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Abstract Sod culture (SC) and conventional agriculture (CA) represent two distinct field management approaches utilized in the cultivation of tea plants in Taiwan. In this study, we employed gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence techniques to assess the impact of SC and CA methods on the photosynthetic machinery of Camellia sinensis cv. TTES No.12 (Jhinhsuan) in response to variable light intensities across different seasons. In spring, at photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) ranging from 800 to 2,000 μmol photon m-2 s-1, the net photosynthesis rate (Pn, 10.43 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1), stomatal conductance (Gs, 126.11 mmol H2O m-2 s-1), electron transport rate (ETR, 137.94), and ΔF/Fm’ and Fv/Fm (50.37) values for plants grown using SC were comparatively higher than those cultivated under CA. Conversely, the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) values for SC-grown plants were relatively lower (3.11) compared to those grown under CA at 800 to 2,000 PPFD in spring. Additionally, when tea plants were exposed to PPFD levels below 1,500 μmol photon m− 2 s− 1, there was a concurrent increase in Pn, Gs, ETR, and NPQ. These photosynthetic parameters are crucial for devising models that optimize cultivation practices across varying seasons and specific tillage requirements, and for predicting photosynthetic and respiratory responses of tea plants to seasonally or artificially altered light irradiances. The observed positive impacts of SC on maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax), Fv/Fm, Gs, water-use efficiency (WUE), and ETR suggest that SC is advantageous for enhancing the productivity of tea plants, thereby offering a more adaptable management model for tea gardens.

Abstract The global transition towards circular economy (CE) signifies a shift in industrial waste management objective from “expansion of recycling industry” to achieve “waste as resource”. The medical industry has attracted CE research attention the due to its significant waste generation and relatively slower progress towards CE, despite the substantial recycling potential identified by the WHO. Studies indicate that this can be attributed to the hazardous nature of medical waste and the prioritization of safety in waste treatment over potential economic and health co-benefits. Recognizing the limitations of current waste management performance evaluation framework, this research introduces the dynamic circularity performance index, and further introduces the two new indicators of “recycling circularity (Rc)” and “real circularity performance”, in conjunction with “recycling rate”, to enable industry-specific sustainability assessment of waste management performance. The case study on Taiwan medical waste management performance from 2014 to 2021 on the four identified medical waste categories confirms the limitations of assessing performance solely based on the quantity-based metric of “recycling rate”. For example, the significant decline in the recycling rate from 33.1% to only 12.2% between 2019 and 2020 might be interpreted as a drop in environmental performance. However, the increase in both overall recycling efficiency and total volume of waste recycled, as demonstrated by “circularity performance” and “real circularity performance” reveals a well-maintained resource recovery performance in coping with the stunning 327% increase in total waste generation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, while the “recyclable waste’ category exhibits a significant increasing in the recycling rate over the assessment period, the “Rc” results highlight a degradation in recycling efficiency. The synergistic effect of the newly introduced indicators unveils several unique phenomena affecting the CE transition of the medical industry. These includes regulatory control, the single-use mindset, hazardous nature of the waste, the classification of waste, policy incentives and recycling capacity. Further improvement can be made to expand the coverage to all life cycle stages and refine the method for determining the relative circularity of treatment performance. Such advancements can attribute to enhance waste management performance assessment and the development of effective CE transition strategies and policies.

Abstract UTe2 is one triplet superconductor that defies conventional relation between ferromagnetism and superconductivity. Our search for a theoretical explanation starts with one spin-triplet state of two electrons and construct a two-particle exchange interaction that favors the formation of Cooper pairs under the configuration. A modified application of the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) theory using parameters derived from ab-initio density functional calculations for electrons and phonons enables us to derive the critical temperature of 1.64 K and an average superconducting gap of 0.25 meV at 0 K. We extend the investigation further into the superconductivity under pressure, showing how T c and the gap of UTe2 change under compression in ways that are consistent with the results of experiment.

