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Thi Nhi Ha Tran,1,&ast; Quoc Thanh Pham,2,&ast; Lien Huong Tran,3 Tuan Anh Vu,4 Minh Tu Nguyen,5 Hung Tien Pham,6 Thanh Tong Le,7 Thi Thu Ha Bui8 1Management Board, Department of Health, Hanoi, Vietnam; 2Center of Digital Health, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam; 3Management Board, Saint Paul Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam; 4Medicine Department, Agriculture General Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam; 5Management Board, Phuc Tho hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam; 6Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam; 7Student, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam; 8Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Quoc Thanh Pham, Center of Digital health, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam, Tel +840 978502383, Fax +84 024 62662385, Email pqt@huph.edu.vnIntroduction: Patient safety culture (PSC) is a vital component in ensuring high-quality and safe patient care. Assessment of physicians’ and nurses’ perceptions of existing hospital PSC is the first step to promoting PSC. This paper is aimed to assess physicians’ and nurses’ perceptions of PSC in 5 public general hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam.Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 410 physicians and 824 nurses utilizing the validated Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture in an online format.Results: The composite positive physician’s perception of PSC varied from 47.8 to 89.6% with the lowest composite score of patient safety for “staffing” (47.8%) and the highest composite score for “teamwork within units” (89.6%). The composite positive responses for perception among nurses varied from 51.3 to 94.2% with the lowest composite score of patient safety for “staffing” (51.3%) and the highest composite score for “teamwork within units” (94.2%).Conclusion: The mean scores for “supervisor/manager expectations”; “staffing”, “management support for patient safety”, “teamwork across units”, “handoffs and transitions” among nurses were significantly higher than that among physicians (p< 0.05). About two-thirds of physicians and nurses reported no event in the past 12 months (62.8 and 71.7%, respectively). The nurses reported significantly higher patient grades (every good and excellent) than physicians (75% vs 67.1%, p < 0.001). Hospitals could develop and implement intervention programs to improve patient safety, including providing interventions on teamwork and communication, encouraging staff to notify incidents, and avoiding punitive responses.Keywords: patient safety culture, hospital, physicians, nurses

Quang Tuan Pham,1 Thua Nguyen Tran,2 Thanh Thuy Le-Thi,1 Anh Khoa Phan,3 Anh Vu Nguyen4 1Cardiology Department, Hue Central Hospital, Hue City, Vietnam; 2Department of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Hue Central Hospital, Hue City, Vietnam; 3Emergency Department of Cardiovascular Intervention, Hue Central Hospital, Hue City, Vietnam; 4Cardiovascular Center, Hospital of University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue City, VietnamCorrespondence: Thua Nguyen Tran, Department of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Hue Central Hospital, Hue City, Vietnam, Tel +84 903597695, Email tranthuanguyen23@gmail.comObjectives: To assess left ventricular diastolic function by using echocardiography in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and the relationship between left ventricular diastolic function and left ventricular dilatation, New York Heart Association (NYHA) heart failure index, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular fractional shortening.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with primary dilated cardiomyopathy hospitalized in Hue Central Hospital from April 2018 to August 2020.Results: The mean end-diastolic left ventricular volume was 133.57± 31.58 mL and the mean end-systolic left ventricular volume was 99.9± 26.03 mL. The mean left atrial volume was 61.63± 27.13 mL. The mean end-diastolic and end-systolic left ventricular diameters were 66.11± 7.3 mm and 57.7± 8.02 mm, respectively. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 24.68± 5.97%. The mean left ventricular fractional shortening was 12.91± 4.55%. The highest rate was grade II diastolic dysfunction (44.6%), followed by grade III diastolic dysfunction (35.8%) and grade I diastolic dysfunction at 19.6%. There was a moderate positive correlation between the left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and the NYHA class of heart failure with r=0.445, p< 0.001. All dilated cardiomyopathy patients in the study group had mainly grade II–III severe diastolic dysfunction.Conclusions: Routine evaluation of diastolic function in patients with heart failure can help in elucidation of pathogenesis and management of patients. This dysfunction was clearly demonstrated by the change in the parameters of the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function on echocardiography according to the 2016 ASE/EACVI recommendations, a new recommendation introduced to approach the assessment of diastolic function in a more convenient and easier way.Keywords: dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction

