The feasibility of detecting endometrial and ovarian cancer using DNA methylation biomarkers in cervical scrapings

Cheng-Chang Chang,Hui-Chen Wang,Yu-Ping Liao,Yu-Chih Chen,Yu-Chun Weng,Mu-Hsien Yu,Hung-Cheng Lai 대한부인종양학회 2018 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.29 No.1

Objective: We hypothesized that DNA methylation of development-related genes may occur in endometrial cancer (EC)/ovarian cancer (OC) and may be detected in cervical scrapings. Methods: We tested methylation status by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction for 14 genes in DNA pools of endometrial and OC tissues. Tissues of EC/normal endometrium, OC/normal ovary, were verified in training set using cervical scrapings of 10 EC/10 OC patients and 10 controls, and further validated in the testing set using independent cervical scrapings in 30 EC/30 OC patients and 30 controls. We generated cutoff values of methylation index (M-index) from cervical scrapings to distinguish between cancer patients and control. Sensitivity/specificity of DNA methylation biomarkers in detecting EC and OC was calculated. Results: Of 14 genes, 4 (PTGDR, HS3ST2, POU4F3, MAGI2) showed hypermethylation in EC and OC tissues, and were verified in training set. POU4F3 and MAGI2 exhibited hypermethylation in training set were validated in independent cases. The mean M-index of POU4F3 is 78.28 in EC and 20.36 in OC, which are higher than that in controls (6.59; p<0.001 and p=0.100, respectively), and that of MAGI2 is 246.0 in EC and 12.2 in OC, which is significantly higher that than in controls (2.85; p<0.001 and p=0.480, respectively). Sensitivity and specificity of POU4F3/MAGI2 were 83%–90% and 69%–75% for detection of EC, and 61% and 62%–69% for the detection of OC. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the potential of EC/OC detection through testing for DNA methylation in cervical scrapings.

Effect of Participation of Foreign Migrant Workers in Labour Market on Native Workers: Evidence Based on Change Noticed in College Premium in Taiwan ROC

Yu-cheng Lai 연세대학교 동서문제연구원 2019 Global economic review Vol.48 No.1

Using Manpower Utilization Survey data for 14 years from 1999 to 2012, we applied the DDDD (Differences–in–differences–in– differences–in–differences) estimation method to check if rising presence of foreign migrant workers in Taiwan’s domestic labour market had any impact on employment opportunities and wages earned by native Taiwanese workers over time. We used the data capturing the effect of college premium (viz., the additional cost to be borne for getting admission into college) paid by the natives on domestic wage rate during this period. College premium is an indicator of demand and supply for educated labour and we intend to see if the premium has grown with time when influx of foreign migrant workers has grown too. From the results, two interesting phenomena caught our attention. First, labour policy adopted by the Government in Taiwan has played an important role in increasing the influx of foreign workers into domestic labour market, which resulted in significant change in college premium paid by the natives. And, this effect lasted even when instances of strikes and reported cases of labour disputes were relatively higher. Second, the effect of the policy has been varying across genders as our data shows that policy on employment of foreign workers has affected job opportunities of native men workers more than it affected job opportunities of their female counterpart.

Microstructure evolution and effect on deuterium retention in oxide dispersion strengthened tungsten during He⁺ irradiation

Ding, Xiao-Yu,Xu, Qiu,Zhu, Xiao-yong,Luo, Lai-Ma,Huang, Jian-Jun,Yu, Bin,Gao, Xiang,Li, Jian-Gang,Wu, Yu-Cheng Korean Nuclear Society 2020 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.52 No.12

Oxide dispersion-strengthened materials W-1wt%Pr₂O₃ and W-1wt%La₂O₃ were synthesized by wet chemical method and spark plasma sintering. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis, XRD and Vickers microhardness measurements were conducted to characterize the samples. The irradiations were carried out with a 5 keV helium ion beam to fluences up to 5.0 × 10²¹ ions/m² under 600 ℃ using the low-energy ion irradiation system. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study was performed to investigate the microstructural evolution in W-1wt%Pr₂O₃ and W-1wt%La₂O₃. At 1.0 × 10²⁰ He⁺/m², the average loops size of the W-1wt%Pr₂O₃ was 4.3 nm, much lower than W-1wt% La₂O₃ of 8.5 nm. However, helium bubbles were not observed throughout in both doped W materials. The effects of pre-irradiation with 1.0 × 10²¹ He⁺/m² on trapping of injected deuterium in doped W was studied by thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS) technique using quadrupole mass spectrometer. Compared with the samples without He⁺ pre-irradiation, deuterium (D) retention of doped W materials increased after He⁺ irradiation, whose retention was unsaturated at the damage level of 1.0 × 10²²D₂⁺/m². The present results implied that irradiation effect of He⁺ ions must be taken into account to evaluate the deuterium retention in fusion material applications.

