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• First study of ancestral recombinant vaccine, S-268019-b for prevention in Vietnam. • The vaccine efficacy for prevention not verified in Omicron-dominant period. • S-268019-b immunogenicity and tolerability confirmed. • Similar efficacy and safety of S-268019-b with other ancestral strain vaccines. Clinical trials of new vaccines based on existing variants of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are often impacted by the emergence of new virus variants. We evaluated the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of S-268019-b, a recombinant spike protein subunit vaccine based on the ancestral strain, for preventing symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the Omicron (BA.2)-dominant period in Vietnam. In this multicentre, phase 3, randomised (2:1), observer-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, participants received 2 intramuscular doses (28 days apart) of either 10 µg of S-268019-b (Recombinant S-protein vaccine) or placebo. The primary endpoint was incidence of laboratory-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 before crossover, with onset within 14 days following the second dose, in participants who were seronegative and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-negative at baseline. The secondary endpoints included immunogenicity and safety. In total, 8,594 participants were randomised (S-268019-b [n = 5,727]; placebo [n = 2,867]). Vaccine efficacy versus placebo was 39·1 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]:26·6–49·5; one-sided P = 0·0723). The incidence rate (95 % CI) of symptomatic COVID-19 was 776·41/1,000 person-years (682·04–880·19) in the S-268019-b group and 1272·87/1,000 person-years (1101·32–1463·57) in the placebo group. The geometric mean titres (95 % CI) of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibody increased on Day 57 versus baseline with S-268019-b (34·66 [27·04–44·41] versus 2·50 (non-estimable) but not with placebo. There were no safety concerns regarding S-268019-b. S-268019-b did not demonstrate the targeted efficacy threshold against symptomatic COVID-19; however, findings were comparable with other prophylactic vaccines based on ancestor strain during the Omicron-dominant period. S-268019-b demonstrated immunogenicity and was well-tolerated. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05212948. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery and can lead to increased risk of postoperative adverse events. However, atrial fibrillation and postoperative adverse events are preventable. In this study, a risk index was developed to predict atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.Methods: A prospective cohort study of 405 patients who had undergone adult cardiac surgery from 2015 September to 2016 August at Heart Institute of HCMC and Cho Ray Hospital were obtained. In order to predict POAF, a logistic regression model was developed, and a risk score was derived and validated by bootstrap.Results: In our study, 98 patients developed POAF (24.2%). The risk score included three significant risk factors (age ≥ 60, left atrial diameter > 41 mm, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft with concomitant mitral valve replacement or repair) that were consistent with other reports. Each of these risk factors was assigned one point. The total risk score ranges from 0 to 3 (AUC = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.63-0.75) with the best cutoff point at 1. According to this scoring system, the incidences of POAF in patients associated with each score of 0, 1, 2, and 3 were 8.6%, 30.1%, 40.8%, and 58.3% respectively. Bootstrapping with 5000 samples confirmed the final model provided was consistent with predictions.Conclusions: We developed and validated a simple risk score based on clinical variables that can be obtained before surgery in order to accurately predict the risk of POAF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a greater awareness of the challenges regarding environmental, societal, political, and economic factors, where reverse logistics has become a significant part of supply chain networks, this paper presents an integrated forward and reverse logistics network, named the Heterogeneous Fleet Vehicle Routing Problem with Multiple Forward/Reverse Cross-Docks (HF-VRPMFRCD). We consider a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles with different loading capacities and transportation costs. We also consider multiple cross-docks with two different operations: forward and reverse processes. The former focuses on delivering the demand from suppliers to customers, while the latter aims at returning unsold products from customers to suppliers. We propose a Simulated Annealing with Variable Neighborhood Descent (SAVND) algorithm for solving