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Xử lý chất thải rắn thông qua viên nén nhiên liệu RDF cho phép thu hồi triệt để tài nguyên, nâng cao hiệu suất chuyển hóa năng lượng và giảm phát thải ô nhiễm môi trường. Mô phỏng quá trình cháy của viên RDF trong khí quyển cung cấp các thông tin cần thiết để thực hiện mô phỏng quá trình tạo syngas trong lò khí hóa. Khi hệ số không khí dư ER tăng thì nhiệt độ cực đại của ngọn lửa tăng. Nhiệt độ cực đại đạt 1110K, 1154K, 1227K và 1338K lần lượt tương ứng với ER 0,3; 0,45; 0,65 và 0,95. Khi ER giảm thì nồng độ các chất CO, CH4, H2 tăng lên dẫn đến tăng nhiệt trị syngas Qsyn. Khi ER=0,32 thì Qsyn thu được từ quá trình cháy RDF-Trấu, RDF-Chất thải rắn và RDF-Gỗ vụn lần lượt là 5,3; 5,5 và 5,9 MJ/kg.

Currently, the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the industrial sector to improve the productivity and efficiency of industrial processes is no longer unfamiliar. However, for a wireless control system to operate reliably and stably even without the Internet, additional issues regarding energy and alternative control options need to be addressed. In this article, the authors have investigated the application of Bluetooth Mesh networks in industrial production systems. In a manufacturing facility, Bluetooth devices are installed on machinery and can exchange data with each other through a gateway device that serves as a data receiver for the Bluetooth devices. Additionally, the system can be remotely monitored and controlled through a Web server. Implementing this system in production enables industrial companies to digitize processes, transform business models, and enhance performance and productivity.

Lantana camara (L.) and Wedelia trilobata (L.) are wild and strong invasive plants. The aims of this study are to screen phytochemical profiles and evaluate the allelopathic ability of crude extracts on Echinochloa crus-galli (L.), Lactuca sativa (L.) and Raphanus sativus (L.) seed germination in vitro condition. The results showed that, two ethanol crude extracts revealed the high presence of the chemical compositions such as phenolic, flavonoid và alkaloid. The W. trilobata (L.) extract inhibited seed germination higher than the L. camara (L.) leaves extract. At the concentration of 5 mg/mL, the crude extract from W. trilobata (L.) showed inhibition on seed germination of E. crus-galli (L.), L. sativa (L.), and R. sativus (L.) with 84.83%, 82.59%, and 96.57%, respectively. Therefore, W. trilobata could be seen as a potential plant for research on allelochemicals.

Bài báo này trình bày về quá trình phát triển cánh tay giả điều khiển bằng sóng não người. Mô hình cánh tay giả chế tạo và lắp ráp dựa theo cơ cấu và tỉ lệ trung bình của cánh tay người trưởng thành. Cử động cánh tay được truyền động bằng các động cơ Servo. Các tín hiệu sóng não (các trạng thái Attention và Meditation) nhận được từ cảm biến Mindwave Neurosky 2 được xử lý để điều khiển cánh tay giả này. Quá trình thử nghiệm cho thấy khả năng dùng sóng não để thực hiện một số động tác cơ bản của cánh tay giả như gập mở khuỷu tay, xoay cổ tay với tỉ lệ thành công lên đến 90%. Tuy nhiên, tính năng hoạt động của cánh tay giả bị hạn chế do cảm biến này chỉ có 4 kênh và đo được 2 loại sóng. Để cải thiện và mở rộng tính năng hoạt động của cánh tay giả, loại cảm biến sóng não có chất lượng tốt hơn cần được thay sử dụng để có thể đọc tín hiệu chính xác và thu thập được nhiều loại sóng não hơn.

Bài báo này trình bày về quá trình nghiên cứu, thiết kế, chế tạo băng tải nghiêng kết hợp hệ thống hút chân không. Các sản phẩm được vận chuyển từ băng tải đầu vào với công suất khoảng 120 sản phẩm/phút và phải được đưa lên vị trí cao hơn 1,0 mét so với băng tải đầu vào và cho công suất đầu ra tương đương là 120 sản phẩm/phút. Cơ cấu truyền động bao gồm 2 phần là phần vận chuyển của băng tải và phần cơ cấu tạo lực hút theo nguyên lý chênh lệch vận tốc dòng khí vào và ra khỏi một khoang kín có rãnh hẹp. Toàn bộ hệ thống được điều khiển bằng bộ PLC Mitsubishi FX3G và Board mạch Arduino Nano. Kết quả thực nghiệm cho thấy, hệ thống đáp ứng tốt được yêu cầu thiết kế với các sai số không đáng kể. Khối lượng sản phẩm yêu cầu ban đầu là đến 200 gram nhưng hệ thống đáp ứng được lên đến 300 gram do sử dụng cơ cấu hút có công suất lớn hơn so với tính toán.

