Noncollinear Electric Dipoles in a Polar Chiral Phase of CsSnBr3 Perovskite.

Polar and chiral crystal symmetries confer a variety of potentially useful functionalities upon solids by coupling otherwise noninteracting mechanical, electronic, optical, and magnetic degrees of freedom. We describe two phases of the 3D perovskite, CsSnBr3, which emerge below 85 K due to the formation of Sn(II) lone pairs and their interaction with extant octahedral tilts. Phase II (77 K < T < 85 K, space group P21/m) exhibits ferroaxial order driven by a noncollinear pattern of lone pair-driven distortions within the plane normal to the unique octahedral tilt axis, preserving the inversion symmetry observed at higher temperatures. Phase I (T < 77 K, space group P21) additionally exhibits ferroelectric order due to distortions along the unique tilt axis, breaking both inversion and mirror symmetries. This polar and chiral phase exhibits second harmonic generation from the bulk and pronounced electrostriction and negative thermal expansion along the polar axis (Q22 ≈ 1.1 m4 C-2; αb = -7.8 × 10-5 K-1) through the onset of polarization. The structures of phases I and II were predicted by recursively following harmonic phonon instabilities to generate a tree of candidate structures and subsequently corroborated by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and polarized Raman and 81Br nuclear quadrupole resonance spectroscopies. Preliminary attempts to suppress unintentional hole doping to allow for ferroelectric switching are described. Together, the polar symmetry, small band gap, large spin-orbit splitting of Sn 5p orbitals, and predicted strain sensitivity of the symmetry-breaking distortions suggest bulk samples and epitaxial films of CsSnBr3 or its neighboring solid solutions as candidates for bulk Rashba effects.

A 3D in vitro model for assessing the influence of intraocular lens: Posterior lens capsule interactions on lens epithelial cell responses.

Posterior Capsule Opacification (PCO), the most frequent complication of cataract surgery, is caused by the infiltration and proliferation of lens epithelial cells (LECs) at the interface between the intraocular lens (IOL) and posterior lens capsule (PLC). According to the "no space, no cells, no PCO" theory, high affinity (or adhesion force) between the IOL and PLC would decrease the IOL: PLC interface space, hinder LEC migration, and thus reduce PCO formation. To test this hypothesis, an in vitro hemisphere-shaped simulated PLC (sPLC) was made to mimic the human IOL: PLC physical interactions and to assess their influence on LEC responses. Three commercially available IOLs with different affinities/adhesion forces toward the sPLC, including Acrylic foldable IOL, Silicone IOL, and PMMA IOL, were used in this investigation. Using the system, the physical interactions between IOLs and sPLC were quantified by measuring the adhesion force and interface space using an adhesion force apparatus and Optical Coherence Tomography, respectively. Our data shows that high adhesion force and tight binding between IOL and sPLC contribute to a small interface space (or "no space"). By introducing LECs into the in vitro system, we found that, with small interface space, among all IOLs, acrylic foldable IOLs permitted the least extent of LEC infiltration, proliferation, and differentiation (or "no cells"). Further statistical analyses using clinical data revealed that weak LEC responses are associated with low clinical PCO incidence rates (or "no PCO"). The findings support that the in vitro system could simulate IOL: PLC interplays and predict IOLs' PCO potential in support of the "no space, no cells, no PCO" hypothesis.

Non-inferiority of progestin-primed ovarian stimulation versus GnRH antagonist protocol: A propensity score-weighted analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) protocol versus the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol in ovarian stimulation. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we included 804 patients who were treated between January 1st, 2022, and July 1st, 2023. Outcomes of ovarian stimulation were compared between the PPOS (n = 206) and GnRH-ant (n = 598). The primary outcome was the number of good cleavage embryos. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were comparable in both groups. In both unadjusted and adjusted analysis, the mean number of good cleavage embryos in PPOS (6.33) was non-inferior to GnRH-ant (6.44; unadjusted ratio of two means 1.02, 95%CI 0.92, 1.13). The trigger-day estradiol level in patients with PPOS was higher than in patients with GnRH-ant (4,420 vs 3,830 pg/ml, respectively) despite similar total follicle stimulating hormone dose and fewer days of ovarian stimulation. The number of oocytes, MII oocytes, cleavage and blastocyst embryos were comparable between the two protocols. After the first transfer of embryos, the clinical pregnancy rate and implantation rate were higher in the PPOS group, while the pregnancy rate and ongoing pregnancy were not significantly different. None of the PPOS patients had an unexpected LH surge, and serum LH levels decreased slightly during ovarian stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: The PPOS protocol with dydrogesterone provided similar embryo outcomes to the GnRH-ant protocol, with notable distinctions in clinical pregnancy and implantation rate. The serum LH concentration during ovarian stimulation using PPOS was well-controlled.

