Since the first report in early 1990s, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have progressively attracted the attention of scientists due to their potential applications in physic, energy storage, ...imaging, and especially in biomedical engineering. Owning the unique physiochemical properties, such as highly porosity, large surface area and pore volume, functionalizable, tunable pore and particle sizes and biocompatibility, and high loading cavity, MSNs offer efficient encapsulation and then controlled release, and in some cases, intracellular delivery of bioactive molecules for biomedical applications. During the last decade, functionalized MSNs that show respond upon the surrounding stimulus changes, such as temperature, pH, redox, light, ultrasound, magnetic or electric fields, enzyme, redox, ROS, glucose, and ATP, or their combinations, have continuously revolutionized their potential applications in biomedical engineering. Therefore, this review focuses on discussion the recent fabrication of functionalized MSNs and their potential applications in drug delivery, therapeutic treatments, diagnostic imaging, and biocatalyst. In addition, some potential clinical applications and challenges will also be discussed.
•The formation and functionalization of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were discussed.•MSNs were developed as the stimulus-responsive biomaterials.•The potential biomedical applications of MSNs were summarized.•The challenges and future perspectives of MSNs were discussed.
The factors that govern the development of tuberculosis disease are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that some strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) are more capable of ...causing disseminated disease than others and may be associated with polymorphisms in host genes responsible for the innate immune response to infection. We compared the host and bacterial genotype in 187 Vietnamese adults with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and 237 Vietnamese adults with uncomplicated pulmonary tuberculosis. The host genotype of tuberculosis cases was also compared with the genotype of 392 cord blood controls from the same population. Isolates of M. tuberculosis were genotyped by large sequence polymorphisms. The hosts were defined by polymorphisms in genes encoding Toll-interleukin 1 receptor domain containing adaptor protein (TIRAP) and Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2). We found a significant protective association between the Euro-American lineage of M. tuberculosis and pulmonary rather than meningeal tuberculosis (Odds ratio (OR) for causing TBM 0.395, 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) 0.193-0.806, P = 0.009), suggesting these strains are less capable of extra-pulmonary dissemination than others in the study population. We also found that individuals with the C allele of TLR-2 T597C allele were more likely to have tuberculosis caused by the East-Asian/Beijing genotype (OR = 1.57 95% C.I. 1.15-2.15) than other individuals. The study provides evidence that M. tuberculosis genotype influences clinical disease phenotype and demonstrates, for the first time, a significant interaction between host and bacterial genotypes and the development of tuberculosis.
Abstract
Industrial factories have been addressed as the main contributor to the amount of air pollution in many urban areas around the world. The emissions of air pollutants from factories, combined ...with exhausted gases from automobile and domestic cooking activities, have placed enormous adverse effects on human health. Recently, air quality models, which usually figure out for industrial emission with representative indicators such as CO, NO
2
, SO
2
, and TSP, have triggered an application to identify a suitable isolation distance that could lessen affection on public health. Concerning to develop an air emission inventory for Tan Tao Industrial Park (IP) for three sources of points, line and area sources by using top-down and bottom-up approaches, this study aim to: (i) apply a system model of TAPM – AERMOD model to study the air pollution dispersion from the IP to the surrounding area, and (ii) identify a hygiene isolation distance for sensitive objects around industrial park, especially zones of community, based on their separating demand from contamination. Results show that the point sources are the dominant air emission sources of Tan Tao IP. Total emissions of Tan Tao IP in 2019 estimated at 413.15 tons of TSP/year, 280.9 tons of NO
2
/year, 621.99 tons of SO
2
/year, and 2720.21 tons of CO/year. Modeling results show that 1-hour maximum concentration of TSP, NO
2
, SO
2
, and CO in the simulation area is 581µg/m
3
, 4.069µg/m
3
, 5.478µg/m
3
, 40.695µg/m
3
, respectively, exceeding the standards. Especially, the pollution levels of NO
2
were 20 times higher than the limit value, similar trends for SO
2
(15 times higher). The hygiene isolation distance was suggested a widely ranged from 2910 meters in the North-West and in the rest directions of Ho Chi Minh City. Some sensitive objects such as residential areas, hospitals and kindergartens recently are inside the affected zone should be reckoned to have suitable solutions that keep their health safe. The method for calculation of hygiene isolation distances from industrial activities has a significant guiding not only for environmental safety action but also for public health protection.
