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Starch-based bioplastics offer a promising alternative to conventional plastics. However, they exhibit certain limitations, notably in terms of mechanical strength and barrier properties. These challenges could potentially be addressed through the incorporation of nanocellulose as a reinforcing agent. In this study, we fabricated bioplastic films using a casting and blending approach, employing highly linear pure amylose (AM) in combination with cellulose nanofibers (CNF) or cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) at various ratios. This allowed for a direct comparison of CNF and CNC functionality within the AM matrix. We systematically assessed mechanical properties and water barrier characteristics, encompassing parameters such as water permeability, moisture content, swelling, solubility, crystallinity, thermal stability, transmittance, and opacity. Additionally, we investigated water vapor and oxygen permeability. Furthermore, we delved into distinctions between CNC and CNF biocomposites. Incorporation of either type of nanocellulose yielded enhancements in film properties, with CNF exerting a more pronounced positive influence compared to CNC. Particularly noteworthy were the mechanical properties, wherein CNF composite films demonstrated markedly higher tensile strength and Young’s modulus compared to their CNC counterparts. For instance, the inclusion of 1% CNF led to a substantial increase in AM tensile strength from 66.1 MPa to 144.8 MPa. Conversely, water vapor permeability exhibited a converse behavior, as the addition of 1% CNF resulted in a significant reduction of water barrier properties from 8.7 to 1.32 g mm m−2 24 h−1kPa−1. Intriguingly, CNC films displayed greater elongation at the point of rupture in comparison to CNF films. This can be attributed to the larger surface area of the CNC and the favorable interfacial interaction between AM and CNC. Notably, the introduction of nanocellulose led to reduced film opacity and imp

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) remains a major cause of gastroduodenal diseases. We aimed to evaluate the burden of this infection, particularly peptic ulcer disease in Vietnamese children. Methods: We enrolled consecutive children referred for esophagogastroduodenoscopy at two tertiary children’s hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, from October 2019 to May 2021. Children treated with proton pump inhibitors during the last two weeks or antibiotics for four weeks, and those having a previous or interventional endoscopy were excluded. H. pylori infection was diagnosed with either a positive culture or positive histopathology combined with a rapid urease test, or with a polymerase chain reaction of the urease gene. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee and written informed consent/assent was obtained. Results: Among 336 enrolled children aged 4–16 (mean: 9.1 ± 2.4 years; 55.4% girls), H. pylori infection was positive in 80%. Peptic ulcers were detected in 65 (19%), increasing with age, and 25% with anemia. cagA+ strains were detected at a higher rate in children with ulcers. Conclusions: Prevalence of H. pylori and peptic ulcers is high among symptomatic Vietnamese children. It is crucial to have a program for early detection of H. pylori to reduce ulcer risk and gastric cancer later., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Background Antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is increasing worldwide, with geographical variations, impacting the treatment outcomes. This study assessed the antibiotic resistance patterns of H. pylori in Vietnamese children. Materials and Methods Symptomatic children undergoing gastroduodenoscopy at two tertiary Children's Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City were recruited. Antral and corpus biopsies were obtained and cultured separately. Susceptibility to amoxicillin (AMO), clarithromycin (CLA), metronidazole (MET), levofloxacin (LEV), and tetracycline (TET) was determined using E‐test. Polymerase chain reaction was performed on another antral biopsy to detect the urease gene, cytotoxin‐associated gene A ( cagA ), vacuolating cytotoxin A ( vacA ) genotypes, and 23S rRNA mutations conferring CLA resistance. Results Among 123 enrolled children, a high primary resistance rate was found for CLA (68.5%, 61/89), followed by LEV (55.1%), MET (31.5%), AMO (25.8%), and TET (1.1%). Secondary resistance rates were 82.1% (7/28), 71.4%, 53.6%, and 3.6% for CLA, LEV, MET, and TET, respectively. Multidrug resistance was frequent (67.7%), with common patterns including CLA + LEV (20.3%) and CLA + MTZ + LEV (15.2%). Heteroresistance was detected in eight children (6.5%). The A2143G mutation was detected in 97.5% (119/122) of children. 86.1% of children had positive cagA strains and 27.9% had multiple vacA genotypes. No factor was significantly associated with antibiotic resistance. Conclusions The alarming rate of antibiotic resistance for H. pylori ,especially for CLA, with emerging multi‐ and hetero‐resistant strains, pose a major treatment challenge that precludes CLA use as empirical therapy. Biopsies from both antrum and corpus can improve H. pylori culture, allowing tailored treatment based on antimicrobial susceptibility., info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Starch-based bioplastics offer a promising alternative to conventional plastics. However, they exhibit certain limitations, notably in terms of mechanical strength and barrier properties. These challenges could potentially be addressed through the incorporation of nanocellulose as a reinforcing agent. In this study, we fabricated bioplastic films using a casting and blending approach, employing highly linear pure amylose (AM) in combination with cellulose nanofibers (CNF) or cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) at various ratios. This allowed for a direct comparison of CNF and CNC functionality within the AM matrix. We systematically assessed mechanical properties and water barrier characteristics, encompassing parameters such as water permeability, moisture content, swelling, solubility, crystallinity, thermal stability, transmittance, and opacity. Additionally, we investigated water vapor and oxygen permeability. Furthermore, we delved into distinctions between CNC and CNF biocomposites. Incorporation of either type of nanocellulose yielded enhancements in film properties, with CNF exerting a more pronounced positive influence compared to CNC. Particularly noteworthy were the mechanical properties, wherein CNF composite films demonstrated markedly higher tensile strength and Young’s modulus compared to their CNC counterparts. For instance, the inclusion of 1% CNF led to a substantial increase in AM tensile strength from 66.1 MPa to 144.8 MPa. Conversely, water vapor permeability exhibited a converse behavior, as the addition of 1% CNF resulted in a significant reduction of water barrier properties from 8.7 to 1.32 g mm m−2 24 h−1kPa−1. Intriguingly, CNC films displayed greater elongation at the point of rupture in comparison to CNF films. This can be attributed to the larger surface area of the CNC and the favorable interfacial interaction between AM and CNC. Notably, the introduction of nanocellulose led to reduced film opacity and imp

