Search

Aglaonema cochinchinense is a rare species. It is found in some limited areas of southern Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. The present study provides its morphological, anatomical, phytochemical characteristics, and DNA barcode for the first time. The results from this study hold promise for using as a monographic literature in the identification of the medicinal plants as well as further application of this species in medicinal field and other related fields.

Banana leaf, being non-toxic, is often used in traditional cooking and medicine. However, its full potential is still largely unexplored. The current work aimed to screen for biological active compounds in banana leaf, and to establish an optimal formulation of tea using banana leaf and other banana by-products via a mixture design methodology. Obtained results show that banana leaf contains bioactive compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids), suitable for tea production. Using d-optimal-mixture-design, the optimal formulation (53% banana leaf, 30% peel, 16% corm, 1% sweet grass) was chosen for maximizing achieved total phenolic content, DPPH-inhibition and customers’ acceptance. Predicted and observed values were found to be in good agreement, pointing to the good-quality of the model. Additionally, the product met WHO-recommended limits for heavy metals and microbial contamination, assuring product safety. These findings indicate that Musa acuminata AAA by-products possess great potential as alternative sources of antioxidants for tea production.

Abstract Background Respiratory infections have long been recognized as a primary cause of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD). Additionally, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance has led to an urgent and critical situation in developing countries, including Vietnam. This study aimed to investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance of bacteria in patients with AE-COPD using both conventional culture and multiplex real-time PCR. Additionally, associations between clinical characteristics and indicators of pneumonia in these patients were examined. Methods This cross-sectional prospective study included 92 AE-COPD patients with pneumonia and 46 without pneumonia. Sputum specimens were cultured and examined for bacterial identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for each isolate. Multiplex real-time PCR was also performed to detect ten bacteria and seven viruses. Results The detection rates of pathogens in AE-COPD patients with pneumonia were 92.39%, compared to 86.96% in those without pneumonia. A total of 26 pathogenic species were identified, showing no significant difference in distribution between the two groups. The predominant bacteria included Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, followed by Acinetobacter baumannii and Streptococcus mitis. There was a slight difference in antibiotic resistance between bacteria isolated from two groups. The frequency of H. influenzae was notably greater in AE-COPD patients who experienced respiratory failure (21.92%) than in those who did not (9.23%). S. pneumoniae was more common in patients with stage I (44.44%) or IV (36.36%) COPD than in patients with stage II (17.39%) or III (9.72%) disease. ROC curve analysis revealed that C-reactive protein (CRP) levels could distinguish patients with AE-COPD with and without pneumonia (AUC = 0.78). Conclusion Gram-negative bacteria still play a key role in the etiology of AE-COPD patients, regardless of the presence of pneumonia. This study provides updated evidence for the epidemiology of AE-COPD pathogens and the appropriate selection of antimicrobial agents in Vietnam.

This research evaluates subchronic toxicities and analgesic effects of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (S. tetrandra) liquid extract through oral administration in experimental animals. Over 4 weeks of subchronic toxicity research, S. tetrandra was administered to Wistar rats at a dose of 1.6 g/kg body weight (BW) (the dose is equivalent to the expected human dose) and 4.8 g/kg BW (three times the human expected dose), based on World Health Organization (WHO) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recommendations. The analgesic effect was assessed using three models: hot plate, tail-flick, and acetic acid-induced writhing in Swiss mice. Regarding the subchronic toxicity test, after oral administration of S. tetrandra liquid extract, haematological parameters, hepato-renal functions, and microscopic images of the liver and kidney were unchanged compared with the control group. As a result, S. tetrandra liquid extract at both doses of 3.2 g/kg/day and 9.6 g/kg/day tended to reduce pain in the models. The low dose significantly showed peripheral analgesic effects, while the high dose demonstrated better analgesic activity at both central and peripheral sites. In conclusion, S. tetrandra liquid extract did not produce subchronic toxicities in Wistar rats, and has shown experimental analgesic effects.

In order to evaluate the success of integrating the Interactive Whiteboard into vocabulary lessons in terms of developing the fifth graders' vocabulary achievement, retention and learning attitudes, the thirteen-week quasi-experimental study was conducted in two classes with the participation of 40 fifth graders as the control group and another 40 from the same grade as the experimental group, respectively. The instruments included three vocabulary tests (e.g. one pre-test, one posttest and one delayed post-test); and the attitude questionnaire. The quantitative data obtained from these measurement tools were analyzed by SPSS. The findings of the study indicated that the Interactive Whiteboard activities positively contributed to the fifth graders' vocabulary achievement and retention of form, meaning and use. Besides, the fifth graders' level of motivation, interest, and active behavioural intentions increased via the Interactive Whiteboard.

