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A concept map, typically depicted as a connected graph, is composed of a collection of propositions. Each proposition forming a semantic unit consists of a small set of concept nodes interconnected to one another with relation links. Concept maps possess a number of appealing features which make them a promising tool for teaching, learning, evaluation, and curriculum planning. In this paper, we extend concept maps by associating their concept nodes and relation links with attribute values which indicate the relative significance of concepts and relationships in knowledge representation. The resulting maps are called attributed concept maps (ACM). Assessing students will be conducted by matching their ACMs with those prebuilt by experts. The associated techniques are referred to as map matching techniques. The building of an expert ACM has in the past been done by only one specialist. In this study, we integrate a number of maps developed by separate experts into a single map, called the master map (MM), which will serve as a prototypical map in map matching. Both map integration and map matching are conceptualized in terms of fuzzy set discipline. Experimental results have shown that the proposed ideas of ACM, MM, fuzzy map integration, and fuzzy map matching are well suited for students with high performances and difficult subject materials. Index Terms--Attributed concept maps (ACMs), concept mapping, fuzzy map integration, fuzzy map matching, master maps (MMs).

An in-house developed mobile and portable threedimensional scanning lidar system is discussed in this work. The system uses a stimulated Raman-scattering technique for the continuous observation of atmospheric aerosols, clouds and trace gases. This system has a fast scanning technique with a high-speed data acquisition, and permits the real-time measurement of atmospheric pollutants with the temporal resolution of 1 min. This scanning lidar system provides typical horizontal coverage of about 8–10 km while scanning; however, in zenith mode, good quality backscattered signals can be from 20 km, depending upon the laser power and sky conditions. This versatile lidar system has also overcome the drawbacks which are popular in the traditional scanning lidar systems such as complicated operation, overlap height between laser beam and telescope field of view In this system, the optical damage is reduced by using an integral coaxial transmitter and receiver. Some of the initial results obtained from the scanning lidar system are also presented. This study shows that boundary-layer structure and land–sea breeze circulation can be resolved from the developed scanning lidar system. The application of this lidar system to measure the pollutants over an industrial area is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the emerging bio-chip technology has used external powered pumps for fluidic pumping and mixing. The short-term capillarydriven micromixers with complex mixing structures also showed large potential for mixing devices. This reported work demonstrates the longterm capillary-driven meander micromixer with the planar design, short mixing distance and power-free rapid fluid, transport functions which is compared with conventional syringe pump micormixers. The surface property of various materials was verified by contact angle measurement. Both intrinsic hydrophilic materials of glass and JSR photoresist were good candidates and selected for fabricating the capillary-driven meander micromixer using simple photolithography, laser ablation and low-temperature bonding technology without chemical etching and without the deposition process. The design and simulation of such an effective capillary-driven micromixer have been performed for understanding the geometry effect on flow and mixing behaviour. The glass-JSR-glass capillary-driven meander micromixer can improve mixing efficiency up to over 95% at a short distance of only 8 mm, and has potential for the application of power-free microfluidic chip fabrication and bio-medical examination in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of bacteriocin of Ruminococcus albus 7 that is expressed by yeast on growth performance, caecal flora, caecal fermentation and immunity function of broilers. A total of 180, one-day-old healthy broiler chicks were randomly divided into three groups: control, bacteriocin (2·5 g/kg feed) and nosiheptide (NHT) (2·5 mg/kg, as antibiotic control). Growth performance, caecal flora, caecal fermentation products and immunoglobulin (Ig) concentration were determined when chicks were 21 and 35 days old. The gene expression of avian β-defensin (AvBD) and mucin (MUC2) were measured at 35 days old. The supplementation of bacteriocin