Berberin là một alkaloid có nguồn gốc từ thực vật, được dùng nhiều trong y học cổ truyền. Berberin có khả năng kháng khuẩn, kháng viêm, ức chế tế bào gây ung thư,... Tuy nhiên, berberin lại ít tan trong nước và có tính sinh khả dụng thấp. Nghiên cứu được thực hiện nhằm khảo sát tỉ lệ chất hoạt động bề mặt Tween 80 : Sodium Laureth Sulfate để tạo ra hệ nano berberin ổn định, đồng nhất và đánh giá khả năng vi khuẩn gây sâu răng của nano berberin. Nano berberin được chế tạo bằng phương pháp nghiền bi với các tỉ lệ chất hoạt động bề mặt Tween 80 và Sodium Laureth Sulfate khác nhau. Các mẫu được kiểm tra đặc tính hóa, lý bằng phương pháp XRD, FE-SEM và UV-Vis. Bước đầu đánh giá khả năng ức chế vi khuẩn gây sâu răng của mẫu nano berberin bằng phương pháp khuếch tán qua thạch và phương pháp pha loãng vi lượng. Kết quả cho thấy, mẫu có tỉ lệ chất hoạt động bề mặt Tween 80 : Sodium Laureth Sulfate là 3:1 tạo ra hạt nano berberin có cấu trúc tinh thể với kích thước hạt nano trung bình là 40 – 65 nm. Nano berberin có khả năng ức chế mạnh sự phát triển của vi khuẩn S. mutans – tác nhân chính gây nên sâu răng.

Bài báo nhằm giới thiệu mô hình thực nghiệm điều khiển hệ thống nâng vật trong từ trường với giá rẻ phục vụ cho nghiên cứu và giảng dạy. Mô hình phần cứng đã được xây dựng để áp dụng các giải thuật điều khiển từ lý thuyết mô phỏng vào trong thực tiễn. Việc này giải quyết được tình trạng thiếu thiết bị vật lý để kiểm chứng các nguyên lý, lý thuyết điều khiển. Theo đó, bộ điều khiển LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) và bộ lọc Kalman được thiết kế nhằm điều khiển ổn định được viên bi sắt ở các vị trí khác nhau. Bộ lọc Kalman được sử dụng để ước lượng các biến trạng thái của hệ thống giúp hỗ trợ bộ điều khiển LQR nâng giữ vật tại các vị trí mong muốn. Kết quả đạt được là mô hình phần cứng giá rẻ nhưng hoạt động truyền nhận dữ liệu hiệu quả, có khả năng điều khiển giữ được vật ổn định tại các vị trí cân bằng khác nhau với sai số xác lập lớn nhất chỉ khoảng 4%. Ngoài ra, với nhiễu tác động là sự thay đổi khối lượng vật thì vị trí vật vẫn được điều khiển giữ cân bằng ổn định. Nhiễu đo đạt từ các cảm biến cũng có ảnh hưởng đến chất lượng của bộ điều khiển LQG (Linear Quadratic Gaussian) đã thiết kế.

Trong bài báo này, vật liệu nano bạc có hình dạng và kích thước khác nhau được tổng hợp bằng phương pháp polyol. Tính chất quang và cấu trúc vật liệu nano bạc tạo thành được phân tích bằng các phương pháp UV-Vis, FE-SEM và XRD. Kết quả cho thấy trong môi trường ethylene glycol (EG)/ poly vinylpyrollidone (PVP), vật liệu nano bạc tạo thành có hình dạng hạt cầu với kích thước trung bình 21 nm và 85 nm tùy thuộc vào lượng bạc nitrat, tuy nhiên khi có sự hiện diện của ion Cl-, vật liệu nano bạc tạo thành hầu hết có dạng thanh nano. Tính chất kháng khuẩn của hạt nano bạc với kích thước 21 nm, 85 nm và thanh nano được thực hiện bằng phương pháp đếm khuẩn lạc trên đĩa thạch để xác định nồng độ ức chế tối thiểu (MIC). Kết quả cho thấy hạt nano bạc 21 nm, 85 nm và thanh nano đều cho khả năng diệt khuẩn Escherichia coli tốt. Đối với Staphylococcus aureus, hạt nano bạc với kích thước 21 nm cho thấy kết quả diệt khuẩn tốt nhất với MIC = 7,5 µg/mL trong khi thanh nano bạc hầu như không cho thấy hiệu quả diệt loại khuẩn này.

Berberine (BBr) là một alkaloid khung cấu trúc isoquinoline có nguồn gốc tự nhiên, có nhiều tính chất như kháng viêm, giảm đau, kháng khuẩn và kháng ung thư. Tuy nhiên, do có độ sinh khả dụng thấp nên việc ứng dụng BBr vẫn còn hạn chế. Nghiên cứu thực hiện nhằm chế tạo vật liệu nano BBr bằng phương pháp nghiền quay để tăng độ sinh khả dụng và thử nghiệm khả năng kháng ung thư. Tính chất vật liệu nano BBr được khảo sát bằng các phương pháp FE-SEM, TEM, DLS và XRD, kết quả cho thấy hạt nano BBr có kích thước trung bình khoảng 60 nm sau 120 giờ nghiền quay với sự hỗ trợ của bi zirconia. Vật liệu nano BBr cho thấy khả năng ức chế tăng sinh ở hai dòng tế bào ung thư vú (MCF-7) và gan (Hep G2).