HF-VRPMFRCD, where Variable Neighborhood Descent (VND) is a local search heuristic embedded in the framework of Simulated Annealing (SA). SAVND outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithm in solving the Heterogeneous Fleet Vehicle Routing Problem with Multiple Cross-Docks (HF-VRPMCD), where the VND heuristic significantly improves the quality of solutions. For HF-VRPMFRCD benchmark instances, SAVND provides optimal solutions for small-scale instances and better solutions than those of the GUROBI solver for remaining larger instances. Lastly, we present and discuss the benefits of integrating the forward and reverse processes. • We study the heterogeneous fleet VRP with multiple forward/reverse cross-docks. • We formulate a mixed-integer linear programming model for the problem. • We develop a simulated annealing with variable neighborhood descent approach. • We present sensitivity analyses and managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three new compounds were isolated from Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus. • The structures were successfully determined by spectroscopic evidence. • Hibiscone B inhibited α -glucosidase enzyme with IC 50 of 121.7 ± 3.9 μg/mL. • N - trans -feruloyl tyramine inhibited α -glucosidase enzyme with IC 50 of 4.3 ± 0.5 μg/mL. Two new cadinane sesquiterpenes, cadinoschanes A and B (1 and 2), one new norlignan, lignanoschane A (6) along with seven known compounds, hibiscone B (3), 7 β - O - β -glucopyranosyl bombaxone (4), 2,7 β ,8 β -trihydroxy trans -calamenene 7-O- β -D-glucopyranoside (5), clemastanin A (7), (−)-3,4,3′,4′-tetrahydroxy-9,7′ β -epoxylignano-7 β ,9′-lactone (8), N - trans -feruloyl tyramine (9), and methyl (3 R)-3-[(3 R)-3-{(3 R)-3-hydroxybutanoyloxy} butanoyloxy} butanoate (10) were isolated from Abelmoschus moschatus subsp. tuberosus (Span.) Borss. Waalk. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D, 2D NMR and MS data and comparing experimental CD with theoretical CD calculations. Compounds 3 and 9 showed significant α -glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC 50 values of 121.7 ± 3.9 and 4.3 ± 0.5 μg/mL, respectively, compared to those of a positive control, acarbose with IC 50 value of 183.5 ± 12.2 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the application of sliding mode in lateral control of a UAVs. Thanks to establishment of outer loop based on non-linear sliding mode, the system has a good perfomance in path following. The existence of sliding mode with limits of control signal, as well as the stability in sliding mode have been verified using Lyapunov function. The results of the simulation have proven the effectiveness of the selected control method in comparison to other common control methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research addresses the Vehicle Routing Problem with Cross-docking under Demand Uncertainty (VRPCD-DU) where a set of homogeneous vehicles is used to transport orders from the suppliers to the corresponding customers via a cross-dock. VRPCD-DU considers customer demand volumes as random variables and determines a minimum cost delivery plan that is feasible for all anticipated demand realizations. A robust optimization counterpart of a deterministic VRPCD formulation is derived where support for the demand is a polyhedral set. The robust formulation can only be used to solve small VRPCD-DU instances, and an effective adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) algorithm is proposed for solving large instances. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted on benchmark sets for both VRPCD and VRPCD-DU. The results show that the ALNS algorithm computes new best-known solutions of the VRPCD benchmark instances. Moreover, demand uncertainty is extensively analyzed by investigating managerial insights. The price of robustness (PoR) is compared by considering various budget sets and alternative partitioning methods for the customers (i.e., "random" and "clustered"). The findings imply that a higher probability of capacity constraints' violation is generally observed for the suppliers and that customer partitioning methods share similar PoR. • Vehicle routing problem with cross-docking under demand uncertainty. • Nominal and robust mathematical formulations. • ALNS algorithm embedding efficient feasibility checks for the robust constraints. • Extensive computational study proving the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. • Price of robustness and managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have examined the impact of local animal-source foods (ASFs) on the nutritional status of reproductive-age women in developing countries.Objective: We hypothesized that a midmorning snack of local ASF for 6 mo would reduce dietary micronutrient deficiencies [usual intake less than the estimated average requirement (EAR)] and improve blood biomarkers of iron, zinc, and vitamins A and B-12 status among nonpregnant, reproductive-age women in rural Vietnam.Methods: One hundred seventeen women, 18-30 y old, were randomly assigned to receive either an ASF (mean: 144 kcal, 8.9 mg Fe, 2.7 mg Zn, 1050 μg retinoic acid equivalent vitamin A, and 5.5 μg vitamin B-12) or a control snack (mean: 150 kcal, 2.0 mg Fe, 0.9 mg Zn, 0 μg retinoic acid equivalent vitamin A, and 0 μg vitamin B-12) 5 d/wk for 6 mo. Usual nutrient intakes were estimated by repeated 24-h dietary recalls. Blood samples were collected at baseline and 3 and 6 mo. Because of the relation between nutritional status and inflammation, serum C-reactive protein, α-1-acid-glycoprotein, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) were also monitored.Results: Eighty-nine women (47 in the ASF group and 42 controls) completed the study. In the ASF group, intakes of iron and vitamins A and B-12 below the EAR were eliminated, and the prevalence of a low zinc intake was reduced to 9.6% compared with 64.7% in controls (P < 0.001). At 6 mo, a modest increase (P < 0.05) in hemoglobin and iron status occurred in the ASF group compared with the control group, but plasma zinc, retinol, and serum vitamin B-12 concentrations did not differ. UTI relative risk was 3.9 (P < 0.05) among women assigned to the ASF group who had a low whole-body iron status at baseline.Conclusions: Adding a small amount of locally produced ASF to the diets of reproductive-age Vietnamese women improved micronutrient intakes and iron status. However, the increased UTI incidence in women in the ASF group with initially lower iron stores warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary carotenoid source and level on growth performance, feed utilization, skin pigmentation, antioxidant responses and fatty acid composition of juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Three carotenoid sources derived from Carophyll-pink (AX), paprika extract (PE) and either Haematococcus pluvialis extract (HE) or raw H. pluvialis (HR) were evaluated at 100 or 200 mg/kg carotenoid, respectively. These dietary treatments were designated AX100, AX200, PE100, PE200, HE100, HE200 or HR100. The CON diet without supplementation of carotenoid was considered as the control diet. Juvenile olive flounder (average body weight, 9.5 ± 0.2 g) were randomly distributed in a flow-through tank system. Each experimental diet was fed to three replicate groups of fish to visual satiation twice per day for 8 weeks. Survival, weight gain and daily feed intake were not different to control group. Fish fed the HE200 diet showed higher feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratios compared to those of fish fed the CON, AX100, PE100, PE200 and HE100 diets. Total carotenoid in the dorsal muscle, skin and whole body of fish fed the diets containing carotenoids was higher than that of fish fed the CON diet. L* and b* values of the fish skin were not altered by dietary carotenoid sources and levels. However, a* values of fish fed the diets containing carotenoids were significantly higher than that of fish fed the control diet. Liver and plasma SOD activities of the fish fed diets containing carotenoids were lower than those of the control group. Radical scavenging activities of dietary carotenoids were increased in the muscle, liver, and plasma by dietary carotenoid source, except for the liver and plasma of AX100 and AX200 diets. The present results suggest that dietary inclusion of paprika and H. pluvialis extract at a concentration of approximately 100 mg/kg carotenoid could increase total carotenoid, antioxidant activities and skin pigmentation of olive flounder as efficiently as commercial synthetic astaxanthin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We developed a model for the coastal marine ecosystem of Vietnam to evaluate interactions between fisheries and the food web, using fisheries data from 2000 to 2005. Comparing the maximum trophic level of fish estimated by the model (4.195) and the mean trophic level of the catch (3.712) indicates that fisheries have been harvesting high trophic level species. Using the model, we found that maintaining the fishing effort at the 2000–2005 level puts the coastal marine resources at risk as the biomasses of ten out of twelve stocks decline by 5–20% in a 15 years period. A 20% fishing effort reduction of fish and shrimp trawling or gillnet and purse seine fishing still resulted in 10% biomass reductions of several key functional groups. Reducing fishing effort for all fisheries by 10% increased the biomass of almost all groups in the ecosystem up to 14% (large demersal fish). Meeting social and economic, but not ecological constraints required an increase from 4 to 8.5-fold in fishing effort and resulted in the collapses of sea turtle, tuna, small pelagic fish