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Despite high hepatitis B (HBV) prevalence among people of Vietnamese ethnicity in Australia and elsewhere, there is limited research on levels of HBV knowledge and factors associated with such knowledge. The aim of this study was to examine HBV knowledge and associated demographic and attitudinal factors among people of Vietnamese ethnicity in Australia. People of Vietnamese ethnicity (n = 966) were recruited through community events and social media groups to complete online surveys measuring HBV knowledge, attitudes towards HBV, levels of mistrust in Western medicine, and demographic characteristics. Findings of this study indicate that levels of knowledge are mixed, with gaps in knowledge related to transmission and treatment of the virus. Those with greater knowledge of HBV tended to be older, have higher levels of formal education, have been tested for HBV, and know someone living with HBV. Those with lower levels of knowledge tended to have more negative attitudes towards the virus and greater levels of mistrust in Western medicine. Given that health literacy is connected to effective communication from health providers, we suggest that there is a need for the development of health promotion and education resources targeted at people of Vietnamese ethnicity and translated into Vietnamese. We propose that such resources be developed in consultation with Vietnamese communities and health providers to ensure that they are culturally appropriate and sensitive to people of Vietnamese ethnicity living in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated space and astrophysical phenomena in nonrelativistic laboratory plasmas with long high-power lasers, such as collisionless shocks and magnetic reconnections, and have been exploring relativistic regimes with intense short pulse lasers, such as energetic ion acceleration using large-area suspended graphene. Increasing the intensity and repetition rate of the intense lasers, we have to handle large amounts of data from the experiments as well as the control parameters of laser beamlines. Artificial intelligence (AI) such as machine learning and neural networks may play essential roles in optimizing the laser and target conditions for efficient laser ion acceleration. Implementing AI into the laser system in mind, as the first step, we are introducing machine learning in ion etch pit analyses detected on plastic nuclear track detectors. Convolutional neural networks allow us to analyze big ion etch pit data with high precision and recall. We introduce one of the applications of laser-driven ion beams using AI to reconstruct vector electric and magnetic fields in laser-produced turbulent plasmas in three dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruthenium nanoparticles stabilised by an amine‐modified Ordered Mesoporous Silica Immobilized Ionic Liquid (OMSIIL) are efficient catalysts for the partial reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene with 100 % selectivity as well as the complete reduction to aniline. High selectivity for the partial reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene was obtained when the reaction was conducted in ethanol with 0.5 mol% catalyst and NaBH4 as the hydrogen donor whereas aniline was obtained as the sole product in water when dimethylamine borane (DMAB) was used as the hydrogen donor. Interestingly, while a range of electron poor nitroarenes were reduced to the corresponding hydrazoarene with high selectivities and good conversions, nitroarenes substituted with electron donating groups resulted in complete reduction to the aniline. Composition‐time profiles suggest that reductions conducted in ethanol with sodium borohydride occur via the condensation pathway while those conducted in water using dimethylamine borane as the hydrogen source may well go via the direct pathway. This is the first example of the selective reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene using a ruthenium nanoparticle‐based catalyst and the initial TOF of 320 mol nitrobenzene converted mol Ru−1 h−1 for the partial reduction of nitrobenzene to hydrazobenzene is markedly higher than previous literature reports. A study of the catalyst performance as a function of the surface modification revealed that each component has a direct and dramatic effect on the efficacy as RuNPs stabilised by COK‐12 modified with imidazolium‐based ionic liquid and a primary amine gave the highest conversion while selective removal of either component or replacement of the primary amine with a tertiary amine resulted in a marked reduction in efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that there are significant gaps in hepatitis B knowledge among migrant communities who are at risk of hepatitis B, such as Chinese and Vietnamese communities. Many students studying within Australia come from countries with high prevalence of hepatitis B. However, there is very little research examining hepatitis B knowledge, screening, or vaccination among university students in Australia or worldwide. The aim of this paper was to measure both levels of and demographic differences in hepatitis B screening and knowledge among Chinese and Vietnamese students in Australia. Online surveys were completed by 112 Chinese- and 95 Vietnamese-identifying students in Australia, measuring knowledge of hepatitis B, engagement in screening and vaccination, and demographic characteristics. Results show that although engagement in screening and vaccination for hepatitis B was high, there were significant gaps in knowledge around transmission of hepatitis B. There were also some key demographic differences in screening and knowledge. For instance, those born in Australia were more likely to have been screened compared to those born Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Vietnam. Chinese students born in Australia had lower levels of knowledge compared to those born in Mainland China or Hong Kong. Among both samples, knowing someone living with hepatitis B was associated