Path Loss Exponent Estimation for Indoor Wireless Sensor Positioning

( Yu-sheng Lu ),( Chin-feng Lai ),( Chia-cheng Hu ),( Yueh-min Huang ),( Xiao-hu Ge ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2010 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.4 No.3

Rapid developments in wireless sensor networks have extended many applications, hence, many studies have developed wireless sensor network positioning systems for indoor environments. Among those systems, the Global Position System (GPS) is unsuitable for indoor environments due to Line-Of-Sight (LOS) limitations, while the wireless sensor network is more suitable, given its advantages of low cost, easy installation, and low energy consumption. Due to the complex settings of indoor environments and the high demands for precision, the implementation of an indoor positioning system is difficult to construct. This study adopts a low-cost positioning method that does not require additional hardware, and uses the received signal strength (RSS) values from the receiver node to estimate the distance between the test objects. Since many objects in indoor environments would attenuate the radio signals and cause errors in estimation distances, knowing the path loss exponent (PLE) in an environment is crucial. However, most studies preset a fixed PLE, and then substitute it into a radio propagation loss model to estimate the distance between the test points; such method would lead to serious errors. To address this problem, this study proposes a Path Loss Exponent Estimation Algorithm, which uses only four beacon nodes to construct a radio propagation loss model for an indoor environment, and is able to provide enhanced positioning precision, accurate positioning services, low cost, and high efficiency.

Thermal Stability, Adhesion and Electrical Studies on (Ti,Zr)Nx Thin Films as Low Resistive Diffusion Barriers between Cu and Si

Cheng-Lin Huang,Chih-Huang Lai,Po-Hao Tsai,Yu-Lin Kuo,Jing-Cheng Lin,Chiapyng Lee 대한금속·재료학회 2014 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.10 No.3

In this study, we investigated the thermal stability, wettability, adhesion and reliability of (Ti,Zr)Nx films used as the diffusion barrier between Cu and Si. (Ti,Zr)Nx films were prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering from a Ti-5 at. % Zr alloy target in N2/Ar gas mixtures. A minimum film resistivity of 59.3 μΩ cm was obtained at an N2/Ar flow ratio of 2.75, which corresponds to the near stoichiometric composition (N/(Ti,Zr) ratio ~0.95). The sheet resistance of Cu/(Ti,Zr)N0.95/Si was not significantly increased until annealing above 750°C, indicating good thermal stability. On the other hand, the adhesion energy between Cu and the (Ti,Zr)Nx film was reduced as the N/Ti ratio was increased. To obtain reliable performance on stress-induced-voiding (SIV) and electromigration (EM) tests, we proposed to use (Ti,Zr)/(Ti,Zr)Nx/(Ti,Zr) tri-layers. We suggest that the interfacial adhesion between barrier and Cu plays an important role in reliability. The proposed tri-layer structure may be a promising candidate for a barrier, as it exhibits excellent reliability without increasing resistance.

Modeling and Design of Zero-Voltage-Switching Controller for Wireless Power Transfer Systems Based on Closed-Loop Dominant Pole

Cheng Chen,Hong Zhou,Qijun Deng,Wenshan Hu,Yanjuan Yu,Xiaoqing Lu,Jingang Lai 전력전자학회 2019 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.19 No.5

Zero-Voltage-Switching (ZVS) operation for a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system can be achieved by designing a ZVS controller. However, the performance of the controller in some industrial applications needs to be designed tightly. This paper introduces a ZVS controller design method for WPT systems. The parameters of the controller are designed according to the desired performance based on the closed loop dominant pole placement method. To describe the dynamic characteristics of the system ZVS angle, a nonlinear dynamic model is deduced and linearized using the small signal linearization method. By analyzing the zero-pole distribution, a low-order equivalent model that facilitates the controller design is obtained. The parameters of the controller are designed by calculating the time constant of the closed-loop dominant poles. A prototype of a WPT system with the designed controller and a five-stage multistage series variable capacitor (MSVC) is built and tested to verify the performance of the controller. The recorded response curves and waveforms show that the designed controller can maintain the ZVS angle at the reference angle with satisfactory control performance.