Higher education is regarded as being of paramount importance in Vietnam and as being essential to raising the level of the country's labor force and promoting economic progress. Evaluation of lecturers is one of the institution's activities and a crucial component of managing human resources in higher education institutions. How to evaluate faculty members' overall performance using a range of criteria is one of the key evaluation-related challenges. This study presents a method that uses fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to assess and rank the performance of lecturers. Specifically, the evaluation framework is developed by identifying criteria and sub-criteria based on a comprehensive review of existing literature. Following that, the fuzzy AHP approach is used to determine the weights of the criteria and sub-criteria using the pairwise comparisons. The Fuzzy TOPSIS approach is employed to assess and prioritize lecturers identified through expert evaluation. When applied in group decision-making, utilizing fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS promotes agreement among decision-makers and diminishes uncertainty in decision-making processes. The utilization of the multiple criterion measurement approach can then be used to carry out the evaluation. The suggested framework is also demonstrated via a case study. The use of this framework can improve the evaluation's objectivity, accuracy, and scientific methodology. It is believed that this work will assist managers of higher education institutions improve their standards for educational quality.

National culture determines educational culture. The educational culture characteristics of each country will be demonstrated through the awareness of education, the way the educational apparatus is organized, and the way that education deals with the crisis in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic on a global scale. The study uses structural functionalism theory to systematize the elements in educational culture and analyzes these elements in symmetrical pairs to outline the Japanese educational culture during the COVID-19 pandemic from the beginning of the year 2020 until now. In addition, from the view of the specific Japanese educational culture, the study also uses Hofstede's cultural dimension theory to analyze pandemic response policy.

Breadfruit's substantial carbohydrate content makes it a viable starch source, specifically resistant starch (RS) that helps prevent chronic diseases. This study investigated the effects of enzyme hydrolysis and microwave treatment (MT) on enriching type III RS in breadfruit. It also determined its structural and functional properties, including swelling power, solubility index, water absorption capacity, oil binding capacity, and syneresis. MT at 30 W.g-1 for 3 min resulted in the highest RS content of 74.8%, significantly surpassing pullulanase hydrolysis (1.0 U.g-1 dry basis for 12 h) at 17.3% RS. The breadfruit starch granules exhibited a regular shape, approximately 7.9 µm in length, whereas modified granules were less than 11 µm, along with observable deformation in their structural shape. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the efficacy of MT for enhancing RS content in breadfruit, highlighting its potential as a healthy functional ingredient and starch substitute.

PURPOSE: This study aims to integrate insights from the Socio-Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and entrepreneurship literature to develop a research framework of how perceived entrepreneurial opportunities (PEO) and perceived educational support (PES) shape the progression of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and entrepreneurial career interests (ECI). Additionally, this study investigates whether ECI mediates the effects of PEO and PES on entrepreneurial intention (EI) and how PEO and PES moderate the effects of ESE and ECI on EI. METHODOLOGY: A sample of 888 university students was recruited from Vietnam. Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analyses were adopted to test the reliability and validity of the scales. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is then used to test formulated hypotheses. FINDINGS: The current study demonstrates that ESE and ECI directly trigger EI. Although PES and PEO did not directly impact EI, their influence on EI was mediated through ESE and ECI. In addition, PEO was found to act as a positive catalyst for the transformation of ESE and ECI into EI. The greater the entrepreneurial opportunities students perceive, the more likely they are to convert ESE and ECI into intentions to become entrepreneurs. IMPLICATIONS: This study makes a significant contribution by emphasizing the relevance of the SCCT framework in understanding entrepreneurship and brings to the forefront the role of PES and PEO in shaping the progression of ESE, ECI and, ultimately, EI. In addition, the findings of this study provide practical implications for nascent entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship educators, and policymakers. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This study is one of the first to investigate the role of PEO and PES in the development of Vietnamese students’ SES, ECI and, ultimately, their intention to engage in entrepreneurship.

