Methane and nitrous oxide emissions in the rice-shrimp rotation system of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.

Rice-shrimp rotation systems are one of the widespread farming practices in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta coastal areas. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the system have remained unclear. This study aimed to examine methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the system, including (i) land-based versus high-density polyethylene-lined (HDPE) nursery ponds and (ii) conventional versus improved grow-out ponds inoculated with effective microorganisms (EM) bioproducts. The results showed that CH4 flux in land-based and HDPE-lined nursery ponds were 1.04 and 0.25 mgCH4 m-2 h-1, respectively, while the N2O flux was 8.37 and 6.62 µgN2O m-2 h-1, respectively. Global warming potential (GWP) from land-based nursery ponds (18.3 g CO2eq m-2) was approximately 3 folds higher than that of the HDPE-lined nursery pond (6.1 g CO2eq m-2). Similarly, the mean CH4 and N2O fluxes were 15.84 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 and 7.17 µg N2O m-2 h-1 for the conventional ponds, and 10.51 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 and 7.72 µg N2O m-2 h-1 for the improved grow-out ponds. Conventional practices (2388 g CO2eq m-2) had a higher 1.5-fold GWP compared to the improved grow-out pond (1635 g CO2eq m-2). The continuation of the land-based nursery pond and conventional aquacultural farming practices increase CH4 emission and GWP, while applying HDPE-lined nursery ponds combined with improved grow-out ponds could be a promising approach for reducing GHG emissions in rice-shrimp rotation systems. This study recommends further works in the rice-shrimp rotation systems, including (i) an examination of the effects of remaining rice stubbles in the platform on the availability of TOC levels and GHG emissions and (ii) ameliorating dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on the effectiveness of GHG emission reduction.

Female urinary incontinence in China after 15 years' efforts: Results from large-scale nationwide surveys.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a disease that quietly yet seriously impacts women's health and represents a global health burden that is often neglected. This study aims to systematically assess the prevalence and dynamics of female UI in China, and can inform further policies and have international implications. This study used three nationwide investigations: A national cross-sectional survey in 2021; another nationwide cross-sectional survey in 2006; and data regarding the institutions and physicians providing pelvic floor rehabilitation services from 2005 to 2019. The weighted prevalence of female UI and its subtypes, including stress UI (SUI), urgency UI (UUI), and mixed UI (MUI), were estimated as primary outcomes. Knowledge, attitude and care-seeking behaviors of UI were evaluated. It was found that the weighted prevalence of female UI was 16.0 % (95% CI, 13.3 %-19.1%) with SUI remaining the predominant subtype (7.0%) in 2021, followed by MUI (6.5%) and UUI (1.9%). The estimated absolute number of Chinese adult women with UI was 85.8 million in 2021. 52.7% (95% CI, 45.9%-59.4 %) of women were aware that UI was a medical condition, and only 10.1% of women with UI sought health care. After 15 years of development, there were 8400 pelvic floor rehabilitation institutions and nearly 10,000 relevant physicians in China-they were found to be associated with UI prevalence. The UI prevalence in China was significantly lower in 2021 compared to that in 2006. Despite the achievement, UI remains a public health problem, especially given China's fast aging and three-child policy. More innovations, especially those that can facilitate care seeking, are needed to address this prevalent yet treatable condition.

The incidence of urinary incontinence in Chinese hypertensive women and the relationship between hypertension and urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of UI (urinary incontinence) and its subtypes in hypertensive women and examine the association between hypertension and new-onset UI. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cohort study on women aged ≥20 years in six regions of China. This cohort study was carried out from 2014 to 2016 at baseline, with follow-up completed in 2018. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, physiological and health behaviours were collected. We calculated the standardized person-year incidence of UI in hypertensive women, and used logistic regression to evaluate the association between hypertension and UI and its subtypes. RESULTS: The standardized incidence of UI, stress UI (SUI), urgency UI (UUI), and mixed UI (MUI) in hypertensive women was 32.2, 21.9, 4.1, and 6.1 per 1000 person-years. Compared with normotensive women, the unadjusted and adjusted OR (odd ratio) for UI in hypertensive women was 2.62 (95 % confidence interval [CI], 2.16-3.18) and 1.70 (95 % CI, 1.14-2.53), respectively; The unadjusted and adjusted OR for SUI in women with hypertension was 2.44 (95 % CI, 1.92-3.09) and 2.60 (95 % CI, 1.68-4.04), respectively; The unadjusted and adjusted OR for UUI in women with hypertension was 2.80 (95 % CI, 1.79-4.37) and 0.54 (95 % CI, 0.13-3.66), respectively; The unadjusted and adjusted OR for MUI in women with hypertension was 2.49 (95 % CI, 1.92-3.09) and 0.60 (95 % CI, 0.19-1.91), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of UI in hypertensive women was 32.2/1000 person-years. Hypertension was an independent risk factor for new-onset UI and SUI in Chinese adult women.

