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This study aims to investigate, the effect of organic loading rates (OLRs), nutrient ratio addition, and sludge retention time (SRT) on treating dairy wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system. This investigation is verified by experiments conducted in 3 phases at 3 different OLRs (1.8, 1.2, and 0.9 kg/m3d, respectively). Urea ((NH2)2CO) is added to make a suitable (COD:N:P) ratio of (100:5:1) in dairy wastewater. The SRT is adjusted from 50 days to an appropriate value of 18 days. The obtained results show that the COD, TN, and TP removal efficiencies are increased with decreasing OLRs. Sludge concentration in the SBR tank is stable at 1100 mg/L after adding (NH2)2CO. In addition, the SBR operated at a suitable SRT (i.e. 18 days) helps the biomass stably, resulting in enhancement of COD, TN, and TP removal. The results are helpful to the design of SBR for treating dairy wastewater.

In this work, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method while the hummer method was used to synthesize GO nanosheet. GO/ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites (GO/ZFO) were prepared by mixing of GO with ZnFe2O4 in mass ratio of 1:99, respectively. The structure, morphology, and physical – chemical characteristics were determined by Raman spectroscopy, Transform Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). The CO gas adsorption properties of GO/ZFO were investigated in the range of 25 – 200 ppm at room temperature using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). GO/ZFO nanocomposites show great adsorption – desorption capacity, high repeatability, and the largest adsorption performance of 1.21‰ (0.098 µg.cm-2 at 200 ppm). The results show that this new approach is promising of spinel structure materials for CO adsorption at room temperature.

PurposeAlthough brand risk management (BRM) is widely acknowledged as critical concern of business leaders, there exists little empirical evidence regarding what activities firms could do to make their brand secured in the increasingly competitive market. Moreover, previous studies find out the important role of innovation stimulus in firm performance, but little attention is paid on how firm's innovation stimulates the firm's brand security. This study aims at exploring the impacts of BRM activities on brand security with the innovation stimulus as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachMixed method is applied in conducting this research. In the qualitative research, an interview with managers of 20 large-size foodstuff companies in Vietnam is conducted to obtain insights into their understanding BRM activities and brand security as well as the role of innovation stimulus in managing brand risk and developing measurements for new constructs. In the quantitative research, a sample of 258 respondents is collected for the tests of reliability and validity as well as all hypotheses using SPSS software.FindingsThe authors’ findings show that the level of implementation of BRM activities influences the brand security with the moderating effect of innovation stimulus. Specifically, four dimensions of BRM activities including: strategy, personnel, processes and investment have direct, positive and significant impact on brand security. Innovation stimulus including innovation in leadership and innovation in knowledge management could serve as a moderating variable.Originality/valueThe findings of the current study have contributed to BRM literature by highlighting the importance of the implementation of BRM activities and the key role of innovation stimulus in ensuring the brand security, on which previous studies have paid little attention. The study suggests some guidance for firms about how to improve the innovation stimulus in enhancing the effectiveness of BRM activities and, as a result, increasing the brand security of the firm.

Can Gio (CG), a mangrove forest with a dense network of tidal creeks, gradually grew and spread seaward on a coastal platform, which was built since about 8 ka before present (BP). Along with this development, a sand ridge began to form and moved back with the shoreline withdrawal landward in the Late Holocene. This mangrove environment is likely abandoned from the mainland but was, however, the place for settlement of ancient Vietnamese a few centuries BC. The CG mangrove forest was severely destroyed during the American War and was restored since 1980. However, the historical change of the landscape along the Saigon-Dong Nai River (SG-DNR) since the Late Holocene is not completely unraveled. By analyzing sediment cores with a multiproxy approach, we investigated the recent geological development with regard to the variation of the intensity of the East Asian palaeomonsoon and regarding the accommodation space, as both regulate the development of this coastal environment. A recently significant shift in the coastline, mainly due to a change of hydroclimatic factors, was observed. A continuous coastline retreat occurred over the last millennium, changing the depositional environment and reshaping the CG mangrove landscape. Along the present coast and tidal channels, partially strong erosion and bank failures occur, alternating with accretion at other coastal sections. This development tends to increase progressively.