This paper discusses a facial expression recognition model and a description generation model to build descriptive sentences for images and facial expressions of people in images. Our study shows that YOLOv5 achieves better results than a traditional CNN for all emotions on the KDEF dataset. In particular, the accuracies of the CNN and YOLOv5 models for emotion recognition are 0.853 and 0.938, respectively. A model for generating descriptions for images based on a merged architecture is proposed using VGG16 with the descriptions encoded over an LSTM model. YOLOv5 is also used to recognize dominant colors of objects in the images and correct the color words in the descriptions generated if it is necessary. If the description contains words referring to a person, we recognize the emotion of the person in the image. Finally, we combine the results of all models to create sentences that describe the visual content and the human emotions in the images. Experimental results on the Flickr8k dataset in Vietnamese achieve BLEU-1, BLEU-2, BLEU-3, BLEU-4 scores of 0.628; 0.425; 0.280; and 0.174, respectively., Comment: 7 pages

Background and aims: Management of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) may vary across different settings due to factors related to population characteristics, practice, resources and/or policies. We conducted a survey among the worldwide network of EAS FHSC Lead Investigators to provide an overview of FH status in different countries. Methods: Lead Investigators from countries formally involved in the EAS FHSC by mid-May 2018 were invited to provide a brief report on FH status in their countries, including available information, programmes, initiatives, and management. Results: 63 countries provided reports. Data on FH prevalence are lacking in most countries. Where available, data tend to align with recent estimates, suggesting a higher frequency than that traditionally considered. Low rates of FH detection are reported across all regions. National registries and education programmes to improve FH awareness/knowledge are a recognised priority, but funding is often lacking. In most countries, diagnosis primarily relies on the Dutch Lipid Clinics Network criteria. Although available in many countries, genetic testing is not widely implemented (frequent cost issues). There are only a few national official government programmes for FH. Under-treatment is an issue. FH therapy is not universally reimbursed. PCSK9-inhibitors are available in ∼2/3 countries. Lipoprotein-apheresis is offered in ∼60% countries, although access is limited. Conclusions: FH is a recognised public health concern. Management varies widely across countries, with overall suboptimal identification and under-treatment. Efforts and initiatives to improve FH knowledge and management are underway, including development of national registries, but support, particularly from health authorities, and better funding are greatly needed.

