474 research outputs found

    Long range surface plasmon based biosensor for dengue virus detection / Wong Wei Ru

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    Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease caused by one of the four dengue virus serotypes, is of major public health interest in over 100 tropical and sub-tropical countries worldwide. Dengue infection causes flu-like symptoms and the severe cases can be fatal. Dengue cannot be reliably distinguished in its early stage using existing laboratory diagnostic techniques. In the absence of specific treatment for or vaccine against this disease, an early diagnosis of dengue infection is extremely important to reduce morbidity and mortality. The study in this thesis aimed to develop a compact, cost-effective, label-free, real-time biosensor based on long-range surface plasmon polariton (LRSPP) waveguides for dengue detection. Generally, the LRSPP based biosensor consists of thin gold metal waveguides embedded in CYTOP claddings (a fluoropolymer having a refractive index close to that of biologically compatible fluids) with the incorporation of fluidic channels. Several passive elements such as straight waveguides, S-bends, Y-junctions and couplers were designed for different biosensing applications. The detailed fabrication process of the devices using photolithography technique is described. The sensing performance of straight long-range surface plasmon waveguides was explored theoretically as a function of the metal stripe cross-sectional dimensions and the length of the sensing channel using finite element method (FEM). Three refractive indices of the sensing medium which are slightly below, equal to and slightly above the refractive index of CYTOP were considered. The surface sensitivity and detection limit of the waveguide were evaluated as a function of the adlayer thickness. A trade-off between the insertion loss of the waveguide and the change in insertion loss during sensing was observed. iv Prior to biosensing experiments, the long-range surface plasmon waveguide was characterized optically through cut-back measurements, bulk sensing, and protein sensing experiments. The coupling loss and mode power attenuation obtained from the cut-back measurements agreed very well with the theoretical prediction. The sensing index that matches the refractive index of CYTOP produced the highest output power. The experiment with bovine serum albumin (BSA) demonstrated the ability of the LRSPP waveguide to perform (bio)chemical sensing. Besides, the stability of the experimental setup over time was measured in order to establish a stable baseline for subsequent biosensing experiments. Dengue detection using LRSPP based biosensor was performed using two approaches: direct virus detection (detection of dengue virus antigen) and serological detection (identification of dengue-specific antibodies). The results obtained via serological diagnosis exhibit almost 2-fold higher P/N ratios compared to those collected by conventional immunoglobulin M antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (MAC-ELISA). The antigen-based diagnosis also showed comparable results as the conventional method. The detection limit of the biosensor was estimated as ∼ 22 pg/mm2. In addition, the reuse of the biosensors was demonstrated by regenerating the sensing surface down to the virus (or antibody) level or down to the bare gold. In conclusion, the LRSPP based biosensor exhibits potential as the next-generation dengue diagnostic tool at point of care. The sensitivity of the biosensor can be further improved by using phase-dependent structures such as Mach-Zehnder interferometers and Young’s interferometers

    Heterometallic MIIRuIII2 compounds constructed from trans-[Ru(Salen)(CN)2]- and trans-[Ru(Acac)2(CN)2]-. Synthesis, structures, magnetic properties, and density functional theoretical study

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    The synthesis, structures, and magnetic properties of four cyano-bridged M(II)Ru(III)2 compounds prepared from the paramagnetic Ru(III) building blocks, trans-[Ru(salen)(CN)2]- 1 [H2salen = N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylideneimine)] and trans-[Ru(acac)2(CN)2]- (Hacac = acetylacetone), are described. Compound 2, {Mn(CH3OH)4[Ru(salen)(CN)2]2}.6CH3OH.2H2O, is a trinuclear complex that exhibits antiferromagnetic coupling between Mn(II) and Ru(III) centers. Compound 3, {Mn(H2O)2[Ru(salen)(CN)2]2.H2O}n, has a 2-D sheetlike structure that exhibits antiferromagnetic coupling between Mn and Ru, leading to ferrimagnetic-like behavior. Compound 4, {Ni(cyclam)[Ru(acac)2(CN)2]2}.2CH3OH.2H2O (cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), is a trinuclear complex that exhibits ferromagnetic coupling. Compound 5, {Co[Ru(acac)2(CN)2]2}n, has a 3-D diamond-like interpenetrating network that exhibits ferromagnetic ordering below 4.6 K. The density functional theory (DFT) method was used to calculate the molecular magnetic orbitals and the magnetic exchange interaction between Ru(III) and M(II) (Mn(II), Ni(II)) ions

