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Abstract Background In comparison to restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) typing, variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) typing is easier to perform, faster and yields results in a simple, numerical format. Therefore, this technique has gained recognition as the new international gold standard in typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, some reports indicated that VNTR typing may be less suitable for Beijing genotype isolates. We therefore compared the performance of internationally standardized RFLP and 24 loci VNTR typing to discriminate among 100 Beijing genotype isolates from the Southern Vietnam. Methods Hundred Beijing genotype strains defined by spoligotyping were randomly selected and typed by RFLP and VNTR typing. The discriminatory power of VNTR and RFLP typing was compared using the Bionumerics software. Results Among 95 Beijing strains available for analysis, 14 clusters were identified comprising 34 strains and 61 unique profiles in 24 loci VNTR typing ((Hunter Gaston Discrimination Index (HGDI = 0.994)). 13 clusters containing 31 strains and 64 unique patterns in RFLP typing (HGDI = 0.994) were found. Nine RFLP clusters were subdivided by VNTR typing and 12 VNTR clusters were split by RFLP. Five isolates (5%) revealing double alleles or no signal in two or more loci in VNTR typing could not be analyzed. Conclusions Overall, 24 loci VNTR typing and RFLP typing had similar high-level of discrimination among 95 Beijing strains from Southern Vietnam. However, loci VNTR 154, VNTR 2461 and VNTR 3171 had hardly added any value to the level of discrimination.

Abstract Background To control multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the drug susceptibility profile is needed to guide therapy. Classical drug susceptibility testing (DST) may take up to 2 to 4 months. The GenoType® MTBDRplus test is a commercially available line-probe assay that rapidly detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex, as well as the most common mutations associated with rifampin and isoniazid resistance. We assessed sensitivity and specificity of the assay by using a geographically representative set of MTB isolates from the South of Vietnam. Methods We re-cultured 111 MTB isolates that were MDR, rifampin-resistant or pan-susceptible according to conventional DST and tested these with the GenoType® MTBDRplus test. Results By conventional DST, 55 strains were classified as MDR-TB, four strains were rifampicin mono-resistant and 52 strains were susceptible to all first-line drugs. The sensitivity of the GenoType® MTBDRplus was 93.1% for rifampicin, 92.6% for isoniazid and 88.9% for the combination of both; its specificity was 100%. The positive predictive value of the GenoType® MTBDRplus test for MDR-TB was 100% and the negative predictive value 90.3%. Conclusions We found a high specificity and positive predictive value of the GenoType® MTBDRplus test for MDR-TB which merits its use in the MDR-TB treatment program in Vietnam.

Four new compounds, suaedamas A-D (1-4), and seven known ones (5-11) were isolated from the aerial parts of Suaeda maritima. Their chemical structures were evaluated by the IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D-, and 2D-NMR, experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 1-6 inhibited nitric oxide production in LPS activated RAW 264.7 cells with IC 50 values ranging from 29.3 to 85.5 μM, compared to that of the positive control compound, dexamethasone, which showed IC 50 value of 13.4 μM., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Co n -1 TMO n -2 + ( n = 6-8), (TM = V, Cr, Mn, and Fe) clusters are investigated using density functional theory calculations. The transition metal atoms preferentially replace one Co atom at sites where the number of metal-oxygen bonds is maximized, forming more stable structures. The evaporation of a Co atom is the most fragile dissociation channel for both pure and doped species. Bare cobalt oxide clusters exhibit parallel spin ordering, whereas both parallel and antiparallel spin ordering are observed in the doped species. Notably, a ferromagnetic-to-ferrimagnetic transition occurs in the V-doped clusters, while the ferromagnetic behavior is enhanced in the Fe-doped species., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The Asia-Pacific Plasma Leaders' Network (APPLN) plays a crucial role in addressing the regional shortage of plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It provides a platform for experts to share their expertise and drive multi-stakeholder collaborations. While several PDMPs are acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) as life-saving therapeutics on the Model List of Essential Medicine for treating various chronic and acute life-threatening diseases, there are still many inadequacies in the availability and affordability of PDMPs. These challenges arise from insufficient domestic supplies of plasma suitable for fractionation, as well as a lack of technical and financial capabilities to implement contract or domestic plasma fractionation programmes. At two separate dialogue forums organized by the APPLN in 2023, experts discussed the unmet needs of PDMPs for individuals living with haemophilia and immunodeficiencies in the region. They also highlighted the limited access to early diagnosis and patient-centred care in several LMICs. To address these issues, there is an urgent need to increase the availability of high-quality domestic plasma for fractionation. Adopting a stepwise approach to utilize unused recovered plasma and establishing contract fractionation programmes could be viable strategies to potentially enhance PDMP availability in LMICs. However, achieving this goal requires improving existing domestic infrastructures for blood collection, implementing adequate policy reforms and fostering competent local leadership. Ultimately, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' strategy for securing safe plasma proteins for all patients in need. Collaborative efforts are essential for achieving progressive self-sufficiency in PDMPs., (© 2024 The Author(s). Vox Sanguinis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Blood Transfusion.)

A phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract of aerial parts of the Acanthus ilicifolius led to the isolation of two new lignan glycosides, acaniliciosides A and B ( 1 and 2 ), together with ten known compounds ( 3 - 12 ). The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated based on HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of two new compounds were established by CD spectra. With the exception of compound 12 , other compounds inhibited NO production in LPS activated RAW264.7 cells with IC 50 values of 2.14-28.18 µM, as potent as that of the positive control of N G -monomethyl-L-arginine acetate (L-NMMA, IC 50 of 32.50 µM). In addition, compounds 5 - 8 showed cytotoxic effects against SK-LU-1 and HepG2 cell lines with the IC 50 values ranging from 16.48 to 76.40 μM compared to the positive control (ellipticine) with the IC 50 values ranging from 1.23 to 1.46 μM.

The transformation of a benign phyllodes tumor (PT) into a malignant PT and/or carcinoma is extremely uncommon. We present a case of a 66-year-old female with a huge mass on the left breast which was successfully removed by surgical resection. The pathological diagnosis was infiltrating lobular carcinoma with pure rhabdoid features and the malignant transformation of a benign phyllodes tumor. The first time this rare case was reported, it is demonstrated a special phenomenon through the synchronous transformation of PT grades and the carcinomatous transformation of PT., 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) 2024.)

Three new oleanane-type triterpene saponins, named camphanosides A-C (1-3), along with five known compounds, chikusetsusaponin IVa (4), spinasaponin A 28-O-glucoside (5), (-)-epicatechin (6), (-)-epicatechin 3-O-gallate (7), and (-)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (8) were isolated from the leaves Camellia phanii Hakoda & Ninh. Their structures were established by 1D and 2D-NMR and mass spectral analysis and chemical methods. Moreover, compounds 1-5 were also evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 1-3 exhibited moderate α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC 50 values of 230.7±18.0, 251.4±22.7, and 421.4±25.6 μM, respectively., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Introduction and Importance: Bladder metastatic melanoma is a very uncommon condition., Case Presentation: On 62 reported cases, 55 studies have been done so far. We describe a 53-year-old woman with a hematuria who underwent transurethral resection of bladder lesions caused by metastatic melanoma for eight years ago after receiving her initial diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma., Clinical Discussion: We also review the medical literature to determine the prognosis of bladder metastatic melanoma. Synchronous metastases with metastatic melanoma to the bladder also reduces the mean survival compared with patients with metachronous metastases., Conclusion: Bladder metastatic melanoma combined with other factors, such as male, lymph node metastases, primary skin tumor, two or more bladder metastatic foci, and synchronous metastases are predictors of worse prognosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Regarding the research, writing, or publication of this paper, the authors declare that they have no potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Phytochemical study on the roots of Achyranthes bidentata Blume led to the isolation of sixteen compounds including three new ones ( 1-3 ). Their chemical structures were determined as oleanolic acid 28- O - β -D-glucopyranoside-3- O -[ β -D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)- β -D-galactopyranoside) ( 1 ), methyl (8 Z ,11 Z )-5,6,7-trihydroxytetradeca-8,11-dienoate ( 2 ), methyl (6 E ,11 Z )-5,8,9-trihydroxytetradeca-6,11-dienoate ( 3 ), fulgidic acid ( 4 ), (9 E ,11 E )-13-oxooctadeca-9,11-dienoic acid ( 5 ), (9 Z ,11 E ,15 Z )-13-hydroxyoctadeca-9,11,15-trienoic acid ( 6 ), oleanolic acid 28- O - β -D-glucopyranoside-3- O - α -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)- β -D-glucuronopyranoside ( 7 ), oleanolic acid 28- O - β -D-glucopyranoside-3- O - β -D - glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-[ α -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]- β -D-glucuronopyranoside ( 8 ), oleanolic acid 3- O - β -D - glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-[ α -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]- β -D-glucuronopyranoside ( 9 ), oleanolic acid 3- O - α -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)- β -D-glucuronopyranoside ( 10 ), blumenol C glucoside ( 11 ), citroside A ( 12 ), 6 S ,9 S -roseoside ( 13 ), ginsenoside Rg1 ( 14 ), 20-hydroxyecdysone ( 15 ), and benzyl α -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)]- β -D-glucopyranoside ( 16 ) by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1 , 7 and 11-16 inhibited NO production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells with IC 50 values in the range from 28.03 to 54.23 µM (positive control, L-NMMA: IC 50 = 35.52 µM). Compounds 14 and 15 showed anti α -glucosidase activity with IC 50 values of 176.24 and 156.92 µM, respectively, compared with the positive control, acarbose, IC 50 = 160.99 μM.