Cloud computing has become popular in IT technology because of its advantages that focus on flexible, scaling, resources and services which help customers easy to build their own on-demand IT system easily. Moreover, Cloud computing also can assist users to balance, share, and manage IT resources among customers to get better performance of compute and storage. OpenStack, a new open source cloud computing framework which was a built-in modular architecture and focused on IaaS. OpenStack also focuses on NaaS by using network virtualization technology with native opensource intergrated solution – openvswitch and supports other commercial solutions from vendors. OpenStack nowadays has been popularly in business. This paper does a research on network performance on OpenStack network module code named Neutron. The parameters in virtualization network of OpenStack related to network performance such as throughput, package loss, time and delay of data transmission are estimated through UDP protocol using IPERF benchmarking tool. Our research investigated the possible internal traffic flow patterns and evaluated network performance of each pattern on OpenStack cloud computing environment.

In this paper, we present an approach for wireless security based on physical layer. The basic principle of physical layer secrecy (PHY Secrecy) is ensuring secure information transmission in the the system that consists of illegal receiver without using any coding solution on application layer. Applying this approach, we evaluate the physical layer secrecy performance of MISO (Multi Input-Single Output) system that consists of double antennas transmitter and single antenna receiver in the presence of a single antenna passive eavesdropper’s over heterogeneous fading channels Rayleigh/Rician. We evaluate, analyse secrecy capacity, existence probability of secrecy capacity and secrecy outage probability and verify the numerical results with Monte-Carlo simulation results. Our results have presented the utility of using physical layer secrecy to enhance the secrecy performance of wireless networks.

Nhằm góp phần bảo tồn đa dạng sinh học và quy hoạch phát triển các lòai thủy sinh thực vật đất ngập nước, đề tài “Đặc điểm sinh học và môi trường sống của sen (Nelumbo nucifera), súng (Nymphaea pubescens), rau tràng (Nymphoides indica”) đã được thực hiện tại Tràm Chim. Thí nghiệm thực hiện với nội dung khảo sát đặc điểm sinh học, thu mẫu đất, bùn đáy và mẫu cây trong các ô tiêu chuẩn. Kết quả cho thấy sen sống trong môi trường có pH đất thấp 3,65; EC đất 3,23 mS/cm; hàm lượng chất hữu cơ trong đất 11,07%; đạm tổng số 0,63%; lân tổng số 0,13%; kali trao đổi 0,15 cmol/kg; sắt tự do 0,75%; nhôm trao đổi 15,54 cmol/kg. Súng (Nymphaea pubescens) phân bố trong điều kiện pH đất thấp 2,92; EC đất 3,69 mS/cm; hàm lượng chất hữu cơ trong đất 3,16%; đạm tổng số 0,11%; lân tổng số 0,03%; kali trao đổi 0,05 cmol/kg; sắt tự do 0,96%; nhôm trao đổi 10,80 cmol/kg. Rau tràng (Nymphoides indica) thích nghi pH đất thấp 3,65; EC đất 1,98 mS/cm; hàm lượng chất hữu cơ trong

Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with disability, low quality of life, and mortality. However, most cases are asymptomatic, often detected incidentally, or only recognized when they have progressed to the later stages with complications. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of CKD and develop a predictive nomogram for CKD in Vietnamese adults., Methods: This cross-sectional, population-based study involved 533 men and 957 women aged 18 years and older who were screened for CKD. The CKD was diagnosed using the albumin-to-creatinine ratio and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate by the CKD-EPI 2009 equation based on serum creatinine, age, gender, and race (these tests included a baseline measurement and a repeat measurement after 3 months) according to the KDIGO 2012 guideline. We used the Bayesian Model Averaging method to identify the optimal model for predicting CKD. A predictive nomogram was also developed to enable risk prediction., Results: The overall CKD prevalence was 13.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 11.6-14.6), with a prevalence of 11.8% (95% CI = 9.1-14.5) in men and 13.8% (95% CI = 11.6-16) in women. The optimal model for predicting CKD included age (odds ratio [OR] per 5-year increase = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.11-1.28), hypertension (OR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.50-2.89), and diabetes (OR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.18-2.43). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.7, with a 95% CI ranging from 0.65 to 0.73., Conclusions: The CKD is relatively common among Vietnamese adults. A simple model-including age, hypertension, and diabetes-is helpful for the selective screening of CKD in Vietnamese individuals., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2025.)