Abstract Background and Aim A pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is an infectious disease with high in‐hospital mortality. It has no specific symptoms and is difficult to be diagnosed early in the emergency department. Ultrasound is commonly used to detect PLA lesions of PLA, but its sensitivity can be affected by lesion size, location, and clinician experience. Therefore, early diagnosis and prompt treatment (especially abscess drainage) are crucial for better patient outcomes and should be prioritized by clinical physicians. Methods We conducted a retrospective study to compare the effect of early and late (i.e., receiving CT scanning within 48 h and >48 h after admission) adoption of nonenhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning regarding the hospitalization days and interval between admission and drainage of patients with PLA. Results This study included 76 hospitalized patients with PLA in the Department of Digestive Disease of Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital in China who underwent CT examinations from 2014 to 2021. We conducted CT scans on 56 patients within 48 h of admission and on 20 patients more than 48 h after admission. The early CT group had a significantly shorter hospitalization length compared with the late CT group (15.0 days vs. 20.5 days; P = 0.035). Besides, the median time to initiate drainage after admission was also significantly shorter in the early CT group than in the late CT group (1.0 days vs. 4.5 days; P

Abstract Background and Aim Biliary tract infection (BTI) is an inflammatory disease and commonly associated with bacteremia. Delays in diagnosis or treatment of BTI cause high morbidity and mortality. However, an early diagnosis depends on appropriate clinical investigations. Appropriate biomarkers are urgently needed to improve the BTI diagnostic rate. We hypothesized that intestinal fatty acid‐binding protein (I‐FABP) might be a potential biomarker for BTI diagnosis. Methods We examined data from subjects aged ≥18 years diagnosed with BTI, including cholangitis and cholecystitis, whose blood samples were adequate for I‐FABP and zonulin assessment. We also collected blood samples from healthy volunteers as the control group. We excluded subjects in both groups who received steroids, antibiotics, or probiotics within 1 month before hospital admission (BTI cohort) or participation in this research (controls). The main study endpoint was to compare the diagnostic ability of I‐FABP to detect BTI in comparison with high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) and zonulin. Results The study collected the data of 51 patients with BTI and 35 healthy subjects. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) for I‐FABP was 0.884 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.814–0.954), numerically higher than that for hs‐CRP (0.880; 0.785–0.976) and zonulin (0.570; 0.444–0.697). We estimated that the optimal cutoff value of I‐FABP was 2.1 ng/mL (sensitivity: 0.804; specificity: 0.829) for the diagnosis of BTI. Conclusions In summary, this study suggests that I‐FABP may be a potential alternative biomarker to hs‐CRP for diagnosing BTI. Further research should verify the use of I‐FABP as a marker for BTI diagnosis, but also for other inflammatory diseases.

Outlying islands are affected by the environment and economy, and fishery resources are the first to experience these impacts. Therefore, it is necessary to actively and effectively transform traditional fisheries in outlying islands. This is the case in Penghu County (Penghu Islands), located on the outlying islands of Taiwan. The transformation to recreational fishery can increase the additional income of traditional fisheries during the fishing moratorium through the development of recreational fishery boats by fishermen. Recreational fishery means the fishery using fishing vessels for recreational purposes or for passengers to harvest aquatic organisms on the reef or to engage in sightseeing on the islets. Therefore, this study will explore the key factors for the successful route planning of fishermen who switch to recreational fishery boats to assist the fishermen in successfully transitioning and enabling recreational fishery to flourish. In the research, using the method of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) expert questionnaire, it was found that the key factors affecting the route planning of recreational fishery boats are “boat conditions”, “berthing conditions”, “operating environment”, and “sightseeing potential”. After the expert questionnaire, a weight comparison of each level was performed, and it was found that “operating environment” was the most important factor, followed by “tourism potential”. However, the key factors of the “natural environment” and “cultural environment” are more important under the influence of the “operating environment”. Under the influence of “tourism potential”, “attractiveness” is a key factor, as is the “accessibility” factor. In this study, the four main fishing ports in Penghu County were also used for empirical discussion. The study results showed that Magong Fishing Port was the first choice for transformation, followed by Chikan Fishing Port. The results of this study can be used as a reference for fishermen and officials in developing a subsidy scheme for fishing boat operation, and they can be used as a reference for transforming traditional fisheries in outlying islands into recreational fishing to develop recreational fishery boats and leisure tourism industries. This research can help fishermen to attach importance to the development of recreational fishing activities and promote the stable growth of the fishery industry environment.

