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Abstract Assembling graphene sheets into macroscopic fibers with graphitic layers uniaxially aligned along the fiber axis is of both fundamental and technological importance. However, the optimal performance of graphene-based fibers has been far lower than what is expected based on the properties of individual graphene. Here we show that both mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of graphene-based fibers can be significantly improved if bridges are created between graphene edges through covalent conjugating aromatic amide bonds. The improved electrical conductivity is likely due to extended electron conjugation over the aromatic amide bridged graphene sheets. The larger sheets also result in improved π-π stacking, which, along with the robust aromatic amide linkage, provides high mechanical strength. In our experiments, graphene edges were bridged using the established wet-spinning technique in the presence of an aromatic amine linker, which selectively reacts to carboxyl groups at the graphene edge sites. This technique is already industrial and can be easily upscaled. Our methodology thus paves the way to the fabrication of high-performance macroscopic graphene fibers under optimal techno-economic and ecological conditions.

The study aimed to compare the cardiovascular benefits of fish oil (FO) and krill oil (KO) in various molecular forms/variants. These included ethyl ester (EE), triglyceride (TG), re-esterified triacylglycerol (rTAG), phospholipid/free fatty acid (PL/FFA), high concentration phospholipid (HPL), low concentration phospholipid (LPL), and emulsion (EM), across diverse dosages. A network meta-analysis approach adhering to PRISMA guidelines was used. Sixty studies from databases including Embase, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, ICTRP-WHO, and Cochrane (1993–2023) were analyzed with RStudio (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024502338). Key findings included KO-PL/FFA 2000–2900 mg effectively lowering triglycerides, FO-EE above 3000 mg reducing total cholesterol, FO-EE above 3000 mg and FO-TG below 2000 mg notably reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and FO-TG 2000–2900 mg improving high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The study confirmed high reliability with no publication bias (p > 0.05, Egger’s test). In conclusion, KO-PL/FFA, FO-EE above 3000 mg, FO-TG 2000–2900 mg, and FO-rTAG 300–1900 mg effectively reduce cardiovascular risk factors.

Background: Antioxidant therapy is gaining traction in managing sepsis and septic shock, owing to its perceived positive impact on patient outcomes. This study sought to compare the efficacy of five antioxidant therapies (melatonin, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and N-acetylcysteine, both individually and in combination with other compounds such as vitamin B1, hydrocortisone, propolis, and glutamine) in treating sepsis or septic shock in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: The study involved randomized and multi-arm trials with sepsis or septic shock patients using melatonin, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, or N-acetylcysteine. Studies were sourced from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO - Clinical Trials Registry Platform for the frequentist network meta-analysis on 28-day mortality and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. The risk of bias was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Therapies were compared directly and indirectly using R software. Results: The study of 56 trials involving 9,366 patients was included. Bias assessment revealed that 89.3 % of trials achieved excellent or good quality. Based on treatment ranking and pairwise comparisons, melatonin with propolis (SUCRA = 93.29 %) is effective in improving SOFA scores, statistically significant, with no publication bias (p= 0.73). High-dose vitamin C (SUCRA = 83.97 %), vitamin C with vitamin B1 (SUCRA = 78.72 %), and melatonin (SUCRA = 67.03 %) are potential therapies for organ dysfunction. Melatonin (SUCRA = 88.22 %) and high-dose vitamin C (SUCRA = 80.75 %) were the most effective in reducing 28-day mortality rates. However, analysis indicated that the results for 28-day mortality rates were not statistically significant. Also, these results contained publication bias (p= 0.02). Conclusion: The study offers fresh perspectives on antioxidant therapy treatments for sepsis or septic shock in ICU, emphasizing the combination of melatonin and propolis notably reduces SOFA scores for those patients.

Azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotics, is one of the frequently used drugs in the children and elder. However, due to these population difficulty in swallowing and inefficient absorption, and azithromycin inherent poor solubility, bitter taste, and instability in the stomach acidic condition, it is a challenge to reach high oral bioavailability of this drug. To overcome these issues, we developed and characterized the effervescent granules containing azithromycin solid dispersion. Firstly, the solid dispersion was prepared, employing both wet grinding and solvent evaporation methods, with different types/amounts of polymers. The optimal solid dispersion with β-cyclodextrin at a drug:polymer ratio of 1:2 (w/w), prepared by the solvent evaporation method, significantly enhanced the azithromycin solubility 4-fold compared to the free drug, improved its bitterness from “bitter” to “normal”, possessed intermolecular bonding between the drug and polymer, and transformed the azithromycin molecules from crystalline to amorphous state. Secondly, the effervescent granules incorporating the solid dispersion were formulated with varied excipients of sweeteners, gas-generators, pH modulators, and glidants/lubricants. The optimal formula satisfied all the properties stated in the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia. In summary, the final effervescent granules product could be further investigated in in-vivo and in clinical settings to become a potential azithromycin delivery system with high bioavailability for the children and elder.