Optoelectronic devices have various applications in medical equipment, sensors, and communication systems. Photodetectors, which convert light into electrical signals, have gained much attention from many research teams. This study describes a low-cost photodetector based on CuO nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods operating in a wide range of light wavelengths (395, 464, 532, and 640 nm). Particularly, under 395 nm excitation, the heterostructure device exhibits high responsivity, photoconductive gain, detectivity, and sensitivity with maximum values of 1.38 A·W−1, 4.33, 2.58 × 1011 Jones, and 1934.5% at a bias of 2 V, respectively. The sensing mechanism of the p–n heterojunction of CuO/ZnO is also explored. Overall, this study indicates that the heterostructure of CuO nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods obtained via a simple and cost-effective synthesis process has great potential for optoelectronic applications.

Flash floods have been blamed for significant losses and destruction all around the world are widely, including Vietnam, a developing nation that has been particularly hard hit by climate change. Therefore, flash flood hazards are essential for reducing flood risks. The topographic wetness index (TWI), altitude, slope, aspect, rainfall, land cover, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distances to rivers and roads, and flow length were used in this study to create a spatial database of ten exploratory factors influencing the occurrence of flash floods in the Ngan Sau and Ngan Pho river basins (North-Central Vietnam). Subsequently, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to calculate the weights of these influencing factors. The flood threat was then mapped using GIS techniques. The validation of the flash flood hazards involved 151 flood inventory sites in total. The findings demonstrate that (i) distance from rivers (0.14) and TWI (0.14) factors have the greatest influence on flash flooding, whereas distance from roads (0.06) and NDVI (0.06) factors were found to have the least influence; (ii) a good conformity of 84.8 percent between flood inventory sites and moderate to very high levels of flash flood hazard areas was also discovered; (iii) high and very high flood hazard levels covering areas of 275 and 621.1 km2 were mainly detected along and close to the main rivers and streams, respectively. These results demonstrated the effectiveness of GIS techniques, AHP, and Landsat-8 remote sensing data for flash flood hazard mapping.

Despite their promise, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based assays for multi-cancer early detection face challenges in test performance, due mostly to the limited abundance of ctDNA and its inherent variability. To address these challenges, published assays to date demanded a very high-depth sequencing, resulting in an elevated price of test. Herein, we developed a multimodal assay called SPOT-MAS (screening for the presence of tumor by methylation and size) to simultaneously profile methylomics, fragmentomics, copy number, and end motifs in a single workflow using targeted and shallow genome-wide sequencing (~0.55×) of cell-free DNA. We applied SPOT-MAS to 738 non-metastatic patients with breast, colorectal, gastric, lung, and liver cancer, and 1550 healthy controls. We then employed machine learning to extract multiple cancer and tissue-specific signatures for detecting and locating cancer. SPOT-MAS successfully detected the five cancer types with a sensitivity of 72.4% at 97.0% specificity. The sensitivities for detecting early-stage cancers were 73.9% and 62.3% for stages I and II, respectively, increasing to 88.3% for non-metastatic stage IIIA. For tumor-of-origin, our assay achieved an accuracy of 0.7. Our study demonstrates comparable performance to other ctDNA-based assays while requiring significantly lower sequencing depth, making it economically feasible for population-wide screening.

During wintertime temperature inversion episodes, ozone in the Uinta Basin sometimes exceeds the standard of 70 ppb set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Since ozone formation depends on sunlight, and less sunlight is available during winter, wintertime ozone can only form if snow cover and albedo are high. Researchers have encountered difficulties replicating high albedo values in 3-D weather and photochemical transport model simulations for winter episodes. In this study, a process to assimilate MODIS satellite data into WRF and CAMx models was developed, streamlined, and tested to demonstrate the impacts of data assimilation on the models’ performance. Improvements to the WRF simulation of surface albedo and snow cover were substantial. However, the impact of MODIS data assimilation on WRF performance for other meteorological quantities was minimal, and it had little impact on ozone concentrations in the CAMx photochemical transport model. The contrast between the data assimilation and reference cases was greater for a period with no new snow since albedo appears to decrease too rapidly in default WRF and CAMx configurations. Overall, the improvement from MODIS data assimilation had an observed enhancement in the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of surface characteristics on meteorological quantities and ozone production.