with higher levels of knowledge. Findings underscore the need for education-based interventions to address the significant gaps that exist in knowledge around hepatitis B, with a specific need for culturally appropriate resources in a range of languages to cater to the diverse communities who may be at risk of hepatitis B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and its standard deviation (SD ADC) in preoperative predicting liver invasion by T3-staged gallbladder carcinoma (GBC). Forty-one consecutive patients with T3-staged resectable GBC were included and divided into two sets with (n= 27) and without (n= 14) liver invasion. All patients underwent DWI at b-values of 0, 20, 50, 80, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 s/mm2 with a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner before surgery. ADC and SD ADC of tumour-adjacent and tumour-distant liver tissues were measured on DWI, and were compared by Mann–Whitney U -tests. If there was a significant difference in any derived parameter, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess performance of this parameter to predict liver invasion. DWI could differentiate between patients with and without liver invasion when b = 0, 1,000 s/mm2 (AUCs of ADC and SD ADC were 0.697 and 0.714, respectively). In patients with liver invasion, mean ADC and SD ADC of tumour-adjacent liver tissue were lower than of tumour-distant liver tissue when b = 0, 800 s/mm2, and = 0, 1,000 s/mm2 (all p -values <0.05). To differentiate tumour-adjacent from tumour-distant liver tissues in patients with liver invasion, AUCs of ADC were 0.687 (b = 0, 800 s/mm2) and 0.680 (b = 0, 1,000 s/mm2), and AUCs of SD ADC were 0.673 (b = 0, 800 s/mm2) and 0.731 (b = 0, 1,000 s/mm2). DWI could have potential value in preoperative predicting liver invasion by T3-staged GBC. • DWI can preoperatively predict liver invasion by T 3 -staged gallbladder carcinoma. • For liver invasion, DWI can help identify tumor-adjacent and -distant liver tissues. • DWI shows no difference between tumor-adjacent and -distant tissues without invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its service background, the thermal behavior of Ta films is substantially concerning to researchers, especially the heat-induced β-Ta to α-Ta phase transformation. In this work, the nanocrystalline Ta films with varying β/α phase ratios (0.85–0) were deposited and vacuum annealed at 200–800 °C to study the phase transformation behavior and mechanical properties. Partial phase transformation of β-Ta to α-Ta occurred at low temperature (200 °C) and complete transformation when the annealing temperature was raised to 800 °C. Moreover, an orientation relationship of β-<110>//α-<111> and β-{330}//α-{110} was concluded, and a hypothesis theory about the low-temperature phase transformation was proposed. Annealing hardening took place at 200–600 °C and softening at 800 °C in all the samples. The hardening is mostly due to the ordering of intergranular amorphous phases with the temperature increased, simultaneously bringing the increase of modulus. The annealing softening is governed by both grain coarsening and phase transformation, where the latter is dominated in high β fraction samples. • High-temperature induced grain boundary structure ordering promotes the hardening of Ta films at 200 °C–600 °C. • β-Ta to α-Ta phase transformation was found at a wide temperature range, which partially governs the softening of Ta at 800 °C. • A preferred orientation relationship of β-<110>{330}//α-<111>{110} was concluded • The influence of phase transformation on mechanical properties was independently quantified using a simple comparative method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the monotonically increasing of W from 0 to 20 at. % in Ta-W films with Cr buffers, an abnormal phase evolution of α-Ta→β-Ta→α-Ta was found, which is due to the breaking and rebuilding of α-Ta nucleation. A small amount of W addition could disturb the epitaxial growth of α-Ta on Cr layers by refining the nucleus size. Nevertheless, as a completely miscible system, Ta-W solid solutions are preferred to possess the α-Ta structure. With the increasing W content, the nucleation barrier of α-Ta is correspondingly lower, facilitating the rebuilding of α-Ta growth. The effect of phase evolution competes with that of solid solution strengthening in the controlling mechanism of Ta-W hardness. The hardness of the sample with low W contents is largely influenced by the proportion of β-Ta, while the solid solution strengthening effect is more pronounced in high W. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knee Osteoarthritis (OA knee) is a common degenerative disease particularly affecting the elderly population, resulting in limited mobility and impaired overall quality of life. Studies have shown that the pathogenesis of OA involves various factors, including inflammation, metabolic disorders, and mechanical forces. Moreover, synovial fluid in OA contains proinflammatory factors, leading to collagen damage and cartilage degradation. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) exhibit not only low immunogenicity characteristics but also participate in tissue repair and the restoration of biological functions by secreting secretomes, which result in the promotion of angiogenesis, immune modulation, and cell proliferation. This study aims to assess the therapeutic effects and potency of the allogeneic ADSC product ELIXCYTE® through an OA knee animal model. The OA knee animal model conducted on rats and rabbits, evaluated whether ELIXCYTE® improves knee activity. The potency analysis of ELIXCYTE® not only elucidates the anti-inflammatory mechanism but also identifies compelling biomarkers associated with efficacy, presenting new avenues for potential OA treatment. This study established OA animal models using both methods. In rat animal model, OA knee was induced using the Monosodium Iodoacetate (MIA), followed by an analysis of rat pain score, joint structure, and biomarkers. The