The emergence of the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic and airborne particulate matter (PM) pollution has led to remarkably high demand for face masks. However, conventional respirators are intended for single use ...and made from nondegradable materials, causing serious concern for a plastic‐waste environmental crisis. Furthermore, these facemasks are weakened in humid conditions and difficult to decontaminate. Herein, a reusable, self‐sustaining, highly effective, and humidity‐resistant air filtration membrane with excellent particle‐removal efficiency is reported, based on highly controllable and stable piezoelectric electrospun poly (l‐lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofibers. The PLLA filter possesses a high filtration efficiency (>99% for PM 2.5 and >91% for PM 1.0) while providing a favorable pressure drop (≈91 Pa at normal breathing rate) for human breathing due to the piezoelectric charge naturally activated by respiration through the mask. The filter has a long, stable filtration performance and good humidity resistance, demonstrated by a minimal declination in the filtration performance of the nanofiber membrane after moisture exposure. The PLLA filter is reusable via common sterilization tools (i.e., an ultrasonic cleaning bath, autoclave, or microwave). Moreover, a prototype of a completely biodegradable PLLA nanofiber‐based facemask is fabricated and shown to decompose within 5 weeks in an accelerated degradation environment.
The piezoelectric nanofibers of poly (l‐lactic acid) (PLLA) are employed to fabricate a reusable, moisture‐resistant, and highly effective facemask filter with long‐term biodegradability. The PLLA filter could offer an eco‐friendly solution to preventing the transmission of highly infectious viruses and resolving the environmental crisis caused by the massive use of current permanent plastic facemask filters.
The objective of this study was to achieve an optimal formulation of hydrophilic-hydrophobic conjugates for nano-sized solid dispersions (SDs) with enhanced dissolution of multiple drugs in different ...gastrointestinal (GI) tract environments. A new conjugate powder with an optimized process was used to fabricate SDs that contained three poorly water-soluble drugs that were also poorly soluble in different dissolution media. The self-assembled nanoparticle formation, drug crystallinity and SD molecular interactions were investigated by measuring the particle size during dissolution testing and physicochemical property analysis (powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). Drug release studies indicated that SD containing conjugated powder significantly improved the dissolution rates of these poorly water-soluble drugs in the GI tract. In addition, particle size analysis showed nano-sized particles in the dissolution media in the early stage with a tendency to reduce smaller particles over time. Physicochemical characterizations demonstrated almost amorphous drug states and hydrogen bonding interactions between the drugs and conjugates in the SD. This study optimized a promising material for SD, and the material was shown to have a promising performance under various pH medium conditions with poorly water-soluble drugs.
Most coastal areas globally face water shortages in the dry season due to salinization and drought. The Mekong River Delta (MRD) is recognized as the “Rice Bowl” in Vietnam but the negative effects ...of salinization and drought have damaged rice production in recent decades. However, regional assessment of the perturbation has been lacking. A Landsat-based satellite salinity index, the Enhanced Salinity Index (ESI), was developed in this study to explore patterns of annual salinity variations in agricultural land and their relationship to drought in the MRD from 1989 to 2018. The performance of the index was superior to that of other previously published remotely sensed indices, based on correlations with field measurements of electrical conductivity (i.e. groundwater and soil EC), which can be used as a proxy for salinity. The time-series ESI was then utilized to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics of salinity in the study area using the Theil-Send median trend (TS) and Mann-Kendall significance tests (MK). In addition, temporal relationships with the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) were used to investigate the relationship between drought and saline intrusion. Our results showed that freshwater and brackish areas increased inland, whereas those developed for shrimp farming may increase soil and groundwater salinity. A negative correlation between drought and salinity was also observed in surface water where fish and shrimp farming activities took place, while a positive relationship was discovered in rice and annual cropland areas. This study highlights the use of ESI as an effective parameter for modelling vegetation salinity and its relationship with cropland change. We also demonstrate the feasibility of integrating satellite imagery with spatiotemporal analyses to monitor and assess regional salinization dynamics.
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•We developed a new Landsat-based satellite salinity index, called the Enhanced Salinity Index (ESI).•The performance of ESI was superior to that of other previously published remotely sensed indices.•Spatial regression and ESI were used to explore the dynamics of salinity in the Mekong River Delta.•ESI and NDWI were applied to examine the relationship between drought and saline intrusion.•There was positive correlation between drought and salinity in rice and annual cropland areas.
