Tuberculosis transmission continues to be a major public health challenge. In this cluster-randomized, controlled trial conducted in Vietnam, active community-wide screening for tuberculosis over 4 ...years is shown to decrease the prevalence of tuberculosis.
In this paper, a label-free and reagentless microRNA sensor based on an interpenetrated network of carbon nanotubes and electroactive polymer is described. The nanostructured polymer film presents ...very well-defined electroactivity in neutral aqueous medium in the cathodic potential domain from the quinone group embedded in the polymer backbone. Addition of microRNA miR-141 target (prostate cancer biomarker) gives a “signal-on” response, i.e. a current increase due to enhancement of the polymer electroactivity. On the contrary, non-complementary miRNAs such as miR-103 and miR-29b-1 do not lead to any significant current change. A very low detection limit of ca. 8fM is achieved with this sensor.
Display omitted
•MicroRNA detection.•Label-free and direct electrochemical detection.•Conducting polymer nanostructured by carbon nanotubes.•Prostate cancer biomarker miR-141.
Display omitted
•A two-step constructed wetland system for sewage treatment and reuse was studied.•Excellent removal efficiencies of TSS (76%), BOD5 (74%), and NH4-N (90%) were achieved.•Hydraulic ...loading significantly affected the removal of NH4-N, TSS, and BOD5.•Optimal HLR of 0.04–0.06 m/d were suitable and practical for water recycling.
This study developed a unique system by combining the novel vertical flow (NVF) using expanded clay (ExC) and free flow surface constructed wetland (FWS) for dormitory sewage purification and reuse. The NVF tank consisted of filter layers of ExC, sandy soil, sand, and gravel. The FWS consisted of sandy soil substrate and was installed after the NVF. Colocasia esculenta and Dracaena sanderiana was planted in NVF and FWS, respectively. The treatment system was operated and tested for more than 21 weeks by increasing the hydraulic loading rate (HLR) from 0.02 m/d to 0.12 m/d. The results demonstrated that effluents in the system changed proportionally to the HLRs, except for nitrate nitrogen. Furthermore, the maximum removal efficiencies for TSS, BOD5, NH4-N, and Tcol were 76 ± 13%, 74 ± 11%, 90 ± 3%, and 59 ± 18% (0.37 ± 0.19 log10MPN/100 mL), respectively. At HLRs of 0.04–0.06 m/d, the treatment system satisfied the limits of agriculture irrigation.
We design an electrochemical immunosensor for miRNA detection, based on screen-printed gold electrodes modified with reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes. An original immunological approach is ...followed, using antibodies directed to DNA.RNA hybrids. An electrochemical ELISA-like amplification strategy was set up using a secondary antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Hydroquinone is oxidized into benzoquinone by the HRP/H2O2 catalytic system. In turn, benzoquinone is electroreduced into hydroquinone at the electrode. The catalytic reduction current is related to HRP amount immobilized on the surface, which itself is related to miRNA.DNA surface density on the electrode. This architecture, compared to classical optical detection, lowers the detection limit down to 10fM. Two miRNAs were studied: miR-141 (a prostate biomarker) and miR-29b-1 (a lung cancer biomarker).
Schematic representation of the electrochemical ELISA-like immunosensor.
Display omitted
•ELISA-like electrochemical immunodetection of miRNA.•Reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes composite.•Antibodies specific to DNA.RNA hybrids.
Vietnam is a lower middle-income country with no national surveillance system for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). We assessed the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial use ...in adult intensive care units (ICUs) across Vietnam.
Monthly repeated point prevalence surveys were systematically conducted to assess HAI prevalence and antimicrobial use in 15 adult ICUs across Vietnam. Adults admitted to participating ICUs before 08:00 a.m. on the survey day were included.
Among 3287 patients enrolled, the HAI prevalence was 29.5% (965/3266 patients, 21 missing). Pneumonia accounted for 79.4% (804/1012) of HAIs Most HAIs (84.5% 855/1012) were acquired in the survey hospital with 42.5% (363/855) acquired prior to ICU admission and 57.5% (492/855) developed during ICU admission. In multivariate analysis, the strongest risk factors for HAI acquired in ICU were: intubation (OR 2.76), urinary catheter (OR 2.12), no involvement of a family member in patient care (OR 1.94), and surgery after admission (OR 1.66). 726 bacterial isolates were cultured from 622/1012 HAIs, most frequently Acinetobacter baumannii (177/726 24.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (100/726 13.8%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (84/726 11.6%), with carbapenem resistance rates of 89.2%, 55.7%, and 14.9% respectively. Antimicrobials were prescribed for 84.8% (2787/3287) patients, with 73.7% of patients receiving two or more. The most common antimicrobial groups were third generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and carbapenems (20.1%, 19.4%, and 14.1% of total antimicrobials, respectively).
