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Huong Tu Lam,1 Thang Dinh Nguyen,2 Hoang Huu Bui,1 Thong Duy Vo1,3 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Department of Gastroenterology, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Department of Gastroenterology, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamCorrespondence: Thong Duy Vo, Department of Gastroenterology, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, 215 Hong Bang, Ward 11, Dis. 5, Ho Chi Minh City, 72714, Vietnam, Tel +84 932039888, Email thong.vd@umc.edu.vnIntroduction: The Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥ 2, in-Hospital onset, Albumin < 2.5 g/dL, altered Mental status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance status ≥ 2, Steroid use (CHAMPS) score is a novel and promising prognostic tool. We present an initial external validation of the CHAMPS score for predicting mortality in acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) across multiple clinical outcomes.Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on adult patients with NVUGIB admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology between November 2022 and June 2023. The CHAMPS score performance in predicting in-hospital outcomes was evaluated by employing area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves, followed by a comparative analysis with five pre-existing scores.Results: A total of 140 patients were included in the study. The CHAMPS score showed its highest performance in predicting mortality rates (AUROC = 0.89), significantly outperforming the Glasgow-Blatchford Bleeding Score (GBS) as well as the Albumin level < 3.0 mg/dL, International normalized ratio > 1.5, altered Mental status, Systolic blood pressure ≤ 90 mmHg, and age > 65 years (AIMS65) score (AUROC = 0.72 and 0.71, respectively; all p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis for bleeding-related and non-bleeding-related mortality further confirmed the robust predictive capability of the CHAMPS score (AUROC = 0.88 and 0.87, respectively). The CHAMPS score failed to predict rebleeding and intervention reliably, exhibiting AUROC values of 0.43 and 0.55, respectively. The optimal CHAMPS score cutoff value for predicting mortality was 3 points, achieving 100% sensitivity and 71.2% specificity. In the low-risk category defined by both CHAMPS and GBS scores, mortality and rebleeding rates were 0%. However, within the CHAMPS score-based low-risk group, 58.8% required intervention, contrasting with a 0% intervention rate for the GBS score-based low-risk group (GBS score ≤ 1).Conclusion: The CHAMPS score consistently demonstrated a robust predictive performance for mortality (AUROC > 0.8), facilitating the identification of high-risk patients requiring aggressive treatment and low-risk patients in need of localized treatment or safe discharge after successful bleeding control.Keywords: non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, CHAMPS, mortality prediction, risk scores, GBS

The climate within 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces plays a key role in shaping the experiences of diverse individuals who frequent them. Yet, the nature and effects of such spaces remain under-researched. In a mixed methods study, 548 diverse individuals completed a survey, and 22 respondents participated in a follow-up interview. Latent profile analysis of the quantitative data revealed three distinct typologies characterizing the climate of 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces: contentious, ambivalent, and welcoming. Notably, the contentious climate was linked to low sense of belonging and satisfaction, whereas the welcoming climate was associated with higher scores across the same outcomes. Additionally, specific social identities were predictive of membership in these climate profiles; individuals identifying as transgender/gender nonconforming and disabled were more likely to encounter contentious and/or ambivalent environments compared to welcoming climates, primarily due to limited options for welcoming climates. Intersectional analysis of the qualitative data illustrated that experiences of discrimination, particularly cisgenderism, racism, and ableism, contributed to poor social outcomes. These findings highlight that 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces may not translate into inclusive environments for everyone. The typologies developed could serve as a valuable tool to reflect on the ambiance of 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces and work toward welcoming climates., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical Approval: The study was approved by Wilfrid Laurier University's Research Ethics Board. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases represent a rare and diverse group of conditions. Given that the pathogenesis of EoC is not well understood and is often linked to allergic conditions, this case underscores the necessity for further research into such unique presentations. The patient's prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms presented a significant diagnostic challenge, emphasizing the importance of ruling out various potential causes for elevated blood eosinophils. This exploration aims to enhance the understanding of such rare clinical scenarios and improve diagnostic accuracy in similar cases., Case Description: We present a unique case of a 57-year-old patient with a medical history of asthma and allergic rhinitis who presented recurrent abdominal pain, significant blood eosinophilia, and elevated levels of Immunoglobulin G4. After ruling out hematological and secondary causes of eosinophilia, a biopsy of the colon mucosa revealed an excess of tissue eosinophils, confirming the diagnosis of EoC. The patient responded well to corticosteroids and was subsequently maintained on montelukast, with no recurrence of symptoms over 3 months., Conclusion: This rare confluence of EoC, asthma, and high levels of serum IgG4 in a single patient contributes to our understanding of these complex and interconnected disorders., Competing Interests: Qui Huu Nguyen and Tram Que Nguyen Pham are co-first authors. The authors declare they have no competing interest for this study., (© 2024 Nguyen et al.)

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have revolutionized hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment through their high cure rates and improved safety profiles. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety, and identify the optimal combination, of DAAs for the treatment of chronic HCV. A retrospective study was conducted of 613 patients with chronic HCV who were treated with DAAs. Demographic, HCV genotype, treatment regimen, virological response, and adverse drug event (ADE) data were collected at the initial visit and 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks later. The rapid virologic response (RVR) and sustained virologic response (SVR) rates were 90.4% and 97.8% for HCV genotype 1, 89.2% and 98.7% for genotype 6, 92.8% and 99% for genotype 2, and 90.9% and 100% for mixed genotype 2/6 or unspecified genotypes, respectively. There were no significant differences in the RVR and SVR rates for the various DAA regimens. The mean ALT, AST, and GGT activities decreased, and the PLT count increased during the treatments. ADEs occurred in 8% of the patients. The commonest ADEs were itching (3.1%), fatigue (1.8%), and dizziness (1.1%). None of the patients discontinued treatment because of an ADE. Posttreatment disease progression occurred in 7.7% of the patients, including liver fibrosis (3.6%), cirrhosis (1.1%), hepatocellular carcinoma (1.1%), and high alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (1%). The factors associated with the achievement of RVR were low viral load, the use of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir or sofosbuvir/daclatasvir regimens, and a treatment duration of 12 weeks. No specific factors were found to be associated with the achievement of SVR. Posttreatment disease progression was associated with a high AFP and the use of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir. Thus, DAAs are highly effective and well-tolerated means of treating chronic HCV, and significantly improve patient outcomes. Their high efficacy and favorable safety profiles highlight the importance of early diagnosis and the use of personalized treatment strategies., (© 2024 The Author(s). Pharmacology Research & Perspectives published by British Pharmacological Society and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Sodium (Na)-metal batteries (SMBs) are considered one of the most promising candidates for the large-scale energy storage market owing to their high theoretical capacity (1,166 mAh g -1 ) and the abundance of Na raw material. However, the limited stability of electrolytes still hindered the application of SMBs. Herein, sulfolane (Sul) and vinylene carbonate (VC) are identified as effective dual additives that can largely stabilize propylene carbonate (PC)-based electrolytes, prevent dendrite growth, and extend the cycle life of SMBs. The cycling stability of the Na/NaNi 0.68 Mn 0.22 Co 0.1 O 2 (NaNMC) cell with this dual-additive electrolyte is remarkably enhanced, with a capacity retention of 94% and a Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.9% over 600 cycles at a 5 C (750 mA g -1 ) rate. The superior cycling performance of the cells can be attributed to the homogenous, dense, and thin hybrid solid electrolyte interphase consisting of F- and S-containing species on the surface of both the Na metal anode and the NaNMC cathode by adding dual additives. Such unique interphases can effectively facilitate Na-ion transport kinetics and avoid electrolyte depletion during repeated cycling at a very high rate of 5 C. This electrolyte design is believed to result in further improvements in the performance of SMBs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Early recognition of severe acute pancreatitis (AP) is crucial for timely intervention. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic accuracy of the Emergency Room Assessment of AP (ERAP) score and compare it with the Bedside Index for Severity in AP (BISAP) score in predicting severe AP, mortality, and persistent multiple organ failure (MOF) in Vietnamese patients. This prospective cohort study included AP patients admitted to Cho Ray Hospital between August 2021 and May 2022. Patient data, including demographics, clinical presentations, and laboratory results, were collected upon admission. The ERAP and BISAP scores were calculated from these admission data. The prognostic accuracy for severe AP, mortality, and persistent MOF was assessed via the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). Among 167 AP patients (mean age 41.5 ± 12.0 years), hypertriglyceridemia (34.7%) and alcohol (22.2%) were the most prevalent etiologies. Severe AP accounted for 33.5% of the patients. Mortality rates were higher in persistent MOF patients (42.9%) than in persistent single-organ failure patients (3.6%), with a P value <.001. The ERAP score had AUCs for predicting severe AP, mortality, and persistent MOF of 0.899, 0.817, and 0.867, respectively, with an optimal cutoff of ≥2. The ERAP score had a better prognostic value than the BISAP score in predicting severe AP (AUC: 0.899 vs 0.820; P = .0072) and persistent MOF (AUC: 0.867 vs 0.785; P = .0193) but had a similar prognostic value for mortality (AUC: 0.817 vs 0.728; P = .0628). The ERAP score has strong predictive value for severe AP and persistent MOF, surpassing the BISAP score in these categories while maintaining similar accuracy for mortality prediction in the Vietnamese population. The ERAP score can be a valuable tool for the early identification of high-risk AP patients, enabling timely and appropriate clinical interventions., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) success depends on imaging technology both in the planning and operative phases. Endovascular repair requires intravenous contrast and radiation exposure to the patient as well as radiation exposure to the operator. Recent developments in imaging technology attempt to merge preoperative imaging with intraoperative imaging to improve the efficiency and accuracy of EVAR. The Cydar 3-dimensional (3D) imaging system combines the preoperative and intraoperative imaging during the operation. We aim to investigate the use of the Cydar 3D imaging system during EVAR compared to conventional methods., Methods: Retrospective review of all patients undergoing an EVAR at a single quaternary vascular center from 2019-2023 was collected. This cohort was divided into 2 groups: (1) repair using Cydar 3D imaging or (2) repair without Cydar 3D imaging. Overall, 138 unique patients were identified with 27 operations using Cydar 3D imaging and 111 operations without Cydar 3D imaging. We performed a 1-to-1 propensity score-matched analysis using nearest-neighbor matching for variables including age, case urgency, and if the case was performed in the operative room or interventional radiology room. A match occurred when a patient in the Cydar 3D imaging group had an estimated score within 0.01 standard deviations of a patient in the control group. From this, we paired 27 from each cohort for a total of 54 patients. Demographic data included length of stay in days, contrast volume (mL), fluoroscopy time (min), procedure length (mins), mortality, and blood loss (mL). Univariate analyses were performed and a P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: A total of 54 vascular patients were analyzed: 27 without the Cydar 3D imaging and 27 with the Cydar 3D imaging. In the univariate analysis, there was no statistical difference in the average length of stay (6.4 days ± 11.76 vs. 4.1 ± 6.03, P = 0.372), aneurysm size (5.9 ± 1.4 vs. 5.9 ± 1.2, P = 0.88), contrast volume in mL (91.3 ± 47.0 vs. 91.1-33.49, P = 9.88), fluoroscopy time in mins (20.2 ± 17.2 vs. 19.5 ± 19.4, P = 0.89), procedure length (299.3 ± 177.9 vs. 353 ± 191.98, P = 0.279), and blood loss in mL (513.8 ± 791 vs. 353 ± 191.98, P = 0.594). There was an increase in reintervention for endoleaks in the group with use of Cydar 3D imaging (0 vs. 6, P = 0.043). A subanalysis of patients undergoing physician-modified EVARs did show a 15% reduction in the contrast volume used., Conclusions: The use of 3D imaging technology has the potential to increase the safety of EVAR to both patients and operators. In our study, we did not find any difference in standard EVARs; however, there was a contrast use decrease in physician-modified EVARs. Further studies will need to be performed to determine the realized benefit from performing EVARs using this new technology., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are artificial platforms that allow aquatic emergent plants to grow in water. Aquatic macrophytes and microorganisms attached to plant roots contribute to the remediation of the contaminated water through physicochemical and biological processes. The pollutant removal treatment performance is affected by various factors, including the plant species. In this study, several plant species, i.e. Canna generalis, Phragmites australis, Pennisetum purpureum, Cyperus alternifolius rottb, Kyllinga brevifolia rottb, and Cyperus ordoratus were investigated for their potential to clean-up water from the Hang Bang canal in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). Canna generalis, Phragmites australis, and Cyperus alternifolius were found to be suitable for FTWs with the highest performance compared to that of other plant species investigated. The organic and nitrogen removal rates amounted to 48-70 g COD m -3 d -1 and 0.7-1.2 g N m -3 d -1 , respectively, whereas the reduction of pathogens was around 1.86-3.00 log. Furthermore, FTW systems bring other benefits such as improving ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, producing value-added products from plant biomass, as well as attracting the attention of communities, thus increasing social acceptance of environmental technology interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Patients with complex aortic anatomy require meticulous surgical planning to optimize intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. The GORE Excluder Conformable Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Endoprosthesis (CEXC Device, WL Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) allows for endovascular treatment of highly angulated and short proximal neck abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Owing to its recent approval, short-term clinical outcomes of this device remain scarce., Report: In this report, we present a case series of 3 patients who underwent endovascular aortic repair using the GORE Excluder Conformable device with highly angulated (>70°) aortic neck anatomy. Endografts were deployed in a radiology suite using standard 2D angiography in conjunction with a CYDAR Medical (Wilmington, Delaware) reconstructed 3D overlay. The patients' ages were 85, 67, and 85 years. The mean abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter in these cases was 6.9 cm. The mean proximal neck length was 2.1 cm, proximal mean neck angulation was 83°. The mean operative time, total fluoroscopy time, and contrast used were 208 minutes, 28.3°minutes, and 94.5 milliliters, respectively. No adjunctive procedures, such as proximal cuff or endo-anchors, were performed at the time of index procedure., Discussion: Type Ia endoleak was observed in 1 patient post-operatively but after treatment with an aortic cuff there was no evidence of enlarging aneurysm sac. The GORE Excluder Conformable Endoprosthesis expands access to endovascular management of AAAs. Our early experience with this device demonstrated excellent patient and clinical outcomes in a highly angulated neck anatomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Toxocariasis, a zoonotic infection transmitted by Toxocara canis (from dogs) and Toxocara cati (from cats) larvae, poses rare but severe risks to humans. We present a case of hepatic visceral larva migrans (VLM) caused by Toxocara canis in a 21-year-old male with a history of close contact with a pet dog. Initial symptoms and imaging findings mimicked a pyogenic liver abscess. The initial laboratory investigations revealed neutrophilia and elevated levels of IgE. Despite broad-spectrum antibiotics, persistent fever prompted further investigation. Subsequent serological testing for Toxocara antibodies and histopathological analysis of liver tissue demonstrating eosinophil infiltrates and Charcot-Leyden crystals led to a confirmed diagnosis of a liver abscess caused by Toxocara canis . Serological testing for Toxocara antibodies and histopathological analysis of liver tissue confirmed a Toxocara canis -induced liver abscess. Albendazole treatment yielded significant clinical improvement. This case highlights the necessity of considering toxocariasis in liver abscess differentials, particularly in high-seroprevalence regions like Vietnam. Relying solely on serological tests may be insufficient, emphasizing the need for corroborative evidence, including invasive procedures like liver biopsy, for accurate hepatic toxocariasis diagnosis.

