Search

This research aims to analyze the static bending and free vibration behaviors of bidirectional functionally graded porous (BFGP) curved microbeams with elastic boundary conditions resting on a Pasternak’s elastic foundation in a hygro-thermal environment. Isogeometric analysis based on non-uniform rational B-splines, first-order shear deformation theory, nonlocal elasticity theory combined with the modified strain gradient theories, modified Timoshenko beam theory are formulated to depict bending and shear deformations of BFGP curved microbeams. Especially, because using the modified Timoshenko beam theory, this study removes the requirement for a shear correction factor and describes shear stress by zero at the upper and lower cross-sectional sites of the BFGP curved microbeam. Different from traditional boundary conditions, where the beginning and end positions of a curved beam are connected by an elastic system of straight and torsion springs. This allows for greater flexibility in controlling the stiffness of the springs to obtain arbitrary boundaries. To assess the accuracy and convergence of the proposed approach, validation numerical examples were conducted in the various examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we establish global fractional Halanay‐type inequalities with distributed delays in differential and integral forms and consequently give a simple sufficient condition for Mittag–Leffler stability of solutions to fractional differential equations with this type of delays. Our essential tool is the submultiplicative property of the Mittag–Leffler functions which imitates the multiplicative property of the exponential functions in the classical theory of differential equations. The estimation with explicit decaying rate and amplitude constant is a faithful extension of the classical Halanay inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Using tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is recommended in the 3rd trimester for pregnant women with HBV DNA ≥ 200,000 IU/mL to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, HBV DNA quantification is unavailable in many resource-limited areas worldwide, hence prophylaxis is often missed. The aim of this study was to determine whether HBeAg or qHBsAg is a better alternative to HBV DNA testing in HBV-infected pregnant women. Methodology: In this prospective cohort study, pregnant women with HBV infection were recruited in 3 hospitals from October 2019 to November 2020. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. Blood samples were taken for qHBsAg and HBV DNA testing. HBeAg results were collected from the medical records of the participants who visited a doctor during the study. Results: 465 pregnant women met the study criteria. 41.9% were HBeAg positive, 33.3% had high qHBsAg levels (> 104 IU/mL), 38.3% had high HBV DNA levels (≥ 200,000 IU/mL). Pregnant women with high qHBsAg levels were 27 times more likely to have high HBV DNA levels (aOR = 27.0, 95% CI: 11.1-65.5, p < 0.001). Participants who were HBeAg positive were 57.5 times more likely to have high HBV DNA levels (aOR = 57.5, 95% CI: 23.0-140.0, p < 0.001). The sensitivity of qHBsAg and HBeAg was 80% and 94%, respectively; and specificity was 95% and 90%, respectively. Conclusions: HBeAg testing should be considered over qHBsAg assay as an alternative to HBV DNA assay because of its technical simplicity, lower cost, and fewer missed treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many organizations are facing environmental issues and learning how to improve employee green behavior. However, few researchers have addressed the problem of GFHRM policies from the viewpoint of aviation industry employees. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of general CSR facilitation human resource management (GFHRM) on green behaviour in the aviation industry and to improve the competitiveness of organisations. Using the social exchange theory, this study looks at the relationships between GFHRM and green behaviour and the mediation of an employee's green work engagement while moderating roles of environmental leadership. The data were gathered from 397 respondents in the aviation industry in Vietnam through the use of the questionnaires on Google Docs. The time-lag technique is used to collect data to avoid common method bias. The results show that GFHRM has a positive relationship with employees' in-role green behavior. Furthermore, GFHRM impacts positively on employees' in-role green behaviors through employee work engagement. Moreover, environmental leadership has a positive moderating influence on the link between GFHRM and employees' in-role green behaviors. The study focuses on CSR practices that put employees first, which have been looked at by a number of aviation industry companies. The importance of leaders in achieving environmental sustainability is shown by our research. This study notably highlights the interaction between GFHRM and environmental leadership on staff's green behaviour while performing their job duties. Employee green work engagement may be best placed to moderate the association between GFHRM and in-role employee green behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the B/ZnO nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by a simple mechanical combustion method. This material was used as a photocatalyst to degrade tetracycline, a representative of the commonly used antibiotics today. The B/ZnO composite became tighter than that of pure ZnO and formed bulk particles. The band gap energy of B/ZnO (3.05 eV) was slightly lower than that of ZnO (3.10 eV), resulting that it being easier to absorb visible light to create electron-hole pairs (h+ and e-). Therefore, the B/ZnO composite had higher photocatalytic activity than pure ZnO. The ratio of boron-doped to ZnO affecting the photocatalysis efficiency was investigated and the optimal boron content was 3 wt%, its degradation efficiency (DE) value for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in 90 min and the rate constants were 90% and 0.054 min-1, respectively. The factors affecting the photocatalytic process like initial