Upcycling Agricultural Waste for Functional Interfaces: Yellow Onion Skin-Derived Dyes for Cellulosic Materials.

The growing environmental and health concerns associated with synthetic dyes have increased interest in natural alternatives. This study investigates the multifunctional properties of yellow onion skin extract as a sustainable dye source for cellulosic substrates, assessing the extract's functional properties beyond coloration. The extract was applied to premordanted cellulose nanofiber films (CNF) with a concentration of 2 g/L and knitted cotton fabric 0.

Exploiting the high affinity between cellulose nanofibrils and Aloe vera acemannan to develop elastic, crosslinker-free, all-polysaccharide hydrogels.

Plant-based polymers hold promising prospects thanks to their bioactivity, diversity and versatility but they are currently overshadowed by synthetic and animal-derived materials, especially in biomedical applications. In this study, we developed an entirely plant-based hydrogel with improved mechanical performance based on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TCNFs) and the polysaccharide fraction (AVPF) extracted from Aloe vera L. (Aloe barbadensis Miller).

Association between the Sp1-binding-site polymorphism in the collagen type I alpha 1 (COLIA1) gene and bone phenotypes: the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study.

Introduction: Polymorphisms within the collagen 1 alpha 1 gene (COLIA1) have been shown to be associated with bone mineral density (BMD). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that COLIA1 polymorphisms are associated with bone loss and fragility fractures.

Materials And Methods: The study involved 809 postmenopausal women aged 60 years and above in the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study who had COLIA1 genotypes and at least two BMD measurements over a 30-year period.

Views on wet nursing and expressing breastmilk for sharing and human milk bank donation among mothers in two parenting social media communities in Vietnam.

Nutrition in early life plays a key role in shaping an infant's future health. There is limited understanding of the perspectives of Vietnamese mothers with children under 24 months of age regarding breastmilk expression, donation and use. In this cross-sectional study, an online survey was administered through two parenting social media communities to assess opinions on breastmilk expression, breastmilk donation including contributions from bereaved mothers and the use of donor human milk.

The STOIC2021 COVID-19 AI challenge: Applying reusable training methodologies to private data.

Challenges drive the state-of-the-art of automated medical image analysis. The quantity of public training data that they provide can limit the performance of their solutions. Public access to the training methodology for these solutions remains absent.

Insights into spheroids formation in cellulose nanofibrils and Matrigel hydrogels using AFM-based techniques.

The recent FDA decision to eliminate animal testing requirements emphasises the role of cell models, such as spheroids, as regulatory test alternatives for investigations of cellular behaviour, drug responses, and disease modelling. The influence of environment on spheroid formation are incompletely understood, leading to uncertainty in matrix selection for scaffold-based 3D culture. This study uses atomic force microscopy-based techniques to quantify cell adhesion to Matrigel and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), and cell-cell adhesion forces, and their role in spheroid formation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS(IMR90)-4).

Photoinduced charge generation of nanostructured carbon derived from human hair biowaste for performance enhancement in polyvinylidene fluoride based triboelectric nanogenerator.

Carbon nanostructures derived from human hair biowaste are incorporated into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer to enhance the energy conversion performance of a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The PVDF filled with activated carbon nanomaterial from human hair (AC-HH) exhibits improved surface charge density and photoinduced charge generation. These remarkable properties are attributed to the presence of graphene-like nanostructures in AC-HH, contributing to the augmented performance of PVDF@AC-HH TENG.

Association between Fat Mass and Obesity-Related Transcript Polymorphisms and Osteoporosis Phenotypes.

Background: Common variants in the fat mass and obesity-related transcript (FTO) gene are related to body mass index and obesity, suggesting its potential association with bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk. This study sought to define the association between FTO gene variants and the following phenotypes: (1) BMD; (2) bone loss; and (3) fracture risk.

Methods: This analysis was based on the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study that included 1,277 postmenopausal women aged ≥60 years living in Dubbo, Australia.

Bioactive Fiber Foam Films from Cellulose and Willow Bark Extract with Improved Water Tolerance.

Cellulose-based materials are gaining increasing attention in the packaging industry as sustainable packaging material alternatives. Lignocellulosic polymers with high quantities of surface hydroxyls are inherently hydrophilic and hygroscopic, making them moisture-sensitive, which has been retarding the utilization of cellulosic materials in applications requiring high moisture resistance. Herein, we produced lightweight all-cellulose fiber foam films with improved water tolerance.

Validation of a new simple scoring system to predict spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

Background: Recently, a simple scoring system named the Mansoura scoring system was developed to predict spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. However, the efficacy of this newly developed system has not been extensively investigated. We aimed to validate a new simple scoring system for the rapid diagnosis or exclusion of SBP without paracentesis.

Tuning the water interactions of cellulose nanofibril hydrogels using willow bark extract.

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are increasingly used as precursors for foams, films and composites, where water interactions are of great importance. In this study, we used willow bark extract (WBE), an underrated natural source of bioactive phenolic compounds, as a plant-based modifier for CNF hydrogels, without compromising their mechanical properties. We found that the introduction of WBE into both native, mechanically fibrillated CNFs and TEMPO-oxidized CNFs increased considerably the storage modulus of the hydrogels and reduced their swelling ratio in water up to 5-7 times.

Malnutrition, Frailty, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Rural Older Adults in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: Rural older adults are more likely to be malnourished than urban older adults, particularly those living in lower-middle-income countries like Vietnam. Therefore, this study aimed to address the prevalence of malnutrition and its association with frailty and health-related quality of life in older rural Vietnamese adults.