    Feudal Dependents called Ke 客 and Buqu 部曲 in the Wei 魏, Jin 晋, Southern and Northern Dynasties 南北朝

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    This is a translation into Japanese from the first half of the Chinese text written by Prof. Tang Chang-ru of Wuhan 武漢 University who presented briefly its contents and those of the second part on March 11, 1981 at the Research Institute for Humanistic Studies of Kyoto University. The author states at first that in the period of the Three Kingdoms a great many bankrupt peasants had been drawn under the control of the landlords (haoqiang 豪強) as their dependents called ke 客 or dianke (佃客), and that such a social situation persisted and developed further in South China until the end of the Southern Dynasties, as well as in North China until at least 485 A.D. On the other hand, the government of the Jin dynasty specified by legislation the number of dependents the landlords could have, and it made an effort to bring them back under its direct control. The result was not very succesful, but we should pay attention to the fact that the succeeding dynasties never stopped enforcing the law. In 485, the government of the Northern Wei 北魏 Dynasty established two systems of law called the Sanzhangzhi 三長制 and the Juntianzhi 均田制, which enabled it to get back a great many tenants under its control and to levy taxes on them in exchange for giving them a fixed field. It is difficult, indeed, to find the existence of ke in the historical materials at that time, but if we call to mind the fact that the Juntianzhi alowed the landlords to have some fields under the name of their slaves, it would seem certain that the slaves were mixed in reality with the tenants called at that time tongli 僮隷. The meaning of tongli is equal to puli 僕隷 who were allowed to receive their fields by the law established at the beginning of the Sui 隋 period. The title of puli contained surely the buqu, the lowly class who had been emancipated from slavery by the edict promulgated in 577 by the Emperor Wu 武帝 of the Zhou 周 dynasty. Therefore, in North China there were many feudal dependents called tongli, puli, or buqu even after 485, and we find again the numerous ke in the historical texts of the Sui period. But it is necessary to keep in mind that the bonds between the landlords and their dependents were not always clearly specified in the legislation of the Six Dynasties and that this was a characteristic of Chinese feudalism. The second part of the author's text will be translated and published in the Tohogaku 東方學, No. 63

    On-chip optical gas sensors based on group-IV materials

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    Compact and smart optical gas sensors have attracted significant attention over the past few decades. Among the materials used for developing such gas sensors, group-IV materials, including silicon, germanium, carbon allotropes, and their compounds, are considered the most promising candidates. By virtue of their inherent compatibility with the CMOS fabrication process in the mature microelectronics industry, on-chip optical gas sensors based on group-IV materials have merits of appreciable sensitivity and high-density integration. Moreover, such sensors have promising potential to be integrated with other electronic or photonic devices for on-chip signal processing and communication, which are expected to enable versatile applications in the internet of things, point-of-care testing, and information and communication technology. This paper is the review of basic principles, state-of-the-art devices, and cutting-edge applications of on-chip optical gas sensors based on group-IV materials and discussions of their prospects

