Association of Interleukin-10 A-592C Polymorphism in Taiwanese Children with Kawasaki Disease

Kai-Chung Hsueh,Ying-Ju Lin,Jeng-Sheng Chang,Lei Wan,Yu-Hsin Tsai,Chang-Hai Tsai,Chih-Ping Chen,Fuu-Jen Tsai 대한의학회 2009 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.24 No.3

Elevated serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) have been reported in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). IL-10 reduces the inflammatory actions of macrophages and T cells and it may play a significant role in the regulation of inflammatory vascular damage associated with systemic vasculitis. The aim of this study was to examine whether -592 IL-10 promoter polymorphism is a susceptibility or severity marker of KD in Chinese patients in Taiwan. The study included 105 KD patients and 100 normal controls. Genotype and allelic frequencies for the IL-10 gene polymorphism in both groups were compared. There were no significant between-group differences in the genotype distribution of IL-10 A-592C gene polymorphism (P=0.08). However, the frequency of the -592*A allele was significantly increased in the patients with KD compared with controls (71.9% vs. 61.0%, P=0.019). The odds ratio for developing KD in individuals with IL-10 -592*A allele was 1.64 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.52) compared to individuals with the IL-10-592*C allele. No significant difference was observed in the genotype and allelic frequencies for the IL-10 A-592C polymorphism between patients with and without coronary artery lesions. The IL-10-592*A allele may be involved in the development of KD in Taiwanese children.

Research on the WIP-based Dispatching Rules for Photolithography Area in Wafer Fabrication Industries

( Yu Hsin Lin ),( Chih Hung Tsai ),( Ching En Lee ),( Chung Ching Chiu ) 한국품질경영학회 2007 The Asian Journal on Quality Vol.8 No.2

Constructing an effective production control policy is the most important issue in wafer fabrication factories. Most of researches focus on the input regulations of wafer fabrication. Although many of these policies have been proven to be effective for wafer fabrication manufacturing, in practical, there is a need to help operators decide which lots should be pulled in the right time and to develop a systematic way to alleviate the long queues at the bottleneck workstation. The purpose of this study is to construct a photolithography workstation dispatching rule (PADR). This dispatching rule considers several characteristics of wafer fabrication and influential factors. Then utilize the weights and threshold values to design a hierarchical priority rule. A simulation model is also constructed to demonstrate the effect of the PADR dispatching rule. The PADR performs better in throughput, yield rate, and mean cycle time than FIFO (First-In-First-Out) and SPT (Shortest Process Time).

A System Dynamics Study of Enterprise Value $Creation{\sim}$ the Example of Taiwan's SMEs

Chung, Yi-Chan,Tsai, Chih-Hung,Tien, Shiaw-Wen,Lin, Yu-Hsin,Lin, Ja-Lin The Korean Society for Quality Management 2006 The Asian Journal on Quality Vol.7 No.1

With the globalization of economy, industries are facing increasingly greater challenges. Business integration, both internally and externally, is undoubtedly an important topic. However, how does an enterprise create its own value will be the key to an enterprise's success in the future. Therefore, this study bases on the evaluation of company value to assess the key factors and competitive strategies of an enterprise. Yet, only with stable enterprise performance can the company value be correctly evaluated. This will be an important issue for enterprise performance and business strategy. Subject of this study are mainly small and medium-sized (enterprises (SMEs). Model construction for SME value assessment is established through the system dynamics approach. Scholars' opinions on literature validation and application of Delphi Method are explored through literature review on local and foreign studies, in order to compile the relevant perspectives and indices for enterprise value creation. Hence model construction of the value creation system is established, and the correlation between the perspectives and related factors is explored to understand the overall dynamics model of SMEs' value creation system. Consequently, a research method based on the system dynamics perspective is provided for the study of enterprise value creation is provided, as policy reference for improvement of decision-making and value creation.

The Compensation of Machine Vision Image Distortion

Chung, Yi-Chan,Hsu, Yau-Wen,Lin, Yu-Tang,Tsai, Chih-Hung The Korean Society for Quality Management 2004 The Asian Journal on Quality Vol.5 No.1

The measured values of a same object should remain constant regardless of the object's position in the image. In other words, its measured values should not vary as its position in the image changes. However, lens' image distortion, heterogeneous light source, varied angle between the measuring apparatus and the object, and different surroundings where the testing is set up will all cause variation in the measurement of the object when the object's position in the image changes. This research attempts to compensate the machine vision image distortion caused by the object's position in the image by developing the compensation table. The compensation is accomplished by facilitating users to obtain the correcting object and serves the objective of improving the precision of measurement.

