Improving discharge uniformity of industrial-scale very high frequency plasma sources by launching a traveling wave

Hsin-Liang Chen,Yen-Cheng Tu,Cheng-Chang Hsieh,Deng-Lain Lin,Chin-Jung Chang,Keh-Chyang Leou 한국물리학회 2016 Current Applied Physics Vol.16 No.7

Very high frequency (VHF) PECVD has been demonstrated to be able to significantly increase the deposition rate without compromising the film quality for the manufacture of silicon heterojunction and silicon thin film solar cells. To further reduce the production costs by enhancing the throughput, larger electrode and higher frequency are often required at the same time. Nevertheless, raising frequency in large-area PECVD results in non-uniform discharge caused by the standing wave effect and deteriorates the processing uniformity. In this study, a technique that generates a traveling wave via superposing two specific standing waves launched simultaneously is proposed to resolve this issue. An industrial-scale linear plasma reactor with length and width of 125 and 10 cm, respectively, is adopted for experimental tests and two 80 MHz power supplies are utilized to separately control the standing waves. The experimental results show that the discharge gap is only partially covered by plasma discharge when only one standing wave is applied. However, as both standing waves are launched, the non-uniformity of plasma discharge can be effectively reduced to <±5%. In addition, numerical simulation is also conducted in this study to clarify whether the proposed technique can be applied to large-area rectangular PECVD (substrate size: 1.4 m 1.1 m). By arranging multiple feeding points on opposite sides of the powered electrode, the simulation results indicate the non-uniformity of electric field can be maintained within ±10%.

Which is more influential on teaching practice, classroom management efficacy or instruction efficacy? Evidence from TALIS 2018

Robin Jung-Cheng Chen,Hsin-Chih Lin,Yi-Lung Hsueh,Chuan-Chung Hsieh 서울대학교 교육연구소 2020 Asia Pacific Education Review Vol.21 No.4

This study aims to explore relationship between teacher self-efficacy and teacher teaching practice in junior high schools at Taiwan. TALIS (2018) survey database is adopted, and 3106 teachers were analyzed in this research. Through literature review and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the research model is assumed to include two constructs (classroom management efficacy and instruction efficacy) in teacher self-efficacy, and three constructs (clarity of instruction practice, cognitive activation practice, and classroom management practice) in teacher teaching practice. Through the analysis of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the main findings are as follows. (1) For clarity of instruction practice, instruction efficacy has more positive influences than classroom management efficacy. (2) For classroom management practice, classroom management efficacy as more positive influences than instruction efficacy. (3) For cognitive activation practice, instruction efficacy has positive influences but classroom management efficacy has negative influences.

Induction of Forkhead Class box O3a and apoptosis by a standardized ginsenoside formulation, KG-135, is potentiated by autophagy blockade in A549 human lung cancer cells

Chih-Jung Yao,Jyh-Ming Chow,Shuang-En Chuang,Chia-Lun Chang,Ming-De Yan,Hsin-Lun Lee,I-Chun Lai,Pei-Chun Lin,Gi-Ming Lai 고려인삼학회 2017 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.41 No.3

Background: KG-135, a standardized formulation enriched with Rk1, Rg3, and Rg5 ginsenosides, has been shown to inhibit various types of cancer cells; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we explored its effects in A549 human lung cancer cells to investigate the induction of Forkhead Class box O3a (FOXO3a) and autophagy. Methods: Cell viability was determined by sulforhodamine B staining. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were analyzed using flow cytometry. The changes of protein levels were determined using Western blot analysis. Autophagy induction was monitored by the formation of acidic vesicular organelles stained with acridine orange. Results: KG-135 effectively arrested the cells in G1 phase with limited apoptosis. Accordingly, a decrease of cyclin-dependent kinase-4, cyclin-dependent kinase-6, cyclin D1, and phospho-retinoblastoma protein, and an increase of p27 and p18 proteins were observed. Intriguingly, KG-135 increased the tumor suppressor FOXO3a and induced the accumulation of autophagy hallmark LC3-II and acidic vesicular organelles without an increase of the upstream marker Beclin-1. Unconventionally, the autophagy adaptor protein p62 (sequestosome 1) was increased rather than decreased. Blockade of autophagy by hydroxychloroquine dramatically potentiated KG-135-induced FOXO3a and its downstream (FasL) ligand accompanied by the cleavage of caspase-8. Meanwhile, the decrease of Bcl-2 and survivin, as well as the cleavage of caspase-9, were also drastically enhanced, resulting in massive apoptosis. Conclusion: Besides arresting the cells in G1 phase, KG-135 increased FOXO3a and induced an unconventional autophagy in A549 cells. Both the KG-135-activated extrinsic FOXO3a/FasL/caspase-8 and intrinsic caspase-9 apoptotic pathways were potentiated by blockade of autophagy. Combination of KG- 135 and autophagy inhibitor may be a novel strategy as an integrative treatment for cancers.

