A Systematic Study of the Temperature Dependence of the Dielectric Function of GaSe Uniaxial Crystals from 27 to 300 K.

We report the temperature dependences of the dielectric function ε = ε1 + iε2 and critical point (CP) energies of the uniaxial crystal GaSe in the spectral energy region from 0.74 to 6.42 eV and at temperatures from 27 to 300 K using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The fundamental bandgap and strong exciton effect near 2.1 eV are detected only in the c-direction, which is perpendicular to the cleavage plane of the crystal. The temperature dependences of the CP energies were determined by fitting the data to the phenomenological expression that incorporates the Bose-Einstein statistical factor and the temperature coefficient to describe the electron-phonon interaction. To determine the origin of this anisotropy, we perform first-principles calculations using the mBJ method for bandgap correction. The results clearly demonstrate that the anisotropic dielectric characteristics can be directly attributed to the inherent anisotropy of p orbitals. More specifically, this prominent excitonic feature and fundamental bandgap are derived from the band-to-band transition between s and pz orbitals at the Γ-point.

Impacts of dioxin exposure on brain connectivity estimated by DTI analysis of MRI images in men residing in contaminated areas of Vietnam.

Introduction: Effects of dioxin exposure on gray matter volume have been reported in previous studies, but a few studies reported effects of dioxin exposure on white matter structure. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the impact of dioxin exposure on white matter microstructure in men living in the most severely dioxin-contaminated areas in Vietnam. Methods: In 2019 brain MRI scans from 28 men living near Bien Hoa airbase were obtained at Dong Nai General Hospital, Vietnam, on a 3 T scanner using a conventional diffusion tensor imaging sequence. Two exposure markers were indicated by perinatal exposure estimated by assessment of maternal residency in a dioxin-contaminated area during pregnancy and by measurement of blood dioxin levels. A general linear model was used to compare fractional anisotropy (FA) values in 11 white matter tracts in both hemispheres between groups with and without perinatal dioxin exposure and groups with high and low blood dioxin levels after adjusting for covariates. Results: The adjusted mean FA value in the left cingulum hippocampal part (CGH) was significantly lower in the perinatal dioxin exposure group compared with the group without perinatal dioxin exposure. The high blood TCDD group showed significantly reduced FA values in the left and right CGH and right uncinate fasciculus (UNC). Moreover, the high blood TEQ-PCDDs group showed significantly lower FA values in the left and right CGH and the left UNC. There were no significant differences in FA values between the groups with high and low TEQ-PCDFs levels or between the groups with high and low TEQ-PCDD/Fs levels. Discussion: It was concluded that dioxin exposure during the perinatal period and adulthood may alter the microstructure of white matter tracts in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Glycoside constituents from Cayratia geniculata.

Using various chromatographic separations, six glycoside derivatives (1-6), including one new ent-labdane glucoside named cayratioside (1), were isolated from the methanol extract of Cayratia geniculata stems and leaves. Their structures were elucidated by detailed analysis of the 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIQTOF mass spectra. The inhibitory effect of 1-6 on LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells was also evaluated. Among isolated compounds, 1 exhibited moderate activity with an IC50 value of 59.65 ± 1.85 µM.

A comprehensive analysis of the immune system in healthy Vietnamese people.

Lifestyle, diet, socioeconomic status and genetics all contribute to heterogeneity in immune responses. Vietnam is plagued with a variety of health problems, but there are no available data on immune system values in the Vietnamese population. This study aimed to establish reference intervals for immune cell parameters specific to the healthy Vietnamese population by utilizing multi-color flow cytometry (MCFC). We provide a comprehensive analysis of total leukocyte count, quantitative and qualitative shifts within lymphocyte subsets, serum and cytokine and chemokine levels and functional attributes of key immune cells including B cells, T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and their respective subpopulations. By establishing these reference values for the Vietnamese population, these data contribute significantly to our understanding of the human immune system variations across diverse populations. These data will be of substantial comparative value and be instrumental in developing personalized medical approaches and optimizing diagnostic strategies for individuals based on their unique immune profiles.

Epidural injection-related pneumorrhachis: A case report with cauda equina syndrome.

