Phosphorus (P) possesses the highest theoretical specific capacity (865 mA h g−1) among all the elements for potassium‐ion battery (PIB) anodes. Although Red P (RP) has intrinsic advantages over its ...allotropes, including low cost and nontoxicity, and simpler preparation, it is yet unknown to effectively activate it into a high‐performance PIB anode. Here, high‐performance RP PIB anodes are reported. Two important factors are found to facilitate RP react with K‐ions reversibly: i) nanoscale RP particles are dispersed evenly in a conductive carbon matrix composed of multiwall carbon nanotubes and Ketjen black that provide an efficient electrical pathway and a tough scaffold. ii) The results of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum and the electrochemical performance perhaps show that no PC bond formation is beneficial to allow K‐ions to react with RP effectively. As a result, the RP/C electrodes deliver a reversible specific capacity of ≈750 mA h g−1 and exhibit a high‐rate capability (≈300 mA h g−1 at 1000 mA g−1). RP/C full cells using potassium manganese hexacyanoferrate as cathode show a long cycling life (680 cycles) at a current density of 1000 mA g−1, in addition, a pouch‐type battery is built to demonstrate practical applications.
Red phosphorus (RP) is activated for potassium‐ion battery anodes via a facile wet‐ball milling process. Supported by the conductive network composed of multiwall carbon nanotubes and Ketjen black, full cells comprising an RP/C anode and a potassium manganese hexacyanoferrate cathode show a high specific energy density (193 Wh kg−1) that is a high value for K‐ion full cells.
Low infection and case-fatality rates have been thus far observed in Taiwan. One of the reasons for this major success is better use of big data analytics in efficient contact tracing and management ...and surveillance of those who require quarantine and isolation.
We present here a unique application of big data analytics among Taiwanese people who had contact with more than 3000 passengers that disembarked at Keelung harbor in Taiwan for a 1-day tour on January 31, 2020, 5 days before the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the Diamond Princess cruise ship on February 5, 2020, after an index case was identified on January 20, 2020.
The smart contact tracing-based mobile sensor data, cross-validated by other big sensor surveillance data, were analyzed by the mobile geopositioning method and rapid analysis to identify 627,386 potential contact-persons. Information on self-monitoring and self-quarantine was provided via SMS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) tests were offered for symptomatic contacts. National Health Insurance claims big data were linked, to follow-up on the outcome related to COVID-19 among those who were hospitalized due to pneumonia and advised to undergo screening for SARS-CoV-2.
As of February 29, a total of 67 contacts who were tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were all negative and no confirmed COVID-19 cases were found. Less cases of respiratory syndrome and pneumonia were found after the follow-up of the contact population compared with the general population until March 10, 2020.
Big data analytics with smart contact tracing, automated alert messaging for self-restriction, and follow-up of the outcome related to COVID-19 using health insurance data could curtail the resources required for conventional epidemiological contact tracing.
AsqJ, an iron(II)‐ and 2‐oxoglutarate‐dependent enzyme found in viridicatin‐type alkaloid biosynthetic pathways, catalyzes sequential desaturation and epoxidation to produce cyclopenins. Crystal ...structures of AsqJ bound to cyclopeptin and its C3 epimer are reported. Meanwhile, a detailed mechanistic study was carried out to decipher the desaturation mechanism. These findings suggest that a pathway involving hydrogen atom ion at the C10 position of the substrate by a short‐lived FeIV‐oxo species and the subsequent formation of a carbocation or a hydroxylated intermediate is preferred during AsqJ‐catalyzed desaturation.
Make it a double: The mechanism of the desaturation catalyzed by AsqJ, a non‐heme iron enzyme, was elucidated using a complementary approach including probe design, X‐ray crystallography, molecular dynamics simulations, and spectroscopic characterizations. Subsequent to primary C−H bond activation, a carbocation or a hydroxylated intermediate is likely to be involved in the desaturation.