Background and Aim: Accurate prediction of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is crucial for timely intervention. This study focuses on the Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI) to assess its clinical value in predicting the severity of AP in the Vietnamese context., Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted with acute pancreatitis patients at a national hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. The patients were classified into nonsevere and severe groups, and the clinical characteristics were analyzed. The predictive abilities of SIRI, calculated using neutrophil × monocyte/lymphocyte, was assessed for predictive abilities. Multivariate regression and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves evaluated the prognostic factors and predictive accuracy., Results: Among 207 patients, 78.7% had nonsevere AP, and 21.3% had SAP. The severe group exhibited a significantly higher median SIRI (12.0) than the nonsevere group (4.9) ( P  < 0.001). Multivariate regression identified SIRI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.623) as an independent predictor of SAP. The ROC curve determined a SIRI cutoff of 7.82 with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.737. Combining the SIRI and Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) score improved the predictive ability (AUC = 0.820) with increased sensitivity (90.91%) ( P  < 0.001)., Conclusion: SIRI, particularly when combined with the BISAP score, shows significant potential to predict SAP severity in the Vietnamese clinical setting, providing valuable information for effective patient management., (© 2024 The Author(s). JGH Open published by Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

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., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The world's hunger for novel food ingredients drives the development of safe, sustainable, and nutritious novel food products. For foods containing novel proteins, potential allergenicity of the proteins is a key safety consideration. One such product is a fungal biomass obtained from the fermentation of Rhizomucor pusillus. The annotated whole genome sequence of this strain was subjected to sequence homology searches against the AllergenOnline database (sliding 80-amino acid windows and full sequence searches). In a stepwise manner, proteins were designated as potentially allergenic and were further compared to proteins from commonly consumed foods and from humans. From the sliding 80-mer searches, 356 proteins met the conservative >35% Codex Alimentarius threshold, 72 of which shared ≥50% identity over the full sequence. Although matches were identified between R. pusillus proteins and proteins from allergenic food sources, the matches were limited to minor allergens from these sources, and they shared a greater degree of sequence homology with those from commonly consumed foods and human proteins. Based on the in silico analysis and a literature review for the source organism, the risk of allergenic cross-reactivity of R. pusillus is low., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Kevin Scaife reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Lucie Pařenicová reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Trung Vo reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Elisa Leune reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Steve Taylor reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Richard Goodman reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Mohamed Abdelmoteleb declares that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Yvonne Dommels reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Kevin Scaife reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: consulting or advisory. Lucie Parenicova reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: employment. Trung Vo reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: consulting or advisory. Elisa Leune reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: employment. Steve Taylor reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: consulting or advisory. Richard Goodman reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: consulting or advisory. Yvonne Dommels reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: employment., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Foreign body-related complications are rare but possibly fatal events in clinical practice. Liver abscess as a result of gastrointestinal perforation caused by foreign bodies is even more rare. We report a case of a 63-year-old man who was admitted with fever and left epigastric pain. Further investigation revealed a liver abscess without resolution despite antibiotic therapy for several weeks. In the second admission, an enhanced computerized tomography scan revealed multiple abscesses in the left lobe of the liver, with a linear radio-dense foreign body within the collection. Open surgery was performed to extract the foreign body. The patient made a satisfactory postoperative recovery without complications and was discharged on the sixth postoperative day., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Pham et al.)

Toward the direction of zero‑carbon emission and green technologies for wastewater treatment, algae-based technologies are considered promising candidates to deal with the current situation of pollution and climate change. Recent developments of algae-based technologies have been introduced in previous studies in which their performances were optimized for wastewater treatment and biomass production. Among these, revolving algae biofilm (RAB) reactors have been proven to have a great potential in high biomass productivity, simple harvesting method, great CO 2 transfer rate, high light-use efficiency, heavy metal capture, nutrient removal, and acid mine drainage treatment in previous studies. However, there were few articles detailing RAB performance, which concealed its enormous potential and diminished interest in the model. Hence, this review aims to reveal the major benefit of RAB reactors in simultaneous wastewater treatment and biomass cultivation. However, there is still a lack of research on aspects to upgrade this technology which requires further investigations to improve performance or fulfill the concept of circular economy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Thi-Dieu-Hien Vo reports financial support was provided by Nguyen Tat Thanh University. Thi-Dieu-Hien Vo reports financial support was provided by Kurita Water and Environment Foundation., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Floating treatment wetlands (FTW) are nature-based solutions for the purification of open water systems such as rivers, ponds, and lakes polluted by diffuse sources as untreated or partially treated domestic wastewater and agricultural run-off. Compared with other physicochemical and biological technologies, FTW is a technology with low-cost, simple configuration, easy to operate; has a relatively high efficiency, and is energy-saving, and aesthetic. Water remediation in FTWs is supported by plant uptake and the growth of a biofilm on the water plant roots, so the selection of the macrophyte species is critical, not only to pollutant removal but also to the local ecosystem integrity, especially for full-scale implementation. The key factors such as buoyant frame/raft, plant growth support media, water depth, seasonal variation, and temperature have a considerable role in the design, operation, maintenance, and pollutant treatment performance of FTW. Harvesting is a necessary process to maintain efficient operation by limiting the re-pollution of plants in the decay phase. Furthermore, the harvested plant biomass can serve as a green source for the recovery of energy and value-added products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biochar usage in soil remediation has turned out to be an enticing topic recently. Biochar, a product formed by pyrolysis of organic waste, which is rich in carbon, has the aptitude to ameliorate climate change by sequestering carbon while also enhancing soil quality and crop yields. Two-edged implications of biochar on soil amendment are still being discussed yet, clarity on the long-term implications of biochar on soil health and the environment is not yet achieved. As a result, it is crucial to systematically uncover the pertinent information regarding biochar remediation, as this can serve as a roadmap for future research on using biochar to remediate contaminated soils in mining regions. This review endeavors to bring forth run thoroughly the latest state of research on the use of biochar in soil remediation, along with its potential benefits, limitations, challenges, and