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The Effect of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) On the Post-Graduation Working Intention of International Students in Taiwan
No full textThis study aims to investigate how Cultural Intelligence (CQ) affects post-graduate working intention in Taiwan. In order to find out the answer, this study will first examine the connection between personality traits and cross-cultural adjustment (CCA), considering the mediating role of CQ and the moderating effects of culture shock and loneliness. Then, will look more closely at how CQ affects international students\ue2 working intentions in Taiwan after graduation. The analysis was based on 305 international students who were either enrolled in or had already finished their studies in Taiwan. The Model 16 of SPSS PROCESS (version 4.2) was used as the main tool for data analysis. The results indicate that (1) Openness to experiences significantly impacts CQ; (2) CQ highly impacts CCA; (3) CQ mediates the relationship between openness to experiences and CCA; (4) International students\ue2 culture shock negatively affects their CCA; and (5) International students with higher CCA, will having higher working intention in Taiwan after graduation. The study emphasizes how CQ mediates the relationship between openness to experiences personality and the adjustment's ability to different cultures. Furthermore, the study discovered that CQ positively influences overseas students' intentions to work in Taiwan after graduation in an indirect way. By offering a fresh viewpoint on the application of CQ and its implications for international students' post-graduate working intentions in Taiwan, this research adds to the body of knowledge already available on CQ and CC
Development of a Fast Chatter Suppression Technique
No full textChatter is a phenomenon of vibration between tool and workpiece during metal cutting, and it tends to occur in insufficient rigidity cutting system. When the cutting phase difference between each blade will lead to uneven chip thickness, it will cause variation of the cutting force and initiate self-excited vibration. As a result, chatter directly affects the metal surface appearance of the workpiece so that it should be suppressed rapidly. The purpose of this study is to shorten the chatter suppression time, based on a single microphone as the audio sensor that has the advantages of high sampling rates and a non-contact characteristic. By optimizing the audio buffer size and choosing a microphone with a high sampling rate that can reduce the processing time subsequently. After collecting the cutting audio and converting the audio into a frequency domain, it can capture the vibration frequency and use a traditional chattering index, k, to calculate a new spindle speed in real-time to remove chattering. In the high signal complexity situation, the vibration index may experience inaccuracies. Therefore, this study modifies the k into a deviation value to generate a similar trend with signal complexities and energy values. To demonstrate the feasibility the proposed procedure, two different configurations of CNC milling machines with two geometrically distinct end mills and two cutting strategies to conduct chatter suppression experiments. Also, aluminum alloy, carbon steel, and stainless steel are used for experiments. Through the analysis of audio and surface roughness of milled materials, it demonstrates the validation of the efficacy and improvement of the purposed technique. This study has achieved a signal processing cycle within 48.5 ms, significantly decreasing the chatter suppression response time. In addition, this approach is not constrained by the variables in milling processes and have high potential for applicability
Exploring the Social Loafing of the Metaverse Virtual Team : Perspectives from the Flow and Moral Disengagement Theories
No full textIn recent years, affected by COVID-19, virtual teamwork has been extensively utilized across various teams. Meanwhile, with the development of the metaverse concept, it also allows virtual teams to conduct more interactive and participatory meetings through VR headsets. However, there is currently insufficient research on virtual meeting. This study integrates flow theory with moral disengagement theory using stimulus-organism-response theory. Using Horizon Workrooms, a metaverse virtual meeting software, as an example, this study investigates how the feelings brought by VR virtual meeting stimulate individuals' flow experiences and affect their moral disengagement cognition, which in turn triggers social loafing during the meetings.