Annona glabra L. Seeds: An Agricultural Waste Biosorbent for the Eco-Friendly Removal of Methylene Blue.

The seeds of Annona glabra L., an invasive plant in Vietnam, were first employed as a new biosorbent for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous media. The characterizations of the material using FT-IR, SEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis, and point of zero charge reveals that it possesses a rough and irregular surface, various polar functional groups, and pHpzc of 5.5. Certain adsorption conditions including adsorbent dose, solution pH, contact time, and initial concentration of MB were found to affect adsorption efficiency. The kinetic data are well fitted with pseudo-second-order model with the adsorption rate of 0.002 g mg-1 min-1 and initial rate of 4.46 mg g-1 min-1. For the adsorption isotherm, three nonlinear models were used to analyze the experiment data, including Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin. The results indicate that the Langmuir model best describes the adsorption of Annona glabra L. seeds powder (AGSP) with a maximum adsorption capacity of 98.0 mg g-1. The investigation underpins the adsorption mechanism, whereby the electrostatic attraction between positively charged MB and negatively charged surface of AGSP is expected to be the predominant mechanism, together with hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interaction. These results make AGSP an interesting biosorbent concerning its environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and relatively high dye adsorption capacity.

Utilization of dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) peel-derived biochar for the adsorptive removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution.

The peel of Hylocereus undatus was employed in the preparation of biochar and firstly applied for tetracycline removal from aqueous solution. Based on different characterization techniques, the material was found to possess a variety of surface functional groups on a porous structure and a pH point of zero charge (pHpzc) of 9.3. Adsorption of tetracycline (TC) was conducted under varying conditions, revealing significant effects of carbonization temperature, solution pH, adsorbent dose, ionic strength, contact time and initial concentration of TC on the biochar adsorption capacity. Kinetic data on TC adsorption were best described using the Elovich kinetic model, with an initial adsorption rate of 167.3 mg g-1 min-1. Isotherm data on adsorption of the desired biochar showed the best fit with the Temkin isotherm model, followed by the Langmuir model, displaying maximum adsorption capacity at 12.4 mg g-1. The electrostatic interactions between the charged biochar surfaces and certain fractions of TC were proposed as the major mechanism, together with H-bonding, pore-filling effect and π-π interaction. This study demonstrates great potential of H. undatus peel as a starting material to prepare an effective and reusable adsorbent in the removal of TC.

Literature is available on a large number of plant-based biochar adsorbents for the removal of antibiotics. However, to the best of our knowledge, no report has been published on applying biochar derived from Hylocereus undatus peel for antibiotics removal. This type of fruit peel is available in massive amounts in Vietnam and is considered as an agricultural solid waste. Therefore, to fill the gap in the literature and to converse this leftover waste into a value-added byproduct, we chose this study to prepare H. undatus peel-derived biochar for the elimination of TC in an aqueous solution.

Automatic Detection of Meniscus Tears Using Backbone Convolutional Neural Networks on Knee MRI.