It has been shown that there are differences in diagnostic accuracy of cancer detection on mammograms, from below 50% in developing countries to over 80% in developed world. One previous study ...reported that radiologists from a population in Asia displayed a low mammographic cancer detection of 48% compared with over 80% in developed countries, and more importantly, that most lesions missed by these radiologists were spiculated masses or stellate lesions. The aim of this study was to explore the performance of radiologists after undertaking a training test set which had been designed to improve the capability in detecting a specific type of cancers on mammograms. Twenty-five radiologists read two sets of 60 mammograms in a standardized mammogram reading room. The first test set focused on stellate or spiculated masses. When radiologists completed the first set, the system displayed immediate feedback to the readers comparing their performances in each case with the truth of cancer cases and cancer types so that the readers could identify individual-based errors. Later radiologists were asked to read the second set of mammograms which contained different types of cancers including stellate/spiculated masses, asymmetric density, calcification, discrete mass and architectural distortion. Case sensitivity, lesion sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and Jackknife alternative free-response receiver operating characteristics (JAFROC) were calculated for each participant and their diagnostic accuracy was compared between two sessions. Results showed significant improvement among radiologists in case sensitivity (+ 11.4%; P < 0.05), lesion sensitivity (+ 18.7%; P < 0.01) and JAFROC (+ 11%; P < 0.01) in the second set compared with the first set. The increase in diagnostic accuracy was also recorded in the detection of stellate/spiculated mass (+ 20.6%; P < 0.05). This indicated that the performance of radiologists in detecting malignant lesions on mammograms can be improved if an appropriate training intervention is applied after the readers' weakness and strength are identified.
Art, as a prestigious cultural commodity, concerns aesthetic and monetary values, personal tastes, and social reputation in various social contexts-all of which are reflected in choices concerning ...our liking, or in other contexts, our actual willingness-to-pay for artworks. But, how do these different aspects interact in regard to the concept of social reputation and our private versus social selves, which appear to be essentially intervening, and potentially conflicting, factors driving choice? In our study, we investigated liking and willingness-to-pay choices using-in art research-a novel, forced-choice paradigm. Participants (N = 123) made choices from artwork-triplets presented with opposing artistic quality and monetary value-labeling, thereby creating ambiguous choice situations. Choices were made in either private or in social/public contexts, in which participants were made to believe that either art-pricing or art-making experts were watching their selections. A multi-method design with eye-tracking, neuroendocrinology (testosterone, cortisol), and motivational factors complemented the behavioral choice analysis. Results showed that artworks, of which participants were told were of high artistic value were more often liked and those of high monetary-value received more willingness-to-pay choices. However, while willingness-to-pay was significantly affected by the presumed observation of art-pricing experts, liking selections did not differ between private/public contexts. Liking choices, compared to willingness-to-pay, were also better predicted by eye movement patterns. Whereas, hormone levels had a stronger relation with monetary aspects (willingness-to-pay/ art-pricing expert). This was further confirmed by motivational factors representative for reputation seeking behavior. Our study points to an unexplored terrain highlighting the linkage of social reputation mechanisms and its impact on choice behavior with a ubiquitous commodity, art.
Gene therapy has a strong potential in neuroscience by suppressing or replacing abnormalities in genetic materials. The employment of nano-gene carrier for neurological disorders is comparatively ...young and restricted since the aim to effectively deliver therapeutic agents into the central nervous system (CNS) commonly has confronted difficulties of several natural occurring barriers in the body and unfavorable characteristics of pharmaceutical agents. Two major anatomical and biochemical barriers are blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), which significantly prevent permeation of most drugs and genes to brain parenchyma. In this concern, nanotechnology emerges as an innovative method for transporting therapeutics to the CNS. Diverse nano-systems have been closely investigated, some of which have demonstrated initial success for in vivo studies. The perspectives of nanotechnology for gene therapy would be a promising field to be further explored in the near future.
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•Elevated indoor levels of biomass burning derived-PM were observed in Singapore.•Air cleaner is most effective at reducing indoor PM with minimal energy consumption.•The operational ...cost of IAQ control while using air cleaner is low.•Thermal comfort provided by air cleaner is within the acceptable range.•Health risk associated with inhalation exposure is reduced following PM removal.
During the 2019 smoke haze episode in Singapore, elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were observed, deteriorating both ambient and indoor air quality (IAQ). We investigated the mitigation of indoor human exposure to PM2.5 of outdoor origin under diverse exposure scenarios with and without filtration of PM2.5 during both hazy and non-hazy days. The key objective of our study was to make a comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of portable air cleaners (PACs) and air conditioning (AC) systems equipped with particle filters in improving IAQ and to assess related long-term carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks. We conducted real-time measurements of PM2.5, black carbon mass concentrations and particle number concentrations in both indoor and outdoor areas, quantified the relative concentrations of the water-soluble fraction of toxic trace elements in PM2.5 for health risk assessment, and estimated the levels of thermal comfort. In addition, we calculated the total estimated cost of indoor air pollution control. Our findings suggest that indoor air cleaners are more effective at mitigating human exposure to airborne particles and reducing health risk with less consumption of electricity and better cost-effectiveness compared to AC. This information would be beneficial for public health interventions during major air pollution events.