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that can cause elevated blood glucose levels due to impaired insulin secretion or resistance. Different parts of Musa balbisiana have been used widely in traditional medicine to treat many disorders. The present study aims to evaluate the antidiabetic ability of the corm, pseudostem, inflorescence, fruit, peel, and seed of M. balbisiana via in vitro experiments by inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes as well as in vivo models on diabetic alloxan-induced mice. The results show that all investigated parts have performed potential inhibition on two investigated digestive enzymes. Seed poses the highest capacity among surveyed parts on α-amylase (IC 50 :f μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC 50 : 21.63 μg/mL) as well as effectively lowers the blood glucose index (IG) in alloxan-induced mice. In addition, fruit, corm, and inflorescence are considered essential parts that have high hypoglycemic effects via in vivo experiments. These findings indicate that all M. balbisiana parts are possibly a potential source for hypoglycemic agents; further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the safety of human beings before applying them in functional food and pharmaceutical industries., Competing Interests: All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: To determine whether international normalized ratio (INR), bilirubin, and creatinine predict bleeding risk following percutaneous liver biopsy., Methods: A total of 870 consecutive patients (age 53 ± 14 years; 53% (459/870) male) undergoing non-targeted, ultrasound-guided, percutaneous liver biopsy at a single tertiary center from 01/2016 to 12/2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models to evaluate the relationship between individual and combined laboratory values, and post-biopsy bleeding risk. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under ROC (AUC) curves were constructed to evaluate predictive ability., Results: Post-biopsy bleeding occurred in 2.0% (17/870) of patients, with 0.8% (7/870) requiring intervention. The highest INR within 3 months preceding biopsy demonstrated the best predictive ability for post-biopsy bleeding and was superior to the most recent INR (AUC = 0.79 vs 0.61, p = 0.003). Total bilirubin is an independent predictor of bleeding (AUC = 0.73) and better than the most recent INR (0.61). Multivariate regression analysis of the highest INR and total bilirubin together yielded no improvement in predictive performance compared to INR alone (0.80 vs 0.79). The MELD score calculated using the highest INR (AUC = 0.79) and most recent INR (AUC = 0.74) were similar in their predictive performance. Creatinine is a poor predictor of bleeding (AUC = 0.61). Threshold analyses demonstrate an INR of > 1.8 to have the highest predictive accuracy for bleeding., Conclusion: The highest INR in 3 months preceding ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy is associated with, and a better predictor for, post-procedural bleeding than the most recent INR and should be considered in patient risk stratification., Clinical Relevance Statement: Despite correction of coagulopathic indices, the highest international normalized ratio within the 3 months preceding percutaneous liver biopsy is associated with, and a better predictor for, bleeding and should considered in clinical decision-making and determining biopsy approach., Key Points: • Bleeding occurred in 2% of patients following ultrasound-guided liver biopsy, and was non-trivial in 41% of those patients who needed additional intervention and had an associated 23% 30-day mortality rate. • The highest INR within 3 months preceding biopsy (AUC = 0.79) is a better predictor of bleeding than the most recent INR (AUC = 0.61). • The MELD score is associated with post-procedural bleeding, but with variable predictive performance largely driven by its individual laboratory components., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Background Limited data are available on radiation segmentectomy (RS) for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using yttrium 90 ( 90 Y) resin microsphere doses determined by using a single-compartment medical internal radiation dosimetry (MIRD) model. Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of RS treatment of HCC with 90 Y resin microspheres using a single-compartment MIRD model and correlate posttreatment dose with outcomes. Materials and Methods This retrospective single-center study included adult patients with HCC who underwent RS with 90 Y resin microspheres between July 2014 and December 2022. Posttreatment PET/CT and dosimetry were performed. Adverse events were assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5.0. Per-lesion and overall response rates (ie, complete response [CR], objective response, disease control, and duration of response) were assessed at imaging using the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, and overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Among 67 patients (median age, 69 years [IQR, 63-78 years]; 54 male patients) with HCC, median tumor absorbed dose was 232 Gy (IQR, 163-405 Gy). At 3 months, per-lesion and overall (per-patient) CR was achieved in 47 (70%) and 41 (61%) of 67 patients, respectively. At 6 months ( n = 46), per-lesion rates of objective response and disease control were both 94%, and per-patient rates were both 78%. A total of 88% (95% CI: 79 99) and 72% (95% CI: 58, 90) of patients had a per-lesion and overall duration of response of 1 year or greater. At 1 month, a grade 3 clinical adverse event (abdominal pain) occurred in one of 67 (1.5%) patients. Median posttreatment OS was 26 months (95% CI: 20, not reached). Disease progression at 2 years was lower in the group that received 300 Gy or more than in the group that received less than 300 Gy (17% vs 61%; P = .047), with no local progression in the former group through the end of follow-up. Conclusion Among patients with HCC who underwent RS with 90 Y resin microspheres, 88% and 72% achieved a per-lesion and overall duration of response of 1 year or greater, respectively, with one grade 3 adverse event. In patients whose tumors received 300 Gy or more according to posttreatment dosimetry, a disease progression benefit was noted. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Background: One of the primary reasons for high mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is cardiovascular disease in patients with renal replacement therapy (RRT). Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) significantly predicts mortality and cardiovascular events., Objectives: We assess the left ventricular mass index change in two dialysis methods: hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The factors associated with increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI)., Materials and Methods: We recruit more than 50 HD patients and 45 CAPD patients with LVH of similar age, gender, dialysis duration, and LVMI for one-year follow-up., Results: The LVMI in the group of HD patients after one year increased from 180.28 ± 45.32 g/m 2 to 212.58 ± 66.22 g/m 2 ( p  = 0.001), while the LVMI in the group of patients with CAPD increased from 190.16 ± 66.01 g/m 2 to 197.42 ± 78 g/m 2 ( p  = 0.32). Multivariable logistic regression analysis, we demonstrated that dialysis by HD ( β  = -1,167, 95% CI: 0.104-0.938, p  = 0.036) and anemia treatment lower the goals ( β  = 1.9566, 95% CI: 1.466-34.094, p  = 0.015) were two factors associated with the progression of the LVMI., Conclusion: The LVH of end-stage renal disease patients with HD treatment is worse than CAPD treatment after a follow-up in one year. Dialysis by periodic hemodialysis and anemia treatment that fails to achieve the goal are risk factors associated with increased progression of LVMI in patients with ESRD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Nghia Nhu Nguyen et al.)