BACKGROUND: Timely diagnosis of meniscus injuries is key for preventing knee joint dysfunction and improving patient outcomes because it decreases morbidity and facilitates treatment planning. PURPOSE: To train and evaluate a deep learning model for automated detection of meniscus tears on knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). STUDY TYPE: Bicentric retrospective study. SUBJECTS: In total, 584 knee MRI studies, divided among training (n = 234), testing (n = 200), and external validation (n = 150) data sets, were used in this study. The public data set MRNet was used as a second external validation data set to evaluate the performance of the model. SEQUENCE: A 3 T, coronal, and sagittal images from T1-weighted proton density (PD) fast spin-echo (FSE) with fat saturation and T2-weighted FSE with fat saturation sequences. ASSESSMENT: The detection system for meniscus tear was based on the improved YOLOv4 model with Darknet-53 as the backbone. The performance of the model was also compared with that of three radiologists of varying levels of experience. The determination of the presence of a meniscus tear from surgery reports was used as the ground truth for the images. STATISTICAL TESTS: Sensitivity, specificity, prevalence, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy, and receiver operating characteristic curve were used to evaluate the performance of the detection model. Two-way analysis of variance, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Tukey's multiple tests were used to evaluate differences in performance between the model and radiologists. RESULTS: The overall accuracies for detecting meniscus tears using our model on the internal testing, internal validation, and external validation data sets were 95.4%, 95.8%, and 78.8%, respectively. One radiologist had significantly lower performance than our model in detecting meniscal tears (accuracy: 0.9025 ± 0.093 vs. 0.9580 ± 0.025). DATA CONCLUSION: The proposed model had high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting meniscus tears on knee MRIs. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Street-scale dispersion modelling framework of road-traffic derived air pollution in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Traffic is an important source of air pollution in Vietnamese cities. The spatio-temporal variation of air pollution derived from traffic is poorly understood. Application of dispersion modelling can help but is hindered by the local scarcity of suitable input data. This study fills the data gap, by establishing a framework employing open-access global data to model emission from traffic activities in Hanoi. The outlined methodology explicitly defines road sources, calculates their emission, and employs background pollution profiles from Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) to produce street-scale distribution maps for CO, PM10 and PM2.5. Pollution hotspots are found near major traffic flows with the highest hourly average CO, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations at 1206, 87.5 and 61.5 µgm-3, respectively. The relationship between concentrations and properties of the road network is assessed. Motorcycles are the main emitters of the traffic sector. Emission from Heavy Good Vehicles dominate during the night, with contribution percentages increase as it gets further away from the city core. Modelled concentrations are underestimated mainly due to low vehicular emission factor. Adjusting emission factors according to vehicle quality in Vietnam greatly improves agreement. The presence of non-traffic emission sources contributes to the model underestimation. Results for comparisons of daily averaged PM values are broadly in agreement between models and observations; however, diurnal patters are skewed. This results partly from the uncertainties linked with background pollution levels from CAMS, and partly from non-traffic sources which are not accounted for here. Further work is needed to assess the use of CAMS's concentrations in Vietnam. Meteorological input contributes to the temporal disagreement between the model and observations. The impact is most noticeable with CO concentrations during morning traffic rush hours. This study recommends approaches to improve input for future model iterations and encourage applications of dispersion modelling studies in similar economic settings.

In vitro biofilm inhibition efficacy of Aerva lanata flower extract against Gram negative and Gram-positive biofilm forming bacteria and toxicity analysis using Artemia salina.

A biofilm consists of Gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria enclosed in a matrix. Industrial biofouling is caused by biofilms, which can exhibit antimicrobial resistance during infections. Many biofilm studies find that nearly all biofilm communities consist of Gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It is therefore necessary to better understand the conserved themes in biofilm formation to develop therapeutics based on biofilm formation. Plant extracts can effectively combat pathogenic bacterial biofilms. This study evaluated the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of Aerva lanata flower extract against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methanol extract of dried A. lanata flower was tested against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa to determine the antibacterial activity (10, 25, 50, 75, 100 µg/mL) resulted in a maximum of 0.5-1 log reduction and 2 log reduction in comparison to the control or untreated bacterial cells respectively. A. lanata showed maximum biofilm inhibition up to 1.5-fold and 1-fold against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Light microscopic analysis of biofilm treated with A. lanata extract showed efficient distortion of the biofilm matrix. Further, the in vivo analysis of A. lanata in the Artemia salina brine shrimp model showed >50% survival and thus proving the efficacy of A. lanata extract in rescuing the brine shrimps against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus infection.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and their effects on the reproductive health in men.