and cephalopods. When only meeting ecological constraints, fishing efforts reduced for four out of the eight fisheries, e.g. a 95% reduction was recommended for the gillnet fishery. A trade-off scenario indicated that achieving economic, social and ecological goals was possible by four-fold increase of traditional small-scale fisheries (e.g. handline), combined with 20–65% reductions of fish trawl and purse seine fisheries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The concept of industrial ecology has been applied in this research to study possibilities to develop an eco-industrial cluster model for fishery production industry in Vietnam. By learning from experiments of other developed countries, we apply the principles of Industrial Ecology and of Ecological Modernization in the context of Vietnam. We design a physical-technological conceptual model for minimizing waste in agro-industries, with a case study of frozen shrimp production. The results indicate that it is possible and feasible to develop an eco-industrial cluster including aquaculture, fishery processing companies, by-product plants, and wastewater treatment units. By doing so, aquaculture and industry can cooperate for environmentally sound development. Actors and institutions that may govern the proposed eco-industrial cluster of shrimp processing industry are also analysed in this paper. The economic feasibility of the designed eco-agro industrial cluster for fish production in Vietnam depends on the energy savings and effective revenues gained from selling the produced valuable materials, such as Chitosan and animal feed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We propose a new method for solving equilibrium problems on a convex subset , where the underlying function is continuous and pseudomonotone which is called an outer approximation algorithm. The algorithm is to define new approximating subproblems on the convex domains  , which forms a generalized iteration scheme for finding a global equilibrium point. Finally we present some numerical experiments to illustrate the behavior of the proposed algorithms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focuses on both the environmental impact of intensive shrimp farming in the coastal region of Vietnam and the identification of options for cleaner production. We investigated water pollution, sediment contamination and the spread of diseases related to shrimp farming in the Can Gio district of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), an area representative for the impacts of intensive shrimp production in the country. Data on the production process was compiled from site observations, interviews with local farmers and experts, as well as from secondary sources. The results indicate that, while a large number of individual farms may exceed environmental standards, intensive shrimp farming is not always associated with waste streams exceeding water quality standards. This is interesting because it shows currently available technologies can reduce pollution from intensive shrimp farms. The paper concludes by identifying technologically and economically feasible options for reducing water pollution, problems associated with contaminated sediment, and the spread of diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this note two parallel iterative regularization methods for finding a minimal-norm solution to a system of ill-posed equations involving the so-called strongly-inverse monotone operators have been investigated. Some applications of the proposed methods are considered and numerical experiments are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Althought treatments are dependent primarily on the stages of disease, locations, sizes, and number of tumors, the anatomical liver resection with selective control of Glissonean pedicle is being used worldwide. B Method: b Thirty-five patients with HCC were prospectively included and underwent anatomical liver resection with selective control of Glissonean pedicle at Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic surgery - National Cancer Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam from 04/2018 to 12/2018. Among minor hepatic resection, the anterior and posterior pedicle was successfully controlled in 79.3% cases while left and right pedicle was successfully controlled in 100% cases in major hepatic resection. [Extracted from the article]