Mediastinal masses are commonly identified in the pediatric population with cross-sectional imaging central to the diagnosis and management of these lesions. With greater anatomical definition afforded by cross-sectional imaging, classification of mediastinal masses into the traditional anterior, middle and posterior mediastinal compartments - as based on the lateral chest radiograph - has diminishing application. In recent years, the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) classification system of mediastinal masses, which is cross-sectionally based, has garnered acceptance by multiple thoracic societies and been applied in adults. Therefore, there is a need for pediatric radiologists to clearly understand the ITMIG classification system and how it applies to the pediatric population. The main purpose of this article is to provide an updated review of common pediatric mediastinal masses and mediastinal manifestations of systemic disease processes in the pediatric population based on the new ITMIG classification system., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

As more is understood about the hereditary nature of disease risk, the utility of genetic testing within cardiovascular medicine is increasingly being explored. Although testing may afford more personalized risk stratification, there is a paucity of information regarding patient knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs toward genetic testing among cardiology patients. Participants (n = 530) recruited primarily from a cardiology clinic filled out a 41-item written questionnaire assessing knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward genetic testing, motivators and detractors for considering genetic testing, and perceived likelihood for behavior change after hypothetical genetic testing risk stratification. Path analysis was used to test the hypothetical models predicting the likelihood of getting a genetic test and making behavior changes following genetic testing. The patient population was late-middle-aged (59.0 ± 14.5 years), majority women (61.5%), and about half reported having a bachelor's degree. 58.1% of participants self-identified as White, 25.7% as African American or Black, 6.8% as Spanish, Latino, or Hispanic, 3.0% as Asian or Pacific Islander, and 0.5% as Native American. Gender (being a woman) and more years of education were related to greater knowledge about genetic testing. Racial identity and years of education were related to beliefs about genetic testing. Beliefs, but not knowledge, were related to more positive attitudes and a higher likelihood of pursuing genetic testing. Positive attitudes were related to greater perceived personal control (PPC). Furthermore, attitudes and PPC were related to higher likelihood of lifestyle change after genetic testing. These results highlight the need to integrate the experiences of racialized communities into education/counseling efforts. Most educational counseling efforts lack a nuanced discussion of social determinants of health or beliefs. In addition to factual information, educational counseling must also address people's beliefs, concerns, and the intersecting experiences and identities, which shape patients' relationships with the evolving landscape of healthcare and personalized medicine., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Genetic Counseling published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Society of Genetic Counselors.)

This study examined the relationships between acculturative stress, intimate partner violence (IPV), and life satisfaction of immigrant Vietnamese wives. A total of 288 immigrant Vietnamese women who were married to Korean men and were living in South Korea participated in the survey. As expected, the results indicated that acculturative stress was negatively related to life satisfaction. Moreover, IPV significantly moderated the relationship between acculturative stress and life satisfaction. The moderating role of IPV is evident when the acculturative stress is low.

