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Abstract Background Effective management strategies are crucial in minimizing the adverse consequences associated with the leafhopper, Amrasca devastans (Dist.) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Economic limitations to entomopathogenic fungi production present a substantial challenge, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate a cost-effective solid-state fermentation (SSF) for large-scale production of Purpureocillium lilacinum PL1 conidia to manage A. devastans infestations in okra cultivation. Results Rice and maize were demonstrated as highly suitable substrates for producing conidia densities of over 2 × 1010 conidia g−1. Furthermore, the influence of agricultural phytosanitary agents on the growth rates of P. lilacinum PL1 was evaluated. Certain pesticides were ineffective on the expansion of P. lilacinum PL1 colonies, while fungicides exhibited complete inhibition. The laboratory investigation revealed that 1 × 107 conidia ml−1 of P. lilacinum PL1 exhibited a success rate of 88.66% in decreasing the population of A. devastans nymphs in vitro. Furthermore, field investigations carried out in okra plantations demonstrated that the utilization of P. lilacinum PL1 at the concentration of 1 × 107 conidia ml−1 of resulted in a significant reduction of the pest nymph population by 72.87% subsequent to the 2 applications. Conclusion In conclusion, the cost-effective mass production of P. lilacinum PL1 conidia through SSF presents a promising solution for managing A. devastans infestations in okra farming, particularly in economically challenged regions.

Seasonal changes in freshwater phytoplankton assemblages at Tuyen Lam Reservoir in the Central Highlands of Vietnam were classified into 23 functional groups based on physiological, morphological, and ecological characteristics. A total of 168 species were recorded during 10 surveys from 2015 to 2019 at 7 sampling sites, with Chlorophyta dominating in number of species. Phytoplankton abundance varied from 0.18×105 to 21.2×105 cells/L during the study period, mainly due to cyanobacteria. Seven of the 23 functional groups were considered to be dominant (relative density > 5%). The dominant functional groups were groups M and G in the dry season and groups M, G, P, and E in the rainy season. Group M (Microcystis aeruginosa) was the most common in both seasons, while group P (Closterium, Staurastrum, Aulacoseira), group E (Dinobryon, Synura), and group G (Sphaerocystis, Eudorina) were more common in the rainy season. The Shannon diversity index (H¢) showed that phytoplankton communities were relatively diverse and that most of the study sites were lightly polluted. However, the ecological status has deteriorated at some locations due to the overgrowth of group M, leading to eutrophication in this reservoir. This study highlights the usefulness of functional groups in the study of seasonal changes in phytoplankton dynamics. Functional groups are applied for the first time at Tuyen Lam Reservoir and can be used to predict early-stage cyanobacterial blooms in future studies.

Objective There are no reports on the burden of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the general population of French Polynesia (FP). We aimed to improve suicide prevention and mental health care by assessing the prevalence of suicide risk and major mental health disorders and care among adults in FP. Methods We conducted the Mental Health in General Population Survey in FP during 2015 to 2017. Participants were selected using the quota method to obtain a representative sample of the general population. Suicide risk and psychiatric diagnoses were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Results We included 968 people aged 18 years or older. The prevalence of current suicidal ideation (13.1%) and current (2.6%) and lifetime suicide attempts (18.6%), as well as mental health disorders (42.8%), was high in FP. A notable proportion of participants with these conditions did not seek medical assistance. Conclusion A high prevalence of suicide risk and mental health disorders was found in the general population of FP. Suicide prevention and mental health plans are needed in FP that include better access to primary care for the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. Further research is needed to clarify cultural risk and protective factors.

Objectives To assess understudied, alternative suicide prevention modalities in a mental health care setting. Methods This was a prospective study of patients (n = 140, 68 cases and 72 controls) who were admitted to hospital or who contacted an SOS suicide crisis line for suicidal ideation or attempts. Psychiatric diagnoses (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) and intensity of anxiety/depression/suicidality (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, and Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation) were assessed. All intervention group subjects received a crisis card with a crisis line number, interviews with psychologists or volunteers and a telephone call on days 10 to 21, then 6 months later. These subjects also had a choice between two further 4-month interventions: body contact care or mobile intervention team visits. Results The interventions significantly reduced the number of suicide attempts and suicide (3%) at 6 months compared with the control condition (12%). There were fewer losses to follow-up in the intervention group (7.35%) than in the control group (9.72%). Conclusions The results favour the implementation of integrated care and maintaining contact in suicide prevention.