future scope. By synthesizing existing literature on biochar soil remediation, this review aims to provide insights into the potential of biochar as a sustainable solution for soil remediation. Specifically, this review will highlight the key factors that influence the effectiveness of biochar for soil remediation and the potential risks associated with its use, as well as the current gaps in knowledge and future research directions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Road dust samples were collected from different areas in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)-the largest city in Vietnam to explore pollution characteristics, ecological and human health risks, and sources of heavy metals (HMs). Results revealed the level of HMs found in the samples from residential and industrial zones of HCMC in the order of Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Co > As > Cd, Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Co > As > Cd. Due to the high enrichment of Cu, Zn in residential areas and Cu, Pb, Zn in industrial areas, the HM contamination in these areas remained moderate to severe. The findings also revealed a rising trend in the level of HMs in road dust from the east to the west of HCMC, and a heavy metal contamination hotspot in the west. In addition, industrial areas were more contaminated with HMs, posing greater associated risks than residential areas. Children living in urban areas of HCMC were found to be exposed to unacceptable health risks. Meanwhile, adults living in industrial areas face intolerable cancer risk. Among the nine HMs, Cd, Pb, and Cu posed the greatest ecological risk, while Cr and As were the main culprits behind health risks. HMs in road dust might derive from non-exhaust vehicular emissions, crustal materials, and industrial activities. The results suggested that industrial areas to the west of HCMC should focus more on reducing and controlling severe pollution of HMs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Due to the numerous industrial parks and high traffic density in Miaoli, Taiwan, large amounts of metals may be released into the atmosphere, accumulating in street dust. Therefore, this study aimed to collect street dust in Miaoli to quantify the metals and assess the accumulation degree, sources, and potential risks. The enrichment factor (EF), geological accumulation index (I geo ), ecological risk, and non-carcinogenic and lifetime carcinogenic risk were estimated to assess the accumulation degree and the potential environmental and health risks. Pearson correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and positive matrix factor model were used to clarify the relationship between levels of metals and identify possible sources. The levels of metals in street dust in order were Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Sr > Co > Sb. According to I geo , the level of Ni indicated moderately polluted. The levels of Zn, Cu, and Pb showed moderate to strong pollution, strong pollution, and very strong pollution, respectively. Results of average ecological risk analysis pointed out that Pb and Cu represent a very high risk, while other metals posed low-to moderate-level ecological risks. Excluding the Steel Enterprise area, based on the EF value and source identification, it might be concluded that Co, Sr, Fe, Mn, and Sb were mainly from natural sources, while Cu, Pb, and Zn come from anthropogenic pollution sources. Based on the results of the risk assessments, most metals pose no serious adverse health risk to humans. But, in comparison to Miaoli townships, the health risks of residents living in the Steel Enterprise area were higher. However, given that children and adolescents exposure to Co, Cr, Pb, and Ni together constitute a relatively higher carcinogenic risk (CR > 10 -6 ), more attention needs to be paid to the populations most susceptible., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To address the growing world population and reduce the impact of environmental changes on the global food supply, ingredients are being produced using microorganisms to yield sustainable and innovative products. Food ingredients manufactured using modern biotechnology must be produced by non-toxigenic and nonpathogenic production organisms that do not harbor antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Several fungal species represent attractive targets as sources of alternative food products. One such product is a fungal biomass obtained from the fermentation of Rhizomucor pusillus strain CBS 143028. The whole genome sequence of this strain was annotated and subjected to sequence homology searches and in silico phenotype prediction tools to identify genetic elements encoding for protein toxins active via oral consumption, virulence factors associated with pathogenicity, and determinants of AMR. The in silico investigation revealed no genetic elements sharing significant sequence homology with putative virulence factors, protein toxins, or AMR determinants, including the absence of mucoricin, an essential toxin in the pathogenesis of mucormycosis. These in silico findings were corroborated in vitro based on the absence of clinically relevant mycotoxin or antibacterial secondary metabolites. Consequently, it is unlikely that R. pusillis strain CBS 143028 would pose a safety concern for use in food for human consumption., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Kevin Scaife reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Trung Vo reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Yvonne Dommels reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Elisa Leune reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Kaj Albermann reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Lucie Parenicova reports financial support was provided by The Protein Brewery B.V. Kevin Scaife reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: consulting or advisory. Trung Vo reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: consulting or advisory. Yvonne Dommels reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: employment. Elisa Leune reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: employment. Kaj Albermann reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: non-financial support. Lucie Parenicova reports a relationship with The Protein Brewery B.V. that includes: employment., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recently, a simple scoring system named the Mansoura scoring system was developed to predict spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. However, the efficacy of this newly developed system has not been extensively investigated. We aimed to validate a new simple scoring system for the rapid diagnosis or exclusion of SBP without paracentesis., Methods: Adult patients with cirrhosis and ascites admitted to Cho Ray Hospital between November 2021 and May 2022 were included. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of the Mansoura simple scoring system for predicting SBP was calculated using the Stata software. Other independent laboratory tests for predicting SBP (C-reactive protein [CRP], neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR], and mean platelet volume [MPV]) were assessed and compared using the Mansoura scoring system., Results: A total of 121 patients were included in this study. The Mansoura scoring system showed good performance in predicting SBP in patients with cirrhosis and ascites (AUROC:0.89). At the cut-off ≥ 4 points, the scoring system achieved a specificity of 97.7% with a positive predictive value for the diagnosis of SBP of 93.5%. Multivariate analysis was performed using our data and showed that NLR, CRP level, and MPV were independent factors related to SBP., Conclusion: The Mansoura scoring system demonstrated good performance in predicting SBP in patients with cirrhosis and ascites and may help guide management decisions., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

We describe a new species of Dendrelaphis from the coastal area in southern Vietnam based on morphological data and nucleotide sequences from one partial mitochondrial gene (Cytb). Dendrelaphis binhi sp. nov. is diagnosed by the following morphological characters: body scale rows 13 at neck and midbody, 9-11 before vent; vertebral scale row feebly enlarged; ventrals 154-158 in males and 161-170 in females; subcaudals 95-106 in males and 95-102 in females; one supralabial touching the eye; 18 or 19 maxillary teeth; hemipenis spinose, reaching 10th or 11th SC, with a slender papilla; cloacal plate divided; dorsum dark brown; and a white stripe along the lower flank. The new species differs from its congeners by an uncorrected p-distance in Cytb sequences of at least 8.1%.

