Collision of two counterflowing gravity currents of equal densities and heights was investigated by means of three-dimensional high-resolution simulations with the goal of understanding the flow structures and energetics in the collision region in more detail. The lifetime of collision is approximately $3 \tilde {H}/\tilde {u}_f$, where $\tilde {H}$ is the depth of heavy and ambient fluids, and $\tilde {u}_f$ is the front velocity of the approaching gravity currents, and the lifetime of collision can be divided into three phases. During Phase I, $-0.2 \leqslant (\tilde {t}-\tilde {t}_c) \tilde {u}_f/\tilde {H} \leqslant 0.5$, where $\tilde {t}$ is the time, and $\tilde {t}_c$ is the time instance at which the two colliding gravity currents have fully osculated, geometric distortions of the gravity current fronts result in stretching of pre-existing vorticity in the wall-normal direction inside the fronts, and an array of vertical vortices extending throughout the updraught fluid column develop along the interface separating the two colliding gravity currents. The array of vertical vortices is responsible for the mixing between the heavy fluids of the two colliding gravity currents and for the production of turbulent kinetic energy in the collision region. The presence of the top boundary deflects the updraughts into the horizontal direction, and a number of horizontal streamwise vortices are generated close to the top boundary. During Phase II, $0.5 \leqslant (\tilde {t}-\tilde {t}_c) \tilde {u}_f/\tilde {H} \leqslant 1.2$, the horizontal streamwise vortices close to the top boundary induce turbulent buoyancy flux and break up into smaller structures. While the production of turbulent kinetic energy weakens, the rate of transfer of energy to turbulent flow due to turbulent buoyancy flux reaches its maximum and becomes the primary supply in the turbulent kinetic energy in Phase II. During Phase III, $1.2 \leqslant (\tilde {t}-\tilde {t}_c) \tilde {u}_f/\tilde {H} \leqslant 2.8$, the collided fluid slumps away from the collision region, while the production of turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent buoyancy flux and dissipation of energy attenuate. From the point of view of energetics, the production of turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent buoyancy flux transfers energy away from the mean flow to the turbulent flow during the collision. Our study complements previous experimental investigations on the collision of gravity currents in that the flow structures, spatial distribution and temporal evolution of the mean flow and turbulent flow characteristics in the collision region are presented clearly. It is our understanding that such complete information on the energy budgets in the collision region can be difficult to attain in laboratory experiments.

Objectives: Central-line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) has been the leading cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Previous studies have shown that a care bundle is effective in reducing CLABSI rates; however, the data on long-term sustainability and cost savings of bundled care are limited. Methods: From January 2011 to December 2020, a prospective surveillance was performed to monitor CLABSI at a university hospital in northern Taiwan. To reduce the CLABSI rate, a hospital-wide bundled care program for CLABSI prevention was implemented in 2013. We evaluated the long-term effect of the care bundle on CLABSI incidence and length of stay in the ICU. Results: During the study period, the overall CLABSI incidence decreased from 8.22 per 1,000 catheter days before the care bundle was implemented to 6.33 per 1,000 catheter days in 2020 (P for trend <.01). The most common pathogens causing CLABSI were gut organisms (1,420 of 2,363, 60.1%), followed by environmental organisms (734 of 2,363, 31.1%) and skin organisms (177 of 2,363, 7.5%). The decreasing trend was statistically significant in the incidence of CLABSI caused by skin organisms (P for trend < .01), but not in the incidence of CLABSI caused by environmental organisms (P for trend = .86) or gut organisms (P for trend = .06). In the multivariable analysis, implementation of this care bundle was independently associated with a decrease in the CLABSI rate (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66–0.88). Compared with patients without CLABSI, patients with CLABSI had a longer average ICU length of stay (27 vs 17 days). Conclusions: A sustainable reduction in the incidence of CLABSI caused by common commensals could be achieved through a cost-saving bundled care program.

In this paper we consider an anisotropic convection-diffusion (ACD) filter for image denoising and compression simultaneously. The ACD filter is discretized by a tailored finite point method (TFPM), which can tailor some particular properties of the image in an irregular grid structure. A quadtree structure is implemented for the storage in multi-levels for the compression. We compare the performance of the proposed scheme with several well-known filters. The numerical results show that the proposed method is effective for removing a mixture of white Gaussian and salt-and-pepper noises.

