This paper studies the influences of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) on East Asian (EA) winter rainfall using the singular value decomposition (SVD) approach. This method uses two-dimensional ...instead of latitudinally averaged variables in the commonly used real-time multivariate MJO (RMM) index. A comparison of the two approaches is made using the same OLR and zonal wind data over 37 boreal winter seasons of December–March. The SVD composite reveals a more conspicuous and coherent variation throughout the MJO cycle, while the RMM composite is more ambiguous. In particular, the SVD analysis identifies the convection anomalies over the Maritime Continent and the subtropical western Pacific (MCWP) as a major cause of enhanced rainfall in EA at RMM phases 8 and 1. This is at least one-eighth of a cycle earlier than the phases of convection development over the Indian Ocean (IO) that were emphasized by previous studies. A linearized global baroclinic model is used to demonstrate the mechanism of MJO forcing on EA rainfall during various phases, with a focus on the MCWP cooling. The result shows that the anomalous MCWP cooling and the resultant low-level anticyclonic flow interact with the East Asian jet, leading to an overall weakened EA winter monsoon circulation. The associated anomalous overturning circulation, with ascending motion and low-level horizontal moisture convergence in EA, contributes to the enhanced rainfall. This model result supports the interpretation of the SVD analysis, in that the MCWP cooling induced anomalous meridional circulation is a more direct cause of enhanced EA rainfall than the IO heating (or the IO–MCWP heating dipole) induced Rossby wave teleconnection.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) B1.1.7 lineage was prevalent in April 2021 and spread into Taiwan.•The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Antigen Rapid Test Kit ...(ART) can detect SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variants.•ART can be used in densely populated areas for symptomatic or asymptomatic subjects.•ART and RT-PCR combined can improve COVID-19 diagnosis and curb community transmission.
With the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.1.7 lineage in the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Taiwan confronted a COVID-19 flare up in May 2021. Large-scale, accurate, affordable and rapid diagnostic tests such as the lateral flow assay can help to prevent community transmission, but their performance characteristics in real-world conditions and relevant subpopulations remain unclear.
The COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Kit (Eternal Materials, New Taipei City, Taiwan) was used in a high-throughput community testing site; the paired reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results served as a reference for sensitivity and specificity calculations.
Of 2096 specimens tested using the rapid antigen test, 70 (3.33%) were positive and 2026 (96.7%) were negative. This clinical performance was compared with the RT-PCR results. The sensitivity and specificity of the rapid antigen test were 76.39% 95% confidence interval (CI) 64.91–85.60% and 99.26% (95% CI 98.78–99.58%), respectively, with high sensitivity in subjects with cycle threshold values ≤24. Further, the rapid antigen test detected the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage effectively.
Considering the short turnaround times and lower costs, this simple SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection test for rapid screening combined with RT-PCR as a double confirmatory screening tool can facilitate the prevention of community transmission during COVID-19 emergencies.
In treatment of chronic acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations, both the Weaver-Dunn procedure (WD) and CC ligament reconstruction (CCR) are recommended options due to the low possibility of ...healing of the coracoclavicular (CC) ligaments. The aim of this review was to determine whether CCR will yield favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes in the treatment of chronic AC dislocations.
The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed databases were searched for literature on chronic AC dislocations from data inception to June 30, 2021. Patient data were pooled using standard meta-analytic approaches. The Cochrane-Mantel-Haenszel method and variance-weighted means were used to analyze the outcomes. The Review Manager version 5.3 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) was used to calculate the heterogenicity, mean difference, and relative risk (RR) for all outcomes in the meta-analysis.
The current analysis included four trials on this topic, and all AC joint dislocations were classified as Rockwood types III to VI. The pooled data showed that the CCR group had significantly better post-operative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder (ASES) scores, Oxford Shoulder Scores (OSSs), and Nottingham Clavicle Scores (NCSs) than the WD group, with a significant difference (p < 0.001, p = 0.020, and p < 0.001, respectively). In terms of the post-operative Constant-Murley Scores (CMSs), there were no significant differences between the CCR group and the WD group (p = 0.100). The CCR group had significantly better post-operative abduction and flexion of the index shoulder than the WD group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). In terms of radiological outcomes, the post-operative coracoclavicular distance (CCD) with a 10 kg load was smaller in the CCR group compared to that in the WD group (p < 0.001). The overall surgical wound infection rate was 11.6% in the WD group and 12.9% in the CCR, respectively (p = 0.82).
