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To evaluate aerosol dispersion and exposure risk during oxygenation therapy among health care personnel.This study compared the aerosol dispersion effect produced through continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP), BiPAP with face coverings, a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) with face coverings, nasal cannula oxygenation (NCO) at 15 L/min with face coverings, nonrebreather mask (NRM), and ventilator-assisted preoxygenation (VAPOX) during oxygenation therapy at a minute ventilation of 10 L/min and 20 L/min. The length and width of aerosol dispersion were recorded, and aerosol concentrations were then detected at a mannequin's head, trunk, and feet.The average length dispersion distance of CPAP was 47.12 cm (SD, 12.56 cm), of BiPAP was 100.13 cm (SD, 6.03 cm), of BiPAP with face coverings was 62.20 cm (SD, 8.46 cm), of HFNC with face coverings was 67.09 cm (SD, 12.74 cm); of NCO with face coverings was 85.55 cm (SD, 7.28 cm); and of NRM was 63.08 cm (SD, 15.33 cm); VAPOX showed no visible dispersion. The aerosol concentrations at the feet under CPAP and at the head under BiPAP were significantly higher than those observed without an oxygen device. Compared with no oxygen device, the aerosol concentration with HFNC was higher at the mannequin's head, trunk, and feet; whereas it was lower with VAPOX and NRM. Moreover, when translated to the number of virus particles required to infect medical personnel (Nf), VAPOX took more time to achieve Nf than other devices.Strong flow from the oxygenation devices resulted in increased aerosol concentrations. CPAP at the feet side, BiPAP at the head side, HFNC, and NCO with face coverings significantly increase aerosol exposure and should be used with caution. Aerosol concentrations at all positions were lower with NRM and VAPOX.

Background To evaluate aerosol exposure risk and prevention strategies during bystander, pre-hospital, and inpatient cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Methods This study compared hands-only CPR, CPR with a surgical or N95 mask, and CPR with a non-rebreather mask at 15 L/min. 30:2 compression-ventilation ratio CPR was tested with face-mask ventilation (FMV), FMV with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter; supraglottic airway (SGA), SGA with a surgical mask, SGA with a HEPA filter, or SGA with both. Continuous CPR was tested with an endotracheal tube (ET), ET with a surgical mask, a HEPA filter, or both. Aerosol concentration at the head, trunk, and feet of the mannequin were measured to evaluate exposure to CPR personnel. Results Hands-only CPR with a surgical or N95 face mask coverings and ET tube ventilation CPR with filters showed the lowest aerosol exposure among all study groups, including CPR with NRM oxygenation, FMV, and SGA ventilation. NRM had a mask effect and reduced aerosol exposure at the head, trunk, and feet of the mannequin. FMV with filters during 30:2 CPR reduced aerosol exposure at the head and trunk, but increased at the feet of the mannequin. A tightly-sealed SGA when used with a HEPA filter, reduced aerosol exposure by 21.00%-63.14% compared with a loose-fitting one. Conclusion Hands-only CPR with a proper fit surgical or N95 face mask coverings is as safe as ET tube ventilation CPR with filters, compared with CPR with NRM, FMV, and SGA. FMV or tight-sealed SGA ventilation with filters prolonged the duration to achieve estimated infective dose of SARS-CoV-2 2.4-2.5 times longer than hands-on CPR only. However, a loose-fitting SGA is not protective at all to chest compressor or health workers standing at the foot side of the victim, so should be used with caution even when using with HEPA filters.