Background: The healthcare systems in Asia vary greatly due to the socio-economic and cultural diversities which impact haemophilia management., Methods: An advisory board meeting was conducted with experts in haemophilia care from Asia to understand the heterogeneity in clinical practices and care provision in the region., Findings: The overall prevalence of haemophilia in Asia ranges between 3 and 8.58/100,000 patients. Haemophilia A was more prevalent as compared to haemophilia B with a ratio of around 5:1. There is under-diagnosis in the region due to lack of diagnosis, registries and/or lack of appropriate facilities in suburban areas. Most patients are referred to the haematologists by their families or primary care physicians, while some are identified during bleeding episodes. Genetic testing faces obstacles like resource constraints, services available at limited centres and unwillingness of patients to participate. Prophylaxis is offered for people with haemophilia (PWH) with a severe bleeding phenotype. Recombinant factors are approved in most countries across the region and are the preferred therapy. The challenges highlighted for not receiving a high standard of care include patients' reluctance to use an intravenous treatment, poor patient compliance due to frequency of infusions, budget constraints and lack of funding, insurance, availability and accessibility of factor concentrates. Prevalence of neutralizing antibodies ranged from 5% to 20% in the region. Use of immune tolerance induction and bypassing agents to treat inhibitors depends on their cost and availability., Conclusion: Haemophilia care in Asia has evolved to a great extent. However, some challenges remain for which a strategic approach along with multi-stakeholder involvement are needed., (© 2024 The Authors. Haemophilia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Molecular and dissociative hydrogen adsorption of transition metal (TM)-doped [Mo 3 S 13 ] 2- atomic clusters were investigated using density functional theory calculations. The introduced TM dopants form stable bonds with S atoms, preserving the geometric structure. The S-TM-S bridging bond emerges as the most stable configuration. The preferred adsorption sites were found to be influenced by various factors, such as the relative electronegativity, coordination number, and charge of the TM atom. Notably, the presence of these TM atoms remarkably improved the hydrogen adsorption activity. The dissociation of a single hydrogen molecule on TM[Mo 3 S 13 ] 2- clusters (TM = Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) is thermodynamically and kinetically favorable compared to their bare counterparts. The extent of favorability monotonically depends on the TM impurity, with a maximum activation barrier energy ranging from 0.62 to 1.58 eV, lower than that of the bare cluster (1.69 eV). Findings provide insights for experimental research on hydrogen adsorption using TM-doped molybdenum sulfide nanoclusters, with potential applications in the field of hydrogen energy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Four previously undescribed compounds named phyllancosides A and B (1 and 2), and phyllancochines A and B (3 and 4) together with ten known compounds (5-14) were isolated from the aerial parts of Phyllanthus cochinchinensis Spreng. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive analysis of IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compounds 3, 4, and 10 showed antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis, S. aureus, and B. cereus with the MIC values in range of 32-256 μg/mL. Compound 11 inhibited E. faecalis and B. cereus, and 7 inhibited S. aureus with the MIC values in range of 64-128 μg/mL. In addition, compounds 1, 3, 4, 8, and 9 showed significantly NO production inhibitory activity in LPS activated RAW 264.7 cells with IC 50 values ranging from 36.57 to 56.34 μM., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

