Construction of S-scheme CdS/g-C3N4 nanocomposite with improved visible-light photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue.

Within moderate band gap, g-C3N4 and CdS are both promising visible light driven photocatalysts. However, their intrinsic high recombination rate of photo-induced electron-hole pairs along with the poor susceptibility in photocorrosion of CdS is main limitations hindering their practical application. In this study, the CdS/g-C3N4 composites with various weight ratios of CdS to g-C3N4 were solvothermal prepared from the dispersion of components, g-C3N4 and CdS, in ethanol. The physicochemical characterizations demonstrate the success in the fabrication of well-dispersed CdS nanoparticles in the g-C3N4 matrix. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the g-C3N4/CdS composite over the degradation of methylene blue under visible light was ascribed to the effective photo-induced electron-hole separation via the step scheme (S-scheme) pathway in which the main contribution of high oxidative hydroxyl radicals (•OH) was demonstrated. Furthermore, via S-scheme model, we also clarify the depletion of photo-induced holes on CdS which is ascribed as the reason for improvement in resistance to photocorrosion of composites.

In-service training programme for health and social care workers in the Philippines to strengthen interprofessional collaboration in caring for older adults: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of older adults require complex care, but coordination among professionals to provide comprehensive and high-quality care is perceived to be inadequate. Opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills important for interprofessional collaboration in the context of geriatric care are limited, particularly for those already in the workforce. A short-term training programme in interprofessional collaboration for health and social care workers in the Philippines was designed and pilot tested. The programme was devised following a review of the literature about geriatric care education and group interviews about training needs. The objectives of this paper are to introduce the training programme and to evaluate its influence on attitudes and readiness to collaborate among participants using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. METHODS: A total of 42 community health workers and 40 health institution workers participated in the training in July 2019. Quantitative indicators were used to evaluate attitudes towards and readiness for collaboration before and after the training. Content analysis was performed of responses to open-ended questions asking participants to evaluate the training. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was applied to determine the patterns of similarities or differences between the quantitative and qualitative data. RESULTS: Significant improvements were seen in scores on the Attitudes Towards Health Care Teams Scale among community health (P < 0.001) and health institution (P < 0.001) staff after the training. Scenario-based case studies allowed participants to work in groups to practise collaboration across professional and institutional boundaries; the case studies fostered greater collaboration and continuity of care. Exposure to other professionals during the training led to a deeper understanding of current practices among health and social care workers. Use of the scenario-based case studies followed by task-based discussion in groups was successful in engaging care professionals to provide patient-centred care. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot test of in-service training in interprofessional collaboration in geriatric care improved community and health institution workers' attitudes towards such collaboration. A 3-day training attended by health and social care workers from diverse healthcare settings resulted in recommendations to enhance collaboration when caring for older adults in their current work settings.

The First 100 Days of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Control in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: One hundred days after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Vietnam on 23 January, 270 cases were confirmed, with no deaths. We describe the control measures used by the government and their relationship with imported and domestically acquired case numbers, with the aim of identifying the measures associated with successful SARS-CoV-2 control. METHODS: Clinical and demographic data on the first 270 SARS-CoV-2 infected cases and the timing and nature of government control measures, including numbers of tests and quarantined individuals, were analyzed. Apple and Google mobility data provided proxies for population movement. Serial intervals were calculated from 33 infector-infectee pairs and used to estimate the proportion of presymptomatic transmission events and time-varying reproduction numbers. RESULTS: A national lockdown was implemented between 1 and 22 April. Around 200 000 people were quarantined and 266 122 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests conducted. Population mobility decreased progressively before lockdown. In total, 60% (163/270) of cases were imported; 43% (89/208) of resolved infections remained asymptomatic for the duration of infection. The serial interval was 3.24 days, and 27.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.7%-40.0%) of transmissions occurred presymptomatically. Limited transmission amounted to a maximum reproduction number of 1.15 (95% CI, .·37-2.·36). No community transmission has been detected since 15 April. CONCLUSIONS: Vietnam has controlled SARS-CoV-2 spread through the early introduction of mass communication, meticulous contact tracing with strict quarantine, and international travel restrictions. The value of these interventions is supported by the high proportion of asymptomatic and imported cases, and evidence for substantial presymptomatic transmission.

