Search

Working in social care is fraught with challenges fueled by changing policies, funding structures, societal expectations, and high relational demands, leaving employees in this sector particularly vulnerable to poor well‐being. In this study, we focus on the importance of a supportive work context—specifically coworker instrumental support and leaders' role clarity—in enabling employee role clarity, and how this can foster better mental health and reduce fatigue from ongoing changes in the sector. We ran a multilevel moderated mediation model on a sample of 270 social care employees matched with 47 leaders across two disability care organizations in Australia. Results showed that coworker instrumental support promotes role clarity, which in turn is associated with lower psychological distress and change fatigue, and higher job satisfaction. The positive relationship between coworker instrumental support and role clarity, and the subsequent relationships with well‐being, were stronger when employees had leaders who themselves had role clarity. Our findings highlight the importance of a supportive work context and role clarity as malleable levers in enabling a sustainable social care workforce and provide new theoretical and practical insights for human resource management in the social care sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ionic conductivity of Na3PS4 can be improved via the aliovalent substitution of P and S as well as multivalence cation substitution of Na. Although the enhanced ionic conductivities of tetragonal and cubic Na3PS4 have been theoretically and experimentally studied, the dynamics of sodium ions in these systems have been rarely reported. In this study, (100−x)Na3PS4−xCa3N2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 10) glass samples were synthesizing using high‐energy planetary ball‐milling method. These samples were subjected to heat treatment at 280°C for 1 h in an argon atmosphere to obtain glass–ceramic samples. The structures of these samples were characterized via Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis. The lattice parameter and cell volume of the glass–ceramic samples strongly depended on the x value in (100−x)Na3PS4−xCa3N2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 10). Their ionic conductivities were determined via alternating current electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). 92Na3PS4−8Ca3N2 glass–ceramics exhibited an ionic conductivity of 8.14 × 10−4 Scm−1 at 25°C. Charge carrier concentration and hopping rate were extracted from the EIS data to determine the ionic conductivities of the samples. The activation energies of DC conductivity and mobile ion formation and migration were also derived from the EIS data to analyze the effect of Ca3N2 doping on the ionic conductivity of the synthesized samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this article, we exploit the huge advantages of full‐duplex (FD) transmission, nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and millimeter‐wave (mmWave) communications in an Internet of things (IoT) sensor network. Specifically, the UAV operates as a FD amplify‐and‐forward (AF) relay to aid communications between an IoT sensor and multiple NOMA users. Moreover, the FD‐UAV (FDU) adopts both fixed and variable gains. We obtain exact expressions of outage probability (OP) and throughput of IoT‐FDU‐NOMA‐mmWave network with fixed and variable gains at FDU over Nakagami‐m$$ m $$ fading channels. Numerical illustrations clearly show that the OP and throughput performance of the IoT‐FDU‐NOMA‐mmWave network with variable gain are considerably higher than those with fixed gain. Since mmWave bands are used, the OP and throughput of the IoT‐FDU‐NOMA‐mmWave network are greatly affected by carrier frequency and communication distances. Consequently, when the carrier frequency or/and the distances between the IoT sensor and the users increase, the transmit power of the IoT sensor and the FDU should be increased to maintain the network performance. On the other hand, the effects of residual loop interference (LI) induced by FD transmission are remarkable. Thus, more efforts to reduce the residual LI power have to be continuously performed. Moreover, the specific impacts of the key parameters such as fading order m$$ m $$, the positions of the FDU, and data rates are clarified. More importantly, in practice, according to the fixed gain or the variable gain that is used, we can locate the position of FDU to achieve the best performance for the IoT‐FDU‐NOMA‐mmWave network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During storage, food undergoes transformations, often producing volatile nitrogen compounds known as total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), which serves as an indicator of food freshness. In this study, chitosan (CTS) was blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and incorporated with anthocyanins (ACNs) to monitor the quality changes in fish fillets over different time intervals. The results demonstrated that the presence of PVA in the CTS membrane enhanced light transmittance and reduced water absorption due to the reinforcement of the membrane structure through chemical interactions. In the freshness monitoring experiments, the CTS/PVA membranes exhibited an improved value of total color difference (ΔE), facilitating better detection of pH changes of the surrounding environment. Moreover, the ΔE value of the CTS/PVA film was observed to be quite similar to the value at pH 9 after 24 h and at pH 11 after 36 h when the fish fillet was stored at 25°C. In contrast, the ΔE value of the CTS/PVA film closely matched the value at pH 11 after 96 h of storage at 4°C. Additionally, the correlation between the generated TVB‐N and the ΔE values indicated a higher correlation coefficient (R2) for the composite membranes compared to the pristine CTS or PVA membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective load current distribution is a fundamental aspect of ensuring a stable and efficient DC microgrid operation particularly when utilizing dual active bridge converters. In order to construct an improved piecewise setpoint, this research involves a thorough analysis of the statistical distribution of load profiles and the intrinsic properties of a two‐segment piecewise droop controller. Furthermore, a thorough comparison analysis of linear and exponential droop‐based approaches is carried out in this paper. To assess the proposed two‐segment piecewise droop controller, several simulations and hardware‐in‐loop scenarios are carried out. Additionally, the conventional discrete piecewise droop control method is compared with the proposed method. Notably, with the proposed method, paralleling dual active bridge converters in a DC microgrid clearly demonstrates a significant improvement in current sharing within a specific operating range. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chromium, which is widely employed in many industries, has a high toxicity. In this research, activated carbon derived from Terminalia catappa fruit shells was combined with chitosan (TCAC‐CS) to enhance adsorption capability of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in wastewater. RESULTS: Different Cr(VI) adsorption parameters were investigated. Two isotherm and two kinetic models were employed to understand the adsorption mechanism. The thermodynamic characteristics of Cr(VI) adsorption, namely the Gibbs free energy change (ΔG), enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS), also were computed. The best adsorption capability was achieved at pH 3, adsorbent dose 2.5 g L−1, temperature 35 °C and initial Cr(VI) concentration 50 mg L−1. The Cr(VI) adsorption capacity reached 184.45 mg g−1, as fitted by the Langmuir isotherm, which is superior when compared to most biomass‐based carbonaceous adsorbents. The negative ΔG value shows the spontaneous nature of the Cr(VI) adsorption process on the TCAS‐CS. Additionally, Fourier transform infrared characterization confirmed that the incorporation of chitosan to activated carbon resulted in chemical adsorption of Cr(VI) via chelating instead of sole physical adsorption via hydrogen bonding, which greatly improved the adsorption ability of the materials. CONCLUSION: TCAC‐CS demonstrated potential utilization as an efficient, low‐cost and environmentally friendly adsorbent in the removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Amorphous carbon‐bearing sulfonic acid groups (AC–SO3H) are a kind of solid acid that exhibits high acidity and belongs to the new generation of solid acids. The presence of acidic functional groups, including carboxylic acid, phenolic and sulfonic acid groups, allows for several key activities such as strong Brønsted acid properties, high surface area, stability, reusability and recyclability. RESULTS: In this work, we synthesized indolyl 1H‐pyrroles from indoles, phenylglyoxal monohydrate, 1,3‐diketones and ammonium acetate using rice‐husk‐derived carbonaceous sulfonation (AC–SO3H) as a catalyst. We explored the impact of catalyst quantity, reaction time, solvent, mineral acid and temperature in order to determine the optimal reaction conditions. Additionally, indolyl 1H‐pyrrole derivatives were also synthesized based on the optimal conditions that were completely investigated, and the structure of these synthetic compounds was characterized by 1H‐ and 13C‐nuclear magnetic resonance. CONCLUSION: The yield of indolyl 1H‐pyrroles was up to 84% in 6 h at 100 °C with the activity of 30 mg AC–SO3H. Besides, based on the optimal conditions, 21 indolyl 1H‐pyrrole derivatives were formed with the high‐yield and green method. The catalyst could be reused multiple times without a significant decrease in catalytic performance. According to the findings from the experiments, a potential mechanism that included a radical process has been suggested. This eco‐friendly approach provided a straightforward and efficient method to produce a variety of indole–pyrrole conjugates in a single step. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of the first research on the synthesis of nano‐ZIF‐90 from zinc chloride. More specifically, the paper also introduces the results of large‐scale pure nano‐ZIF‐90 synthesis with a high specific surface, uniform cubic crystals, and good thermal strength. ZIF‐90 is synthesized from zinc chloride‐containing medium capillaries, which have both a weak acid center and a strong base center. The post‐synthetic ZIF‐90 was also evaluated for heat storage based on its ability to adsorb water, methanol, and ethanol. XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, N2 adsorption and desorption methods, TG mass thermal analysis, and NH3‐TPD/CO2‐TPD were used to study the ZIF‐90 crystallization process with modifications of precursors, solvents, additives, and reaction conditions. From this, a large‐scale synthesis of nano‐ZIF‐90 from high‐efficiency zinc chloride has been derived. DSC measurements are used to evaluate the enthalpy adsorption of water, methanol, and ethanol on ZIF‐90. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanding upon the known impact of investor sentiment on crowdfunding contributions, we delve deeper to pinpoint specific conditions under which sentiment influences investor choices. Grounded in psychological theory, we assert that sentiment's influence thrives at the peak of investor attention, primarily on a campaign's first day and among projects with greater uncertainty. Our empirical study, based on 447 campaigns with 17,244 daily observations from the United Kingdom's Crowdcube platform, substantiates our claim. Our research enhances the comprehension of equity crowdfunding investors and provides practical insights for its proponents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the differences in clinical, radiological and laboratory parameters between elderly and young patients with newly diagnosed smear‐positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Vietnam. Methods: This retrospective analysis included all patients hospitalised with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis with acid‐fast bacilli‐positive smear. Clinical symptoms, laboratory results and chest X‐ray findings were collected using a standardised questionnaire. Elderly was defined as those patients aged 65 years and older. Results: A total of 183 patients diagnosed with new acid‐fast bacilli‐positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included in this study, with a mean age of 56.2 ± 16.3 years (minimum = 18 and maximum = 87 years). Seventy‐seven participants were aged ≥65 years, accounting for 42.1% of participants. A total of 147 (80.3%) patients were male, and the sex ratio of male/female was 4.1. Night sweats were statistically more frequent among younger patients (34.9% vs. 20.8%, p = 0.04), whereas muscle and joint pain were more predominant among the elderly (7.6% vs. 22.1%, p = 0.01). A proportion of 67.0% of younger patients and 63.6% of the elderly group were bilaterally affected. Cavitation lesions were significantly more frequent in the younger group (55.7% vs. 39.0%, p = 0.03), whereas pulmonary fibrosis occurred more frequently in elderly patients (29.3% vs. 45.4%, p = 0.02). No other significant differences in clinical symptoms, laboratory results and chest X‐ray findings were observed. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of considering age‐related variations in the clinical and radiological presentation of tuberculosis, which can guide tailored approaches in diagnosis, management and treatment strategies for different age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Rising global warming concerns drive the demand for cost‐effective CO2 capture technologies for industrial reuse. In this study, a novel composite material for CO2 adsorption based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and copper benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxylate (CuBTC) was proposed by a chronoamperometry electrochemical method. XRD, FT‐IR, and SEM–EDX techniques confirmed the presence of SPION and CuBTC in the synthesized composites. SPIONs were small, uniform, and spherical, facilitating their effective combination with CuBTC. Among the synthesized composites, the 1:1 ratio of SPION to CuBTC exhibited the highest CO2 adsorption capacity. Under controlled laboratory conditions (0°C, 1 bar, without the influence of ambient moisture or CO2 diffusion limitations), the SPION/CuBTC 1:1 composite demonstrated a CO2 adsorption capacity of 3.5 mmol/g. Under more realistic conditions (25°C, 1 bar, with the influence of ambient moisture) the SPION/CuBTC 1:1 composite exhibited the highest CO2 adsorption efficiency of 12% (expressed as weigh percentage of dry sorbent). The CO2 adsorption capacity of the composite decreased by more than half when the CO2 concentration dropped from 100% to 15%. The adsorption mechanism is primarily driven by chemical adsorption via surface functional groups and physical adsorption through microcapillary formation and van der Waals interactions, mainly due to CuBTC. The incorporation of SPION in the composite accelerated the CO2 desorption process. The combined magnetic behavior and heat generation results suggest that SPION/CuBTC composites possess enhanced magnetic properties and thermal responses, highlighting their potential for efficient heat‐mediated desorption in industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near‐infrared (NIR) photodetectors are valuable technological devices with numerous uses, and transforming opaque NIR photodetectors into transparent ones will aid in the development of invisible interfaces for the rapidly emerging technology of human–computer interactions. However, transparent NIR photodetectors typically suffer from considerable optical loss, which reduces the device sensitivity. The current study enhances the trade‐off between the transparency and sensitivity of NIR photodetectors by investigating the pyro‐phototronic effect, which is accomplished using an ITO/Ag‐Ag(O)/ZnO/NiO/AgNWs design. The design has a see‐through feature with a visible light transmittance of 62.1%. An ultrathin Ag‐Ag(O) layer absorbs NIR light, generating 476% more photocurrent because of the ZnO layer's pyroelectric effect. The pyro‐phototronic effect allows ITO/Ag‐Ag(O)/ZnO/NiO/AgNWs to be responsive to diverse NIR intensities with a response time of 0.18 ms. The metallic–semiconductor mixed‐phase properties of the Ag‐Ag(O) combination are produced by indirectly oxidizing embedded Ag nanostructures by adding oxygen during the ZnO layer development. The approach exploits the plasmonic effect of Ag nanoparticles, which improves the photothermal utilization of the ZnO layer, resulting in a stronger pyro‐phototronic response at shorter wavelengths. Transparent sensors with high sensitivity and broadband operation would advance image processing and human augmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the transformation of carbohydrates into valuable chemicals offers a promising and eco‐friendly method for utilizing renewable biomass resources. Developing a bi‐functional, sustainable heterogeneous catalyst is of utmost importance to attain a high level of selectivity for the desired product, 2,5‐diformylfuran (DFF), in this direct conversion process. In this study, we developed a highly effective catalytic system to convert diverse carbohydrates into DFF. Our approach involved utilizing a MoS2 catalyst supported by amorphous carbon derived from sulfonated sugarcane biomass. The MoS2@SBG‐SO3H composite was successfully synthesized using a facile and highly efficient method. The transformation of fructose into DFF achieved a significant yield of 70 % for 5 h at 160 °C using a one‐step and one‐pot reaction through dehydration and oxidation with oxygen. The oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into DFF using MoS2@SBG‐SO3H was obtained at 94 % DFF within 5 h; the activation energy was 38.3 kJ. mol−1. The