Interleukin (IL)-33 is a new cytokine of the IL-1 family that is related to several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. IL-33 binds to its ST2 receptor and leads to biological responses thereof. ...Currently, no drugs have been approved for the treatment of IL-33 related diseases. The aim of this study was to search for small molecules that inhibit the protein-protein interaction between IL-33 and ST2. A virtual screening was first performed to identify potential molecules that can bind IL-33. By analysing the interactions between key residues in the complex of IL-33/ST2, two pharmacophore hypotheses were then generated based on the 'mimicry' and 'pair-rule' principles. From a database of 62,074 compounds, 60 molecules satisfying the pharmacophore models were identified and docked to IL-33. Among 35 compounds successfully docked into the protein, 9 potential ligands in complex with IL-33 were selected for further analysis by molecular dynamics simulations. Based on the stability of the complexes and the interactions of each ligand with the key residues of IL-33, two compounds DB00158 and DB00642 were identified as the most potential inhibitors that can be further investigated as promising novel IL-33 inhibitory drugs.
Since interleukin-8 (IL-8/CXCL8) and its receptor, CXCR1 and CXCR2, were known in the early 1990s, biological pathways related to these proteins were proven to have high clinical value in cancer and ...inflammatory/autoimmune conditions treatment. Recently, IL-8 has been identified as biomarker for severe COVID-19 patients and COVID-19 prognosis. Boyles et al. (mAbs 12 (2020), pp. 1831880) have published a high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of the LY3041658 Fab in a complex human CXCL8. They described the ability to bind to IL-8 and the blocking of IL-8/its receptors interaction by the LY3041658 monoclonal antibody. Therefore, the study has been designed to identify potential small molecules inhibiting interleukin-8 by targeting LY3041658/IL-8 complex structure using an in silico approach. A structure-based pharmacophore and molecular docking models of the protein active site cavity were generated to identify possible candidates, followed by virtual screening with the ZINC database. ADME analysis of hit compounds was also conducted. Molecular dynamics simulations were then performed to survey the behaviour and stability of the ligand-protein complexes. Furthermore, the MM/PBSA technique has been utilized to evaluate the free binding energy. The final data confirmed that one newly obtained compound, ZINC21882765, may serve as the best potential inhibitor for IL-8.
ObjectivesWe examined impacts and interactions of COVID-19 response involvement, health-related behaviours and health literacy (HL) on anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) ...among healthcare workers (HCWs).DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected 6 April to 19 April 2020 using online-based, self-administered questionnaires.Setting19 hospitals and health centres in Vietnam.Participants7 124 HCWs aged 21–60 years.ResultsThe COVID-19 response-involved HCWs had higher anxiety likelihood (OR (95% CI)=4.41 (3.53 to 5.51)), higher depression likelihood (OR(95% CI)=3.31 (2.71 to 4.05)) and lower HRQoL score (coefficient, b(95% CI)=−2.14 (−2.89 to −1.38)), compared with uninvolved HCWs. Overall, HCWs who smoked or drank at unchanged/increased levels had higher likelihood of anxiety, depression and lower HRQoL scores; those with unchanged/healthier eating, unchanged/more physical activity and higher HL scores had lower likelihood of anxiety, depression and higher HRQoL scores. In comparison to uninvolved HCWs who smoked or drank at never/stopped/reduced levels, involved HCWs with unchanged/increased smoking or drinking had lower anxiety likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.34 (0.14 to 0.83)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.26 (0.11 to 0.60)), and lower depression likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.33 (0.15 to 0.74)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.24 (0.11 to 0.53)), respectively. In comparison with uninvolved HCWs who exercised at never/stopped/reduced levels, or with those in the lowest HL quartile, involved HCWs with unchanged/increased exercise or with one-quartile HL increment reported lower anxiety likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.50 (0.31 to 0.81)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.57 (0.45 to 0.71)), lower depression likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.40 (0.27 to 0.61)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.63 (0.52 to 0.76)), and higher HRQoL scores (b(95% CI)=2.08 (0.58 to 3.58)), or (b(95% CI)=1.10 (0.42 to 1.78)), respectively.ConclusionsPhysical activity and higher HL were found to protect against anxiety and depression and were associated with higher HRQoL. Unexpectedly, smoking and drinking were also found to be coping behaviours. It is important to have strategic approaches that protect HCWs’ mental health and HRQoL.
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