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Although widely used in the textile industry, methyl orange is considered one of the most toxic dyes, which have negative impacts on the aquatic environment and needs to be removed from water bodies. Hence, the present paper reports the synthesis of new floating photo-Fenton catalysts based on the immobilization of Fe2O3 nanoparticles on the surface of Luffa sponges for the oxalate-induced-degradation of methyl orange. The floating catalytic sponges were prepared through a simple precipitation method followed by a reflux heating process and then characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic absorption spectrometry, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments. According to the experimental results, methyl orange was effectively degraded over our floating catalytic sponges under light illumination at near neutral pH. The catalytic activity was also found to be enhanced with the increase in crystallinity of Fe2O3 nanoparticles, which can be achieved by the reflux heating. Besides, owing to the floating feature, these sponges are easily separated from the solution, thereby not forming a secondary source of pollution for water

Introduction: External quality assessment is a crucial component in ensuring the quality of blood transfusion testing laboratories. Objectives: To develop a procedure for generating external quality assessment items for blood transfusion testing to evaluate participants' performance. Methods: Experimental research was conducted at Quality Control Center for Medical laboratory- University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Three items, including red blood cell, serum, and atypical antibody serum samples, were assessed for homogeneity and stability; 5 assessment areas, including ABO grouping, Rh grouping, compatible cross matches, Coombs test, and screening of atypical antibodies, were utilized to evaluate the performance of 38 participants in the 2020-2021 period. Results: Red blood cell and serum samples maintained quality for a specific period at controlled temperatures, while serum samples with atypical antibodies showed stability at different temperatures. The participants demonstrated high satisfactory performance in ABO grouping, Rh grouping, Coombs test, and screening for atypical antibodies. However, the most unsatisfactory performance was reported in crossmatching, with 15% of participants unsatisfactory results. Conclusion: The procedure of production of proficiency testing items has been successfully developed, and its application at the national level is suggested to improve the quality of blood transfusion laboratories.

The abstract is an integral part of a scientific paper. Despite the importance of abstracts, very little research has investigated the vocabulary size needed to read abstracts in scientific papers. This present study analyzed the lexical profile of 26 million words from approximately 100,000 scholarly abstracts across 10 major subjects of science. The results showed that the vocabulary size of the most frequent 7,000 and 15,000 word families in the British National Corpus/Corpus of Contemporary American English (BNC/COCA) word list plus proper nouns, marginal words, transparent compounds, acronyms were needed to gain 95% and 98% coverage of the abstract corpus, respectively. However, data from cross-disciplinary analyses demonstrated significant differences in the lexical demands between abstracts of different fields of study. The 570 word families in the Academic Word List were found to make up for 13.77% of the words in the corpus. Implications for the use of abstracts in language classrooms were discussed.

Abstract CCNE1 amplification is a recurrent alteration associated with unfavourable outcome in tubo‐ovarian high‐grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). We aimed to investigate whether immunohistochemistry (IHC) can be used to identify CCNE1 amplification status and to validate whether CCNE1 high‐level amplification and overexpression are prognostic in HGSC. A testing set of 528 HGSC samples stained with two optimised IHC assays (clones EP126 and HE12) was subjected to digital image analysis and visual scoring. DNA and RNA chromogenic in situ hybridisation for CCNE1 were performed. IHC cut‐off was determined by receiver operating characteristics (ROC). Survival analyses (endpoint ovarian cancer specific survival) were performed and validated in an independent validation set of 764 HGSC. Finally, combined amplification/expression status was evaluated in cases with complete data (n = 1114). CCNE1 high‐level amplification was present in 11.2% of patients in the testing set and 10.2% in the combined cohort. The optimal cut‐off for IHC to predict CCNE1 high‐level amplification was 60% positive tumour cells with at least 5% strong staining cells (sensitivity 81.6%, specificity 77.4%). CCNE1 high‐level amplification and overexpression were associated with survival in the testing and validation set. Combined CCNE1 high‐level amplification and overexpression was present in 8.3% of patients, mutually exclusive to germline BRCA1/2 mutation and significantly associated with a higher risk of death in multivariate analysis adjusted for age, stage and cohort (hazard ratio = 1.78, 95 CI% 1.38–2.26, p

The W isotopic compositions have been investigated within the classical approach to the s-process nucleosynthesis. The Maxwellian averaged neutron capture cross-sections (MACS) adopted in the calculation are obtained from the TALYS-1.9 code with four nuclear level density models: the constant temperature plus Fermi gas, the back-shifted Fermi gas, the generalised superfluid, and the microscopic method of Goriely. The results show that the uncertainty from MACS values is already propagated in the W isotopic ratios, and the generalised superfluid prediction exhibits the largest deviation from the observed 182W/184W ratio. In addition, since branching points have not been considered in this work, the MACS values of the 182W(n,γ)183W reaction are found not to affect the estimated 183W/184W ratio.