l(+)-Lactic acid production was investigated using an enzymatic hydrolysate of waste office automation (OA) paper in a culture of the filamentous fungus Rhizopus oryzae. In 4 d culture, 82.8 g/l glucose, 7 g/l xylose, and 3.4 g/l cellobiose contained in the hydrolysate were consumed to produce 49.1 g/l of lactic acid. The lactic acid yield and production rate were only 0.59 g/g and 16.3 g/l/d, respectively, only 75% and 61% of the results from the glucose medium. The low production rate from waste OA hydrolysate was elucidated by trials using xylose as the sole carbon source; in those trials, the lactic acid production rate was 7.3 g/l/d, only 28% that of glucose or cellobiose. The low lactic acid yield from waste OA hydrolysate was clarified by trials using artificial hydrolysates comprised of 7:2:1 or 7:1:2 ratios of glucose:cellobiose:xylose. For both, the lactic acid production rate of 17.4 g/l/d matched that of waste OA paper, while the lactic acid yield was similar to that of the glucose medium. This indicates that the production rate may be inhibited by xylose derived from hemicellulose, and the yield may be inhibited by unknown compounds derived from paper pulp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sandwiched between a set of magnetic phases at lower pressure, and a non magnetic phase at higher pressure, the magnetic state of phase of oxygen has so far been elusive, together with its crystal structure. Neutron diffraction data indicate an absence of antiferromagnetism, but do not exclude a ferromagnetic order. The recent refinement of the internal atomic positions from single-crystal diffraction finally provides us with a correct structural model to study the possible occurrence of a magnetic ground state. By employing non-collinear spin-polarized density-functional theory we show that the ground state of -O2 is non magnetic. We also calculate vibrational spectra and show that -O2 possesses an additional vibron mode with large Raman cross section, not seen in experiments yet. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cervical radiculopathy causes chronic pain and reduces patients' quality of life. Oral analgesics are commonly used but only after careful consideration due to their complications. TD0019, a Vietnamese herbal medicine, composed of Duhuo Jisheng decoction, nattokinase and an extract of Salix alba cortex has shown evidence of some benefits for these patients in pre-clinical and phase-1 studies. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TD0019 in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. In this double-blind phase-2 trial, 180 patients with symptomatic cervical radiculopathy were randomized to either group 1 with intended dose of TD0019, group 2 with a higher dose (1.5 times the intended dose), or group 3, a placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint was the neck-specific disability score according to the Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaire. The safety endpoint included adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). All patients received the drugs for 30 days and were followed for 60 days. Baseline characteristics were similar for the three groups. The reduction of NDI score from baseline to the end of study was greatest for group 2 (from 17.6 ± 7.2 to 4.8 ± 5.1), followed by group 1 (from 16.1 ± 6.9 to 5.4 ± 5.1) and placebo group (from 15.6 ± 6.2 to 7.8 ± 6.8), with a significant decrease for both groups compared to placebo. The percentage of AEs was comparable among three groups and no SAEs occurred. TD0019 was superior to placebo for the reduction of symptoms with similar rates of side effects. The higher dose is more beneficial than the intended dose. This herbal medicine may be a potential alternative analgesic in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chemical adsorption of 4- tert -butylpyridine (4-TBP); 2,2′-bipyridine on TiO 2 surface. • One third of V oc increase due to the adsorption of 4-TBP to the TiO 2 surface. • Remaining V oc increase due to effects of 4-TBP on the electrolyte mediator. We have investigated the binding of two electrolyte additives, 4- tert -butylpyridine (4-TBP) and 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy), to the surface of TiO 2 photo-anode by attenuated total reflection – Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR); X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); zeta potential; cyclic voltammetry analyses, and explained how the adsorption affects photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC). To clarify whether the adsorption of 4-TBP/bipy on TiO 2 surface affects the DSC performance, DSC devices were fabricated with non-grafted and 4-TBP or bipy grafted TiO 2 photo-anodes, with application of two types of electrolytes with and without the nitrogen additives. Furthermore, the interaction between 4-TBP or bipy with the electrolyte mediator I−/I 3 − was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The results showed that 4-TBP and bipy were able to bind chemically to TiO 2 surface at elevated temperatures. DSC prepared with N-additive grafted TiO 2 photo-anodes had lower short current and efficiencies than non-grafted cells. The open circuit voltage (V oc) was, however, increased 110 mV for 4-TBP grafted cells with 0.5 M 4-TBP in the electrolyte. One third of the overall increase in V oc was estimated to be due to the adsorption of the 4-TBP to the TiO 2 surface. The remaining V oc increase was due to effects of 4-TBP on the electrolyte mediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have shown that extended lymphadenectomy does not improve postoperative survival albeit increases the complications. This study aims to determine the nodal metastasis pattern of pancreaticoduodenal cancers and describe the results of extended lymphadenectomy pancreaticoduodenectomy (ELPD). Pancreatico-jejunum, Choledo-jejunum, Gastro-jejunum anastomosis were performed. [Extracted from the article]