Predictors of Prolonged Pleural Effusion After the Extracardiac Fontan Procedure: A 8-Year Single-Center Experience in Resource-Scare Setting.

To date, despite improvement in survival rate following a Fontan operation, postoperative prolonged pleural effusion (PPE) has still remained a confounding complication of this procedure, which significantly contributes to morbidity and prolonged hospitalization. Our study aims to investigate risk factors associated with PPE after the extracardiac Fontan operation. From August 2012 to December 2019, we obtained clinical data from the medical records of 145 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with single-ventricle lesions and received an extracardiac Fontan operation at the E Hospital (Hanoi, Vietnam). PPE was defined as the need for a chest tube for > 14 days. Patients were divided into two groups, those with PPE (n = 29, 20.00%) and those without PPE (n = 116, 80.00%). During the pre-Fontan evaluation, significant differences between two groups were observed in PPE (p = 0.00), chylothorax (p = 0.045), pleurodesis (p = 0.045), position of thoracic and abdominal organs (p = 0.018), atrioventricular (AV) valve regurgitation (p = 0.030), and large aortapulmonary circulation (p = 0.041). During the Fontan evaluation, significant differences among two groups were seen in aortic cross-clamp time (p = 0.04), cardiopulmonary bypass time (p = 0.014), and mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) at Fontan (p = 0.0072). In multivariable analysis with logistic regression, a reduced model including independent predictors for PPE was found to be the NYHA class III (OR 4.93, 95% CI 1.19-20.50, p = 0.028), double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) with transposition of great arteries (TGA) (OR 31.00, 95% CI 1.35-711.63, p = 0.032), AV valve regurgitation (OR 70.73, 95% CI 3.28-1523.28, p = 0.007), ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt (OR 8.29, 95% CI 1.60-42.78, p = 0.012), PAI (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, p = 0.002) at pre-Fontan, while, at Fontan, high PAP (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.53, p = 0.046) was an independent predictor for PPE. In conclusion, the incidence of PPE was relatively low. The NYHA class III, primary anatomical diagnosis of DORV with TGA, pre-Fontan AV valve regurgitation, the existence of pre-Fontan ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt, low pulmonary artery index (PAI), and high PAP in the operation were identified as independent risk factors to predict PPE following a Fontan operation. As prior studies also investigated various risk factors influencing PPE, a preventive strategy that targets these factors combined with previous identified other risk factors might reduce the PPE incidence.

Pyronaridine-artesunate Efficacy and Safety in Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Areas of Artemisinin-resistant Falciparum in Viet Nam (2017-2018).

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum undermines the efficacy of currently deployed antimalarial therapies in southern Viet Nam. METHODS: Between May 2017 and December 2018, this prospective, open-label, single-arm, observational clinical trial, conducted in Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa, and Ninh Thuan provinces, evaluated the safety and efficacy of oral pyronaridine-artesunate once daily for 3 consecutive days in adults and children with microscopically confirmed P. falciparum malaria. Patients were treated as inpatients for Days 0-3, with follow-up visits on Days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42. The primary outcome was the proportion of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-adjusted adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) at Day 42. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of PCR-adjusted ACPR at Day 42 was 96.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.4-98.2; Kaplan-Meier). In the per-protocol analysis, the proportion of patients with Day 42 PCR-adjusted ACPR was 96.1% (147/153; 95% CI 91.7-98.5). The proportion of patients with parasitemia at Day 3 was 24.0% (40/167; 95% CI 17.7-31.2). The prevalences of the Kelch13 (C580Y) mutation were: in Binh Phuoc, 97.7% (43/44); in Dak Nong, 96.2% (25/26); in Gia Lai, 57.8% (37/64); in Khanh Hoa, 66.6% (6/9); and in Ninh Thuan, 3.6% (1/28). The majority of artemisinin-resistant isolates also had increased plasmepsin2 copy number (75.9%; 85/112). There was 1 isolate (Binh Phuoc) that had Kelch13 (C580Y) plus increased plasmepsin2 and Pfmdr1 copy numbers. Asymptomatic transient increases in alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase were observed at Day 7, resolving by Day 28. CONCLUSIONS: Pyronaridine-artesunate can be used to diversify antimalarial therapy in areas of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum in Viet Nam. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ACTRN12618001274268.

