promSEMBLE: Hard Pattern Mining and Ensemble Learning for Detecting DNA Promoter Sequences.

Accurate identification of DNA promoter sequences is of crucial importance in unraveling the underlying mechanisms that regulate gene transcription. Initiation of transcription is controlled through regulatory transcription factors binding to promoter core regions in the DNA sequence. Detection of promoter regions is necessary if we are to build genetic regulatory networks for biomedical and clinical applications, and for identification of rarely expressed genes. We propose a novel ensemble learning technique using deep recurrent neural networks with convolutional feature extraction and hard negative pattern mining to detect several types of promoter sequences, including promoter sequences with the TATA-box and without the TATA-box, within DNA sequences of four different species. Using extensive independent tests and previously published results, we demonstrate that our method sets a new state-of-the-art of over 98% Matthews correlation coefficient in all eight organism categories for recognizing the stretch of base pairs that code for the promoter region within DNA sequences.

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.

Desmodinosides A-E: New Flavonoid C-glycosides from Desmodium heterocarpon var. stigosum with hepatoprotective and antifungal activity.

Five new flavonoid C-glycosides named desmodinosides A-E (1-5) and one known compound, apigenin 6-C-ß-d-xylopyranosyl-2''-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (6) have been isolated from the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Desmodium heterocarpon var. stigosum. These compounds were determined by 1D and 2D-NMR and HR-MS spectroscopies. The methanol extract of this plant, in particular, demonstrated hepatoprotection and antifungal inhibition. This extract has a remarkable hepatoprotection and activity-dose response with an EC50 of 43.07 µg/mL. The hepatoprotective effect on human liver hepatoma cells (HepG2) of the isolated flavonoid C-glycosides 1-6 was observed. Desmodinosides A-C (1-3) were found to exhibit moderate hepatoprotective activity on HepG2 cells. Of these, compound 2 showed the best hepatoprotective activity with an EC50 value of 74.12 µg/mL. While compounds 1 and 3 displayed EC50 values of 271.21 and 211.99 µg/mL, respectively. Quercetin, a positive control, also caused an EC50 value of 36.42 µg/mL. In addition to having hepatoprotective effect, the methanol extract had an inhibitory effect on the growth of oomycete; it inhibited Phytophthora infestans with IC50 of 13.3 µg/mL and IC90 of 78.7 µg/mL. The oomycete inhibition was directly attributed to compounds 5 and 6, which significantly inhibited P. infestans with IC50 values of 27.4 and 24.7 µg/mL, respectively. Both 5 and 6 and methanol extract were active against P. infestanse in a dose-dependent manner. Our study demonstrated for the first time the new flavonoid C-glycosides from D. heterocarpon var. stigosum and their novel pharmacological properties. The study findings also suggest the plant extract and its metabolites could be used as a new botanical source of bioactive compounds.

PCMW2D and 2D Raman correlation spectroscopy evidence for presence of spin-phonon coupling in hexagonal LuMnO3.

Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) and perturbation-correlation moving window two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (PCMW2D) analysis are performed on the temperature-dependent Raman spectra of hexagonal LuMnO3 single crystal. Under the resonance with the on-site Mn d-d transitions, the correlation between the phonons which are relate to the vibration of Mn ions' bonds and spin-excitation peaks suggest a strong spin-phonon coupling in LuMnO3. The PCMW2D results clearly show that the significant change in phonons and spin-excitation peaks occurs around the Néel temperature and the spin reorientation transition. The multiple components in the broad spin-excitation peaks also suggest variations in spin symmetries in the ground state. Furthermore, we propose that the 2D-COS and PCMW2D Raman correlation spectroscopies provide a simple and powerful method for investigating the couplings and the transitions, which would be very important for understanding systematically the magnetoelectric properties of multiferroic materials.

Durian Shell-Mediated Simple Green Synthesis of Nanocopper against Plant Pathogenic Fungi.