During 1997–2012 we conducted a nationwide camera-trapping survey and assessed the availability of prey and habitat for the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa in Taiwan. We surveyed 1,249 camera-trap sites over 113,636 camera-trap days, from the seashore to an altitude of 3,796 m and covering various types of vegetation. No clouded leopards were photographed during 128,394 camera-trap days, including at 209 sites in other studies, confirming the presumed extinction of clouded leopards in Taiwan. Assessment of the prey base revealed altitudinal distribution patterns of prey species and prey biomass. Areas at lower altitudes and with less human encroachment and hunting supported a higher prey biomass and more of the typical prey species of clouded leopards. Habitat analysis revealed 8,523 km2 of suitable habitat but this was reduced to 6,734 km2 when adjacent areas of human encroachment were subtracted. In the absence of hunting and large mammalian carnivores the major prey of clouded leopards in Taiwan, such as Formosan macaques Macaca cyclopis, Reeves's muntjacs Muntiacus reevesi, Formosan serow Capricornis swinhoei and sambar Rusa unicolor, could become over-abundant. Thus, it is important to address the cascading effect of the disappearance of top-down predator control. Our assessment indicated that, with proper regulation of hunting, habitat restoration and corridor improvement, it may be possible to reintroduce the clouded leopard.

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs)-doped polystyrene (PS) microspheres with high luminescence were prepared using a self-assembly approach. Hydrophobic CdSe/ZnS QDs were first carboxylized by ligand exchange using mercaptocarboxylic acid. PS microspheres were separately encapsulated with polyethyleneimine via electrostatic interactions and then adsorbed with the carboxyl QDs to form QDs-doped microspheres. We then characterized the combinations using optical, electrical, and mechanical approaches and obtained the following findings: (i) microspheres can be fully coated by QD nanoparticles with a coverage rate of 1.0 pmole/cm2, in which QDs were evenly distributed on the surfaces; (ii) the anchored QDs exhibited similar optical property as they performed in isolated suspension; and (iii) the fluorescence of QDs-doped microspheres remained intact after stressed by ultrasound-induced cavitation, demonstrating the robustness of interactions between QDs and microspheres. The self-assembly approach developed in this study offered a facile and controllable strategy for preparation of QDs-encoded microparticles with high luminescence and stability.

Episodic memory tasks are one of the most sensitive tools to discriminate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to validate a shorter version verbal memory test that will efficiently assess Chinese elderly with memory complaints. One hundred and eighty-five elderly with normal cognition (NC) and 217 AD patients were evaluated. Each participant received the Chinese Version Verbal Learning Test (CVVLT) consisting of 9 two-character nouns with 4 learning trials, 2 delayed recalls in 30 seconds and 10 minutes, and a word recognition test. In the NC elderly, age and sex had significant effects on recall scores in CVVLT, while education level showed an inverse correlation with 3 different patterns of errors made during the learning, recall, and recognition trials. AD patients had lower scores across all recall tests. In those with lower educational level, NC elderly had higher perseveration errors than AD patients. The cutoff value between the AD and NC groups in the 10-minute recall was 4/5 for those aged >75 years and 5/6 for those aged <75 years. This study has good validity in discriminating AD participants and the data here can help in diagnosing AD and mild cognitive impairment using the CVVLT. (JINS, 2010, 16, 244–251.)

We have fabricated La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 periodic arrays exhibiting tunable optical properties and magnetic properties using nontoxic and environmentally friendly electron beam resist made from La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 sol-gel precursor. We studied their unique optical properties by using the spectral microreflectometer and their magnetic properties using the superconducting quantum interference device and magnetic force microscopy. Additionally, the resist has the ability to demonstrate both positive and negative resist behaviors depending on the electron beam dosage. With these special characteristics, we can fabricate periodic structure on a thin film possessing controlled optical reflectance properties with one fixed design electron beam pattern without changing the structural parameters but changing the electron beam dosage only. Our approach provides an uncomplicated route for the fabrication of nanometer scale magnetic patterns, which serve as the building blocks in the search for novel properties of periodic magnetic arrays.

In this paper, we report that the experimental procedures for the preparation of conductive color powders that were aggregated from color pigment and conductive materials. We first modified the pigment and make the particles surface to have charges (ex: positive) and modified another conductive materials like ITO、Au、Ag particles or conductive polymer to be opposite charges (ex: negative). Then these two kinds of charge particles will aggregate in appropriate processing by static electricity and form a powder. After annealing treatment, the conductive color powder with ITO particles reveals good thermal stability and lower surface resistivity.