In a world rapidly transitioning, food consumption away from home is rising, therefore representing an increasing share of individual's diet. Food consumed away from home negatively impacts diet, nutritional status and consequently has detrimental effects on health. In some contexts, where individual level dietary intake surveys are not regularly conducted, this behavior is not well documented leading to a gap of knowledge. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate in Burkina Faso and Vietnam specific modules that could be added to Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys that are usually regularly conducted worldwide, in order to document the economic and nutritional importance of food consumption away from home. In each country, two survey modules, one long (100 food items) and one short (30 food items) were developed, to measure individual-level food consumption away from home over the last 7 days. The modules were relatively validated in comparison with data from three non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls conducted over the same 7-days period. The validation was conducted in different settings (urban, peri-urban and rural) in Burkina Faso (n = 924) and Vietnam (n = 918). In both countries, a good concordance between the 24-hour dietary recalls and the modules in their ability to identify a person as having consumed food away from home (>77%) was found. However, in both countries, both modules underestimate the mean energy intake coming from foods consumed away from home (from 122 to 408 kcal) while they overestimate the budget allocated to it (from -0.07 to -0.29 USD/day). None of developed food away from home modules were considered as valid. There is a need for the international community to continue to work on developing and validating tools capable to estimate nutritional intakes related to food consumption away from home and that could be added to regular national household-level surveys.

Herein, the effectiveness of nickel-zirconia nanocatalyst decorated on hydroxyapatite (HA) is examined as a potential candidate for the methanation of carbon dioxide (CO2). Co-impregnation was used to produce undoped nickel as well as zirconia-doped nickel catalysts that were supported on hydroxyapatite derived from fishbone. The prepared catalysts were characterized using several methods. With the molar ratio of H2/CO2 fixed at 4/1, the catalytic activity was evaluated through the CO2 methanation at low temperatures ranging of 250–––400 °C. A high dispersion of nickel particles over the catalyst surface with a size range of 30–––40 nm was provided as a function of HA and zirconia. This led to an improvement in the reducibility and CO2 adsorption capacity of the catalysts and an enhancement of the efficiency in CO2 methanation. At a reaction temperature of 400 °C, the data reveal that the 10Ni/HA sample doped with 4 wt% zirconia was the most effective. At this temperature, the CO2 conversion reached 92.9%, and the CH4 selectivity reached approximately 100%.

BackgroundAutistic students are particularly vulnerable to stressors within a university environment and are more likely to experience poor mental health than their non-autistic peers. Students’ experiences of stigma from staff and peers, and the masking behaviors they deploy to minimize it, can also result in worsening mental health. Despite these concerns, there is a lack of tailored support for autistic students at university. The current project assesses a co-created training course for university staff focused on debunking stereotypes, educating about the autistic experience at university, mental health presentation among autistic individuals, and practical strategies to improve interactions with autistic students.MethodsThe Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire [ASK-Q] was administered before and after the training, to examine changes in trainees’ understanding and acceptance of autism and autistic people. Post-training interviews and surveys were also conducted with trainees, covering the impact the training has had on their perceptions of autism, the strategies they found beneficial, and how they will use the materials in future.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences between pre- and post-training scores on the ASK-Q, likely due to ceiling effects as pre-training scores were high. Thematic analysis of interviews identified five themes: value of lived experience; developing nuanced, in-depth knowledge of autism; training as acceptable and feasible; links to professional practice; and systemic barriers.ConclusionAlthough ceiling effects meant there were no changes to participant’s knowledge about autism and autistic people statistically, the qualitative data reveals the extensive benefits they gained from taking part in the training programs. Scoring highly on the ASK-Q did not mean that people could not learn important new information and benefit from the course. This more nuanced understanding of autism led to practical changes in their practice. Listening to and learning from autistic people was seen as particularly important, highlighting the value of co-production. Our results also emphasize the need for varied approaches to evaluating training effectiveness, as reliance on quantitative data alone would have missed the subtler, but impactful, changes our participants experienced. This has important implications for professional practice, both within higher education and more broadly.

Background and aimsHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection affects 300 million individuals worldwide, representing a major factor for the development of hepatic complications. Although existing antivirals are effective in suppressing replication, eradication of HBV is not achieved. Therefore, a multi-faceted approach involving antivirals and immunomodulatory agents is required. Non-human primates are widely used in pre-clinical studies due to their close evolutionary relationship to humans. Nonetheless, it is fundamental to identify the differences in immune response between humans and these models. Thus, we performed a transcriptomic characterization and interspecies comparison of the early immune responses to HBV in human and cynomolgus macaques.MethodsWe characterized early transcriptomic changes in human and cynomolgus B cells, T cells, myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) exposed to HBV ex vivo for 2 hours. Differentially-expressed genes were further compared to the profiles of HBV-infected patients using publicly-available single-cell data.ResultsHBV induced a wide variety of transcriptional changes in all cell types, with common genes between species representing only a small proportion. In particular, interferon gamma signaling was repressed in human pDCs. At the gene level, interferon gamma inducible protein 16 (IFI16) was upregulated in macaque pDCs, while downregulated in humans. Moreover, IFI16 expression in pDCs from chronic HBV-infected patients anti-paralleled serum HBsAg levels.ConclusionOur characterization of early transcriptomic changes induced by HBV in humans and cynomolgus macaques represents a useful resource for the identification of shared and divergent host responses, as well as potential immune targets against HBV.