The synthesis of fungicides in eco-friendly and cost-effective ways is significantly essential for agriculture. Plant pathogenic fungi cause many ecological and economic issues worldwide, which must be treated with effective fungicides. Here, this study proposes the biosynthesis of fungicides, which combines copper and Cu2O nanoparticles (Cu/Cu2O) synthesized using durian shell (DS) extract as a reducing agent in aqueous media. Sugar and polyphenol compounds contained in DS, as the main phytochemicals acting in the reduction procedure, were extracted under different temperatures and duration conditions to obtain the highest yields. We confirmed the extraction process performed at 70 °C for 60 min to be the most effective in extracting sugar (6.1 g/L) and polyphenols (22.7 mg/L). We determined the suitable conditions for Cu/Cu2O synthesis using a DS extract as a reducing agent for a synthesis time of 90 min, a volume ratio of DR extract/Cu2+ of 15:35, an initial pH solution of 10, a synthesis temperature of 70 °C, and a CuSO4 concentration of 10 mM. The characterization results of as-prepared Cu/Cu2O NP showed a highly crystalline structure of Cu2O and Cu with sizes estimated in the range of 40-25 nm and 25-30 nm, respectively. Through in vitro experiments, the antifungal efficacy of Cu/Cu2O against Corynespora cassiicola and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum was investigated by the inhibition zone. The green-synthesized Cu/Cu2O nanocomposites, which are potential antifungals against plant pathogens, exhibited excellent antifungal efficacy against both Corynespora cassiicola (MIC = 0.25 g/L, the diameter of the inhibition zone was 22.00 ± 0.52 mm) and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (MIC = 0.0625 g/L, the diameter of the inhibition zone was 18.00 ± 0.58 mm). Cu/Cu2O nanocomosites prepared in this study could be a valuable suggestion for the control of plant pathogenic fungi affecting crop species globally.

Regulation of Off-track bidirectional signaling by Semaphorin-1a and Wnt signaling in the Drosophila motor axon guidance.

Off-track receptor tyrosine kinase (OTK) has been shown to play an important role in the Drosophila motor axon pathfinding. The results of biochemical and genetic interactions previously suggested that OTK acts as a component of Semaphorin-1a/Plexin A (Sema-1a/PlexA) signaling during embryonic motor axon guidance and further showed that OTK binds to Wnt family members Wnt2 and Wnt4 and their common receptor Frizzled (Fz). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the motor axon guidance function of OTK remain elusive. Here, we conclude that OTK mediates the forward and reverse signaling required for intersegmental nerve b (ISNb) motor axon pathfinding and we also demonstrate that the loss of two copies of Sema-1a synergistically enhances the bypass phenotype observed in otk mutants. Furthermore, the amorphic wnt2 mutation resulted in increased premature branching phenotypes, and the loss of fz function caused a frequent inability of ISNb motor axons to defasciculate at specific choice points. Consistent with a previous study, wnt4 mutant axons were often defective in recognizing target muscles. Interestingly, the bypass phenotype of otk mutants was robustly suppressed by loss of function mutations in wnt2, wnt4, or fz. In contrast, total ISNb defects of otk were increased by the loss-of-function alleles in wnt2 and wnt4, but not fz. These findings indicate that OTK may participate in the crosstalk between the Sema-1a/PlexA and Wnt signaling pathways, thereby contributing to ISNb motor axon pathfinding and target recognition.

Use of Septal Cartilage in Rhinoplasty to Correct Nasal Deformity After Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery.

Background: The most common facial defect is the congenital cleft lip (CL), which can occur with or without a cleft palate (CP). Patients need primary plastic surgery for rehabilitation and esthetics; nevertheless, secondary abnormalities of the lip and nose may develop after primary surgery. These deformities are complex and involve all tissue layers, including the skeletal platform, inner lining, osseocartilaginous structure, and overlying skin. This study evaluated the results of nasal deformity rhinoplasty using septal cartilage in patients with nasal deformities after plastic surgery for unilateral CL and CP. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 21 patients with secondary unilateral CL nasal deformity between June 2015 and August 2016. All patients underwent rhinoplasty with the use of septal cartilage grafts. Pre- and post-operative nasal forms were measured. Results: The patients had cosmetic problems and impaired nasal airflow due to distorted anatomy. The postoperative nasal forms were improved in all patients. Rhinoplasty using septal cartilage effectively increased the height of the columella and nose and improved the balance of the base width and the length of both sides of the nose. Excellent results were achieved in 18 patients. Three patients showed good results. No patient showed a fair result. Conclusion: This study demonstrated an effective correction of esthetic deformities and significant improvement in airway patency. A long-term longitudinal study is still required to evaluate the influence of septal cartilage harvesting on face and nasal development until children reach their late teens.

Formulation and characterization of hydroxyethyl cellulose-based gel containing metronidazole-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles for buccal mucosal drug delivery.