Participants And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥ 60 years) living in a rural province in Vietnam.

Novel MXene-Modified Polyphenyl Sulfone Membranes for Functional Nanofiltration of Heavy Metals-Containing Wastewater.

In this work, MXene as a hydrophilic 2D nanosheet has been suggested to tailor the polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) flat sheet membrane characteristics via bulk modification. The amount of MXene varied in the PPSU casting solution from 0-1.5 wt.

Disruption of Phosphodiesterase 3A Binding to SERCA2 Increases SERCA2 Activity and Reduces Mortality in Mice With Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: Increasing SERCA2 (sarco[endo]-plasmic reticulum Ca ATPase 2) activity is suggested to be beneficial in chronic heart failure, but no selective SERCA2-activating drugs are available. PDE3A (phosphodiesterase 3A) is proposed to be present in the SERCA2 interactome and limit SERCA2 activity. Disruption of PDE3A from SERCA2 might thus be a strategy to develop SERCA2 activators.

The Effect of Bisoprolol on Premature Ventricular Complex in Vietnamese Patients with Hypertension and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.

Background: Premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a common arrhythmia that causes a large number of clinical symptoms, adversely impacts the quality of life, and can even initiate serious arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. The incidence of premature ventricular contraction is higher in hypertensive patients, particularly if concomitant left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is present.

Objectives: This study was conducted on the characteristics of PVC in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and aimed to evaluate the effect of bisoprolol on PVC in Vietnamese patients with hypertension and LVH.

Anonazepine, a new alkaloid from the leaves of (Annonaceae).

From the CHCl-soluble extract of L. (Annonaceae) leaves, one new 3-benzazepine-type alkaloid, anonazepine (), and four known aporphine-type alkaloids, (+)-laurotetanine (), (+)-norglaucine (), (-)-xylopine (), and lanuginosine (), were isolated. Except for (-)-xylopine (), these remaining known alkaloids were first reported in .

Multiplexed Detection of Pathogens Using Solid-Phase Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification on a Supercritical Angle Fluorescence Array for Point-of-Care Applications.

Adaptations of new generation molecular techniques for multiplexed detection of pathogens are gaining interest in the field of point-of-care (POC) industry and onsite testing. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), an advanced molecular amplification technique, has proven promising due to its unique features that suits ideal for POC applications. However, application of LAMP for multiplexed detection of pathogens remains challenging because of the difficulty in the identification of specific LAMP amplicons that does not have a well-definite molecular size.

Nitrogen Recovery from Landfill Leachate Using Lab- and Pilot-Scale Membrane Contactors: Research into Fouling Development and Membrane Characterization Effects.

Membrane contactor technology affords great opportunities for nitrogen recovery from waste streams. This study presents a performance comparison between lab- and pilot-scale membrane contactors using landfill leachate samples. Polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers in different dimensions were compared in terms of ammonia (NH) recovery on a lab scale using a synthetic ammonium solution.

Point-of-care system for rapid real-time detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus based on commercially available Arduino platforms.

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of rapid, portable, and on-site testing technologies necessary for resource-limited settings for effective testing and screening to reduce spreading of the infection. Realizing this, we developed a fluorescence-based point-of-care (fPOC) detection system with real-time reverse transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid and quantitative detection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The system is built based on the Arduino platform compatible with commercially available open-source hardware-software and off-the-shelf electronic components.

Factors associated with anxiety and depression among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease outpatients in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

This study investigates the prevalence of and associated factors with depression and anxiety among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) outpatients at Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and May 2020 at the hospital's outpatient department. Those aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with COPD and undergoing COPD treatment, were eligible.

It's not one size fits all: a case for how equity-based knowledge translation can support rural and remote communities to optimize virtual health care.

Context: People living in rural and remote British Columbia (BC) in Canada experience complex barriers to care, resulting in poorer health outcomes compared to their urban counterparts. Virtual healthcare (VH) can act as a tool to address some of the care barriers, including reducing travel time, cost, and disruptions to people's lives. Conversely, VH can exacerbate inequities through unique difficulties in rural implementation, such as a lack of access to necessary infrastructure (eg internet), social supports, and technological capacity (eg devices and literacy).

Elimination of Carryover Contamination in Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Rapid Detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Point-of-Care Testing.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is being used as a robust rapid diagnostic tool to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. However, carryover contamination of LAMP-amplified products originating from previous tests has been a problem in LAMP-based bio-analytical assays. In this study, we developed a Cod-uracil-DNA-glycosylase real-time reverse transcriptase LAMP assay (Cod-UNG-rRT-LAMP) for the elimination of carryover contamination and the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in point-of-care (POC) testing.

Microalgae and kraft lignin stabilized cellulosic wet foams for camouflage.

Plants, animals, and humans use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. The camouflage is achieved with different combinations of colors, patterns, and morphologies. In stealth applications, the simplest camouflage uses textiles colored similarly to the environment to create an illusion.

Optimal Design for Compliant Mechanism Flexure Hinges: Bridge-Type.

Compliant mechanisms' design aims to create a larger workspace and simple structural shapes because these mechanical systems usually have small dimensions, reduced friction, and less bending. From that request, we designed optimal bridge-type compliant mechanism flexure hinges with a high magnification ratio, low stress by using a flexure joint, and especially no friction and no bending. This joint was designed with optimal dimensions for the studied mechanism by using the method of grey relational analysis (GRA), which is based on the Taguchi method (TM), and finite element analysis (FEA).