Transmission of SARS-CoV 2 During Long-Haul Flight.

To assess the role of in-flight transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we investigated a cluster of cases among passengers on a 10-hour commercial flight. Affected persons were passengers, crew, and their close contacts. We traced 217 passengers and crew to their final destinations and interviewed, tested, and quarantined them. Among the 16 persons in whom SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected, 12 (75%) were passengers seated in business class along with the only symptomatic person (attack rate 62%). Seating proximity was strongly associated with increased infection risk (risk ratio 7.3, 95% CI 1.2-46.2). We found no strong evidence supporting alternative transmission scenarios. In-flight transmission that probably originated from 1 symptomatic passenger caused a large cluster of cases during a long flight. Guidelines for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among air passengers should consider individual passengers' risk for infection, the number of passengers traveling, and flight duration.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Bolt Loosening Diagnosis Using Deep Learning Algorithms for Laser Ultrasonic Wave Propagation Data.

The application of deep learning (DL) algorithms to non-destructive evaluation (NDE) is now becoming one of the most attractive topics in this field. As a contribution to such research, this study aims to investigate the application of DL algorithms for detecting and estimating the looseness in bolted joints using a laser ultrasonic technique. This research was conducted based on a hypothesis regarding the relationship between the true contact area of the bolt head-plate and the guided wave energy lost while the ultrasonic waves pass through it. First, a Q-switched Nd:YAG pulsed laser and an acoustic emission sensor were used as exciting and sensing ultrasonic signals, respectively. Then, a 3D full-field ultrasonic data set was created using an ultrasonic wave propagation imaging (UWPI) process, after which several signal processing techniques were applied to generate the processed data. By using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) with a VGG-like architecture based regression model, the estimated error was calculated to compare the performance of a DCNN on different processed data set. The proposed approach was also compared with a K-nearest neighbor, support vector regression, and deep artificial neural network for regression to demonstrate its robustness. Consequently, it was found that the proposed approach shows potential for the incorporation of laser-generated ultrasound and DL algorithms. In addition, the signal processing technique has been shown to have an important impact on the DL performance for automatic looseness estimation.

Electrodeposition and Characterization of Hydroxyapatite on TiN/316LSS.

The deposition of TiN on stainless steel substrates may improve the stability and compatibility of this material with bone, which may be advantageously exploited for the elaboration of advanced pros- thetic devices. In this work, TiN-coated 316LSS (by way of DC magnetron sputtering) was used as a starting material for investigating the electrochemical post-deposition of hydroxyapatite (HAp) which has a composition close to that of bone. Electrodeposition was carried out starting from an aqueous medium containing solubilized Ca(NO3)2 and NH4H2PO4 in the presence of H2O2. We report the influence of experimental conditions on the morphology of the obtained HAp coating on TiN/316LSS. The effect of applied potential, temperature, H2O2 concentration, pH and duration of reaction were thoroughly discussed on the basis of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) results. This method appears advantageous for producing HAp-coated implant materials.

Fabrication and characterization of a chitosan/cyclodextrin/TiO2-NPs composite for preservation of avocados.