Introduction: Reproducibility is critical to diagnostic accuracy and treatment implementation. Concurrent with clinical reproducibility, research reproducibility establishes whether the use of identical study materials and methodologies in replication efforts permits researchers to arrive at similar results and conclusions. In this study, we address this gap by evaluating nephrology literature for common indicators of transparent and reproducible research., Methods: We searched the National Library of Medicine catalog to identify 36 MEDLINE-indexed, English-language nephrology journals. We randomly sampled 300 publications published between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018., Results: Our search yielded 28,835 publications, of which we randomly sampled 300 publications. Of the 300 publications, 152 (50.7%) were publicly available, whereas 143 (47.7%) were restricted through paywall and 5 (1.7%) were inaccessible. Of the remaining 295 publications, 123 were excluded because they lack empirical data necessary for reproducibility. Of the 172 publications with empirical data, 43 (25%) reported data availability statements and 4 (2.3%) analysis scripts. Of the 71 publications analyzed for preregistration and protocol availability, 0 (0.0%) provided links to a protocol and 8 (11.3%) were preregistered., Conclusion: Our study found that reproducible and transparent research practices are infrequently used by the nephrology research community. Greater efforts should be made by both funders and journals. In doing so, an open science culture may eventually become the norm rather than the exception., (© 2019 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Unlabelled: Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive, commensal bacterium known to asymptomatically colonize the human skin, nares, and gastrointestinal tract. Colonized individuals are at increased risk for developing S. aureus infections, which range from mild skin and soft tissue infections to more severe diseases, such as endocarditis, bacteremia, sepsis, and osteomyelitis. Different virulence factors are required for S. aureus to infect different body sites. In this study, virulence gene expression was analyzed in two S. aureus isolates during nasal colonization, bacteremia and in the heart during sepsis. These models were chosen to represent the stepwise progression of S. aureus from an asymptomatic colonizer to an invasive pathogen. Expression of 23 putative S. aureus virulence determinants, representing protein and carbohydrate adhesins, secreted toxins, and proteins involved in metal cation acquisition and immune evasion were analyzed. Consistent upregulation of sdrC, fnbA, fhuD, sstD, and hla was observed in the shift between colonization and invasive pathogen, suggesting a prominent role for these genes in staphylococcal pathogenesis. Finally, gene expression data were correlated to the roles of the genes in pathogenesis by using knockout mutants in the animal models. These results provide insights into how S. aureus modifies virulence gene expression between commensal and invasive pathogens., Importance: Many bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, asymptomatically colonize human skin and nasal passages but can also cause invasive diseases, such as bacteremia, pneumonia, sepsis, and osteomyelitis. The goal of this study was to analyze differences in the expression of selected S. aureus genes during a commensal lifestyle and as an invasive pathogen to gain insight into the commensal-to-pathogen transition and how a bacterial pathogen adapts to different environments within a host (e.g., from nasal colonization to invasive pathogen). The gene expression data were also used to select genes for which to construct knockout mutants to assess the role of several proteins in nasal colonization and lethal bacteremia. These results not only provide insight into the factors involved in S. aureus disease pathogenesis but also provide potential therapeutic targets., (Copyright © 2015 Jenkins et al.)

Background: Bloodstream infections are a leading cause of death in the United States. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) encompasses >50% of all S aureus strains in infected hospitalized patients and increases mortality, length of stay and healthcare costs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the treatment of MRSA bacteremia with daptomycin, linezolid and vancomycin., Methods: Patients with MRSA bacteremia between June 2008 and November 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. A microbiology laboratory report identified patients with ≥ 1 positive MRSA blood culture. Patients ≥ 18 years receiving daptomycin, linezolid or vancomycin for ≥ 7 consecutive days were included. Polymicrobial blood cultures and patients treated concomitantly with >1 anti-MRSA agent were excluded., Results: Of 122 patients included, 53 received daptomycin, 15 received linezolid and 54 received vancomycin. Clinical and microbiologic cure rates were similar between daptomycin, linezolid and vancomycin (58.5% versus 60% versus 61.1%; 93.6% versus 100% versus 90%, respectively). Thirteen patients (daptomycin 4/24 versus linezolid 1/9 versus vancomycin 8/49, P = 0.5960) had recurrence while 12 patients had re-infection (daptomycin 5/42 versus linezolid 0/9 versus vancomycin 7/49, P = 0.4755). Treatment failure occurred in 11 patients treated with daptomycin, 4 with linezolid and 9 with vancomycin (P = 0.662). Compared with daptomycin and vancomycin, linezolid-treated patients had higher mortality (P = 0.0186)., Conclusions: No difference in clinical or microbiologic cure rates was observed between groups. Daptomycin and vancomycin appear equally efficacious for MRSA bacteremia, whereas linezolid therapy was associated with higher mortality.

Elesclomol is a novel anticancer agent that has been evaluated in a number of late stage clinical trials. A new and convenient synthesis of elesclomol and its copper complex is described. X-ray crystallographic characterization and the electrochemical properties of the elesclomol copper(II) complex are discussed. The copper(II) cation is coordinated in a highly distorted square-planar geometry to each of the sulphur and amide nitrogen atoms of elesclomol. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the complex undergoes a reversible one-electron reduction at biologically accessible potentials. In contrast the free elesclomol is found electrochemically inactive. This evidence is in strong support of the mechanism of action we proposed for the anticancer activity of elesclomol., (© 2013.)