Gonadotropin-stimulated epidermal growth factor receptor expression in human ovarian surface epithelial cells: involvement of cyclic AMP-dependent exchange protein activated by cAMP pathway.

Choi, Jung-Hye,Chen, Chien-Lin,Poon, Song Ling,Wang, Hsin-Shih,Leung, Peter C K Published for the Society of Endocrinology by the 2009 Endocrine-related cancer Vol.16 No.1

<P>In addition to their critical roles in folliculogenesis and ovarian granulosa cell steroidogenesis, gonadotropins have been implicated as potential risk factors in ovarian epithelial carcinomas, most of which are derived from ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). However, the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of FSH and LH in OSE and its neoplastic counterpart is not well understood. We previously demonstrated that gonadotropins promote the growth of OSE cells by regulating the levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) via the activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K pathways in immortalized human OSE (IOSE) cells. In this study, we investigated whether cAMP and its novel binding target, named exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac), are involved in the gonadotropin-induced EGFR expression in OSE cells. Gonadotropins elevated intracellular cAMP levels in both IOSE and granulosa cells, and this increase was attenuated by SQ22536, an inhibitor of adenylyl cyclase (AC). The activation of the ERK1/2 and Akt pathways as well as the expression of EGFR was stimulated by reagents that elevate intracellular cAMP levels, via cAMP analog 8-bromo-cAMP and AC activator forskolin. A similar increase was observed when the cells were treated with a novel cAMP analog, 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-2'-O-methyl adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-CPT-2ME-cAMP), which activates Epac specifically but not PKA. Moreover, the gonadotropin-induced EGFR expression and ERK1/2 and Akt activation were abolished by overexpression of dominant negative Epac. Taken together, these results indicate that the AC/cAMP/Epac signaling pathway may mediate the up-regulation of EGFR by gonadotropins via ERK1/2 and Akt activation.</P>

Delay of Surgery for Spinal Metastasis due to the COVID-19 Outbreak Affected Patient Outcomes

Chia-Jung Hsieh,Chun-Yu Wu,Yen-Heng Lin,Yu-Cheng Huang,Wen-Chi Yang,Tom Wei-Wu Chen,Wei-Li Ma,Wei-Hsin Lin,Feng-Ming Hsu,Furen Xiao,Shih-Hung Yang,Dar-Ming Lai,Chang-Mu Chen,Shin-Yi Chao,Fon-Yih Tsuan 대한척추신경외과학회 2023 Neurospine Vol.20 No.4

Objective: The present study is to analyze the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 2019) outbreak and the subsequent lockdown on the outcomes of spinal metastasis patients. Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of data from a prospective cohort study. All patients underwent surgical intervention for spinal metastases between January 2019 and December 2021 and had at least 3 months of postoperative follow-up. The primary outcome was overall mortality during the 4 different stages (pre-COVID-19 era, COVID-19 pandemic except in Taiwan, national lockdown, lifting of the lockdown). The secondary outcomes were the oncological severity scores, medical/surgical accessibility, and patient functional outcome during the 4 periods as well as survival/mortality. Results: A total of 233 patients were included. The overall mortality rate was 41.20%. During the Taiwan lockdown, more patients received palliative surgery than other surgical methods, and no total en bloc spondylectomy was performed. The time from surgeon visit to operation was approximately doubled after the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan (75.97, 86.63, 168.79, and 166.91 hours in the 4 periods, respectively). The estimated survival probability was highest after the national lockdown was lifted and lowest during the lockdown. In the multivariate analysis, increased risk of mortality was observed with delay of surgery, with emergency surgery having a higher risk with delays above 33 hours, urgent surgery (below 59 and above 111 hours), and elective surgery (above 332 hours). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic and related policies have altered daily clinical practice and negatively impacted the survival of patients with spinal metastases.

