand and get higher profit in our facility-location model than by using conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic dispatch is the short-term determination of the optimal output from a number of electricity generation facilities to meet the system load while providing power. As such, it represents one of the main optimization problems in the operation of electrical power systems. This article presents techniques to substantially improve the efficiency of the canonical coordinates method (CCM) algorithm when applied to nonlinear combined heat and power economic dispatch (CHPED) problems. The improvement is to eliminate the need to solve a system of nonlinear differential equations, which appears in the line search process in the CCM algorithm. The modified algorithm was tested and the analytical solution was verified using nonlinear CHPED optimization problems, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the algorithm. The CCM methods proved numerically stable and, in the case of nonlinear programs, produced solutions with unprecedented accuracy within a reasonable time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] This study assesses the Combined Heat and Power Economic Dispatch (CHPED) problem. [•] The study investigated the performances of an evolutionary computing approach, HSGA. [•] The results show that the algorithm yields high-quality solutions for the CHPED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonparametric statistical tests are a distribution-free method without any assumption that data are drawn from a particular probability distribution. In this paper, to identify the distribution difference between two populations of fuzzy data, we derive a function that can describe continuous fuzzy data. In particular, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test is used for distinguishing two populations of fuzzy data. Empirical studies illustrate that the Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test enables us to judge whether two independent samples of continuous fuzzy data are derived from the same population. The results show that the proposed function is successful in distinguishing two populations of continuous fuzzy data and useful in various applications. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] This study integrated gender with the interface of car navigation systems (CNSs) to analyze the usability of CNS interfaces. [•] A combination of gender and the interface dimension design affects CNS objective usability. [•] Gender differences affect CNS objective and subjective usability. [•] Differences in operational performance between the two gender groups were less using 2D interface than using 3D interface. [•] Different interface designs of CNS brands affect CNS objective usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] HYS-32 is a new analogue of combretastatin A-4 containing a cis-stilbene moiety. [•] We investigate the effect of HYS-32 on Cx43 gap junctions in rat primary astrocytes. [•] HYS-32 enhances Cx43 expression and GJIC via a PKC–ERK signaling cascade. [•] HYS-32 prevents LPS-induced downregulation of Cx43 and inhibition of GJIC. [•] The effects of HYS-32 on astrocytes potentiate its application in neuroprotection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigates stress-influence factors perceived by military aircrews undergoing centrifuge training, which lowers the incidence of G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) for the crews of high-performance combat aircrafts. We used questionnaires to assess the subjective stress-influence factors of crews undergoing centrifuge training. Professionals in aviation physiology identified attributes measuring the perceived stress induced by centrifuge training, which were segmented into three constructs by factor analysis, theory lecture, centrifuge equipment, and physical fitness. Considerable interpenetration was discernible between these factors and military rank, age, length of service, flight hours accrued, and type of aircraft piloted. Identifying and quantifying the perceived stressors experienced in human-use centrifuge training enables aviators, astronauts, and air forces of the world to determine which constructs perceptibly increase or alleviate the perceived stress undergone by trainees when partaking in centrifuge training. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SF3a is an evolutionarily conserved heterotrimeric complex essential for pre-mRNA splicing. It functions in spliceosome assembly within the mature U2 snRNP (small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle), and its displacement from the spliceosome initiates the first step of the splicing reaction. We have identified a core domain of the yeast SF3a complex required for complex assembly and determined its crystal structure. The structure shows a bifurcated assembly of three subunits, Prp9, Prp11 and Prp21, with Prp9 interacting with Prp21 via a bidentate-binding mode, and Prp21 wrapping around Prp11. Structure-guided biochemical analysis also shows that Prp9 harbours a major binding site for stem-loop IIa of U2 snRNA. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the assembly of U2 snRNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study applies the theory of consumption values to determine the influence factors on consumer choice behavior regarding green products, and examines whether there are significant differences in consumption values and choice behavior between consumers with different outlooks on environmental concerns. One-way analysis of variance and multiple regression is used to assess data collected by a questionnaire survey. The results indicate that consumers with high environmental concern support green products more, and show greater readiness to choose them. This study concludes that the main influence factors on consumer choice behavior regarding green products include psychological benefit, desire for knowledge, novelty seeking, and specific conditions, and do not include functional values, price and quality. This study contributes to preliminary but vital insights in effective promotion of green products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigates the routing problems of road resurfacing in Taiwan''s smooth road project, incorporating multiple treatments served by different construction machinery in a way that propagates extra time window constraints to ensure that a subsequent treatment starts after the required preceding treatment has started or been completed. The routing problem is modeled as a multi-treatment capacitated arc routing problem with time windows (MTCARPTW) in order to determine a set of trips at a minimum total cost that covers all required links of road resurfacing work. The MTCARPTW is first transformed into a traveling salesman problem (TSP); then, a heuristics method based on ant colony optimization (ACO) is applied and evaluated based on the set of given circumstances. The computational results indicate that the proposed algorithm is efficient. This research contributes to identifying a new routing problem, modeling this MTCARPTW, and introducing the ACO to solve the problem efficiently. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose – This paper seeks to probe key issues concerning library instruction and the problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. This is important because the curriculum has particular non-traditional characteristics, and library instruction may be able to play a greater role, giving students more support in both their study and information-seeking behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – The paper systemically surveyed and reviewed literatures related to library instruction, library user education and medical curriculum design. Findings – To sustainably integrate library instructional materials and activities into the PBL curriculum, it is important to help medical libraries to become learning organizations that can respond to changing external environments. Research limitations/implications – The paper presents a hybrid template of the instruction for different year medical students. The template can be an example for those who plan library instructional activities in medical schools. Originality/value – The paper also provides five strategies for the library to manage the previous task more smoothly and effectively. The strategies are: small group education; problems of the curriculum; librarians' re-education and retraining; information literacy; and the faculty-librarian partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a conceptual framework of space design principles and conditions for learning in academic libraries. The researchers reviewed relevant literature and identified several factors significantly affecting space and learning. Transmutation of the library into a completely digital library appears to be premature. However, the design of academic libraries has changed dramatically in recent decades as a result of digital technology and changes in pedagogy, and will undoubtedly continue to change. Flexibility is considered an imperative of design. The most successful designs have been developed by a collaborative process, involving all stakeholders from the delineation of the vision through to completion of the project, but with a project manager who can coordinate all players and drive the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigates whether gender differences have an impact on the definition of good interface design and whether manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit small-display portable car navigation systems (CNSs) based on gender. This work adopted an experimental design for collecting data from three tasks – locating points, planning routes, and searching polygons – each emphasizing a different aspect of way-finding. Study results show that gender, the CNS interface the participant used, and a combination of the two predict a person’s operational performance and satisfaction with a CNS. This study’s results provide a better understanding of whether manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit a CNS’s small display based on gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study formulates the dispatching operations of ready mixed concrete (RMC) trucks as a job shop problem with recirculation, which includes time windows and demand postponement, as well as the external cost of transport, in a multi-objective programming model. This investigation divides factors that affect truck dispatching of RMC plants into intrinsic and imposed constraints, where intrinsic constraints refer to limits that must be satisfied during the concrete distribution process; imposed constraints are those that should be fulfilled to the greatest extent possible during dispatching. The results will help concrete plant dispatchers of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) determine a cost effective and reliable day-to-day distribution scheme and achieve better customer service. This work contributes to both modeling and dispatching operations of RMC trucks as a job shop problem by applying optimization tools that enable RMC SMEs to detect and subsequently take advantage of opportunities that may exist for improving daily operation efficiency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper addresses an integrated model that schedules multi-item replenishment with uncertain demand to determine delivery routes and truck loads, where the actual replenishment quantity only becomes known upon arrival at a demand location. This paper