In this paper, TiO
2
and Ag-doped TiO
2
photocatalysts were coated on the cylindrical cordierite honeycomb monolith (CHM) to evaluate their photocatalytic disinfection against
Escherichia coli (E. ...coli)
bacteria under artificial sunlight irradiation. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed a single-phase anatase structure for TiO
2
samples calcined at 500 °C for 2 h. With the presence of Ag, the bandgap of TiO
2
becomes narrower, and the absorption edge shifts toward the visible region. 6 mol% Ag-doped TiO
2
(6Ag-T) showed a reduction of bandgap energy to 2.2 eV. TiO
2
and Ag-doped TiO
2
solutions were prepared and coated on the channels’ surface of CHM for antibacterial applications. Although monolithic TiO
2
caused a slight decrease in the number of alive
E. coli
, Ag dopant showed significant improvement in antibacterial properties. 6 mol% Ag-doped TiO
2
coated on CHM (6Ag-T/S10/M) showed strong antibacterial effectiveness against
E. coli
that the bacterial cell concentration dropped to zero after 1 h of exposure. Impressively, reusability tests with these materials showed superior performance, where the antibacterial remains unchanged after five or seven successive operation cycles.
Graphical Abstract
Bien Hoa airbase is the most dioxin-polluted hotspot in Vietnam. In 2012, a birth cohort living around Bien Hoa airbase was recruited for assessment of physical and neurological development. In the ...present study, neurodevelopment scores at 5 years of age were assessed by the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition for 185 children in Bien Hoa and 104 children in Ha Dong (unexposed control group) to clarify the effects of dioxin. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin concentrations in breast milk of women in Bien Hoa were approximately three times higher than those of women in Ha Dong (2.33 vs. 0.69 pg/g fat, p < 0.001). In general, neurodevelopment scores were lower in Bien Hoa children than in Ha Dong children. In boys, scores differed for number recall (12.6 vs. 14.0, p = 0.036), triangles (10.7 vs. 12.4, p = 0.005), manual dexterity (8.3 vs. 9.7, p = 0.037), balance (7.4 vs. 10.3, p < 0.001), and total movement scores (8.0 vs. 10.1, p = 0.003). After adjusting for covariates, linear regression analysis indicated that the scores of the triangles, balance, and total movement tests were inversely associated with levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and of toxic equivalency of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. In girls, scores differed for the triangles test (11.0 vs. 12.6, p = 0.005), hand movement test (9.6 vs. 11.3, p = 0.003), and balance test (9.1 vs. 10.7, p = 0.050); toxic equivalency of polychlorinated dibenzofurans was inversely associated with hand movement and balance scores. Overall, perinatal dioxin exposure appears to have a long-term impact on neurodevelopment.
Display omitted
•Dioxin levels in breast milk were three times higher in the sprayed area.•Child cognitive and motor scores were significantly lower in the sprayed area.•Cognitive and motor scores were inversely associated with dioxin exposure.•Perinatal dioxin exposure has a long-term impact on child neurodevelopment.
Cotton is an important agricultural crop to many regions across the globe but is sensitive to low-temperature exposure. The activity of the enzyme SENSITIVE TO FREEZING 2 (SFR2) improves cold ...tolerance of plants and produces trigalactosylsyldiacylglycerol (TGDG), but its role in cold sensitive plants, such as cotton remains unknown. Recently, it was reported that cotton SFR2 produced very little TGDG under normal and cold conditions. Here, we investigate cotton SFR2 activation and TGDG production. Using multiple approaches in the native system and transformation into Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as heterologous yeast expression, we provide evidence that cotton SFR2 activates differently than previously found among other plant species. We conclude with the hypothesis that SFR2 in cotton is not activated in a similar manner regarding acidification or freezing like Arabidopsis and that other regions of SFR2 protein are critical for activation of the enzyme than previously reported.