The tide-induced net advective salt flux in well-mixed estuaries consists of five terms according to the method from Kjerfve. The term resulted from the vertical variation in salinity can be negligible in well-mixed estuaries with four tide-induced salt flux terms, known as F1-F4. To explore the effects of wind on these salt fluxes, the current-salinity analytical model combined with the perturbation analysis is extended by including wind. Analytical expressions for the four salt fluxes are derived separately in the present model. Under the assumption that only the M2 tidal component is accounted for and the salt flux generated by diffusion is not studied, the tide-induced net advective salt flux Qsx is in the seaward direction without the wind effect. By applying the Western Scheldt estuary case, the wind influence on the tidal advection salt flux (TASF) distribution in the F4 term was investigated. The phase difference between zero-order velocity and first-order salinity (Δϕ) at the surface layer of the estuary is larger than 90° and smaller than 90° at the bottom layer, which leads to landward TASF in the surface layer and seaward TASF in the bottom layer. The distribution of Δϕ is not uniform in the horizontal direction with wind included, which differs from the result without wind. In the case of seaward wind with the speed of 18 m/s, the decrease in the zeroth-order velocity phase (ϕu) at the surface layer is larger than that of the first-order salinity phase (ϕs) downstream, which leads to an abnormal seaward TASF in this region. Owing to the surface stress caused by wind, the Stokes compensation flow in the middle and lower reaches increases/decreases with the increase of the landward/seaward wind, while the upstream situation is opposite. Thus, the first-order velocity in the middle and lower reaches increases/decreases with the increase of the landward/seaward wind, while the upstream situation is also opposite. The first-order salinity also increases/decreases with the increase of landward/seaward wind, while the upstream salinity tends to zero. Therefore, the tide-induced net advective salt flux Qsx increases/decreases with the increase of the landward/seaward wind, which is contrary to the usual recognition.

In this work, insulating hygroscopic polymer thin films have been applied as the vertical-channel sensing layer of extremely sensitive ammonia sensors to detect 5–1000 ppb ammonia. Hygroscopic polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) serve as good absorbents of ammonia gas. The high-density nano-porous structure covered by a hygroscopic thin film acted like a nano-porous sponge (Nano Sponge) to absorb water, which forms an ionic conduction path in the 300 nm vertical channels. The influences of the polymer functional groups, pH value, relative humidity (RH), and other interfering gas analytes on the sensing performances of the Nano Sponge sensors have also been investigated. After adding glycerol, the Glycerol/PEG Nano Sponge sensors exhibited a stable response. Breath detection in a healthy group and a chronic kidney group of patients was examined using the Glycerol/PEG Nano Sponge sensor in a sensing system with a NaOH tube to control the relative humidity and to absorb the interfering species such as CO and H2S.

(+)-Strebloside, a cardiac glycoside isolated from the stem bark of Streblus asper collected in Vietnam, has shown some potential for further investigation as an antineoplastic agent. A mechanistic study using an in vitro assay and molecular docking analysis indicated that (+)-strebloside binds and inhibits Na+/K+-ATPase in a similar manner to digitoxin. Inhibition of growth of different high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells including OVCAR3, OVSAHO, Kuramochi, OVCAR4, OVCAR5, and OVCAR8 resulted from treatment with (+)-strebloside. Furthermore, this compound blocked cell cycle progression at the G2 phase and induced PARP cleavage, indicating apoptosis activation in OVCAR3 cells. (+)-Strebloside potently inhibited mutant p53 expression through the induction of ERK pathways and inhibited NF-κB activity in human ovarian cancer cells. However, in spite of its antitumor potential, the overall biological activity of (+)-strebloside must be regarded as being typical of better-known cardiac glycosides such as digoxin and ouabain. Further chemical alteration of cardiac glycosides might help to reduce negative side effects while increasing cancer cell cytotoxicity.

In this study, we submit a complex set of in-situ data collected by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) during the process of aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film. Changing the sputtering power and nitrogen(N2) flow rate, AlN film was deposited on Si substrate using a superior sputtering with a pulsed direct current (DC) method. The correlation between OES data and deposited film residual stress (tensile vs. compressive) associated with crystalline status by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) measurements were investigated and established throughout the machine learning exercise. An important answer to know is whether the stress of the processing film is compressive or tensile. To answer this question, we can access as many optical spectra data as we need, record the data to generate a library, and exploit principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce complexity from complex data. After preprocessing through PCA, we demonstrated that we could apply standard artificial neural networks (ANNs), and we could obtain a machine learning classification method to distinguish the stress types of the AlN thin films obtained by analyzing XRD results and correlating with TEM microstructures. Combining PCA with ANNs, an accurate method for in-situ stress prediction and classification was created to solve the semiconductor process problems related to film property on deposited films more efficiently. Therefore, methods for machine learning-assisted classification can be further extended and applied to other semiconductors or related research of interest in the future.