Local delivery of drug is a promising strategy to manage periodontitis characterized by chronic inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding the teeth. An optimized system should prolong the drug retention time and exhibit controlled drug permeation through the buccal mucosal layer. This study was aimed to develop hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC)-based gel containing metronidazole (MTZ) loaded in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and to enhance the antimicrobial activity of MTZ. SLNs were prepared using a combination method of solvent evaporation and hot homogenization. The results showed that the fabricated SLNs, comprising of Precirol (2.93%, w/v), Tween 80 (1.8%, w/v), and the drug:lipid ratio of 19.3% (w/w), were approximately 200 nm in size, with a narrow distribution. The HEC (3%, w/w)-based gel formed a smooth, homogeneous structure and had preferable mechanical and rheological properties. Moreover, the MTZ-loaded SLNs-based HEC gel (equivalent to 1% of MTZ, w/w) exhibited a sustained in vitro drug release pattern, optimal ex vivo permeability, and enhanced in vitro antimicrobial activity after 24 h of treatment. These findings indicate the potential of the MTZ-loaded SLNs-based HEC formulation for local drug delivery at the buccal mucosa in managing periodontal disease.

Availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines: A cross-sectional survey in Hanam province, Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: To measure medicines' prices, availability, and affordability in Hanam, Vietnam. METHODS: The standardized methodology developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International was used to survey 30 essential medicines (EMs) in 30 public health facilities and 35 private medicine outlets in 2020. The availability of medicine was computed as the percentage of health facilities in which this medicine was found on the data-collection day. International reference prices (IRPs) from Management Sciences for Health (2015) were used to compute Median Price Ratio (MPR). The affordability of treatments for common diseases was computed as the number of days' wages of the lowest-paid unskilled government worker needed to purchase medicines prescribed at a standard dose. Statistic analysis was done using R software version 4.1.1. RESULTS: The mean availability of originator brands (OBs) and lowest-priced generics (LPGs) was 0.7%, 63.2% in the public sector, and 13.7%, 47.9% in the private sector, respectively. In private medicine outlets, the mean availability of both OBs and LPGs in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural areas (p = 0.0013 and 0.0306, respectively). In the public sector, LPGs' prices were nearly equal to their IRPs (median MPRs = 0.95). In the private medicine outlets, OBs were generally sold at 6.24 times their IRPs while this figure for LPGs was 1.65. The affordability of LPGs in both sectors was good for all conditions, with standard treatments costing a day's wage or less. CONCLUSION: In both sectors, generic medicines were the predominant product type available. The availability of EMs was fairly high but still lower than WHO's benchmark. A national-scale study should be conducted to provide a comprehensive picture of the availability, prices, and affordability of EMs, thereby helping the government to identify the urgent priorities and improving access to EMs in Vietnam.

Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-negative Bacteria Carriage in Healthcare Workers Working in an Intensive Care Unit.

Little is known about antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) intestinal carriage among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Vietnam. All HCWs at a tertiary intensive care units were asked to undertake weekly rectal swabs. Among 40 participants, 65% (26/40) carried extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBL)/AmpC ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Two HCWs colonized with ESBL/AmpC ß-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. One HCW colonized with Acinetobacter baumannii. No one carried Pseudomonas spp.. A quarter (10/40) of HCWs were identified as persistent and frequent carriers. There is an urgent need to screen antibiotic-resistant GNB among HCWs and improve HCWs' hand hygiene compliance to reduce the transmission of antibiotic-resistant GNB in the hospital.