catalyst displayed convenient recovery and reusability. The direct synthesis of DFF from various carbohydrates, such as sucrose, glucose, maltose, and lactose, resulted in favorable yields. Our research provides a quick, green, and efficient process for preparing carbon‐based solid acid catalysts and DFF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seepage‐induced backward erosion is a complex and significant issue in geotechnical engineering that threatens the stability of infrastructure. Numerical prediction of the full development of backward erosion, pipe formation and induced failure remains challenging. For the first time, this study addresses this issue by modifying a recently developed five‐phase smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) erosion framework. Full development of backward erosion was subsequently analysed in a rigid flume test and a field‐scale backward erosion‐induced levee failure test. The seepage and erosion analysis provided results consistent with experimental data, including pore water pressure evolution, pipe length and water flux at the exit, demonstrating the good performance of the proposed numerical approach. Key factors influencing backward erosion, such as anisotropic flow and critical hydraulic gradient, are also investigated through a parametric study conducted with the rigid flume test. The results provide a better understanding of the mechanism of backward erosion, pipe formation and the induced post‐failure process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a grafted copolymer based on chitosan and Brij S100 (CTS–Brij S100) was prepared to design a nanocarrier system that increases the sensitivity of tetracycline (Tetra) against methicillin‐susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). The self‐assembly behavior of CTS–Brij S100 to micelles was confirmed by the benzoylacetone assay. About 4.6 ± 0.175% of Tetra was encapsulated into CTS–Brij S100 with an efficiency of 96.9 ± 0.213%. Dynamic light scattering determined the size of Tetra‐loaded nanoparticles (CTS–Brij S100@Tetra) to be 85.5 ± 1.913 nm with narrow distribution. The high‐positive value of CTS–Brij S100@Tetra (zeta = + 30.9 mV) indicates a stable colloidal system. The release profile of Tetra from CTS–Brij S100 followed the Weibull model with a complex diffusion mechanism. The bactericidal efficacy was tested against MSSA. Interestingly, the blank CTS–Brij S100 nanoparticle could express its inhibition to MSSA when the concentration was 150 μg/mL. Therefore, with the help of CTS–Brij S100, Tetra had superior bactericidal efficiency comparable to free form. In vitro biocompatibility test on fibroblast cells (L929) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) ensures the safety of CTS–Brij S100. It can be concluded that the CTS–Brij S100 system holds potential for applications in facilitating the delivery of the antibiotic Tetra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Plants acquire phosphorus (P) primarily as inorganic phosphate (Pi) from the soil. Under Pi deficiency, plants induce an array of physiological and morphological responses, termed phosphate starvation response (PSR), thereby increasing Pi acquisition and use efficiency. However, the mechanisms by which plants adapt to Pi deficiency remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that deposition of a β‐1,3‐glucan polymer called callose is induced in Arabidopsis thaliana root hairs under Pi deficiency, in a manner independent of PSR‐regulating PHR1/PHL1 transcription factors and LPR1/LPR2 ferroxidases. Genetic studies revealed PMR4 (GSL5) callose synthase being required for the callose deposition in Pi‐depleted root hairs. Loss of PMR4 also reduces Pi acquisition in shoots and plant growth under low Pi conditions. The defects are not recovered by simultaneous disruption of SID2, mediating defense‐associated salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis, excluding SA defense activation from the cause of the observed pmr4 phenotypes. Grafting experiments and characterization of plants expressing PMR4 specifically in root hair cells suggest that a PMR4 pool in the cell type contributes to shoot growth under Pi deficiency. Our findings thus suggest an important role for PMR4 in plant adaptation to Pi deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The correlation between anatomy features of impacted mandibular third molars (M3Ms) and prevalence of pericoronitis was only interpreted using univariate analysis. This study investigated this correlation using multivariable analysis to determine the relationship between pericoronitis prevalence and the M3Ms' anatomical features. Methods: This cross‐sectional study recruited 245 patients with 338 impacted M3Ms. One researcher collected participants' demographic characteristics such as sexes, age, side, and pericoronitis condition. The radiographic characteristics of M3Ms, including eruption direction and impacted levels according to Pell–Gregory classification, were assessed based on their orthopantomograms. Initially, univariate analyses were used to determine potential demographic and radiographic factors that correlated to pericoronitis. These factors were, then, analyzes using Firth's logistic regression. Results: No significant difference was found between non‐ and pericoronitis groups about sexes, age, side (p > 0.05). The univariate analyses showed that proportion of vertical impacted levels and eruption direction of M3Ms were significantly different between non‐ and pericoronitis groups. Firth's logistic regression analysis indicated that M3Ms with impacted level A were more likely to suffer from pericoronitis than ones at level B (odds ratio (OR) = 3.34), wheraes M3Ms impacted level II had higher risk of pericorinitis than ones at level I (OR = 1.63). Vertical M3Ms were more likely to develop pericoronitis than horizontal (OR = 5.78) ones. Conclusion: M3M angulation and impacted level are significant factors relating to pericoronitis prevalence. M3Ms