Changes in the levels of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein and the correlation with outcomes in severe traumatic brain injury patients.

Purpose: Glial fibrillary acidic protein serves as a biomarker indicative of astroglial injury, particularly following instances of severe traumatic brain injury. This study aims to evaluate variations in serum glial fibrillary acidic protein levels within the first 3 days and their correlation with outcomes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Subjects and methods: Thirty-nine patients with severe traumatic brain injury were enrolled in the study. Their blood samples were collected at six distinct time points: T0 (upon admission), T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 (6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, and 72-h post-admission, respectively). The blood samples were run for the quantification of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein levels and other biochemical tests. All patients were closely watched and the outcomes at discharge were evaluated. Results: Glial fibrillary acidic protein levels tend to increase gradually from the time of admission to 48 h post-admission and then decrease at 72 h post-admission. Glial fibrillary acidic protein T2 is correlated with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, lactate, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score and outcome. Glial fibrillary acidic protein max correlated with lactate, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score, and outcome. Glasgow Coma Score at admission and glial fibrillary acidic protein T2 (OR = 1.034; p = 0.025), T3 (OR = 1.029; p = 0.046), T4 (OR = 1.006; p = 0.032), T5 (OR = 1.012; p = 0.048) and glial fibrillary acidic protein max (OR = 1.005; p = 0.010) were independent factors that have significant prognostic value in mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. The predictive model in predicting mortality had the highest area under the curve based on glial fibrillary acidic protein T2 and Glasgow Coma Score T0 with an area under the curve of 0.904 and p < 0.001. In the multivariable regression model, glial fibrillary acidic protein max was associated with Glasgow score (p < 0.001; VIF = 1.585), lactate T0 (p = 0.024; VIF = 1.163), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (p = 0.037; VIF = 1.360), and Rotterdam score (p = 0.044; VIF = 1.713). Conclusion: Glial fibrillary acidic protein levels tend to increase gradually from the time of admission to 48 h post-admission then decreases at 72 h post-admission. Glial fibrillary acidic protein T2, T3, T4, T5, and glial fibrillary acidic protein max were independent factors with significant prognostic mortality values in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Urchin-like CoP3/Cu3P heterostructured nanorods supported on a 3D porous copper foam for high-performance non-enzymatic electrochemical dopamine sensors.

In this study, we developed a high-performance non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor based on urchin-like CoP3/Cu3P heterostructured nanorods supported on a three-dimensional porous copper foam, namely, CoP3/Cu3P NRs/CF, for the detection of dopamine. Benefiting from the promising intrinsic catalytic activities of CoP3 and Cu3P, urchin-like microsphere structures, and a large electrochemically active surface area for exposing numerous accessible catalytic active sites, the proposed CoP3/Cu3P NRs/CF shows extraordinary electrochemical response towards the electrocatalytic oxidation of dopamine. As a result, the CoP3/Cu3P NRs/CF sensing electrode has a broad detection window (from 0.2 to 2000 µM), low detection limit (0.51 µM), high electrochemical sensitivity (0.0105 mA µM-1 cm-2), excellent selectivity towards dopamine in the coexistence of some interfering species, and good stability for dopamine determination. More importantly, the CoP3/Cu3P NRs/CF catalyst also exhibits excellent catalytic activity, sensitivity, and selectivity for dopamine detection under simulated human body conditions at a physiological pH of 7.25 (0.1 M PBS) at 36.6 °C.