Access to essential medicines for children: a cross-sectional survey measuring medicine prices, availability and affordability in Hanam province, Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines for children (cEMs) in Hanam province, Vietnam. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: One city and five districts of Hanam province. PARTICIPANTS: 66 public health facilities and 66 private drugstores. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The standardised methodology of the WHO and Health Action International was used to investigate 30 paediatric essential medicines. For each medicine, data were collected for two products: the lowest-priced medicine (LPM) and the highest-priced medicine (HPM). The availability of medicine was computed as the percentage of facilities in which this medicine was found on the day of data collection. Median prices of individual medicines were reported in local currency. Affordability was calculated as the number of days' wages required for the lowest-paid unskilled government worker to purchase standard treatments for common diseases. Data were analysed using R software V.4.1.0. RESULTS: The mean availability of LPMs in the private sector (33.2%, SD=38.0%) was higher than that in the public sector (24.9%, SD=39.4%) (p<0.05). The mean availability of HPMs was extremely low in both sectors (11.3% and 5.8%, respectively). The mean availability of cEMs in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural areas (36.5% and 31.6%, respectively, p<0.05). In the public sector, the prices of LPMs were nearly equal to the international reference prices (IRPs). In the private sector, LPMs were generally sold at 4.06 times their IRPs. However, in both sectors, the affordability of LPMs was reasonable for most conditions as standard treatments only cost a day's wage or less. CONCLUSION: The low availability was the main reason hindering access to cEMs in Hanam, especially in the countryside. A national study on cEMs should be conducted, and some practical policies should be promulgated to enhance access to cEMs.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of community pharmacists regarding COVID-19: A paper-based survey in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: To survey the knowledge, attitude, and practices of Vietnamese pharmacists regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: This cross-sectional, paper-based study was conducted from June to August 2020. A validated questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84) was used to interview 1,023 pharmacists in nine provinces of Vietnam. Analysis of covariance was employed to identify factors associated with the knowledge of pharmacists. The best model was chosen by using the Bayesian Model Averaging method in R software version 4.0.4. RESULTS: The mean knowledge score was 12.02 ± 1.64 (range: 6-15), which indicated that 93.4% of pharmacists had good knowledge of COVID-19. There was no difference in the average score between males and females (p > 0.05). The multivariate linear regression model revealed that the knowledge was significantly associated with pharmacists' age, education level, and residence (p < 0.001). About attitude and practices, pharmacists daily sought and updated information on the COVID-19 pandemic through mass media and the internet (social network and online newspapers). Nearly 48% of them conceded that they communicated with customers when at least one person did not wear a face mask at the time of the COVID-19 outbreak. At medicine outlets, many measures were applied to protect pharmacists and customers, such as equipping pharmacists with face masks and hand sanitizers (95.0%), using glass shields (83.0%), and maintaining at least one-meter distance between two people (85.2%). CONCLUSION: The pharmacists' knowledge of COVID-19 transmission, symptoms, and prevention was good. Many useful measures against the spread of this perilous virus were applied in medicine outlets. However, pharmacists should restrict forgetting to wear face masks in communication with medicine purchasers. The government and health agencies should have practical remedies to reduce the significant differences in the COVID-19 knowledge of pharmacists among provinces and education-level groups.

Cleft Lip/Nasal Deformities After Plastic Surgery for Unilateral Cleft Lip/Palate: A Prospective Study at a Large Hospital in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, is the most common deformity of the face. Primary plastic surgery for rehabilitation and esthetics is important for patients and their parents; however, secondary deformities of the lip and nose can occur after the primary surgery. Therefore, we performed assessment of secondary cleft lip/nasal deformities to aid in planning of surgical repair of these deformities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients with unilateral cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, were operated with different techniques and examined post-surgery at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital and Center of Odonto-Stomatology, Hue Central Hospital. They were assessed according to Motier's post-operative evaluation scale (1997), including the red lip, white lip, scars, and nose. RESULTS: V notch and defect on the shift line were the most common deformities on the red lip (52.2%). About 34.8% of the patients had a short white lip on the cleft side. Straight and prominent scars were observed in 52.2% of the patients. The most common deformities of the nose were septal deviation (78.3%), followed by defects in the upper part of the nostril contour (78.3%), narrow sill (52.2%), and low position of the ala (47.8%). CONCLUSION: Secondary cleft lip/nasal deformities are unavoidable. It is necessary to develop a plan for surgical repair of these deformities. There is no single method of cleft lip surgery that gives perfect results. Therefore, clinicians choose a combination of methods to bring optimal results for each patient.

The Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Toxigenic Clostridium tetani Infection: A Case-Control Study.

Tetanus arises from wound contamination with Clostridium tetani, but approximately one fifth of patients have no discernable entry wound. Clostridium tetani is culturable from animal feces, suggesting the gastrointestinal tract could be an endogenous reservoir or direct-entry portal, but human data are lacking. In this study of 101 Vietnamese adults with tetanus and 29 hospitalized control subjects, admission stool samples were cultured for C. tetani. Anti-tetanus toxin antibodies were measured by ELISA. Clostridium tetani toxigenicity was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Toxigenic C. tetani was cultured from stool samples in 50 of 100 (50%) tetanus cases and 12 of 28 (42.9%) control subjects (P = 0.50), and stool samples of 44 of 85 (52.4%) tetanus cases with clinically identified wounds compared with 6 of 15 (47.6%) patients without clinically identified wounds (P = 0.28). Nine of 12 (75%) control subjects with toxigenic C. tetani in their stool samples lacked protective antibody concentrations. These findings fail to show evidence of an association between gastrointestinal C. tetani and tetanus infection, but emphasize the importance of increasing vaccination coverage.

