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•Successfully doped V into TaON lattice to enhance its photocatalytic activity.•V dopant enhanced e−/h+ separation and prolonged the lifetime of the generated e− and h+.•The VTaON ...converted CO2 into CH4 and CO even under visible light.•The optimal V doping ratio enhancing photocatalytic activity of TaON was 1.5 wt%.
We successfully used V as dopant to enhance activity of TaON for visible light photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into valuable fuels. We investigated that the used V dopants existed in the TaON lattice and replaced several Ta elements in the lattice leading to decrease in the conduction band minimum and increase in the valence band maximum of the prepared VTaON. Hence, the band gap energy of the prepared VTaON was lower than that of prepared TaON or the prepared VTaON material could absorb significant amount of incident visible light for production of e− and h+ pairs, which participated in reactions with CO2 and H2O to generate CH4, CO, O2 and H2. We also investigated that the optimal V/Ta ratio (or optimal amount of V dopant) for maximum enhancing photocatalytic activity of TaON was 1.5 wt%. The prepared 1.5VTaON visible light photocatalytically converted CO2 with H2O to generate CH4, CO, O2 and H2 with generation rates of 673, 206, 1479 and 67 (µmol·g−1cat·h−1), respectively.
Advances in colloidal dispersions: A review Huynh Mai, Cang; Thanh Diep, Tung; Le, Thuy T. T. ...
Journal of dispersion science and technology,
03/2020, Letnik:
41, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This paper introduces advanced systems and technique in the field of colloidal dispersions. These systems include the double emulsions, the cubosomes and the solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) which ...are favored by their capacity in the controlled release of ingredients, colorants, drugs, minerals and antioxidant particles. Double emulsions (both water-in-oil-in-water W/OW and oil-in-water-in-oil O/W/O) are considering as ideal materials for microencapsulation while cubosome and SLNs are submicron colloidal carriers. The structure, formulation and applications of those systems will be provided. In the preparation of colloidal dispersions, membrane technology is an interesting alternative method because of low energy consumption and high efficiency. The principle and operation of membrane systems in microemulsification as well as their applications will be summarized and presented.
Background
In developing countries, fewer women have access to multidisciplinary congenital heart disease and reproductive programs staffed by experts. We report pregnancy outcomes of a ...multidisciplinary healthcare strategy utilizing an in-hospital teamwork approach in Vietnam.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study included pregnant women with unrepaired congenital heart disease managed at a referral cardiovascular center.
Results
Undiagnosed congenital heart disease before pregnancy, a lack of pre-pregnancy cardiology counseling, and modified World Health Organization class III/IV were common. Under the multispecialty healthcare strategy, although the rate of maternal death was 8.2% in the modified World Health Organization class IV group, no deaths occurred in any other group. Fetal/neonatal complications occurred in 54% of pregnancies, and 49.4% of neonates survived. Poor pregnancy outcomes were associated with admission during the first/seconde trimester for fetus/neonates, third trimester for mother, modified World Health Organization class III/IV, cyanosis, and heart failure.