antibiotic concentration, catalyst content, and pH of the initial antibiotic solution were studied. In addition, the recovery and reuse of B/ZnO after photocatalytic treatment were also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a system for identifying gestures and actions in smart homes. The proposed method is based on MobilenetV2 feature extraction combining with single shot detector (SSD) network. We used eleven types of gestures of walking, sitting down, falling back, wearing shoes, waving hands, falling down, smoking, baby crawling, standing up, reading, and typing for recognizing the gestures. In this system, the data are captured from the camera of mobile devices that are used to detect the object. The results are obtained objects on the frame by a bounding box. The results show that the system meets the requirements with an accuracy of over 90% that is suitable for real application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A goodness-of-fit approach for multivariate VARMA( p, q ) models is presented. The idea is to consider a stochastic process based on a modified residual correlation matrix sequence, that is shown to converge to the Brownian bridge. Standard criteria based on this new random function, as for instance the Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Cramér–von Mises statistics, will have then a pivotal null asymptotic distribution. The properties of these two methods are investigated by simulation. As compared with the traditional methods in this area, their size does not depend critically on the choice of any lag parameter value, and they have better power properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetramethylguanidine (TMG) promotes a cascade thiol-­Michael–aldol–dehydration reaction between 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde and cinnamate esters to synthesize 2H-thiochromene-3-carboxylate derivatives. The target thiochromene compounds with a variety of substituents were obtained in high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stimulus-induced cAMP response element (CRE)-binding protein (CREB) family of transcription factors bind to CREs to regulate diverse cellular responses, including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A), which belongs to the Betaherpesvirinae subfamily, is a lymphotropic herpesvirus frequently found in patients with neuroinflammatory diseases. Previous reports implicated the importance of CREs in the HHV-6A life cycle, although the effects of the binding of transcription factors to CREs in viral replication have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the role of the CREB family of transcription factors during HHV-6A replication. We found that HHV-6A infection enhanced phosphorylation of the CREB family members CREB1 and activating transcription factor 1 (ATF1). Knockout (KO) of CREB1 or ATF1 enhanced viral gene expression and viral replication. The increase in viral yields in supernatants from ATF1-KO cells was greater than that in supernatants from CREB1-KO cells. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis showed that sensors of the innate immune system were downregulated in ATF1-KO cells, and mRNAs of beta interferon (IFN-β) and IFN-regulated genes were reduced in these cells infected with HHV-6A. IFN-β treatment of ATF1-KO cells reduced progeny viral yields significantly, suggesting that the enhancement of viral replication was caused by a reduction of IFN-β. Taken together, our results suggest that ATF1 is activated during HHV-6A infection and restricts viral replication via IFNb induction. IMPORTANCE Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus implicated in Alzheimer's disease, although its role in its pathogenesis has not been confirmed. Here, we showed that the transcription factor ATF1 restricts HHV-6A replication, mediated by IFN-β induction. Our study provides new insights into the role of ATF1 in innate viral immunity and reveals the importance of IFN-β for regulation of HHV-6A replication, which possibly impairs HHV-6A pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Perfluoroalkyl) tetramethylcyclopentenols (alkyl = n-butyl, n-hexyl, n-octyl) were dehydrated to a complex mixture of endo, endo-(perfluoroalkyl) tetramethylcyclopentadienes and their endo-, exo-isomers. It was found in preliminary screening experiments that the best reagent for this transformation, giving an 89% yield of isomeric product mixture, was P2O5 in benzene at 80-90 °C. Products were characterized on the basis of their mass spectra and retention time information, and some peaks in the mass spectra were identified from their molecular fragments. Structures were assigned to the three most abundant products of (perfluorohexyl)tetramethylcyclopentenol dehydration. Formal dehydration kinetics showed a second order reaction in benzene but zeroth order with induction period in chlorobenzene, suggesting mass transfer limitations in the more polar chlorobenzene. Some of the products were formed by consecutive isomerization of the others, as shown by the kinetic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human dirofilariasis caused by infection with Dirofilaria worms has been frequently reported. The symptoms associated with infection by these filarial parasites, which are transmitted to humans by zooanthropophilic mosquitoes, are characterized by mainly pulmonary and subcutaneous nodules. Here, we report the first case in Vietnam of a subcutaneous dirofilariasis with a painful nodule in the right eyelid. An immature female worm was removed by excisional biopsy and identified as Dirofilaria repens by histology and DNA analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the critical concept of Orientalism according to writer Edward Said, the contradiction its raises for Asian American critical studies and Said's return to humanism for their resolution. Dismissal of an interpretive unity provided by Western orientalism and Said's critical concept of it; Proposal of viable strategies to preserve a line of exit from Said's critical concept when necessary; Symptomatic of the contradiction in the deployment of critiques of Orientalism.

