Electrodeposition of CuAg alloy films from plating baths containing 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) as an inhibitor yields high surface area catalysts for the active and selective electroreduction ...of CO2 to multicarbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates. EXAFS shows the co-deposited alloy film to be homogeneously mixed. The alloy film containing 6% Ag exhibits the best CO2 electroreduction performance, with the Faradaic efficiency for C2H4 and C2H5OH production reaching nearly 60 and 25%, respectively, at a cathode potential of just −0.7 V vs RHE and a total current density of ∼ – 300 mA/cm2. Such high levels of selectivity at high activity and low applied potential are the highest reported to date. In situ Raman and electroanalysis studies suggest the origin of the high selectivity toward C2 products to be a combined effect of the enhanced stabilization of the Cu2O overlayer and the optimal availability of the CO intermediate due to the Ag incorporated in the alloy.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a severe condition in premature infants that compromises lung function and necessitates oxygen support. Despite major improvements in perinatal care minimizing the ...devastating effects, BPD remains the most frequent complication of extreme preterm birth. Our study reports the safety of the allogeneic administration of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (allo-UC-MSCs) and the progression of lung development in four infants with established BPD.
UC tissue was collected from a healthy donor, followed by propagation at the Stem Cell Core Facility at Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology. UC-MSC culture was conducted under xeno- and serum-free conditions. Four patients with established BPD were enrolled in this study between May 25, 2018, and December 31, 2018. All four patients received two intravenous doses of allo-UC-MSCs (1 million cells/kg patient body weight (PBW) per dose) with an intervening interval of 7 days. Safety and patient conditions were evaluated during hospitalization and at 7 days and 1, 6 and 12 months postdischarge.
No intervention-associated severe adverse events or prespecified adverse events were observed in the four patients throughout the study period. At the time of this report, all patients had recovered from BPD and were weaned off of oxygen support. Chest X-rays and CT scans confirmed the progressive reductions in fibrosis.
Allo-UC-MSC administration is safe in preterm infants with established BPD. Trial registration This preliminary study was approved by the Vinmec International Hospital Ethics Board (approval number: 88/2019/QĐ-VMEC; retrospectively registered March 12, 2019).
Nonequilibrium processes of small systems such as molecular machines are ubiquitous in biology, chemistry, and physics but are often challenging to comprehend. In the past two decades, several exact ...thermodynamic relations of nonequilibrium processes, collectively known as fluctuation theorems, have been discovered and provided critical insights. These fluctuation theorems are generalizations of the second law and can be unified by a differential fluctuation theorem. Here we perform the first experimental test of the differential fluctuation theorem using an optically levitated nanosphere in both underdamped and overdamped regimes and in both spatial and velocity spaces. We also test several theorems that can be obtained from it directly, including a generalized Jarzynski equality that is valid for arbitrary initial states, and the Hummer-Szabo relation. Our study experimentally verifies these fundamental theorems and initiates the experimental study of stochastic energetics with the instantaneous velocity measurement.
Electrodeposition of Ni or NiFe films exhibiting fractal-like behavior from plating baths containing an inhibitor, such as 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT), is found to yield oxygen evolution ...reaction (OER) catalysts for alkaline solutions exhibiting high current densities (100 mA/cm2), high mass activity (∼1200 A/g of catalyst), high stability (>72 h), and low overpotentials (∼300 mV). By changing electrodeposition time, the activity of the catalyst can be tuned, with longer times yielding higher activities. The electrodeposition method works with any conductive substrate yielding unprecedented performance and providing an easy route to high activity catalysts.
Striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) farming in the Mekong Delta Vietnam (MKDVN) importantly contributes to national aquaculture export. Currently, however, diseases occur more frequently ...across the entire MKDVN region. One of the most common types is hemorrhagic septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila. In this study, isolation and selection of the phages for control in vitro Aeromonas hydrophila were conducted. 24 phages were isolated from 100 striped catfish pond water samples. Next, lytic activity of these phages was clarified. Four phages with short latent period (about 25 to 40 min) and/or high burst size (about 67 to 94 PFU/ cell) were selected to evaluate their infection activity to different phage-resistant A. hydrophila strains. Two phages termed as TG25P and CT45P were subjected to the phage cocktail to inactivate A. hydrophila. Re-growth of the host bacteria appeared about eight hours after treatment. Usage of the phage cocktail that attach different host bacterial receptors is not always much effective than usage of single phage. This is the first report about phage therapy to control A. hydrophila isolated from striped catfish. Some challenges in the phage cocktail were shown to achieve strategies in prospective studies in the context of high antibiotic resistance of A. hydrophila.