    Yi Taibei shi di shou ru hu jia ting wei li

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    本研究起源於個人曾任社會救助人員工作經驗上的困惑,究竟低收入戶在脫離福利之後能否走出貧窮?臺灣現時關於脫貧及離開者的探索不足。本研究目的在於透過探索低收入戶家庭如何主觀詮釋其貧窮歷程經驗,並從政府社會救助相關人員的視角,來理解他們如何看待貧窮、窮人與社會救助制度,進而分析國家社會救助制度在低收入戶家庭能否脫貧過程中的作用。本研究立基建構主義的研究典範,採取質性研究取向,透過深度訪談法及文獻分析法蒐集資料,並以主題分析法來分析。在分析框架,結合貧窮歷程「進入、持續與脫離」的時間面向,以及「微觀、中觀及宏觀」的層次面向,並以社會排斥理論作為主要對話的理論。研究發現,微觀層次,低收入戶家庭的主觀經驗,脫離救助不等於脫離貧窮,他們貧窮生活經驗的三部曲依次為「不穩定、步入穩定及向上提升或再次不穩定」,經歷福利制度的「排斥、融入及排斥」。中觀層次,社工漸失扶貧角色,工作者認為個案是否值得幫助以及個案的策略,會影響工作處遇及互動經驗,同時兼具融入及排斥角色。宏觀層次,社會救助制度透過親屬責任、工作倫理安排,在進入前產生制度性排斥;持續期間能夠穩定低收入戶的生活,發揮融入作用,但無助積極脫貧;離開後缺乏支持和緩衝,陷入再排斥危機。基於研究發現,研究綜合討論了五個議題。首先,脫離福利不等於走出貧窮,還需經濟、心理自立,才能穩健離開。脫貧四種可能類型為「重返貧窮」、「心有餘力不足」、「有力心不安」以及「穩健離開」。第二,子女助脫貧,前提是能就業、願反饋,否則將反受勞動及福利排斥。第三,宏觀制度安排外,中觀工作者如何執行亦是排斥與否的關鍵。工作者與個案互動的四種類型為「傾力相助,融入」、「無奈讓步,不情願融入」、「順應民意,非意圖融入」以及「斷然拒絶,排斥」。第四,社會救助制度穩定生活有助融入,缺乏脫貧措施,易再造成排斥。第五,國家非蓄意排斥,唯怕崩解、防弊及缺服務,難大破大立;個案關注離開階段,基於權利,自我調整並結合外力,展開反排斥;工作者關注進入階段,立基公平正義,個別裁量及集體倡議展開反排斥。最後,發現國家制度、執行工作者與福利使用者,三者都是有行動力的主體,本身既是融入者,也是排斥者和反排斥者,並非分立,而是交互影響的。因此提出以綜融性觀點來檢視跨層次間的作用,更有助於理解研究議題。未來三個層次要同步改變,才有助低收入戶長遠脫離貧窮。The main question of this research came from the researcher’s experience as a social assistance worker: whether the low-income households can get out of poverty after they left the social welfare system? The situation of the welfare leavers is under-researched in Taiwan. Therefore, the purposes of this thesis are, firstly, to explore the subjective interpretation of low-income households on their experience in poverty; secondly, from the perspectives of social assistance workers, to understand how they perceive poverty, the poor people and social assistance institutions; and finally, to analyze the effectiveness of social assistance institutions in helping the poor to get out of poverty.Based on the stance of constructivism, this research is qualitative-oriented, and the data was collected through in-depth interviews and literature analysis. By adopting thematic analysis, the analytical framework of this research consists of two dimensions: time and levels. The former suggests to the process of poverty: the point of entry, the status of continuum and the point of escaping; and the latter presents the micro, messo and macro levels of analysis. The whole process of analysis and discussions are examined mainly through the lens of social exclusion theory.The findings of this study can be divided into three levels. At the micro level, although the low-income households have left social assistance, it did not mean that they can get out of poverty. Their living experience of poverty could be seen as a trilogy, demonstrated sequentially as the stages of being unstable, gradually become stable, and situation improved or being unstable again. They experienced of being excluded, integrated and re-excluded from the welfare system in this process. At the messo level, social workers have gradually deviated from the role of helping the poor. Instead, whether the clients are "deserving" or "undeserving" poor in workers’ mind and the strategies their clients decide to adopt for their circumstances, were the main factors which contributed to future treatment and interactions with each other. In this regards, the workers can take up the role of helping the poor to integrate or excluding the poor. At the macro level, the institutional exclusion emerged at the beginning through relative’s responsibility and work ethics requirements when the clients applied the assistance. During the period with assistance, the assistance exerted its integrative impact to stabilize the clients’ living standard; however, it did not offer an