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Taiwan's Traditional Industries

Yu, Chi-Yuang,Hsu, Yau-Wen,Chung, Yi-Chan,Tsai, Chih-Hung The Korean Society for Quality Management 2004 The Asian Journal on Quality Vol.5 No.2

The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among the three Taiwan's traditional industries as lathe, electronics and food by the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Moreover, the study was also to make a comparison among the aforesaid industries for revealing their differences. The result of the questionnaire indicated that the symptoms appeared on the three industries were all originated from four parts as neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists/hands. More than 68% of the interviewers thought that their symptoms might be related to their work. However, the rate of harmful influence resulted from life or job was over 50%. As to the respect of the interviewers' attitude in treating their symptoms, more than 80% of them neglected or just treated the symptoms by massaging or cold/hot compressing and resting. From the questionnaire, the proportion of symptoms discussed in each item indicated that the distribution, in perceiving symptom, of interviewers were not quite identical; however the Chi-square test discovered majority did not reach 0.05 levels, hence the difference among industries were not significant.

Treatment Response Evaluation by Computed Tomography Pulmonary Vasculature Analysis in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

Yu-Sen Huang,Zheng-Wei Chen,Wen-Jeng Lee,Cho-Kai Wu,Ping-Hung Kuo,Hsao-Hsun Hsu,Shu-Yu Tang,Cheng-Hsuan Tsai,Mao-Yuan Su,Chi-Lun Ko,Juey-Jen Hwang,Yen-Hung Lin,Yeun-Chung Chang The Korean Society of Radiology 2023 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.24 No.4

Objective: To quantitatively assess the pulmonary vasculature using non-contrast computed tomography (CT) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) pre- and post-treatment and correlate CT-based parameters with right heart catheterization (RHC) hemodynamic and clinical parameters. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 patients with CTEPH (mean age, 57.9 years; 53% female) who received multimodal treatment, including riociguat for ≥ 16 weeks with or without balloon pulmonary angioplasty and underwent both non-contrast CT for pulmonary vasculature analysis and RHC pre- and post-treatment were included. The radiographic analysis included subpleural perfusion parameters, including blood volume in small vessels with a cross-sectional area ≤ 5 mm² (BV5) and total blood vessel volume (TBV) in the lungs. The RHC parameters included mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and cardiac index (CI). Clinical parameters included the World Health Organization (WHO) functional class and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD). Results: The number, area, and density of the subpleural small vessels increased after treatment by 35.7% (P < 0.001), 13.3% (P = 0.028), and 39.3% (P < 0.001), respectively. The blood volume shifted from larger to smaller vessels, as indicated by an 11.3% increase in the BV5/TBV ratio (P = 0.042). The BV5/TBV ratio was negatively correlated with PVR (r = -0.26; P = 0.035) and positively correlated with CI (r = 0.33; P = 0.009). The percent change across treatment in the BV5/TBV ratio correlated with the percent change in mPAP (r = -0.56; P = 0.001), PVR (r = -0.64; P < 0.001), and CI (r = 0.28; P = 0.049). Furthermore, the BV5/TBV ratio was inversely associated with the WHO functional classes I-IV (P = 0.004) and positively associated with 6MWD (P = 0.013). Conclusion: Non-contrast CT measures could quantitatively assess changes in the pulmonary vasculature in response to treatment and were correlated with hemodynamic and clinical parameters.