Co-culture of microalgae-activated sludge has the potential to purify wastewater while reduce energy demand from aeration. In this work, a mechanically stirred membrane photobioreactor (stirred-MPBR) was used to evaluate the impact of the biomass retention time (BRT) on the treatment performance and membrane fouling. Results showed that stirred-MPBR was affected by BRT during treating domestic wastewater at a flux of 16.5 L m -2 h -1 . The highest productivity was attained at BRT 7d (102 mg L -1 d -1 ), followed by BRT 10d (86 mg L -1 d -1 ), BRT 5d (85 mg L -1 d -1 ), and BRT 3d (83 mg L -1 d -1 ). Statistical analysis results showed that BRT 7d had a higher COD removal rate than BRT 10d, however, there is no difference in total nitrogen removal rate. The highest TP removal occurred when the biomass operated at BRT as short as 3d. Reduced BRTs caused a change in the microalgae-activated sludge biomass fraction that encouraged nitrification activity while simultaneously contributing to a higher fouling rate. The bound protein concentrations dropped from 31.35 mg L -1 (BRT 10d) to 10.67 mg L -1 (BRT 3d), while soluble polysaccharides increased from 0.99 to 1.82 mg L -1 , respectively. The concentrations of extracellular polymeric substance fractions were significantly altered, which decreased the mean floc size and contributed to the escalating fouling propensity. At the optimum BRT of 7d, the stirred-MPBR showed sufficient access to light and nutrients exchange for mutualistic interactions between the microalgae and activated sludge., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Emerging contaminant microplastics (MPs) are getting worldwide attention for their ubiquitous occurrence and potential risk to the environment. However, the seasonal influence on freshwater MP pollution remains poorly understood. To better understand and evaluate the riverine MPs in different seasons, this study conducted the risk assessment of MPs in an urban river, Houjin River, during the different seasons. The present study found that the MPs (0.1-5 mm, mostly 0.1-2 mm) were more abundant in the dry season (183.33 ± 128.95 items/m 3 ) compared with the wet season (102.08 ± 45.80 items/m 3 ). Similarly, the mixture of different MPs polymers was more diverse in the dry season. The related pollution indices such as the contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI) showed that average CF and PLI were 5.15 and 2.10 in the dry season, which significantly decreased to 1.58 and 1.25, respectively, in the wet season (p < 0.05). Additionally, significant difference of the average risk quotient (RQ) was observed, which was 0.037 in the dry season and 0.021 in the wet season (p < 0.05). To sum up, the results of this study indicate the seasonal effects on the pollution and risk of multiple compositions of MPs in the urban river, suggesting higher impacts of riverine MPs pollution in the dry season, as well as the potential increase of MPs, may lead to environmental risk in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Invasive gastrointestinal surgery may be performed as an open or endoscopic procedure, such as laparoscopic semi-colon surgery, laparoscopic appendectomy, laparoscopic gastrectomy, and anal surgery, among other such operations. Regardless of the approach, the operative procedure interferes with the patient's gastrointestinal tract, necessitating the rational use of prophylactic antibiotics to improve treatment outcomes and minimize postoperative infections., Objective: To investigate the prophylactic and postoperative antibiotic usage in patients who underwent invasive gastrointestinal surgery, and to identify factors associated with postoperative infection., Design: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 112 patients who underwent invasive gastrointestinal surgery at the Department of Gastroenterology, Thong Nhat Hospital. We conducted a cross-sectional study in all inpatients aged 18 years and older, who underwent invasive gastrointestinal surgery between January 2020 and December 2020. We recorded patient characteristics, the administration and appropriateness of antibiotics, as well as treatment outcomes. The appropriateness of prophylactic and postoperative antibiotic usage was assessed based on 2015 Vietnamese national guideline for antibiotic use. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with postoperative infection., Results: Patients' mean age was 59.7 ± 17.2 years. Most surgeries (89.3%) were clean-contaminated procedures. The rates of appropriate types of antibiotics selected, doses, and overall rates of appropriateness of antibiotic prophylaxis were 68.0%, 76.4% and 54.7%, respectively. Of the patients investigated, 34.8% had at least one sign of postoperative infection; the overall appropriate rate of postoperative antibiotic was 38.5%. Old age was associated with postoperative infection and longer length of hospitalization., Conclusion: Implementation of the guidelines recommended for the prophylactic and therapeutic use of antibiotics is essential to improve treatment outcomes., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The discharged saline wastewater has severely influenced the aquatic environment as the treatment performance of many wastewater treatment techniques is limited. In addition, the sources of saline wastewater are also plentiful from agricultural and various industrial fields such as food processing, tannery, pharmaceutical, etc. Although high salinity levels negatively impact the performance of both physicochemical and biological processes, membrane bioreactor (MBR) processes are considered as a potential technology to treat saline wastewater under different salinity levels depending on the adaption of the microbial community. Therefore, this study aims to systematically review the application of MBR widely used in the saline wastewater treatment from the perspectives of microbial structure and treatment efficiencies. At last, the concept of carbon dioxide capture and storage will be proposed for the MBR-treating saline wastewater technologies and considered toward the circular economy with the target of zero emission., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We describe a new species of kukri snake from Da Lat City and its vicinity in Lam Dong Province, southern Vietnam on the basis of morphological characters of four specimens, including two males and two females. Oligodon tuani sp. nov. differs from other congeners by a combination of the following characters: large size in adults (TL ≤ 888 mm); 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody; ventrals 173-179 in males and 187-193 in females; subcaudals 58 or 59 in males and 44 or 45 in females; presubocular present; 8 supralabials, fourth and fifth entering orbit; cloacal plate undivided; 10 maxillary teeth, posterior three enlarged; vertebral stripe present; temporal streak present but faint and interrupted; long and deeply forked hemipenes, extending to 25th subcaudal, without spines and papillae; and 13-15+3-4 dorsal blotches.