effective solution for the clients to escape from their poverty. After the assistance ceased, the clients risked being excluded again due to lack of support or buffer to prevent themselves from the immediate economic pressure.According to the findings, five issues are discussed in this thesis. First of all, the welfare leavers do not immediately experience the complete escape from poverty. Instead, the economic and mental independence play the key roles. There are four types of patterns in terms of getting away from poverty: ‘leave but fall into poverty again’, ‘with strong will but not capable of leaving poverty’, ‘with capability but without confidence’, and ‘on track to leave without coming back’. Secondly, if the poor expect to get rid of poverty through the strength of their children, it highly depended on the children’s capability of employment and their willingness to support their parents. Otherwise, they might end up being excluded by the labor market and the welfare system. Thirdly, besides the institutional factors at the macro level, how social workers provide services in practice at the messo level is also essential. It is found that there are four types of interactions between workers and the clients: ‘full effort to support and integration ‘retreat unwillingly and unwilling integration’, ‘to follow public opinion and unintend integration’ and ‘refuse boldly and exclusion’. Fourthly, the institution of social assistance is helpful for low-income households to manage their lives and social integration. However, it lacks measures to facilitate the low-income households escape from poverty, and thus easily causes re-exclusion. Finally, it is revealed that the state shows no intention in excluding the disadvantaged households; however, it still cannot transform the system due to the intention in maintaining the family function, in preventing welfare fraud, and in providing support services. Regarding the clients and the social workers, the former were more concerned about the stage when dis-attached from the welfare system, whilst the latter cared about the stage of entry. Based on having sensed their own rights, the clients adjusted themselves with external forces and started to fight for anti-exclusion after being excluded from the welfare system. Similarly, the social workers also value the idea of equality and social justice. However, they achieve this goal by exercising their discretion power when scrutinizing the applications, and moreover, collectively advocating for anti-exclusion of the low-income households.All in all, the state institution, the social workers involved, and the welfare users are all subjects with their agency. They themselves play multi-roles to integrate, exclude and anti-exclude, and these roles are not isolated but interact with each other. This research, therefore, suggests utilizing generalist perspective to further examine the cross-level effects in order to understand this subject. In long term, the three levels have to be changed simultaneously in order to help the low-income households effectively get out of poverty.Detailed summary in vernacular field only.Detailed summary in vernacular field only.Detailed summary in vernacular field only.Detailed summary in vernacular field only.Detailed summary in vernacular field only.杜慈容 = Can welfare leavers get out of poverty? : a Study of low-income households in Taipei / Dou Tsz Rung.Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 448-481).Abstracts also in English.Du Cirong = Can welfare leavers get out of poverty? : a Study of low-income households in Taipei / Dou Tsz Rung