Rice blast is a serious threat to global rice production. Large-scale and long-term cultivation of rice varieties with a single blast resistance gene usually leads to breakdown of resistance. To effectively control rice blast in Taiwan, marker-assisted backcrossing was conducted to develop monogenic lines carrying different blast resistance genes in the genetic background of an elite japonica rice cultivar, Kaohsiung 145 (KH145). Eleven International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)-bred blast-resistant lines (IRBLs) showing broad-spectrum resistance to local Pyricularia oryzae isolates were used as resistance donors. Sequencing analysis revealed that the recurrent parent, KH145, does not carry known resistance alleles at the target Pi2/9, Pik, Pita, and Ptr loci. For each IRBL × KH145 cross, we screened 21 to 370 (average of 108) plants per generation from the BC1F1 to BC3F1/BC4F1 generation. A total of 1,499 BC3F2/BC4F2 lines carrying homozygous resistance alleles were selected and self-crossed for four to six successive generations. The derived lines were also evaluated for background genotype using genotyping by sequencing, for blast resistance under artificial inoculation and natural infection conditions, and for agronomic performance in multiple field trials. In Chiayi and Taitung blast nurseries in 2018 to 2020, Pi2, Pi9, and Ptr conferred high resistance, Pi20 and Pik-h moderate resistance, and Pi1, Pi7, Pik-p, and Pik susceptibility to leaf blast; only Pi2, Pi9, and Ptr conferred effective resistance against panicle blast. The monogenic lines showed agronomic traits, yield, and grain quality similar to those of KH145, suggesting the potential of growing a mixture of lines to achieve durable resistance in the field.

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is commonly known to be used in the field of silicon thin-film solar systems for the application of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) film. The chemical deposition is a rather lengthy process, and it is difficult to determine the crystallization and crystalline phase of the thin film prior to X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. In this study, we are trying to analyze the spectral data collected by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) to find out there is any correlation between OES data and crystalline status. We used machine learning onto an in-situ detection tool to forecast this correlation. The collected large-scale OES spectral data obtained via principal component analysis (PCA) was used for the prediction of the crystalline phase in films without necessary experiments performed afterwards. Therefore, this method can be applicable to the field of thin film deposition for the detection of properties on thin films.

This study proposes a surface velocity method for discharge estimation in lined irrigation canals. In this method, a surface velocity radar is used for surface velocity measurement. However, this radar cannot be used to obtain a point velocity on the water surface. A velocity profiler is used to measure the velocity distribution in the cross section of a canal. The measured data are used to obtain surface and mean velocities in verticals by applying a probabilistic velocity distribution equation. Subsequently, the linear relationship between the surface velocity measured by the surface velocity radar and the surface velocity estimated by the velocity distribution equation can be established. Additionally, the relationship between the estimated surface velocity and mean velocity in verticals can be obtained through linear regression; this relationship is a constant. Therefore, these two relationships can be used to derive a surface velocity coefficient for converting surface velocity to mean velocity in a vertical. The surface velocity coefficient used in lined irrigation canals is different from that used in natural streams. It is not constant and varies with the surface velocity observed by the radar. The feasibility of the proposed method is tested by conducting discharge estimation processes in five lined irrigation canals. The results show that the proposed method is reliable and accurate for estimating discharge in lined irrigation canals.

This research establishes a reliability-based preliminary evaluation table for assessing river-bridge flood resistance. Flood resistance for a river-bridge is affected by numerous factors, including bridge structure, river environment, hydrology, and riverbank protection infrastructure. Flood resistance assessment is a complex issue that involves multiple areas of expertise. A comprehensive assessment process is extremely time-consuming and difficult to implement in practice, especially given the limited time and resources. Many bridges require risk evaluations. A preliminary visual inspection is often conducted in response to these problems. The primary issue with visual inspection is the high subjectivity regarding the understanding and standards for the various indicators. To solve this issue, a Bayesian Network (BN) is proposed to combine the contributions from experts and reliability analyses. Eight bridges are selected for performing FOSM-based reliability calculations using a parameterized ABAQUS model. An ideal preliminary inspection table enables a close relationship with the failure probability that is calculated from an advance analysis. Thus, PSO is employed to maximize the correlation between the scores obtained from the visual inspection table and the failure probability calculated from the BN to establish a reliability-based visual inspection table that provides a strong foundation for a bridge risk analysis.