Effectiveness of high-risk human papillomavirus genotyping for cervical cancer screening. A multicentre screening cohort study in rural China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) primary testing for cervical cancer screening in China's rural areas. METHODS: Women aged 21-64 years were recruited. Cervical cytology was diagnosed following the Bethesda 2001 classification system, HPV infection (HR-HPV, HPV-16, HPV-18, and other 12 genotypes) identified by Cobas-4800, and colposcopy and biopsy performed when required. Primary outcomes were defined as the cumulative incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3/higher (CIN2/3+) and its relative risk at baseline and at the 36-month follow-up. RESULTS: The study included 9,218 women; mean age was 45.15 years (SD: 8.74); 81% completed the follow-up. The most frequent type of cytological lesions (12.4% ) were ASCUS (8.4%) and LSIL (2.2%). HR-HPV infection (16.3%) was more prevalent in HPV-16 than in HPV-18 (3 vs 1.5%); a positive relationship with the severity of the lesions, from 29.8% in ASCUS to 89.6% in HSIL was found. At baseline, 3.5% of the patients underwent colposcopy; 20% had a positive diagnosis. At the 36-month follow-up, the cumulative incidences of CIN2+ and CIN3+ were higher in women with HR-HPV infection (16.9 vs 0.5% and 8.2 vs 0.2%). The relative risk of CIN2/3+ was lower in HR-HPV-negative women compared to those with a negative cytology at baseline (0.4; 95%CI: 0.3-0.4). CONCLUSIONS: High-risk HPV-based screening may significantly reduce the risk of CIN2/3+ compared with cytology testing. This may be a new resource for public health demands in China's rural areas.

Cervical Cancer Screening via Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid and Lugol Iodine for Triage of HPV-Positive Women.

Importance: Limited evidence supports the performance of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing as a primary screening method, followed by triage with visual inspection with acetic acid, in areas with limited health care resources, as suggested by the 2021 World Health Organization guidelines. Objective: To evaluate the performance of visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol iodine as a triage method for detecting cervical precancerous lesions among HPV-positive women in 1 visit. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study examined the implementation of a government-led cervical cancer screening program conducted from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020, in Ordos City, China. Female residents, aged 35 to 64 years, who understood the screening procedures and voluntarily participated were included in the study. Women were excluded if they reported never having had sexual intercourse, were pregnant, had a hysterectomy, or had ever undergone treatment for cervical lesions. Statistical analysis was conducted from December 2022 to December 2023. Exposures: The program used the careHPV DNA assay as the primary screening method, and immediate triage was performed by visual inspection if HPV screening results were positive, with a 5-year screening interval. A colposcopy was performed for the women who had suspected cancer on visual inspection results or who were HPV positive and had abnormal visual inspection results, all in 1 visit. Main Outcomes and Measures: The rate of compliance with colposcopy and the detection rate of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or higher (CIN2+). Results: The study included 187 863 women (median age, 46 years [IQR, 40-52 years]) who participated in the program and had valid HPV test results. The overall prevalence of HPV positivity was 12.8% (24 070 of 187 863), and the adherence to triage with visual inspection among HPV-positive women was 93.9% (22 592 of 24 070). Among HPV-positive women, the rate of compliance with colposcopy was 65.6% (2714 of 4137), and the CIN2+ detection rate was 2.8% (643 of 22 592). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cohort study suggest that the implementation of HPV testing, visual inspection, and colposcopy within 1 visit may mitigate losses to follow-up, detect precancerous lesions, and hold significant implications for screening in comparable areas with limited health care resources.

Immunosuppressive Cyclotides: A Promising Approach for Treating Autoimmune Diseases.

The immune system maintains constant surveillance to prevent the infiltration of both endogenous and exogenous threats into host organisms. The process is regulated by effector immune cells that combat external pathogens and regulatory immune cells that inhibit excessive internal body inflammation, ultimately establishing a state of homeostasis within the body. Disruption to this process could lead to autoimmunity, which is often associated with the malfunction of both T cells and B cells with T cells playing a more major role. A number of therapeutic mediators for autoimmune diseases are available, from conventional disease-modifying drugs to biologic agents and small molecule inhibitors. Recently, ribosomally synthesized peptides, specifically cyclotides from plants are currently attracting more attention as potential autoimmune disease therapeutics due to their decreased toxicity compared to small molecules inhibitors as well as their remarkable stability against a number of factors. This review provides a concise overview of various cyclotides exhibiting immunomodulatory properties and their potential as therapeutic interventions for autoimmune diseases.

Thermally-responsive and reduced glutathione-sensitive folate-targeted nanocarrier based on alginate and pluronic F127 for on-demand release of methotrexate.