departs from the conventional ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm, which minimizes total travel length, and incorporates the attraction of pheromone values that indicate the stockout costs on nodes. The contributions of the paper to the literature are made both in terms of modeling this combined multi-item inventory management with the vehicle-routing problem and in introducing a modified ACO for the inventory routing problem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent reports on environmental protection have found that lean management can facilitate green operations in container terminals. Using data from 268 samples in Kaohsiung, a structural equation modeling approach was employed to examine the relationships among lean management, green operations, and green behavior with respect to green performance, and a hierarchical regression approach was utilized to test the moderating effect of green climate between these major dimensions in the context of container terminals. The research findings indicated that lean management positively influenced both green operations and green behavior. Green operational practices had a positive impact on both green behavior and green performance. Green climate also had a positive effect on green performance. Additionally, a green climate positively moderated the effect of lean management, green behavior, and green performance. In this era of environmental protection, these research outcomes have practical implications for the expansion of container terminal organizations by improving operational effectiveness with green performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new coordination manipulation strategy for a custom-made dual-arm robot. With master and slave coordination infrastructure, both spatial relation and sense of touch are considered to hold an object stably. Given the known trajectory of the master arm, the slave arm fuses position and force commands by using the Kalman filter to yield optimal compensation amounts. The proposed strategy has been experimentally evaluated, and the results confirm that it was capable of dealing with fragile and flexible objects. In addition, the influence of the loop time of the digital controller on force control for this task was also investigated in mathematical and simulated ways. Furthermore, a series of experiments were designed to explore the effects that have influences on errors in force control. The main factors that affect force control error were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report the formation of various submicron wrinkle patterns and their transition from one-dimensional (1D) ripples to two-dimensional (2D) herringbone structures on poly(dimethylsiloxane) films. Using mechanical force they can separately control the amount and timing of strain applied to the substrate on both planar directions (either simultaneously or sequentially), which appears to be critical to maneuver the pattern formation in real time. They demonstrate reversible transitions from flat to 1D ripple, to ripple with bifurcation, to ripple/herringbone mixed features, and to well-controlled formation of a highly ordered zigzag-based 2D herringbone structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the methodology of developing a hybrid model and utilizing it as a template to initiate running behavior in a legged robot. The hybrid model is comprised of a physics-based, rolling, spring-loaded, inverted pendulum (R-SLIP) model, and a data-driven model that compensates for unmodeled dynamics using Gaussian process (GP) regression. The hybrid R-SLIP-GP model retains the R-SLIP's intrinsic running dynamics, as well as improves the template's accuracy without intensive data training and iteration efforts. The proposed hybrid model was evaluated via simulation and in empirical robot running experiments. The results confirm that the added GP-based model greatly improved the model's accuracy, especially discrepancies resulting from the originally difficult-to-model complex leg-ground interactions. In addition, the R-SLIP-GP model was utilized as a complete motion template to design and control the robot's running motion. The experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid template can initiate more stable and power-efficient running motion in the robot than using the R-SLIP template. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of the clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system for gene editing in various contexts. Also examined are whether a single guide RNA (sgRNA) can be engineered to integrate functional RNA modules, as well as such topics as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA), the CRISPR-Display (CRISP-Disp) approach, and the nuclease-deficient mutant (dCas9).

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a form of acute systemic vasculitis syndrome that predominantly occurs in children under the age of 5 years. Its etiology has been postulated due to not only genetic factors but also the presence of foreign antigens or infectious agents. To evaluate possible associations between Kawasaki disease (KD) and COVID-19, we investigated humoral responses of KD patients against S-protein variants with SARS-CoV-2 variant protein microarrays. In this study, plasma from a cohort of KD (N = 90) and non-KD control (non-KD) (N = 69) subjects in categories of unvaccinated–uninfected (pre-pandemic), SARS-CoV-2 infected (10–100 days after infection), and 1-dose, 2-dose, and 3-dose BNT162b2 vaccinated (10–100 days after vaccination) was collected. The principal outcomes were non-KD–KD differences for each category in terms of anti-human/anti-His for binding antibodies and neutralizing percentage for surrogate neutralizing antibodies. Binding antibodies against spikes were lower