In this study, we have prepared a novel carbon nanocomposite paste electrode modified with tetra aniline/graphene oxide/gold nanoparticle (tetra aniline (TA)/GO/AuNP) composites. The electrode was applied for the electrochemical sensing of ascorbic acid (AA). TA was synthesized using the oxidation coupling method from n-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine, and its structure was characterized using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. TA/graphene oxide (GO) composites were prepared using their unique π-π interaction. Furthermore, AuNPs were captured with an amino group on the TA/GO composites to form ternary composites. The topography of the ternary composites was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. To observe the sensing properties of the composites, several electrochemical analyses were used. In cyclic voltammetry studies, TA/GO/AuNP composites exhibited a higher current response than the TA/GO nanocomposite. This result showed that ternary composites might accelerate the direct electron transfer between AA and the electrode. The detection sensitivities of the TA/GO- and TA/GO/AuNP-modified carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) were 8.73 and 19.30 μA·mM−1, respectively; there is a significant increase with the addition of AuNPs. These results confirm that the addition of nanometer-scale components affects the electrocatalytic activity.

The Vietnam-Laos International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG) based at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) catalyzed a country-wide network of medicinal plant preserves (MPP) and medicinal biodiversity preserves (MBP) now established in ten provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), which are relied upon as protected sources of ethnomedicines for local villagers and traditional healers. In collaboration with the Lao PDR's Institute of Traditional Medicine (ITM), our ongoing P01 Program Project (Ohio State University) examined the anticancer bioprospecting potential for two of the most exhaustively inventoried of these sites: the Bolikhamxay MPP and the Xiengkhouang MBP. Guided by prior voucher specimens sourced from these preserves with an overwhelming emphasis on plants employed in traditional medicine, 201 distinct samples from 96 species were collected along with proper herbarium documentation. Aliquots of these plant samples were extracted in azeotropic ethanol and evaporated to dryness for initial biological evaluation. In six samples from six different species (2.99% of the collected samples, 6.25% of taxa) it was observed that extracts exhibited notable cytotoxicity against HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells. The wisdom behind the utilization of HT-29 cells in this preliminary biological screen is discussed. Furthermore, comparison of screening results based on longstanding considerations and ideological underpinnings of ethnobotanical vs. "random" biodiversity-based collection approaches is detailed herein. The results of this interdisciplinary study support the hypothesis that, by privileging the initial sample set in terms of human safety and pharmacological activity, ethnobotanically driven collection for biological screening efforts can produce leads unprecedented by the strict traditional usages of plants.

Herein, we report a simple hydrothermal synthesized V2O5 flake employed as an electrode material for non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor application. The morphology, structural, and electrochemical properties of the as-prepared material were characterized by using various physicochemical and electrochemical methods viz. scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and amperometric (i-t). Moreover, an excellent electrochemical performance has been achieved by using the V2O5 flakes modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) over the reduction of H2O2. In optimum experimental conditions, the reported electrochemical sensor was found with a wide linear range (0.1–408 μM), low detection limit (0.06 μM), and excellent sensitivity (9.87 μA μM−1 cm−2) with anticipated selectivity. Hence, the novel as-prepared V2O5-GCE provides a new avenue for the fabrication of amperometric H2O2 sensor with excellent real sample analysis.

Merocyclophanes C and D (1 and 2) were isolated from the cell extract of a cultured cyanobacterium, UIC 10110. The structures were determined by 1D NMR and HRESIMS and confirmed by 2D NMR techniques. The absolute configurations were determined using ECD spectroscopy. Merocyclophanes C and D represent the first known analogs of the merocyclophane core structure, a recently discovered scaffold of [7,7] paracyclophanes, characterized by an α-branched methyl at C-1 / C-14. 1 and 2 showed antiproliferative activity against the MDA-MB-435 cell line with IC50 values of 1.6 µM and 0.9 µM, respectively. Partial 16S analysis determined UIC 10110 to be a Nostoc sp. and it was found to clade with UIC 10062 Nostoc sp., the only other strain known to produce merocyclophanes. The genome of UIC 10110 was sequenced and a biosynthetic gene cluster was identified that is proposed to encode type I and type III polyketide synthases that are potentially responsible for production of the merocyclophanes, yet further experiments will be required to verify the true function of the gene cluster. The gene cluster provides a genetic basis for the observed structural differences of the [7,7] paracyclophane core structures.