MicroRNAs are small (̃22 nt) noncoding RNAs which function is to regulate mRNA levels in multicellular organisms. Several host-derived miRNAs have been shown to play an important role during viral infections by regulating the expression of genes encoding key immune mediators. We sought to investigate the ability of miRNA to regulate the intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) innate immune response. Using siRNA we downregulated the expression of the 2 key microRNA processing enzymes Drosha and Dicer-1 in HCT116 and HT29 and then infected with Sendai virus, Rotavirus, or stimulated the cells with the synthetic dsRNA mimic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)). We observed that Drosha-silenced, but not Dicer-silenced cells, induced a significant increase in IFN-[Beta] expression and secretion, and also up-regulated the expression of ISG -15, which caused reduced viral load in infected cells. The cells showed also an increased expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-[alpha] and IL-6. These responses were not due to changes in levels of phosphorylated IRF3 or phosphorylated I[kappa]B[alpha]. Top candidate miRNAs endogenous to IECs and predicted to target IFN-[Beta], TNF-[alpha], and IL-6 were found

MicroRNAs are small (̃22 nt) noncoding RNAs which function is to regulate mRNA levels in multicellular organisms. Several host-derived miRNAs have been shown to play an important role during viral infections by regulating the expression of genes encoding key immune mediators. We sought to investigate the ability of miRNA to regulate the intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) innate immune response. Using siRNA we downregulated the expression of the 2 key microRNA processing enzymes Drosha and Dicer-1 in HCT116 and HT29 and then infected with Sendai virus, Rotavirus, or stimulated the cells with the synthetic dsRNA mimic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)). We observed that Drosha-silenced, but not Dicer-silenced cells, induced a significant increase in IFN-[Beta] expression and secretion, and also up-regulated the expression of ISG -15, which caused reduced viral load in infected cells. The cells showed also an increased expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-[alpha] and IL-6. These responses were not due to changes in levels of phosphorylated IRF3 or phosphorylated I[kappa]B[alpha]. Top candidate miRNAs endogenous to IECs and predicted to target IFN-[Beta], TNF-[alpha], and IL-6 were found

This research explores a novel repair technique to reverse the sensitization of aluminum magnesium (Al-Mg) alloys. Al-Mg alloys can become sensitized when magnesium comes out of solution as a second phase, Al₃Mg₂, on the grain boundaries, eventually forming a continuous network and increasing susceptibility to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Sensitized 5456 Al-Mg alloy samples removed from active Navy ships were metallographically characterized. These were compared to similar samples that were heat treated in order to reverse the sensitization effect. Both of these were also compared to as wrought 5456 aluminum. All samples were also tested for tensile strength and degree of sensitization using the ASTM G67 Nitric Acid Mass Loss Test (NAMLT). Two heat treatment profiles were compared. Both of these profiles successfully reversed the sensitization effect, with similar performance. Heat treatment may have affected the tensile properties and negatively degraded the resulting microstructure by annealing the material. Therefore, more research is necessary to prove this technique's suitability for shipboard repair.

This thesis focuses on the use of x-ray diffraction to measure residual stresses around welds in aluminum ship structures both in the laboratory and in the field. Tensile residual stresses are often generated during welding and, in sensitized aluminum structures, can cause extensive stress corrosion cracking. Peening techniques, such as ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT), can mitigate and even reverse these tensile residual stresses. This research uses x-ray diffraction to measure residual stresses around welds in AA5456 before and after UIT. In particular, we examined the importance of UIT parameters such as peening amplitude and pin size. We found that all combinations of UIT parameters removed the tensile residual stresses and resulted in compressive stress several hundred microns below the weld surface. The exact level of compressive residual stress was sensitive to the pin size used with a smaller, but measurable, dependence upon the displacement amplitude. In an effort to extend these measurement techniques to the field, we successfully performed the first x-ray residual stress measurements on a U.S. naval combatant.

Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2000., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-71)., by Kim Luu., M.Eng.

Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2000., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-71)., by Kim Luu., M.Eng.

Aluminum 5456-H116 has high as-welded strength, is formable, and highly corrosion resistant, however, it can become sensitized when exposed to elevated temperatures for a prolonged time. Sensitization results in the formation of a continuous β phase at the grain boundaries that is anodic to the matrix. Thus the grain boundaries become susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and intergranular corrosion cracking (IGC). Cracking issues on aluminum superstructures have prompted the use of a severe plastic deformation processes, such as ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT), to improve SCC resistance. This study correlated the effects of UIT on the properties of 5456-H116 alloy to the microstructural evolution of the alloy and helped develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that cause the microstructural evolution. Ultrasonic impact treatment produces a deformed layer at the surface ~ 10 to 18 µm thick that is characterized by micro-cracks, tears, and voids. Ultrasonic impact treatment results in grain refinement within the deformation layer and extending below the deformed layer. The microstructure exhibits weak crystallographic texture with larger fraction of high angle grain boundaries. Nanocrystalline grains within the deformation layer vary in size from 2 to 200 nm in diameter and exhibit curved or wavy grain boundaries. The nanocrystalline grains are thermally stable up to 300°C. Above 300°C, grain growth occurs with an activation energy of ~ 32 kJ/mol. Below the deformation layer, the microstructure is characterized by submicron grains, complex structure of dislocations, sub-boundaries, and Moiré fringes depicting overlapping grains. The deformation layer does not exhibit the presence of a continuous β phase, however below the deformation layer; a continuous β phase along the grain boundaries is present. In general the highest hardness and yield strength is at the UIT surface which is attributed to the formation of nanocrystalline grains. Although

This research explores a novel repair technique to reverse the sensitization of aluminum magnesium (Al-Mg) alloys. Al-Mg alloys can become sensitized when magnesium comes out of solution as a second phase, Al₃Mg₂, on the grain boundaries, eventually forming a continuous network and increasing susceptibility to intergranular stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Sensitized 5456 Al-Mg alloy samples removed from active Navy ships were metallographically characterized. These were compared to similar samples that were heat treated in order to reverse the sensitization effect. Both of these were also compared to as wrought 5456 aluminum. All samples were also tested for tensile strength and degree of sensitization using the ASTM G67 Nitric Acid Mass Loss Test (NAMLT). Two heat treatment profiles were compared. Both of these profiles successfully reversed the sensitization effect, with similar performance. Heat treatment may have affected the tensile properties and negatively degraded the resulting microstructure by annealing the material. Therefore, more research is necessary to prove this technique's suitability for shipboard repair., http://archive.org/details/characterization1094550549, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

This thesis focuses on the use of x-ray diffraction to measure residual stresses around welds in aluminum ship structures both in the laboratory and in the field. Tensile residual stresses are often generated during welding and, in sensitized aluminum structures, can cause extensive stress corrosion cracking. Peening techniques, such as ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT), can mitigate and even reverse these tensile residual stresses. This research uses x-ray diffraction to measure residual stresses around welds in AA5456 before and after UIT. In particular, we examined the importance of UIT parameters such as peening amplitude and pin size. We found that all combinations of UIT parameters removed the tensile residual stresses and resulted in compressive stress several hundred microns below the weld surface. The exact level of compressive residual stress was sensitive to the pin size used with a smaller, but measurable, dependence upon the displacement amplitude. In an effort to extend these measurement techniques to the field, we successfully performed the first x-ray residual stress measurements on a U.S. naval combatant., http://archive.org/details/systematicreview1094541385, Outstanding Thesis, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Earth

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Earth