Atezolizumab (a PD-L1 inhibitor) has shown remarkable efficacy and tolerability in various cancer types. Despite its efficacy and safety, atezolizumab monotherapy has limitations, such as acquired resistance and adverse events. Bojungikki-tang (BJIKT) is an herbal decoction widely prescribed in Asian countries and used to treat cancer-related symptoms including fatigue, appetite loss, gastrointestinal disorders, and other side effects from cancer therapy. Due to its immunomodulatory effects, Bojungikki-tang has been investigated as a combined treatment with anticancer agents. We evaluated the potential drug-drug interaction (DDI) between Bojungikki-tang and the anti-PD-L1 antibody based on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. In the study, we conducted an in vivo drug-drug interaction study using a syngeneic mouse model of CMT-167 in C57BL/6. We then determined the antibody concentrations to evaluate the pharmacokinetic (PK) drug-drug interaction and measured variable biomarkers related to therapeutic efficacy and immune response. The pharmacodynamic (PD) drug-drug interaction study investigated changes in response between anti-PD-L1 antibody monotherapy and combination therapy. Using the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data, we conducted a statistical analysis to assess drug-drug interaction potential. In the presence of Bojungikki-tang, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the anti-PD-L1 antibody were not changed. This study suggested that combination treatment with Bojungikki-tang and atezolizumab is a safe treatment option for non-small cell lung cancer. Clinical studies are warranted to confirm this finding.

Lymnaeid snails are vital in transmitting trematode cercariae as an intermediate host that can infect buffalo and other ruminants and humans, causing significant economic losses. The study aimed to conduct morphological and molecular identification of snails and cercariae collected from the selected buffalo farms under palm oil integration in Perak, Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 35 water were investigated for the presence or absence of snails. A total of 836 lymnaeid snails were collected from three marshes wetlands. To identify the snail family and species, morphological identification was performed on each snail’s shell, and to identify trematode cercariae types; the crushing method was used to observe the cercarial stage inside each snail’s body. In addition, the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) region and Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) was used as the target gene to identify the snail species and cercarial types up to the species level. The result showed that the collected snails belong to the family Lymnaeidae and Radix rubiginosa species. The infection rate by cercarial emergence in snails was 8.73%. Five morphological cercarial types were observed which include: echinostome, xiphidiocercariae, gymnocephalous, brevifurcate-apharyngeate distome, and vivax. Using molecular methods, the identified cercariae belong to the three families, including Echinostomatidae, Plagiorchiidae, and Fasciolidae. This is the first report on R. rubiginosa and different types of trematodes cercariae in buffalo farms under palm oil integration in Perak. Our finding confirmed that R. rubiginosa could serve as an intermediate host for a range of parasitic trematodes in Perak.

Background To evaluate the safety and efficacy of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMNC) infusion in the management of neurological sequelae in children with spina bifida (SB). Methods BMMNCs were harvested from bilateral anterior iliac crests. Two intrathecal BMMNC administrations were performed with an interval of 6 months. The measurements of outcomes included clinical assessments, cystomanometry and rectomanometry. Results Eleven children with SB underwent autologous BMMNC infusions from 2016 to 2020. There were no severe adverse events during the study period. The number of patients requiring assistance to expel stools decreased from 11 before cell infusion to 3 after the second cell infusion. The number of patients who had urine leakage decreased from 9 patients at baseline to 3 patients after the second BMMNC infusion. The mean bladder capacity increased from 127.7 ± 59.2 ml at baseline to 136.3 ± 54.8 ml at six months and to 158.3 ± 56.2 ml at 12 months after BMMNC infusions. Detrusor pressure (pdet) decreased from 32.4 ± 22.0 cm H2O at baseline to 21.9 ± 11.8 cm H2O after 12 months of follow-up. At baseline, six patients could walk independently. After the 2nd infusion, eight patients could walk independently. Conclusion Intrathecal infusions of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells are safe and may improve bowel, bladder, and motor function in children with SB. Trial registration: NCT, NCT05472428. Registered July 25, 2022- Retrospectively registered, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05472428.