A strong photosynthetic multifaceted called photosystem I (PS I) successfully catches photons to produce a charge detached phase through a quantum yield. The low latent reductant that is created is dignified at a redox potential that is conducive to H2 development, and this charge detached phase is constant for around 100 ms. By using dithiol as a molecular wire to link Photo System I to the particles and transport electrons as of the incurable electron transport cofactor of Photo System I, towards the nanoparticle, PS I consumes been covalently connected to the surfaces of like as Pt and also Au nanoparticles. The Photosystem I or molecular wire or nanoparticle bio conjugates are capable of catalysing the reaction 2H+ + 2e H 2 when illuminated. H 2 development is not slowed down by the transference of electrons from PS I in the direction of the nanoparticle via the molecular wire. The speed of H 2 evolution is increased fivefold when the system is supplied by means of more effective donor sideways electron-donating kinds. When evaluating hydrogen production based on predicted energy from the sun with observed values falling on unstable slopes, the root mean square error called as RMSE as well as coefficient of determination called R2 are utilised as performance metrics. The most effective model among those taken into consideration, the Deep Learning model performs well and is quite compatible with the observational data. • Inorganic Nanomaterial for efficient photochemical Hydrogen production. • Evaluation of Hydrogen Production using Deep Learning Technique. • Hybrid biological systems-based Hydrogen production from solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article presents the results of a detailed study on the effects of spectra profile expansion of Bragg wavelength on the performance of the nano-particle embedded fiber-Bragg-grating (nano-EFBG) for sensing applications. The fiber-Bragg- grating (FBG) was coated by CdSe-nano-particle layers with various thicknesses (600–2000nm) and bonded on substrates of epoxy or epoxy/Teflon with a large thermal expansion coefficient. With this embedding method, a variation of the line-width expansion of Bragg wavelength with cooling down FBG has been controlled. The nano-EFBG morphology was investigated by FE-SEM and the nano-EFBG sensors are studied in ambient from 77K (liquid nitrogen) to 393K. The expansion of spectral profile, which caused by transverse loading from nano-particle/epoxy layers, can be changed in the range of 0.1–1.3nm between before and after cooling down. This result is for the strain-temperature sensors, but has the potential application in the FBG dispersion compensation devices and many other measurands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The tannery is one of the oldest and most popular industries in the world. It is also characterized as pollutants generated industries which discharge toxic chemical output effluents to the environment. The process of tannery included a wide variety of chemical and inorganic constituents. This work focused on the removal of Chromium heavy metals as well as producing clean energy from the treatment of tannery wastewater. Accordingly, the analysis result on the input effluents appeared to have a brown color with a very high COD value, a high concentration of Chromium heavy metals as well as other organic compounds. After collected from the source, the effluents were settling and applied a simple subsequent filtration with lab scale cloth filter, the filtered effluents then were treated in an electrochemical system. Throughout many experiments, we introduce an electrochemical system with 5 × 5 cm electrodes (Platinum coated panel anode and carbon fiber cloth cathode), the low input voltage (10 V), easy setup and the support of separator membrane/adsorbents placed in the middle of the system to enhance the removal rates of heavy metals. It was found that the performance of the electrochemical system is under the influence of various factors such as temperature, pH value, adsorbents dose, and apply voltage. During 48 h of treatment, almost 80% of Chromium metals were treated by means of adsorption and electrical reduction process. The