Conclusion
The outcomes of pregnant women with unrepaired congenital heart disease were poor but seemed to improve with a multidisciplinary in-hospital healthcare teamwork strategy.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is underdiagnosed and undertreated in a majority of the low- and middle-income countries. FH registries could prove useful in bridging the knowledge gaps, ...supporting genetic and clinical research, and improving health-care planning and patient care. Here, we report the first usage experience of the Vietnam FH (VINAFH) Registry. The VINAFH Registry was established in 2016 as a long-term database for prospective cohorts. FH patients were detected based on the opportunistic and cascade screening. Diagnosis of FH was assessed using the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria, plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and genetic testing. To date, a total of 130 patients with FH have been registered, with 48 index cases and 82 relatives. Of the 130 patients, 8 were homozygous FH patients and 38 were children. Of FH individuals, 46.7% was confirmed by genetic testing: 61 patients (96.8%) carried the
LDLR
mutation (c.681C > G, c.1427C > G, c.1187-?_2140 ± ?del, c.2529_2530delinsA), and two patients (3.2%) carried the
PCSK9
(protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) mutation (c.42_43insTG). The c.2529_2530delinsA mutation detected in this study is novel and reported only in the Vietnamese population. However, only 53.8% of FH patients were followed up post diagnosis, and only 15.3% of these were approved for lipid-lowering therapy and specialized care. Notably, factors such as knowledge about FH in patients and/or guardians of FH children and support of primary care physicians affected patient participation with respect to treatment strategies and follow-up. Genetic identification, screening, and treatment of FH were feasible in Vietnam. The VINAFH Registry significantly contributed to the formation of the government agencies legislative acts that established the importance of FH as a socially and medically important disease requiring appropriate management strategies. Other low- and middle-income countries could, thus, use the VINAFH Registry model as a reference to establish programs for FH management according to the current status.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its relationship with corporate competitive advantage (CCA) have gained a tremendous interest among the researchers and practitioners over decades, as ...evident by the increasing surge of studies in this domain. This study examines how five types (legal, economic, philanthropic, ethical, and environmental) of CSR affect CCA in a developing country through the mediating roles of employee commitment and corporate reputation. Data was collected by survey questionnaires from a sample of 869 participants working at service, real estate, and manufacturing firms in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. SmartPLS 3.0 software and the partial least squares structural equation modeling method (PLS-SEM) were applied to evaluate the research model and test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that different dimensions of CSR have positive significant effects on employee commitment, corporate reputation and competitive advantage. Besides, employee commitment and corporate reputation were found to meditate the relationship between different types of CSR and CCA. These outcomes contributed to the extension of theory in the fields of CSR and offered some suggestions for managers in implementing CSR initiatives to gain and sustain CCA.
Plain Language Summary
This study examines how five types (legal, economic, philanthropic, ethical, and environmental) of CSR affect CCA in a developing country through the mediating roles of employee commitment and corporate reputation. Data was collected by survey questionnaires from a sample of 869 participants working at service, real estate, and manufacturing firms in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. The findings revealed that different dimensions of CSR have positive significant effects on employee commitment, corporate reputation and competitive advantage. Besides, employee commitment and corporate reputation were found to meditate the relationship between different types of CSR and CCA.
Floating treatment wetlands (FTW) are nature-based solutions for the purification of open water systems such as rivers, ponds, and lakes polluted by diffuse sources as untreated or partially treated ...domestic wastewater and agricultural run-off. Compared with other physicochemical and biological technologies, FTW is a technology with low-cost, simple configuration, easy to operate; has a relatively high efficiency, and is energy-saving, and aesthetic. Water remediation in FTWs is supported by plant uptake and the growth of a biofilm on the water plant roots, so the selection of the macrophyte species is critical, not only to pollutant removal but also to the local ecosystem integrity, especially for full-scale implementation. The key factors such as buoyant frame/raft, plant growth support media, water depth, seasonal variation, and temperature have a considerable role in the design, operation, maintenance, and pollutant treatment performance of FTW. Harvesting is a necessary process to maintain efficient operation by limiting the re-pollution of plants in the decay phase. Furthermore, the harvested plant biomass can serve as a green source for the recovery of energy and value-added products.