    Ru xuan zhi jian: yin yi yu wei jin xue shu

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    魏晉是中國古代史上最為複雜的時代之一,它的複雜不僅表現在政治上,也表現在學術層面。而魏晉時代在各種因素交織下所呈現出來的複雜程度,很難憑一條線索就梳理清楚。本文著眼於魏晉時代儒者處逸、隱士通經的特殊現象,在前人研究的基礎上,通過對魏晉隱逸的關注與分析,從而引發有關魏晉學術和政治文化的討論,希望藉此能對包括玄學發展衍化在內的一些問題產生新的理解。要詮釋上述這種儒者處逸、隱士通經的歷史現象,首先要對隱逸的起源和種類加以回顧和梳理,之後再對《晉書》傳中人物的具體情況作出分析。本文認為,「人物」、「學術」、「政治」之間可以構建一種兩兩相互作用的三角關係,通過分析這種關係,可以解釋一些歷史現象。因此本文的討論,主要集中在三個層面:第一,特定時代政治環境與學術背景的人物,「儒隱」現象是發生人物身上的現象,而這種現象可以從政治與學術兩方面尋求解釋。第二,政治人物的學術,這也包括了官方對不同學術的態度。第三,學術人物的政治,根據人物學術背景的不同──在本文的討論範圍中即以儒學與玄學二者為主──其在政治上的進退出處也不一樣。而在本文看來,當中又以魏晉玄學的作用最為顯著因此本文的許多論述都與玄學有關;同時也希望通過對作為隱逸背景的玄學的討論,為我們認識玄學提供一個新的視角。本文希望強調,從許多方面來看,玄學都是儒學的一支,儘管玄學的文本並不全是當時的傳統儒家經典。玄學在學術上的重要性,主要存在於其形成初期和南朝以後;而曹魏正始以後至東晉末年的這一歷史時段內,玄學更多地在政治上發揮著作用。但是,即使在玄學最具風采的時期,朝野各類人物依然以儒學為其學術底蘊。Reclusion normally refers to people living in self-imposed isolation from the world, often for religious purposes. But it seemed to be a much more complicated matter in early medieval China, especially when there was a fusion between those scholar-officials and traditional reclusions, which used to commit disengagement under a more “simple” sort of motivation. From historical documents of that period, we started to see Ruists who were not interested in becoming politicians, and recluses who would knew awfully a lot about Ruism and even governing. Both kinds of people were valued and well respected in their time not only by common people but also lords and kings.After being recognized as the official guide of governing in Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), the ideology of “Ruism” (Ruxue), or otherwise known as Confucianism, has been associated with the heavenly granted authority of emperorship, under which circumstance traditional “Ruists” (or Confucian scholars)have been following a path whereas scholarships would lead to bureaucratic positions. But this ideal path changed, for a while, for at least some Ruists, when the dynasty started to crumble around the beginning of the third century. Many scholars of Ruism started to choose to become practitioners of reclusion, instead of competing to become court-commissioned scholar-officials, especially during Jin dynasty (265-420). Among many things that could be held accountable for the occurrence of this phenomenon, “Mystery Learning” (Xuanxue), or otherwise known as Metaphysic Learning or Neo-Daoism, appears to be a major one.Rising from intense debates among intellectual elites, it started off as a way for some Wei (220-265) officials to express resentful attitudes as they objected to the arrogation of the yet-to-be-enthroned Sima clan. Then after the abdication of Wei emperorship, certain former Wei officials turned to reclusion, whilst Mystery Learning became charmingly popular among Jin court. When it came to Eastern Jin, as leaders of the “Great Families” took turns to act as Grand Councilor, they came to contend with emperorship, so Ruism no longer suited as the ideological foundation of political discourses. Practices of reclusion continued for that reason among others.畢云.Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2016.Includes bibliographical references (leaves ).Abstracts in English and Chinese.Title from PDF title page (viewed on …).Bi yun.Detailed summary in vernacular field only.Detailed summary in vernacular field only

    Regularity criterion to the axially symmetric Navier-Stokes equations

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    Smooth solutions to the axially symmetric Navier-Stokes equations obey the following maximum principle: parallel to ru(theta) (r, z, t)parallel to(L infinity) <= parallel to ru(theta) (r, z, 0)parallel to(L infinity). We first prove the global regularity of solutions if parallel to ru(theta) (r, z, 0)parallel to(L infinity) or parallel to ru(theta) (r, z, t)parallel to(L infinity(r <= r0)) is small compared with certain dimensionless quantity of the initial data. This result improves the one in Zhen Lei and Qi S. Zhang [10]. As a corollary, we also prove the global regularity under the assumption that} vertical bar ru(theta)(r,z,t)vertical bar <= vertical bar ln r vertical bar(-3/2), for all 0 < r <= delta(0) is an element of (0,1/2). (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.SCI(E)[email protected]

    Synthesis and photoelectric studies of Ru(II) polypyridyl sensitizers

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    New cis-Ru(3,3'-dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2) photosensitizer (where 3,3'-dcbpy is 3,3'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine) was synthesized using Ru(DMSO)(4)Cl-2 as a starting material and characterized. Its photophysical and redox properties were compared with those of cis-Ru(4,4'-dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2) and cis-Ru(5,5'-dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2). The photoelectrochemical properties of the three dyes adsorbed on the surface of the nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes as well as on self-assembly monolayers (SAMs) were investigated. The photocurrents generated by sensitized TiO2 electrodes were much higher than those by SAMs. And cis-Ru(4,4'-dcbpy)(2) showed a most efficient photosensitizer in both systems. The mechanism is discussed in the paper. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.Chemistry, Inorganic & NuclearSCI(E)19ARTICLE1-273-7930

    Modi fied Genetic Algorithms for the Single Machine Scheduling Problem

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    In this paper we propose an improved algorithm to search optimal solutions to the single machine total weighted tardiness scheduling problem. We propose using longest common sequence to combine with the random key method. Numerical simulation shows that the scheme we proposed could improve the search efficiency of genetic algorithm in this problem for some cases
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