A smartphone-based colorimetric detection method was optimized for measuring the fluoride content in tea extracts using zirconium-xylenol orange reagent. The images of the formed color complex in the presence of fluoride were captured and analyzed their color components through the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) vector values. To maintain the capturing conditions, a colorimetric box (150 × 70 × 90 mm) was self-designed by optimizing the smartphone camera-sample holder/cuvette distance and inside brightness. The calibration curve was constructed from 0.5 to 25 mg/L with the goodness of linearity (R2 > 0.995). Favorable repeatability and reproducibility were obtained (RSDr = 5.01% and RSDR = 5.02%), according to the Appendix F of AOAC (2016). UV–Vis and F ion-selective electrode were simultaneously conducted as reference methods for the developed smartphone-based method, demonstrating comparable fluoride content results in tea extracts obtained from these methods. Using 2.5 g tea brewed in 100 mL of deionized water at 90 °C for 60 min, a descending fluoride content order was achieved: black tea (3.31–3.85 mg/L) > oolong tea (2.38–2.65 mg/L) > green tea (2.25–2.97 mg/L) > white tea (2.28–2.31 mg/L). The smartphone-based method was also applied to evaluate the effects of different brewing conditions on the fluoride content in tea extracts, indicating the higher brewing temperature and prolonged time could accelerate the release of fluoride in tea extracts. This study provides a quality control tool for tea consumers and manufacturers as well as contributes to enrich the applications of smartphone-based methods in the food sections, especially for Vietnam with the diversity of agricultural products.Graphical Abstract: A smartphone-based colorimetric detection method was optimized for measuring the fluoride content in tea extracts using zirconium-xylenol orange reagent. The images of the formed color complex in the presence of fluoride were captured and analyzed their color components through the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) vector values. To maintain the capturing conditions, a colorimetric box (150 × 70 × 90 mm) was self-designed by optimizing the smartphone camera-sample holder/cuvette distance and inside brightness. The calibration curve was constructed from 0.5 to 25 mg/L with the goodness of linearity (R2 > 0.995). Favorable repeatability and reproducibility were obtained (RSDr = 5.01% and RSDR = 5.02%), according to the Appendix F of AOAC (2016). UV–Vis and F ion-selective electrode were simultaneously conducted as reference methods for the developed smartphone-based method, demonstrating comparable fluoride content results in tea extracts obtained from these methods. Using 2.5 g tea brewed in 100 mL of deionized water at 90 °C for 60 min, a descending fluoride content order was achieved: black tea (3.31–3.85 mg/L) > oolong tea (2.38–2.65 mg/L) > green tea (2.25–2.97 mg/L) > white tea (2.28–2.31 mg/L). The smartphone-based method was also applied to evaluate the effects of different brewing conditions on the fluoride content in tea extracts, indicating the higher brewing temperature and prolonged time could accelerate the release of fluoride in tea extracts. This study provides a quality control tool for tea consumers and manufacturers as well as contributes to enrich the applications of smartphone-based methods in the food sections, especially for Vietnam with the diversity of agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among many preparation methods for the synthesis of Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles which have been widely investigated due to versatile properties and potential applications in optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and spintronic devices, solution-based methods such as sol-gel, hydrothermal, and precipitation processes usually consume many reagents and involve numerous steps. In this study, we report a one-step synthesis of highly Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) by a solution plasma process (SPP) using FeCl 2 and FeCl 3 as precursors without any addition of chemicals. Breakdown of water bubbles caused by plasma discharge led to the formation of hydroxyl radicals, which reacted with the dissolved Zn2+ ions producing Zn(OH) 2 that was indeed converted to ZnO through thermal dehydration. Meanwhile, Fe ions were incorporated into the host ZnO lattice during the synthesis process. Fe-doping levels in Zn 1- x Fe x O NPs are easily controllable by changing the Fe precursor concentration and plasma discharging time. We achieved a high doping content (x = 0.14–0.46) within 30 min, which is difficult to achieve using traditional solution-based synthesis approaches. All the Fe-doped NPs exhibit ferromagnetic behavior, but the magnitude is strongly dependent