Background and aims – Biomonitoring is an important tool for assessing river water quality, but is not routinely applied in tropical rivers. Marked hydrological changes can occur between wet and dry season conditions in the tropics. Thus, a prerequisite for ecological assessment is that the influence of ‘natural’ hydrological change on biota can be distinguished from variability driven by water quality parameters of interest. Here we aimed to (a) assess seasonal changes in water quality, diatoms and algal assemblages from river phytoplankton and artificial substrates through the dry-wet season transition (February–July 2018) in the Red River close to Hanoi and (b) evaluate the potential for microscopic counts and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments for biomonitoring in large tropical rivers.Methods – River water (phytoplankton) and biofilms grown on artificial glass substrates were sampled monthly through the dry (February–April) to wet (May–August) season transition and analysed via microscopic and HPLC techniques.Key results – All phototrophic communities shifted markedly between the dry and wet seasons. Phytoplankton concentrations were low (c. thousands of cells/mL) and declined as the wet season progressed. The dominant phytoplankton taxa were centric diatoms (Aulacoseira granulata and Aulacoseira distans) and chlorophytes (Scenedesmus and Pediastrum spp.), with chlorophytes becoming more dominant in the wet season. Biofilm diatoms were dominated by Melosira varians, and areal densities declined in the wet season when fast-growing pioneer diatom taxa (e.g. Achnanthidium minutissimum, Planothidium lanceolatum) and non-degraded Chlorophyll a concentrations increased, suggesting active phytobenthos growth in response to scour damage. Otherwise, a-phorbins were very abundant in river seston and biofilms indicating in situ Chlorophyll a degradation which may be typical of tropical river environments. The very large range of total suspended solids (reaching > 120 mg/L) and turbidity appears to be a key driver of photoautotrophs through control of light availability.Conclusions – Hydrological change and associated turbidity conditions exceed nutrient influences on photoautotrophs at inter-seasonal scales in this part of the Red River. Inter-seasonal differences might be a useful measure for biomonitoring to help track how changes in suspended solids, a major water quality issue in tropical rivers, interact with other variables of interest.

Background/purpose: Individuals with low income bear a number of health challenges to healthcare services. Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) is known to be a low-income community in a metropolitan city. Because it is difficult to reach, the oral health (OH) status of these residents is unknown. The objectives of this study are (1) to design a tool and strategy to collect OH information in a low-income community, (2) to characterize the OH status and related factors among low-income adults, and (3) to identify the explanatory factors for their OH status. Materials and methods: Mobile screening clinics were established in the gathering centers of the DTES, and those of 19 years of age or older were recruited. Data were collected through survey interviews and clinical examinations. Potential explanatory factors were investigated by regression analysis. Results: The 356 screened participants were mostly males, middle-aged, less educated, and living with low income (≤CAD$20,000/y). About 80% had dental coverage, mostly from public programs (94%). Many (86%) perceived a dental need. Among dentate participants (n=306), on average, 3.8 decayed, 8.6 missing, 4.9 filled teeth, and a care index of 41.5% were observed. Social factors (barriers to care and length of DTES residence), dental hygiene (brushing/flossing), and personal (hepatitis C virus infection/methadone usage) factors contributed to their care index level. Conclusion: This is the first time that comprehensive information regarding OH status has been collected from a low-income, inner-city community in Canada. Further investigations in the challenges and needs in accessing dental care may develop solutions for better OH in similar communities.

A region on chromosome 19p13 is associated with the risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer. Here, the authors genotyped SNPs in this region in thousands of breast and ovarian cancer patients and identified SNPs associated with three genes, which were analysed with functional studies.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a major concern with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, even with the current knowledge and the advancement in treatment. OSCCs diagnosed at late-stage often require wide-excision with or without neck dissection, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. When deemed successful, treatment often results in diminished quality of life, impaired function, and disfigurement. Strategies for early detection are urgently needed for patients afflicted with this disease. Inflammatory protein plasma biomarkers have shown to be potential tests for early detection and disease monitoring in several cancers. There has been no study on inflammation-related plasma biomarkers in OSCC. The objectives of the study were to use a multiplex approach to screen plasma-derived biomarkers and to examine the association of measurable proteins with OSCC. A total of 260 plasma samples (210 OSCC and 50 normal controls) were collected to measure for concentration of inflammatory related biomarkers using electrochemiluminescence multiplex assay. After screening of 82 potential biomarkers of the first 160 OSCC, 16 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were identified and verified in the second set of samples containing 50 OSCC and 50 normal. After adjustment of age and batch effects, the adjusted differential expression analysis showed that the OSCCs were markedly lower in 14 biomarkers and significantly higher level of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1Ra). By performing unsupervised clustering analysis, we observed distinctive groups of normal and two subgroups of OSCC. Linear regression of IL2, IL1Ra, and macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) showed high accuracy in classifying OSCC with sensitivity of 0.96 and specificity of 0.92. In conclusion, this is the first paper to identify potential inflammatory plasma protein biomarkers of patients with OSCC. With further validation, the set of biomarkers can potentially be used to assist in early detection of OSCC when the disease is localized and in more treatable stage.

BACKGROUND: Geographical variation and temporal trends in the incidence of esophageal and gastric cancers vary according to both tumour morphology and organ subsite. Both diseases are among the deadliest forms of cancer. The incidence and survival rates for gastric and esophageal carcinoma in British Columbia (BC) between 1990 and 1999 are described.