In this study, the aerial parts of mature Vietnamese Euphorbia tithymaloides plants were put through cytotoxic, anti-diabetic, and phytocompositional evaluations. Specifically, four extracts (petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EA), methanol (Me), and aqueous (W)) were prepared by maceration at room temperature. All extracts, together with some isolated compounds, were investigated for cytotoxicity against some human normal and cancer cell lines (fibroblasts, HeLa, NCI-H460, HepG2, MCF-7, and Jurkat) using the standardized modified sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Additionally, the anti-diabetic activity of extracts and compounds was evaluated via their α-glucosidase inhibitory capacity. The obtained results indicated that Vietnamese E. tithymaloides extracts exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity, among which the PE extract possessed the highest values, on the NCI-H460 cell line. Second, the aqueous extract was revealed to possess very high α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC 50 = 113.75 ± 14.02 μg ml -1 ). From the PE extract, three new jatrophane diterpenoids (named tithymal A, tithymal B, and tithymal C) and two known ones were isolated and structurally elucidated using NMR and MS spectroscopies. Noticeably, tithymal A exhibited significantly high inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (IC 50 = 10.71 ± 0.52 μg ml -1 ). These observations have significantly highlighted the medicinal potential of Vietnamese E. tithymaloides and expanded its scientific fascination., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A chemical study of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Achyranthes aspera led to the isolation of four new flavonoid C-glycosides (1-4) along with eight known analogs (5-12). Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic data analysis, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. All the isolates were evaluated their NO production inhibitory activity in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. Compounds 2, 4, and 8-11 showed significant inhibition with IC 50 values ranging from 25.06 to 45.25 μM, compared to that of the positive control compound, L-NMMA, IC 50 value of 32.24 μM, whereas the remaining compounds were weak inhibitory activity with IC 50 values over 100 μM. This is the first report of 7 from Amaranthaceae family, and 11 from the genus Achyranthes., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Developing highly efficient and durable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts is crucial for addressing the energy and environmental challenges. Among the 2D-layered chalcogenides, MoSe 2 possesses superior features for HER catalysis. The van der Waals attractions and high surface energy, however, stack the MoSe 2 layers, resulting in a loss of edge active catalytic sites. In addition, MoSe 2 suffers from low intrinsic conductivity and weak electrical contact with active sites. To overcome the issues, this work presents a novel approach, wherein the in situ incorporated diethylene glycol solvent into the interlayers of MoSe 2 during synthesis when treated thermally in an inert atmosphere at 600 °C transformed into graphene (Gr). This widened the interlayer spacing of MoSe 2 , thereby exposing more HER active edge sites with high conductivity offered by the incorporated Gr. The resulting MoSe 2 -Gr composite exhibited a significantly enhanced HER catalytic activity compared to the pristine MoSe 2 in an acidic medium and demonstrated a superior HER catalytic activity compared to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst, particularly at a high current density beyond ca. 55 mA cm -2 . Additionally, the MoSe 2 -Gr catalyst demonstrated long-term electrochemical stability during HER. This work, thus, presents a facile and novel approach for obtaining an efficient MoSe 2 electrocatalyst applicable in green hydrogen production.

A comprehensive research of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emission from domestic waste incinerators in northern areas of Vietnam, were investigated. Sixty-four samples from two domestic waste incinerators were collected and analyzed for PAHs. The PAHs concentrations in the samples were determined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In April, June, September, and November 2021, Σ 16 PAHs mean concentrations in chimney air samples were 970.9 ± 57.4, 1061.9 ± 49.8, 1070.7 ± 41.3 and 1136.1 ± 136.5 µg m -3 , respectively. The mean emission factors of Σ 16 PAHs were 7.5 mg/kg. The mean percentages of low molecular weight PAHs were predominant in the analyzed air samples. The toxic equivalent quotient of samples ranged from 30.7 to 41.7 mg/kg, whereas the incremental lifetime cancer risk exceeded 10 - 3 . This results implied a high level of concern with potentially negative health consequences. The four diagnostic ratios of PAHs were found and can be used for identification of sources markers from domestic waste incinerators., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The Covid-19 pandemic poses a great damage to firm performance worldwide. It raises the empirical question that if any factor can help firm perform better during the pandemic. In this study, we hypothesize that firms holding more cash before the pandemic can perform better during the pandemic year in 2020. We collect all listed firms from Taiwan Stock Exchange and test this hypothesis. Adopting a panel-data regression models with fixed effects, we find supportive evidence that pre-saved cash is valuable and can help firms perform better during the pandemic. Cash-rich firms will have a higher return on equity and return on assets. The economic significance is also non-trivial. Our study thus contributes to our understanding of how the pandemic can affect firm business and which lesson we can learn from this pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

One new phenylpropanoid glycoside, tinosinen A ( 1 ) and 13 known compounds, tinosinen ( 2 ), citrusin B ( 3 ), picraquassioside C ( 4 ), erythro -guaiacylglycerol- β - O -4'-coniferyl alcohol ( 5 ), erythro -guaiacylglycerol-8- O -4'-(sinapyl alcohol) ether ( 6 ), erythro -syringylglycerol-8- O -4'-(sinapyl alcohol) ether ( 7 ), seco -isolariciresinol 9- O -D- β -glucopyranoside ( 8 ), tinosposide A ( 9 ), pinoresinol-4'- O-β -D-glucopyranoside ( 10 ), syringaresinol-4'- O - β -D-glucopyranoside ( 11 ), pinoresinol ( 12 ), syringaresinol ( 13 ), and lirioresino- β -dimethyl ether ( 14 ) were isolated from the stems of Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. Their structures were established by detailed spectroscopic studies and comparisons with those reported in the literature. Compound 13 showed significant inhibitory NO production (IC 50 value of 38.53 ± 1.90 μM) in RAW264.7 macrophages, LPS-stimulated. Compounds 3 - 7 , 11 , 12 , and 14 inhibited NO production with IC 50 values ranging from 38.53 to 99.07 μM.

