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Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a major cause for foodborne diseases worldwide. In Taiwan, the ambient climate and flourishing pig-raising industry makes NTS infections rampant. As in other countries, salmonellosis was [...]

Salmonella enterica serotype Choleraesuis usually causes invasive infection (1). When resistant Salmonella infection is encountered, fluoroquinolones or extended-spectrum cephalosporins are frequently used (2). Fluoroquinolone resistance has been common in this [...]

An ongoing outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Anatum began in Taiwan in 2015. Pork and poultry were identified as vehicles for transmission. Contaminated meat contributed to the high rate of infections among children. Nearly identical Salmonella Anatum strains have been identified in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deposition ZnO thin films using an atmospheric pressure plasmas jet (APPJ)-assisted process using different precursors is presented. In this process, nebulized salt solutions droplets or precursor vapor were injected into the downstream of the APPJ to perform deposition of ZnO thin films. Zinc chloride (ZC)-, zinc acetate (ZA)-, and zinc nitrate (ZN)-containing solution and zinc acetylacetonate (ZAA) were precursors tested. For all precursors tested, formation of ZnO was observed based on X-ray diffraction analysis. ZC, however, was the only precursor that yields smooth films, which yields average transmittance in the visible wavelength range well >70%. When ZN, ZA, and ZAA were used as the precursors, rather rough films were obtained due to the fact that these precursors decomposed and formed ZnO readily upon heating. A high rate of volume nucleation, therefore, occurs in the gas phase. The above observation serves as the guideline for the selection of precursors for APPJ-assisted thin-film deposition processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A one-step process to fabricate crystalline Li4 Ti5 O12( LTO) particles directly from solution using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet ( APPJ) is reported. This process uses Ti and Li ions-containing salt solutions as the precursor, which is ultrasonically nebulized and then transported to the downstream of the APPJ using a carrier gas. With an extremely short contact time (<0.1 s) between the precursor droplets and the plasma jet, crystalline LTO can be fabricated in one step without additional rinse and postannealing steps. The LTO particle size can be effectively controlled using a preheater, the precursor solution composition and concentration, and the carrier gas flow rate. By properly adjusting the operating condition, particles of diameters from 100 nm to few μm with various morphologies can be obtained. When used as an electrode material, the resulting LTO powders fabricated under selected conditions show specific capacities over 100 mAh/g even at 50 C rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigate the nanoporous TiO2 films sintered by atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) and their applications as photoanodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A 30-s APPJ-sintered nanoporous TiO2 layer exhibits an additional absorption band between 400 and 500 nm in wavelength, attributed to incomplete removal of the organic solvents in the pastes. For TiO2 layers sintered by APPJs for 60 s and beyond, the absorption spectra are nearly identical to those of a conventional 15 min, 510 °C calcined sample. The XRD and XPS results indicate similar characteristics for APPJ-sintered and furnace-sintered TiO2 films. A DSSC with a 30-s APPJ-sintered TiO2 photoanode shows poor cell efficiency with an extremely large TiO2/dye/electrolyte electron transport interfacial resistance and a short carrier lifetime. As the APPJ treatment time reaches 60 s and beyond, the power conversion efficiencies become comparable to that of a sample with a 510 °C conventionally calcined TiO2 photoanode. Our experimental results verify that a 60-s APPJ sintering process is sufficient to replace a conventional 15 min, 510 °C furnace calcination process for TiO2 photoanodes of DSSCs. The ultra-short sintering process is made possible by the synergistic effect of the temperature and the reactivity of the APPJ, which can lower the fabrication cost. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has sparked widespread concern globally, particularly with the Omicron variant and its sub-lineages emerging as the predominant cause of infection for nearly two years. Taiwan's successful containment of COVID-19, underscored by broad vaccine coverage, the utilization of anti-viral therapeutics, and timely response strategies, has resulted in reduced excess mortality. Moreover, there is a crucial need for a phased exit strategy, balancing efforts to curtail disease transmission with the mitigation of socioeconomic impacts from rigorous measures. In this review, we examined the evolution and the epidemiological landscape of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron sub-variants in Taiwan as well as other countries of the world. We also critically evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against various SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, we addressed the advantages of heterologous immunization strategies, fluctuations in neutralizing antibody titers, and complexities in establishing protective correlates among swiftly mutating viral variants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (Copyright © 2024 Formosan Medical Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of nails, leading to the gradual destruction of the nail plate. Treatment of onychomycosis may need long-time oral antifungal therapy that can have potential side effects, thus accurate diagnosis of the disease before treatment is important. Culture for diagnosis of onychomycosis is time-consuming and has high false-negative rates. To expedite the diagnosis, an oligonucleotide array, based on hybridization between immobilized oligonucleotide probes and PCR products, for direct detection of dermatophytes and Candida albicans in clinical specimens was evaluated., Methods: Species-specific oligonucleotide probes designed from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the rRNA gene were immobilized on a nylon membrane. The assay procedures consisted of PCR amplification of the ITS using universal primers, followed by hybridization of the digoxigenin-labeled amplicons to probes on the array. Thirty two nail samples (29 patients) were analyzed by the array, and the results were compared with those obtained by culture. Array-positive but culture-negative samples were confirmed by cloning and re-sequencing of the amplified ITS and by reviewing patient's clinical data. The total recovery of culture and confirmed array-positive but culture-negative results was considered 100% and was used for performance evaluation of both methods., Results: Concordant results were obtained in 21 samples (10 positives and 11 negatives) by both methods. Eleven samples were array-positive but culture-negative; among them, 9 samples were considered true positives after discrepant analysis. Comparing with culture, the array had significantly higher sensitivity [100% (95% CI 82.2% -100%) vs 52.6% (28.9% -75.5%), p <0.001] and negative predictive value [100% (71.3% -100%) vs 59.1% (36.4% -79.3%), p <0.05), while no significant differences were observed in specificity (84.6% vs 100%, p =0.48) and positive predictive value (90.5% vs 100%, p =1.0). The whole procedures of the array were about 24 h, whilst results from culture take 1 to 3 weeks., Conclusions: The array offers an accurate and rapid alternative to culture. Rapid diagnosis can expedite appropriate antifungal treatment of onychomycosis. However, the single site nature of this study conducted at a referral hospital invites caution.