Huong Thi Le,1 Thao Thi Phuong Nguyen,2,3 Corey Jacinto,4 Cuong Tat Nguyen,2,3 Linh Gia Vu,2,3 Hien Thu Nguyen,2,3 Minh Ngoc Le Vu,5 Xuan Thi Thanh Le,1 Thao Thanh Nguyen,1 Quan Thi Pham,1 Nhung Thi Kim Ta,1 Quynh Thi Nguyen,1 Carl A Latkin,6 Cyrus SH Ho,7,8 Roger CM Ho7,9 1Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam; 2Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam; 3Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam; 4Department of Health Policy & Management, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 5Institute of Health Economics and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam; 6Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; 7Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; 8Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore; 9Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, SingaporeCorrespondence: Cuong Tat Nguyen, Duy Tan University, 254 Nguyen Van Linh Street, Da Nang, 550000, Vietnam, Tel +84 35 8705177, Email nguyentatcuong@duytan.edu.vnPurpose: New COVID-19 variants pose great challenges in protecting the success of vaccination programs. Awareness of community becomes an important component to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to analyze people’s awareness of COVID-19 and identify the implications for optimal risk communication in Vietnam.Study Methods and Materials: A total of 341 individuals participated in an online cross-sectional study. Community awareness on COVID-19 was examined by using a structured questionnaire. Multivariable Tobit regression was used to examine associated factors with community awareness.Results: Our results indicated high levels of awareness of local COVID-19 situation, transmission risks, and preventive behavioral practices during the first week of social isolation. Higher awareness of local pandemic situation was associated with female respondents (Coef.: 6.19; 95% CI: 0.51; 11.87) and larger family sizes of above 5 people (Coef.: 9.00; − 1.00; 19.00). Respondents between 35– 44 years old were shown to be less aware of preventive behavioral practices than other age groups, including the group of participants above 44 years old (Coef.: − 0.34; 95% CI: − 0.67; − 0.02). Lastly, participants who were “fairly satisfied” with information resources had awareness levels of preventive behavioral practices lower than that of “unsatisfied” respondents (Coef.: − 0.45; 95% CI: 0.74; − 0.16).Conclusion: This study offers crucial insights into the pandemic awareness of citizens and risk communication effectiveness during COVID-19 in Vietnam. The study findings shall serve the development of policies and interventions aimed at empowering individuals in the local and global fight against coronavirus.Keywords: COVID-19 epidemic, risk communication, awareness generation, preventive measures, Vietnam

Objectives: To investigate the serum IL-6 levels and their rate of change in predicting the mortality of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Vietnam., Design: A single-centre, cross-sectional study., Setting: An Intensive Care Centre for the Treatment of Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam., Participants: We included patients aged 18 years or older who were critically ill with COVID-19 and presented to the study centre from 30 July 2021 to 15 October 2021. We excluded patients who did not have serum IL-6 measurements between admission and the end of the first day., Primary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was hospital all-cause mortality., Results: Of 90 patients, 41.1% were men, the median age was 60.5 years (Q1-Q3: 52.0-71.0), and 76.7% of patients died in the hospital. Elevated IL-6 levels were observed on admission (41.79 pg/mL; Q1-Q3: 20.68-106.27) and on the third day after admission (72.00 pg/mL; Q1-Q3: 26.98-186.50), along with a significant rate of change in IL-6 during that period (839.5%; SD: 2753.2). While admission IL-6 level (areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC): 0.610 (95% CI: 0.459 to 0.761); cut-off value ≥15.8 pg/mL) and rate of change in IL-6 on the third day of admission (AUROC: 0.586 (95% CI: 0.420 to 0.751); cut-off value ≥-58.7%) demonstrated poor discriminatory ability in predicting hospital mortality, the third day IL-6 rate of change from admission ≥-58.7% (adjusted OR: 12.812; 95% CI: 2.104 to 78.005) emerged as an independent predictor of hospital mortality., Conclusions: This study focused on a highly selected cohort of critically ill COVID-19 patients with a high IL-6 level and mortality rate. Despite the poor discriminatory value of admission IL-6 levels, the rate of change in IL-6 proved valuable in predicting mortality. To identify critically ill COVID-19 patients with the highest risk for mortality, monitoring the serial serum IL-6 measurements and observing the rate of change in serum IL-6 levels over time are needed., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives . This study aims to report clinical features and treatment outcomes of 16 cases diagnosed with post-influenza encephalopathy/encephalitis. Methods . We recorded clinical characteristics of 16 pediatric patients diagnosed with post-influenza encephalopathy/encephalitis at the Vietnam National Children's Hospital from January 2019 to January 2021. Results . There were 87.5% infected with influenza A, with influenza A/H1pdm09 and influenza A/H3 accounting for 88.9% and 11.1% respectively, and 12.5% of participants infected with influenza B. The time from onset to the appearance of neurological symptoms was 3 days, of which perceptual changes (93.8%), hypertonia (75%), and seizures (43.8%) were prevalent neurological symptoms. The majority of cases had normal cerebrospinal fluid. Cranial CT/MRI imaging revealed abnormalities in 87.5% of patients. 56.3% of patients had sequelae, including epilepsy and cerebral palsy; 25% recovered, and 18.8% died after treatment. Conclusions . Influenza-associated encephalitis/encephalopathy is a complication occurring early in children, with high mortality and sequelae rates., 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.)