This study used experimental and questionnaire methods. In the experiment, participants will wear VR headset and conduct a virtual meeting with their team in Workrooms. After the meeting, they will fill out the online questionnaire. The study reveals that the antecedents of the flow experience positively affect the flow experience, while the flow experience has a negative impact on dehumanization, which in turn negatively affects social loafing. Finally, the study presents conclusions and recommendations for subsequent research and service providers
Study of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Doped Silver Nanoparticles Piezoelectric Fibers by Near-field Electrospinning
No full textThis study utilized Near-field Electrospinning (NFES) to fabricate composite polymer piezoelectric fibers consisting of Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) doping with Silver Nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles possess excellent electrical conductivity. Through plasma discharge, the size of the silver nanoparticles was reduced to below 10 nm, ensuring a uniform distribution during the manufacturing process. Leveraging the biocompatibility advantages of silver, it was incorporated into the process. Initially, experiments were designed to compare the output voltages using silver nanoparticle solutions with concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 mM. Through optimization and convergent analysis, a concentration of 0.75 mM was determined as the optimal parameter, resulting in an optimal output voltage of 127 mV. Subsequent comparative analyses of composition and various characteristics were performed. FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed that silver nanoparticles enhance molecular binding capacity and exhibit a \uce\ub2-phase piezoelectric structure under electric field polarization, with preferred orientation of complete silver nanoparticles in a FCC structure. EDS Mapping indicated a uniform distribution of silver nanoparticles, and TEM analysis revealed a particle size of 4.68 nm for the 0.75 mM concentration, facilitating comprehensive characterization and analysis. The fibers were then encapsulated with PET and combined with silver electrodes printed using screen printing. Using a shaker hammer, voltage tests were conducted, showing that a voltage output of 2.76 V could be generated under a hammer force of 45 N. Regarding the measurement results of the piezoelectric coefficient with the presence of a small amount of impurities, it is found that the piezoelectric coefficient is 15 pC/N, and the beta phase percentage is 64.21%. From this, it can be concluded that the addition of silver nanoparticles can further enhance the polarization effect. Under controlled output dynamics, it was revealed that force primarily influenced voltage changes, while frequency changes had minimal impact. Exploiting the sensitivity and excellent flexibility of piezoelectric fibers, these were applied to flexible biomedical pulse testing. Given the impact of low-pass human noise and high-pass environmental noise, signal processing was achieved through filter and amplifier. During the pressing process, signals were generated upon applying pressure at specific locations and magnitudes, reflecting pulsatile signals. When comparing results from three subjects, differences in pulse frequency and signal amplitude were observed. Medical professionals identified and compared pulse measurements and signal contrasts in sync, validating the overall waveform reliability and the complete medical applicability of the study's findings
Design and Implementation of A Power Effective Digital Logic Accelerator and Ultra-Low Power SRAMs for AI Edge Applications
No full textEdge computing is gaining more and more attention along the with the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence systems. Since the data is being readily available, AI applications are often required to have the results in nearly real time too. One example of an edge computing platform is an object detection system that is deployed in an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).
A power effective digital logic accelerator (DLA) with output reuse, hardware padding, and a new reshape module is demonstrated in Chapter 2. Measurement on a silicon shows a low power consumption of the design. It has a performance of 40.96 GOPS operating at a power of 196.8 mW which is almost 19 times lower than the FPGA counter part. It is implemented using the TSMC 180-nm CMOS process, where the chip area is 53.63 mm2. The area and power efficiencies are 0.7638 GOPS/mm2 and 0.2081 TOPS/W, respectively. A figure of merit (FOM) based on the performance and power shows that the proposed design is the best so far.
Although the DLA in Chapter 2 shows a low power performance, the power effectiveness needs to be improved. Experiments show that majority or the energy of the DLA is consumed by the SRAMs thereof. Hence, two ultra-low power SRAM designs are demonstrated in Chapters 3 and 4, respectively. In Chapter 3, a single-ended SRAM cell design is demonstrated. It uses a power gating mechanism to reduce power consumption while a power-delay product (PDP) reduction circuit is added to compensate for speed loss. One issue caused by the single-ended design is poor noise performance. In Chapter 4, a novel asymmetrical Schmitt-trigger based SRAM cell is presented. It showed an improved static noise margin and not sacrificing performance. Measurements show an ultra-low power consumption of 6.8 fJ and 4.23 fJ per bit for the single-ended SRAM and Schmitt-trigger SRAM, respectively. An FOM based on the energy per bit and supply voltage is used to compare the SRAM designs to many prior SRAMs in the last decade.