The interfacial regimes of cobalt/pentacene/cobalt (Co/Pc/Co) trilayers were emulated through the ultrathin pentacene/cobalt (Pc/Co) and cobalt/pentacene (Co/Pc) bilayers. Employing the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurement, we found the coercivity of Co bottom film in a thickness of 3.4 nm experienced a slight reduction upon the adsorption of Pc molecules. For the bilayers prepared with reversed order of deposition, the Co film deposited on a 6.4 nm Pc layer showed no observable ferromagnetic order at room temperature until its thickness reached 3 nm. After the onset of magnetic order, the x-ray images acquired on Pc/Co revealed a complicated magnetization patterns comparing to those observed on Co/Pc bilayers. Because the spin-polarized carriers will interact with the environment along their transport path, the presence of a non-magnetic layer and the occurrence of complicated domain structures suggested the spin-polarized carriers would experience a greater disturbance on their spin coherence when crossing the Pc/Co interface.

GaN film grown on Si substrate with AlN/AlxGa1−xN buffer is studied by low pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method. The AlxGa1−xN film with Al composition varying from 0∼ 0.66 was used. The correlation of the Al composition in the AlxGa1−xN film with the stress of the GaN film grown was studied using high resolution X-ray diffraction including symmetrical and asymmetrical ω/2θscans and reciprocal space maps. It is found that with proper design of the Al composition in the AlxGa1−xN buffer layer, crack-free GaN films can be successfully grown on Si (111) substrates using AlN and AlxGa1−xN buffer layers.

Pepper (Capsicum sp.) is important in human diets in many parts of the world and a major source of several antioxidants, including carotenoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherols and phenolics. More information on genetic diversity within Capsicum for antioxidant (AO) content and antioxidant activity (AOA) could contribute to improved human health. We evaluated 46 Capsicum accessions from AVRDC—the World Vegetable Center Capsicum core collection for content of nine AO (five carotenoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherols α and γ, and total phenolics) and two AOA assays for 2 years in south Taiwan. Ample genetic diversity exists within C. annuum to increase AO content. Based on dry weight values, non-pungent C. annuum entries as a group were significantly greater than pungent entries for contents of β-cryptoxanthin (36%), ascorbic acid (65%), total phenolics (36%) and α-tocopherol (11%). Group means of the brown-fruited entries exceeded the means of red-fruited entries for capsanthin (34%), zeaxanthin (37%), lutein (36%), β-cryptoxanthin (71%), β-carotene (82%), ascorbic acid (19%) and α-tocopherol (40%). Red-fruited C. annuum entries ‘Verdano Poblano’ and ‘Guajillo Ancho’ from Mexico ranked among the entries highest for all carotenoids, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation (ILP) assay could be adopted for AOA characterization or selection because of high variation among entries and consistent entry performance over years. ILP was positively correlated with phenolics (r=0.72**) and ascorbic acid (r=0.58**) contents. Significant positive correlations were detected between most carotenoids as well as a significant positive correlation between ascorbic acid and total phenolics contents (r=0.78**).

Late Yanshanian magmatism in SE China includes three stages of thermal event induced by the interaction between the continental margin of Eurasia and the paleo-Pacific plate during the Cretaceous period. Products of syn-orogenic magmatism (130–110 Ma) include high-Al gabbros (HAG), and gneissic tonalite, trondhjemite and granodiorite (TTG), which intruded into the deep basement (18–24 km). Rocks of the post- and an-orogenic magmatism are shallow-level (6–8 km) I-type granitoids (110–99 Ma), and miarolitic A-type granites plus rhyolite-dominate bimodal volcanics (94–81 Ma), respectively. Geochemically, HAG and TTG belong to the medium-K calc-alkaline affinity with high Sr/Y, whereas other granitoids are mainly high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic rocks with low Sr/Y. Sr and Nd isotope compositions suggest different sources of HAG and TTG from other rocks. Progressive depletions of Ba, Sr, Eu and P from I- to A-type granites reflect partial melting of felsic granulites from hydrous to dry conditions, whereas high Sr/Y in HAG and TTG are compatible with dehydration melting of amphibolites. Tectonic models which accommodate HAG and TTG may involve thickening of the lithosphere to convert the pre-existing lower-crust basic rocks into amphibolites. It was followed by basaltic underplating which is attributed to delamination of the thickened lithosphere and led to triggering of crust melting under exten

For embedded DRAM (E-DRAM) devices with feature sizes of 0.25 µm and beyond, contact processes with low contact resistance and low junction leakage current are required. The contact etch process needs to etch through multi-layer structures with SiO2, SiON/SiN layers and stop on Ti-polycide gate and Ti-salicide active regions at the same time. The key issues include high selectivity to TiSix, vertical profile, complete removal of SiON/SiN cap layer and no polymer residues. In this paper, multi-layer contact etching without attacking TiSix is reported. Using new process chemistry, the new contact etch process has been demonstrated for the manufacturing of 0.25 µm E-DRAM and beyond.