The toxicity of the contaminated powder contributed to toxic aflatoxins has been well-known in the literature. However, before this study, the specific fungal strain behind aflatoxin production remained unidentified. Our research aimed to isolate and identify fungi from the tainted sandwiches while also assessing the preservation of sandwiches in ambient conditions. The study pinpointed Aspergillus flavus as the fungus responsible for aflatoxin production. Analysis revealed that the sandwich samples contaminated with pure A. flavus exhibited a significant Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) concentration of 55.2 ± 0.21 ng/g, accompanied by a spore count of 2 × 10 6 Colony-Forming Unit (CFU)/g after ten days. In contrast, sandwich samples contaminated with the unspecified fungi displayed a lower AFB1 content of 16.21 ± 0.42 ng/g, with a spore count of 2.2 × 10 2  CFU/g after the same duration. In the prevention study, the efficacy of the ethanol spray method for inhibiting aflatoxin from A. flavus was investigated. Results demonstrated that a 70 % ethanol concentration at a ratio of 2.0 % total weight of the sandwich proved highly effective, significantly impeding fungal growth. This method extended the preservation time by sevenfold compared to the control. Importantly, tests at 2.0 % ethanol of the sandwich weight did not detect aflatoxin presence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Measles remains a major public health burden worldwide. Parents often hesitate to vaccinate children with chronic diseases. We investigated the association between the percentage of vaccination and chronic diseases and explore hospital infections' role in the 2017-2019 measles outbreak across northern Vietnam provinces., Methods: A total of 2,064 children aged 0-15 years old admitted for measles to the National Children's Hospital during the outbreak were included in the study. Demographic information, clinical characteristics, vaccination statuses and laboratory examination were extracted from electronic medical records, vaccination records, or interviews with parents when other sources were unavailable., Results: The incidence rate that provincial hospitals sent to the National Children's Hospital was proportional to the population density of their provinces of residence. Early nosocomial transmission of measles was observed before community-acquired cases emerged in many provinces. Among patients aged over 18 months, those with chronic diseases had a proportion of vaccination of 9.4%, lower than patients without chronic diseases at 32.4%. Unvaccinated patients had a higher proportion of hospital-acquired infections with aOR = 2.42 (1.65-3.65), p < 0.001 relative to vaccinated patients. The proportion of hospital-acquired infections was higher among children with chronic diseases compared to those without, with aOR = 3.81 (2.90-5.02), p < 0.001., Conclusion: Measles spread in healthcare settings prior to community cases that occurred in several provinces. We recommend enhancing hospital infection control by increasing staff training and improving early detection and isolation during non-outbreak periods. Measles patients with chronic diseases exhibited lower proportions of vaccination and faced a higher risk of hospital-acquired infections. It is crucial to establish comprehensive vaccination guidelines and enhance parental awareness regarding the significance and safety of measles vaccination to protect these vulnerable individuals., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed significant challenges in disease forecasting and in developing a public health response, emphasizing the need to manage missing data from various sources in making accurate forecasts., Objective: We aimed to show how handling missing data can affect estimates of the COVID-19 incidence rate (CIR) in different pandemic situations., Methods: This study used data from the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Vietnam. We separated the available data set into 3 distinct periods: zero COVID-19, transition, and new normal. We randomly removed 5% to 30% of data that were missing completely at random, with a break of 5% at each time point in the variable daily caseload of COVID-19. We selected 7 analytical methods to assess the effects of handling missing data and calculated statistical and epidemiological indices to measure the effectiveness of each method., Results: Our study examined missing data imputation performance across 3 study time periods: zero COVID-19 (n=3149), transition (n=1290), and new normal (n=9288). Imputation analyses showed that K-nearest neighbor (KNN) had the lowest mean absolute percentage change (APC) in CIR across the range (5% to 30%) of missing data. For instance, with 15% missing data, KNN resulted in 10.6%, 10.6%, and 9.7% average bias across the zero COVID-19, transition, and new normal periods, compared to 39.9%, 51.9%, and 289.7% with the maximum likelihood method. The autoregressive integrated moving average model showed the greatest