National Cheng Kung University

Space–surface charge synergy for enhanced ionic thermoelectric power in nanofluidic channels

Space charge and its synergistic interaction with surface charge have recently been shown to enhance ion transport in regions of weak charge density within the electrical double layer (EDL) in nanofluidic systems for osmotic energy conversion. However, the influence of space char...

Service innovation and value acquisition on in-destination tour service

The adoption of internet-enabled service innovations has become an increasingly important focus in in-destination tour services. However, the effects of these services, particularly in the context of self-service and group travel, remain underexplored. This study develops a frame...

Beyond aerosolization: How antibiotic concentration and redox cycling amplify antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plant bioaerosols

Abstract Wastewater treatment plants are emission hotspots of airborne antibiotic resistance genes, yet the physicochemical drivers of their amplification remain unclear. Here, we quantified airborne antibiotics and oxidative potential (OP) in particulate matter above an aeration...

Severe Dengue in Children: Pathogenesis, Early Recognition, and Evidence-Informed Management

Severe dengue remains an important cause of pediatric hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly where rapid triage and pediatric critical-care capacity are limited. This structured narrative review synthesizes evidence on the epid...

The Impact of Regulatory Goals on the Disclosure of Self-presentational Vulnerabilities

Individuals often disclose their self-presentational vulnerabilities, including the use of counterfeit products or weight-loss medications. Yet, despite the commonality of such vulnerable self-disclosure, little is known about who discloses, why they do so, and when they choose t...

Inverse design approach for predicting the optimal geometry of horizontal annular wavy perforated fins

A three-dimensional inverse design problem for determining the optimal geometry of annular irregular wavy perforated fins is investigated in this study. The conjugate turbulent heat transfer problem is solved using the commercial CFD package CFD-ACE+, with the standard κ–ε turbul...

Benzodifluoranthenes and Their π‐Extended Derivatives: Syntheses, Structural Analyses, Properties, and Hole Mobilities

ABSTRACT New classes of arenes, benzo[1,2‐ b :5,4‐ b′ ]difluoranthene ( syn ‐B b D), benzo[1,2‐ b :4,5‐ b′ ]difluoranthene ( anti ‐B b D) and their π‐extended derivatives, were regioselectively synthesized by rhodium‐catalyzed intramolecular annulations of bis[2‐(arylethynyl)phen...

The burden of suicide by paraquat poisoning in Taiwan (1987–2017): trends, geographic variations, and demographic characteristics

Pesticide self-poisoning accounts for 14%–20% of global suicides. Paraquat, a highly lethal pesticide, is involved in a considerable number of suicides in some countries. This study investigated the burden, trends, geographic variations, and demographic characteristics of pestici...

Immediate Effects of Manual Muscle Stretching on Respiratory Capacity, Heart Rate Variability, and Diaphragmatic Function in Patients With COPD

Objective: To investigate the acute physiological responses following a single session of manual muscle stretching in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods: A single-group pre–post design was used. Nineteen participants with moderat...

Sperm-specific fertility factors SMZ-1/2 promote FB-MO biogenesis and MSP filament assembly in C. elegans

Abstract In nematode sperm, motility is powered by polymerization of major sperm protein (MSP) into filaments assembled from a specialized organelle (FB–MO), but how filament formation begins is unclear. We identify two sperm-specific PDZ proteins, SMZ-1 and SMZ-2 (SMZ-1/2), that...

Outcome Evaluation of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention vs Medical Therapy Alone in Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome

This study provides real-world evidence by comparing the long-term clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus medical therapy alone in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) diagnosed non-invasively, given the lack of evidence in this population....

Differences in Demographic Characteristics of Children and Families Between Children With and Without Developmental Delays in Taiwan

Family-centered care is essential for children with developmental delays (DD). This study examined the demographic characteristics of children and families within Taiwan’s early intervention (EI) system to provide context-specific insights for practice. We conducted a secondary a...

Particulate Matter-Induced Skin Injury: A Dual-Pathway AhR–Nrf2 Framework for Epidermal Homeostasis and Therapeutic Targeting

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is highly expressed in keratinocytes and functions as an environmental sensor regulating xenobiotic metabolism, epidermal differentiation, and inflammatory responses. Particulate matter (PM), a major environmental pollutant containing reactive...

Automated alveolar bone and teeth 3D segmentation on the cone-beam computed tomographic images using the convolutional neural network

Abstract Background Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely used in dental diagnosis and implant planning. The accurate segmentation of teeth and alveolar bone from CBCT images is essential for precise diagnosis and treatment planning. In this study, we propose two distinc...

Recent progress of carbon-quantum-dot-based photodetectors

Photodetectors are essential electronic components of modern systems, allowing applications in wearable electronics, optical communication, environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and imaging. The scalability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness of conventional photodet...

Necrotising enterocolitis triggers a TNF-driven gut-blood-brain cascade that disrupts the blood-brain barrier and induces TNFR1-skewed neuronal apoptosis and pyroptosis

Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants is associated with neurodevelopmental difficulties, but the mechanisms linking intestinal disease to brain injury remain unclear. We asked whether NEC propagates along a tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-ce...

Heterogeneous Transfer of CsPbBr 3 Perovskite Epitaxial Films for Microcavity Lasers

ABSTRACT Silicon photonics offers a scalable platform for integrated optical systems but is fundamentally limited by the lack of efficient on‐chip light sources due to silicon's indirect bandgap. Halide perovskites have emerged as promising gain materials; however, conventional p...

Quality-controlled active learning via Gaussian processes for robust structure–property learning in autonomous microscopy

Abstract Autonomous experimental systems are increasingly used in materials research to accelerate scientific discovery, but their performance is often limited by low-quality, noisy data. This issue is especially problematic in data-intensive structure–property learning tasks suc...

Transforming naval organizations in the digital age: leadership, AI and dynamic capabilities for change

Purpose Indonesia, with over 17,000 islands and one of the world's longest coastlines, faces escalating geopolitical dynamism, maritime tensions, and transnational threats such as narcotics trafficking, piracy and illegal fishing. As the principal naval defense force, the Indones...

Effects of Dynamic Neck Sensorimotor Biofeedback Training in Individuals With Mechanical Neck Pain: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Mechanical neck pain (MNP) is commonly accompanied by pain-related functional limitations, sensorimotor disturbances, and fear of movement, which together may contribute to persistent disability. This preliminary randomized controlled trial study investigated the short-term effec...