In this study, a TiO2 material with nanoparticle size of about 10-20 nm, surface area of 109 m2 g-1 was synthesized using the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The chitosan/TiO2 film combined with cyclodextrin (chitosan-cyclodextrin/TiO2, CS-CD/TiO2NPs) helps significantly improve the mechanical properties and enhance the antibacterial activity of the polymer film. Furthermore, the content of TiO2 nanoparticles in CS-CD/TiO2NPs also affects the tensile strength, antibacterial activity, ripening rate, ethylene production rate, and water vapor permeability during food preservation of the CS-CD film that has been studied. The CS-CD/TiO2NPs film is effective against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aereus) reaching over 99.5% after 15 min of contact. The preservation ability of avocados coated with CS-CD/TiO2NPs was evaluated through some physiological parameters of the avocados, such as sensory evaluation, weight loss, and hardness. The results show that the use of CS-CD/TiO2NPs films extends the preservation time of avocados up to 7 days under conditions of 30 °C and 80% relative humidity.

Antioxidant activity of an inclusion complex between rutin and ß-cyclodextrin: experimental and quantum chemical studies.

This study aims to synthesize a guest-host complex derived from rutin (Rut) and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) (denoted as [Rut⊂ß-CD]). The obtained substance was characterized by the FT-IR and DSC methods, signifying the formation of an inclusion complex between Rut and ß-CD. Complex formation increased the antioxidant activity of rutin corresponding to the decrease of EC50 values from 1.547 × 10-5 mol L-1 to 1.227 × 10-5 mol L-1 according to the DPPH free radical scavenging test. The rutin-ß-CD interaction energies were calculated in the vacuum and various solvents (e.g., water, ethanol, and dimethylsulfoxide) utilizing an accurate and broadly parametrized self-consistent tight-binding quantum chemical method (GFN2-xTB). The calculation results reveal the influence of solvent on the structural formation of the rutin-ß-CD complex. In both the vacuum and aqueous solution, rutin can enter into the small-sized empty cavity of ß-CD, albeit through different terminals, resulting in distinct preferential structures. The presence of organic solvents appears to reduce the interaction between rutin and ß-CD, with the interaction strength following the order: water > ethanol > dimethyl sulfoxide.

Gaps and opportunities in addressing the needs of older adults in the Philippines and Vietnam: a qualitative exploration of health and social workers' experiences in urban care settings.

Background: Despite numerous government initiatives, concerns and disparities among older adults have continually been growing. Empirical studies focused on older adults in the Philippines and Vietnam appear minimal and mostly regarding perceptions of aging. An effective geriatric care strongly relies on functional service providers requiring their perspectives to be explored toward inclusive service delivery. Objective: To investigate the perceived gaps and opportunities in geriatric care service delivery among health and social care workers in selected urban areas in the Philippines and Vietnam. Methods: A qualitative case study approach drawn on social constructivism theory, examined working experiences, observed characteristics of older adults, geriatric services and needs, difficulties on service delivery, and recommended solutions. A total of 12 semi-structured interviews and 29 focus group discussions were conducted in the Philippines, with 174 health and social care workers, while in Vietnam, there were 23 semi-structured interviews and 29 focus group discussions with 124 participants. An inductive thematic analysis was employed. Results: Interview participants highlighted the increasing unmet needs such as accessibility, availability, and acceptability of geriatric care services. The implementation of interventions on the older population faced multiple challenges, including issues related to older adult conundrums and dilemmas in geriatric care providers and facilities. The participants from the two countries felt that strengthening implementation of collaboration toward an integrated geriatric care structure and expansion of training and capability in handling older adults can be potential in addressing the gaps at both individual and institutional levels. Additionally, a committed leadership was viewed to be the important step to effectively operationalize the strategy. Conclusion: Health and social workers emphasized that the needs of older adults are exacerbated by various challenges within a fragmented geriatric care system. To address this issue, an establishment of an integrated service delivery mechanism with dedicated leadership is needed. The findings from this study may help develop appropriate solutions for addressing the health and social care needs of older adults in similar settings across Southeast Asia. Further examination of the impact of these challenges and solutions on service delivery and the wellbeing of older adults is essential.

Effective activation of peroxymonosulfate by CoCr-LDH for removing organic contaminants in water: from lab-scale to practical applications.