A new furostane saponin, ramosaponin ( 1 ), and four known furostane saponins, protodioscin ( 2 ), dehydrotomatoside ( 3 ), (25  R )-26- O -( β -D-glucopyranosyl)-furost-5-ene-3 β ,22 α ,26-triol 3- O - β -D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)- β -D-galactopyranoside ( 4 ), and anguivioside A ( 5 ) were isolated from the methanol extract of Allium ramosum seeds. Their structures were identified based on spectroscopic evidence and comparison with those reported in the literature. All compounds were evaluated for reduction of lipid accumulation in HepG2 cell line. As a result, compound 1 showed significant lipid accumulation inhibitory activity with an IC 50 value of 64.32 ± 3.87 µM.

The trend of the treatment of solid domestic waste by the domestic waste incinerator system is an option to improve waste management and to reduce the negative impacts on the environment and human health. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (o-, m- and p-) (BTEX) are toxic chemical environmental contaminants that are released from different sources such as the domestic waste incinerator system. To determine the concentration of BTEX in the ambient air from these incinerator areas, the research team conducted four sampling campaigns in April, June, September, and November 2021, with a total of 80 samples collected. Concentrations of benzene, toluene, (m,p)-xylenes, o- xylenes and ethylbenzene ranged from 4.53 to 36.75 µg/m 3 , from 16.29 µg/m 3 to 125.36 µg/m 3 , from 2.82 µg/m 3 to 31.45 µg/m 3 , from 1.42 µg/m 3 to 25.61 µg/m 3 , from 1.32 µg/m 3 to 10.79 µg/m 3 , respectively. As a result of the risk assessment, it was determined that the incinerator's exhaust gas caused secondary environmental damage, impacting the health of not only workers but also people living in nearby communities. On that basis, the article recommends applying a number of management measures to minimize the negative impacts of the operation of the solid waste incinerator on the environment and the health of the workers operating the incinerator., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In this work, a new facile one-spot method has been designed to fabricate a magnetic recyclable Fe 3 O 4 /rice husk biochar photocatalyst (FBP) for the removal of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) in aqueous solution. This method combines ultrasonic-assisted impregnation and precipitation, which can overcome the difficulties of long-time reactions, complex procedures, and extreme condition requirements. The successful fabrication of the Fe 3 O 4 /biochar material has been proven by a series of material characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Moreover, the as-product FBP exhibited the excellent ability of photodegrading CIP and the possibility of magnetic recovery from the aqueous solution, suggesting a potential solution for removing antibiotic pollutants in environmental remediation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Increasing interest has been paid for hydrogen adsorption on atomically controlled nanoalloys due to their potential applications in catalytic processes and energy storage. In this work, we investigate the interaction of H 2 with small-sized Ag n Cr ( n = 1-12) using density functional theory calculations. It is found that the cluster structures are preserved during the adsorption of H 2 either molecularly or dissociatively. Ag 3 Cr-H 2 , Ag 6 Cr-H 2 , and Ag 9 Cr-H 2 clusters are identified to be relatively more stable from computed binding energies and second-order energy difference. The dissociation of adsorbed H 2 on Ag 2 Cr, Ag 3 Cr, Ag 6 Cr, and Ag 7 Cr clusters is favored both thermodynamically and kinetically. The dissociative adsorption is unlikely to occur because of a considerable energy barrier before reaching the final state for Ag 4 Cr or due to energetic preferences for n = 1, 5, and 8-12 species. Comprehensive analysis shows that the geometric structure of clusters, the relative electronegativity, and the coordination number of the Cr impurity play a decisive role in determining the preferred adsorption configuration., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background: African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable viral disease of pigs and wild boars that could lead to serious economic losses for the swine industry., Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors in the early phase of ASF outbreaks in Vietnamese swine herds during the first epidemic year., Methods: The period of interest for this case-control study was February to July 2019. A questionnaire was administered in northern Vietnam where all early cases of ASF were reported. Producers of herds with reported cases were asked to provide information starting from the day of onset of clinical signs as well as 30 days prior to that day. The period of interest for controls was within the 6 months of the first outbreak in Vietnam (February 2019). Questionnaires included 55 questions; responses were received from 67 cases and 115 controls. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with ASF status., Results: Thirty-seven variables of interest (among a total of 55 variables) were associated with ASF status in univariate analysis (p < 0.05). These 37 variables were assessed for inclusion in the multivariate analysis by backward stepwise selection. Six variables remained significant as ASF risk factors in the final model: distance to farm within 500 m, distance of irrigation systems within 200 m, total number of pigs (≤500), absence of dressing rooms for workers/visitors before entering the farm, poor hygienic practices for people within the farm, and poor hygienic practices at pig loading/unloading locations., Conclusions: These results may help in understanding the epidemiology of ASF in Vietnam and provide a scientific basis for optimization of current interventions and development of new tools and strategies to reduce transmission of ASF., (© 2022 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In the present study, tissue samples collected from 130 ducks from clinically suspected commercial flocks and diseased birds in six provinces of northern Vietnam were tested for duck circovirus (DuCV) infection. The DuCV genome was detected in 56 out of 130 (43.08%) duck samples by PCR. Of 38 tested farms, 26 (68.42%) were positive for the DuCV genome. The rate of the DuCV genome detection in ducks at 3-4 weeks of age (54.17%) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that at <3 (32.43%) and >7 (33.33%) weeks of age and insignificantly higher than that at 5-7 weeks of age (43.33%) (p = 0.11). The genomes of six Vietnamese DuCV isolates were determined. They ranged in length from 1,988 to 1,995 nucleotides, and their nucleotide sequences were 83.24% to 99.69% identical to each other. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome sequences indicated that the DuCV strains circulating in northern Vietnam can be divided into two main genotypes (I and II) and several subgenotypes. The Vietnamese DuCV isolates were closely related to Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean strains. One positively selected site was detected in the capsid protein., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: An endotracheal tube cuff pressure between 20 and 30 cmH2O is recommended to prevent ventilator-associated respiratory infection (VARI). We aimed to evaluate whether continuous cuff pressure control (CPC) was associated with reduced VARI incidence compared with intermittent CPC., Methods: We conducted a multicenter open-label randomized controlled trial in intensive care unit (ICU) patients within 24 hours of intubation in Vietnam. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either continuous CPC using an automated electronic device or intermittent CPC using a manually hand-held manometer. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of VARI, evaluated by an independent reviewer blinded to the CPC allocation., Results: We randomized 600 patients; 597 received the intervention or control and were included in the intention to treat analysis. Compared with intermittent CPC, continuous CPC did not reduce the proportion of patients with at least one episode of VARI (74/296 [25%] vs 69/301 [23%]; odds ratio [OR] 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] .77-1.67]. There were no significant differences between continuous and intermittent CPC concerning the proportion of microbiologically confirmed VARI (OR 1.40; 95% CI .94-2.10), the proportion of intubated days without antimicrobials (relative proportion [RP] 0.99; 95% CI .87-1.12), rate of ICU discharge (cause-specific hazard ratio [HR] 0.95; 95% CI .78-1.16), cost of ICU stay (difference in transformed mean [DTM] 0.02; 95% CI -.05 to .08], cost of ICU antimicrobials (DTM 0.02; 95% CI -.25 to .28), cost of hospital stay (DTM 0.02; 95% CI -.04 to .08), and ICU mortality risk (OR 0.96; 95% CI .67-1.38)., Conclusions: Maintaining CPC through an automated electronic device did not reduce VARI incidence., Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02966392., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitors are potential anticancer drugs in the treatment of lymphoma, leukemia, thrombocytosis and particularly myeloproliferative diseases. However, the resemblance among JAK family members has challenged the identification of highly selective inhibitors for JAK2 to reduce undesired side effects. As a result, a robust search for promising JAK2 inhibitors using a computational approach that can effectively nominate new potential candidates to be further analyzed through laborious experimental operations has become necessary. In this study, the binding affinities of JAK2 inhibitors were rapidly and precisely estimated using the fast pulling of ligand (FPL) simulations combined with a modified linear interaction energy (LIE) method. The approach correlates with the experimental binding affinities of JAK2 inhibitors with a correlation coefficient of R = 0.82 and a root-mean-square error of 0.67 kcal•mol -1 . The data reveal that the FPL/LIE method is highly approximate in anticipating the relative binding free energies of known JAK2 inhibitors with an affordable consumption of computational resources, and thus, it is very promising to be applied in in silico screening for new potential JAK2 inhibitors from a large number of molecules available., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Anomalous origin of the right pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta (AORPA), sometimes referred to as hemitruncus, is a rare malformation. We report a unique case of AORPA associated with Ebstein's anomaly and with congenital tracheal stenosis due to complete tracheal rings. The AORPA and tracheal stenosis were both successfully corrected in the neonatal period.