Finally, the dissertation is concluded in Chapter 5 and the future of this work is also discussed
A study of the outpatients' knowledge, attitude, behavior on the robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery used in major cancer surgery
No full textPurpose:
This study was conducted in a regional hospital that had just started developing Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery for one year. The study applied a knowledge-attitude behavior research model, and distributed paper questionnaires in surgical outpatient clinics. This study aims to explore the association between knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of outpatient visits patients about the adoption of such surgery. Under the current national health insurance system, Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery still requires patients to pay about NT$200,000 to 400,000 out-of-pocket money, and the current patients are more concerned about issues such as efficacy, self-payment burden, etc. This questionnaire also includes personal medical insurance amounts, monthly income limits, and other related questions.
Methods:
After receiving the IRB approval, the expert validity analysis and questionnaire pre-test were carried out, and the official questionnaire was distributed from March 22, 2022 to June 30, 2022, for a total of 100 days, and a total of 330 formal questionnaires were finally received. The effective questionnaire recovery rate was 96.0% after deleting 13 invalid questionnaires with consistent or neutral answers. In this study, SPSS version 24.0 and R version 4.2.1 statistical software were used for data processing and analysis. The analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA analysis.
Results:
Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the three constructs of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of da Vinci surgery are positively correlated with each other among patients attending surgical clinics. The higher the level of knowledge the more positive the attitude and behavior toward the choice of da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery. In the independent analysis of the two questions "Have you undergone surgery" and "Have you undergone cancer surgery", there was no statistically significant difference in knowledge aspect, but had significant statistical differences in attitude behavior. However, the analysis of the results of the 'monthly disposable amount' shows that the amount (income) affects the patient's knowledge and behavior of da Vinci's surgery, but there is no significant difference in attitude. The finding is consistent with previous research. The most significant factor influencing the patient's choice of surgical method is the doctor's recommendation, followed by safety, and the third is the size of the postoperative wound. The results of this study are also in line with the model four of Schwartz's KAB theory: knowledge directly or indirectly influences behavior and is mediated by attitudes.
Discussion and Conclusion:
The study results indicated that the public's knowledge and attitude toward da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery are positively correlated. Therefore, for a regional teaching hospital that has initially introduced and promoted da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery, more information related to such surgery can be provided, and various ways can be used to educate patients during outpatient and inpatient visits. Thus it could improve the public's knowledge of da Vinci robotic arm-assisted surgery, and then improve the attitude and behavior toward choosing da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery in the future.
Keywords: da Vinci surgery, robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery, cancer surgery, knowledge attitude behavior model, surgical outpatient clinics\ue
Distributions of carbonate chemistry from the Kuroshio to the Ryukyu Current at 23.5\uc2\ub0N off eastern Taiwan
No full textKuroshio and Ryukyu Current (RC) are two strong western boundary currents in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) east of Taiwan. As a counter-current, the RC originates from the Kuroshio. Previous studies mainly focused on the physical properties of the RC through direct observations or simulation results of the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). However, limited knowledge is available regarding the chemical properties of the RC. This study aims to investigate the distributions of carbonate chemistry across the Kuroshio and the RC off eastern Taiwan. A survey was conducted using the New Ocean Researcher 2 (NOR2, cruise no: NOR2-0075) in 19\uef\ubc24, July, 2022, along 23.5\uc2\ub0N line from eastern Taiwan to 125\uc2\ub0E. Water samples were collected from ten stations at various depths along the section using a CTD rosette.
Generally speaking, the South China Sea (SCS) and the WPS have distinguishable vertical salinity distributions, making salinity an ideal parameter for tracking the distribution of Kuroshio Intermediate Water (KIW) or SCS waters at the 23.5\uc2\ub0N transect. Our results show that the salinity minimums of the ten stations along the 23.5\uc2\ub0N section are between 34.21 and 34.33, which are significantly higher than that of the North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) of 34.2 or lower, indicating the intrusion of the KIW in the form of the RC. Additionally, the pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) minimums are higher than that of the WPS, which are consistent with the changes caused by the KIW intrusion.