Pneumorrhachis (PR) is an uncommon condition characterized by the accumulation of air within the spinal canal. This finding may occur due to various causes, mostly after trauma and medical procedures. It can manifest with various features depending on the underlying cause, the location, and the extent of the air trapped. Clinically, the symptoms in affected patients can span a spectrum, ranging from being asymptomatic to manifesting as radiculopathies resulting from compression. The pneumorrhachis-related cauda equina syndrome is incredibly rare and typically appears as a large volume of air causing compression or irritation of the nerve roots in the lower spinal cord. In this report, we present a female patient whose cauda equina syndrome developed as a result of accidental extradural pneumorrhachis after epidural injection in the lumbar spine.

Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of the self-amplifying mRNA ARCT-154 COVID-19 vaccine: pooled phase 1, 2, 3a and 3b randomized, controlled trials.

Combination of waning immunity and lower effectiveness against new SARS-CoV-2 variants of approved COVID-19 vaccines necessitates new vaccines. We evaluated two doses, 28 days apart, of ARCT-154, a self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, compared with saline placebo in an integrated phase 1/2/3a/3b controlled, observer-blind trial in Vietnamese adults (ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT05012943). Primary safety and reactogenicity outcomes were unsolicited adverse events (AE) 28 days after each dose, solicited local and systemic AE 7 days after each dose, and serious AEs throughout the study. Primary immunogenicity outcome was the immune response as neutralizing antibodies 28 days after the second dose. Efficacy against COVID-19 was assessed as primary and secondary outcomes in phase 3b. ARCT-154 was well tolerated with generally mild-moderate transient AEs. Four weeks after the second dose 94.1% (95% CI: 92.1-95.8) of vaccinees seroconverted for neutralizing antibodies, with a geometric mean-fold rise from baseline of 14.5 (95% CI: 13.6-15.5). Of 640 cases of confirmed COVID-19 eligible for efficacy analysis most were due to the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. Efficacy of ARCT-154 was 56.6% (95% CI: 48.7- 63.3) against any COVID-19, and 95.3% (80.5-98.9) against severe COVID-19. ARCT-154 vaccination is well tolerated, immunogenic and efficacious, particularly against severe COVID-19 disease.

Four Unidentified Compounds Isolated from the Stem Barks of Aphanamixis polystachya and Their NO Production Inhibition in LPS Activated RAW 264.7 Cells.

Phytochemical study on the methanol extract of the stem barks of Aphanamixis polystachya led to the isolation of four previously undescribed ( 1-4) and ten known compounds (5-14). Their chemical structures were elucidated to be 11-methoxysawaranospiroride C (1), 6α,9S,10,13-tetrahydroxymegastigmane-3-one (2), 11-hydroxyaphanamixin B (3), (2Z,6E,13E)-2,6,13-triene-11,15-dihydroxyphytanic acid (4), cinnacasside D (5), cinnacasside E (6), vilsonol F (7), (3S,5R,6S,7E,9R)-3,5,6,9-tetrahydroxy-7-en-megastigmane (8), (3S,5R,6R,7E,9R)-3,6,9,10-tetrahydroxy-7-en-megastigmane (9), citroside A (10), threo-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-1,2,3-propanetriol (11), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-1-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (12), p-coumaric acid (13), ferulic acid (14) by HR-ESI-MS, ECD, 1D-, and 2D-NMR spectra. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 9 showed NO production inhibitory activity in LPS activated RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 42.0, 67.9, 20.5, and 78.6 µM, respectively, while the remaining compounds were inactive with IC50 values over 100 µM.

Tuberous sclerosis complex associated lymphangioleiomyomatosis caused by de novo mutation of TSC2 gene in Vietnam: A case report.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) represents a rare, insidiously progressive disease of the pulmonary system, marked by cystic degradation of lung tissues leading to respiratory compromise. Pulmonary LAM has been identified as being associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in its pulmonary manifestation (TSC-LAM), a multisystem genetic disorder resulting from mutations in either the TSC1 or TSC2 genes. Herein, we describe an early 20s female admitted to the hospital with dyspnea, chest pain, hypopigmented macules, and facial fibroadenomas. She has a medical history of renal angiomyolipomas (ALMs) and pneumothoraces. Diagnosis with LAM was confirmed through high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan and histopathology of lung biopsy. Whole exome sequencing analysis identified a frameshift mutation c.4504del (p.L1502Cfs*74) in the patient's TSC2 gene. This variant was de novo due to its absence in the patient's parents. This is the first report on the clinical and genetic etiology of TSC-LAM in Vietnam.

