Thermal expansion coefficients of obliquely deposited MgF2 thin films and their intrinsic stress.

This study elucidates the effects of columnar angles and deposition angles on the thermal expansion coefficients and intrinsic stress behaviors of MgF2 films with columnar microstructures. The behaviors associated with temperature-dependent stresses in the MgF2 films are measured using a phase-shifting Twyman-Green interferometer with a heating stage and the application of a phase reduction algorithm. The thermal expansion coefficients of MgF2 films at various columnar angles were larger than those of glass substrates.

Measuring micro-interactions between coagulating red blood cells using optical tweezers.

Agents that alter the dynamics of hemostasis form an important part in management of conditions such as atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, and bleeding diatheses. In this study, we explored the effects of heparin and tranexamic acid on the efficiency of blood coagulation. Using optical tweezers, we evaluated the pN-range micro-interaction between coagulating red blood cells (RBCs) by measuring the minimum power required to trap them.

The scratch behaviors of copper bi-layers by a diamond tip: a molecular statics study.

The scratch deformation behaviors of two bicrystal coppers (Cu(100)/Cu(110) and Cu(110)/Cu(100)) during the nanoscratching process were explored and compared with their single crystal ingredients by the molecular statics simulations. The effects of lattice configuration and scratch depth were investigated in this study. The results showed that the motion of dislocations was blocked in the bicrystal interface until the dislocations accumulated enough energy to move.

[Design and application of noninvasive tissue recognition imaging in tomography of human skin and crystal structure].

Cosmetic industry grows fast in recent years. To reveal the image of dermal structure, it is necessary to apply three-dimensional medical imaging technology. To reduce the invasiveness of laser source on tissues, tissue recognition imaging is proposed to retrieve the intrinsic optical property, namely, the reflection spectrum of every scanned point for imaging.

The evaluation of interaction between red blood cells in blood coagulation by optical tweezers.

To maintain the life of patients with hemophilia, apoplexy or hemorrhage, appropriate blood coagulation is crucial. To study the microscopic phenomena of blood coagulation and the therapeutic effects of blood medication, optical tweezers were applied to estimate the interaction between red blood cells in the coagulation process. By measuring minimum optical power required to trap the coagulating blood cells, the pN-scale interaction between them can be evaluated.

Optimization of exopolysaccharide production from Armillaria mellea in submerged cultures.

Aims: To study the optimization of submerged culture conditions for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by Armillaria mellea in shake-flask cultures and also to evaluate the performance of an optimized culture medium in a 5-l stirred tank fermenter.

Methods And Results: Shake flask cultures for EPS optimal nutritional production contained having the following composition (in g l(-1)): glucose 40, yeast extract 3, KH(2)PO(4) 4 and MgSO(4) 2 at an optimal temperature of 22 degrees C and an initial of pH 4.0.

The general utilization of scrapped PC board.

The traditional burning process is used to recover copper from scrapped PC board (printed circuit board) but it causes serious environmental problems. In this research a new process was developed which not only prevents pollution problems, but also maximizes the utility of all the materials on the waste board. First, the scrapped PC board was crushed and grounded, then placed in the NH3/NH5CO3 solution with aeration in order to dissolve copper.

Exquisite textiles sensors and wireless sensor network device for home health care.

In this study, we propose a wearing system with four sensors, ECG (electrocardiogram), three-axis accelerometer, temperature, and tight-switch, applied for remote monitoring system in home-care. The sensors ECG, measured with wearable electrodes made of the steel textile to generate the real-time heart-rate estimator, tight-switch, made of the steel textile to check whether wearing person dresses properly, accelerometer, and temperature parameters are received via the ZigBee receiver within an exquisite belt. Since the movable textile electrodes will cause of unfixed contacts when the wearing person is in motion, making the heart-rate estimation much a sophisticated work, the tight-switch sensor and FIR (Filter Impulse Response) filter technology are applied here to get the more satisfiable heart-rate.

Residual stress in obliquely deposited MgF2 thin films.

MgF(2) films with a columnar microstructure are obliquely deposited on glass substrates by resistive heating evaporation. The columnar angles of the films increases with the deposition angle. Anisotropic stress does not develop in the films with tilted columns.

Analysis of senior medical students' preferences in specialty choice a survey in a medical school in northern Taiwan.

Background: Medical centers in Taiwan have found it difficult to recruit sufficient residents in the fields of surgery and gynecology & obstetrics over the last few years. It is important to realize why this phenomenon occurs. The purposes of this study are to investigate the important (critical) factors that Taiwan medical students currently consider when choosing their specialties, and to derive the relative weight of each factor.

A culturally sensitive health care practice model--theory construction and its testing.

The major purpose of this paper was to develop a model for the use of complementary and alternative health care options. Chinese-American families were selected due to their large proportion among all ethnic populations in the United States. Andersen's (1973 and 1995) perception of predisposing and enabling was adopted to test study variables singly and interactively on their health care use.

Double-layer networks with holographic optical switches.

The double-layer networks have the advantages of being strictly nonblocking and having a simpler routing algorithm, the lowest system insertion loss, a zero differential loss, fewer drivers, fewer interconnection lines, fewer crossovers, and the best signal-to-noise-ratio characteristic compared with any nondilated network. Using holographic optical switches to construct these networks not only eliminates all interconnection lines and crossovers but also reduces the number of drivers.