The CCR group had better clinical outcome scores in the ASES, OOS, NCS, abduction, flexion, and external rotation than the WD group. In terms of radiological outcomes, the CCR group showed less displacement in weight-loaded post-CCD than the WD group, which indicated that the CCR provided more stability and resistance to deformation forces.
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•Performing MtOH-ZnOAc and NaOH in bioplastic pretreatment and biogas production.•Pretreated bioplastic biogas production in mesophilic and thermophilic conditions.•Dilution of ...pretreated bioplastic affects biohydrogen and biomethane production.•The two-stage system performed better than a mono-stage system.•Predominant Methanosaetaceae positively correlated with the biogas production rate.
The aim of this work was to study the effect of thermal alkaline pretreatment and zinc acetate-catalyzed methanolysis (MtOH-ZnOAc) in biogas production from bioplastic in anaerobic digestion. The pretreated bioplastic with MtOH-ZnOAc performs efficient solubilization and produced 205.7 ± 6.9 mL/g CODadded, which is higher than thermal alkaline degradation. The mesophilic condition produces more than 79% higher biogas compared with the thermophilic condition with the diluted pretreated bioplastic by 30 times. The kinetic study was well fit the experimental data and showed the correlation between cumulative biogas, production rate, and lag phase with mono- and two-stage system in batch fermentation. The two-stage system produced 315.6 ± 7.7 mL/g CODadded which was higher 67.2 ± 2.02 than the mono-stage system. Methanosaetaceae predominates among the Archaea, which are primarily responsible for methanogenesis, showing a contribution to a higher biogas production rate.
Analytical noise formulations and design optimization of single- and dual-band inductively source-degenerated MOS low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) with the substrate and metal loss effects of on-chip ...inductors are established in this paper. It reveals that the noise figures of both single-/dual-band LNAs degrade substantially under the consideration of the loss effects. However, by increasing the device size, the noise optimization methodology of simultaneous noise and input match for a single-band LNA still holds true with concern for the loss effects. For a dual-band LNA, analytical noise optimization for a balanced noise design is established for inductors with metal and substrate loss and indicates a larger device size. The substrate and metal loss effects of inductors can be mitigated using integrated passive device (IPD) process for the input match network. The demonstrated single-band 0.18-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\mu \text{m} </tex-math></inline-formula> MOS LNAs with and without IPD process show noise figures of 1.53 and 2.52 dB at 2.4 GHz, respectively. Subsequently, the implemented dual-band 0.18-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\mu \text{m} </tex-math></inline-formula> MOS LNAs with and without IPD process show noise figures of 1.6/2.6 and 3.25/4.1 dB at 2.4/5 GHz, respectively.
Adult tissue-resident macrophages (RMs) are either maintained by blood monocytes or through self-renewal. While the presence of a nurturing niche is likely crucial to support the survival and ...function of self-renewing RMs, evidence regarding its nature is limited. Here, we identify fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) as the main source of colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) in resting skeletal muscle. Using parabiosis in combination with FAP-deficient transgenic mice (Pdgfrα
× DTA) or mice lacking FAP-derived CSF1 (Pdgfrα
× Csf1
), we show that local CSF1 from FAPs is required for the survival of both TIM4
monocyte-derived and TIM4
self-renewing RMs in adult skeletal muscle. The spatial distribution and number of TIM4
RMs coincide with those of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV)
FAPs, suggesting their role as CSF1-producing niche cells for self-renewing RMs. This finding identifies opportunities to precisely manipulate the function of self-renewing RMs in situ to further unravel their role in health and disease.
Acne vulgaris, which is mostly associated with the colonization of Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), is a common skin inflammatory disease in teenagers. However, over the past few years, the disease ...has extended beyond childhood to chronically infect approximately 40% of adults. While antibiotics have been used for several decades to treat acne lesions, antibiotic resistance is a growing crisis; thus, finding a new therapeutic target is urgently needed. Studies have shown that phage therapy may be one alternative for treating multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections. In the present study, we successfully isolated a C. acnes phage named TCUCAP1 from the skin of healthy volunteers. Morphological analysis revealed that TCUCAP1 belongs to the family Siphoviridae with an icosahedral head and a non-contractile tail. Genome analysis found that TCUCAP1 is composed of 29,547 bp with a G+C content of 53.83% and 56 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). The ORFs were associated with phage structure, packing, host lysis, DNA metabolism, and additional functions. Phage treatments applied to mice with multi-drug-resistant (MDR) C.-acnes-induced skin inflammation resulted in a significant decrease in inflammatory lesions. In addition, our attempt to formulate the phage into hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) cream may provide new antibacterial preparations for human infections. Our results demonstrate that TCUCAP1 displays several features that make it an ideal candidate for the control of C. acnes infections.
Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a non-invasive and safe therapeutic method for microbial infections. Bacterial antibiotic resistance is caused by antibiotics abuse. Drug-resistant Acinetobacter ...spp. is a serious problem in hospitals around the world. These pathogens from nosocomial infections have high mortality rates in frailer people, and Acinetobacter spp. is commonly found in immunocompromised patients. Visible light is safer than ultraviolet light (UV) for PDI of nosocomial pathogens with mammalian cells. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were used in this study as an antimicrobial agent and a photosensitizer. ZnO is recognized as safe and has extensive usage in food additives, medical and cosmetic products. In this study, we used 0.125 mg/ml ZnO-NPs combined with 10.8 J/cm2 blue light (BL) on Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) that could significantly reduce microbial survival. However, individual exposure to ZnO-NPs does not affect the viability of A. baumannii. BL irradiation could trigger the antimicrobial ability of ZnO nanoparticles on A. baumannii. The mechanism of photocatalytic ZnO-NPs treatment for sterilization occurs through bacterial membrane disruptions. Otherwise, the photocatalytic ZnO-NPs treatment showed high microbial eradication in nosocomial pathogens, including colistin-resistant and imipenem-resistant A. baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Based on our results, the photocatalytic ZnO-NPs treatment could support hygiene control and clinical therapies without antibiotics to nosocomial bacterial infections.
•The ZnO nanoparticles with blue light irradiation can inhibit A. baumannii survival.•Most of microbes were inhibited significantly by photocatalytic ZnO-NPs treatment.•Membrane disruption dominates the mechanism of photodynamic inactivation.•Photocatlytic ZnO nanoparticles could play as an antimicrobial agent.•This photodynamic inactivation was applied on clinical therapy and hygiene control.
The metal body handset initiates various antenna design challenges. An assembly of two slots is proposed for long-term evolution (LTE) uses on metal body handsets. Several novel techniques are ...devised to address LTE operation needs. The slot openings are placed on the metal rim to minimize visual intrusion. The two-end open LTE high band (1700~2700 MHz) slot excites multiple adjacent resonances to stitch a broad operation band. The other one-end open slot adopts a coupled feed to provide a broad LTE low band (690~960 MHz). An unconventional two-branch feed network is proposed. Its frequency selective characteristic allows excitations of the two slots using a common feed. Parametric studies and tests that emulate the actual handset environment were conducted. Results demonstrate that the proposed antenna is resilient toward operation scenario changes and yields stable performances.
Sarcopenia is an adverse prognostic factor in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Image-based sarcopenia assessment allows a standardized method to assess abdominal ...skeletal muscle. However, which is an index muscle for sarcopenia remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether sarcopenia defined according to different muscle groups with computed tomography (CT) scans can predict the prognosis of HCC after radioembolization.
In this retrospective study, we analyzed patients who underwent radioembolization for unresectable HCC between January 2010 and December 2019. Before treatment, the total abdominal muscle (TAM), psoas muscle (PM), and paraspinal muscle (PS) areas were evaluated using a single CT slice at the third lumbar vertebra. In previous studies, sarcopenia was determined using the TAM, PM, and PS after stratifying by sex. Finally, we investigated each muscle-defined sarcopenia to decide whether or not it can serve as a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS).
We included 92 patients (74 men and 18 women). TAM, PM, and PS areas were significantly higher in the men than in the women (all
< 0.05). The patients with sarcopenia defined using PM, but not TAM and PS, exhibited significantly poorer OS than those without sarcopenia (median 15.3 vs. 23.8 months,
= 0.034, 0.821, and 0.341, respectively). After adjustment for clinical variables, such as body mass index, liver function, alpha-fetoprotein level, clinical staging, treatment response, and posttreatment curative therapy, PM-defined sarcopenia (hazard ratio: 1.899, 95% confidence interval: 1.087-3.315) remained an independent predictor for the poor OS.
CT-assessed sarcopenia defined using PM was an independent prognostic factor for the poorer prognosis of unresectable HCC after radioembolization.
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