In this study, CoCr layered double hydroxide material (CoCr-LDH) was prepared and used as an effective catalyst for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to degrade organics in water. The prepared CoCr-LDH material had a crystalline structure and relatively porous structure, as determined by various surface analyses. In Rhodamine B (RhB) removal, the most outstanding PMS activation ability belongs to the material with a Co:Cr molar ratio of 2:1. The removal of RhB follows pseudo-first-order kinetics (R2 > 0.99) with an activation energy of 38.23 kJ/mol and efficiency of 98% after 7 min of treatment, and the total organic carbon of the solution reduced 47.2% after 10 min. The activation and oxidation mechanisms were proposed and the RhB degradation pathways were suggested with the key contribution of O2•- and 1O2. Notably, CoCr-LDH can activate PMS over a wide pH range of 4 - 9, and apply to a wide range of organic pollutants and aqueous environments. The material has high stability and good recovery, which can be reused for 5 cycles with a stable efficiency of above 88%, suggesting a high potential for practical recalcitrant water treatment via PMS activation by heterogeneous catalysts.

Real-time monitoring unsafe behaviors of portable multi-position ladder worker using deep learning based on vision data.

INTRODUCTION: Fatal fall from height accidents, especially on construction sites, persist, underscoring the importance of monitoring and managing worker behaviors to enhance safety. Deep learning showed the possibility of substituting the manual work of safety managers. However, applying detection results to determine compliance with safety regulations has limitations. METHOD: This study estimated the actual working height depending on the height of the object detection bounding box by specifying the consistent hinge part as a target marker based on ladder manufacturing regulations. Furthermore, an attempt was made to improve the separation between workers, coworkers, and persons unconnected to ladder activities by applying an optimized loss function alongside an attention mechanism. RESULTS: The experimental results showed that an average precision increased from 87.60% to 90.44%. The performance of the monitoring unsafe behavior of ladder worker following the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) guide was evaluated by 91.40 F1-Score, which accumulated sorted according to the working height. CONCLUSIONS: Experimental results show the feasibility of the real-time automate safety monitoring in ladder work. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: By linking the estimated working height and deep learning multi-detection results to established safety regulations, the proposed method shows the potential to automatically monitoring unsafe behaviors in construction site.

Staining-Enhanced Peroxidase-Mimicking Gold Nanoparticles in Nano-ELISA for Highly Sensitive Detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Klebsiella pneumoniae, a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae, is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacterium, mainly found in the hospital environment and medical tools. It is the leading cause of nosocomial infection, characterized by bloodstream infection, wound site infection, urinary tract infection, and sepsis, mostly in older adults, newborn infants, and immunocompromised patients. This present study demonstrated a novel diagnostic method for K. pneumoniae detection based on the gold nanozyme activity for the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2. The nanozyme activity of AuNPs with staining enhancement was statistically three times higher than that of the bare AuNPs in solid absorption at 650 nm. Nano-ELISA with staining enhancement could detect as low as 102 CFUs/mL of K. pneumoniae concentration, as the cutoff value was determined to be 0.158, which boosted the sensitivity of the immunoreactions by up to 100-fold. The detection limit of our assays was 26.023 CFUs/mL, and the limit of quantification was 78.857 CFUs/mL. There was no cross-reaction against other bacteria, which proved the immunoassays' remarkable specificity for recognizing K. pneumoniae. Taken together, we successfully developed and optimized the highly sensitive and decently specific nano-ELISA strategy that might be applicable for detecting various other bacterial pathogens.

Removal of ethylene by synthesized Ag/TiO2 photocatalyst under visible light irradiation.

