Modified Coprecipitation Synthesis of Nickel-Rich NMC (Li1.0Ni0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2) for Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Simple, Cost-Effective, Environmentally Friendly Method.

Lithium-ion batteries lay the foundation for satisfying the fast-growing demand of portable electronics and electric vehicles. However, due to the complexity of material syntheses, high fabrication temperature condition, and toxic gas emission, high volume manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries is still challenging. Here, we propose a modified coprecipitation method to synthesize Li1.0Ni0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC622-MCP) as a cathode material in a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach. We demonstrate that the proposed method can be operated in a lower temperature environment, with respect to the requirement of conventional synthesis methods. Furthermore, only CO2 gas is emitted during synthesis. We also employed first-principles simulations to evaluate the crystallinity of the synthesized materials via X-ray diffractometer patterns. During charge/discharge processes, the obtained cathode materials induce outstanding electrochemical performance with a maximum specific capacity of up to 206.9 mAh g-1 at 0.05 C and a retention capacity of 83.22% after 100 cycles. Thus, the simple, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and highly electrochemical performance of the newly acquired material envisages the modified coprecipitation method as a promising tool to manufacture cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Efficacy of ultra-short, response-guided sofosbuvir and daclatasvir therapy for hepatitis C in a single-arm mechanistic pilot study.

Background: World Health Organization has called for research into predictive factors for selecting persons who could be successfully treated with shorter durations of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C. We evaluated early virological response as a means of shortening treatment and explored host, viral and pharmacokinetic contributors to treatment outcome. Methods: Duration of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir (SOF/DCV) was determined according to day 2 (D2) virologic response for HCV genotype (gt) 1- or 6-infected adults in Vietnam with mild liver disease. Participants received 4- or 8-week treatment according to whether D2 HCV RNA was above or below 500 IU/ml (standard duration is 12 weeks). Primary endpoint was sustained virological response (SVR12). Those failing therapy were retreated with 12 weeks SOF/DCV. Host IFNL4 genotype and viral sequencing was performed at baseline, with repeat viral sequencing if virological rebound was observed. Levels of SOF, its inactive metabolite GS-331007 and DCV were measured on days 0 and 28. Results: Of 52 adults enrolled, 34 received 4 weeks SOF/DCV, 17 got 8 weeks and 1 withdrew. SVR12 was achieved in 21/34 (62%) treated for 4 weeks, and 17/17 (100%) treated for 8 weeks. Overall, 38/51 (75%) were cured with first-line treatment (mean duration 37 days). Despite a high prevalence of putative NS5A-inhibitor resistance-associated substitutions (RASs), all first-line treatment failures cured after retreatment (13/13). We found no evidence treatment failure was associated with host IFNL4 genotype, viral subtype, baseline RAS, SOF or DCV levels. Conclusions: Shortened SOF/DCV therapy, with retreatment if needed, reduces DAA use in patients with mild liver disease, while maintaining high cure rates. D2 virologic response alone does not adequately predict SVR12 with 4-week treatment. Funding: Funded by the Medical Research Council (Grant MR/P025064/1) and The Global Challenges Research 70 Fund (Wellcome Trust Grant 206/296/Z/17/Z).

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that causes thousands of deaths from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer each year. Antiviral therapies can cure most cases of infection in 12 weeks. Unfortunately, treatment is expensive, and sticking with the regimen for 12 weeks can be difficult. It may be especially challenging for unhoused people or those who use injection drugs and who have high rates of hepatitis C infection. Shorter durations of therapy may make it more accessible, especially for high-risk populations. But studies of shorter antiviral treatment durations have yet to produce high enough cure rates. Finding ways to identify patients who would benefit from shorter therapy is a key goal of the World Health Organization. Potential characteristics that may predict a faster treatment response include low virus levels before initiating treatment, patient genetics, drug resistance mutations in the virus, and higher drug levels in the patient's blood during treatment. For example, previous research showed that a rapid decrease in virus levels in a patient's blood two days after starting antiviral therapy with three drugs predicted patient cures after three weeks of treatment. To test if high cure rates could be achieved in just four weeks of treatment, Flower et al. enrolled 52 patients with hepatitis C in a study to receive the most widely accessible dual antiviral treatment (sofosbuvir and daclatasvir). Participants received four or eight weeks of treatment, depending on the amount of viral RNA in their blood after two days of treatment. The results indicate that a rapid decrease in virus levels in the blood does not adequately predict cure rates with four weeks of two-drug combination therapy. However, eight weeks may be highly effective, regardless of viral levels early in treatment. Thirty-four individuals with low virus levels on the second day of treatment received four weeks of therapy, which cured 21 or 62% of them. All seventeen individuals with higher viral levels on day two were cured after eight weeks of treatment. Twelve weeks of retreatment was sufficient to cure the 13 individuals who did not achieve cure with four weeks of therapy. Even patients with drug resistance genes after the first round of therapy responded to a longer second round. Flower et al. show that patient genetics, virus subtype, drug levels in the patient's blood, and viral drug resistance genes before therapy, were not associated with patient cures after four weeks of treatment. Given that retreatment is safe and effective, larger studies are now needed to determine whether eight weeks of therapy with sofosbuvir and daclatasvir may be enough to cure patients with mild liver disease. More studies are also necessary to identify patients that may benefit from shorter therapy durations. Finding ways to shorten antiviral therapy for hepatitis C could help make treatment more accessible and reduce therapy costs for both individuals and governments.

Diagnostic Value in Screening Severe Depression of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory Scale, and Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale Among Patients with Recurrent Depression Disorder.