Temporalis Muscle Flap for the Immediate Reconstruction of Oral Defects after Oncologic Resection.

An oral defect after oncologic resection, especially in the upper jaw, is an extremely complex problem in terms of reconstructive surgery. Herein, we report 2 patients who were diagnosed with oral mucosal squamous cell carcinoma. In one patient, the lesion was present on the right side of the hard palate, invading the maxillary bone. In the other patient, the lesion was present in the left retromolar trigone region. Reconstruction of the postsurgical defects was successfully done using a temporalis muscle flap. Both patients were discharged after ensuring the absence of any postsurgical complications. Furthermore, the postoperative functional and esthetic outcomes were adequate. These case reports highlight the usefulness and reliability of a temporalis muscle flap for the immediate reconstruction of oral and maxillary defects after oncologic resection.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results from 13 hospitals in Viet Nam: VINARES 2016-2017.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse data from 2016-17 from a hospital-based antimicrobial resistance surveillance with national coverage in a network of hospitals Viet Nam. METHODS: We analysed data from 13 hospitals, 3 less than the dataset from the 2012-13 period. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing data from the clinical microbiology laboratories from samples sent in for routine diagnostics were used. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2018 guidelines were used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing interpretation. WHONET was used for data entry, management and analysis. RESULTS: 42,553 deduplicated isolates were included in this analysis; including 30,222 (71%) Gram-negative and 12,331 (29%) Gram-positive bacteria. 8,793 (21%) were from ICUs and 7,439 (18%) isolates were from invasive infections. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the most frequently detected species with 9,092 (21%) and 4,833 isolates (11%), respectively; followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (3,858 isolates - 9.1%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (3,870 isolates - 9%). Bacteria were mainly isolated from sputum (8,798 isolates - 21%), blood (7,118 isolates - 17%) and urine (5,202 isolates - 12%). Among Gram-positives 3,302/4,515 isolates (73%) of S. aureus were MRSA; 99/290 (34%) of Enterococcus faecium were resistant to vancomycin; and 58% (663/1,136) of Streptococcus pneumoniae proportion were reduced susceptible to penicillin. Among Gram-negatives 59% (4,085/6,953) and 40% (1,186/2,958) of E. coli and K. pneumoniae produced ESBL and 29% (376/1,298) and 11% (961/8,830) were resistant to carbapenems, respectively. 79% (2855/3622) and 45% (1,514/3,376) of Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were carbapenem resistant, respectively. 88% (804/911) of Haemophilus influenzae were ampicillin resistant and 18/253 (7%) of Salmonella spp. and 7/46 (15%) of Shigella spp. were resistant to fluoroquinolones. The number of isolates from which data were submitted in the 2016-2017 period was twice as high as in 2012-2013. AMR proportions were higher in 2016-2017 for most pathogen-antimicrobial combinations of interest including imipenem-resistant A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa and Enterobacterales. CONCLUSIONS: The data show alarmingly high and increasing resistant proportions among important organisms in Viet Nam. AMR proportions varied across hospital types and should be interpreted with caution because existing sampling bias and missing information on whether isolates were community or hospital acquired. Affordable and scalable ways to adopt a sample- or case-based approach across the network should be explored and clinical data should be integrated to help provide more accurate inferences of the surveillance data.

Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae causes infections in a Vietnamese intensive care unit.