with vertical eruption, vertically level A, and horizontally level B are more likely to have pericoronitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study systematically explores the wetting characteristics of re‐entrant microstructures, focusing on the interplay between the unique geometries and material compositions. While silicon dioxide (SiO₂) re‐entrant microstructures are previously studied, this research pioneers the fabrication of silicon carbide (SiC) re‐entrant microstructures. Through experimental approaches and theoretical analysis, the research assesses how variations in geometry and material impact wettability. Key findings reveal that SiC re‐entrant structures achieve an average contact angle of 145°, closely matching the 148° observed for SiO₂, indicating similar hydrophobic behavior. Although flat SiC surfaces exhibit higher inherent hydrophobicity than flat SiO₂ (59° vs 26° contact angle), re‐entrant geometry predominantly influences wetting behavior, overshadowing material differences. Structures with lower solid area fractions show increased hydrophobicity, with a distinct hierarchy: microlines are the least hydrophobic, followed by shark‐skin textures, rectangles, circles, and triangles. Additionally, increasing the gap size between structures enhanced hydrophobicity up to a critical point. This study paves the way for optimizing re‐entrant microstructures for specific applications, significantly enhancing the understanding of surface science and advancing material design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mango powders were supplemented with probiotics and then subjected to heat pump drying. The study evaluated the physicochemical, biochemical, and probiotic properties of the resulting mango powders. Through the effects of thickening additives type (sodium alginate and Arabic gum), concentration and drying temperature have been shown to have a direct effect on the objective functions of interest. The results showed that the foam stability increased approximately 2.14 times (MPD‐S), the solubility of powders tended to be similar to 67.65 ± 0.40%, while microbial density decreased and remained within the allowable limit of 6.9 × 106 CFU/mL (MPD‐G). Through heat pump drying, these values were drastically reduced. The mango powders were mixed for a second time to improve the organoleptic values and showed commercial viability with a score greater than 11.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the years, Vietnam has expanded its social health insurance (SHI) coverage to reduce health disparities. In this population‐based study, we examined the differences in incidences of perforated appendix between rural and urban populations in Vietnam since the expansion of SHI coverage in 2015. We also identified risk factors for perforated appendix in these populations. Method: The 2015–2019 SHI inpatient claims data from the Social Security Agency of Dong Thap Province were used to elaborate the final sample of 6863 patients aged 18 years or above who underwent an appendectomy. Multivariable probit and logistic regression model were employed to obtain adjusted estimates. Results: An overall rate of 22.9% for perforated appendix among adults in Dong Thap was revealed. After the expansion of SHI, rural residents consistently had lower rates of perforated appendix than urban residents, but the differences between rural and urban residents were small and decreased over time, that is from 4.4% in 2015 to 3.4% in 2019. Older, male, and poor residents were at a higher risk of perforated appendix in both urban and rural areas. In rural areas, patients with comorbidities, patients who resided in remote communes bordering Cambodia, and patients who had district hospitals or commune facilities as their primary assigned providers were significantly more likely to develop perforated appendix. Conclusion: Under the SHI in Vietnam, no significant difference was observed in perforated appendicitis incidence between urban and rural residents. Additional efforts are required to reduce poorer outcomes among other high‐risk residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research has progressed to an effective detection chemosensor of zinc, aluminum ions and oxytetracycline hydrochloride antibiotic based on the fluorescence technique. A straightforward method utilizing microwave irradiation was employed to synthesize the salen‐type Schiff base ligand N,N′‐bis(salicylaldehyde)4,5‐dichloro‐1,2‐phenylenediamine (H2I), providing a good 70 % yield. In ethanol, the H2I sensor demonstrated remarkable rapidity, selectivity, and sensitivity in detecting zinc ions. The fluorescence spectrum exhibited a 44‐fold substantial enhancement at 522 nm and achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.47 μM. Furthermore, the H2I probe's emission intensity increased by 124 times when compared to the ligand's ability to detect Al3+ ions at 494 nm with a LOD value of 7.4 μM. Additional research was done using the H2I probe's effective Zn2+ detection capability. The ability to recognize zinc ions in different real water samples demonstrated a recovery rate of 98.67 % to 103.31 %. Interestingly, a naked‐eye visible fluorescence color of H2I solution impregnated filter papers turned colorless into yell ow under UV irradiation by adding Zn2+ ions, renders it suitable for developing a practical zinc ion detection kit test. In particular, the I‐Zn2+ complex effectively quenched the fluorescence toward oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) with a LOD value of 1.49×10−2 μM in DMSO:H2O (6 : 4, v/v). This is a novel and effective procedure for sensing OTC antibiotic by the I‐Zn2+ complex. These findings hold immense potential for the development of dual fluorescent probes, thereby enhancing sensitivity and specificity in identifying metal ions and antibiotics in a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohols are common alkylating agents and starting materials alternative to harmful alkyl halides. In