Fifty-five children aged 2 years from a birth cohort in the largest dioxin-contaminated area in Bien Hoa city, Vietnam participated in this survey to examine gaze behavior. Exposure levels were ...indicated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dibenzodioxin (TCDD) and toxic equivalent of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (TEQ-PCDD/Fs) levels in maternal breast milk. The percentage of the total fixation duration on the face (% Face), mouth (% Mouth), and eye areas (% Eyes) when viewing silent and conversation scenes was used as gaze behavior indices. When they reached 3-year-old, autistic behavior was assessed using the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS). A general linear model adjusted for confounding factors was used to compare gaze indices and ASRS scores between high and low dioxin exposure groups. Effects of perinatal dioxin exposure on gaze behavior were found only when viewing conversation scenes indicated by lower % Face for boys in high TCDD exposure group and lower % Eyes for girls in high TEQ-PCDD/Fs group. Increased autistic traits showed by higher ASRS scores at 3-year-old were found in both gender in the high TCDD exposure group. These findings indicate that perinatal TCDD and TEQ-PCDD/Fs exposure may reduce gaze behavior in 2-year-old children, predicting increased autistic traits at 3-year-old.
Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts, a rich source of anthocyanin, were subjected to encapsulation in yeast cells. An encapsulation yield (EY) of 208 μg/100 mg of cells and an encapsulation efficiency (EE) ...of 27%, were reached after optimisation of the ratios (0.5 g wet yeast cells for 5 ml of anthocyanin extracts at 1 g·L−1) and with 10% of ethanol. The storage stability of encapsulated pigments was investigated in water and buffer pH 1.5 at 5 & 37 °C for 10 days and 90 °C for 30 min. The percentage of loss of colour was determined by colourimetry assays. The microparticles made of yeast with or without heat treatment exhibited different protecting effects (P < 0.01). At 37 °C, the percentage of loss of colour in water was of 2.5% for heat-treated and 36.5% for non-treated yeast microparticles, suggesting that yeast enzymes would be responsible for the loss of anthocyanin during storage. These results are confirmed by the percentage of loss of colour which was far lower in conditions of low enzymatic activity: 3.1% at 5 °C for non-heat-treated cells in water. The pH of solvent had also an important effect on the degradation of encapsulated anthocyanin; in buffer at pH 1.5 and 37 °C with the non-heat-treated cells, the degradation decreased strongly to 9.4% compared with 36.5% in water. These results show that yeast cells are a good mean of encapsulation of pigments for a colouring purpose and that they provide anthocyanins a good protection as long as their enzymes are inactivated.
Display omitted
•Yeast cells were a good material for the encapsulation of anthocyanins.•A process of encapsulation of anthocyanin in yeast has been developed.•Heat-treated yeast microcapsules showed a high protecting effect during storage.•Yeast enzymes caused an unwanted colour loss of anthocyanin during storage.
Dioxin concentrations remain elevated in the environment and humans residing near the former US Air Force base in Bien Hoa city, South Vietnam. We recruited 210 mother-infant pairs for whom breast ...milk dioxin levels were reported in our previous study. Cord blood samples were collected from 162 mother-infant pairs. We selected 16 cord blood samples with a volume over 20mL and fat content of ≥0.03g. Toxic equivalent levels of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (TEQ-PCDD/Fs) and concentrations of 17 congeners, including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), in cord blood were measured and compared with levels in breast milk (Study 1). Levels of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and TEQ-PCDD/Fs in cord blood samples were highly and significantly correlated with those in breast milk samples in the same pairs. This suggests dioxins in breast milk reflect prenatal dioxin exposure. Estradiol (E2) and testosterone (TS) were measured in cord blood serum from 162 samples. Associations between dioxins in breast milk and cord blood sex hormones were analyzed by infant sex, after adjusting for confounding factors (Study 2). Increased levels of TEQ-PCDD/Fs in breast milk were associated with decreased cord blood TS in girls. In boys, a significant reduction of cord blood TS was observed in those exposed to 2,3,7,8-TCDD at high levels (≥5.5pg/g lipid). There was no significant association between E2 and dioxins in breast milk in either sex. These results suggest increased prenatal dioxin exposure is associated with decreased cord TS, but in boys, only high level of 2,3,7,8-TCDD influence cord blood TS.
Display omitted
•Dioxins in breast milk are good indicators of prenatal dioxin exposure to fetus.•Increased prenatal dioxin exposure may decrease cord blood testosterone level.•High level of 2,3,7,8-TCDD may influence cord blood TS in boys.
Objective
We aimed to investigate the impact on the mental health of patients with COVID-19 in a centralized isolation facility in the community who experienced a long period of full lockdown during ...the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam.
Methods
We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study among 125 patients with COVID-19 in a centralized isolation facility in the community of Ho Chi Minh City from September to November 2021. We collected data on depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, as indicated by scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, as well as sociodemographic characteristics.