Photocatalysts based on titanium dioxide (TiO2) were widely applied to solve environmental problems such as water and air pollution treatment. Currently, the application of these compounds for food packaging is increasing. This study prepared silver (Ag) doped TiO2 photocatalyst (Ag/TiO2) for the decomposition of gas ethylene (Eth), which is the main factor that causes fruits to over-ripen and damage or decay. It found that the doping of Ag could improve the optical property and light adsorption ability of Ag/TiO2 photocatalyst, which directly enhanced the photocatalytic decomposition of Eth performance. Under visible light, Ag/TiO2 could depredate 91.2% of Eth, while the removal performance by using the original TiO2 was 43.9%. The increased initial concentration of Eth from 5 to 30 ppm could inhibit the photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/TiO2 from 98.6 to 69.2%. Besides, the relative humidity and gas flow rate are roles in the Eth decomposition process. The recycling experiment confirmed that Ag/TiO2 had good reusability with a slight loss in photocatalytic performance (18.6%) after ten cycles tested. The future protective application of Ag/TiO2 for food protection during storage and transportation is discussed. This work provides a potential method to remove gas ethylene, reduce the ripening process and extend the shelf life of fruits.

Stable biogenic silver nanoparticles from Syzygium nervosum bud extract for enhanced catalytic, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

In the present study, the biosynthesis of stable silver nanoparticles (BioAgNPs) was accomplished successfully for the first time by using an aqueous extract derived from the buds of Syzygium nervosum (SN) as both a reducing and a stabilizing agent. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) investigations revealed that the biosynthesized BioAgNPs were predominantly spherical with an average size of 10-30 nm. It was found that the outstanding stability of the BioAgNPs colloidal solution was assigned to the additive effect of the surrounding protective organic layer and the highly negatively charged surface of the nanoparticles. Consequently, good antibacterial activity was demonstrated by the colloidal BioAgNPs solution against four distinct bacterial strains, including Gram-positive S. aureus and B. subtilis as well as Gram-negative E. coli and S. typhi. Interestingly, the biosynthesized BioAgNPs displayed greater antibacterial activity even when tested at low doses against Gram-negative S. typhi. In addition, the biogenic AgNPs demonstrated a significant level of catalytic activity in the process of converting 2-NP, 3-NP, and 4-NP into aminophenols within 15 min, with reaction rate constants of 9.0 × 10-4, 10 × 10-4, and 9.0 × 10-4 s-1, respectively. BioAgNPs formulations were assessed against anthracnose disease in tea plants and were found to be as effective as the positive control at a dose of 20-fold dilution, but less effective at a dose of 30-fold dilution. Both doses of BioAgNPs formulations significantly suppressed Colletotrichum camelliae (anthracnose disease) without affecting the growth of the tea plants.

Imidazolium-Based Heavy-Atom-Free Photosensitizer for Nucleus-Targeted Fluorescence Bioimaging and Photodynamic Therapy.

The development of heavy-atom-free photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) has encountered significant challenges in achieving simultaneous high fluorescence emission and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Moreover, the limited water solubility of these PSs imposes further limitations on their biomedical applications. To overcome these obstacles, this study presents a molecular design strategy employing hydrophilic heavy-atom-free PSs based on imidazolium salts. The photophysical properties of these PSs were comprehensively investigated through a combination of experimental and theoretical analyses. Notably, among the synthesized PSs, the ethylcarbazole-naphthoimidazolium (NI-Cz) conjugate exhibited efficient fluorescence emission (ΦF = 0.22) and generation of singlet oxygen (ΦΔ = 0.49), even in highly aqueous environments. The performance of NI-Cz was validated through its application in fluorescence bioimaging and PDT treatment in HeLa cells. Furthermore, NI-Cz holds promise for two-photon excitation and type I ROS generation, nucleus localization, and selective activity against Gram-positive bacteria, thereby expanding its scope for the design of heavy-atom-free PSs and phototheranostic applications.

HV1 mtDNA Reveals the High Genetic Diversity and the Ancient Origin of Vietnamese Dogs.