Novel phycosphere associated bacteria processes are being regarded as a potential and cost-effective strategy for controlling anthropogenic contaminants in wastewater treatment. However, the underlying concern with the process is its vulnerability to improper organic or nutrient intake. This study established a synergistic interaction between microalgae and activated sludge in a three-photobioreactor system (without external aeration) to understand how pollutants could be mitigated whilst simultaneously yielding biomass under different C/N ratios of 1:1, 5:1 and 10:1. The result showed that the superior biomass productivity was facilitated at a C/N ratio of 5:1 (106 mg L -1 d -1 ), and the high degradation rate constants (k COD = 0.25 d -1 , k TN = 0.29 d -1 , k TP = 0.35 d -1 ) was approximated using a first-order kinetic model. The removal of pollutants was remarkably high, exceeding 90% (COD), 93% (TN), and 96% (TP). Nevertheless, the C/N ratio of 1:1 resulted in a threefold drop in biomass-specific growth rate (μ = 0.07 d -1 ). Microalgal assimilation, followed by bacterial denitrification, is the major pathway of removing total nitrogen when the C/N ratio exceeds 5:1. Activated sludge plays an important role in improving microalgae tolerance to high concentration of ammonia nitrogen and boosting nitrification (light phase) and denitrification (dark phase). The use of phycosphere associated bacteria could be a promising strategy for controlling nutrients pollution and other environmental considerations in wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: COVID-19 was initially identified as an acute respiratory disease, but it was quickly recognized that multiple organ systems could be affected. Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism have been well reported. However, there is a paucity of data on COVID-19-related arterial thrombosis. We examined the incidence, characteristics, treatment, and outcome in patients with acute COVID-19-related arterial thrombosis in a large health maintenance organization (HMO)., Methods: A retrospective multicenter case review was performed from March 2020 to March 2021. Cases were identified through a questionnaire sent to vascular surgeons. Patient characteristics, imaging, treatment, and outcome were reviewed. Successful revascularization was defined as restoration of blood flow with viability of the end organ and absence of death within 30 days. Limb salvage was defined as prevention of major amputation (transtibial or transfemoral) and absence of death in 30 days., Results: There were 37,845 patients admitted with COVID-19 complications during this time. Among this group, 26 patients (0.07%) had COVID-19-related arterial thrombosis. The mean age was 61.7 years (range, 33-82 years) with 20 men (77%) and 6 women (23%). Ethnic minorities comprised 25 of 26 cases (96%). Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was present in 4 of 26 (15%), active smoking in 1 of 26 (3.8%), and diabetes in 19 of 26 (73%) cases. Most patients developed acute arterial ischemia in the outpatient setting, 20 of 26 (77%). Of the outpatients, 6 of 20 (30%) had asymptomatic COVID-19 and 14 of 20 (70%) had only mild upper respiratory symptoms. Distribution of ischemia was as follows: 23 patients had at least one lower extremity ischemia, one patient had cerebral and lower extremity, one had mesenteric and lower extremity, and one had upper extremity ischemia. Revascularization was attempted in 21 patients, of which 12 of 21 (57%) were successful. Limb salvage was successful in 13 of 26 (50%) patients. The overall mortality was 31% (8/26)., Conclusions: Our experience in a large HMO revealed that the incidence of COVID-19-related arterial thrombosis was low. The actual incidence is likely to be higher since our method of case collection was incomplete. The majority of arterial thrombosis occurred in the outpatient setting in patients with asymptomatic or mild/moderate COVID-19 respiratory disease. Acute ischemia was the inciting factor for hospitalization in these cases. Acute lower extremity ischemia was the most common presentation, and limb salvage rate was lower than that expected when compared to ischemia related to PAD. Arterial thrombosis associated with COVID-19 portends a significantly higher mortality. Education of primary care providers is paramount to prevent delayed diagnosis as most patients initially developed ischemia in the outpatient setting and did not have a high cardiovascular risk profile., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the safety, efficacy, and applicability of percutaneous axillary artery (pAxA) access in patients requiring upper extremity large sheath access during complex aortic, cardiac, and peripheral endovascular procedures. We also take this opportunity to address the potential cost-benefits offered by pAxA access compared to open upper extremity access., Methods: A total of 26 consecutive patients, between June 2018 and October 2020, underwent endovascular intervention, requiring upper extremity access (UEA). Ultrasound-guided, percutaneous access of the axillary artery was used in all 26 patients with off-label use of pre-close technique with Perclose ProGlide closure devices. Access sites accommodated sheath sizes that ranged from 6 to 14 French (F). End points were technical success and access site-related complications including isolated neuropathies, hematoma, distal embolization, access-site thrombosis, and post-operative bleeding requiring secondary interventions. Technical success was defined as successful arterial closure intraoperatively with no evidence of stenosis, occlusion, or persistent bleeding, requiring additional intervention., Results: Of the 26 patients requiring pAxA access, 15 underwent complex endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs (EVAR) with branched, fenestrated, snorkel, or parallel endografts, 6 underwent peripheral vascular interventions, and 5 underwent cardiac interventions. Fifty-three percent accommodated sheath sizes of 12F or higher. Technical success was achieved in 100% of cases with no major perioperative access complications requiring additional open or endovascular procedures. In our series, we had one post-operative mortality secondary to myocardial infarction in a patient with significant coronary artery disease., Conclusions: Our data again demonstrated the proposed safety and efficacy attributable to pAxA access, while extending its application to wide spectrum of endovascular interventions which included peripheral or coronary vascular in addition to complex EVAR., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: We investigated the characteristics of prophylactic antimicrobial use in clean and clean-contaminated surgical procedures and assessed the efficacy of a prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship intervention at Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 354 patients who underwent either clean or clean-contaminated surgical procedures at Thong Nhat Hospital. Eligible patients were classified with respect to three periods of intervention from 2017 to 2020. Data collection included surgical procedures, patient characteristics, and prophylactic antimicrobial usage. We determined the efficacy of antimicrobial stewardship intervention based on comparisons among the primary outcome (the appropriateness of prophylactic antimicrobials) and secondary outcomes (postoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis (AP) prolongation, length of postoperative hospital stay, and cost of antimicrobials)., Results: The mean age of patients in periods 1, 2, and 3 was 54.5 ± 16.6, 50.2 ± 16.5, and 52.8 ± 17.3 years, respectively, with an overall male/female ratio of 1.1/1. No significant differences were detected in basic patient characteristics during the three periods. Majority of the surgical procedures were clean (56%-59%) and scheduled (85%-86%). Prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship intervention enhanced AP appropriateness (by 12.7%, 12.7%, and 39.0% in periods 1, 2, and 3, respectively, p < 0.001), decreased postoperative prophylactic antimicrobial duration [3.0 (0-6), 1.5 (0-5), and 0.0 (0-1) days, respectively, p < 0.001], and reduced average antimicrobial expenses (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The prophylactic antimicrobial stewardship interventions introduced at Thong Nhat Hospital had several positive impacts on the appropriateness of prophylactic antimicrobial use and treatment costs., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In this study, biochar derived from spent coffee grounds (SCGB) was used to adsorb norfloxacin (NOR) in water. The biochar properties were interpreted by analysis of the specific surface area, morphology, structure, thermal stability, and functional groups. The impacts of pH, NOR, and ion's present on SCGB performance were examined. The NOR adsorption mode of SCGB is best suited to the Langmuir model (R 2  = 0.974) with maximum absorption capacity (69.8 mg g -1 ). By using a Response Surface Method (RSM), optimal adsorption was also found at pH of 6.26, NOR of 24.69 mg L -1 , and SCGB of 1.32 g L -1 . Compared with biochars derived from agriculture such as corn stalks, willow branches, potato stem, reed stalks, cauliflower roots, wheat straw, the NOR adsorption capacity of SCGB was 2-30 times higher, but less than 3-4 times for biochars made from Salix mongolica, luffa sponge and polydopamine microspheres. These findings reveal that spent coffee grounds biochar could effectively remove NOR from aqueous solutions. Approaching biochar derived from coffee grounds would be a promising eco-friendly solution because it utilizes solid waste, saves costs, and creates adsorbents to deal with emerging pollutants like antibiotics., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The occurrence of arsenic (As) in groundwater (drilled well water) that were used for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene and its risks to human health in Long An and Tien Giang provinces (Mekong delta, Vietnam) were evaluated in this study. The average As concentrations were 15.92 ± 11.4 μg/L (n = 24, Long An) and 4.95 ± 4.7 μg/L (n = 24, Tien Giang). The average concentrations of As in Long An had not reached the WHO and QCVN 01: 2009/BYT healthy drinking water standard (10 μg/L). When used as a source of water for drinking and daily activities, arsenic-contaminated groundwater may have a direct impact on human health. The risk assessment from groundwater established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was conducted. The risk assessment showed that the average cancer risk (CR) values were 8.68 × 10 -4 (adults) and 2.39 × 10 -3 (children) for Long An, and 2.70 × 10 -4 (adults) and 7.43 × 10 -4 (children) for Tien Giang. These results were significantly higher than the CR (1 × 10 -4 ) proposed by the USEPA. The adverse health effect was therefore specifically warned by the use of arsenic-contaminated groundwater. This research offers valuable knowledge for efficient water management approaches to guarantee local communities' health protection., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A combination of a submerged membrane filtration system and powdered activated carbon (PAC) was investigated for nonylphenol ethoxylates removal. Both filtration flux and initial powdered activated carbon dosage had significant effects on the micropollutants removal efficiency. The best performance was achieved under the filtration flux of 20 L/m 2 .h and the initial powdered activated carbon of 50 mg/L. The removal efficiencies of nonylphenol ethoxylates was obtained at 75±5% in the first 60 hours, and then decreased at 55±7% and 23±11% in the following hours, respectively. As observed, over 65% of dissolved organic carbon mass adsorbed into powdered activated carbon that was suspended in the bulk phase, and the remainder was adsorbed into powdered activated carbon that deposited on the membrane surface. It reveals that the combination between submerged membrane filtration and PAC could be an effective solution for enhancing removal of micropollutants from water.