A P2P-to-UPnP Proxy Gateway Architecture for Home Multimedia Content Distribution

( Chih-lin Hu ),( Hsin-cheng Lin ),( Yu-feng Hsu ),( Bing-jung Hsieh ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2012 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.6 No.1

Deploying advanced home networking technologies and modern home-networked devices in residential environments provides a playground for new home applications and services. Because home multimedia entertainment is among the most essential home applications, this paper presents an appealing home media content sharing scenario: home-networked devices can discover neighboring devices and share local media content, as well as enormous amounts of Internet media content in a convenient and networked manner. This ideal scenario differs from traditional usages that merely offer local media content and require tedious manual operations of connection setup and file transfer among various devices. To achieve this goal, this study proposes a proxy gateway architecture for home multimedia content distribution. The proposed architecture integrates several functional mechanisms, including UPnP-based device discovery, home gateway, Internet media provision, and in-home media content delivery. This design addresses several inherent limitations of device heterogeneity and network interoperability on home and public networks, and allows diverse home-networked devices to play media content in an identical and networked manner. Prototypical implementation of the proposed proxy gateway architecture develops a proof-of-concept software, integrating a BitTorrent peer-to-peer client, a UPnP protocol stack, and a UPnP AV media server, as well as media distribution and management components on the OSGi home gateway platform. Practical demonstration shows the proposed design and scenario realization, offering users an unlimited volume of media content for home multimedia entertainment.

Induction of Forkhead Class box O3a and apoptosis by a standardized ginsenoside formulation, KG-135, is potentiated by autophagy blockade in A549 human lung cancer cells

Yao, Chih-Jung,Chow, Jyh-Ming,Chuang, Shuang-En,Chang, Chia-Lun,Yan, Ming-De,Lee, Hsin-Lun,Lai, I-Chun,Lin, Pei-Chun,Lai, Gi-Ming The Korean Society of Ginseng 2017 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.41 No.3

Background: KG-135, a standardized formulation enriched with Rk1, Rg3, and Rg5 ginsenosides, has been shown to inhibit various types of cancer cells; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we explored its effects in A549 human lung cancer cells to investigate the induction of Forkhead Class box O3a (FOXO3a) and autophagy. Methods: Cell viability was determined by sulforhodamine B staining. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were analyzed using flow cytometry. The changes of protein levels were determined using Western blot analysis. Autophagy induction was monitored by the formation of acidic vesicular organelles stained with acridine orange. Results: KG-135 effectively arrested the cells in G1 phase with limited apoptosis. Accordingly, a decrease of cyclin-dependent kinase-4, cyclin-dependent kinase-6, cyclin D1, and phospho-retinoblastoma protein, and an increase of p27 and p18 proteins were observed. Intriguingly, KG-135 increased the tumor suppressor FOXO3a and induced the accumulation of autophagy hallmark LC3-II and acidic vesicular organelles without an increase of the upstream marker Beclin-1. Unconventionally, the autophagy adaptor protein p62 (sequestosome 1) was increased rather than decreased. Blockade of autophagy by hydroxychloroquine dramatically potentiated KG-135-induced FOXO3a and its downstream (FasL) ligand accompanied by the cleavage of caspase-8. Meanwhile, the decrease of Bcl-2 and survivin, as well as the cleavage of caspase-9, were also drastically enhanced, resulting in massive apoptosis. Conclusion: Besides arresting the cells in G1 phase, KG-135 increased FOXO3a and induced an unconventional autophagy in A549 cells. Both the KG-135-activated extrinsic FOXO3a/FasL/caspase-8 and intrinsic caspase-9 apoptotic pathways were potentiated by blockade of autophagy. Combination of KG-135 and autophagy inhibitor may be a novel strategy as an integrative treatment for cancers.