Electrodeposition from plating baths containing 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) as an inhibitor gives Cu films exhibiting high surface area and high CO2 reduction activities. By changes in the pH ...and deposition current density, the morphologies of the Cu films are varied to exhibit wire, dot, and amorphous structures. Among these Cu films, the CuDAT-wire samples exhibit the best CO2 reduction activities activity with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) for C2H4 product formation reaching 40% at −0.5 V vs RHE, a FE for C2H5OH formation reaching 20% at −0.5 V vs RHE, and a mass activity for CO2 reduction at −0.7 V vs RHE of ∼700 A/g.
The interplay between mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and preservation conditions is critical to maintain the viability and functionality of these cells before administration. We observed that ...Ringer lactate (RL) maintained high viability of bone marrow–derived MSCs for up to 72 h at room temperature (18°C–22°C), whereas adipose‐derived and umbilical cord‐derived MSCs showed the highest viability for 72 h at a cold temperature (4°C–8°C). These cells maintained their adherence ability with an improved recovery rate and metabolic profiles (glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration) similar to those of freshly harvested cells. Growth factor and cytokine analyses revealed that the preserved cells released substantial amounts of leukaemia inhibitory factors (LIFs), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A), as well as multiple cytokines (eg IL‐4, IL‐6, IL‐8, MPC‐1 and TNF‐α). Our data provide the simplest clinically relevant preservation conditions that maintain the viability, stemness and functionality of MSCs from perinatal and adult tissue sources.
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health and well-being worldwide, and its psychological effects are receiving substantial attention in the scientific literature. Research to date shows ...that the pandemic has increased prevalences of depression, anxiety, and stress. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of mental health symptoms and identify the associated factors among men in a rural area of Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods and findings
During July 15–31, 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,085 men from 18 years old in 11 rural districts in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam, and assessed their mental health using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 Items (DASS-21). Outcomes assessed were have a symptom of depression, anxiety, and stress; risk factors measured included age, religion, marital status, education, occupation, and financial status. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the statistical significance of associations between risk factors and mental health symptoms. Findings showed that the prevalences of having a symptom of depression, anxiety and stress among participants were 6.39, 9.72, and 5.65%, respectively. Regression model showed being younger (95% CI: –0.030; –0.004,
p
= 0.001), men had high school degree (95% CI: –0.671; –0.074,
p
= 0.014), men living in nearly poor houshoulds (95% CI: 0.067, 1.905,
p
< 0.05) and poor housholds (95% CI: 0.608; 2.721,
p
< 0.05) had significantly lower depression scores than others.
Conclusion
Prevalences of having symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were much higher than in similar previous research in rural Vietnam, suggesting that mental health problems among men in this setting became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic. Age, religion, level of education and family income status were statistically significant predictors of mental health problems. These findings provide useful insights into the impact of pandemics on mental health.
Treatment adherence (TA) is a critical issue and is under-investigated in hemodialysis patients. A multi-center study was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 on 972 hemodialysis patients in eight ...hospitals in Vietnam to explore the factors associated with TA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected, including socio-demographics, an End-Stage Renal Disease Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ), 12-item short-form health literacy questionnaire (HLS-SF12), 4-item digital healthy diet literacy scale (DDL), 10-item hemodialysis dietary knowledge scale (HDK), 7-item fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S), and suspected COVID-19 symptoms (S-COVID19-S). Bivariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to explore the associations. Higher DDL scores were associated with higher TA scores (regression coefficient, B, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI, 0.59, 2.12;
= 0.001). Higher FCoV-19S scores were associated with lower TA scores (B, -1.78; 95%CI, -3.33, -0.24;
= 0.023). In addition, patients aged 60-85 (B, 24.85; 95%CI, 6.61, 43.11;
= 0.008) with "very or fairly easy" medication payment ability (B, 27.92; 95%CI, 5.89, 44.95;
= 0.013) had higher TA scores. Patients who underwent hemodialysis for ≥5 years had a lower TA score than those who received <5 years of hemodialysis (B, -52.87; 95%CI, -70.46, -35.28;
< 0.001). These findings suggested that DDL and FCoV-19S, among other factors, should be considered in future interventions to improve TA in hemodialysis patients.
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