In this study, samples from 429 dog individuals across three main regions of Vietnam (Southern Vietnam (SVN), Central Vietnam (CVN), and Northern Vietnam (NVN)) were collected to analyze the 582 bp region mtDNA HVI, so as to study the genetic diversity and to screen the rare haplotype E in the Vietnamese village dog population. Nine new haplotypes A, two new haplotypes B, and three haplotypes C were unique to Vietnam dogs, in which the new haplotypes An3, An7, Cn1, and Cn3 concerned mutations at new polymorphism sites (15,517, 15,505, 15,479, and 15,933, respectively) which have not been previously reported. The detection of haplotypes A9 and A29, and the appearance of haplotype A200 in the two individual dogs sampled support that the Southeast Asian dog is the ancestor of today's Australian dingo and Polynesian dog. The two rare haplotypes E (E1 and E4) were reconfirmed in Vietnamese dogs and discussed. This study also contributes to strengthening the theory of domestication of dogs to the south of the Yangtze River and the Southeast Asian origin of the dingo.

Ensemble learning of myocardial displacements for myocardial infarction detection in echocardiography.

Background: Early detection and localization of myocardial infarction (MI) can reduce the severity of cardiac damage through timely treatment interventions. In recent years, deep learning techniques have shown promise for detecting MI in echocardiographic images. Existing attempts typically formulate this task as classification and rely on a single segmentation model to estimate myocardial segment displacements. However, there has been no examination of how segmentation accuracy affects MI classification performance or the potential benefits of using ensemble learning approaches. Our study investigates this relationship and introduces a robust method that combines features from multiple segmentation models to improve MI classification performance by leveraging ensemble learning. Materials and Methods: Our method combines myocardial segment displacement features from multiple segmentation models, which are then input into a typical classifier to estimate the risk of MI. We validated the proposed approach on two datasets: the public HMC-QU dataset (109 echocardiograms) for training and validation, and an E-Hospital dataset (60 echocardiograms) from a local clinical site in Vietnam for independent testing. Model performance was evaluated based on accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results: The proposed approach demonstrated excellent performance in detecting MI. It achieved an F1 score of 0.942, corresponding to an accuracy of 91.4%, a sensitivity of 94.1%, and a specificity of 88.3%. The results showed that the proposed approach outperformed the state-of-the-art feature-based method, which had a precision of 85.2%, a specificity of 70.1%, a sensitivity of 85.9%, an accuracy of 85.5%, and an accuracy of 80.2% on the HMC-QU dataset. On the external validation set, the proposed model still performed well, with an F1 score of 0.8, an accuracy of 76.7%, a sensitivity of 77.8%, and a specificity of 75.0%. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the ability to accurately predict MI in echocardiograms by combining information from several segmentation models. Further research is necessary to determine its potential use in clinical settings as a tool to assist cardiologists and technicians with objective assessments and reduce dependence on operator subjectivity. Our research codes are available on GitHub at https://github.com/vinuni-vishc/mi-detection-echo.

Effect of LED Illumination Cycle and Carbon Sources on Biofilms of Haematococcus pluvialis in Pilot-Scale Angled Twin-Layer Porous Substrate Photobioreactors.

Light-emitting diodes are increasingly used as artificial light sources in Haematococcus pluvialis cultivation due to the fact of their energy advantages. The immobilized cultivation of H. pluvialis in pilot-scale angled twin-layer porous substrate photobioreactors (TL-PSBRs) was initially performed with a 14/10 h light/dark cycle and showed relatively low biomass growth and astaxanthin accumulation. In this study, the illumination time with red and blue LEDs at a light intensity of 120 µmol photons m-2 s-1 was increased to 16-24 h per day. With a light/dark cycle of 22/2 h, the biomass productivity of the algae was 7.5 g m-2 day-1, 2.4 times higher than in the 14/10 h cycle. The percentage of astaxanthin in the dry biomass was 2%, and the total amount of astaxanthin was 1.7 g m-2. Along with the increase in light duration, adding 10 or 20 mM NaHCO3 to the BG11-H culture medium over ten days of cultivation in angled TL-PSBRs did not increase the total amount of astaxanthin compared with only CO2 addition at a flow rate of 3.6 mg min-1 to the culture medium. Adding NaHCO3 with a 30-80 mM concentration inhibited algal growth and astaxanthin accumulation. However, adding 10-40 mM NaHCO3 caused algal cells to accumulate astaxanthin at a high percentage in dry weight after the first four days in TL-PSBRs.