Lanthanum (La)-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized with different La concentrations by employing a gel combustion method using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The as-synthesized photocatalysts ...were characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The average size of ZnO nanoparticles decreased from 34.3 to 10.3 nm with increasing concentrations of La, and the band gap, as evaluated by linear fitting, decreased from 3.10 to 2.78 eV. Additionally, it was found that the photocatalytic activity of doped samples, as investigated by using methyl orange dye under visible lights, improved in response to the increase in La concentration. The decomposition of methyl orange reached 85.86% after 150 min in visible light using La0.1Zn0.9O as the photocatalyst.
A simple metal-free method for the synthesis of quinazolinones from commercially available 2-nitrobenzyl alcohols and tetrahydroisoquinolines is developed. The reaction conditions were tolerant of an ...array of functionalities such as halogen, tertiary amine, protected alcohol, and ester groups. Under nearly identical conditions, quinazolinethiones were obtained in the presence of elemental sulfur and suitable mediators.
Nurses play a pivotal role in pain management. Knowing more about nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding pain is important as we develop multidisciplinary pain services. Therefore, this study ...aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management among nurses in a geriatric hospital and its associated factors.
A survey was conducted of nurses worked at the National Geriatric Hospital over a 3-month period. The Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) was utilized to assess nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward pain management. Four domains were defined based on KASRP, included cancer-related pain, pain assessment, pharmacology and substance abuse and physical dependence. Knowledge and attitudes regarding pain were classified as poor, fair, or good (≤50%, 50% - 75%, or ≥75% of the KASRP score). Multivariate Tobit regression models were applied to identify factors associated with the knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management.
Of 154 participants completed the survey, 72.2% (111 participants) had poor knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management. The participants had a correct mean score of 45.2% (SD = 2.2). Nurses' knowledge of pain assessment was poor, with the proportion of correct answers to nine questions ranging from 2.6% to 50%. 44.8% of nurses reported never or rarely using pain assessment tools. Nurses who had previous training regarding pain at medical universities had significantly higher scores of knowledge and attitudes compared to those without training. Nurses who often use pain assessment tools had a significantly higher level of knowledge and attitudes than those who never or rarely use them.
This study highlights significant deficits of knowledge and negative attitudes regarding pain management among nurses. The subject of pain management should be applied and enhanced in the nursing undergraduate curriculum. Nurses' active participation in pain management should be encouraged by healthcare providers for older patients.
Background: We aimed to examine the impacts of digital healthy diet literacy (DDL) and healthy eating behaviors (HES) on fear of COVID-19, changes in mental health, and health-related quality of life ...(HRQoL) among front-line healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: An online survey was conducted at 15 hospitals and health centers from 6–19 April 2020. Data of 2299 front-line HCWs were analyzed—including socio-demographics, symptoms like COVID-19, health literacy, eHealth literacy, DDL, HES, fear of COVID-19, changes in mental health, and HRQoL. Regression models were used to examine the associations. Results: HCWs with higher scores of DDL and HES had lower scores of FCoV-19S (regression coefficient, B, −0.04; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, −0.07, −0.02; p = 0.001; and B, −0.10; 95% CI, −0.15, −0.06; p < 0.001); had a higher likelihood of stable or better mental health status (odds ratio, OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00, 1.05; p = 0.029; and OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00, 1.07; p = 0.043); and HRQoL (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01, 1.03; p = 0.006; and OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02, 1.06; p = 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: DDL and HES were found as independent predictors of fear of COVID−19, changes in mental health status, and HRQoL in front-line HCWs. Improving DDL and HES should be considered as a strategic approach for hospitals and healthcare systems.