and NHT had no significant effect on body weight gain (BWG) during the experimental period. Bacteriocin supplementation significantly enhanced the growth of Lactobacillus (P<0·05) and resulted in higher lactate concentration (P<0·01) in broiler caeca at 21 days old. Both bacteriocin and NHT supplementation resulted in lower Escherichia coil (P=0·072) and Enterococcus (P=0·038) counts than in the control group at 35 days old. The bacteriocin treatment group tended to increase bile IgA and showed higher bile IgA than the NHT treatment group (P=0·059) at 35 days old. Higher levels of AvBD1, AvBD4 and MUC2 gene expression were observed in the NHT treatment group (P<0·05), but expression of AvBD9 was significantly decreased in both bacteriocin and NHT treatment groups (P<0·05). In conclusion, bacteriocin supplementation elevated the caecal Lactobacillus counts and affected the immunity function. These benefits suggested that bacteriocin supplementation could be a potential alternative to antibiotics in broiler feed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a novel peer-to-peer or mobile- to-mobile localization scheme for general indoor and outdoor environments. In this scheme, two mobile nodes at arbitrary locations are able to locate each other without the need of Line-of-Sight (LOS) path between the two mobile device, and without the need for any reference devices such as GPS or land base beacons. Existing peer-to-peer localization techniques make use of Time of Arrival (TOA) and Angle of Arrival (AOA) of LOS and single bounce scattering paths to derive line of possible mobile device positions (LPMDs). The intersections of LPMDs are then used to estimate the unknown mobile device position -- referred to as the Line Segment Intersection. However, in a heavy multipath environment with many multiple-bounce scattering paths, existing techniques require weighting factors and threshold values which are specifically chosen for that particular environment in order to select the LPMDs that correspond to LOS and single-bounce scattering paths for localization. Large localization error will occur if multiple-bounce scattering paths' LPMDs are mistakenly used for intersections. In addition, existing techniques also do not work well in a multipath environment with high level of TOA and AOA noises especially when the angles between LPMDs are small. The accuracy of the Line Segment Intersection also deteriorates as the distance traveled by multipath signals become comparable to each other. This renders the weighting and threshold values ineffective. This paper presents a novel Gaussian weighting process to remove the abovementioned limitations. The Gaussian weighting process also dramatically improves the accuracy of the localization. Experimental coupled with simulation results show that our proposed localization scheme outperforms existing Peer-to-peer localization technique by a significant margin of up to 83% and 54% in indoor and urban environments respectively especially under severe multipath propagation conditions and high level of TOA and AOA noises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study which examines the effectiveness of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) using high-dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy (HDRICB) to treat patients with patients with advanced cervical cancer. Based on cohort analysis, there were 73 cancer patients have treated with a three-insertion schedule of cisplatin therapy for bladder complications. Meanwhile, physicians have emphasized the interval between drug administration and HDRICB to avoid synergistic effects.

Aberrant antigen expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been extensively studied in the West with limited reports from Taiwan. We carried out this retrospective study to characterize the frequency and significance of aberrant antigen expression of AML in Taiwan. Among 111 cases, 58 (52%) showed aberrant antigen expression, most frequently CD7 (27%) and CD56 (23%). Aberrant CD7 expression was observed in all non-AML-M3 subtypes, most frequently in AML-M7 (4/6, 67%); while CD19 expression was only observed in AML-M2 (5/36, 14%). CD56 expression was most common in AML-M5 (4/8, 50%). The relative frequency of CD19 and CD56 expression in AML with t(8;21) was higher than those with other chromosomal abnormalities or normal karyotype ( P = 0.011 and 0.005, respectively). In non-M3 AML, aberrant antigen expression was identified in 56/96 (58%) cases, in contrast to 2/15 (13%) AML-M3 cases ( P = 0.001). CD7, CD19 and CD56 expression was not correlated with remission rate. We concluded that aberrant immunophenotype was more frequent in non-M3 leukemias in Taiwan. The relative frequency of CD19 and/or CD56 expression in AML with t(8;21) was significantly higher than those without this translocation and co-expression of these two antigens may serve as the surrogate markers for AML with t(8;21). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our experiences with laparoscopic excisions of symptomatic extraprostatic ejaculatory duct cysts (EDCs) are reported. Three laparoscopic excisions of extraprostatic EDCs performed by one urologist in 2003 and 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Investigations included history, physical examination, image analysis, semen analysis, operation time, estimated blood loss, time of post-operative hospital stay, recovery time for regular activities, sexual function and complications. The laparoscopic excisions of EDCs were successful. The mean operation time was 105 min, and the mean estimated blood loss was 65 ml. The average post-operative hospital stay was 3.0 days. All patients exhibited normal erection and normal ejaculation. Improvement in semen quality was observed in two patients. All patients remained free of symptoms, and recurrence of EDCs was not detected on transrectal ultrasonography over a mean 32-month follow-up period. It is concluded that laparoscopic excision of an EDC is feasible and effective. Due to minimal invasiveness, short post-operative hospitalisation and rapid recovery, laparoscopic surgery is an attractive approach to managing symptomatic EDCs, especially for sizeable cysts or those including calculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn-Ag-Cu alloys are the most promising Pb-free solders, and Ni is a common barrier layer material for the under-bump metallurgy. Although the Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni quaternary system is important for industry, no solid-phase equilibrium information is available. This study determines the equilibrium phase relationship of the Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni system at 210°C. Quaternary alloys are prepared from the pure constituent elements and equilibrated at 210°C. The equilibrium phases formed in the quaternary alloys are determined using scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The quaternary phase relationships are constructed from the quaternary experimental results and the 210°C isothermal sections of the equilibrium phase diagrams of its constituent ternary systems. Two isoplethal sections, 90at.%Sn and 80at.%Sn, of the 210°C phase equilibria of the Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni system are determined. A Cu6Sn5 + Ni3Sn4 + Ag3Sn + Sn four-phase region is observed in both isopleths, and no ternary and quaternary intermetallic compounds are found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was aimed at determining the incidence of changes in sexual function and identifying the possible associated variables of erectile dysfunction (ED) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients undergoing coronary stenting. Four hundred and sixty-seven patients were retrospectively contacted with a questionnaire regarding sexual function from 6 months pre-stenting to 6 months post-stenting by telephone follow up. Univariate analyses were used to determine prognostic variables. ED changed following stenting in CAD ( P < 0.05), in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) ( P > 0.05) and in chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) ( P < 0.05). Sexual activity was not resumed in 8.1%, was unchanged in 33.8%, increased in 0% and decreased in 58.0%. The average frequency of sexual activity decreased every month in CAD ( P < 0.05), in ACS ( P < 0.05) and in CCS ( P < 0.01) after undergoing coronary stenting respectively. The mean time interval between the onset of ED and CAD was 33 months. Resuming sexual activity after stenting varied from 2 weeks to 30 months. Significant predictors of ED after coronary stenting were mean age, diabetes mellitus, 2,3-vessel disease or current smoking status. It was concluded that coronary stenting had a significant incidence of ED. Mean age, diabetes mellitus, 2,3-vessel disease or current smoking status showed to be the main variables associated with ED. Attempts to improve individual secondary prevention outcomes (controlling serum glucose and smoking cessation) should be designed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article studies the shrinkage and accuracy of multiparts manufactured in one mold in microinjection molding. The wear and mechanical characteristics of polymer composites with added fillers are also investigated. Microparts with a 1.5 mm outer diameter were well duplicated, with a clearly defined structure. The composites with glass particles showed substantial improvement in shrinkage, wear resistance and mechanical strength.