Attenuating Development of Cardiovascular Hypertrophy with Hydrolysate of Chicken Leg Bone Protein in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Cheng, Fu-Yuan,Wan, Tien-Chun,Liu, Yu-Tse,Lai, Kung-Ming,Lin, Liang-Chuan,Sakata, Ryoichi Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2008 Animal Bioscience Vol.21 No.5

This study developed a natural ingredient as a functional food possessing properties of attenuation of hypertension and cardiovascular hypertrophy. In a previous study hydrolysates obtained from chicken leg bone protein using Alcalase strongly inhibited angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) in vitro. In particular, hydrolysate (A4H) from four hours of incubation exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.545 mg/ml). A4H was selected as a potent ACE inhibitor and orally administrated to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) for eight weeks to investigate attenuating effects on age-related development of hypertension and cardiovascular hypertrophy. Results showed that treatment with A4H of SHRs attenuated the development of hypertension as effectively as the clinical antihypertensive drug captopril. Moreover, a significantly lower heart to body weight ratio and thinness of coronary arterial wall was observed in SHRs that had been treated with A4H or captopril. The results suggest that A4H can be utilized in developing an ACE inhibitor as a potential ingredient of functional foods to alleviate hypertension and cardiovascular hypertrophy.

Effect of Sub-Structure and Precipitation Behavior on Mechanical Properties of Al–xCu–Li Alloys

Yu‑zhuo Li,Guang‑jun Zeng,Ding‑ding Lu,Zhen‑zhen Liu,San‑xi Deng,Peng‑cheng Ma,Yong‑lai Chen,Rui‑feng Zhang,Jin‑feng Li 대한금속·재료학회 2023 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.29 No.11

The tensile properties and microstructure of extruded and cold rolled 2A55 Al–Li alloys with different Cu content werestudied. After solution treatment, the strength of extruded sheets is slightly higher than that of cold rolled sheets due to strongdeformation texture and high density of substructure. However, the strength change order is different with the increase of Cucontent with T6-24 h. The extruded sample with higher Cu content have higher strength due to many dense T1precipitates. The δ′/θ′/δ′ composite precipitates and θ′ precipitates suppress the formation of T1precipitates, which cause cold rolled samplewith higher Cu content shows lower strength. Additionally, many fine T1precipitates nucleate at the sub-grain boundariesformed in the extrusion process, which have a significant effect on the mechanical property.

A Simple Partial Discharge Detector for Low-Voltage Rotating Electrical Machines

Cheng-Chi Tai,Ting-Cheng Huang,Ching-Chau Su,Chien-Yi Chen,Ju-Chu Hsieh,Yu-Shiun Lin,Chung-Tzong Wang,Jeng-Hung Lai 전력전자학회 2007 ICPE(ISPE)논문집 Vol.- No.-

A new, simple partial discharge (PD) detector for low-voltage rotating electrical machines using acoustical emission (AE) technique is dseveloped in this study. Common electric components were used in the detector, which reduces the cost of inspection, comparing with the traditional PD detection methods that use expensive equipment costing from tens of thousands to several millions dollars. Experimental results by resonant type AE sensors (150 ㎑) which utilize power line-cycle in a microcontroller unit (MCU) as reference to measure the PDs generated in a low-voltage motor are presented. The AE signals are then amplified by a pre-amplifier (30 ㎑ ~ 300 ㎑, 34 ㏈). Since the resonant frequency of the sensor is much lower than that of the electromagnetic (EM) interferences around the motor, the effects of noise is substantially reduced by this method. In the mean time, the use of 150-㎑ resonant type AE sensor also avoids the disturbance of mechanical vibration noise. According to the experiment results, the measurement system developed in this study can be used to detect the PDs’ AE signals correctly. The AE measurement scheme proposed in this study provides an effective, low-cost method for PD measurements.

Modeling and Design of Zero-Voltage-Switching Controller for Wireless Power Transfer Systems Based on Closed-Loop Dominant Pole

Chen, Cheng,Zhou, Hong,Deng, Qijun,Hu, Wenshan,Yu, Yanjuan,Lu, Xiaoqing,Lai, Jingang The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2019 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.19 No.5

Zero-Voltage-Switching (ZVS) operation for a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system can be achieved by designing a ZVS controller. However, the performance of the controller in some industrial applications needs to be designed tightly. This paper introduces a ZVS controller design method for WPT systems. The parameters of the controller are designed according to the desired performance based on the closed loop dominant pole placement method. To describe the dynamic characteristics of the system ZVS angle, a nonlinear dynamic model is deduced and linearized using the small signal linearization method. By analyzing the zero-pole distribution, a low-order equivalent model that facilitates the controller design is obtained. The parameters of the controller are designed by calculating the time constant of the closed-loop dominant poles. A prototype of a WPT system with the designed controller and a five-stage multistage series variable capacitor (MSVC) is built and tested to verify the performance of the controller. The recorded response curves and waveforms show that the designed controller can maintain the ZVS angle at the reference angle with satisfactory control performance.