The salinity data show that the influence of the KIW at 23.5\uc2\ub0N hydrographic line could be as deep as 1,878 m. It is 1,756 m or 1,500 m, respectively, when DO or discrete pH data are used. This study is the first to demonstrate the distributions of carbonate chemistry from the Kuroshio to the RC. Implication is that KIW can be transported further east in the WPS and to higher latitudes via the RC
Chip for America Act and Taiwan's Silicon Shield. How the U.S Government incentives will affect Taiwan's national Security
No full textSemiconductors and integrated circuits have become the third most traded commodity in
today's world trade. The global semiconductor supply chain has been built over the years
based on regional specialization. 75% of the world's physical semiconductor
manufacturing capacity and most of the production of basic materials and chemicals are
concentrated in East Asia (including China). In addition, 8% of the production of the most
advanced semiconductors of 10 nm and below is carried out in South Korea and 92% of
the production in Taiwan.
An attempted Chinese invasion of Taiwan would have unacceptable consequences for the
United States, its allies and of course, the rest of the world. Taiwan's indispensable role
in the world semiconductor industry prevents China from seeking a military solution to
the island. America's fear is over-dependence on East Asia for chip manufacturing, and
Taiwanese companies in particular for the most advanced chips.
The US administration has begun to see the dependence on Taiwan for the production of
chips as a national security issue and is trying to be self-sufficient in this regard. For this
purpose, the US administration decided to bring chip production back to the USA and
introduced legal regulations and announced incentive programs.
This study seeks to understand if the US can achieve its goal of self-sufficiency or whether
Taiwan can maintain its position. Qualitative method was applied to find answers to the
questions and media scanning was used to find the opinions of politicians and scholars.
In addition, interviews were conducted with field experts and scientists.
This research will first describe the current world chip supply chain, point to Taiwan's
location, and examine the SWOT analysis of the US and Taiwan chip industry. By
combining all the information gained through interviews and open source data, we will
try to determine whether Taiwan\ue2s \ue2silicon shield\ue2 will exist in the future and if it can
ultimately maintain its position in the semiconductor supply chain
The Impacts of US-China Trade War on P2P Lending Platform
No full textUS President Trump decided to impose high tariffs on Chinese imports in order to solve the long-standing trade issues between the United States and China and to punish China for infringing on US trade secrets and intellectual property rights. In March 2018, the US government began the first wave of tariff policies. China soon adopted retaliatory tariffs, and the tariffs on the import and export products of both sides continued to increase, causing the US-China trade war to break out, the financial market and the economies of both countries were affected. This study uses the transaction data of Lending Club, the largest P2P lending platform in the United States, as a research sample. The research period is from March 2017 to March 2020, covering the year before the US-China trade war to the two years after the US-China trade war. This study discusses whether the impact of US-China trade war affects the loan amount and number of loans on P2P lending platform.
The empirical results show that after the US-China trade war, the growth rate of the total number of loans on the Lending Club platform increased, and the loan amount of the borrower also increased. In addition, borrowers may be affected by the economic situation due to the US-China trade war, resulting in an increase in the probability of default, or may choose a longer loan term
What Factors May Affect People\ue2s Choice Between Taking Bus and Renting a Shared Scooter: Kaohsiung City as an Example
No full textTo promote sustainable transportation, the Kaohsiung City government started to allow scooter sharing to enter the market since 2018. However, so far no research has examined if scooter sharing would compete with city buses and decrease people\ue2s willingness to take bus. In recent years the Kaohsiung City government also released the MenGo card of MaaS with a preferential plan, which may affect people\ue2s preference of transportation modes. This study was aimed to examine whether scooter sharing would affect Kaohsiung people\ue2s willingness to take bus or not and how MenGo card ownership would affect people\ue2s choice between taking bus and renting shared scooter. This study used online survey to collect data and logistic regression as the main analytical method. Respondents were Kaohsiung citizens aged between 18 and 40 and had scooter driver license. A total of 241 people participated. Results suggested that people\ue2s sex, age, purpose of journey, distance of journey and psychological factors (e.g., concern for convenience and safety) are not related to their choice between bus and shared scooter. Moreover, MenGo card users were more likely to take bus and ride shared scooter. Based on these results, suggestions were made for policies about scooter sharing, such as exclusive parking space for the scooters and the control of the number of shared scooters