Results
The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among patients with COVID-19 was 14.4%, 20.8%, and 20.0%, respectively. Depression scores were significantly and positively correlated with body mass index whereas stress scores were significantly and positively correlated with age.
Conclusion
Our findings indicated an increased prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among patients with COVID-19 who were in a centralized isolation facility during the fourth COVID-19 wave in Vietnam. Overweight and older age were identified as risk factors for adverse mental health in patients with COVID-19. Psychological intervention programs should be implemented in isolation facilities for individuals with COVID-19 infection.
This paper presents a fibered-epitaxial lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film with intermediate features between the monocrystalline and polycrystalline thin films for piezoelectric micromachined ...ultrasound transducer (pMUT). The grain boundaries confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, but it still maintained the in-plane epitaxial relationship found by X-ray diffraction analyses. The dielectric constant (
= 500) was relatively high compared to those of the monocrystalline thin films, but was lower than those of conventional polycrystalline thin films near the morphotropic phase boundary composition. The fundamental characterizations were evaluated through the operation tests of the prototyped pMUT with the fibered-epitaxial thin film. As a result, its piezoelectric coefficient without poling treatment was estimated to be
= -10⁻-11 C/m², and thus reasonably high compared to polycrystalline thin films. An appropriate poling treatment increased
and decreased
. In addition, this unique film was demonstrated to be mechanically tougher than the monocrystalline thin film. It has the potential ability to become a well-balanced piezoelectric film with both high signal-to-noise ratio and mechanical toughness for pMUT.
Dioxins are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and their effects on reproductive functions are well-documented. The aim of the present study was to measure the levels of reproductive hormones in 42 men ...residing near a dioxin-contaminated area in Vietnam. We measured levels of 17 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and four non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in blood. Levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone, prolactin, estradiol, and total testosterone were measured in serum. Blood dioxin levels were elevated; the levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin was 7.3pg/g fat. Seven of the men had testosterone levels below 250ng/dL, and nine men had prolactin levels above 9.7ng/mL. Four PCDD congeners, two PCDF congeners, one PCB congener, and the sum TEQ of PCDDs, PCDDs/Fs, and PCDDs/Fs/PCBs were positively and significantly correlated with prolactin levels. Two PCDD congeners, six PCDF congeners, two PCB congeners, and the TEQs of PCDFs and PCBs were negatively and significantly correlated with testosterone levels. There were no significant correlations between dioxin congeners and follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, or progesterone levels.
Display omitted
•We studied the effects of dioxin on reproductive hormone levels in Vietnamese men.•Dioxin and total testosterone levels were negatively correlated.•Dioxin and prolactin levels were positively correlated.•Future studies should assess dioxins' effects on the endocrine system as a whole.
Effects of dioxin exposure on gray matter volume have been reported in previous studies, but a few studies reported effects of dioxin exposure on white matter structure. Therefore, this study was ...undertaken to investigate the impact of dioxin exposure on white matter microstructure in men living in the most severely dioxin-contaminated areas in Vietnam.
In 2019 brain MRI scans from 28 men living near Bien Hoa airbase were obtained at Dong Nai General Hospital, Vietnam, on a 3 T scanner using a conventional diffusion tensor imaging sequence. Two exposure markers were indicated by perinatal exposure estimated by assessment of maternal residency in a dioxin-contaminated area during pregnancy and by measurement of blood dioxin levels. A general linear model was used to compare fractional anisotropy (FA) values in 11 white matter tracts in both hemispheres between groups with and without perinatal dioxin exposure and groups with high and low blood dioxin levels after adjusting for covariates.
The adjusted mean FA value in the left cingulum hippocampal part (CGH) was significantly lower in the perinatal dioxin exposure group compared with the group without perinatal dioxin exposure. The high blood TCDD group showed significantly reduced FA values in the left and right CGH and right uncinate fasciculus (UNC). Moreover, the high blood TEQ-PCDDs group showed significantly lower FA values in the left and right CGH and the left UNC. There were no significant differences in FA values between the groups with high and low TEQ-PCDFs levels or between the groups with high and low TEQ-PCDD/Fs levels.
It was concluded that dioxin exposure during the perinatal period and adulthood may alter the microstructure of white matter tracts in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.
PDF