Hollow silica nanospheres (HSN) with low densities, large interior spaces and permeable silica shells are suitable for loading enzymes in the cavity to carry out intracellular biocatalysis. The ...porous shell can protect the encapsulated enzymes against proteolysis and attenuate immunological response. We developed a microemulsion-templating method for confining horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the cavity of HSN. This simple one-pot enzyme encapsulation method allows entrapping of the enzyme, which retains high catalytic activity. Compared with HRP supported on solid silica spheres, HRP@HSN with thin porous silica shells displayed better enzyme activity. The small HRP@HSN (∼50 nm in diameter), giving satisfactory catalytic activity, can act as an intracellular catalyst for the oxidation of the prodrug indole-3-acetic acid to produce toxic free radicals for killing cancer cells. We envision this kind of hollow nanosystem could encapsulate multiple enzymes or other synergistic drugs and function as therapeutic nanoreactors.
Facing the emerging COVID viral variants and the uneven distribution of vaccine worldwide, imported pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases play a pivotal role in border control strategies. A stochastic ...disease process and computer simulation experiments with Bayesian underpinning was therefore developed to model pre-symptomatic disease progression during incubation period on which we were based to provide precision strategies for containing the resultant epidemic caused by imported COVID-19 cases. We then applied the proposed model to data on 1051 imported COVID-19 cases among inbound passengers to Taiwan between March 2020 and April 2021. The overall daily rate (per 100,000) of pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases was estimated as 106 (95% credible interval (CrI): 95-117) in March-June 2020, fell to 37 (95% CrI: 28-47) in July-September 2020 (p < 0.0001), resurged to 141 (95% CrI: 118-164) in October-December 2020 (p < 0.0001), and declined to 90 (95% CrI: 73-108) in January-April 2021 (p = 0.0004). Given the median dwelling time, over 82% cases would progress from pre-symptomatic to symptomatic phase in 5-day quarantine. The time required for quarantine given two real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests depends on the risk of departing countries, testing and quarantine strategies, and whether the passengers have vaccine jabs. Our proposed four-compartment stochastic process and computer simulation experiments design underpinning Bayesian MCMC algorithm facilitated the development of precision strategies for imported COVID-19 cases.
To measure the effects of faecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening on overall and site-specific long-term effectiveness of population-based organised service screening.
...A prospective cohort study of Taiwanese nationwide biennial FIT screening was performed. A total of 5 417 699 eligible subjects were invited to attend screening from 2004 through 2009 and were followed up until 2014. We estimated the adjusted relative rates (aRRs) on the effectiveness of reducing advanced-stage CRC (stage II+) and CRC death by Bayesian Poisson regression models with the full adjustment for a cascade of self-selection factors (including the screening rate and the colonoscopy rate) and the completeness of colonoscopy together with demographic features.
FIT screening (exposed vs unexposed) reduced the incidence of advanced-stage CRC (48.4 vs 75.7 per 100 000) and mortality (20.3 vs 41.3 per 100 000). Statistically significant reductions of both incidence of advanced-stage CRCs (aRR=0.66, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.70) and deaths from CRC (aRR=0.60, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.64) were noted. FIT screening was more effective in reducing distal advanced-stage CRCs (aRR=0.61, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.64) and CRC mortality (aRR=0.56, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.69) than proximal advanced CRCs (aRR=0.84, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.92) and CRC mortality (aRR=0.72, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.80).
A large-scale population-based biennial FIT screening demonstrates 34% significant reduction of advanced-stage CRCs and 40% reduction of death from CRC with larger long-term effectiveness in the distal colon than the proximal colon. Our findings provide a strong and consistent evidence-based policy for supporting a sustainable population-based FIT organised service screening worldwide. The disparity of site-specific long-term effectiveness also provides an insight into the remedy for lower effectiveness of FIT screening in the proximal colon.