mean APC in the mean number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 during each COVID-19 containment cycle (CCC) when we imputed the missing data in the zero COVID-19 period, rising from 226.3% at the 5% missing level to 6955.7% at the 30% missing level. Imputing missing data with median imputation methods had the lowest bias in the average number of confirmed cases in each CCC at all levels of missing data. In detail, in the 20% missing scenario, while median imputation had an average bias of 16.3% for confirmed cases in each CCC, which was lower than the KNN figure, maximum likelihood imputation showed a bias on average of 92.4% for confirmed cases in each CCC, which was the highest figure. During the new normal period in the 25% and 30% missing data scenarios, KNN imputation had average biases for CIR and confirmed cases in each CCC ranging from 21% to 32% for both, while maximum likelihood and moving average imputation showed biases on average above 250% for both CIR and confirmed cases in each CCC., Conclusions: Our study emphasizes the importance of understanding that the specific imputation method used by investigators should be tailored to the specific epidemiological context and data collection environment to ensure reliable estimates of the CIR., (© Hai-Thanh Pham, Toan Do, Jonggyu Baek, Cong-Khanh Nguyen, Quang-Thai Pham, Hoa L Nguyen, Robert Goldberg, Quang Loc Pham, Le Minh Giang. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org).)

Rationale: Complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are diverse and usually treated with nonoperative management or percutaneous drainage; however, there are still some rare, life-threatening complications. This is an extremely rare case of biliary peritonitis caused by rupture of the intrahepatic bile duct after ERCP., Patient Concerns: A 63-year-old male underwent ERCP for common bile duct stones. On the second day after the procedure, the patient developed sepsis and abdominal distention. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a subcapsular hepatic fluid collection attached to the bile duct of segment VII., Diagnoses: Sepsis resulted in liver parenchyma rupture and intrahepatic bile duct injury after ERCP. Intraoperative cholangiography revealed a connection between a hole in the liver parenchymal surface and the intrahepatic bile duct., Interventions: Surgeons performed the cholecystectomy, inserted a T-tube into the common bile duct stones, sutured the defect, and put 2 drainage tubes around the lesion., Outcomes: Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the 17th postoperative day., Lessons: Intrahepatic bile duct perforation after ERCP can lead to rupture of the liver parenchyma, biloma, or abdominal peritonitis. Multidisciplinary management is necessary to achieve favorable outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Circadian disruption causes glucose intolerance, cardiac fibrosis, and adipocyte dysfunction in sand rats ( Psammomys obesus ). Exercise intervention can improve glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, adipose tissue function and protect against inflammation. We investigated the influence of exercise on male P. obesus exposed to a short photoperiod (5 h light:19 h dark) and high-energy diet. Exercise reduced glucose intolerance. Exercise reduced cardiac expression of inflammatory marker Ccl2 and Bax : Bcl2 apoptosis ratio. Exercise increased heart:body weight ratio and hypertrophy marker Myh7 : Myh6 , yet reduced Gata4 expression. No phenotypic changes were observed in perivascular fibrosis and myocyte area. Exercise reduced visceral adipose expression of inflammatory transcription factor Rela , adipogenesis marker Ppard and browning marker Ppargc1a, but visceral adipocyte size was unaffected. Conversely, exercise reduced subcutaneous adipocyte size but did not affect any molecular mediators. Exercise increased ZT7 Bmal1 and Per2 in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and subcutaneous Per2 . Our study provides new molecular insights and histological assessments on the effect of exercise on cardiac inflammation, adipose tissue dysfunction and circadian gene expression in P. obesus exposed to short photoperiod and high-energy diet. These findings have implications for the protective benefits of exercise for shift workers in order to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Aims: Anthrax is reported with frequency but poorly understood in Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam. In Vietnam, anthrax surveillance is national. However, case detection, prevention, and control are implemented locally at the provincial level. Here, we describe the epidemiological characteristics, identify spatial clusters of human anthrax, and compare the variation in livestock anthrax vaccine coverage to disease incidence in humans and livestock using historical data in Son La province, Vietnam (2003-2020)., Methods and Results: Most human cases occurred between April and September. Most of the patients were