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are harmful compounds that enter the environment naturally or through anthropogenic activities and disrupt normal endocrine functions in humans, adversely affecting reproductive health. Among the most significant sources of EDC contaminants are the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and packaging industries. EDCs have been identified to have a deteriorating effect on male reproductive system, as evidenced by the increasing number of male infertility cases. A large number of case studies have been published in which men exposed to EDCs experienced testicular cancer, undescended testicles, a decrease in serum testosterone levels, and poor semen quality. Furthermore, epidemiological evidence suggested a link between prenatal EDC exposure and cryptorchidism or undescended testicles, hypospadias, and decreased anogenital distance in infants. The majority of these findings, however, are incongruent due to the lack of long-term follow-up studies that would demonstrate EDCs to be associated with male reproductive disorders. This review aims to provide an overview on recent scientific progress on the association of EDCs to male reproductive health with special emphasis on its toxicity and possible mechanism of EDCs that disrupt male reproductive system.

A review on recent advancements in extraction, removal and recovery of phenols from phenolic wastewater: Challenges and future outlook.

Water pollution is the major problem seen in today's scenario and even pollutants at low concentration harms our environment. In industrial sector usage of phenol is seen even at low concentrations. The interaction of phenol in the environment provides adverse effects to living beings. This review focuses on the toxicity of phenol and its impact towards environment and human health. The treatment techniques such as distillation, extraction, wet air oxidation, membrane process, electrochemical oxidation, biological treatment and finally adsorption techniques were discussed. Among many treatment techniques so far utilized in the treatment of phenol, adsorption was considered as one of the best technique due to its advantages such as reusability, ease in operation, large availability etc., This review also highlights the adsorption technique for the cleaner removal of phenol from aqueous solution with novel as well as low-cost adsorbents in the removal of phenolic compounds. This review also discusses about the drawbacks and issues related with adsorption of phenolic compounds.

Green synthesized Cobalt oxide nanoparticles using Curcuma longa for anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, dye degradation and anti-cancer property.

In the present study, cobalt oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized using the root extract of Curcuma longa in a manner that is both environmentally friendly and economical. Initially, the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using a UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis, in which plasma resonance at 345 nm was observed, which confirmed that CL-Cobalt oxide nanoparticles were synthesized. While FTIR analysis showed a peak at 597.37 cm-1 indicating Co-O stretching vibration. In addition, DLS, SEM and XRD analyses confirmed the synthesis of polydispersed (average size distribution of 97.5 ± 35.1 nm), cubic phase structure, and spherical-shaped CL-Cobalt oxide nanoparticles. CL-Cobalt oxide nanoparticles synthesized from green materials showed antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. CL-Cobalt oxide nanoparticles exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli) and Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus), while CL-Cobalt oxide nanoparticles additionally displayed significant antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger. CL-Cobalt oxide also showed application in a bioremediation perspective by showing strong photocatalytic degradation of methyl red, methyl orange and methyl blue dye. In addition, CL-Cobalt oxide also demonstrated anticancer activity against MDA-MB-468 cancer cell lines with an IC50 value of 150.8 µg/ml. Therefore, this is the first and foremost report on CL-Cobalt oxide nanoparticles synthesized using Curcuma longa showing antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, dye degradation and anticancer applications.

Mint leaves (Mentha arvensis) mediated CaO nanoparticles in dye degradation and their role in anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties.

In ancient times, herbal plants were considered one of the greatest gifts from nature that human beings could receive, and about 80% of these plants have medicinal uses. In traditional medicine, Mentha arvensis, commonly known as mint, has many applications, and in the present study, the mint leaf extract has been used to synthesis nanoparticles using the mint leaf extract as a biosource for the extraction of nanoparticles. In addition to having a wide range of applications in various fields, calcium oxide (CaO) nanoparticles are also considered to be safe for human use. In order to assess the characteristics of the abstracted CaO nanoparticles, UV-visible absorption spectrophotometers, Fourier Transform Infrared spectrophotometers (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEMs), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and X-ray Diffraction Spectrophotometers (XRDs) were used. By conducting a protein denaturation assay and nitric oxide scavenging assay, mint leaf mediated CaO nanoparticles were evaluated for their therapeutic applications. MTT assays were used to prove that the CaO nanoparticles mediated by mint leaf had anti-cancer properties. By examining the ability of mint leaf mediated CaO nanoparticles to degrade various dyes such as methyl red, methyl orange, and methylene blue, which are the most used azo dyes in textile industries resulting in water contamination, the ability of these nanoparticles to act as a photocatalytic agent was examined.