FeTe _1− _x Se _x is a family of iron-based superconductors with its critical temperature ( T _c ) dependent on the composition of Se. A well-known T _c is 14.5 K for x = 0.45, which exhibits an s -wave superconducting gap between the topological superconducting surfaces states. Exchange interaction between the electrons has been proposed as the mechanism behind the formation of Cooper pairs for the sample of FeTe _0.5 Se _0.5 . In this article we provide further proof that exchange interaction, and hence the associated T _c , depends on the applied pressure on FeTe _0.5 Se _0.5 . Using density functional calculations for electrons and phonons and the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) theory for superconductivity, we found that T _c and superconducting gap for FeTe _0.5 Se _0.5 soars under increasing compression, consistent with the results of experiment.

Abstract Background Most genera of Fagaceae are thought to have originated in the temperate regions except for the genus Lithocarpus, the stone oaks. Lithocarpus is distributed in subtropical and tropical Asia, and its ancestral population is hypothesized to be distributed in tropical regions in Borneo and Indochina. Borneo and the nearby islands (the Greater Sunda Islands) were connected to the Malay Peninsula and Indochina prior to the Pliocene epoch and formed the former Sundaland continent. The Southeast Asian Lithocarpus, is thought to have dispersed between continental Asia and the present Sundaland. The drastic climate changes during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs which caused periodic sea-level changes is often used to explain the cause of its diversity. The aim of this study was to establish phylogenetic relationships by analyzing nuclear (nrDNA) and chloroplast (cpDNA) DNA in order to describe and analyze the origin, causes of diversification and historical biogeography of Lithocarpus. Results Phylogeny reconstructed through the multiple-species coalescent method with nrDNA and cpDNA revealed that the continental-Asian taxa were clustered at the basal lineages. The derived lineages of tropical Lithocarpus, with the inference of a subtropical ancestral state, imply a southward migration in the Early Miocene period with subsequent in situ diversification in the Greater Sunda Islands. The gradual decrease in temperature since the Middle Miocene period is proposed as a cause of the increase in the net diversification rate. Conclusions The historical ancestral origin of Lithocarpus has been suggested to be mainland Asia. Southward migration in the Early Miocene period with subsequent in situ diversification could explain the current diversity of stone oaks in Southeast Asia. This study also considered the multiple origins of stone oaks currently indigenous to the subtropical islands offshore and near mainland China. Our results provide phylogenetic evidence for a subtropical origin of Asian stone oaks and reveal the process of diversification and how it fits into the timeline of major geologic and climatic events rather than local, episodic, rate-shifting events.

Abstract Background Leaf epicuticular wax is an important functional trait for physiological regulation and pathogen defense. This study tests how selective pressure may have forced the trait of leaf abaxial epicuticular wax crystals (LAEWC) and whether the presence/absence of LAEWC is associated with other ecophysiological traits. Scanning Electron Microscopy was conducted to check for LAEWC in different Lithocarpus species. Four wax biosynthesis related genes, including two wax backbone genes ECERIFERUM 1 (CER1) and CER3, one regulatory gene CER7 and one transport gene CER5, were cloned and sequenced. Ecophysiological measurements of secondary metabolites, photosynthesis, water usage efficiency, and nutrition indices were also determined. Evolutionary hypotheses of leaf wax character transition associated with the evolution of those ecophysiological traits as well as species evolution were tested by maximum likelihood. Results Eight of 14 studied Lithocarpus species have obvious LAEWC appearing with various types of trichomes. Measurements of ecophysiological traits show no direct correlations with the presence/absence of LAEWC. However, the content of phenolic acids is significantly associated with the gene evolution of the wax biosynthetic backbone gene CER1, which was detected to be positively selected when LAEWC was gained during the late-Miocene-to-Pliocene period. Conclusions Changes of landmass and vegetation type accelerated the diversification of tropical and subtropical forest trees and certain herbivores during the late Miocene. As phenolic acids were long thought to be associated with defense against herbivories, co-occurrence of LAEWC and phenolic acids may suggest that LAEWC might be an adaptive defensive mechanism in Lithocarpus.