Three new isomalabaricanes (1-3), a new α-pyrone derivative (4), together with four known isomalabaricane analogs rhabdastrellin G (5), isogeoditin A (6), stelliferin A (7), and (13 E )-isogeoditin A (8) were isolated from the marine sponge Rhabdastrella globostellata . Their chemical structures were determined by HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data analysis. The absolute configurations were identified by Mo 2 (OAc) 4 induced ECD spectra and TD-DFT theoretical calculated ECD spectra. Compound 6 exhibited weak cytotoxic effects against HepG2 and SKMel2 cell lines with the IC 50 values of 7.53 ± 0.70 and 9.93 ± 0.95 μM, respectively., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Endophytes can generate a cornucopia of marvelous bioactive secondary metabolites useful for mankind but their biodiversity and associations with host plants are still elusive. In this study, we explored the culturable endophytic microorganisms associated with 14 medicinal plants that are of high socio-economic value and/or reportedly endemic to northern Vietnam. Specifically, we isolated the endophytic microorganisms by applying surface sterilization methods and identified them based on morphological and rDNA sequence analyses. Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to analyze the correlations between the taxonomic affiliations of the culturable endophytes and the characteristics of their hosts. Most of the culturable endophytes obtained were bacteria (80), and few of those were actinomycetes (15) and fungi (8). Many of them are reported to be endophytes of medicinal plants for the first time. A number of plants (5) are also reported for the first time to contain microbial endophytes, while some plants with powerful pharmaceutical potential harbor unique endophytes. Furthermore, our results reveal a strikingly close relation between the compositions of bacterial and fungal isolates from plants having anti-bacterial activity and those from plants having anti-inflammatory activity, or between the compositions of the microbial endophytic isolates from plants having anti-cancer activity and those from plants having antioxidant activity. Altogether, the results provide new findings which can be inspiring for further in-depth studies to explore and exploit the relationships between medicinal plants and their associated endophytes in northern Vietnam and world-wide., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Polymer ingredients are commonly found in personal care and cosmetic industry and their "leakages" into the environment have recently been warned as an emerging environmental risk. Daily use of personal care and cosmetic products can inadvertently release large amounts of polymer ingredients into water courses. However, their fate and interaction with other constituents, especially colloids (e.g., clays), have not been fully understood. This study primarily evaluates the colloidal dynamics of soil clays under the presence of polyacrylate crosspolymer-11 (PC11) (a common ingredient of cosmetic and personal care products) with the aim of identifying possible induced changes in the clay-accumulated environments, e.g., soil and sediment. The test-tube experiments were coupled with a particle charge detector to mutually evaluate the colloidal dynamics and surface charge properties of the soil clays. It was revealed that adsorption of PC11 onto the clays shifted clay surface to more negative, thereby intensifying repulsive force and favouring the dispersion state of the soil clays. This implies that various polymer ingredients can act in the same way in stabilizing clay dispersion or even altering the fate of the soil clays. As the growing consumption of personal care and cosmetic products will likely continue, it requires a tighter consideration of the possible impacts of polymer ingredient residues, not limited to dispersion-induced effects, in various clay-accumulated environments such as paddy fields, river mouths or mangroves., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author declares that he has no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The androgen receptor (AR) has recently emerged as a useful marker for the more favorable prognosis and better outcomes among women with estrogen receptor (ER) + ve breast cancer (BC) and the further refinement of BC subtype. Furthermore, AR expression in ER - ve tumors has a particular prognostic significance. Additionally, the ratio of nuclear AR to ER may critically have an influence on tumor biology and respond to endocrine therapy. Purpose: To define the AR expression and AR:ER ratio, and explored their correlation with the clinicopathological features, prognosis, and survival outcomes in the various subclasses of invasive BC. Methods: The current study was conducted on 522 BC patients who had surgical operations, without neoadjuvant chemotherapy by applying a retrospective cohort analysis. The clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on AR, ER, PR, HER2, and Ki67. Expression of AR was paired into different immunophenotypes for analysis with clinicopathological features and survival. All BC patients' survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank models. Results: The presence of AR was detected in 65.3%. Positive AR, the ratio of AR:ER<2, luminal androgen receptor (LAR) + and AR + HER2 + immunophenotypes were significantly associated with better prognostic features. AR:ER<2 was observed in the prolonged overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (87.9 and 86.2%, respectively) compared to AR:ER≥2 (25.0% in both) ( P  < .001). In contrast, in HR + ve BCs, the AR expression was not significantly correlated with survival. The multivariate model revealed that the ratio of nuclear AR to ER remained as an independent prognostic variable. Conclusion: The AR expression had a distinct OS and DFS. The AR:ER ratio is an independent indicator for predicting the OS and DFS of BC patients in both univariate and multivariate analyses.