An application of quantitative feedback theory in a 3D active vibration isolation platform

Yu-Liang Chung,Meng Shiun Tsai,Jen-Hua Wu 한국소음진동공학회 2003 한국소음진동공학회 국제학술대회논문집 Vol.2003 No.8

Adjusting optical resonance thickness to increase the conversion efficiency of polymer solar cells

Yu Sheng Tsai,Jian-Shian Lin,Wei-Ping Chu,Po-Hsun Wang,Fuh-Shyang Juang,Ming-Hua Chung,Chin-Ming Chen,Mark O. Liu 한국물리학회 2010 Current Applied Physics Vol.10 No.3

The derivatives of C60, [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), and 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)were dissolved in DCB solvent, then spin coated into an active layer for polymer solar cells. The experimental parameters were studied carefully to obtain the optimum power conversion efficiency (PCE). The primary process for generation of photocurrent in an organic photovoltaic device is the generation of bound electron–hole pairs (excitons) by absorption of energy (photons) from the optical electric field. Modeling was based on the assumption that the photocurrent generation process is the result of the creation and diffusion of photogenerated species (excitons), which are dissociated by charge transfer at the active layer. Improve organic optics absorb by insert organic layer (CuPc or C60) at the active layer/Al interface. This research is divided into two components. First part, we use n-type C60 as transmission layer. When an optimum thickness of C60 is 5 nm, the Jsc of polymer solar cell can be increased from 7.26 mA/㎠ to 7.7 mA/㎠. The Voc decrease is because the energy level of C60 LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) at 4.5 eV is higher than the 3.7 eV of PCBM. Second part, we use p-type CuPc as transmission layer. When an optimum thickness of CuPc is 3 nm, the short circuit photo-current density (Jsc) and open circuit voltage (Voc) of polymer solar cell can be increased from 7.26 mA/㎠ to 8.0 mA/㎠ and 0.56–0.58 V, respectively. The reason is the same as C60. The Voc increase is because the energy level of CuPc LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) at 3.1 eV is lower than the 3.7 eV of PCBM. The Jsc increase is because the 3 nm of CuPc leads to a constructive interference happened in the active layer and thus optical absorption increases. In this study we used 3 nm of CuPc at the active layer/Al interface to enhance the short circuit current density, and the efficiency was increased to 2.94%.

A Fair-Exchange E-Payment Protocol For Digital Products With Customer Unlinkability

( Yi-chung Yen ),( Tzong-chen Wu ),( Nai-wei Lo ),( Kuo-yu Tsai ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2012 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.6 No.11

Along with the development of Information Technology, online transactions through Internet have become more popular for the reasons of convenience and efficiency. In order to provide secure and reliable online transactions, an effective electronic payment protocol is crucial. In this paper, we propose a novel electronic payment protocol for digital product transactions with an offline arbiter to achieve fair exchange, automated dispute resolution, customer anonymity, and customer unlinkability. In our protocol a product token is adopted to eliminate the need of key management for digital product decryption in the offline arbiter. In addition, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)-based self-certified public key is utilized to further reduce computing overheads. According to our analysis, the efficiency of our protocol can be greatly increased in comparison with previous literatures.

The development of Taiwan Fracture Liaison Service network

Lo-Yu Chang,Keh-Sung Tsai,Jen-Kuei Peng,Chung-Hwan Chen,Gau-Tyan Lin,Chin-Hsueh Lin,Shih-Te Tu,I-Chieh Mao,Yih-Lan Gau,Hsusan-Chih Liu,Chi-Chien Niu,Min-Hong Hsieh,Jui-Teng Chien,Wei-Chieh Hung,Rong-S 대한골다공증학회 2018 Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Vol.4 No.2

Osteoporosis and its associated fragility fractures are becoming a severe burden in the healthcare system globally. In the Asian-Pacific (AP) region, the rapidly increasing in aging population is the main reason accounting for the burden. Moreover, the paucity of quality care for osteoporosis continues to be an ongoing challenge. The Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) is a program promoted by International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) with a goal to improve quality of postfracture care and prevention of secondary fractures. In this review article, we would like to introduce the Taiwan FLS network. The first 2 programs were initiated in 2014 at the National Taiwan University Hospital and its affiliated Bei-Hu branch. Since then, the Taiwan FLS program has continued to grow exponentially. Through FLS workshops promoted by the Taiwanese Osteoporosis Association (TOA), program mentors have been able to share their valuable knowledge and clinical experience in order to promote establishments of additional programs. With 22 FLS sites including 11 successfully accredited on the best practice map, Taiwan remains as one of the highest FLS coverage countries in the AP region, and was also granted the IOF Best Secondary Fracture Prevention Promotion award in 2017. Despite challenges faced by the TOA, we strive to promote more FLS sites in Taiwan with a main goal of ameliorating further health burden in managing osteoporotic patients.