To extend the value of biosensor-SPR in the characterization of DNA recognition by nucleoproteins, we report a comparative analysis of DNA-facilitated target search by two ETS-family transcription factors: Elk1 and ETV6. ETS domains represent an attractive system for developing biosensor-based techniques due to a broad range of physicochemical properties encoded within a highly conserved DNA-binding motif. Building on a biosensor approach in which the protein is quantitatively sequestered and presented to immobilized cognate DNA as nonspecific complexes, we assessed the impact of intrinsic cognate and nonspecific affinities on long-range (intersegmental) target search. The equilibrium constants of DNA-facilitated binding were sensitive to the intrinsic binding properties of the proteins such that their relative specificity for cognate DNA were reinforced when binding occurred by transfer vs. without nonspecific DNA. Direct measurement of association and dissociation kinetics revealed ionic features of the activated complex that evidenced DNA-facilitated dissociation, even though Elk1 and ETV6 harbor only a single DNA-binding surface. At salt concentrations that masked the effects of nonspecific pre-binding at equilibrium, the dissociation kinetics of cognate binding were nevertheless distinct from conditions under which nonspecific DNA was absent. These results further strengthen the significance of long-range DNA-facilitated translocation in the physiologic environment., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study investigates distribution, pollution indices, and potential risk assessment for human health and ecology of eight heavy metals in twenty-five street dust samples collected from metropolitan area-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Results showed that Zn was of the highest concentration (466.4 ± 236.5 mg/kg), followed by Mn (393.9 ± 93.2 mg/kg), Cu (153.7 ± 64.7 mg/kg), Cr (102.4 ± 50.5 mg/kg), Pb (49.6 ± 21.4 mg/kg), Ni (36.2 ± 15.4 mg/kg), Co (7.9 ± 1.9 mg/kg), and Cd (0.5 ± 0.5 mg/kg). The principal component analysis revealed that three sources of heavy metals measured in street dust include vehicular activities (32.38%), mixed source of vehicular and residential activities (26.72%), and mixture of industrial and natural sources (20.23%). The geo-accumulation index values showed levels of non-pollution to moderately pollution for Mn and Co; moderately pollution for Ni; moderately to strongly pollution for Cd, Cr, and Pb; and strongly pollution for Cu and Zn. The potential ecological risk values of all sampling sites were close to the high-risk category. Zn (28.9%), Cu (25.4%), and Mn (24.4%) dominantly contributed to the ecological risk. For non-carcinogenic risk, the hazard quotient values for both children and adults were within a safety level. For carcinogenic risk, the TCR Children was about 3 times higher than TCR Adults , but still within a tolerable limit (1 × 10 -6 to 1 × 10 -4 ) of cancer risk. Cr was a major contribution to potential risks in humans. Such studies on heavy metal in street dust are crucial but are still limited in Vietnam/or metropolitan area in Southeast Asia. Therefore, this study can fill the information gap about heavy metal contaminated street dust in a metropolitan area of Vietnam., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Electrostatic protein/DNA interactions arise from the neutralization of the DNA phosphodiester backbone as well as coupled exchanges by charged protein residues as salt bridges or with mobile ions. Much focus has been and continues to be paid to interfacial ion pairs with DNA. The role of extra-interfacial ionic interactions, particularly as dynamic drivers of DNA sequence selectivity, remain poorly known. The ETS family of transcription factors represents an attractive model for addressing this knowledge gap given their diverse ionic composition in primary structures that fold to a tightly conserved DNA-binding motif. To probe the importance of extra-interfacial salt bridges in DNA recognition, we compared the salt-dependent binding by Elk1 with ETV6, two ETS homologs differing markedly in ionic composition. While both proteins exhibit salt-dependent binding with cognate DNA that corresponds to interfacial phosphate contacts, their nonspecific binding diverges from cognate binding as well as each other. Molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent, which generated ionic interactions in agreement with the experimental binding data, revealed distinct salt-bridge dynamics in the nonspecific complexes formed by the two proteins. Impaired DNA contact by ETV6 resulted in fewer backbone contacts in the nonspecific complex, while Elk1 exhibited a redistribution of extra-interfacial salt bridges via residues that are non-conserved between the two ETS relatives. Thus, primary structure variation in ionic residues can encode highly differentiated specificity mechanisms in a highly conserved DNA-binding motif.

We describe a new species of the genus Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer Siler from a coastal area in southern Vietnam. Subdoluseps vietnamensis sp. nov. is characterized by the following morphological characters: medium size in adults (snout-vent length up to 48.7 mm); tail length/snout-vent length ratio 1.04; toes not reaching finger when limbs adpressed; 27-30 midbody scale rows, smooth; 55-57 paravertebral scales; 55-62 ventral scale rows; 64-74 subcaudal scales; frontoparietal scale single; four supraoculars; prefrontals not in contact with one another; two loreal scales; seven supralabials; ear-opening with two lobules on the anterior border; smooth lamellae beneath finger III 9 or 10 and toe IV 12-15; six enlarged precloacal scales; and four distinct black stripes on dorsum. The new species differs genetically from its closest congeners, S. bowringii (Günther) and S. frontoparietale (Taylor), by uncorrected p-distances of 10.0% and 9.5%, respectively in ND1 sequences, and clusters into the same matriline with these two congeners on the phylogenetic trees.

Bacteria produce a plethora of specialized metabolites (SM), with the ecological function of most of them not known. A major group of SM are peptides derived from nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS). In entomopathogenic bacteria of the genus Xenorhabdus , PAX (peptide-antimicrobial- Xenorhabdus ) were described as NRPS-derived lipopeptides, which show antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi. We analyzed the production of PAX in Xenorhabdus doucetiae and found the majority bound to the cells. We derivatized PAX with fluorophores and show binding to cells when added externally using super-resolution microscopy. Externally added PAX in X. doucetiae and E. coli as well as inducible PAX production in X. doucetiae showed a protective effect against various antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from insects, where they are used as a defense mechanism against pathogens. Because AMPs are often positively charged, our results suggest a PAX-induced repulsive force due to positive charge at the bacterial cell wall.