Geometrical and electronic structures of the 13-atom clusters Al x Sc y with x + y = 13, as well as their thermodynamic stabilities were investigated using DFT calculations. Both anionic and neutral isomers of Al x Sc y were found to retain an icosahedral shape of both Al 13 and Sc 13 systems in which an Al atom occupies the endohedral central position of the icosahedral cage, irrespective of the number of Al atoms present. Such a phenomenon occurs to maximize the number of stronger Al-Al and Sc-Al bonds instead of the weaker Sc-Sc bonds. NBO analyses were applied to examine their electron configurations and rationalize the large number of open shells and thereby high multiplicities of the mixed clusters having more than three Sc atoms. The SOMOs are the molecular orbitals belonged to the irreducible representations of the symmetry point group of the clusters studied, rather than to the cluster electron shells. Evaluation of the average binding energies showed that the thermodynamic stability of Al x Sc y clusters is insignificantly altered as the number y goes from 0 to 7 and then steadily decreases when y attains the 7-13 range. Increase of the Sc atom number also reduces the electron affinities of the binary Al x Sc y clusters, and thus they gradually lose the superhalogen characteristics with respect to the pure Al 13 ., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Ten triterpenoid glycosides including two undescribed compounds ( 1 and 2 ) were isolated from the methanol extract of Allium ascalonicum rhizomes. These compounds were structurally elucidated to be 3 β - O - α -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-19 α -hydroxyolean-12-ene-28-oic acid 28- O -[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)- β -D-glucopyranosyl] ester ( 1 ), 3- O - β -D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-[ α- L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]- α- L-arabinopyranosyl-3 β ,19 α -dihydroxyoleanane-12-en-28-oic acid ( 2 ), lactifoloside C ( 3 ), lactifoloside H ( 4 ), randiasaponin IV ( 5 ), kudinoside G ( 6 ), ilexkudinoside W ( 7 ), lactifoloside G ( 8 ), kudinoside D ( 9 ), and ilexkudinoside T ( 10 ) by analyzing their HR-ESI-MS, NMR spectral data and by comparison with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1 - 10 were evaluated for anoctamin-1 (ANO1) inhibitory activity using yellow fluorescent protein reduction assays. At the concentration of 30 µM, compounds 2 and 9 displayed moderate ANO1 inhibitory percentages of 28.9 ± 0.85% and 26.2 ± 0.65%, respectively.