in the KD subjects with 1-dose of BNT162b2, and mean differences were significant for the P.1 S-protein (non-KD–KD, 3401; 95% CI, 289.0 to 6512; P = 0.0252), B.1.617.2 S-protein (non-KD–KD, 4652; 95% CI, 215.8 to 9087; P = 0.0351) and B.1.617.3 S-protein (non-KD–KD, 4874; 95% CI, 31.41 to 9716; P = 0.0477). Neutralizing antibodies against spikes were higher in the KD subjects with 1-dose of BNT162b2, and mean percentage differences were significant for the 1-dose BNT162b2 B.1.617.3 S-protein (non-KD–KD, −22.89%; 95% CI, −45.08 to −0.6965; P = 0.0399), B.1.1.529 S-protein (non-KD–KD, −25.96%; 95% CI, −50.53 to −1.376; P = 0.0333), BA.2.12.1 S-protein (non-KD–KD, −27.83%; 95% CI, −52.55 to −3.115; P = 0.0195), BA.4 S-protein (non-KD–KD, −28.47%; 95% CI, −53.59 to −3.342; P = 0.0184), and BA.5 S-protein (non-KD–KD, −30.42%; 95% CI, −54.98 to −5.869; P = 0.0077). In conclusion, we have found that KD patients have a comparable immunization response to healthy individuals to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on the development of the clock-torqued rolling spring loaded inverted pendulum (CTR-SLIP) model. The new model, which adds clock-based torque control on the leg orientation of the previously developed R-SLIP model, has two advantages: first, regulating the model to follow its passive dynamic running (i.e., at a fixed point) significantly increases the model's basin of attraction; and second, formulating the model closer to the empirical robot enables the model to serve as the transient and steady-state running template of the robot as the anchor. These features enable the model/robot to perform speed transition from one fixed point profile to another, and the experimental validation confirms that the robot can successfully transition between two running speeds bidirectionally. The achievement of variable-speed running by the proposed method has a unique merit—it is purely model-based, and there is no need for further tuning, optimization, or learning processes. Regarding the robot, the proposed strategy only requires it to have simple position control to regulate its leg orientations, and there is no need for other sensory modules to provide information for feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide; the most common pathologic type is lung adenocarcinoma (LADC). In spite of the recent progress in targeted therapy, most LADC patients eventually expired due to the inevitable recurrence and drug resistance. New complementary agent with evidence-based molecular mechanism is urgently needed. MiR-34a is an important p53 downstream tumor suppressor, which regulates apoptosis, cell-cycle, EMT (epithelial mesenchymal transition), and so forth. Its expression is deficient in many types of cancers including LADC. Here, we show that a Chinese herbal formula JP-1 activates p53/miR-34a axis in A549 human LADC cells (p53 wild-type). Treatment with JP-1 induces p53 and its downstream p21 and BAX proteins as well as the miR-34a, resulting in growth inhibition, colony formation reduction, migration repression, and apoptosis induction. Accordingly, the decreases of miR-34a downstream targets such as CDK6, SIRT1, c-Myc, survivin, Snail, and AXL were observed. Moreover, JP-1 activates AMPKα and reduces mTOR activity, implying its inhibitory effect on the energy-sensitive protein synthesis and cell proliferation signaling. Our results show that JP-1 activates p53/miR-34a tumor suppressor axis and decreases proteins related to proliferation, apoptosis resistance, and metastasis, suggesting its potential as a complementary medicine for LADC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to turn Taipei into a sustainable, green metropolis, in 2009, the Department of Transportation of Taipei City Government launched a public bike rental system (YouBike) to meet people’s daily commute and/or leisure needs. Given that users may return bikes to sites differing from their starting locations, rental stations frequently lack bikes or bike racks. This study sought to identify lacking-bike and/or lacking-bike rack hot spots utilizing spatial-temporal analysis. In addition, it applied retail location theory to determine site selection of further rental stations. Historical data indicated that shortage of bikes was much more severe than shortage of bike racks in the YouBike public bike system and lacking-bike and lacking-bike rack hot spots were clustered significantly. The study demonstrated that spatial-temporal analysis can be used to effectively identify rental stations’ spatial patterns, determine the most suitable locations for further installation of rental stations, help to provide public bike users with a more effective rental system, and greatly assist public bikes’ operational management and decision-making in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developing a novel 2-DOF spherical joint with a large continuously rotatable range. • Using a C-shaped rail mechanism to avoid collision and to enlarge workspace. • Developing a dynamic model of the joint for behavioral analysis. • Building a prototype of the joint, and experimentally confirming the functionality of the joint. The development of an innovative two-degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) active spherical joint (universal joint) that can provide an extended range of motion and perform continuous rotation in both DOFs is reported. The workspace of the 2-DOF joint in general arrangements is explored. To overcome the structural limitation of the general configurations of the joint, this work proposes a new design that incorporates rotatable C-shaped rails to avoid collision among components of the joint. The dynamic model of the 2-DOF joint is constructed, and its behaviors in the simulation are analyzed. The trajectories are generated in simulation to