Early Impressions and Adoption of the AtriAmp for Managing Arrhythmias Following Congenital Heart Surgery.

Objective: AtriAmp is a new medical device that displays a continuous real-time atrial electrogram on telemetry using temporary atrial pacing leads. Our objective was to evaluate early adoption of this device into patient care, understand how it affected clinical workflow, and identify unforeseen benefits or limitations. Design: Qualitative study using inductive analysis of semi-structured interviews to identify dominant themes. Setting: Single center, tertiary, academic 21-bed mixed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Subjects: PICU multidisciplinary team members (Pediatric intensivists, PICU Nurse Practitioners, PICU nurses and Pediatric Cardiologists) who were early adopters of the AtriAmp (n=14). Results: Three prominent themes emerged from qualitative analysis of the early adopters' experiences. (1) Accelerated time from arrhythmia event to diagnosis, treatment, and determination of treatment effectiveness; (2) Increased confidence and security in the accuracy of providers' arrhythmia diagnosis; and (3) Improvement in the ability to educate providers about post-operative arrythmias where reliance on time consuming consultation is a default. Providers also noted some learning curves with the device; none of which compromised medical care or clinical workflow. Conclusions: Insights from early adopters of AtriAmp signal the need for simplicity and fidelity in new technologies within the PICU. Further research in the qualitative and observational sphere is needed to understand how technologies, such as AtriAmp, find expanded use in the PICU environment. Our research suggests that such technologies can be pivotal to the support and growth of multi-disciplinary teams, even among those who do not participate in early implementation.

Meta-analysis review for pilot and large-scale constructed wetlands: Design parameters, treatment performance, and influencing factors.

Despite their longstanding use in environmental remediation, constructed wetlands (CWs) are still topical due to their sustainable and nature-based approach. While research and review publications have grown annually by 7.5 % and 37.6 %, respectively, from 2018 to 2022, a quantitative meta-analysis employing advanced statistics and machine learning to assess CWs has not yet been conducted. Further, traditional statistics of mean ± standard deviation could not convey the extent of confidence or uncertainty in results from CW studies. This study employed a 95 % bootstrap-based confidence interval and out-of-bag Random Forest-based driver analysis on data from 55 studies, totaling 163 cases of pilot and full-scale CWs. The study recommends, with 95 % confidence, median surface hydraulic loading rates (HLR) of 0.14 [0.11, 0.17] m/d for vertical flow-CWs (VF) and 0.13 [0.07, 0.22] m/d for horizontal flow-CWs (HF), and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 125.14 [48.0, 189.6] h for VF, 72.00 [42.00, 86.28] h for HF, as practical for new CW design. Permutation importance results indicate influent COD impacted primarily on COD removal rate at 21.58 %, followed by HLR (16.03 %), HRT (12.12 %), and substrate height (H) (10.90 %). For TN treatment, influent TN and COD were the most significant contributors at 12.89 % and 10.01 %, respectively, while H (9.76 %), HRT (9.72 %), and HLR (5.87 %) had lower impacts. Surprisingly, while HRT and H had a limited effect on COD removal, they substantially influenced TN. This study sheds light on CWs' performance, design, and control factors, guiding their operation and optimization.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of ZnO under visible light by co-doping of Ta and C using hydrothermal method.

This study attempted to improve the photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconductors in the visible light region by introducing the co-doping of carbon (C) and tantalum (Ta) to ZnO (ZTC) using a simple hydrothermal method with the respective precursors. The obtained uniform ZTC nanoparticles with an average crystal size of 29.30 nm (according to Scherrer's equation) revealed a redshift with a decrease in bandgap (Eg) from 3.04 eV to 2.88 eV, allowing the obtained photocatalyst to absorb the energy of the visible light for photocatalysis. Furthermore, the Zn 2p and Ta 4f core level spectra confirmed the presence of Zn2+ and Ta5+ in the ZTC sample. In addition, the infrared spectra identified hydrogen-related defects (HRDs), while the O 1s spectra indicated the existence of oxygen vacancies (VO). Electrochemical tests revealed improvement in the electron conductivity and charge separation of the obtained materials. To follow, the photocatalytic performance assessment was conducted by varying the C/Zn2+ ratios (5, 10, and 15 mol%) in ZTC samples, the initial RhB concentration (7, 15, and 30 ppm), and the pH of the RhB solution (3.0-10.0). The photodegradation on ZTC samples showed the most effectiveness for a 7 ppm RhB solution with a C/Zn2+ ratio of 10 mol% in the slightly alkaline medium (pH 9.0). Additionally, ZTC also exhibited commendable durability after being reused several times. The nature of RhB photodegradation was proposed and discussed via a mechanism at the end of this work.