Extensive phytochemical investigation of Schisandra sphenanthera leaves resulted in the isolation of six highly oxygenated nortriterpenoids ( 1-6 ) and five lignans ( 7-11 ) including a new pre-schisanartane-type, schisandrathera A ( 1 ), a new dibenzocyclooctadiene glycoside, schisandrathera B ( 7 ) and two new lignans, schisandrathera C ( 8 ) and schisandrathera D ( 9 ). Their chemical structures including absolute configurations were determined extensively by means of HR-ESI-MS, NMR, and ECD spectra. In addition, all isolated compounds were tested for cytotoxic activity against PC3 (prostate cancer) and MCF7 (breast cancer) cell lines. Among these compounds, schirubrisin B ( 3 ) showed strong cytotoxic effect on both PC3 and MCF7 cell lines with IC 50 values of 3.21 ± 0.68, 13.30 ± 0.68 μM, respectively, whereas ten remaining compounds were found to be less effective in the investigated models.

Binary clusters of transition-metal and noble-metal elements have been gathering momentum for not only advanced fundamental understanding but also potential as elementary blocks of novel nanostructured materials. In this regard, the geometries, electronic structures, stability, and magnetic properties of Cr-doped Cu n , Ag n , and Au n clusters ( n = 2-20) have been systematically studied by means of density functional theory calculations. It is found that the structural evolutions of CrCu n and CrAg n clusters are identical. The icosahedral CrCu 12 and CrAg 12 are crucial sizes for doped copper and silver species. Small CrAu n clusters prefer the planar geometries, while the larger ones appear as on the way to establish the tetrahedral CrAu 19 . Our results show that while each noble atom contributes one s valence electron to the cluster shell, the number of chromium delocalized electrons is strongly size-dependent. The localization and delocalization behavior of 3d orbitals of the chromium decide how they participate in metallic bonding, stabilize the cluster, and give rise to and eventually quench the spin magnetic moment. Moreover, molecular orbital analysis in combination with a qualitative interpretation using the phenomenological shell model is applied to reveal the complex interplay between geometric structure, electronic structure, and magnetic moment of clusters. The finding results are expected to provide greater insight into how a host material electronic structure influences the geometry, stability, and formation of spin magnetic moments in doped systems., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

This work emphasizes the effect of the physical activation using CO 2 and steam agents on the physicochemical properties of activated carbon produced from Dicranopteris linearis (D. linearis), a fern species widely distributed across tropic and subtropic ecoregions. The D. linearis-derived chars produced under pyrolysis at 400 °C for 1 h were activated in various CO 2 -steam proportions. As revealed by the IR and Raman spectra, the structure of the activated chars was heavily dependent on the relative proportion of CO 2 and steam. The total specific surface area (SSA) of the activated chars proportionally increased with the increase in steam proportion and was comparable to the values of commercial activated char products. Specifically, the activation under CO 2 - and steam-saturated conditions has correspondingly resulted in SSA increasing from 89 to 653 m 2 g -1 and from 89 to 1015 m 2 g -1 . Steam also enhanced the development of mesoporous structures of the D. linearis-derived char products, thereby extending their potential applications, particularly for industries that require high rigidity in the product such as pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors., (© 2021. The Author(s).)