Sod culture (SC) and no tillage (NT) are modern orchard management systems, and are two different bases for the sustainable development and production of citrus orchards in Taiwan. However, there is no information about the efficiency of either NT or SC on the photosynthetic physiology of farmed citrus under different seasons and varying light intensities. The objective of this study was to clarify the impacts of SC and NT under eco-friendly farming management on the photosynthetic apparatus of an important plantation citrus species in response to varying light intensities over the seasons. The results showed that Rd (dark respiration rate of CO2), Qy (light quantum yield of CO2), LCP (light compensation point), Amax (maximum net assimilation of CO2), and Fv/Fm values of citrus plants under SC were somewhat higher under NT in the same season, particularly in the fall and in winter. As light intensity increased from 200 to 2000 μmol photon m−2 s−1 PPFD, higher Pn (net photosynthesis rate), Gs (stomatal conductance), ETR (electron transport rate), NPQ (non-photochemical quenching), and Fv/Fm (potential quantum efficiency of PSII) values were observed in spring and summer compared to the fall and winter, and increasing NPQ and decreasing Fv/Fm values were observed in all seasons. Positive and significant correlations were shown between the Pn and Gs under NT and SC in all seasons with all light illuminations, whereas significant and negative relationships were observed between the ETR and NPQ under NT in fall and winter at 1200~2000 PPFD. In short, ETR was useful for non-destructive estimations of Pn and NPQ since these indices were significantly and positively correlated with ETR in citrus leaves exposed to 0~1200 PPFD in all seasons and 1200~2000 PPFD in spring, the fall, and winter, providing a quick means to identify the physiological condition of plants under various seasons and tillages. The precise management of photosynthetic parameters such as ETR in response to light irradiances under varied seasons also provides implications for sustainable citrus production for tillage cropping systems in future higher CO2 and potentially wetter or drier environments. The tillages may hold promise for maximizing the economic efficiency of the growth and development of citrus plants grown in the field.

FeTe _1− _x Se _x is a family of iron-based superconductors with a well-known critical temperature ( T _c ) of 14.5 K for x = 0.45. Also well-established is the presence of topological surface states of FeTe _0.55 Se _0.45 in which topological superconductivity sets in. By using density functional calculations and the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) theory for traditional superconductors we calculated the T _c of the surface layers of FeTe _0.5 Se _0.5 with the exchange interaction as the source of attractive force to form the Cooper pairs. The estimated T _c is in reasonable agreement with the experimental value and suggests that the exchange interaction is behind the topological superconductivity on the surface of FeTe _0.55 Se _0.45 .

The electronic properties of hybrid graphane/boron-nitride nanoribbons with hydrogen vacancies are investigated using density functional calculations. Hydrogen vacancies in the shapes of lines and chains in the composite system are able to alter the electronic properties drastically. If segregated by a BN separator, H-vacancy chains may also be used for conduction of optically excited electrons on either edge of the BN, rendering it possible to create spatially distinctive conduction channels.