Discovery of a novel natural compound, vitekwangin B, with ANO1 protein reduction properties and anticancer potential.

Background: Prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present significant challenges in the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Hormone therapies for prostate cancer target androgen receptors and prostate-specific antigen markers. However, treatment options for prostatic small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma are limited. NSCLC, on the other hand, is primarily treated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors but exhibits resistance. This study explored a novel therapeutic approach by investigating the potential anticancer properties of vitekwangin B, a natural compound derived from Vitex trifolia. Methods: Vitekwangin B was chromatographically isolated from the fruits of V. trifolia. ANO1 protein levels in prostate cancer and NSCLC cells were verified and evaluated again after vitekwangin B treatment. Results: Vitekwangin B did not inhibit anoctamin1 (ANO1) channel function but significantly reduced ANO1 protein levels. These results demonstrate that vitekwangin B effectively inhibited cancer cell viability and induced apoptosis in prostate cancer and NSCLC cells. Moreover, it exhibited minimal toxicity to liver cells and did not affect hERG channel activity, making it a promising candidate for further development as an anticancer drug. Conclusion: Vitekwangin B may offer a new direction for cancer therapy by targeting ANO1 protein, potentially improving treatment outcomes in patients with prostate cancer and NSCLC. Further research is needed to explore its full potential and overcome existing drug resistance challenges.

Caffeoylquinic acid esters, lignans and flavones from Yua thomsonii with cytotoxic and nitric oxide inhibitory activities.

Phytochemical study on the aerial parts of Yua thomsonii resulted in the isolation of 11 secondary metabolites, including a new caffeoyl quinic acid derivative, 3-O-trans-caffeoyl-4-O-acetylquinic acid methyl ester (1), a new dihydrobenzofuran neolignan, 3,5-dimethoxy-4-(1″,3″-dihydroxy-2″-propyloxyl)-4',7-epoxy-8,5'-neolignan-4,9,9'-triol (3) and nine known compounds, methyl 4-O-coumaroylquinate (2), (7S*,8S*)-3-methoxy-3',7-epoxy-8,4'-oxyneolignan-4,9,9'-triol (4), kompasinol A (5), lyoniresinol (6), schizandriside (7), (-)-isolariciresinol 3a-O-ß-D-xylopyranoside (8), lyoniside (9), vitexin (10) and luteolin 4'-O-ß-glucopyranoside (11). Their structures were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR and HRESI mass spectra. The absolute configurations of 1 and 3 were deduced by electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Compounds 1, 3, 5 and 6 exhibited nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory effects, with IC50 values ranging from 12.18 to 29.45 µM. However, compounds 1, 3, 6 and 8 were non-cytotoxic towards HepG2 and MCF-7 carcinoma cells.

Elemental Characterization of Ambient Particulate Matter for a Globally Distributed Monitoring Network: Methodology and Implications.

Global ground-level measurements of elements in ambient particulate matter (PM) can provide valuable information to understand the distribution of dust and trace elements, assess health impacts, and investigate emission sources. We use X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize the elemental composition of PM samples collected from 27 globally distributed sites in the Surface PARTiculate mAtter Network (SPARTAN) over 2019-2023. Consistent protocols are applied to collect all samples and analyze them at one central laboratory, which facilitates comparison across different sites. Multiple quality assurance measures are performed, including applying reference materials that resemble typical PM samples, acceptance testing, and routine quality control. Method detection limits and uncertainties are estimated. Concentrations of dust and trace element oxides (TEO) are determined from the elemental dataset. In addition to sites in arid regions, a moderately high mean dust concentration (6 µg/m3) in PM2.5 is also found in Dhaka (Bangladesh) along with a high average TEO level (6 µg/m3). High carcinogenic risk (>1 cancer case per 100000 adults) from airborne arsenic is observed in Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kanpur (India), and Hanoi (Vietnam). Industries of informal lead-acid battery and e-waste recycling as well as coal-fired brick kilns likely contribute to the elevated trace element concentrations found in Dhaka.