A specific rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-microenvironment-triggered nanocarrier for RA treatment of a first-line antirheumatic drug (Methotrexate, MTX) has been proposed. Reduced glutathione (GSH) responsivity, cystamine, was first introduced on the alginate backbone, which was then used as the bridge to connect pluronic F127 (temperature-responsive factor) and folic acid (targeting factor for active immune cells), resulting in dual-responsive triggered targeting carrier, PCAC-FA. In vitro study demonstrated that PCAC-FA was preferentially taken up by activated macrophage cells rather than normal ones, suggesting the targeting of PCAC-FA to inflamed tissue. The loading capacity of the designed carrier was 21.23 ± 0.91 %. MTX from the PCAC-FA carrier was significantly accelerated release in the presentation of glutathione or in cold shock condition, proposing the efficacy-controlled release. MTX@PCAC-FA showed excellent hemocompatibility, confirming a suitable application with parenteral administration. Notably, the acute and subacute toxicity in the mice model showed that the toxicity of MTX had significantly reduced after encapsulating in the PCAC-FA carrier. These nanoplatforms not only provide an alternative safe strategy for the clinical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with MTX but also deliver MTX selectively and provide on-demand drug release via external and internal signals, thus emerging as a promising therapeutic option for precise RA therapy.

Degradation and Erosion of Metal-Organic Frameworks: Comparative Study of a NanoMIL-100 Drug Delivery System.

To make a drug work better, the active substance can be incorporated into a vehicle for optimal protection and control of the drug delivery time and space. For making the drug carrier, the porous metal-organic framework (MOF) can offer high drug-loading capacity and various designs for effective drug delivery performance, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Nevertheless, its degradation process is complex and not easily predictable, and the toxicity concern related to the MOF degradation products remains a challenge for their clinical translation. Here, we describe an in-depth molecular and nanoscale degradation mechanism of aluminum- and iron-based nanoMIL-100 materials exposed to phosphate-buffered saline. Using a combination of analytical tools, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and electron microscopy, we demonstrate qualitatively and quantitatively the formation of a new coordination bond between metal(III) and phosphate, trimesate release, and correlation between these two processes. Moreover, the extent of material erosion, i.e., bulk or surface erosion, was examined from the transformation of nanoparticles' surface, morphology, and interaction with water. Similar analyses show the impact of drug loading and surface coating on nanoMIL-100 degradation and drug release as a function of the metal-ligand binding strength. Our results indicate how the chemistry of nanoMIL-100(Al) and nanoMIL-100(Fe) drug carriers affects their degradation behaviors in a simulated physiological medium. This difference in behavior between the two nanoMIL-100s enables us to better correlate the nanoscale and atomic-scale mechanisms of the observed phenomena, thus validating the presented multiscale approach.

A three-wave longitudinal study on the underlying metacognitive mechanism between depression and Internet gaming disorder.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and depression have negative consequences on individuals' mental health, but their relationships are complex. This three-wave longitudinal study aimed to detect the metacognitive mechanisms underlying the association between IGD tendency and depression based on the self-regulatory executive function model. METHODS: A total of 1,243 Chinese undergraduate student gamers (57% female, M = 19.77, SD = 1.29) were recruited at the baseline survey (Wave 1 [W1]), with 622 and 574 of them taking part in the two follow-up surveys (Wave 2 [W2] at 6 and Wave 3 [W3] at 12 months later), respectively. RESULTS: The three-wave path model demonstrated, after controlling for the autoregressive effect of each variable, that depression consistently predicted IGD tendency but not vice versa, while negative but not positive metacognitions about online gaming (MOG) significantly predicted both depression and IGD tendency. Moreover, two statistically significant mediation paths: (i) negative MOG [W1] → depression [W2] → IGD tendency [W3]; and (ii) depression [W1] → negative MOG [W2] → IGD tendency [W3] were identified. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend the understanding of the associations among depression, IGD tendency, and MOG, highlighting how negative MOG has a stronger prospective effect than positive MOG on depression and IGD tendency, and also reveal the mutual mediation effects of depression and negative MOG on IGD tendency. Integrated programmes with both emotional regulation training and Metacognitive Therapy are recommended for IGD treatment.

Efficient Carrier Transport in 2D Bi2O2Se/CsBi3I10 Perovskite Heterojunction Enables Highly-Sensitive Broadband Photodetection.