Epidermal growth factor receptor (
) triple mutations with exon 19 deletion (del19), T790M, and cis-C797S (del19/T790M/cis-C797S mutations) frequently occur in patients with non-small cell lung ...cancer (NSCLC), while progression to frontline
-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and osimertinib was resistant to all clinically available
-TKIs. Brigatinib monotherapy may be a potential treatment for NSCLC harboring del19/T790M/cis-C797S mutations based on preclinical studies; however, no clinical report has evaluated its efficacy on
del19/T790M/cis-C797S mutations. Herein, we present a case of a female patient with
del19-mutated NSCLC treated with afatinib followed by osimertinib due to acquired T790M mutation. The
del19/T790M/cis-C797S mutations were detected following osimertinib treatment. Complete response of skull metastasis was confirmed after brigatinib treatment (90 mg daily). Unfortunately, she experienced intolerable adverse events; therefore, brigatinib was discontinued after three-month usage. This report provides the first reported evidence for the use of brigatinib monotherapy in patients with NSCLC harboring
del19/T790M/cis-C797S mutations after progression to previous
-TKIs.
Eighteen carbonyl species in C_1-C_（10） were measured in the dining areas,kitchens and exhaust streams of six different restaurant types in Kaohsiung,southern Taiwan.Measured results in the dining ...areas show that Japanese barbecue（45.06 ppb） had the highest total carbonyl concentrations（sum of 18 compounds）,followed by Chinese hotpot（38.21 ppb）,Chinese stir-frying（8.99 ppb）,Western fast-food（8.22 ppb）,Chinese-Western mixed style（7.38 ppb）,and Chinese buffet（3.08 ppb）,due to their different arrangements for dining and cooking spaces and different cooking methods.On average,low carbon-containing species（C_1-C_4）,e.g.,formaldehyde,acetaldehyde,acetone and butyraldehyde were dominant and contributed 55.01%-94.52%of total carbonyls in the dining areas of all restaurants.Meanwhile,Chinese-Western mixed restaurants（45.48 ppb） had high total carbonyl concentrations in kitchens mainly because of its small kitchen and poor ventilation.However,high carbon-containing species（C_5-C_（10）） such as hexaldehyde,heptaldehyde and nonanaldehyde（16.62%-77.00%of total carbonyls） contributed comparatively with low carbon-containing compounds（23.01%-83.39%of total carbonyls） in kitchens.Furthermore,Chinese stir-frying（132.10 ppb）,Japanese barbecue（125.62 ppb）,Western fast-food（122.67 ppb）,and Chinese buffet（119.96 ppb） were the four restaurant types with the highest total carbonyl concentrations in exhaust streams,indicating that stir-frying and grilling are inclined to produce polluted gases.Health risk assessments indicate that Chinese hotpot and Japanese barbecue exceeded the limits of cancer risk（10~（-6）） and hazard index（=1）,mainly due to high concentrations of formaldehyde.The other four restaurants were below both limits.
Recurrent obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) in patients with chronic kidney disease is a challenge often faced by physicians, given the need for repeated hospitalizations, multiple extensive ...examinations, limited treatment options, and high medical costs. The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics of uremic patients undergoing deep enteroscopy for OGIB and analyze the risk factors for rebleeding in these patients after undergoing single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE).
Out of 765 patients with OGIB who underwent 1004 procedures of SBE in four teaching hospitals, 78 uremic patients with OGIB were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and endoscopic findings were collected, and multiple variables were analyzed to determine the risk of rebleeding after SBE.
The diagnostic yield was 75.6%, and the rebleeding rate was 29.5% in the enrolled uremic patients. The most common etiology was angiodysplasia (74.6%) and the most common site was the jejunum (50.8%). The endoscopic intervention rate was 62.8% and most patients were treated with argon plasma coagulation (75.6%). Among the eight patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), four (50%) had severe aortic stenosis, and the remaining had non-aortic stenosis-VHD. VHD (p < 0.05) and angiodysplasia (p < 0.05) were both associated with a higher rebleeding rate.
VHD may be an independent risk factor associated with rebleeding after SBE in uremic patients with OGIB. Moreover, uremic patients with angiodysplasia-related bleeding appear to have a higher rebleeding rate than those with alternative causes of bleeding.
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