This article, written by current student trainees within various intramural programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), describes how the NIH experience weaves world-class interdisciplinary research into the education of future oral healthcare professionals. This article highlights 4 programs and provides perspectives from current NIH student trainees on the significance of their programs to their career growth in an effort to increase program awareness for faculty and students, thus escalating participation of predental and dental students in programs at the NIH. Although the number of individuals pursuing careers in oral health research has been alarmingly few, dentistry is in a unique position to drastically expand its collaborative scientific workforce. Research must be integrated into the training of increased numbers of future dental professionals. This article describes how NIH programs address specific needs of the dental profession, including reducing disparities, advancing evidence-based personalized medicine, and solving multidisciplinary health challenges., (© Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.)

In this study, mixed culture (microalgae:activated sludge) of a photobioreactor (PBR) were investigated at different inoculation ratios (1:0, 9:1, 3:1, 1:1, 0:1 wt/wt). This work was not only to determine the optimal ratio for pollutant remediation and biomass production but also to explore the role of microorganisms in the co-culture system. The results showed high total biomass concentrations were obtained from 1:0 and 3:1 ratio being values of 1.06, 1.12 g L -1 , respectively. Microalgae played a dominant role in nitrogen removal via biological assimilation while activated sludge was responsible for improving COD removal. Compared with the single culture of microalgae, the symbiosis between microalgae and bacteria occurred at 3:1 and 1:1 ratio facilitated a higher COD removal by 37.5-45.7 %. In general, combined assessment based on treatment performance and biomass productivity facilitated to select an optimal ratio of 3:1 for the operation of the co-culture PBR., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pyrophosphate (PP i ) serves as a potent and physiologically important regulator of mineralization, with systemic and local concentrations determined by several key regulators, including: tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALPL gene; TNAP protein), the progressive ankylosis protein (ANKH; ANK), and ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1; ENPP1). Results to date have indicated important roles for PP i in cementum formation, and we addressed several gaps in knowledge by employing genetically edited mouse models where PP i metabolism was disrupted and pharmacologically modulating PP i in a PP i -deficient mouse model. We demonstrate that acellular cementum growth is inversely proportional to PP i levels, with reduced cementum in Alpl KO (increased PP i levels) mice and excess cementum in Ank KO mice (decreased PP i levels). Moreover, simultaneous ablation of Alpl and Ank results in reestablishment of functional cementum in dKO mice. Additional reduction of PP i by dual deletion of Ank and Enpp1 does not further increase cementogenesis, and PDL space is maintained in part through bone modeling/remodeling by osteoclasts. Our results provide insights into cementum formation and expand our knowledge of how PP i regulates cementum. We also demonstrate for the first time that pharmacologic manipulation of PP i through an ENPP1-Fc fusion protein can regulate cementum growth, supporting therapeutic interventions targeting PP i metabolism., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

A new cyclic lipopeptide, phototemtide A (1), was isolated from Escherichia coli expressing the biosynthetic gene cluster pttABC from Photorhabdus temperata Meg1. The structure of 1 was elucidated by HR-ESI-MS and NMR experiments. The absolute configurations of amino acids and 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid in 1 were determined by using the advanced Marfey's method and comparison after total synthesis of 1, respectively. Additionally, three new minor derivatives, phototemtides B-D (2-4), were identified by detailed HPLC-MS analysis. Phototemtide A (1) showed weak antiprotozoal activity against Plasmodium falciparum, with an IC 50 value of 9.8 μm. The biosynthesis of phototemtides A-D (1-4) was also proposed., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Glutaminase (glutamine aminohydrolase EC 3.5.1.2) is used in the production of food ingredients rich in l-glutamic acid that are added to finished foods for the purpose of enhancing or improving the savory flavor profile of food. The glutaminase enzyme preparation evaluated in these studies, designated as Sumizyme GT hereafter, is obtained by fermentation of Aspergillus niger strain GT147. The safety of Sumizyme GT was evaluated in a series of standard toxicological studies, including a 90-day oral toxicity study in rats, an in vitro bacterial reverse mutation assay, an in vitro mammalian chromosome aberration test, and an in vivo alkaline Comet assay. Sumizyme GT was not mutagenic or genotoxic, and administration of the enzyme by gavage at doses up to 2,570 mg total organic solids (TOS)/kg body weight (bw) per day for 90 days was without any systemic toxicity. The no-observed-adverse-effect level was concluded to be 2,570 mg TOS/kg bw per day, the highest dose tested. Considering that A. niger has an established history of safe use in the food industry and its safety in the production of food ingredients and food enzymes is well documented, the results of these studies provide further support of the safety of glutaminase from A. niger when used in food production., Competing Interests: The authors of this publication have declared that they have no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Natural products (NPs) from microorganisms have been important sources for discovering new therapeutic and chemical entities. While their corresponding biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) can be easily identified by gene-sequence-similarity-based bioinformatics strategies, the actual access to these NPs for structure elucidation and bioactivity testing remains difficult. Deletion of the gene encoding the RNA chaperone, Hfq, results in strains losing the production of most NPs. By exchanging the native promoter of a desired BGC against an inducible promoter in Δhfq mutants, almost exclusive production of the corresponding NP from the targeted BGC in Photorhabdus, Xenorhabdus and Pseudomonas was observed including the production of several new NPs derived from previously uncharacterized non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS). This easyPACId approach (easy Promoter Activated Compound Identification) facilitates NP identification due to low interference from other NPs. Moreover, it allows direct bioactivity testing of supernatants containing secreted NPs, without laborious purification., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Miraculin is a glycoprotein with the ability to make sour substances taste sweet. The safety of miraculin has been evaluated using an approach proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization for assessing the safety of novel proteins. Miraculin was shown to be fully and rapidly digested by pepsin in an in vitro digestibility assay. The proteomic analysis of miraculin's pepsin digests further corroborated that it is highly unlikely that any of the protein will remain intact within the gastrointestinal tract for potential absorption. The potential allergenicity and toxigenicity of miraculin, investigated using in silico bioinformatic analyses, demonstrated that miraculin does not represent a risk of allergy or toxicity to humans with low potential for cross-reactivity with other allergens. The results of a sensory study, characterizing the taste receptor activity of miraculin, showed that the taste-modifying effect of miraculin at the concentration intended for product development has a rapid onset and disappearance with no desensitizing impact on the receptor. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that the use of miraculin to impact the sensory qualities of orally administered products with a bitter/sour taste profile is not associated with any safety concerns., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herein, a sponge membrane bioreactor (Sponge-MBR) combined with ozonation process was performed to remove the antibiotics which frequently existed in the hospital wastewater. Whilst seven antibiotics i.e., norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, tetracycline and trimethoprim were widely used in medications, this integration was applied for the evaluation of treatment performance under different fluxes. As the results, whilst the antibiotics were eliminated about 45-93%, the tetracycline was completely removed (100%) using Sponge-MBR operated at the flux of 10 LMH. For enhancement of antibiotics removal, the ozonation process was introduced to treat the membrane permeate. Overall efficiencies were 97 ± 2% (trimethoprim), 92 ± 4% (norfloxacin), 90 ± 1% (erythromycin), 88 ± 4% (ofloxacin), 83 ± 7 (ciprofloxacin) and 66 ± 1% (sulfamethoxazole). These results demonstrated Sponge-MBR coupled with ozonation could be a prospective technology for the hospital wastewater treatment., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)