Dietary phytochemicals have been shown to be protective against various types of cancers. However, the precise underlying protective mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, we report ...that treatment of A549 cells with quercetin resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability and DNA synthesis with the rate of apoptosis equivalent to 1.2 ± 0.8, 6.3 ± 0.9, 16.5 ± 1.5, 36.4 ± 2.6 and 42.5 ± 5.8% on treatment with 0.1% dimethylsulfoxide, 14.5, 29.0, 43.5 and 58.0 µM quercetin, respectively. Concomitantly, quercetin treatments led to a 1.1-, 1.1-, 2.5- and 3.5-fold increase in Bax. Similar elevations were also observed in Bad, which increased 1.1-, 2.1-, 2.2- and 2.3-fold, respectively, as compared with control. While Bcl-2 was decreased by 30%, Bcl-xL was elevated in a dose-dependent fashion. Quercetin also induced the cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-7 and PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase). While Akt-1 and phosphorylated Akt-1 were inhibited, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was phosphorylated following quercetin treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation of ERK and c-Jun occurred at 3 h and was sustained over 14 h. Phosphorylation of MEK1/2 was increased in concordance with ERK activation. Quercetin-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and cleavage of caspase-3 occurred 6 h after quercetin exposure and before cleavage of caspase-7 and PARP was detected. Inhibition of MEK1/2 but not PI-3 kinase, p38 kinase or JNK abolished quercetin-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun, cleavage of caspase-3 and -7, cleavage of PARP and apoptosis. Inhibition of caspase activation completely blocked quercetin-induced apoptosis. Expression of constitutively activated MEK1 in A549 cells led to activation of caspase-3 and apoptosis. The results suggest that in addition to inactivation of Akt-1 and alteration in the expression of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, activation of MEK-ERK is required for quercetin-induced apoptosis in A549 lung carcinoma cells.
The rapid increase in the number and volume of chemical substances being used in modern society has been accompanied by a large number of potentially hazardous chemicals being found in environmental ...samples. In Vietnam, the monitoring of chemical substances is mainly limited to a small number of known pollutants in spite of rapid economic growth and urbanization, and there is an urgent need to examine a large number of chemicals to prevent impacts from expanding environmental pollution. However, it is difficult to analyze a large number of chemicals using existing methods, because they are time consuming and expensive. In the present study, we determined 1153 substances to grasp a pollution picture of microcontaminants in the aquatic environment. To achieve this objective, we have used two comprehensive analytical methods: (1) solid-phase extraction (SPE) and LC-TOF-MS analysis, and (2) SPE and GC-MS analysis. We collected 42 samples from northern (the Red River and Hanoi), central (Hue and Danang), and southern (Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon-Dongnai River) Vietnam. One hundred and sixty-five compounds were detected at least once. The compounds detected most frequently (>40 % samples) at μg/L concentrations were sterols (cholesterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, coprostanol), phthalates (bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and di-
n
-butyl phthalate), and pharmaceutical and personal care products (caffeine, metformin). These contaminants were detected at almost the same detection frequency as in developed countries. The results reveal that surface waters in Vietnam, particularly in the center of large cities, are polluted by a large number of organic micropollutants, with households and business activities as the major sources. In addition, risk quotients (MEC/PNEC values) for nonylphenol, sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, acetaminophen, erythromycin and clarithromycin were higher than 1, which indicates a possibility of adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems.
We introduce the antibody landscape, a method for the quantitative analysis of antibodymediated immunity to antigenically variable pathogens, achieved by accounting for antigenic variation among ...pathogen strains. We generated antibody landscapes to study immune profiles covering 43 years of influenza A/H3N2 virus evolution for 69 individuals monitored for infection over 6 years and for 225 individuals pre- and postvaccination. Upon infection and vaccination, titers increased broadly, including previously encountered viruses far beyond the extent of cross-reactivity observed after a primary infection. We explored implications for vaccination and found that the use of an antigenically advanced virus had the dual benefit of inducing antibodies against both advanced and previous antigenic clusters. These results indicate that preemptive vaccine updates may improve influenza vaccine efficacy in previously exposed individuals.