Therapeutic Area: Heart Failure - Quality Improvement Background: Sodium glucose transport inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalizations and Cardiovascular (CV) death in patients with heart failure (HF). However, residents may be under prescribing SGLT2i for patients with HF in the outpatient setting possibly due to being unaware of newest guidelines or lack of comfort with prescribing SGLT2i for HF. The aim of this resident-led quality improvement project is to increase the rate of SGLT2i prescribed in patients with HF in the UT Tyler Internal Medicine (IM) Resident Clinic by 10% from a baseline of 16% within one month. Methods: Using a fish-bone diagram, root-cause analysis was performed for different reasons SGLT2i are under prescribed by residents. A Pick Chart was used for intervention planning which involved reminders on conference tables aimed at the preceptor and resident during report out.The intervention was implemented for one month and data was pulled using built EMR data analysis tool after this initial run to evaluate the percentage of SGLT2i prescriptions. Results: Pre-intervention data was pulled and revealed 16% of patients at the IM clinic with ICD codes indicating HF diagnosis were on SGLT2i (Figure 1). Post-intervention data analysis that used the same ICD codes showed a 10.7% increase to 26.7% of HF patients on SGLT2i (Figure 2). Conclusions: At the IM clinic, our goal was to improve SGLT2i prescription by 10% among the IM residents by educating and reminding residents on their indications. SGLT-2i have emerged as a staple in improving mortality and hospital readmission of patients with HF with reduced (HFrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) as seen in Emperor Reduced and Emperor Preserved Trials. Despite the proven benefits of SGLT-2i in HF, their use in clinical practice remains suboptimal due to lack of awareness, concerns about side effects, and high cost.We intend to continue to assess rates of SGLT2i prescription by analyzing SGLT2i prescription rates every six months and improving current interventions further by implementing more robust signs that are updated periodically with changing guidelines. This project can be further expanded and replicated at other associated clinics and in the inpatient setting in the future.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, which are often based on Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, are also applied in the healthcare domain to provide predictions to physicians and patients based on electronic health records (EHRs), such as history of laboratory values, applied procedures and diagnoses. The question about these predictions “Why Should I Trust You?” encapsulates the issue with ML black boxes. Therefore, explaining the reasons for these ML predictions to physicians and patients is crucial to allow them to decide whether the prediction is applicable or not. In this paper, we explained and evaluated two prediction explanation methods for healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses). We compared two model-agnostic explanation methods based on global feature importance and local feature importance. We evaluated the user trust and reliance (UTR) for the explanation results of each method in a user study based on real patients’ electronic health records (EHR) and the feedback of healthcare professionals. Based on the user study, we observed that both methods have strengths and weaknesses according to the patients’ data, especially based on the data size of the patient. When the amount of data is small, global feature importance is enough to use. However, when the patient’s data size is big, using a local feature importance method makes more sense. As future work, we will develop a hybrid explanation method (by combining these methods automatically with a smart setting) to obtain higher and more stable performance results in terms of user trust and reliance.