better understand the joint torque requirement. A prototype of the 2-DOF joint was fabricated, and its performance was experimentally evaluated. The experimental results confirm that the continuous rotation of the two DOFs in a wide range is feasible and that the RMSEs of positions were less than 2% within the motion range, and those of orientations were less than 0.6% along the entire rotations, with standard deviations under 0.4 mm and 0.6 degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to quantify the environmental impact of two retail distribution networks and offer consumers a channel that is more beneficial to the environment. The environmental impact of replenishing the packaged beverages sold in convenience stores (CVSs) and hypermarkets is assessed using the streamlined life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach. In this study, the life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) for packaged beverages up to the point of sale illustrates the distribution-level environmental impacts of truck transportation. The matched-pair t -test shows that the environmental impacts of transporting 1800 cartons of 24-pack/10 oz. beverages to be sold in Carrefour and 7-11 stores is different at a significance level of 0.1. The transport-focused LCA is used to improve the understanding and compare the environmental characteristics of the two distribution and retail systems. This study constitutes a vehicle for communicating to both internal and external stakeholders the environmental profiles of distributing the same product sold through two retail channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the grinding process is mostly automatic, yet post-grinding quality inspection is mostly carried out manually. Although the conventional inspection technique may have cumbersome setup and tuning processes, the data-driven model, with its vision-based dataset, provides an opportunity to automate the inspection process. In this study, a convolutional neural network technique with transfer learning is proposed for three kinds of inspections based on 750–1000 surface raw images of the ground workpieces in each task: classifying the grit number of the abrasive belt that grinds the workpiece, estimating the surface roughness of the ground workpiece, and classifying the degree of wear of the abrasive belts. The results show that a deep convolutional neural network can recognize the texture on the abrasive surface images and that the classification model can achieve an accuracy of 0.9 or higher. In addition, the external coaxial white light was the most suitable light source among the three tested light sources: the external coaxial white light, the high-angle ring light, and the external coaxial red light. Finally, the model that classifies the degree of wear of the abrasive belts can also be utilized as the abrasive belt life estimator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study employed a two-phase methodology to assess the environmental impacts from offset lithographic printing on color-box packaging. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to prioritize improvement options and the life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used to assess environmental impacts quantitatively. This study quantified the total amount of energy consumption and CO2 emissions caused by the printing processes of color-box packaging and showed that the total reduction of GHG emissions of the system that omitted the laminating and varnishing process was approximately 239 kg. Moreover, incineration contributes 2905–3004 kg of CO2 to potential global warming in the case of color-box packaging. The study demonstrated the viability of the AHP for evaluating environmental impacts of printing processes, ranking them in order of pollution potential, and subsequently identifying those critical for reducing environmental pollution on the printing operation. This study also showed how the LCA approach may be used together with expert opinion to identify opportunity to alter printing processes in order to address environmental impacts and improve the environmental profile of offset lithographic printing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes the inspiration for, design, analysis, and implementation of, and experimentation with the first dynamical vertical climbing robot. Biologists have proposed a pendulous climbing model that abstracts remarkable similarities in dynamical wall scaling behavior exhibited by radically different animal species. We numerically study a version of that pendulous climbing template dynamically scaled for applicability to utilitarian payloads with conventional electronics and actuation. This simulation study reveals that the incorporation of passive compliance can compensate for the scaled model’s poorer power density and scale disadvantages relative to biology. However, the introduction of additional dynamical elements raises new concerns about stability regarding both the power stroke and limb coordination schemes that we allay via mathematical analysis of further simplified models. Combining these numerical and analytical insights into a series of design prototypes, we document the correspondence of the various models to the scaled platforms and report that our final prototype climbs dynamically at vertical speeds up to 0.67 m/s (1.5 body-lengths per second, in rough agreement with our models’ predictions). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for rapid, cost-effective, and high-throughput detection methods. To better analyze the antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in vaccinated or infected subjects, we developed a multiplex detection named Barcode Bead Fluorescence (BBF) assay. These barcode beads were magnetic, characterized by 2-dimensional edges, highly multiplexed, and could be decrypted with visible light. We conjugated 12 magnetic barcode beads with corresponding nine spike proteins (wild-type, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and current omicrons), two nucleocapsid proteins (wild-type and omicron), and one negative control. First, the conjugated beads underwent serial quality controls via fluorescence labeling, e.g., reproducibility (R square = 0.99) and detection limits (119 pg via anti-spike antibody). Next, we investigated serums from vaccinated subjects and COVID-19 patients for clinical applications. A significant reduction of antibody levels against all variant beads was observed in both vaccinated and COVID-19 studies. Subjects with two doses of mRNA-1273 exhibited the highest level of antibodies against all spike variants compared to two doses of AZD1222 and unvaccinated. We also found that COVID-19 patients showed higher antibody levels against spike beads from wild-type, alpha, beta, and delta. Finally, the nucleocapsid beads served as markers to distinguish infections from vaccinated subjects. Overall, this study developed the BBF assay for analyzing humoral immune responses, which has the advantages of robustness, automation, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates relationships among gender, spatial anxiety, and operational performance of car navigation systems (CNSs) with a traditional Chinese interface. 600 study participants performed a route-locating task on a CNS and reported their competence to cope with spatial anxiety using the Spatial Anxiety Scale. The study found that gender predicted operational performance: female participants needed more time to perform the designated navigation task than male participants; gender predicted participants' competence to cope with spatial anxiety: female participants reported lower competence to cope with spatial anxiety than male participants, and CNS interface design predicted CNS operational performance. These findings play an important role in determining CNS adoption for drivers. Findings also provide manufacturers and marketers with reliable information regarding at whom they should target their CNS products to demonstrate that manufacturers should develop interfaces that fit small-display CNSs based on gender or create a gender-neutral user experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalusmembranaceus is the most popular traditional Chinese medicine for managing vital energy deficiency. Its injectable polysaccharide PG2 has been used for relieving cancer-related fatigue, and PG2 has immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we explored the effects of PG2 in lung adenocarcinoma A549 and CL1-2 cells and investigated its anticancer activity, and the results were validated in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Although PG2 did not inhibit the growth of these cells, it dose-dependently suppressed their migration and invasion, accompanied by reduced vimentin and AXL and induced epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) expression. Regarding the underlying molecular mechanism, PG2 treatment reduced the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), an inflammatory cytokine that promotes the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and aggressiveness of cancer cells. Consistent with the previous finding that MIF regulates matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), treatment with PG2 reduced MMP-13 and activated AMPK in A549 and CL1-2 cells in this study. In SCID mice injected with A549 cells through the tail vein, intraperitoneal injection with PG2 reduced lung and abdominal metastases in parallel with decreased immunohistochemical staining of AXL, vimentin, MMP-13, and MIF in the tumor. Collectively, data revealed a potential application of PG2 in integrative cancer treatment through the suppression of MIF in cancer cells and their aggressiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication of single-component, strain responsive microlens arrays with real-time tunability. The concave lens array is fabricated by patterning hard oxide layer on a bidirectionally prestretched soft elastomer, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) followed by confined buckling upon release of the prestrain. The convex microlens array is replica molded from the concave lenses in PDMS. Due to difference in lens formation mechanisms, the two types of lenses show different tunable range of focal length in response to the applied strain: large focal length change is observed from the concave microlens array, whereas that from the convex microlens array is much smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested key predictions of confusion, which accompanies a state of cognitive conflict triggered by erroneous Chinese characters, for students to detect and correct in an online Chinese reading-correcting game competition. In addition, this study examined how participants' concepts of human intelligence could predict whether they maintained their levels of gameplay anxiety and reflected their intention to join the competition as mediated by epistemic curiosity. There were 189 sixth-grade students who returned the questionnaires, and the results revealed that the incremental theory of language intelligence could predict 2 types of epistemic curiosity (EC): D-type EC was positively correlated to gameplay anxiety, while I-type EC was not significantly associated with gameplay anxiety. Moreover, gameplay anxiety was positively correlated with intention to join the contest. The implication of these findings is that teachers may use scaffolding with a positive effect on incremental theory of language intelligence to encourage students to have more EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]