To characterize the cellular stress by n-alkanols with different alkyl chain lengths in Escherichia coli, we investigated how n-alkanols damage cell envelope permeability and whether they enhance the promoter activity of the envelope stress response regulator, σE, by using variants of green fluorescent protein (GFP). By using E. coli cells having GFPuv expressing and localizing in the cytoplasm, the inner membrane, and the periplasm, after exposure to n-alkanols, the fluorescent intensity of GFPuv released from cells was examined. Our data showed that at the similar levels of cell death of about 90–97%, ethanol, a short-chain alkanol, at a concentration of 20% damaged the outer membrane more greatly than the inner membrane, whereas a longer-chain alkanol of pentanol at a concentration of 1.125% damaged both of the outer and inner membranes. Then we investigated the envelope stress response to n-alkanols by σE factor by ratiometric analysis of rpoE promoter activity for the downstream GFPuv expression referenced to that of housekeeping sigma 70 (σ70 ) recognizing lacUV5 promoter for red fluorescent protein (RFP) expression. The results indicated that the relative activity of rpoE promoter by pentanol was much greater than that of ethanol. The degree of its sensitization by rpoE deficiency was much more remarkable for cells treated with pentanol than for those with ethanol. The results suggest that the response of the σE plays a significant role in the membrane integrity and survival of E. coli cells treated with n-alkanols depending on the alkyl chain length of the molecule.

Introduction Because blaCTX-M is responsible for resistance of bacteria to the third generation cephalosporins, location of blaCTX-M could be a good indicator for classifying bacterial isolates harboring blaCTX-M in molecular epidemiology. However, determination of blaCTX-M location has been difficult when multiple copies of ISEcp1 were found on bacterial genome. We aimed to establish a high-throughput analytical method for upstream genetic structures (UGS) of ISEcp1 to facilitate determination of blaCTX-M location. Methods Extracted DNA samples obtained from 168 Escherichia coli isolates possessing blaCTX-M were digested by restriction enzyme, HaeIII, and the digested DNA fragments were ligated with homemade barcode adaptors. Then, DNA fragments containing UGS of ISEcp1 were amplified and subjected to the Nanopore sequencer. Results Nucleotide sequences and locations of 168 UGSs obtained from the examined E. coli isolates were determined. Among the 168 determined UGSs, 150 (89.3%) UGS were confirmed on plasmid and classified into eight types. Interestingly, coding sequence of ISEcp1 transposase gene in seven of the eight types were disrupted by IS26 insertion. The remaining 18 (10.7%) UGSs were observed in identical chromosomal region. The obtained nucleotide sequences the locations of UGSs were confirmed by conventional capillary sequencer and Southern blotting, respectively, and any discrepant result was not observed with these confirmation procedures. Conclusions Our results indicated that the established method was efficient for simultaneously determining at least 100 different UGS, and suggested that the determined UGSs of ISEcp1-blaCTX-M transposition unit was useful for classification of bacterial isolates harboring blaCTX-M.

Flash floods are one of the most dangerous natural disasters, especially in hilly terrain, causing loss of life, property, and infrastructures and sudden disruption of traffic. These types of floods are mostly associated with landslides and erosion of roads within a short time. Most of Vietnam is hilly and mountainous; thus, the problem due to flash flood is severe and requires systematic studies to correctly identify flood susceptible areas for proper landuse planning and traffic management. In this study, three Machine Learning (ML) methods namely Deep Learning Neural Network (DL), Correlation-based Feature Weighted Naive Bayes (CFWNB), and Adaboost (AB-CFWNB) were used for the development of flash flood susceptibility maps for hilly road section (115 km length) of National Highway (NH)-6 in Hoa Binh province, Vietnam. In the proposed models, 88 past flash flood events were used together with 14 flash floods affecting topographical and geo-environmental factors. The performance of the models was evaluated using standard statistical measures including Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve, Area Under Curve (AUC) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The results revealed that all the models performed well (AUC > 0.80) in predicting flash flood susceptibility zones, but the performance of the DL model is the best (AUC: 0.972, RMSE: 0.352). Therefore, the DL model can be applied to develop an accurate flash flood susceptibility map of hilly terrain which can be used for proper planning and designing of the highways and other infrastructure facilities besides landuse management of the area. Validerad;2022;Nivå 2;2022-11-28 (hanlid);Funder: Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) (105.08-2019.03)