A high prevalence of HAIs was observed, mainly caused by Gram-negative bacteria with high carbapenem resistance rates. This in combination with a high rate of antimicrobial use illustrates the urgent need to improve rational antimicrobial use and infection control efforts.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO NRs/CuO composite film was investigated by using both experimental and numerical methods. The ZnO NRs/CuO composite film exhibits significantly enlarge ...absorption range to visible-light and suppress the recombination rate of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which can be well utilized as a photocatalyst. The ZnO NRs/CuO composite film also presents good stability, and reusability, and durability for photo-decomposition purpose. The optimal ZnO NRs/CuO composite film contains 1μ-thick of CuO film and 10 nm-thick of ZnO NRs film. The donor concentration in ZnO NRs film should be lower than 10
cm
. The short circuit current density of the optimal composite film is 25.8 mA/cm
resulting in the calculated pseudo-order rate constant of 1.85 s
. The enhancement in degradation efficiency of this composite film is attributed to the inner electric field and large effective surface area of ZnO NRs film.
The quest for finding an effective photocatalyst for environmental remediation and treatment strategies is attracting considerable attentions from scientists. In this study, a new hybrid material, ...Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4–TiO2, was designed and fabricated using coprecipitation and sol-gel approaches for degrading organic dyes in wastewater. The prepared hybrid materials were fully characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results revealed that the Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4–TiO2 hybrid material was successfully synthesized with average particle sizes of 40.09 nm for TiO2 and 27.9 nm for Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4. As the calculated bandgap energy of the hybrid material was approximately 2.86 eV, it could harvest photon energy in the visible region. Results indicate that the Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4–TiO2 also had reasonable magnetic properties with a saturation magnetization value of 11.2 emu/g, which is a level of making easy separation from the solution by an external magnet. The resultant Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4–TiO2 hybrid material revealed better photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B dye (consistent removal rate in the 13.96 × 10−3 min−1) compared with free-standing Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 and TiO2 materials. The recyclability and photocatalytic mechanism of Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4–TiO2 are also well discussed.
Display omitted
•A new hybrid Cu0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4–TiO2 material was designed and fabricated.•A 2.86-eV-bandgap-energy semiconductor harvests photon energy in the visible region.•High photocatalytic performance with a good degrading rate constant was obtained.•High photocatalytic performance with stability was achieved.•Separation/recovery from the treated solution was achieved using an external magnet.
An electrode made of Au nanoparticles, ca. 13 nm in diameter, displays outstanding catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction in water. At an overpotential of 200 mV it operates with a ...catalytic rate TOF of 0.3 s-1, which is among the best performances ever achieved for a Pt-free H2-evolving catalyst.
Even with antituberculosis therapy, tuberculous meningitis causes death or severe disability in more than half of affected adults. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted in ...Vietnam, dexamethasone treatment was associated with a reduced risk of death as compared with placebo (31.8 percent vs. 41.3 percent).
Dexamethasone treatment was associated with a reduced risk of death but the proportion of survivors with severe disability is not reduced.
Tuberculous meningitis is the severest form of infection with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
causing death or severe neurologic deficits in more than half of those affected in spite of antituberculosis chemotherapy.
1
,
2
Attenuation of the inflammatory response in bacterial and mycobacterial meningitis may improve outcome by reducing the likelihood or severity of neurologic complications. Early studies suggested that corticosteroids reduced cerebrospinal fluid inflammation and time to recovery in patients with tuberculous meningitis, but the studies were too small to confirm any effect on survival.
3
–
7
Concern remained that corticosteroids might reduce the case fatality rate but increase the number of disabled patients. . . .
Orbital ischemic syndrome is a rare entity. The clinical signs typically demonstrate acute loss of visual acuity, chemosis, proptosis, ptosis, and total ophthalmoparesis. We report a case of a man ...who suffered an acute internal carotid artery occlusion and developed orbital ischemic syndrome after a mechanical thrombectomy.
A 57-year-old Vietnamese (Kinh ethnicity) man was brought to the emergency room with complaints of a speech disturbance, facial palsy, and severe weakness of the left arm and leg, which had started 4 hours earlier, after waking up. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 12 (NIHSS 12) revealed the neurological score at admission. A head computed tomography scan showed no intracranial bleeding and an Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) of 8 on the right brain. Computed tomography angiography showed an occlusion of the right internal carotid artery. After that, a mechanical thrombectomy was performed, and the internal carotid artery was completely reperfused. After 10 hours, he experienced orbital pain, proptosis, ptosis, chemosis, and ophthalmoplegia of the right orbit. He also had acute loss of visual acuity, and fundoscopic examination revealed papilledema, no retinal hemorrhage, and no bruit in orbital auscultation. Intraocular pressure in the right eye was measured at 50.5 mmHg. Computed tomography angiography showed no carotid-cavernous fistula, but slight enlargement of the right medial and lateral rectus muscles. He was treated with steroids and hyperosmolar agents and recovered 7 days later, but had persistent loss of visual acuity in the right eye.
Orbital ischemic syndrome is a rare complication after mechanical thrombectomy treatment in acute ischemic stroke that can lead to loss of visual acuity.
PDF