A Low-Power, Wide-Dynamic-Range Semi-Digital Universal Sensor Readout Circuit Using Pulsewidth Modulation

Lu, Julia Hsin-Lin,Inerowicz, M,Sanghoon Joo,Jong-Kee Kwon,Byunghoo Jung IEEE 2011 IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL Vol.11 No.5

<P>We present a low-power, low complexity, and wide-dynamic-range universal sensor readout circuit that converts the sensing capacitance or resistance changes to digital duty cycles based on pulsewidth modulation (PWM). The readout circuit utilizes a RC-controlled pulse generator and produces pulse signals whose duration width is proportional to the charging time. The circuit is comprised of complementary CMOS circuit that enables the proposed design to consume significantly less power compared with traditional designs. The proposed design is universal and can be configured according to the application requirements. The sensor interface chip is designed and fabricated in TSMC 0.13-μm CMOS technology. The proposed interface achieves 13-aF to 10.7-nF capacitance and 5-Ω to 11.5-MΩ resistance sensing ranges with 60- μW power consumption. The functionality of the full circuit, including circuit analysis, noise analysis and measurement results, has been demonstrated.</P>

Importance and performance of SDGs perception among college students in Taiwan

Sophia Shi-Huei Ho,Hsin-Chih Lin,Chuan-Chung Hsieh,Robin Jung-Cheng Chen 서울대학교 교육연구소 2022 Asia Pacific Education Review Vol.23 No.4

This study explores Taiwanese college students’ awareness and action on UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) launched in 2015. These goals define key dimensions wherein youth’s recognition, appreciation, and implementations ignite global citizenship, therefore enhancing both employability and mobility. The SDGs have set a strong presence in higher education, but perhaps not enough as most studies have not assessed a holistic view of undergraduates’ SDGs perception. In a well-globalized Chinese society where undergraduate degrees are as widespread as in Taiwan, this study aims to uncover whether higher education institutions (HEIs) in Taiwan have served as enabling environments for the growth of global citizens. Building on the government’s educational reforms and individual policies, it asks: on which aspects have Taiwan excelled or receded, why, and what can our example offer the global community in sowing global citizens? The Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) grid was conducted to assess college students’ recognition and implementation of each goal. A list of 17 goals and 68 items were identified from literature reviews and each item was rated using a five-point Likert scale. On the scale, the online survey enables the 1238 college students from HEIs, ranging from research to non-research ones, to rate the relative importance of the items, followed by another performance rating. We aspire analysis of the responses to allow reflection on the implementation of professional and general education, as results indicate the factors contributing to students’ cognition of the SDGs. Echoing current policy in Taiwan, we intend to offer insights and recommendations to extend students’ SDGs vision, ultimately enhancing youth’s international understanding and mobility.

Concentration of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in the Pelvic Floor Muscles: An Experimental Comparative Rat Model

Hung-Yen Chin,Chin-Jung Wang,Eileen Changchien,Mei-Fung Lin,Chi-Hsin Chiang 연세대학교의과대학 2014 Yonsei medical journal Vol.55 No.4

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore non-steroid anti-inflammation drugs (NSAIDs) potency for pelvic floor muscle pain by measuring local concentration in a rat model. Materials and Methods: We used nine NSAIDs, including nabumetone,naproxen, ibuprofen, meloxicam, piroxicam, diclofenac potassium, etodolac, indomethacin, and sulindac, and 9 groups of female Wister rats. Each group of rats was fed with one kind of NSAID (2 mg/mL) for three consecutive days. Thereafter, one mL of blood and one gram of pelvic floor muscle were taken to measure drug pharmacokinetics, including partition coefficient, lipophilicity, elimination of half-life (T1/2) and muscle/plasma converting ratio (Css, muscle/Css, plasma). Results: Diclofenacpotassium had the lowest T1/2 and the highest mean Css, muscle/Css, plasma (1.9 hours and 0.85±0.53, respectively). The mean Css, muscle/Css, plasma of sulindac, naproxen and ibuprofen were lower than other experimental NSAIDs. Conclusion: Diclofenac potassium had the highest disposition in pelvic floor muscle in a rat model. The finding implies that diclofenac potassium might be the choice for pain relief in pelvicmuscle.