Background: Evidence on associations between dietary intake and risk of breast cancer subtypes is limited and inconsistent. We evaluated associations of fruit, vegetable, meat, and fish consumption with risk of breast cancer overall and by molecular subtype in the Vietnamese Breast Cancer Study (VBCS). Method: VBCS includes 476 incident breast cancer cases and 454 age-matched controls. Dietary habits over the past 5 years were assessed by in-person interviews using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Associations of food groups with breast cancer were evaluated via logistic regression for overall and molecular subtype with adjustment for age, education, income, family history of cancer, menopausal status, body mass index, exercise, total energy intake, and other potential dietary confounders. Odds ratio (OR) was used to approximate relative risk. Results: High fruit intake was inversely associated with breast cancer risk, with adjusted ORs [95% confidence intervals (CI)] of 0.67 (95% CI, 0.47–0.95) and 0.41 (95% CI, 0.27–0.61) for second and third tertiles versus first tertile, respectively (Ptrend < 0.001). This association was stronger for triple-negative than other subtypes (Pheterogeneity < 0.001). High intake of freshwater fish was inversely associated with overall breast cancer (ORT3vsT1 = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.42–0.95; Ptrend = 0.03). An inverse association was observed between HER2-enriched subtype and red and organ meat intake (ORT3vsT1 = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.17–0.93; Ptrend = 0.04; Pheterogeneity = 0.50). Conclusions: High intakes of fruit and freshwater fish were associated with reduced breast cancer risk; association for the former was stronger for triple-negative subtype. Impact: Our findings suggest high intakes of fruit and freshwater fish may reduce breast cancer risk among Vietnamese women.

Background and objective Particulate matter (PM) is the most dangerous form of air pollution, and causes many diseases. Plants act as bio-filters to help reduce PM in the atmosphere. PM also influences the growth of plants, so selecting suitable plant species for specific environmental conditions is very important. The air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was used to determine the tolerance level of each plant species to air pollution. The purpose of this study was to determine the tolerance to air pollution of various plant species in order to identify plant species that can be grown in polluted environments; this was achieved by evaluating the APTI of plants. This study analyzed the biochemical parameters of 12 plant species at two sites with different air pollution levels (urban forest and roadside) to assess and compare the APTI of plant species. Methods The healthy leaves of 12 plant species (6 broad leaves and 6 needle leaves) that are commonly used in landscapes in Korea were chosen for this study. The same plant species were collected from two sites with different pollution levels and were analyzed immediately; one site was an urban forest (Chungcheongbuk-do Forest Environment Research Institute) with an area of 25 ha and featuring high vegetation coverage, while the other was at a high-traffic roadside next to a crossroads near the Cheongju Express Bus Terminal. We used the leaf samples to analyze four biochemical parameters of each plant: leaf extract pH (pH), relative leaf water content (RWC), total chlorophyll (TChl), and ascorbic acid. Finally, based on these values, APTI values were calculated. Results The APTI values were different between all 12 plant species at both sites with different levels of pollution. APTI had a significant correlation with the biochemical parameters of plants. Plants in the urban forest and at the roadside showed APTI values ranging from 6.89–9.37 and 7.57–9.94, respectively. The APTI of the roadside plant species tended to be higher than that of the plants from the urban forest. Among 12 plant species, Acer palmatum, Acer buergerianum, and Pinus densiflora had high APTI values. These plant species can serve as biofilters in environments with high air pollution. Conclusion The APTI of the 12 plant species in this study can aid in the selection of suitable plant species from environments with different levels of air pollution. The high APTI of some roadside plant species may show their tolerance under environmental pollution-related stress, or demonstrate their adaptability to the polluted environment. In the future, we need to examine more plant species under various environmental conditions to understand their tolerance levels to air pollution and to correlate plants with air pollution. Further, more studies on other air pollutants that can influence plant growth, such as SO2 and NOx, should be conducted.