male, aged 15-54 years old. The human cases were mainly reported by public district hospitals. There was a delay between disease onset and hospitalization of ~5 days. We identified spatial clusters of high-high incidence communes in the northern communes of the province using the local Moran's I statistic. The vaccine coverage sharply decreased across the study period. The province reported sporadic human anthrax outbreaks, while animal cases were only reported in 2005 and 2022., Conclusions: These results suggest underreporting for human and livestock anthrax in the province. Intersectoral information sharing is needed to aid livestock vaccination planning, which currently relies on reported livestock cases. The spatial clusters identify areas for targeted surveillance and livestock vaccination, while the seasonal case data suggest prioritizing vaccination campaigns for February or early March ahead of the April peak. A regional approach for studying the role of livestock trading between Son La and neighbouring provinces in anthrax occurrence is recommended., (© 2024 The Authors. Zoonoses and Public Health published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Microplastics (MPs, plastic items from 1 µm to 5 mm in size) are present in all environmental compartments. The evaluation of their concentration, fate, and spatial distribution is still a challenge for the scientific community. This concern is just debuting in developing countries, (i.e., Asia, South America, and Africa). This study deals with the MP contamination in the abiotic marine compartments of Northern Vietnam: seawater and intertidal sediments. Four sites located in the intertidal zone or near the coastline in Tonkin Bay, Vietnam were studied. A total of 16 samples (eight for each compartment) were collected in July 2020 (rainy season) and January 2021 (dry season). Anthropogenic particles (total observed fibers and fragments) were found at levels ranging from 3 to 303 particles/m 3 in seawater and from 63 to 955 particles/kg dry weight in sediments. Most of these were fibers less than 300-µm long. Higher levels of seawater at the Nam Dinh site were found in the rainy season compared to the dry one. As the river flow was estimated six times higher during the rainy season than during the dry season, these results suggest the river discharge is a potential source of contamination for the coastal zone. The temporal variability was lower for the sediments than for the seawater, suggesting the long-term integration of the anthropogenic particles in this compartment. A small portion of sorted particles were analyzed by µFTIR (8.35%), and this sub-sample was only composed of fragments. Still, fragments were mostly composed of polypropylene (PP, 82%), polyethylene (PE, 9%), and polystyrene (PS, 9%). The fragment size was similar in the two studied compartments, but it was dependent on polymer types since PS fragments (140 ± 17 µm) were smaller than those made of PE (622 ± 123 µm) and PP (869 ± 905 µm). Future works should investigate the smallest fraction of MP (even nanoplastics) as well as find solutions in order to mitigate MP contamination in the marine environment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Anthrax, a widespread zoonosis in low and middle-income countries with low disease awareness and insufficient livestock vaccination coverage, has been known in Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam for years before its apparent absence in 2009, which requires investigation as this infection is frequently reported from neighbouring provinces and countries. We aimed to describe the seasonal patterns of anthrax (1991-2008), compare livestock anthrax vaccine coverage to disease occurrence (1991- 2022), and delineate the high-risk areas to inform local disease surveillance in the province. We illustrated the seasonal pattern of anthrax and provided a comparison between livestock vaccine coverage and disease occurrence by purely spatial SaTScan (Poisson model, 25% population at risk) to detect spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax using population derived from zonal statistics routines. The number of cases, crude cumulative incidence, and spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax were mapped in QGIS. Results indicate peak anthrax incidence from May to October. Buffalo, domestic cattle, and horses accounted for 75% of total animal cases. Horse anthrax was more common in Lao Cai than in its neighbours and often occurred in years with human mortality. Vaccination covered less than 30% of the livestock population. We found an apparent pattern where anthrax was controlled from 1998-2003 with higher vaccine coverage (>20%) and identified spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax in Muong Khuong, Bao Thang, and Bac Ha districts of Lao Cai. The local public health and veterinary agencies are recommended to revisit the high-risk areas and communicate with neighbouring provinces for a regional approach to anthrax surveillance and control.