Background: Depression is a widespread and incapacitating mental health disorder that impacts millions of people worldwide, playing a substantial role in the overall global health challenges. Depression has a big impact on a person's quality of life, cognitive and social functioning, risk of suicide, risk of heart disease and other illnesses, as well as death from all causes. Objective: It may be challenging to choose the best tools to screen for severe depression in patients with recurrent depression disorder (PRD) considering the diversity of psychological scales in Vietnam. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic value for detect severe depression of four psychological scales including Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Beck Depression Inventory Scale (BECK), and Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) by genders and age groups among PRD in Vietnam. Methods: This study was conducted at National Institute of Mental Health, Bach Mai Hospital, Vietnam, from 2020 to 2021. There were 109 PRD evaluated with HAM-D, HAM-A, BECK, and SAS by qualified psychiatrists. By analysing Area Under the Curve (AUC) of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, we determined sensitivity, specificity and cut points of four above scales. Results: Among four scales, the BECK scale had the best diagnostic effect with the most optimal sensitivity and specificity (61.64% and 75%, respectively). We proposed the new cut-off of HAM-D, HAM-A, BECK, and SAS for detecting severe depression among PRD were 20, 34, 30, and 45, respectively. By genders, the cut points for the HAM-D, HAM-A, BECK, and SAS in males were 20, 27, 34, and 44, respectively, while those figure in females were 14, 34, 30, and 46, respectively. By age groups, adults had cut values for four above scales of 20, 34, 27, and 45, respectively, whereas those for the elderly were 16, 17, 35, and 44, respectively. Conclusion: We highly recommended that BECK is the most optimal method to screen severe depression in PRD in Vietnam. It is essential to utilize varied cut values of HAM-D, HAM-A, BECK, and SAS for different genders and age groups.

Development and validation of a quality of life measurement scale specific to hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: the QoL-HHT.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) disease is a rare genetic disorder with symptoms and complications that can significantly affect patients' daily lives. To date, no scale has been validated to assess the specific symptoms of this disease on the quality of life (QOL) of HHT patients. This makes it difficult for clinicians to accurately measure the quality of life of patients with HHT. The present study aims to develop and validate a QOL measurement tool specific to HHT disease: the QOL questionnaire in HHT (QoL-HHT). METHODS: A quantitative, non-interventional, multi-center study involving HHT patients in twenty French HHT expert centers was conducted. A calibration sample of 415 HHT patients and a validation sample of 228 HHT patients voluntarily participated in the study. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) analyses, reliability analyses, and correlational analyses. RESULTS: The EFA, CFA and ESEM results allowed us to provide evidence of the factorial structure of a questionnaire composed of 24 items measuring 6 domains of QOL: Physical limitations, social relationships, concern about bleeding, relationship with the medical profession, experience of symptoms, and concern about the evolution of the disease. Cronbach's alpha coefficients (> 0.70) demonstrated reliable internal consistency of all the QoL-HHT scores (dimensions). The results of the test-retest provided further evidence of the reliability of the QOL-HHT scores over time. Correlational analyses provided evidence for the convergent validity of the QoL-HHT scores. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a simple and quick self-assessment tool to measure quality of life specific to HHT disease. This study demonstrated reliability and validity of our QoL-HHT scores. It is a very promising tool to evaluate the impact of HHT disease on all aspects of the quality of life of HHT patients in order to offer them individualized medico-psycho-social support. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials, NCT03695874. Registered 04 October 2018, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT03695874.

Early-stage bone regeneration of hyaluronic acid supplemented with porous 45s5 bioglass-derived granules: an injectable system.

In the present study, an injectable bone substitute system which utilized porous bioglass (BG)-derived granules supplemented with hyaluronic acid (Hya), was evaluated. Hya plays ultimate role in wound healing, promoting cell motility. The BG were synthesized by a simple and low sintering temperature process without any foreign phase incorporation. Furthermore, the physical properties in the porous scaffold were optimized to investigate thein vitroandin vivoperformance. The porous BG60 scaffolds system showed excellent bioactivity in anin vitrosimulated body fluid test in which the ions dissolved from the composite materials influenced apatite growth, countered the acidic pH, and increased material degradation. In anin vitrostudy with pre-osteoblasts cells (MC3T3-E1), the porous scaffold supported cell adhesion and proliferation. A post-implantation study conducted in femoral defects showed implant degradation and surprisingly fast bone formation just after 2 weeks of implantation. Initialin vivodegradation of Hya promotes releasing ions which regulates the bone forming cells, clues to tissue repair, and regeneration. On the other hand it also prevent the scattering of BG granule after grafting at implant site. The faster dissolution of the porous BG scaffold increased the resorption of the composite material and hence, facilitated bone tissue regeneration. Our findings suggest that the porous BG scaffold could potentially be used as an injectable bone substitute for fast, early bone regeneration applications.

Recyclable waste collection by informal sector in Vietnam: Dataset from Vinh, Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi Cities.

Even though the matter was not widely acknowledged, informal recycling plays a vital role in waste treatment in many developing countries. In Vietnam, the management of waste collection and treatment faces many difficulties, as there is no statistical data or description of the informal sector in waste collection and recycling to clarify their role, their scale, and their capacity. This paper presents the preliminary data processed by informal waste collectors and aggregators in six Vietnamese cities, namely, Vinh, Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh, and Hanoi. The surveys were conducted from January 2017 to December 2019 by the JEAI Recycurbs Viet project [1] and then from August 2019 to December 2020 in the framework of the COMPOSE project (2019-2021) [2]. Geographical and sociology data of aggregators will demonstrate the overall background of the presence, spatial allocation, and the establishment process of aggregators in the surveyed cities to find the patterns of establishment and operations of these aggregators. The data will be the basis for the development of policy making on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Vietnam.