Background: Since its emergence in 2000, epidemic spread of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone USA300 has led to a high burden of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in the United States, yet its impact on MRSA bloodstream infections (BSIs) is poorly characterized., Methods: To assess clonality of the MRSA isolates causing SSTI and BSI during the epidemic period, a stratified, random sample of 1350 unique infection isolates (from a total of 7252) recovered at the Community Health Network of San Francisco from 2000 to 2008 were selected for genotyping. Risk factors and outcomes for 549 BSI cases caused by the USA300 epidemic clone and non-USA300 MRSA clones were assessed by retrospective review of patient medical records., Results: From 2000 to 2008, secular trends of USA300 SSTI and USA300 BSI were strongly correlated (Pearson r = 0.953). USA300 accounted for 55% (304/549) of BSIs as it was the predominant MRSA clone that caused community-associated (115/160), healthcare-associated community-onset (125/207), and hospital-onset (64/182) BSIs. Length of hospitalization after BSI diagnosis and mortality rates for USA300 and non-USA300 were similar. Two independent risk factors for USA300 BSI were identified: concurrent SSTI (adjusted relative risk, 1.4 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.2-1.6]) and anti-MRSA antimicrobial use in the preceding 30 days (0.7 [95% CI, .6-.8]). Isolates from concurrent SSTI were indistinguishable genotypically from the USA300 isolates that caused BSI., Conclusions: USA300 SSTIs serve as a source for BSI. Strategies to control the USA300 SSTI epidemic may lessen the severity of the concurrent USA300 BSI epidemic.

Elesclomol is an investigational drug that exerts potent anticancer activity through the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and is currently under clinical evaluation as a novel anticancer therapeutic. Here we report the first description of selective mitochondrial ROS induction by elesclomol in cancer cells based on the unique physicochemical properties of the compound. Elesclomol preferentially chelates copper (Cu) outside of cells and enters as elesclomol-Cu(II). The elesclomol-Cu(II) complex then rapidly and selectively transports the copper to mitochondria. In this organelle Cu(II) is reduced to Cu(I), followed by subsequent ROS generation. Upon dissociation from the complex, elesclomol is effluxed from cells and repeats shuttling elesclomol-Cu complexes from the extracellular to the intracellular compartments, leading to continued copper accumulation within mitochondria. An optimal range of redox potentials exhibited by copper chelates of elesclomol and its analogs correlated with the elevation of mitochondrial Cu(I) levels and cytotoxic activity, suggesting that redox reduction of the copper triggers mitochondrial ROS induction. Importantly the mitochondrial selectivity exhibited by elesclomol is a distinct characteristic of the compound that is not shared by other chelators, including disulfiram. Together these findings highlight a unique mechanism of action with important implications for cancer therapy., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Oral corticosteroids (OCS) in the home management of asthma exacerbations have been recommended in the NIH/NHLBI guidelines since 1991. As a routine component of written action plans, OCS treatment at home is associated with reduced emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations as well as decreased mortality., Methods: A literature search of English language journals from 1991 to 2009 was performed using several databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS. We assessed studies that evaluated adherence to national guidelines for home management of asthma exacerbations., Results: Our review of the literature found that several studies reveal that a small percentage (<3-26%) of patients are receiving OCS at home to manage asthma exacerbations prior to an ED visit. Additional studies were found showing very low use of written action plans, strongly suggesting lack of OCS for home management of asthma exacerbations., Conclusions: Despite evidence of reduced ED visits and hospitalizations and the recommendations of national and international guidelines, the home use of OCS in managing asthma exacerbations remains unacceptably low. New strategies are needed to ensure home use of OCS as part of written action plans to prevent ED visits and hospitalizations for asthma exacerbations.

Proteins and their interactions govern virtually all cellular processes, such as regulation, signaling, metabolism, and structure. Most experimental findings pertaining to such interactions are discussed in research papers, which, in turn, get curated by protein interaction databases. Authors, editors, and publishers benefit from efforts to alleviate the tasks of searching for relevant papers, evidence for physical interactions, and proper identifiers for each protein involved. The BioCreative II.5 community challenge addressed these tasks in a competition-style assessment to evaluate and compare different methodologies, to make aware of the increasing accuracy of automated methods, and to guide future implementations. In this paper, we present our approaches for protein-named entity recognition, including normalization, and for extraction of protein-protein interactions from full text. Our overall goal is to identify efficient individual components, and we compare various compositions to handle a single full-text article in between 10 seconds and 2 minutes. We propose strategies to transfer document-level annotations to the sentence-level, which allows for the creation of a more fine-grained training corpus; we use this corpus to automatically derive around 5,000 patterns. We rank sentences by relevance to the task of finding novel interactions with physical evidence, using a sentence classifier built from this training corpus. Heuristics for paraphrasing sentences help to further remove unnecessary information that might interfere with patterns, such as additional adjectives, clauses, or bracketed expressions. In BioCreative II.5, we achieved an f-score of 22 percent for finding protein interactions, and 43 percent for mapping proteins to UniProt IDs; disregarding species, f-scores are 30 percent and 55 percent, respectively. On average, our best-performing setup required around 2 minutes per full text. All data and pattern sets as well as Java classes that extend- - third-party software are available as supplementary information (see Appendix).