Advanced oxidation process (AOP) combined biological process for wastewater treatment: A review on advancements, feasibility and practicability of combined techniques.

Complexity of wastewater is the most challenging phenomenon on successful degradation of pollutant via any wastewater treatment regime. Upon availability of numerous techniques, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) is the most promising technique for treating industrial wastewater. Higher operating cost is the most promising factor that possess challenge for the industrial scale usage of the AOP process. Combination of biological process with AOP helps in achieving sustainable degradation of toxic pollutant in the wastewater. AOP result in complete or partial degradation of toxic emerging pollutants with the help of free radicals like hydroxyl, superoxide, hydroperoxyl and sulphate radicals. In addition to this the presence of bio-enzymes and microorganisms helps in sustainable degradation of pollutant in an economical and environmentally friendly strategy. In this review, a detailed discussion was conducted on various AOP, focusing on catalytic ozonation, electrochemical oxidation, Sono chemical and photocatalytic processes. With the need for sustainable solutions for wastewater treatment, the use of AOP in conjunction with biological process has innumerous opportunities for not only wastewater treatment but also the production of high value by-products. Further, the effect of AOP combined biological processes needs to be analyzed in real time for the different concentration of industrial wastewater and their benefits needs to be explored in future towards achieving SDGs.

A Comparison of a Conventional Chemical Coagulant and a Natural Coagulant Derived from Cassia fistula Seeds for the Removal of Heavy Metal Ions.

Cassia fistula seed-derived coagulant has been reported to exhibit high coagulating-flocculating activity, environmental friendliness, and cost-effectiveness for the wastewater treatment, especially of textile wastewater. For heavy metal removal, however, research focusing on evaluating the feasibility of this material is still limited. Therefore, this study reports jar-test experiments in which the Zn2+ and Ni2+ removal efficiency of C. fistula coagulant was assessed. Moreover, a comparison of coagulation performance using a conventional chemical coagulant and the natural coagulant was performed. Characterization of the C. fistula seed-derived coagulant revealed the presence of important functional groups and fibrous networks with rough surfaces. A bench-scale study indicated that the coagulation performance of the two coagulants depends strongly on the initial concentration of metal ions, pH level, and coagulant dosage. The C. fistula seed-derived coagulant was found to possess higher removal efficiency than polyaluminum chloride. This natural coagulant removed over 80% of metal ions at the optimal conditions of pH 5.0, a metal ion concentration of 25 ppm, and a dosage of 0.8 and 1.6 g/L for Zn2+ and Ni2+, respectively. This study shows that C. fistula seed-derived coagulant is a potential alternative to chemical coagulants and could be developed to provide an environmentally friendly, economical, and efficient wastewater treatment.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibition studies of alkaloid components from Crinum asiaticum var. sinicum: in vitro assessments by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations.

Alkaloids are among the most important and best-known secondary metabolites as sources of new drugs from medicinal plants and marine organisms. A phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Crinum asiaticum var. sinicum resulted in the isolation of seven alkaloids (1-7), including one new dimeric compound, bis-(-)-8-demethylmaritidine (1). Their structures were elucidated using NMR and HR-ESI-MS. The absolute configuration of new compound 1 was established by circular dichroism spectroscopy. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in vitro. Among them, compound 1 exhibited the most potent AChE inhibition. Moreover, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were carried out for the most active compound to investigate their binding interactions and dynamics behavior of the AChE protein-ligand complex. Therefore, compound 1 may be a potential candidate for effectively treating Alzheimer's disease.

Process intensification approaches in wastewater and sludge treatment for the removal of pollutants.