Continuous measurements of atmospheric organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) were taken during the high-pollution fall and winter seasons at Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China from September 2003 through February 2004. Battery-powered mini-volume samplers collected PM2.5 samples daily and PM10 samples every third day. Samples were also obtained from the plumes of residential coal combustion, motor-vehicle exhaust, and biomass burning sources. These samples were analyzed for OC/EC by thermal/optical reflectance (TOR) following the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) protocol. OC and EC levels at Xi'an are higher than most urban cities in Asia. Average PM2.5 OC concentrations in fall and winter were 34.1±18.0 µgm-3 and 61.9±33.2 µgm-3, respectively; while EC concentrations were 11.3±6.9 µgm-3 and 12.3±5.3 µgm-3, respectively. Most of the OC and EC were in the PM2.5 fraction. OC was strongly correlated (R>0.95) with EC in the autumn and moderately correlated (R=0.81) with EC during winter. Carbonaceous aerosol (OCx1.6+EC) accounted for 48.8%±10.1% of the PM2.5 mass during fall and 45.9±7.5% during winter. The average OC/EC ratio was 3.3 in fall and 5.1 in winter, with individual OC/EC ratios nearly always exceeding 2.0. The higher wintertime OC/EC corresponded to increased residential coal combustion for heating. Total carbon (TC) was associated with source contributions using absolute principal component analysis (APCA) with eight thermally-derived carbon fractions. During fall, 73% of TC was attributed to gasoline engine exhaust, 23% to diesel exhaust, and 4% to biomass burning. During winter, 44% of TC was attributed to gasoline engine exhaust, 44% to coal burning, 9% to biomass burning, and 3% to diesel engine exhaust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral analysis of heart rate variability provides a probe to assess the function of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Time-frequency analysis of heart rate variability is useful for investigating autonomic nervous function in patients with syncope or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, or in anaesthesia, etc. In this paper, we developed an algorithm for continuous and online analysis of heart rate variability. The algorithm was simulated and evaluated in MATLAB, and implemented on the digital signal processor. The electrocardiogram signals from MIT/BIH arrhythmia database and one patient with syncope demonstrate the capability of the proposed method in the continuous and online analysis of heart rate variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt pyramid-like nanostructures with sharp tips were formed on the surfaces of cobalt thin films grown by magnetron sputtering only when a negative bias was applied. There are two types of pyramids, which grew on top of a columnar grain structure directly from Si(001) substrates. The formation of pyramid-like nanostructures is only selective to a e-Co (hcp) thin film but not a a-Co (fcc) thin film, where the basal plane is 101¯0 with several well-defined low-energy faceted planes. When grown on Si(111) substrates, the shape of the basal plane changes to a pentagon or other polygon. The island nucleation seems to depend on adatom energy, sputtering rate and the interface stress between the Co thin film and the substrate, but growth is significantly determined by the minimum surface configuration of the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the finite element method is used to investigate the cold nosing process of partially laterally constrained metal tubes with a conical die from a tube billet. A series of simulations on the tube nosing using the FEM program ANSYS/LS-DYNA was carried out. The influences of the process parameters such as tube length, tube thickness, die fillet radius, die angle, friction factor, strength coefficient and strain hardening exponent of the billet material on the critical nosing ratio of the tube are analysed. Experiments were carried out with stainless steel SUS304 tube billets at room temperature, and the results of experiments were compared with the FEM calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The output optimization of a high-repetition-rate diode-pumped Q-switched intracavity optical parametric oscillator at 1573 nm with a type-II non-critically phase-matched x-cut KTP is experimentally and theoretically studied. The optimum output reflectivity is found to be 85%–90% for the maximum average power. The average conversion efficiency from diode-laser input power to OPO signal output power is up to 15% at a pulse repetition of 80 kHz. However, the optimum output reflectivity for the maximum peak power is found to be 60%–70%; the overall peak power amounts to 3–4 kW at a pulse repetition of 80 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of the passage of electric currents of 500 A/cm2 density through Sn/Ag couples annealed at 120 and 160 °C. The results showed that when the direction of electron flow was from the Sn side to Ag, it enhanced the growth of the Ag3Sn phase at the interface, and it retarded the Ag3Sn phase growth when the electrons flowed from the Ag side to Sn. Similar results were found in the Sn/Ni system. The Ni3Sn4 phase formed in the Sn/Ni couples annealed at 160 and 180 °C. The growth rate of the Ni3Sn4 phase increased when the electrons flowed from the Sn side to Ni side, and decreased if the direction of electron flow was reversed. The thickness of the reaction layers was measured, and the apparent effective charges za&ast; for Sn were determined. The values of za&ast; decreased with increasing temperatures, which indicated that the effect of electromigration on interfacial reactions became less significant at higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]