To address the issue that a single coating agent cannot simultaneously enhance Li + -ion transport and electronic conductivity of Ni-rich cathode materials with surface modification, in the present study, we first successfully synthesized a LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) cathode material by a Taylor-flow reactor followed by surface coating with Li-BTJ and dispersion of vapor-grown carbon fibers treated with polydopamine (PDA-VGCF) filler in the composite slurry. The Li-BTJ hybrid oligomer coating can suppress side reactions and enhance ionic conductivity, and the PDA-VGCFs filler can increase electronic conductivity. As a result of the synergistic effect of the dual conducting agents, the cells based on the modified NCM811 electrodes deliver superior cycling stability and rate capability, as compared to the bare NCM811 electrode. The CR2032 coin-type cells with the NCM811@Li-BTJ + PDA-VGCF electrode retain a discharge specific capacity of ∼92.2% at 1C after 200 cycles between 2.8 and 4.3 V (vs Li/Li + ), while bare NCM811 retains only 84.0%. Moreover, the NCM811@Li-BTJ + PDA-VGCF electrode-based cells reduced the total heat ( Q t ) by ca. 7.0% at 35 °C over the bare electrode. Remarkably, the Li-BTJ hybrid oligomer coating on the surface of the NCM811 active particles acts as an artificial cathode electrolyte interphase (ACEI) layer, mitigating irreversible surface phase transformation of the layered NCM811 cathode and facilitating Li + ion transport. Meanwhile, the fiber-shaped PDA-VGCF filler significantly reduced microcrack propagation during cycling and promoted the electronic conductance of the NCM811-based electrode. Generally, enlightened with the current experimental findings, the concerted ion and electron conductive agents significantly enhanced the Ni-rich cathode-based cell performance, which is a promising strategy to apply to other Ni-rich cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Solid-state single-photon emitters (SPEs) commonly encounter the limitation of quasi-omnidirectional radiation patterns, which poses challenges in utilizing their emission with conventional optical instruments. In this study, we demonstrate the tailoring of the far-field radiation patterns of SPEs based on colloidal quantum dots (QDs), both theoretically and experimentally, by employing a polymer-based dielectric antenna. We introduce a simple and cost-effective technique, namely low one-photon absorption direct laser writing, to achieve precise coupling of a QD into an all-polymer circular waveguide resonance grating. By optimizing the geometry parameters of the structure using 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations, resonance at the emission wavelength of QDs is achieved in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, resulting in photon streams with remarkably high directivity on both sides of the grating. Theoretical calculations predict beam divergence values below 2°, while experimental measurements using back focal plane imaging yield divergence angles of approximately 8°. Our study contributes to the evaluation of concentric circular grating structures employing low refractive index polymer materials, thereby expanding the possibilities for their application., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Previous research on sexual identity management at work focuses on default fixed sexual categories and related strategies such as pass or reveal . What if employees experience changes in their sexual attractions and identity? The present study pioneers in incorporating the concept of sexual fluidity into organization research in order to both complement and challenge the scholarship of sexual identity management at work. It provides empirical evidence from Vietnam that is in line with queer perspective in challenging the notion of a fixed, constructed sexual identity. Through in-depth interviews with 30 female employees experiencing sexual fluidity during their work, this study aims to investigate how they manage a sexually fluid identity in the workplace. The results show that female employees first consider or choose (non)identity 1 that matches their new sexual attractions. These (non)identity choices include identity change, fluid identity, non-identity , and resisting identity . Next, strategies are utilized for managing that (non)identity at work- pass, cover, implicitly out, explicitly out, inform/educate . These strategies can be used independently or multiply (mixed/change), in which mixed strategy takes account of communication objects and situations, while change strategy relies on time. Associated individual, organizational and social factors are preliminarily mentioned, in which coworker reactions to the identity changes is a notable point (e.g., surprise, curiosity, inquiry, advice). This study also provides discussion on the construction of sexual identity as stigmatized social identity and the gap of scholarship of sexual identity management at work.