on the Fe content and doping ratio of Fe2+ to Fe3+ ions, which are explained by the dominance and competition between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions through the presence of mixed Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions. The observed optimal ratio of Fe2+ to Fe3+ for maximizing the magnetization is approximately 3:7. It is noteworthy that the magnetization of Fe-doped ZnO NPs can be simply controlled by manipulating the Fe content and composition of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions achieved through the SPP. This result provides a platform for studying fundamental magnetic properties of TM-doped semiconductors for potential spintronic applications. Thus, the SPP has great potential as an alternative strategy for the synthesis of highly Fe-doped ZnO NPs, which can be expanded to the synthesis of other doped metal-oxide nanostructures for a broad range of research applications. • Solution plasma process (SPP) is promising for one-step synthesis of Fe-doped ZnO NPs. • The single-phase Zn 1- x Fe x O NPs are synthesized only with precursors within 30 min. • Doping level is simply controlled by changing Fe precursor conc and discharging time. • High Fe-doping contents (x = 0.14–0.46) in all NPs exhibit ferromagnetic behavior. • Magnetization is strongly dependent on Fe content and doping ratio of Fe2+ to Fe3+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some α,β-unsaturated ketones 4a–g of 3-acetyl-4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-one were prepared by its reaction with (hetero)aromatic aldehydes with yields of 61–87% using piperidine as a catalyst. These ketones reacted with o-aminothiophenol in the presence of acetic acid to afford a series of new hybrid compounds, quinoline-benzothiazepine, 6a–g. The yields of benzothiazepines 6a–g were 62–85%. All the synthesized compounds 6a–g were screened for their in vitro anticancer activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and squamous cell carcinoma KB cancer lines. Compounds 6d and 6g had the best activity in the series, with IC50 values of 0.25 and 0.27 μg mL−1, respectively, against HepG2, and of 0.26 and 0.28 μM, respectively, against KB cell lines. ADMET properties showed that compounds 6c and 6g possessed drug-likeness behavior. Cross-docking results indicated that residues GLN778(A), DA12(F), and DG13(F) in the binding pocket were potential ligand binding hot-spot residues for compounds 6c and 6g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Muong Lat town (Thanh Hoa province, North Vietnam), following the confirmed diagnosis of trichinellosis in six patients from that town who had eaten hunted wild boar meat during the Vietnamese lunar year celebration. All inhabitants who declared to have eaten undercooked or raw wild boar meat at the celebration and showed at least one clinical symptom compatible with trichinellosis were included in the study and blood sampled. Anti-Trichinella IgG were determined by ELISA andWestern Blot. Seropositive persons were given appropriate albendazole treatment and were followed up. A total of 100 inhabitants met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 30 (30%) had antibodies to Trichinella. Serologically confirmed cases had fever (90.0%), myalgia (86.7%), facial oedema (63.3%), diarrhoea (53.3%), and pain of the masseter muscles (43.3%). Eosinophilia was detected in 83.3% of these individuals. Clinical symptoms resolved in all patients during albendazole treatment. The results suggest that only a proportion of the trichinellosis cases had sought health care during the outbreak. There is a need to implement surveillance and better diagnosis for trichinellosis and to set up educational programs to prevent infection in North Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tetramethyl(perfluoroalkyl)cyclopentadienyl rhodium(I) complexes with ethylene or diene (norbornadiene, cycloocta-1,5-diene, 2,3-dimethylbuta-1,3-diene, cyclohexa-1,3-diene) ligands were obtained by reduction of tetramethyl(perfluoroalkyl)rhodium(III) dichloro dimers by zinc in THF or by propan-2-ol/sodium carbonate in the presence of the ligands. Reduction in the presence of cycloocta-1,3-diene gave a different product, an η3-cyclooctenyl complex, which was not reduced further. During the reduction in the presence of ethylene, a new tetramethyl(perfluoroalkyl)-η4-cyclopentadiene complex was observed by NMR. This compound, formed by hydrogen transfer from the metal to the ligand, is probably in an equilibrium with the parent hydridocyclopentadienyl complex. Crystal and molecular structure of dicarbonyltetramethyl(perfluorohexyl)cyclopentadienylrhodium(I) complex was determined by X-ray diffraction. The structure shows a moderate ring slippage of the rhodium atom which was not observed in the only other known