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized at room temperature under sunlight irradiation, using the extract of
Jasminum subtriplinerve Blume
(
JS
) leaf as a reducing agent and also ...stabilizers. The obtained AgNPs were thoroughly characterized by UV–Vis Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and their antibacterial property was evaluated on five types of bacteria by implementing the minimum inhibitory concentration test (MIC) and the zone of inhibition test. No antibacterial activity was observed in the
JS
extract compared to the AgNPs; meanwhile, AgNPs exhibited effective antibacterial activity against all bacteria with an average diameter of inhibition zones of over 10.0 mm and the minimum inhibitory concentration of 33.08 µg/mL (higher inhibiting activity against gram (−) bacterial than that of gram (+) bacterial).
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) were grown directly on printed circuit boards with a 35-
μ
m-thick copper layer using a seedless galvanic-cell hydrothermal process. The hexagonal structure of the ...synthesized ZnO NRs was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The microstructural characteristics of the as-grown ZnO NRs were investigated by x-ray diffraction analysis, revealing preferred (002) growth direction. Raman and photoluminescence spectra confirmed the high crystalline quality of the ZnO NRs. As-grown ZnO NRs were then grown for 7 h using the galvanic effect for use as the pH membrane of an extended-gate field-effect transistor pH sensor (pH-EGFET). The current–voltage characteristics showed sensitivity of 15.4 mV/pH and 0.26 (
μ
A)
1/2
/pH in the linear and saturated region, respectively. Due to their cost effectiveness, low-temperature processing, and ease of fabrication, such devices are potential candidates for use as flexible, low-cost, disposable biosensors.
This paper investigates the implications of government borrowing for corporate financing and capital structure of the firms. In doing so, we explore the effects of government debt, macroeconomic and ...firm-specific factors on firm’s choice of financing and capital structure. We draw on the 10-year data (2007–2017) of 225 non-financial firms listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) and employ the system Generalized Method of Moments (system-GMM) for estimation. Our key findings suggest that the government borrowing and debt financing for the Vietnamese listed companies have a negative relationship. Specifically, the short-term corporate leverage structure is influenced more strongly than the long-term leverage structure. We also define the threshold for the association between government borrowing and corporate financing decisions by capturing a U-shaped relationship i.e., Crowding out Kuznets Curve (CKC). Furthermore, macroeconomic factors also show a statistically significant impact on corporate financing decisions. Our findings have profound implications for the fiscal and public policymakers, investors as well as corporate finance managers and firms.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been reported as a deleterious factor in male fertility potential, associated with hypogonadism, impaired spermatogenesis, decreased sperm concentration and motility, ...and increased sperm DNA damage. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS in men from infertile couples and evaluate its effect on semen analysis (SA).
A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in men from infertile couples diagnosed based on the World Health Organization 2010 criteria and treated at the Hue Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Vietnam. General information included medical history, lifestyle, MetS factors, SA, and sperm DNA fragmentation test were collected. Based on the diagnostic criteria of the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for Asian men, the study population was divided into two groups: MetS and non-MetS groups. The outcomes were analyzed for any relationship between MetS and the SA index and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI).
A total of 534 men from infertile couples were included in this study. The prevalence of MetS was 23.4%, and abnormal semen analysis accounted for 93.8%. Age, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), hepatitis B and total cholesterol were related to the occurrence of MetS in infertile men (p <0.05). MetS did not reveal any impact on the parameters of SA. There was a positive correlation between waist circumference (WC), WHR, WHtR, and systolic blood pressure (BP) with abnormal sperm head and DFI (p <0.05).
Although the prevalence of MetS was remarkable in men from infertile couples, there was no association between MetS and semen quality. However, WC, WHR, WHtR, and systolic BP were found to be significantly associated with abnormal sperm head and DFI.
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