Increased Virtual Visits to Physicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Estimated Impact on Physician Compensation: The Case of Lung and Colorectal Cancers, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, and Heart Failure in Alberta, Canada.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic started in Alberta in March 2020 and significantly increased telehealth service use and provision reducing the risk of virus transmission. We examined the change in the number and proportion of virtual visits by physician specialty and condition (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases [COPD], heart failure [HF], colorectal and lung cancers), as well as associated changes in physician compensation. Methods: A population-based design was used to analyze all processed physician claims comparing the number and proportion of virtual visits and associated physician billings relative to in-person between pre- (2019/2020) and intra-pandemic (2020/2021). Physician compensations were the claim amounts paid by the health insurance. Results: Pre-pandemic (intra-), there were 8,981 (8,897) lung cancer, 9,245 (9,029) colorectal, 37,558 (36,292) HF, and 68,270 (52,308) COPD patients. Each patient had totally 2.3-4.7 (of which 0.4-0.6% were virtual) general practitioner (GP) visits and 0.9-2.3 (0.2-0.7% were virtual) specialist visits per year pre-pandemic. The average number and proportion of per-patient virtual visits to GPs and specialists grew significantly pre- to intra-pandemic by 2,138-4,567%, and 2,201-7,104%, respectively. Given the lower fees of virtual compared with in-person visits, the reduction in physician compensation associated with the increased use of virtual care was estimated at $3.85 million, with $2.44 million attributed to specialist and $1.41 million to GP. Discussion: Utilization of telehealth increased significantly, while the physician billings per patient and physician compensation declined early in the pandemic in Alberta for the four chronic diseases considered. This study forms the basis for future study in understanding the impact of virtual care, now part of the fabric of health care delivery, on quality of care and patient safety, overall health service utilization (such as diagnostic imaging and other investigations), as well as economic impacts to patients, health care systems, and society.

Quantifying effects of blood pressure control on neuroimaging utilization in a large multi-institutional healthcare population.

OBJECTIVES: Essential hypertension is a common chronic condition that can exacerbate or complicate various neurological diseases that may necessitate neuroimaging. Given growing medical imaging costs and the need to understand relationships between population blood pressure control and neuroimaging utilization, we seek to quantify the relationship between maximum blood pressure recorded in a given year and same-year utilization of neuroimaging CT or MR in a large healthcare population. METHODS: A retrospective population-based cohort study was performed by extracting aggregate data from a multi-institutional dataset of patient encounters from 2016, 2018, and 2020 using an informatics platform (Cosmos) consisting of de-duplicated data from over 140 academic and non-academic health systems, comprising over 137 million unique patients. A population-based sample of all patients with recorded blood pressures of at least 50 mmHg DBP or 90 mmHg SBP were included. Cohorts were identified based on maximum annual SBP and DBP meeting or exceeding pre-defined thresholds. For each cohort, we assessed neuroimaging CT and MR utilization, defined as the percentage of patients undergoing ≥1 neuroimaging exam of interest in the same calendar year. RESULTS: The multi-institutional population consisted of >38 million patients for the most recent calendar year analyzed, with overall utilization of 3.8-5.1% for CT and 1.5-2.0% for MR across the study period. Neuroimaging utilization increased substantially with increasing annual maximum BP. Even a modest BP increase to 140 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic is associated with 3-4-fold increases in MR and 5-7-fold increases in CT same-year imaging compared to BP values below 120 mmHg / 80 mmHg. CONCLUSION: Higher annual maximum recorded blood pressure is associated with higher same-year neuroimaging CT and MR utilization rates. These observations are relevant to public health efforts on hypertension management to mitigate costs associated with growing imaging utilization.

Cryptobuchanosides A-G: seven previously undescribed triterpene glycosides from Cryptolepis buchananii R.Br. ex Roem. and Schult. with nitric oxide production inhibition activity.