Pre-existing colonization with Staphylococcus aureus or Klebsiella pneumoniae has been found to increase the risk of infection in intensive care patients. We previously conducted a longitudinal study to characterize colonization of these two organisms in patients admitted to intensive care in a hospital in southern Vietnam. Here, using genomic and phylogenetic analyses, we aimed to assess the contribution these colonizing organisms made to infections. We found that in the majority of patients infected with S. aureus or K. pneumoniae, the sequence type of the disease-causing (infecting) isolate was identical to that of corresponding colonizing organisms in the respective patient. Further in-depth analysis revealed that in patients infected by S. aureus ST188 and by K. pneumoniae ST17, ST23, ST25 and ST86, the infecting isolate was closely related to and exhibited limited genetic variation relative to pre-infection colonizing isolates. Multidrug-resistant S. aureus ST188 was identified as the predominant agent of colonization and infection. Colonization and infection by K. pneumoniae were characterized by organisms with limited antimicrobial resistance profiles but extensive repertoires of virulence genes. Our findings augment the understanding of the link between bacterial colonization and infection in a low-resource setting, and could facilitate the development of novel evidence-based approaches to prevent and treat infections in high-risk patients in intensive care.

Experimental and numerical simulation on dynamics of a moored semi-submersible in various wave directions.

A moored floating platform has great potential in ocean engineering applications because the mooring system is necessary to keep a floating platform in the station. It relates directly to operational efficiency and safety of a floating platform. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the dynamics of a moored semi-submersible in waves by performing model test and numerical simulation. First, a three-dimensional panel method was used to estimate the motion of a moored semi-submersible in waves. A semi-submersible is modelled as a rigid body with six degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) motion. Dynamic response analysis of a semi-submersible is performed in regular wave and irregular wave. Second, the model test is performed in various wave directions. An Optical-based system is used to measure 6DOF motion of a semi-submersible. Numerical results are compared with the experimental results in various wave directions. Wavelength and wave direction showed significant effects on the motion response of a semi-submersible in regular wave. Third, to obtain a better understanding of response frequencies, the time histories of motion responses in irregular wave are converted from the time domain to the frequency domain. Effects of the wave frequency component on motion responses and mooring dynamics are analyzed. Motion spectrum in irregular wave has a strong response to the natural frequency of a moored semi-submersible and the peak of wave frequency. Finally, exceedance probability is estimated to predict probable extreme values of motion responses of a moored semi-submersible as well as mooring dynamics.

New triterpene sulfates from Vietnamese red alga Tricleocarpa fragilis and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

Three new compounds (methyl-3ß,25-dihydroxycycloart-23-en-29-oate 3-sulfate (1), methyl-3ß-hydroxy-25-methoxycycloart-23-en-29-oate 3-sulfate (2) and 3ß-hydroxy-25-methoxycycloart-23-ene 3-sulfate (3)) and a known one (3ß-hydroxycycloart-24-en-23-one 3-sulfate (4)) were isolated from Vietnamese red alga Tricleocarpa fragilis. All isolated compounds 1-4 showed potent inhibitory activity against yeast α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 16.62 ± 2.80, 36.34 ± 4.04, 30.19 ± 5.01 and 6.52 ± 0.17 µM, respectively. The docking data showed that the substitutions at C-3 and the differences in the side chain of cycloartane-skeleton could influence the interaction of molecule with enzyme, which was consistent with the experimental findings.[Formula: see text].

Fe-Doped g-C3N4: High-Performance Photocatalysts in Rhodamine B Decomposition.

Herein, Fe-doped C3N4 high-performance photocatalysts, synthesized by a facile and cost effective heat stirring method, were investigated systematically using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurement, X-ray photoelectron (XPS), UV-Vis diffusion reflectance (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The results showed that Fe ions incorporated into a g-C3N4 nanosheet in both +3 and +2 oxidation states and in interstitial configuration. Absorption edge shifted slightly toward the red light along with an increase of absorbance in the wavelength range of 430-570 nm. Specific surface area increased with the incorporation of Fe into g-C3N4 lattice, reaching the highest value at the sample doped with 7 mol% Fe (FeCN7). A sharp decrease in PL intensity with increasing Fe content is an indirect evidence showing that electron-hole pair recombination rate decreased. Interestingly, Fe-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets present a superior photocatalytic activity compared to pure g-C3N4 in decomposing RhB solution. FeCN7 sample exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency, decomposing almost completely RhB 10 ppm solution after 30 min of xenon lamp illumination with a reaction rate approximately ten times greater than that of pure g-C3N4 nanosheet. This is in an agreement with the BET measurement and photoluminescence result which shows that FeCN7 possesses the largest specific surface area and low electron-hole recombination rate. The mechanism of photocatalytic enhancement is mainly explained through the charge transfer processes related to Fe2+/Fe3+ impurity in g-C3N4 crystal lattice.