2D Bi2O2Se has recently garnered significant attention in the electronics and optoelectronics fields due to its remarkable photosensitivity, broad spectral absorption, and excellent long-term environmental stability. However, the development of integrated Bi2O2Se photodetector with high performance and low-power consumption is limited by material synthesis method and the inherent high carrier concentration of Bi2O2Se. Here, a type-I heterojunction is presented, comprising 2D Bi2O2Se and lead-free bismuth perovskite CsBi3I10, for fast response and broadband detection. Through effective charge transfer and strong coupling effect at the interfaces of Bi2O2Se and CsBi3I10, the response time is accelerated to 4.1 µs, and the detection range is expanded from ultraviolet to near-infrared spectral regions (365-1500 nm). The as-fabricated photodetector exhibits a responsivity of 48.63 AW-1 and a detectivity of 1.22×1012 Jones at 808 nm. Moreover, efficient modulation of the dominant photocurrent generation mechanism from photoconductive to photogating effect leads to sensitive response exceeding 103 AW-1 for heterojunction-based photo field effect transistor (photo-FETs). Utilizing the large-scale growth of both Bi2O2Se and CsBi3I10, the as-fabricated integrated photodetector array demonstrates outstanding homogeneity and stability of photo-response performance. The proposed 2D Bi2O2Se/CsBi3I10 perovskite heterojunction holds promising prospects for the future-generation photodetector arrays and integrated optoelectronic systems.

Injectable thermogel incorporating reactive oxygen species scavenger and nitric oxide donor to accelerate the healing process of diabetic wounds.

The healing of diabetic wounds is challenging due to redox imbalances. Herein, the thermogelling system AR-ACP hydrogel, with encapsulated biosafe nitric oxide (NO) donor L-arginine and resveratrol as an ROS scavenger, is established for sustainable wound therapy in the diabetic state. The innovated AR-ACP hydrogel dressings shows the sol-gel transition at 34 °C, allowing the hydrogel to fully cover wounds. The combination of L-arginine and resveratrol showed a prominent effect on anti-oxidative activity. The elimination of superoxide anions from the activated immune cells/oxidative cells by resveratrol maintained the NO-proangiogenic factors generated from L-arginine. Furthermore, the AR-ACP hydrogel endowed outstanding features such as haemocompatibility, non-skin irradiation as well as antibacterial activity. In the in vivo diabetic mice model, complete epidermal regeneration comparable to undamaged skin was observed with AR-ACP hydrogel. The synergy between L-arginine and resveratrol in the ACP hydrogel facilitated neovascularisation in the early stage, resulting in the higher balance in cellularity growth and collagen deposition in the dermal layer compared to control groups. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the use of a customised ACP-based hydrogel, with the additional L-arginine and resveratrol, resulted in significant skin regeneration in the diabetic state.

Effects of the age of raised beds on the physicochemical characteristics of fruit orchard soil in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.

To grow fruit plants, farmers in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) must use raised bed constructions to avoid waterlogging during the rainy season. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the age of the raised beds on the soil physicochemical properties of longan orchards located in the VMD. Two raised bed systems were evaluated: a young bed constructed 10 years ago and an old bed constructed 42 years ago. Soil samples were collected from five different soil layers (0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80, and 80-100 cm) with four replicates per layer. Soil samples were tested for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (AP), total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM), exchangeable cations (Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, and Na+), cation exchange capacity (CEC), bulk density (BD), soil porosity, available water-holding capacity (AWC), particle composition (sand, silt, and clay), and size. The soil pH was approximately 1.0 units lower in the old bed compared to the young bed at depths of 0-20 and 20-40 cm. The BD was higher in the old bed (0.15 g cm-3) than in the young bed at a soil depth of 0.4 m. SOM, AP, exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Na+, and Mg2+), AWC, and soil porosity were significantly lower in both the topsoil (0-20 cm) and subsoil (20-40 cm) layers in the old bed than in the young bed. In particular, the SOM, AP, AWC, and soil porosity contents in the old bed decreased by 18%, 20%, 15%, and 17%, respectively, compared with those in the young bed at soil depths of 0-40 cm. Therefore, cultivating raised bed soil for a longer period significantly reduced the soil exchangeable cations, porosity, and fertility of the surface and subsurface soils. Based on these results, farmers should use soil conservation practices, such as cover crops, rice straw mulching, and soil amendments in their orchards to mitigate topsoil degradation.

Risk factors for Internet Gaming Disorder: Testing the contribution of metacognitions, stress, and coping.