generation rate of hydrogen gases during the electrolysis process was also notable (45–65 cc/min). Furthermore, the adsorbent materials were still intact and seem to be ready for a longer run. The study also observed the adsorbent membrane of bagasse and straw showed their best removal efficiencies over other candidates. In that manner, we successfully provide an effective method for heavy metals removal and also capable of generating clean energy. The analysis results clarify that most of the parameters of the physical and chemical result were found well below the prescribed permissible limits of discharged effluents follows the standard of industrial waste management in Vietnam. • Introducing a multifunctional electrochemical system. • An effective Trivalent Chromium removal process is presented. • A multifunctional electrochemical cell is used for producing hydrogen. • The significant combination of adsorption and electrical reduction is confirmed. • Agriculture byproducts are fully utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant global health issue because it is widespread and persistent and can cause serious liver diseases. Objectives The aim of this study is to estimate HCV prevalence in women from the general population in different geographical areas worldwide and to assess the potential role of sexual behaviour in the virus transmission. Study design Each participating centre recruited a random sample of women from the general population aged from less than 20 to more than 75 years. The study included 8130 women from 8 countries with information on sociodemographic factors, reproductive and sexual behaviour, smoking habit and HPV DNA through individual interviews. A blood sample was also collected to perform serological tests. We estimated the prevalence ratios associated to HCV to evaluate the effect of sexual behaviour in viral transmission. Results Women were reactive to a minimum of two HCV antigens, including at least one non structural protein were considered as positive (33% of the samples were classified as positive, 40% as negative, and 27% as indeterminate ( N = 402), that were considered as not positive). The age-adjusted HCV seroprevalence varied significantly by regions (0.3% in Argentina to 21.1% in Nigeria). We found no association between HCV prevalence and age, educational level, smoking habit and any of the available variables for sexual behaviour and reproductive history. Conclusions This large study showed heterogeneous distribution of HCV seroprevalence in female and provides evidence of the null impact of sexual behaviour in HCV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dammarane-type saponins, gypenosides VN1–VN7 (1–7), were isolated from the total saponin extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum aerial parts, with their structures elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods. These compounds showed moderate cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines, A549 (lung), HT-29 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), and SK-OV-3 (ovary), with IC50 values ranging from 19.6±1.1 to 43.1±1.0μM. Regarding the HL-60 (acute promyelocytic leukemia) cell line, compounds 1, 5, and 6 showed weakly active with IC50 values of 62.8±1.9, 72.6±3.6, and 82.4±3.2nM, respectively, while 2, 3, 4, and 7 were less active with IC50 values>100μM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Metformin loaded HCFT was showed the sustained release profile. • Metformin loaded HCFT was successfully floated in the rabbit stomach over 6 h. • HCFT improved the oral bioavailability of metformin (around 123%, vs Glucophage® XR). Metformin has several problems such as low bioavailability, short half-life, and narrow absorption window, sustained and site-specific drug delivery system is required. Floating drug delivery systems are very useful to achieve these purposes. However, conventional floating systems have several limitations; lag time, a high proportion of excipient in the tablet, using non-biocompatible excipient, and requirement of a complicated procedure. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a hollow-core floating tablet (HCFT). The HCFT immediately floated in pH 1.2, 4.0, 6.8 medium, and even distilled water. The floating duration time of HCFT was>24 h. From the in vitro release study, it was confirmed that HCFT showed the sustain release profile of metformin for 12 h. Water uptake and matrix erosion were evaluated for predicting the buoyancy and drug release kinetics of HCFT in the body. Factor analysis was applied to optimize the formulation. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences in metformin plasma concentration of 4 h and 6 h between two groups. Compared with Glucophage® XR, the relative bioavailability of metformin HCFT was 123.81 ± 3.52%. The X-ray imaging of optimized formulation revealed that HCFT was constantly floating in the stomach region of the rabbit, thereby indicating improved gastric retention for>6 h. Consequently, all the findings indicate that HCFT could be an effective gastric retention system and applied extensively to other drugs with narrow absorption windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an analytical approach in investigating the non-linear buckling and post-buckling behavior of functionally graded porous (FGP) variable thickness toroidal shell segments surrounded by elastic foundation under axial compressive loads. The governing equations of non-linear buckling of FGP toroidal shell segments are obtained by using Donnell shell theory in conjunction with von Kármán nonlinearity and Stein and McElman assumption. The solution in terms of displacements, the closed-form expressions of buckling load and post-buckling load-deflection relation are obtained using the Galerkin method. Three types of porosity distribution are considered. This study found that the variation of porosity distribution as well as geometrical and foundation parameters have significant effects on the non-linear buckling and post-buckling behavior of the FGP variable thickness toroidal shell segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid increase and dominance of G9P[8] Rotavirus A strains occurred in northern Vietnam between 2016 and 2018, during which period there appeared three G9P[8] strains possessing short RNA patterns. To understand how the first-ever G9P[8] strains possessing short RNA patterns were formed, next generation sequencing technology was used to examine the whole genomes of the three strains, i.e., RVA/Human-wt/VNM/RVN16.1024/2016/G9P[8], RVA/Human-wt/VNM/RVN17.0879/2017/G9P[8], and RVA/Human-wt/VNM/RVN18.0197/2018/G9P[8], and those of seven representative G9P[8] strains possessing long RNA patterns. The VP7 genes of the short and long G9P[8] strains were > 99% identical, indicating that the origin was in the co-circulating, dominant, long G9P[8] strains. On the other hand, the VP4 genes likely derived from recently-emerging G1/G3/G8P[8] strains possessing the DS-1 backbone. At the lineage level, however, the backbone genes of any one strain differed from that of the other two in the VP1, VP3 or NSP4 gene. Moreover, even at the nucleotide sequence level of the backbone genes belonging to the same lineage, the identities between the three strains were lower than those expected for the strains deriving from an immediate, common ancestor. Thus, the three strains were likely formed by independent reassortment events in which the VP7 gene of the currently dominant G9P[8] strains was incorporated into co-circulating G1/G3/G8P[8] strains possessing similar yet distinct DS-1-like backbone genes. The observation that all of the three reassortant G9P[8] strains were detected only once among the prevalent, ordinary G9P[8] strains suggests that acquisition of the DS-1-like backbone genes unlikely provided selective advantage over the parental Wa-like G9P[8] strains. • Three first-ever DS-1-like G9P[8] strains were detected in Vietnam, in 2016–2018. • Their VP7 genes were > 99% identical with the co-circulating Wa-like G9P[8] strains. • The VP4 genes likely derived from recently-emerging DS-1-like G1/G3/G8P[8] strains. • Any taken strain differed from the rest in the VP1, VP3 and NSP4 gene lineages. • They were likely formed by distinct reassortment events yet from the dominant G9 RVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palliative care began in Vietnam in 2001, but steady growth in palliative care services and education commenced several years later when partnerships for ongoing training and technical assistance by committed experts were created with the Ministry of Health, major public hospitals, and medical universities. An empirical analysis of palliative care need by the Ministry of Health in 2006 was followed by national palliative care clinical guidelines, initiation of clinical training for physicians and nurses, and revision of opioid prescribing regulations. As advanced and specialist training programs in palliative care became available, graduates of these programs began helping to establish palliative care services in their hospitals. However, community-based palliative care is not covered by government health insurance and thus is almost completely unavailable. Work is underway to test the hypothesis that insurance coverage of palliative home care not only can improve patient outcomes but also provide financial risk protection for patients' families and reduce costs for the health care system by decreasing hospital admissions near the end of life. A national palliative care policy and strategic plan are needed to maintain progress toward universally accessible cost-effective palliative care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]