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•Design, operation and maintenance of floating treatment wetland (FTW) were examined.•Removal mechanisms of FTW are plant uptake and degradation by biofilm.•Benefits, limitations, and solutions for improvement of FTW were also discussed.•Plant biomass harvesting from FTW has been used for value-added products.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been causing the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in several million deaths being reported. Numerous investigations have been carried ...out to discover a compound that can inhibit the biological activity of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, which is an enzyme related to the viral replication. Among these, PF-07321332 (Nirmatrelvir) is currently under clinical trials for COVID-19 therapy. Therefore, in this work, atomistic and electronic simulations were performed to unravel the binding and covalent inhibition mechanism of the compound to M
. Initially, 5 μs of steered-molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to evaluate the ligand-binding process to SARS-CoV-2 M
. The successfully generated
state between the two molecules showed the important role of the PF-07321332 pyrrolidinyl group and the residues Glu166 and Gln189 in the ligand-binding process. Moreover, from the MD-refined structure, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations were carried out to unravel the reaction mechanism for the formation of the thioimidate product from SARS-CoV-2 M
and the PF-07321332 inhibitor. We found that the catalytic triad Cys145-His41-Asp187 of SARS-CoV-2 M
plays an important role in the activation of the PF-07321332 covalent inhibitor, which renders the deprotonation of Cys145 and, thus, facilitates further reaction. Our results are definitely beneficial for a better understanding of the inhibition mechanism and designing new effective inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 M
.
PurposeThis paper aims to review and synthesize notable literature on high-performance organization (HPO), from which future research directions can be recommended.Design/methodology/approachThis ...narrative literature review analyzes major HPO literature in popular books and peer-reviewed articles published in English in the period between 1982 and 2019.FindingsThe review revealed that HPO literature has evolved multiple times, illustrating the complex and multifaceted nature of this phenomenon. In particular, literature on HPO has evolved in four phases: (1) definitions and conceptual development of HPO; (2) exploration of approaches to achieve HPO; (3) empirical validation of HPO framework; and (4) complicated research models and designs on HPO. Several research gaps were identified, which definitely hold varying research value and can be seen as potential opportunities for future research.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of this review is on HPO literature published in English rather than cover all existing literature.Originality/valueIt is among the first studies to review the HPO literature and its evolution. This review also recommends constructive areas for future research on HPO to focus on.
Herein, we report the design, synthesis and evaluation of novel (E)‐3‐(3‐oxo‐4‐substituted‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐benzob1,4oxazin‐6‐yl)‐N‐hydroxypropenamides (4 a–i, 7 a–g) targeting histone deacetylases. ...Three human cancer cell lines were used to test the cytotoxicity of the synthesized compounds (SW620, colon; PC‐3, prostate; NCI−H23, lung cancer); inhibitory activity towards HDAC; anticancer activity; as well as their impact on the cell cycle and apoptosis. As a result, compounds 4 a–i bearing the alkyl substituents seemed to be less potent than the benzyl‐containing compounds 7 a–g in all biological assays. Compounds 7 e–f were found to be the most active HDAC inhibitors with IC50 of 1.498±0.020 μM and 1.794±0.159 μM, respectively. In terms of cytotoxicity and anticancer assay, 7 e and 7 f also showed good activity with IC50 values in the micromolar range. In addition, the cell cycle and apoptosis of SW620 were affected by compound 7 f in almost a similar manner to that of reference compound SAHA. Docking assays were carried out for analysis the binding mode and selectivity of this compound toward 8 HDAC isoforms. Overall, our data confirmed that the inhibition of HDAC plays a pivotal role in their anticancer activity.
A novel iron-modified biochar (FMBC) derived from rice straw was synthesized using FeCl3 modification for efficient As(V) removal from aqueous solution. FTIR and SEM-EDX analyses were carried out to ...determine the mechanism involved in the removal process and also demonstrated that Fe had loaded successfully on the surface of modified biochar. The iron-modified biochar showed higher arsenic removal ability than the raw biochar. The iron-modified biochar showed a maximum adsorption with an initial solution pH of 5.0. Moreover, for the tested biochar, the As(V) removal kinetics data were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, the As(V) removal data upon being well fitted by the Langmuir model showed the maximal removal capacity of 28.49 mg/g. The simple preparation process and high adsorption performance suggest that the iron-modified biochar derived from rice straw could be served as an effective, inexpensive, and environmentally sustainable adsorbent to replace typical granular activated carbon (AC) for As(III) removal from aqueous solution.
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