Albuminuria is a well-known predictor of poor renal and cardiovascular outcomes and associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. The study aimed to evaluate the associations between metabolic characteristics and the presence of albuminuria.This cross-sectional study included 18,384 adult Chinese who participated in health examinations during 2013-2014. Differences in clinical characteristics were compared for microalbuminuria (MAU) and albuminuria, and between genders. Potential risk factors associated with the risk of developing MAU and albuminuria were analyzed using univariate logistic regression. Multiple logistic regression was applied to further identify the independent associations between different levels of risk factors and the presence of MAU and albuminuria. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to determine the discriminatory ability of metabolic risk factors in detecting albuminuria.There were significant gender differences in clinical characteristics according to albuminuria status. Risk for the presence of albuminuria was significantly associated with age, male gender, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), hypertension, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C) in univariate logistic regression. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the factors significantly associated with the presence of MAU were WC > 90cm, WHtR at 0.6-0.7, hypertension, FPG > 6.1 mmole/L, and TG/HDL-C ratio > 1.6. The optimal cutoffs for risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetS) to predict albuminuria in males and females were: WC, 90.8 vs. 80.0 cm; WHtR, 0.53 vs. 0.52; MAP, 97.9 vs. 91.9 mmHg; FPG, 5.40 vs. 5.28 mmole/L; and TG/HDL-C, 1.13 vs. 1.08.MetS and all its components were associated with the presence of MAU in a health check-up population in China. Gender specific and optimal cutoffs for MetS components associated with the presence of MAU were determined.

We investigated a variety of configurations of hydrogen-vacancy chains in graphane by first-principles density functional calculation. We found that graphane with two zigzag H-vacancy chains segregated by one or more H chain is generally a nonmagnetic conductor or has a negligible band gap. However, the same structure is turned into a semiconductor and generates a magnetic moment if either one or both of the vacancy chains are blocked by isolated H atoms. If H-vacancy chains are continuously distributed, the structure is similar to a zigzag graphene nanoribbon embedded in graphane. It was also found that the embedded zigzag graphene nanoribbon is antiferromagnetic, and isolated H atoms left in the 2-chain nanoribbon can tune the band gap and generate net magnetic moments. Similar effects are also obtained if bare carbon atoms are present outside the nanoribbon. These results are useful for designing graphene-based nanoelectronic circuits.

Tin telluride is a topological crystalline insulator that has gapless surface states protected by mirror symmetry. The symmetry remains intact when the insulator is reduced in thickness and becomes a thin film, according to ab initio calculations based on density functional theory. Furthermore, a SnTe thin film in contact with a heterogeneous atomic layer is capable of closing energy gap caused by quantum tunneling between the two thin film surfaces and therefore distinguishes two conducting channels through surface and interface states respectively. Our calculations of SnTe films deposited with a lead telluride layer have two Dirac cones separated in energy, while the same film in contact with strontium telluride have the cones separated in momentum. The composite with a magnetic manganese telluride layer, however, loses both the mirror and time-reversal symmetry.

We investigate the electronic structure of graphane with hydrogen vacancies, which are supposed to occur in the process of hydrogenation of graphene. A variety of configurations is considered and defect states are derived by density functional calculation. We find that a continuous chain-like distribution of hydrogen vacancies will result in conduction of linear dispersion, much like the transport on a superhighway cutting through the jungle of hydrogen. The same conduction also occurs for chain-like vacancies in an otherwise fully fluorine-adsorbed graphene. These results should be very useful in the design of graphene-based electronic circuits.

We found that thin antimony films contacted by a single layer of a variety of atoms can form topological surface and interface states in the gap of bulk energy bands that preserve time-reversal symmetry. Using density functional calculation, we have included bismuth, graphene, boron-nitride and boron-doped graphene layers in our investigation. In most cases, Dirac cones are found in the band structures and spin textures indicate no back scattering of conduction electrons. In the case of a BC _3 layer deposited on an Sb film as thin as three bilayers, a Dirac cone consisting mostly of interface states is formed close to the Fermi level. If the composite is gated by an adjustable voltage, electron transport can switch between two modes of opposite spins, and between one or two modes of 100% spin polarization. The results should be very useful in the applications of topological conduction and spintronics.