The proportional relationship between the infrared (IR) transmittance of a transparent material and its IR-induced heat transfer can be explained via a simple model. An agreement between the theory and the experimental work was examined by measuring the temperature rising inside a heat-insulated box with glass windows under IR irradiation, where the material of the glass windows was modified from corning glass (CG) to 9 at% Nb-doped TiO2 (TNO) fabricated by sputtering deposition. The fabricated TNO thin film was mostly transparent in a visible region and had a low transparency in the IR region, which, in turn, produced the self-cooling effect inside the insulated box. In comparison to the window glass made by CG, the temperature increase inside the box would be 24% less if the window was made by CG coated by TNO (TNO on CG). This suggests the possibility of manufacturing products with desirable features in the energy-cut cooling. The energy-cut was found to decline proportionally to the decrease of the glass window area.

The World Health Organization Suicide trends in at-risk territories study is a multi-site regional research program operating first in French Polynesia and countries of the Western Pacific, then extended to the world. The aims of the study were to establish a monitoring system for suicidal behaviors and to conduct a randomised control trial intervention for non-fatal suicidal behaviors. The latter part is the purpose of the present article. Over the period 2008-2010, 515 patients were admitted at the Emergency Department of the Centre Hospitalier de Polynésie Française for suicidal behavior. Those then hospitalized in the Psychiatry Emergency Unit were asked to be involved in the study and randomly allocated to either Treatment As Usual (TAU) or TAU plus Brief Intervention and Contact (BIC), which provides a psycho-education session and a follow-up of 9 phone contacts over an 18-months period. One hundred persons were assigned to TAU, while 100 participants were allocated to the BIC group. At the end of the follow-up there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of number of presentations to the hospital for repeated suicidal behaviors. Although the study could not demonstrate the superiority of a treatment over the other, nevertheless – given its importance – the investigation captured public attention and was able to contribute to the awareness of the need of suicide prevention in French Polynesia. The BIC model of intervention seemed to particularly suit the geographical and health care context of the country.

Tacrine (THA), the first clinically effective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor and the first approved drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), was withdrawn from the market due to its side effects, particularly its hepatotoxicity. Nowadays, THA serves as a valuable scaffold for the design of novel agents potentially applicable for AD treatment. One such compound, namely 7-methoxytacrine (7-MEOTA), exhibits an intriguing profile, having suppressed hepatotoxicity and concomitantly retaining AChE inhibition properties. Another interesting class of AChE inhibitors represents Huprines, designed by merging two fragments of the known AChE inhibitors—THA and (−)-huperzine A. Several members of this compound family are more potent human AChE inhibitors than the parent compounds. The most promising are so-called huprines X and Y. Here, we report the design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico studies of 2-methoxyhuprine that amalgamates structural features of 7-MEOTA and huprine Y in one molecule.

Phaeocystis globosa is an important bloom‐forming marine phytoplankton species that often accumulates to large levels in temperate and tropical waters and has significant impacts on food webs and biogeochemical cycles. It can form "giant" colonies that reach 3 cm in diameter. Microscopic observations, colony elemental composition, and pigment composition were analyzed to assess the characteristics of colonies as a function of colony size. Particulate organic carbon (POC) per unit surface area, colonial cell density, and chlorophyll a per unit surface area all increased with colony size, in contrast to results from temperate waters. Cellular chl a averaged 0.85 pg chl · cell−1. Colonies had both photosynthetic and protective pigments, with fucoxanthin being the dominant accessory pigment. Based on chl a and pigment levels, it appears colonies were acclimated to relatively low irradiances, likely due to their life cycle and the extremely turbulent environment in which they grew. Mucous carbon ranged from 16.2% to 79.2% of the total POC, and mucous carbon per unit surface area increased with colony size, suggesting that the mucous envelope did not thin as the colony grew. Based on elemental composition, nitrogen did not appear to limit growth, but phosphorus:carbon ratios were similar to those of P‐limited cultures. Giant colonies represent an extreme response to the environment, but they do not appear to have greatly different characteristics than other tropical strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The risk factors for scrub typhus in Vietnam remain unknown. Scrub typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi often presents as an undifferentiated febrile illness and remains under appreciated due to the limited availability of diagnostic tests. This tropical rickettsial illness is increasingly recognized as an important cause of non-malaria acute undifferentiated fever in Asia. This study aimed to investigate behavioural and ecological related risk factors of scrub typhus to prevent this potentially life-threatening disease in Vietnam. Methods We conducted a clinical hospital-based active surveillance study, and a retrospective residence-enrolment date-age-matched case–control study in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, from August 2018 to March 2020. Clinical examinations, polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IgM tests were applied to define cases and controls. All enrolled participants filled out a questionnaire including demographic socio-economic status, personal behaviors/protective equipment, habitat connections, land use, and possible exposure to the vector. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to define the scrub typhus associated risk factors. Results We identified 44 confirmed cases and matched them with 152 controls. Among cases and controls, the largest age group was the 41–50 years old and males accounted for 61.4% and 42.8%, respectively. There were similarities in demographic characteristics between the two groups, with the exception of occupation. Several factors were significantly associated with acquisition of scrub typhus, including sitting/laying directly on household floor [adjusted OR (aOR) = 4.9, 95% CI: 1.6–15.1, P = 0.006], household with poor sanitation/conditions (aOR = 7.9, 95% CI: 1.9–32.9, P = 0.005), workplace environment with risk (aOR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.2–7.6, P = 0.020), always observing mice around home (aOR = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.4–9.9, P = 0.008), and use of personal protective equipment in the field (aOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.1–1.1, P = 0.076). Conclusions Ecological and household hygiene-related factors were more associated with scrub typhus infection, than individual-level exposure activities in the hyper-endemic area. These findings support local education and allow people to protect themselves from scrub typhus, especially in areas with limitations in diagnostic capacity. Graphical abstract