Bacteria possess surface properties, related to their charge, hydrophobicity and Lewis acid/base characteristics, that are involved in the attachment processes of microorganisms to surfaces. Fermentation bulks and food matrixes are complex heterogeneous media containing various components with different physicochemical characteristics. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether (i) bacteria present in a food matrix, interacted physicochemically at their surface level with the other constituents and (ii) the diversity of bacterial surface properties could result in a diversity of microbial adhesion to components and thus in a diversity of tolerance to toxic compounds. The surface properties of 20 lactic acid bacteria were characterized by the MATS method showing their relatively hydrophilic and various basic characteristics. The results obtained from a set of representative strains showed that (i) the strains with higher affinity for apolar solvents adsorbed more to lipids and hydrophobic compounds, (ii) the more the strains adsorbed to a toxic solvent, the less they were tolerant to this solvent. A diversity of bacterial surface properties was observed for the strains in the same species showing the importance of choosing bacteria according to their surface properties in function of technological objectives.

[reaction: see text] A novel ring opening ring closing metathesis (ROM-RCM) was demonstrated for cyclic conjugated dienes, effecting the excision of a C(2)H(2) unit and a net ring contraction. Applying the ring contraction metathesis, new 14-membered ring macrolide antibiotics were synthesized in a single step from existing 16-membered ring macrolides. This new class of macrolide antibiotics will provide access to new therapeutics for the treatment of macrolide-resistant bacterial infections.

Rabbit gastric secretion has the physiological peculiarity of being continuous and uninfluenced by food intake. In this respect, ultrastructural analysis of rabbit parietal cells has revealed morphofunctional features situated between states of rest and very active acid secretion. Our cytochemical study shows that Mg2+ ATPase and ADPase activities vary from cell to cell and can even be totally absent. These activities concern either microcanaliculi or laterobasal folds or both, but never tubulovesicles. Application of the technique of Mayahara to K+ pNPP, associated or not with inhibitors (ouabain, vanadate, N-ethyl-maleimide, sodium fluoride), enabled us to confirm the coexistence of H+, K+, ATPase and Na+, K+, ATPase activities in the rabbit and to determine that these activities concern basolateral folds, microcanaliculi, hyaloplasm and tubulovesicles. The global activity of K+, pNPPase varied considerably in intensity. The results of using inhibitors suggest that proton transport ceases completely in certain cells. The signs of functional alternation found in this study are in agreement with physiological data relative to this animal.

We studied a cell line established from a primary non-small-cell lung cancer (non-SCLC) of human origin and characterized by midly differentiated epidermoid carcinoma, a human karyotype and keratin expression. Doubling time was about 48 h in vitro and 12 days when transplanted into nude mice. In vitro, this cell line was mainly sensitive to dactinomycin and mitotic poisons such as Vinca alkaloids. Most chemotherapeutic drugs proved ineffective. Our findings are comparable to previous results in patients who showed 30% objective response and less than 5% complete response regardless of the therapeutic associations used against non-SCLC. Our line would also seem to provide a good model for studying new potentially antitumor substances.

Three-dimensional analysis demonstrated the presence of cytoplasmic vela extending from exocrine cells into the space between endocrine cells and basal lamina in the gastrointestinal epithelium of the rabbit; these structures were also observed in various other mammals. The following techniques were used to determine the morphologic characteristics of these vela and to study their significance: preparation of semiserial thin sections, three-dimensional reconstruction in plexiglass and lanthanum staining of pericellular spaces. It was found that these fine vela, devoid of major differentiated cell-constituents, sometimes form a pseudocircular crown at the base of endocrine cells. If the zone of basal apposition of the plasma membrane is referred to as ZBA and the zones of lateral apposition as ZLA, the presence of this velum makes it possible to distinguish a zone of immediate apposition without interposition (ZIA) and a mediate zone of apposition with interposition (ZMA) within the ZBA. Exocrine cell processes can also penetrate within endocrine cells in invaginations, and the depth of these invaginations can be demonstrated by lanthanum staining. Adjacent to the membrane zones defined above, other cytoplasmic microdomains-M(ZLA) and M(ZBA), as well as M(ZIA) and M(ZMA) of different morphofunctional significance may also be envisaged.

In endocrine (EC) cells of rabbit fundic mucosa, it is practically impossible to obtain unequivocal ultrastructural identification of all cells found in order to perform morphometric analysis. In addition to classic EC cells with pleomorphic granules, a cell type with entirely round granules is encountered which can be confused with non-EC cells. To solve this problem, all EC cells in our study were first identified by their 5-HT (immunocytochemistry) and argentaffinity. Examination of the fine structures of reactive cells then revealed that the round granules of EC cells were differentiated from those of non-EC cells by the existence of a dense core surrounded by a less dense halo, a feature providing unequivocal ultrastructural identification. EC cells with round granules showed less argentaffinity and less immunoreactivity to 5-HT as compared with classic EC cells. After labelling with [3H]L-dopa, EC cells with round-granules displayed an overall staining index higher than that of classic EC cells and comparable with that of D cells; however, the nuclear staining index was higher than that of D cells.