The poor survival of adenocarcinomas of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) makes them clinically important. Discovery of host genetic factors that affect outcome may guide more individualized treatment. This study tests whether constitutional genetic variants in matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) genes are associated with outcome of GEJ adenocarcinoma. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at four TIMP (TIMP1-4) and three MMP genes (MMP2, MMP7 and MMP9) were genotyped in DNA samples from a prospective cohort of patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the GEJ admitted to the British Columbia Cancer Agency. Cox proportional hazards regression, with adjustment for patient, disease and treatment variables, was used to estimate the association of SNPs with survival. Genotypes for 85 samples and 48 SNPs were analyzed. Four SNPs across TIMP3, (rs130274, rs715572, rs1962223 and rs5754312) were associated with survival. Interaction analyses revealed that the survival associations with rs715572 and rs5754312 are specific and significant for 5FU+cisplatin treated patients. Sanger sequencing of the TIMP3 coding and promoter regions revealed an additional SNP, rs9862, also associated with survival. TIMP3 genetic variants are associated with survival and may be potentially useful in optimizing treatment strategies for individual patients.

Environmental and materials scientists are becoming more interested in catalytic materials for use in filtration and remediation of contaminated gas.. In this study, Ag/SnO2 catalysts were adorned onto a polypropylene (PP) membrane to eliminate nitrogen oxide (NOx) gas. The catalyst-coated membrane achieved an efficiency of 63.62% and exhibited a low generation of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), just 2.51%. It is noteworthy that even after five cycle experiments, the Ag/SnO2/PP catalytic membrane showed remarkable resilience, retaining a high removal efficiency of approximately 58.2%. Furthermore, the catalytic membrane demonstrated a positive trend in transforming NOx into eco-friendly products, hence decreasing the generation of NO2 byproducts. These encouraging findings demonstrate the Ag/SnO2 catalysts' potential for treating contaminated gasses in the near future in catalytic membrane technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of vacuum pressure mode has not been studied depth yet. Effect of vacuum pressure on the quality of vacuum‐fried banana slices was studies in this work. Three vacuum frying processes were conducted and tested. Classically, two constant vacuum pressures 80 (CVF‐80) and 180 mmHg (CVF‐180) were applied in the frying process at 90°C. One novel frying method with gradient vacuum pressure (GVF) changed from 760 to 80 mmHg was conducted and adapted. The frying temperature was kept at 90°C. The frying processes were monitoring by moisture contents and 4% was generally accepted as moisture content of final product. Meanwhile, the frying times of CVF‐80, CVF‐180 and GVF were 50, 80 and 60 min, whereas the brightness values (L*) were corresponded to 71.07, 71.36, 67.25, respectively. The GVF samples were brightest with lowest hardness value (30.8 N) and the CVF‐180 was darkest with highest hardness value (36.87 N). The microstructure analysis showed that the GVF increase in both size and number of pores in comparison with CVF. Additionally, based on the paired comparison sensorial test the GVF fried banana slices were crisper than CVF samples. Our results revealed that the GVF method improves the quality of vacuum‐fried banana slices, thus it can be good alternative method for production of banana snack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By drawing on institutional theory and new public management (NPM) theory, this study examines the intervening roles of performance measurement systems (PMS) and financial autonomy on the relationship between top management support (TMS) and the performance of public organizations in an emerging market. The research model and hypotheses have been tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with 219 survey responses from accountants and managers working in public sector organizations (PSOs) in Vietnam. Results support both direct and indirect relationships between TMS and performance through PMS. Analysis shows that financial autonomy is the moderating variable for the relationship (1) between TMS and PMS, and (2) between PMS and organizational performance. From these findings, this study proposes theoretical and managerial implications to improve TMS and PMS to enhance performance in Vietnam's public organizations. This paper especially suggests that policymakers in developing countries reform financial autonomy and the market principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superspreading events occur when a few persons infect a larger number of secondary persons with whom they have contact (1,2). For severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), an [R.sub.0] [...]

Worldwide, the annual incidence of acute encephalitis in nonoutbreak settings during 1983-2000 ranged from 0.07 to 12.6 cases/100,000 population (1). According to the World Health Organization, meningitis caused 379,000 deaths [...]

Since 1997, hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has emerged as a serious childhood infection in the Asia-Pacific region (1,2) with the potential of spreading to other parts of the [...]

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71)-associated hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a major problem in Asia. With >1 million cases reported across the region annually, HFMD is attributed to large numbers [...]

This study examines the effect of real earnings management (REM) on earnings persistence and informativeness and also considered in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. REM is quantified by two aggregate metrics. The sample consists of 2256 firm‐year observations of listed companies in Vietnam from 2016 to 2021. We find evidence that REM is negatively associated with the persistence of earnings and its components, with REM affecting cash flows more strongly than accruals. We also find that REM limits the relationship between current earnings and future cash flows. Furthermore, when confronted with the COVID‐19 pandemic, the effect of REM on earnings quality does not improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]