Primary bone malignancies, including osteosarcoma (OS), are rare but aggressive. Current OS treatment, involving surgical resection and chemotherapy, has improved survival for non-metastatic cases but remains ineffective for recurrent or metastatic OS. Oncolytic viral therapy (OVT) is a promising alternative, using naturally occurring or genetically modified viruses to selectively target and lyse cancer cells and induce a robust immune response against remaining OS cells. Various oncolytic viruses (OVs), such as adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, and measles virus, have demonstrated efficacy in preclinical OS models. Combining OVT with other therapeutics, such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy, may further improve outcomes. Despite these advances, challenges in reliability of preclinical models, safety, delivery, and immune response must be addressed to optimize OVT for clinical use. Future research should focus on refining delivery methods, exploring combination treatments, and clinical trials to ensure OVT's efficacy and safety for OS. Overall, OVT represents a novel approach with the potential to drastically improve survival outcomes for patients with OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a novel technique to conduct back‐analysis of lateral displacement of deep cement mixing (DCM) columns in deep excavation construction. For the first time, we propose a process to investigate both soil and underground structure end‐to‐end automatically. The novel technique is a complex combination of three crucial factors: (1) a nature‐inspired optimization algorithm (O), (2) a three‐dimensional PLAXIS Geotechnical Engineering software (P) and (3) a modern Python language programming (P), hereinafter called the a nature‐inspired optimization algorithm (O), a three‐dimensional PLAXIS Geotechnical Engineering software (P) and a modern Python language programming (P) (OPP) technique. The novel meta‐heuristic algorithm simulated the co‐evolved partnership behavior of shrimps and goby fishes, termed Shrimp and Goby Association (SGA), which plays an important role in complex analyses. A series of exams to determine the SGA's performance is conducted on 38 benchmark test functions (IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2017 and 2019) and three real‐world engineering design problems to showcase its applicability. The metaheuristic and PLAXIS 3D analysis work well together, which makes the back‐analysis technique powerfully to determinate stiffness parameters instead of the traditional approaches. Based on the optimized parameters, the lateral deflection of DCM and soil are well predicted for excavation. This study proposes a technique to estimate efficiently the stiffness parameter for very soft soil. As a consequence of the optimization process, an equation to determine the stiffness parameter of DCM columns from laboratory test is also proposed. Based on the obtained results, this research provides a comprehensive methodology for predicting risk, enhancing safety, saving time and money, and effectively designing and constructing underground structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the role that settlement can have on the base resistance of piles is a crucial matter in the design and safety control of deep foundations under various buildings and infrastructure, especially for long to super-long piles (60–90 m length) in soft soil. This paper presents a novel assessment of this issue by applying explainable machine learning (ML) techniques to a robust database (1131 datapoints) of fully instrumented pile tests across 37 real-life projects in the Mekong Delta. The analysis of data based on conventional methods shows distinct responses of long piles to rising settlement, as compared to short piles. The base resistance can rapidly develop at a small settlement threshold (0.015–0.03% of pile's length) and contribute up to 50–55% of the total bearing capacity in short piles, but it slowly rises over a wide range of settlement to only 20–25% in long piles due to considerable loss of settlement impact over the depth. Furthermore, by leveraging the advantages of ML methods, the results significantly enhance our understanding of the settlement–base resistance relationship through explainable computations. The ML-based prediction method is compared with popular practice codes for pile foundations, further attesting to the high accuracy and reliability of the newly established model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a superstructure for maximizing the annual profit of biodiesel production with Advanced Interactive Multidimensional Modeling System (AIMMS). The novelty features are the combination of pinch-based heat integration with a wide range of biodiesel feedstocks and the application of superstructure to evaluate the effect of uncertainties on the optimized design. The case study is a pilot refinery with the infeed capacity of 8000 tonnes feedstock per year. The biodiesel production route from tallow with reactive distillation technology and a heterogeneous acid catalyst has the highest total annual profit of 3.5 million USDs. The heating and cooling utilities can be reduced by 30 % with the heat integration. The result from the sensitivity analysis shows that the biodiesel and feedstock prices, and the production capacity have the most pronounced effects. From technical assessment, the reactive distillation process is the best choice for