Process Intensification (PI) is the modification or integration of conventional or novel processes within a single unit operation in order to improve product quality and reduce waste. PI offers numerous advantages, including a reduction in the initial and operational costs, an improvement in product quality/quantity, the generation of less waste, and an increase in process safety. The synergistic effect of PI in comparison to the conventional procedure ensures maximizing resource efficiency. PI can be accomplished in two ways: either by integrating various processes or by modifying the design of equipment to improve operational efficiency. In this regard, the present review provides a comprehensive insight into the application of PI in wastewater and sludge treatment methods and discusses the operational advantages. This review provides a comprehensive list of different PI approaches applied in wastewater and sludge treatment to remove pollutants and the various equipment, techniques and reactors used in PI. The second section addresses the challenges of PI in wastewater treatment that removes dyes, pesticides, organic and inorganic pollutants, micro- and nano-plastics, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceutical and personal care pollutants.

A time-dependent survival analysis for early prognosis of chronic wounds by monitoring wound alkalinity.

The objective is to determine whether monitoring wound alkalinity between visits may help prognosticate chronic wound healing. The alkalinity of 167 wounds during the first 3 visits was assessed using disposable DETEC® pH. Wounds grouped by frequency of alkaline results were compared by % wound size reduction during each visit and 120-day healing probability. The Cox proportional hazards model for time-dependent variables was used to generate non-healing probability curves, where variables are binary (alkaline/non-alkaline, infection/no infection), categorical (wound type), and continuous (wound area); the response is time to complete wound healing; and the event of interest is complete wound healing in 120 days. Results show that wounds with frequent alkaline results have significantly smaller % size reduction per visit. Logistic regression shows an increase in 120-day healing probability with fewer alkaline results. Survival analysis shows that the instantaneous healing rate of non-alkaline or non-alkaline transitioning wounds is 1.785, 2.925, and 5.908 times that of alkaline or alkaline-transitioning wounds for 1, 2, and 3 alkalinity measurements, respectively. Furthermore, the concordance statistic of each survival model shows that goodness of fit increases with more alkalinity measurements. Overall, frequent wound alkalinity assessments may serve as a novel way to prognosticate wound healing outcomes.

Influences of anthropogenic activities on water quality in the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City.

Water quality for the surface water along the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City was assessed for four groups of water samples collected at the agricultural, industrial, residential, and less impacted areas. A variety of parameters indicating water quality including physicochemical parameters, nutrients, heavy metals, and antibiotic residues were measured for both the rainy and dry seasons, two main tropical seasons in HCM City using the standard methods. The results showed that the river water in the rainy season was detected with significantly higher values of turbidity, BOD5, PO4-P, NH4-N, NO3-N; and lower values of pH, temperature, conductivity, DO, salinity, Cu, Zn, As, Ni, Hg compared to that in the dry season. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim were highly detected in the industrial areas compared to the agricultural and residential areas. Multivariate analyses suggested that the industrial and residential activities were more important contributors to the pollution of the Saigon River than the agricultural activities in HCM City.

First report of foodborne botulism due to Clostridium botulinum type A(B) from vegetarian home-canned pate in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Even one case of foodborne botulism constitutes a public health emergency. We report a series of cases with delayed treatment due to delayed diagnosis. Clostridium botulinum type A(B) was isolated from vegetarian home-canned pate, but not from stool samples. These are the first recorded cases of foodborne botulism in Hanoi.

Genetic landscape of recessive diseases in the Vietnamese population from large-scale clinical exome sequencing.

Accurate profiling of population-specific recessive diseases is essential for the design of cost-effective carrier screening programs. However, minority populations and ethnic groups, including Vietnamese, are still underrepresented in existing genetic studies. Here, we reported the first comprehensive study of recessive diseases in the Vietnamese population. Clinical exome sequencing data of 4503 disease-associated genes obtained from a cohort of 985 Vietnamese individuals was analyzed to identify pathogenic variants, associated diseases and their carrier frequencies in the population. A total of 118 recessive diseases associated with 164 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified, among which 28 diseases had carrier frequencies of at least 1% (1 in 100 individuals). Three diseases were prevalent in the Vietnamese population with carrier frequencies of 2-12 times higher than in the world populations, including beta-thalassemia (1 in 23), citrin deficiency (1 in 31), and phenylketonuria (1 in 40). Seven novel pathogenic and two likely pathogenic variants associated with nine recessive diseases were discovered. The comprehensive profile of recessive diseases identified in this study enables the design of cost-effective carrier screening programs specific to the Vietnamese population.