structure of a complex with the same ligand, the rhodium(III) dichloro dimer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Accumulating evidence suggests that overproduction of prostaglandin (PG) E2 attributable to induction of cyclooxygenase-2 plays an important role in the development of lung adenocarcinoma. Recently, we have reported that a PGE2 receptor, EP3 is involved in appearance of malignant phenotype of a lung adenocarcinoma cell (A549 cell). In line with our previous study, here we investigated if Src signaling could be involved in PGE2-stimulated growth of A549 cells via EP3. PGE2-dependent cell growth in A549 cell positively related to the activation of Src. A specific antagonist against EP3 abrogated the cell growth and Src activation in the cells stimulated with PGE2. Also, the inhibition of Src activity suppressed its downstream signaling related to cell growth as well as the cell growth in the cells treated with PGE2. These results indicate that PGE2-dependent activation of Src signaling via EP3 plays an important role in growth of A549 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Ten new thiosemicarbazones of substituted 3-acetylcoumarins with d -glucose moiety were synthesized in 45–68% yields. • Several thiosemicarbazones were active against Gram-(+) and Gram-(−) bacteria with MICs of 1.56–3.125 μM. • Some thiosemicarbazones had activity against fungi with MICs of 1.56–3.125 μM. • Compounds 5h and 5i exhibited excellent activity against S. aureus with MIC of 0.78 μM. • Compounds exhibited excellent activity with MIC of 0.78 μM, including 5h (for C. albicans), and 5i (for S. cerevisiae). Thiosemicarbazones 5a-j were synthesized with yields of 45–68% by condensation of 3-acetylcoumarins 3a-j and tetra- O -acetyl-β- d -thiosemicarbazide 4. All obtained thiosemicarbazones were screened for anti-microorganic activities against bacteria (B. subtilis , S. aureus , S. epidermidis , E. coli , P. aeruginosa , K. pneumoniae , S. typhimurium) and fungi (A. niger , C. albicans , S. cerevisiae , and A. flavus). Some compounds had significant inhibitory activity with MICs of 0.78–3.125 μM in comparison with 5a , including 5e , h , i for S. aureus , and 5c , f , i for S. epidermidis (Gram-(+) bacteria), 5c , f , g for E.coli , 5f for K. pneumoniae , 5b , c , g for P. aeruginosa , and 5i for S. typhimurium (Gram-(−) bacteria), 5d , h , i for A. niger , 5i for A. flavus , 5b , d , e , h for C. albicans , and 5i for S. cerevisiae. Compounds exhibited excellent activity against tested microorganism with MIC = 0.78 μM, including 5h,i (against S. aureus), 5h (against C. albicans), and 5i (against S. cerevisiae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 131I radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) has been commonly applied for metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and played an adjunctive role to total thyroidectomy. However, there is no reliable method to predict therapeutic response to RAI in metastatic DTC. Several studies showed potential use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) in lesion detection or therapeutic response prediction of DTC. Thus we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of 18F-FDG PET for the prediction of therapeutic response to RAI in patients with metastatic DTC. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 29 adult patients with metastatic DTC who underwent RAI after total thyroidectomy. 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed within three months before RAI, and the maximum, average and sum of each maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were assessed. Therapeutic response to RAI was categorized into the progressive disease (PD) or non-progressive disease (Non-PD), based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST) 1.1 using pre- and post-therapeutic computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. The area under curve (ROC) analyses were performed to evaluate their predictive potentials of therapeutic response to RAI. Results: Among 29 patients (12 men; median age, 62.4 y.o.; range, 26–81), eight patients were classified into PD and 21 were into Non-PD. PD patients showed a significantly higher maximum, average and sum SUVmax, MTV and TLG before RAI, compared to the Non-PD group (p < 0.05). Among all the 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters, maximum SUVmax showed the highest sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) in predicting treatment response to RAI. With a cutoff value of 9.12, the highest area under curve (AUC) of 0.98 was obtained to differentiate between PD and Non-PD patients. Conclusions: 18F-FDG PET/CT before RAI was a useful predictor of therapeutic response to RAI, and maximum SUVmax was the most sensitive parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]