biodiesel production from different feedstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Leukemia diagnosis in Vietnam is limited by a lack of hematopathology training and expert consultation as well as the cost of high-magnification digitization of hematology slides. Screen-sharing software allows international collaboration with experienced hematopathologists for improved diagnostic accuracy. Methods A hematopathology education and consultation program was proposed for Vietnam hospitals. By appointment, pathologists in Vietnam with access to a microscope camera, imaging software, and high-speed internet were invited to review slides and data with a volunteer board-certified hematopathologist in the United States using secure videoconferencing software. A single hospital in southern Vietnam assigned a pathologist proficient in English to access this service. All consultations from this site with clinicopathologic information were logged. After a 2-year period of online consultation, case slides for selected diagnoses were reviewed under the microscope in Vietnam to assess concordance. Results In total, 135 consultations were logged, 53 of which were for blood and bone marrow. T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) was 1 of the most frequent bone marrow consultation-related diagnoses; all diagnoses of this entity were confirmed by in-person microscopy (100% concordance). A records search and physician surveys found no prior documented diagnoses of T-LGLL made in Vietnam before this education and consultation program. Conclusions Our virtual consultation model has improved patient care in Vietnam by providing correct diagnoses to inform best practices in treatment. As a result of our program, the first Vietnam diagnoses of T-LGLL were made and may help expand on the literature in this area. This model could provide cost-effective, real-time consultation and education services for pathologists in underserved communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the study. This study presents cases of recurrent cerebrospinal fluid-venous fistulas (CVFs) de novo at a different spinal level following successful treatment of initial CVFs. The aim was to highlight this rarely described phenomenon and report the clinical and imaging features after initial treatment, providing insights into the dynamics of recurrent CVFs. Clinical rationale for the study. Understanding the course of CVFs post-treatment is crucial for optimising patient management, especially when symptoms persist or recur. Material and methods. We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with recurrent CVFs at a different level after treatment of their initial CVF at our institution. Clinical and imaging records were reviewed and summarised, including Bern score features on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after treatment. Results. Four patients with five recurrent CVFs were identified. Recurrent or persistent symptoms encouraged subsequent brain MRI scans, which revealed different outcomes: i.e. persistence, or improvement, or complete resolution of abnormal findings. Initial positive responses included improvement of the pachymeningeal enhancement and venous sinus distension. These improvements were reversed when recurrent symptoms arose, which was also correlated with changes in the Bern score. Conclusions and clinical implications. Recognising the factors of CVF recurrence is crucial for comprehensive management. This study underlines the significance of repeated evaluation of persistent or recurring symptoms of CSF leak after treatment for CVFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyquinone derivatives are widely recognized in the literature for their remarkable properties, their biocompatibility, simple synthesis, and easy bio-functionalization. We have shown that polyquinones present very stable electroactivity in neutral aqueous medium within the cathodic potential domain avoiding side oxidation of interfering species. Besides, they can act as immobilized redox transducers for probing biomolecular interactions in sensors. Our group has been working on devices based on such modified electrodes with a view to applications for proteins, antibodies and organic pollutants using a reagentless label-free electrochemical immunosensor format. Herein, these developments are briefly reviewed and put into perspective.

Porphyrin is one of the most promising materials for realizing a practical artificial olfactory sensor system. In this study, we focus on non-substituted porphyrins—porphines—as receptor materials of nanomechanical membrane-type surface stress sensors (MSS) to investigate the effect of center metals on gas sensing. By omitting the substituents on the tetrapyrrole macrocycle of porphyrin, the peripheral interference by substituents can be avoided. Zinc, nickel, and iron were chosen for the center metals as these metalloporphines show different properties compared to free-base porphine. The present study revealed that iron insertion enhanced sensitivity to various gases, while zinc and nickel insertion led to equivalent or less sensitivity than free-base porphine. Based on the experimental results, we discuss the role of center metals for gas uptake from the view point of molecular interaction. We also report the high robustness of the iron porphine to humidity, showing the high feasibility of porphine-based nanomechanical sensor devices for practical applications in ambient conditions.