Abstract We demonstrated the design of pre-additive manufacturing microalloying elements in tuning the microstructure of iron (Fe)-based alloys for their tunable mechanical properties. We tailored the microalloying stoichiometry of the feedstock to control the grain sizes of the metallic alloy systems. Two specific microalloying stoichiometries were reported, namely biodegradable iron powder with 99.5% purity (BDFe) and that with 98.5% (BDFe-Mo). Compared with the BDFe, the BDFe-Mo powder was found to have lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value and better oxidation resistance during consecutive heating and cooling cycles. The selective laser melting (SLM)-built BDFe-Mo exhibited high ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 1200 MPa and fair elongation of 13.5%, while the SLM-built BDFe alloy revealed a much lower UTS of 495 MPa and a relatively better elongation of 17.5%, indicating the strength enhancement compared with the other biodegradable systems. Such an enhanced mechanical behavior in the BDFe-Mo was assigned to the dominant mechanism of ferrite grain refinement coupled with precipitate strengthening. Our findings suggest the tunability of outstanding strength-ductility combination by tailoring the pre-additive manufacturing microalloying elements with their proper concentrations.

Twelve novel analogs of STAT3 inhibitor BP-1-102 were designed and synthesised with the aim to modify hydrophobic fragments of the molecules that are important for interaction with the STAT3 SH2 domain. The cytotoxic activity of the reference and novel compounds was evaluated using several human and two mouse cancer cell lines. BP-1-102 and its two analogs emerged as effective cytotoxic agents and were further tested in additional six human and two murine cancer cell lines, in all of which they manifested the cytotoxic effect in a micromolar range. Reference compound S3I-201.1066 was found ineffective in all tested cell lines, in contrast to formerly published data. The ability of selected BP-1-102 analogs to induce apoptosis and inhibition of STAT3 receptor-mediated phosphorylation was confirmed. The structure–activity relationship confirmed a demand for two hydrophobic substituents, i.e. the pentafluorophenyl moiety and another spatially bulky moiety, for effective cytotoxic activity and STAT3 inhibition.

This empirical study aims to identify and evaluate the crucial factors that influence customer satisfaction and loyalty in homestays in Da Lat City. The research utilizes the SERVQUAL framework, and related research suggests seven factors: responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibles, satisfaction, and loyalty. A PLS-SEM structural model is used to test hypotheses by evaluating data from 250 residents of Ho Chi Minh City. The finding points out that adolescents' loyalty to homestay services in Da Lat is stimulated directly by empathy and satisfaction and indirectly by responsiveness and assurance. Meanwhile, young people's satisfaction with homestay service is affected by 4 out of 5 factors: responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. This study provides insights into homestay services and the key elements influencing young customers' satisfaction levels toward loyalty to the homestay. Homestay managers should use this model approach to restructure and improve their homestay services to meet the demands and desires of their target clients in a competitive marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]