In this study, nine triterpene glycosides including seven previously undescribed compounds (1-7), were isolated from leaves of Cryptolepis buchananii R.Br. ex Roem. and Schult. using various chromatographic methods. The chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated to be 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranosyluncargenin C 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyluncargenin C 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (2), 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyluncargenin C 28-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (3), 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosylhederagenin 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4), 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosylarjunolic acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (5), 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß- D-glucopyranosyl-6ß,23-dihydroxyursolic acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (6), 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-6ß,23-dihydroxyursolic acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (7), asiatic acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (8), and 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosylasiatic acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (9), through infrared, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analyses. The isolates inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 cells, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 18.8-58.5 µM, compared to the positive control compound, dexamethasone, which exhibited an IC50 of 14.1 µM.

Measuring effects of ivermectin-treated cattle on potential malaria vectors in Vietnam: A cluster-randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Malaria elimination using current tools has stalled in many areas. Ivermectin (IVM) is a broad-antiparasitic drug and mosquitocide and has been proposed as a tool for accelerating progress towards malaria elimination. Under laboratory conditions, IVM has been shown to reduce the survival of adult Anopheles populations that have fed on IVM-treated mammals. Treating cattle with IVM has been proposed as an important contribution to malaria vector management, however, the impacts of IVM in this One Health use case have been untested in field trials in Southeast Asia. METHODS: Through a randomized village-based trial, this study quantified the effect of IVM-treated cattle on anopheline populations in treated vs. untreated villages in Central Vietnam. Local zebu cattle in six rural villages were included in this study. In three villages, cattle were treated with IVM at established veterinary dosages, and in three additional villages cattle were left as untreated controls. For the main study outcome, the mosquito populations in all villages were sampled using cattle-baited traps for six nights before, and six nights after a 2-day IVM-administration (intervention) period. Anopheline species were characterized using taxonomic keys. The impact of the intervention was analyzed using a difference-in-differences (DID) approach with generalized estimating equations (with negative binomial distribution and robust errors). This intervention was powered to detect a 50% reduction in total nightly Anopheles spp. vector catches from cattle-baited traps. Given the unusual diversity in anopheline populations, exploratory analyses examined taxon-level differences in the ecological population diversity. RESULTS: Across the treated villages, 1,112 of 1,523 censused cows (73% overall; range 67% to 83%) were treated with IVM. In both control and treated villages, there was a 30% to 40% decrease in total anophelines captured in the post-intervention period as compared to the pre-intervention period. In the control villages, there were 1,873 captured pre-intervention and 1,079 captured during the post-intervention period. In the treated villages, there were 1,594 captured pre-intervention, and 1,101 captured during the post-intervention period. The difference in differences model analysis comparing total captures between arms was not statistically significant (p = 0.61). Secondary outcomes of vector population diversity found that in three villages (one control and two treatment) Brillouin's index increased, and in three villages (two control and one treatment) Brillouin's index decreased. When examining biodiversity by trapping-night, there were no clear trends in treated or untreated vector populations. Additionally, there were no clear trends when examining the components of biodiversity: richness and evenness. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of this study to quantify the impacts of IVM treatment was limited due to unexpectedly large spatiotemporal variability in trapping rates; an area-wide decrease in trapping counts across all six villages post-intervention; and potential spillover effects. However, this study provides important data to directly inform future studies in the GMS and beyond for IVM-based vector control.

Exploring optical descriptors for rapid estimation of coastal sediment organic carbon and nearby land-use classifications via machine learning models.

This study utilizes ultraviolet and fluorescence spectroscopic indices of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from sediments, combined with machine learning (ML) models, to develop an optimized predictive model for estimating sediment total organic carbon (TOC) and identifying adjacent land-use types in coastal sediments from the Yellow and Bohai Seas. Our results indicate that ML models surpass traditional regression techniques in estimating TOC and classifying land-use types. Penalized Least Squares Regression (PLR) and Cubist models show exceptional TOC estimation capabilities, with PLR exhibiting the lowest training error and Cubist achieving a correlation coefficient 0.79. In land-use classification, Support Vector Machines achieved 85.6 % accuracy in training and 92.2 % in testing. Maximum fluorescence intensity and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm were crucial factors influencing TOC variations in coastal sediments. This study underscores the efficacy of ML models utilizing DOM optical indices for near real-time estimation of marine sediment TOC and land-use classification.