Engaging in online gaming is often considered as an avoidance strategy to cope with stress. This study aimed to test whether metacognitions make a unique contribution and which of them is/are the most salient to explaining Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) tendency after controlling for age, gender, and stress. We further explored the structure of relationships between these variables by testing a metacognitively mediated stress-IGD model. A convenience sample of 1255 Chinese young adults with gaming experience (age ranged from 18 to 27; 57.0% females) completed an anonymous online questionnaire in June 2021. Each metacognitions subscale was positively correlated with IGD tendency, whilst cognitive confidence and positive beliefs about worry were identified as the most salient dimensions among metacognitions for IGD tendency after controlling for demographics and stress. The mediation path model showed acceptable fit after implementing minor modifications. The bootstrapping results showed that the effect of stress on IGD tendency was fully mediated, with metacognitions and escape motivation as independent mediators. In the model, the paths from both positive metacognitions and uncontrollability/danger metacognitions to escape motivation (and in turn IGD) remained significant, whilst the path between cognitive confidence and IGD also remained significant. The findings suggest revisions to the stress-coping model consistent with self-regulatory executive function theory, and advance our understanding of the potential risk factors linking stress to problematic gaming. Enhancing individuals' capacity for metacognitive regulation may be an effective approach for future IGD preventive interventions among Chinese young gamers.

Development and Characterization of a Hydrogel Containing Curcumin-Loaded Nanoemulsion for Enhanced In Vitro Antibacteria and In Vivo Wound Healing.

Curcumin (CUR) is a natural compound extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) used to cure acne, wound healing, etc. Its disadvantages, such as poor solubility and permeability, limit its efficacy. Nanoemulsion (NE)-based drug delivery systems have gained popularity due to their advantages. This study aimed to optimize a CUR-NE-based gel and evaluate its physicochemical and biological properties. A NE was prepared using the catastrophic phase inversion method and optimized using the Design Expert 12.0 software. The CUR-NE gel was characterized in terms of visual appearance, pH, drug release, antibacterial and wound healing effects. The optimal formulation contained CUR, Capryol 90 (oil), Labrasol:Cremophor RH40 (1:1) (surfactants), propylene glycol (co-surfactant), and water. The NE had a droplet size of 22.87 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.348. The obtained CUR-NE gel had a soft, smooth texture and a pH of 5.34 ± 0.05. The in vitro release of CUR from the NE-based gel was higher than that from a commercial gel with nanosized CUR (21.68 ± 1.25 µg/cm2, 13.62 ± 1.63 µg/cm2 after 10 h, respectively). The CUR-NE gel accelerated in vitro antibacterial and in vivo wound healing activities as compared to other CUR-loaded gels. The CUR-NE gel has potential for transdermal applications.

Investigating the associations of the illness representations of gambling disorder with superstitious and responsible gambling.

Background: As a theoretical framework for understanding illness self-management, the commonsense model of self-regulation (CSM) has been commonly used to promote health behaviors. However, its application to examining gambling disorder (GD) is still in an exploratory stage. Objectives: Based on CSM, the current study aimed to address this knowledge gap and test whether illness representations (i.e., perceived consequences, illness coherence, and emotional representations) of GD are associated with gambling behaviors (i.e., responsible gambling [RG] and superstitious gambling). We also aimed to explore the potential mediating role of positive gambling beliefs (i.e., personal responsibility about gambling and gambling literacy) in such associations. Methods: An online questionnaire survey with snowballing sampling method was administered to Chinese adult past-year gamblers, and 603 valid responses were collected. The structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis with a bootstrapping approach was utilized to test the associations of illness representations with gambling behaviors and the hypothesized mediation effects of positive gambling beliefs. Results: We found that (a) perceived consequences of GD had significant, positive associations with RG and negative associations with superstitious gambling, with positive gambling beliefs acting as full mediators; (b) emotional representations for GD showed significant, negative correlations with RG and positive ones with superstitious gambling, with positive gambling beliefs acting as full and partial mediators, respectively; (c) the direct effect of illness coherence of GD on superstitious gambling behaviors was unexpectedly positive, and its indirect effects via positive gambling beliefs were nonsignificant. Discussion: Under the framework of CSM, the current findings provided new insights in understanding both controlled and at-risk gambling patterns from a perspective of illness self-management. We suggest future GD prevention campaigns may adopt psychoeducational programs to help gamblers form a better understanding about GD as an illness, which may promote RG practices and hence lower the risk of developing GD.