In a world rapidly transitioning, food consumption away from home is rising, therefore representing an increasing share of individual's diet. Food consumed away from home negatively impacts diet, nutritional status and consequently has detrimental effects on health. In some contexts, where individual level dietary intake surveys are not regularly conducted, this behavior is not well documented leading to a gap of knowledge. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate in Burkina Faso and Vietnam specific modules that could be added to Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys that are usually regularly conducted worldwide, in order to document the economic and nutritional importance of food consumption away from home. In each country, two survey modules, one long (100 food items) and one short (30 food items) were developed, to measure individual-level food consumption away from home over the last 7 days. The modules were relatively validated in comparison with data from three non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls conducted over the same 7-days period. The validation was conducted in different settings (urban, peri-urban and rural) in Burkina Faso (n = 924) and Vietnam (n = 918). In both countries, a good concordance between the 24-hour dietary recalls and the modules in their ability to identify a person as having consumed food away from home (>77%) was found. However, in both countries, both modules underestimate the mean energy intake coming from foods consumed away from home (from 122 to 408 kcal) while they overestimate the budget allocated to it (from -0.07 to -0.29 USD/day). None of developed food away from home modules were considered as valid. There is a need for the international community to continue to work on developing and validating tools capable to estimate nutritional intakes related to food consumption away from home and that could be added to regular national household-level surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop the eco-friendly production of bioactive 1-hydroxyphenazine (HP) through fermentation using an industrial processing by-product of cassava as the main carbon/nitrogen source. Cassava starch processing by-product (CSPB) was screened as a suitable substrate for fermentation to produce HP with a high yield. Mixing CSPB with a minor amount of tryptic soy broth (TSB) at a ratio of 8/2 and with 0.05% K2HPO4 and 0.05% FeSO4 was effective in HP production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa TUN03. HP was also further scaled up through production on a bioreactor system, which achieved a higher level yield (36.5 µg/mL) in a shorter fermentation time (10 h) compared to its production in the flask (20.23 µg/mL after 3 days). In anti-fungal activity tests against various Fusarium phytopathogens, HP exhibited the most significant effect on Fusarium oxysporum F10. It could inhibit the mycelial growth of this fungus, with an inhibition rate of 68.7% and anti-spore germination activity of up to 98.4%. The results of the docking study indicate that HP effectively interacted with the protein 1TRY targeting anti-F. oxysporum, with all obtained docking parameters in the accepted range. This study supports the novel use of CSPB as the carbon/nitrogen source for P. aeruginosa fermentation to produce HP, a F. oxysporum anti-fungal agent reported here for the first time.

The current work illustrates how successfully rice husk-activated carbon eliminates hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions. The design of experiment (DOE) - response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to build an appropriate experimental model. The experimental variables pH, contact length, and adsorbent dose were found, as well as their interactions and effects on Cr(VI) removal. The greatest result for Cr(VI) removal was obtained at pH = 2, agitation time of about 30.5 hours, and adsorbent dose = 4 g/l, with a starting hexavalent chromium content of 100 ppm. Hexavalent chromium removal is performed optimally under the parameters specified for these driving forces. ANOVA also demonstrated a strong coefficient of determination R2 > 99 %. Furthermore, Temkin isotherm and pseudosecond kinetic models with high R2 values were selected as useful for the inquiry. It illustrates that the removal of hexavalent chromium in studies is considered to follow a regular distribution of binding energies up to a given maximum binding energy. Furthermore, the rate of adsorption site occupancy is inversely proportional to the square of the number of unoccupied sites on the adsorbent.

Background and Aims: Thalassemia is a highly prevalent genetic disease in Vietnam. Importantly, silent carriers pose a risk of having children with two mutated alleles hence serious health conditions requiring hematological treatments for the lifetime. Early detection of silent carriers would assist doctors in counseling and offering preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic defects (PGT-M), in this case for thalassemia, which would help carrier couples eventually have healthy babies. Approximately 5% of [Formula: see text]-thalassemia diseases are caused by point mutations while 95% are caused by deletions. Although rare, [Formula: see text]-thalassemia point mutations can be missed when conventional screening methods fail to detect them. DNA sequencing is considered a gold standard method for identifying novel, unreported point mutations. This study aims to apply sequencing to detect point mutations in infertile [Formula: see text]-thalassemia silent carriers. Method: Couples seeking fertility treatments were invited and consented to take part in the study. The control group had five healthy people possessing normal complete blood count results as well as a healthy family history. The study group consisted of nine people, who had hypochromic microcytic anemia (MCH [Formula: see text] 27 pg; MCV [Formula: see text] 80 fL) without any detected deletion mutations. DNA was extracted from whole blood samples. PCR products were then sequenced using SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer 3500 and analyzed by CLC Sequencing Analysis Software v6 together with Mutation Taster (http://www.mutationtaster.org/) and CAAD (https://cadd.gs.washington.edu/). Results: The study identified four variants of the HBA2 gene in nine heterozygous carriers. Among them, 5/9 carried the -[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]variant, 2/9 had the -[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], one carried the c.2delT variant, and one bore a new variant, c.-2C[Formula: see text]T, which has not been reported elsewhere. Conclusion: DNA sequencing is effective in detecting point mutations of the [Formula: see text]-thalassemia gene in carriers. The results can significantly contribute to the fertility treatment plan in order to have healthy babies.