injection of ELIXCYTE® led to a significant decrease in the knee pain, OARSI score, and an increase in type II collagen expression, along with decreased CD68 and MMP13 expression. The hematological analysis detected a reduction in the OA biomarker CTXII following ELIXCYTE® injection, suggesting that ELIXCYTE® can alleviate local inflammatory responses and protect cartilage integrity. Additionally, the anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) animal model confirmed that the injection of ELIXCYTE® effectively increased type II collagen and reduced proinflammatory factors IL1β and TNFα. Significant improvements were also observed in MRI, histological, and ICRS scoring. Moreover, ELIXCYTE® expressed indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) in an inflammatory environment to inhibit T cell proliferation, with a positive correlation between IDO expression and T cell suppression. Also, coculturing ELIXCYTE® with naive macrophages reduced M1 polarization. In summary, ELIXCYTE® can improve the joint activity by modulating inflammatory responses and alleviating pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing the first in-human functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) of the spinal cord, we demonstrate the integration of spinal functional responses to electrical stimulation. We record and characterize the hemodynamic responses of the spinal cord to a neuromodulatory intervention commonly used for treating pain and increasingly used for the restoration of sensorimotor and autonomic function. We found that the hemodynamic response to stimulation reflects a spatiotemporal modulation of the spinal cord circuitry not previously recognized. Our analytical capability offers a mechanism to assess blood flow changes with a new level of spatial and temporal precision in vivo and demonstrates that fUSI can decode the functional state of spinal networks in a single trial, which is of fundamental importance for developing real-time closed-loop neuromodulation systems. This work is a critical step toward developing a vital technique to study spinal cord function and effects of clinical neuromodulation. • Functional ultrasound imaging detects stimulation-induced responses in the spinal cord • fUSI decodes the effectiveness of an electrical stimulation in a single trial • A crucial step to study spinal cord function and effects of clinical neuromodulation Agyeman et al. leverage functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) to characterize human spinal cord activity during epidural electrical stimulation. They decode the stimulation's effectiveness to evoke hemodynamic changes at the single-trial level. This establishes fUSI as a promising platform for investigating spinal cord function and developing real-time closed-loop clinical neuromodulation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Al content-dependent microstructure evolution and oxidation behavior of co-sputtered CrAl alloyed coatings on Zr-4 alloy were systematically investigated in 1000 ℃ steam. Experimental results demonstrated that the microstructure of generated oxide scale transformed from a Cr 2 O 3 oxide layer with embedding discrete α-Al 2 O 3 particles at low Al contents to a continuous outer (α, θ)-Al 2 O 3 and inner Cr 2 O 3 bi-oxide layer at high Al contents. However, there appeared a unique eutectoid-like Cr 2 O 3 /α-Al 2 O 3 multilayered oxide scale in Cr-18.3Al coating, which conferred the sample with optimal oxidation resistance. The underlying oxidation mechanisms were rationalized by revealing the Al content dominated selective oxidation behavior. • Appropriate Al addition can improve the steam oxidation resistance of Cr coating. • Al content dependent microstructure transformation of oxide scale is revealed. • Unique Cr 2 O 3 /α-Al 2 O 3 multilayered oxide scale in Cr-18.3Al coating contributes to high oxidation resistance. • Oxide-scale structure dominated failure mechanisms of CrAl coatings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron-gamma discrimination is a tough and significative in experimental neutrons measurements procedure, especially for low-energy neutrons signal discrimination. In this work, based on the Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) and Back-Propagation (BP) artificial neural networks, a neutron-gamma discrimination method is developed to broaden the lower limit of energy threshold with the hidden layer of 20 neurons. Compared with neutron-gamma discrimination method based on PSD only, the developed neutron-gamma discrimination method based on the PSD and BP-ANN can discriminate neutron and gamma-ray signals with low energy threshold, which can discriminate signals up to 99.93%. Moreover, this work can reduce the energy threshold from 350 keV to 70 keV, as well as the acquired data utilization increased from 60% to more than 99.9%, which overcome the hardware limitations and distinguish neutron and gamma-ray signals, effectively. The developed neutron-gamma discrimination method and the trained neural network can be directly used to other experimental neutrons measurements. • Based on the Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) and Back-Propagation (BP) artificial neural networks, a neutron-gamma discrimination method is developed to broaden the lower limit of energy threshold from 350 keV to 70 keV, and the acquired data utilization increases from 60% to more than 99.9%. • Compared with neutron-gamma discrimination method based on PSD only, the developed neutron-gamma discrimination method based on the PSD and BP-ANN can discriminate neutrons and gamma rays with low energy threshold, which can discriminate signals up to 99.93%. • In experiment, the inverse-time-of-flight spectroscopy technology is introduced to verify reliability of the developed neutron-gamma discrimination method. • The experiment verify that the trained neural network can also be used to other experimental measurements for neutron-gamma discrimination with low energy threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]