Potential from synergistic effect of quercetin and paclitaxel co-encapsulated in the targeted folic-gelatin-pluronic P123 nanogels for chemotherapy.

Dual-drug delivery systems for anticancer therapy have recently attracted substantial attention due to their potency to overcome limitations of conventional anti-cancer drugs, tackle drug resistance problems, as well as improve the therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we introduced a novel nanogel based on folic acid-gelatin-pluronic P123 (FA-GP-P123) conjugate to simultaneously deliver quercetin (QU) and paclitaxel (PTX) to the targeted tumor. The results indicated that the drug loading capacity of FA-GP-P123 nanogels was significantly higher than that of P123 micelles. The kinetic release profiles of QU and PTX from the nanocarriers were governed by Fickian diffusion and swelling behavior, respectively. Notably, FA-GP-P123/QU/PTX dual-drug delivery system induced higher toxicity to MCF-7 and Hela cancer cells than either QU or PTX individual delivery system, and the non-targeted dug delivery system (GP-P123/QU/PTX), indicating the synergistic combination of dual drugs and FA positive targeting effect. Furthermore, FA-GP-P123 could effectively deliver QU and PTX to tumors in vivo after administration into MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice, which resulted in 94.20 ± 5.90 % of tumor volume reduced at day 14. Moreover, the side effects of the dual-drug delivery system were significantly reduced. Overall, we suggest FA-GP-P123 as potential nanocarrier for dual-drug delivery for targeted chemotherapy.

The spatio-temporal distribution of acute encephalitis syndrome and its association with climate and landcover in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) differs in its spatio-temporal distribution in Vietnam with the highest incidence seen during the summer months in the northern provinces. AES has multiple aetiologies, and the cause remains unknown in many cases. While vector-borne disease such as Japanese encephalitis and dengue virus and non-vector-borne diseases such as influenza and enterovirus show evidence of seasonality, associations with climate variables and the spatio-temporal distribution in Vietnam differs between these. The aim of this study was therefore to understand the spatio-temporal distribution of, and risk factors for AES in Vietnam to help hypothesise the aetiology. METHODS: The number of monthly cases per province for AES, meningitis and diseases including dengue fever; influenza-like-illness (ILI); hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD); and Streptococcus suis were obtained from the General Department for Preventive Medicine (GDPM) from 1998-2016. Covariates including climate, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), elevation, the number of pigs, socio-demographics, JEV vaccination coverage and the number of hospitals were also collected. Spatio-temporal multivariable mixed-effects negative binomial Bayesian models with an outcome of the number of cases of AES, a combination of the covariates and harmonic terms to determine the magnitude of seasonality were developed. RESULTS: The national monthly incidence of AES declined by 63.3% over the study period. However, incidence increased in some provinces, particularly in the Northwest region. In northern Vietnam, the incidence peaked in the summer months in contrast to the southern provinces where incidence remained relatively constant throughout the year. The incidence of meningitis, ILI and S. suis infection; temperature, relative humidity with no lag, NDVI at a lag of one month, and the number of pigs per 100,000 population were positively associated with the number of cases of AES in all models in which these covariates were included. CONCLUSIONS: The positive correlation of AES with temperature and humidity suggest that a number of cases may be due to vector-borne diseases, suggesting a need to focus on vaccination campaigns. However, further surveillance and research are recommended to investigate other possible aetiologies such as S. suis or Orientia tsutsugamushi.

Deep bidirectional LSTM for disease classification supporting hospital admission based on pre-diagnosis: a case study in Vietnam.

Overcrowding in hospitals in Vietnam has caused many disadvantages in receiving and treating patients. Especially at the stage of receiving and diagnosing procedures taking patients to the treatment departments in the hospital takes up much time. This study proposes a text-based disease diagnosis using text processing techniques (such as Bag of Words, Term Frequency- Inverse Document Frequency, and Tokenizer) combined with classifiers (such as Random Forests (RF), Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Embeddings and Bidirectional Long Short-term memory (LSTM)) on symptoms. As observed from the results, deep Bidirectional LSTM can reach 0.982 in AUC in the classification of 10 diseases on 230,457 samples of pre-diagnosis collected from Vietnam hospitals used in the training and testing phases. The proposed approach is expected to provide a way to automate patient flow in hospitals to improve healthcare in the future.