this study, a simple, benign and efficient pathway was developed to synthesize 1,3‐diphenylpropan‐1‐ols via the β‐alkylation of 1‐phenylethanol with benzyl alcohols. Unlike conventional borrowing hydrogen processes in which alcohols were activated by transition‐metal catalyzed dehydrogenation, in this work, t‐BuONa was suggested to be a dual‐role reagent, namely, both base and radical initiator, for the radical coupling of aromatic alcohols. The cross‐coupling reaction readily proceeded under transition metal‐free conditions and an inert atmosphere, affording 1,3‐diphenylpropan‐1‐ol with an excellent yield. A good functional group tolerance in benzyl alcohols was observed, leading to the production of various phenyl‐substituted propan‐1‐ol derivatives in moderate‐to‐good yields. The mechanistic studies proposed that the reaction could involve the formation of reactive radical anions by base‐mediated deprotonation and single electron transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addressing the increasing demand for wearable sensing systems, the performance and lifespan of such devices must be improved by enhancing their sensitivity and healing capabilities. The present work introduces an innovative method for synthesizing a healable disulfide bond contained in a polydimethylsiloxane network (PDMS−SS) that incorporates ionic salts, which is designed to serve as a highly effective dielectric layer for capacitive tactile sensors. Within the polymer network structure, the cross‐linking agent pentaerythritol tetrakis 3‐mercaptopropionate (PTKPM) forms reversible disulfide bonds while simultaneously increasing polymer softness and the dielectric constant. The incorporation of dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt (DOSS) significantly improves the capacitance and sensing properties by forming an electrical double‐layer through interactions between the electrode charge and salt ions at the contact interface. The developed polymer material‐based tactile sensor shows a strong response signal at low pressure (0.1 kPa) and maintains high sensitivity (0.175 kPa−1) over a wide pressure range (0.1–10 kPa). It also maintains the same sensitivity over 10 000 repeated applications of external pressure and is easily self‐healed against mechanical deformation due to the dynamic disulfide covalent bonding, restoring ≈95% of its detection capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of 702 documents related to digital teaching and learning conducted by scholars from Southeast Asia (SEA) countries. The number of publications was limited before 2018, but rocketed during the 2019–2023 period. Based on scientific production of six most productive SEA countries, it is possible to classify them into three groups, with Indonesia and Malaysia in the first, Singapore and Thailand in the second, and Philippines and Vietnam in the third group. International collaborations among SEA scholars working in this research direction were limited, with only 19% of the publications resulting from collaborations with the most productive partner countries. Singaporean scholars were found to have a significant impact on the community, with their articles accounting for nearly 49% of the total citations. SEA scholars tended to focus on a few research topics such as applications of e‐learning, online learning, and blended learning, digital education and digital transformation during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and systematic review of different types of digital education applied in health professions education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this study, a lactic acid bacteria strain isolated from oats was used as a producer to obtain exopolysaccharide (EPS) using MRS agar plates. The findings indicated that the bacterial strain identified as Weissella cibaria (accession number: PP515290) was shown to have good probiotic activity, adapt better to alkaline than acidic conditions, and efficiently produce EPS at concentrations of up to 7.93 g L−1. SEM images showed a smooth surface and compact particle whereas FTIR confirmed the basic functional groups of polysaccharides in the sample. Meanwhile, XRD analysis demonstrated a non‐crystalline amorphous structure and thermal analysis indicated two‐phase thermal decomposition with maximum rate at 210 °C. Subsequently, EPS from W. cibaria was applied as stabiliser in set‐type yogurt (ex situ) in comparison with yogurt using mixed culture with W. cibaria (in situ) and traditional starter culture (control). The results showed that the addition of 2% EPS significantly improved syneresis (14.31%) compared to co‐culture (27.50%) and control (29.80%) as well as increased hardness of yogurt during 2‐week refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumonia occurs commonly in bronchiectasis patients with exacerbation, though necrotizing pneumonia remains rare. This report presents two cases of bronchiectasis complicated by necrotizing pneumonia. The first case involves a 39‐year‐old female with bronchiectasis due to primary ciliary dyskinesia. She presented with severe chest pain and persistent fever unresponsive to oral antibiotics. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed necrotizing pneumonia with associated empyema, necessitating prolonged antibiotic therapy, pleural drainage and ultimately surgical decortication. The second case is a 39‐year‐old male with bronchiectasis following ammonia inhalation injury, presenting with pleuritic chest pain and productive cough, with a CT scan showing consolidation with low attenuation areas. Intensive antibiotic treatment was required, alongside corticosteroids and inhaled antibiotics afterward. These cases demonstrate the importance of identifying risk factors for necrotizing pneumonia in bronchiectasis patients. Tailoring treatment strategies, including extending antibiotic regimens, using inhaled antibiotics, and administering corticosteroids, is essential to mitigate poor outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method using gelatine templates. The prepared CeO2 analyzed by analytical techniques displayed the fluorite structure with uniform sizes of 10–25 nm, a BET‐specific surface area of 65.8 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.144 cm3/g, and the existence of oxygen vacancies, suggesting their compatibility for adsorption removal of pollutants. The adsorption of arsenate and fluoride on CeO2 exhibited the maximal adsorption capacity of 224 and 64 mg/g, respectively. The kinetics of the adsorption fitted the pseudo‐second‐order model perfectly. Compared to fluoride, the adsorption of arsenate was found kinetically more but thermodynamically less favored. It can lie on the more stable complexes formed between arsenate and the prepared CeO2, the larger size of arsenate ions, and the mesoporosity of the prepared CeO2. As a result, the pore of the prepared CeO2 is filled quickly with arsenate ions, becoming full after a specific time that prevents the filling of further arsenate ions. Moreover, the CeO2 adsorbent demonstrated its high reusability up to 9 times without losing remarkable adsorption capacity (≤10%). Overall, the prepared CeO2 can be applied for the treatment of drinking water and wastewater in several regions of Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(β‐amino ester) (PβAE)‐based polymers hold promise for bacterial gene transfer due to their ability to form stable complexes with genetic material and facilitate efficient delivery into bacterial cells. These polymers are easily modified to improve uptake and protect DNA or RNA from degradation, providing a safer, more controlled alternative to traditional methods like chemical transformation or electroporation. In this study, we evaluated the gene transformation efficiency of cationic PβAE polymer, which was synthesized through an aza‐Michael addition reaction between piperazine and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate. Competent cells from E. coli strain DH5α were prepared with the optimized method using Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Different concentrations of the polymer were mixed with pRSET‐EmGFP before transforming into competent cells through the heat shock method. Transformed cells were checked on medium containing ampicillin, and by using colony PCR, transformation efficiency was calculated. Based on our findings, we observed a successful transformation of the EmGFP gene in case of having the polymer. Furthermore, the PβAE at high concentrations (20–100 ng µL−1) increased transformation efficiency more than twice as compared to the case of no polymer added. In conclusion, PβAE can effectively increase transformation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimuli‐responsive peptides, particularly pH‐responsive variants, hold significant promise in biomedical and technological applications by leveraging the broad pH spectrum inherent to biological environments. However, the limited number of natural pH‐responsive amino acids within biologically relevant pH ranges presents challenges for designing rational pH‐responsive peptide assemblies. In our study, we introduce a novel approach by incorporating a library of non‐natural amino acids featuring chemically diverse tertiary amine side chains. Hydrophobic and ionic properties of these non‐natural amino acids facilitate their incorporation into the assembly domain when uncharged, and electrostatic repulsion promotes disassembly under lower pH conditions. Furthermore, we observed a direct relationship between the number of substitutions and the hydrophobicity of these amino acids, influencing their pH‐responsive properties and enabling rational design based on desired transitional pH ranges. The structure‐activity relationship of these pH‐responsive peptides was evaluated by assessing their antimicrobial properties, as their antimicrobial activity is triggered by the disassembly of peptides to release active monomers. This approach not only enhances the specificity and controllability of pH responsiveness but also broadens the scope of peptide materials in biomedical and technological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N‐trans‐cinnamoyltyramine (NTCT) has been identified from an allelopathic Vietnamese rice accession OM 5930. This study employed bioassays to analyze NTCT's effects on shoot and root growth of multiple test and weed species. NTCT demonstrated potent inhibitory effects on cress, lettuce, canola, palmer amaranth, timothy, barnyardgrass, red sprangletop, and weedy rice, with increasing concentrations leading to substantial reductions in growth in all species. Linear regression analysis of dose response curves revealed ED50 values for NTCT, providing critical insights into the concentration required for 50% growth inhibition in each species. They revealed high sensitivity of the test species cress and lettuce, intermediate sensitivities of barnyardgrass, red sprangletop, timothy, and amaranth, and comparatively lower sensitivity of two weedy rice accessions. The findings underscore NTCT's efficacy in suppressing the growth of a wide range of weeds, including both grasses and broadleaf species. As such, NTCT may hold promise as a tool for sustainable weed management, particularly in addressing herbicide‐resistant weeds in diverse ecological settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The Rome IV criteria, the standard for diagnosing functional constipation (FC), deem the Bristol Stool Scale (BSS) unsuitable for assessing stool consistency in young children. Hence, the Brussels Infant and Toddler Stool Scale (BITSS) was developed. We aimed to validate and test the reliability of BITSS for hard stools and FC among infants and toddlers, where there is limited evidence in Asian populations. Methods: The research evaluated FC in children aged 0–48 months who came for medical examination using Rome IV criteria. Stool properties provided by caregivers were assessed sequentially through three methods: the BSS, the