•Application of blockchain technology in crowdfunding platforms is investigated.•Four themes emerge: reliability, transparency, trustworthiness, and social value.•Blockchain technologies provide an ...alternative base for crowdfunding platforms.
This study investigates the practical applications of blockchain technology in socially oriented crowdfunding platforms (SCPs). In recent years, SCPs have grown due to their perceived benefits compared to traditional funding channels. However, skepticism remains regarding the potential for the further development of crowdfunding platforms, especially SCPs, due to restrictions on attracting investment as well as concerns related to transparency, reliability, and trustworthiness. The recent applications of blockchain technology in crowdfunding promise a possible solution to current obstacles, and may facilitate SCPs. Employing a qualitative research approach based on three case studies, this study addresses how blockchain technology can be used to facilitate the social value creation of crowdfunding when adopted as an alternative infrastructure. Accordingly, this study identifies both the facilitators of the social value creation process through blockchain technology (e.g., reducing operational costs, increasing trust and transparency, and cultivating a broader crowdfunding community) and the barriers of this application in terms of development costs and legal requirements. In addition to answering calls to investigate the role of blockchains in facilitating social activities, this study expands the emerging literature by demonstrating the practical applications of blockchain use in crowdfunding.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) in Vietnamese among hospital nursing staff.
Methods
The 22‐items version of the JCQ ...was used. This includes four scales: (a) psychological demands (5 items); (b) job control (9 items); (c) supervisor support (4 items); and (d) coworker support (4 items). All 1258 nurses in a general hospital in Vietnam, excluding 11 who were due to retire, were invited to complete the cross‐sectional survey. The internal consistency reliability was estimated using Cronbach's α. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Convergent validity was evaluated by calculating correlations between the JCQ scores and DASS 21 and overtime work.
Results
In total, 949 (75%) of the 1258 eligible nurses completed the survey. Cronbach's α values demonstrated acceptable internal consistency in two scales (supervisor support α = .87; coworker support α = .86), while Cronbach's α was below the acceptable threshold of 0.70 for job control (α = .45) and job demand (α = .50). EFA assuming a four‐factor structure showed a factor structure that was almost identical to the original JCQ, with two items loading on other scales. The subscales of depression, anxiety, and stress response of DASS 21 and the subscales of JCQ were significantly correlated, as expected.
Conclusion
The results suggest that the JCQ in Vietnamese can be used with some reliability and validity for examining psychosocial work environment among nurses. Further studies should be done to confirm and expand our findings in a variety of occupational groups and in other Asian low‐ and middle‐income countries.
Aims
We investigated the potential cooperative effects of carotenoid‐producing Bacillus aquimaris SH6 and nonpigmented Bacillus subtilis SH23 on white‐leg shrimp growth and health.
Methods and ...Results
SH6, SH23 and a combination of both spores (1 × 106 CFU per g pellet) were administered in shrimp. The growth rate (2·36% day−1), red‐colour score (25) and astaxanthin concentration (3·5 µg g−1 shrimp) were maximum in two‐spore‐administered shrimp. Immune‐related Rho mRNA expression level and phenoloxidase and superoxidase dismutase activities were higher in two‐spore‐administered shrimp than in control shrimp, with Rho mRNA expression level being 55‐fold higher in two‐spore‐administered shrimp than in SH6‐administered shrimp and phenoloxidase activity being 1·2‐fold higher in two‐spore‐administered shrimp than in SH23‐administered shrimp. Although live SH6 count was 2·7‐fold lower, SH6 germination level was 3·5‐fold higher in the combination group than in SH6 group.
Conclusions
When both SH6 and SH23 spores were administered, SH6 spore germination was enhanced and cooperative improvement was seen in growth, astaxanthin level and red‐colour score of white‐leg shrimp; however, immune‐related parameters were induced in a noncooperative manner.
Significance and Impact of the Study
This is the first report showing the cooperative probiotic activities of Bacillus strains and their possible mechanisms in a shrimp model.
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