BITSS, and caregiver reports. Results: A total of 370 responses were received, with an average age of 26.2 months. Substantial agreement was observed between the BITSS and caregiver reports for hard stools (concordance rate: 91.9%, κ = 0.75), while near‐perfect agreement was found between BITSS and BSS (concordance rate: 93.5%, κ = 0.81). The BITSS exhibited higher sensitivity than the BSS in assessing hard stools (95.3% vs 87.5%, P < 0.001). And the BITSS (23.5%) identified the highest prevalence of FC than the BSS (20.5%) and caregiver report (18.7%), with near‐perfect agreement. Moderate agreement was reported when evaluating the test–retest reliability between BITSS and caregiver reports (concordance rate: 86.2%, κ = 0.44). Conclusions: The BITSS, more sensitive than the BSS in identifying abnormal, especially hard stools, aids in early FC detection in young children. These findings support using BITSS over BSS for evaluating hard stools in infants and toddlers, both in Vietnam and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, visual facial forgery has reached a level of sophistication that humans cannot identify fraud, which poses a significant threat to information security. A wide range of malicious applications have emerged, such as deepfake, fake news, defamation or blackmailing of celebrities, impersonation of politicians in political warfare, and the spreading of rumours to attract views. As a result, a rich body of visual forensic techniques has been proposed in an attempt to stop this dangerous trend. However, there is no comprehensive, fair, and unified performance evaluation to enlighten the community on best performing methods. The authors present a systematic benchmark beyond traditional surveys that provides in‐depth insights into facial forgery and facial forensics, grounding on robustness tests such as contrast, brightness, noise, resolution, missing information, and compression. The authors also provide a practical guideline of the benchmarking results, to determine the characteristics of the methods that serve as a comparative reference in this never‐ending war between measures and countermeasures. The authors' source code is open to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a comprehensive summary of the findings regarding the application and diagnostic efficacy of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in detecting viral and bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. Utilizing a systematic search of four databases up to 6 November 2023, we identified studies where ddPCR was deployed for pathogen detection in aquaculture settings, adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy guidelines. From the collected data, 16 studies retrieved, seven were included in a meta‐analysis, encompassing 1121 biological samples from various fish species. The detection limits reported ranged markedly from 0.07 to 34 copies/μL. A direct comparison of the diagnostic performance between ddPCR with quantitative PCR (qPCR) proved challenging due to limited data, thus only a pooled sensitivity analysis was feasible. The results showed a pooled sensitivity of 0.750 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.487–0.944) for ddPCR, compared to 0.461 (95% CI: 0.294–0.632) for qPCR, with no statistically significant difference in sensitivity between the two methods (p =.5884). Notably, significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I2 = 93%–97%, p <.01), with the year of publication significantly influencing this heterogeneity (p <.001), but not the country of origin (p =.49). No publication bias was detected, and the studies generally exhibited a low risk of bias according to QUADAS‐C criteria. While ddPCR and qPCR showed comparable sensitivities in pathogen detection, ddPCR's capability to precisely quantify pathogens without the need for standard curves highlights its potential utility. This characteristic could significantly enhance the accuracy and reliability of pathogen detection in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting financial distress of corporations is a difficult task in economies undergoing transition, as data are scarce and are highly imbalanced. This research tackles these difficulties by gathering reliable financial distress data in the context of a transition economy and employing the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). The study employs seven different models, including linear discriminant analysis (LDA), logistic regression (LR), support vector machines (SVMs), neural networks (NNs), decision trees (DTs), random forests (RFs), and the Merton model, to predict financial distress among publicly traded companies in Vietnam between 2011 and 2021. The first six models use accounting‐based variables, while the Merton model utilizes market‐based variables. The findings indicate that while all models perform fairly well in predicting results for nondelisted firms, they perform somewhat poorly in predicting results for delisted firms in terms of various measures including balanced accuracy, Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), precision, recall, and F1 score. The study shows that the models that incorporate both Altman's and Ohlson's variables consistently outperform those that only use Altman's or Ohlson's variables in terms of balanced accuracy. Additionally, the study finds that NNs are generally the most effective models in terms of both balanced accuracy and MCC. The most important variable in Altman's variables as well as the combination of Altman's and Ohlson's variables is "reat" (retained earnings on total assets), whereas "ltat" (total liabilities on total assets) and "wcapat" (working capital on total assets) are the most important variables in Ohlson's variables. The study also reveals that in most cases, the models perform better in predicting results for big firms than for small firms and typically better than in good years than for bad years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]