Formation of Zwitterionic and Self-Healable Hydrogels via Amino-yne Click Chemistry for Development of Cellular Scaffold and Tumor Spheroid Phantom for MRI.

In situ-forming biocompatible hydrogels have great potential in various medical applications. Here, we introduce a pH-responsive, self-healable, and biocompatible hydrogel for cell scaffolds and the development of a tumor spheroid phantom for magnetic resonance imaging. The hydrogel (pMAD) was synthesized via amino-yne click chemistry between poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine--2-aminoethylmethacrylamide) and dialkyne polyethylene glycol.

High biocompatible FITC-conjugated silica nanoparticles for cell labeling in both in vitro and in vivo models.

Fluorescence nanosilica-based cell tracker has been explored and applied in cell biological research. However, the aggregation of these nanoparticles at physiological pH is still the main limitation. In this research, we introduced a novel fluorescence nano-based cell tracker suitable for application in live cells.

Nanoengineered injectable hydrogels derived from layered double hydroxides and alginate for sustained release of protein therapeutics in tissue engineering applications.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) which involves gradual loss of kidney function is characterized by low levels of a glycoprotein called Erythropoietin (EPO) that leads to red blood cell  deficiency and anemia. Recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) injections that are administered intravenously or subcutaneously is the current gold standard for treating CKD. The rhEPO injections have very short half-lives and thus demands frequent administration with a risk of high endogenous EPO levels leading to severe side effects that could prove fatal.

The effect of facial colour on implicit facial expressions.

Humans recognise reddish-coloured faces as angry. However, does facial colour also affect "implicit" facial expression perception of which humans are not explicitly aware? In this study, we investigated the effects of facial colour on implicit facial expression perception. The experimental stimuli were "hybrid faces", in which the low-frequency component of the neutral facial expression image was replaced with the low-frequency component of the facial expression image of happiness or anger.

Preparation and Photocatalytic Characterization of Modified Nano TiO/Nd/Rice Husk Ash Material for Rifampicin Removal in Aqueous Solution.

Antibiotics like rifampicin are often persistent in the environment. When entering the water, it causes antimicrobial resistance that affects the ecosystem and accumulates in the aquatic organisms and affects human health through the food chain. In this study, titanium dioxide was doped with neodymium (0.

Assessing the appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy in patients with sepsis at a Vietnamese national hospital.

Objectives: To assess the appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial therapy for sepsis and septic shock and determine factors associated with patient treatment outcomes at a Vietnamese national hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 134 patients diagnosed with sepsis and/or septic shock at Thong-Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from January 2018 to June 2018. Appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy was defined as physician adherence to antimicrobial guidelines using the Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy and the Vietnam national guidelines.

Causes and Clinical Characteristics of Small Bowel Bleeding in Northern Vietnam.

Aim: Causes, clinical features, and diagnostic approaches for small bowel (SB) bleeding were analyzed to derive recommendations in dealing with this clinical condition.

Methods: We included 54 patients undergoing surgical treatment for SB bleeding, from January 2009 to December 2019. Detailed clinical data, diagnosis procedures, and causes of bleeding were collected.

Inaugural experience and early results of minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery in Auvergne region, France.

Minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery has become an established and common technique in many cardiac surgery centres throughout the world. We report how we safely introduced minimally invasive approach in cardiac surgery in our department and we aim to demonstrate that this approach is feasible in any medium-size cardiac surgical centre. it consisted of retrospective and descriptive study on 60 patients who underwent minimally invasive mitral valve (45) or aortic valve surgery (15) from January 2017 to Februry 2018.

Some Key Factors Affecting Consumers' Intentions to Purchase Functional Foods: A Case Study of Functional Yogurts in Vietnam.

The development of functional foods is key to promoting a healthy diet and preventing certain diseases. This study aims to examine several key factors that affect consumer attitude and intention with respect to purchasing functional foods in an emerging market economy. A research model was developed by extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and then validated through obtaining data from 596 Vietnamese consumers who were interested in functional yogurts using an interviewer-administered questionnaire.

A Refined Simple First-Order Shear Deformation Theory for Static Bending and Free Vibration Analysis of Advanced Composite Plates.

A refined simple first-order shear deformation theory is developed to investigate the static bending and free vibration of advanced composite plates such as functionally graded plates. By introducing the new distribution shape function, the transverse shear strain and shear stress have a parabolic distribution across the thickness of the plates, and they equal zero at the surfaces of the plates. Hence, the new refined theory needs no shear correction factor.

An Efficient Beam Element Based on Quasi-3D Theory for Static Bending Analysis of Functionally Graded Beams.

In this paper, a 2-node beam element is developed based on Quasi-3D beam theory and mixed formulation for static bending of functionally graded (FG) beams. The transverse shear strains and stresses of the proposed beam element are parabolic distributions through the thickness of the beam and the transverse shear stresses on the top and bottom surfaces of the beam vanish. The proposed beam element is free of shear-looking without selective or reduced integration.

Research on the Buckling Behavior of Functionally Graded Plates with Stiffeners Based on the Third-Order Shear Deformation Theory.

This paper presents a finite element formulation to study the mechanical buckling of stiffened functionally graded material (FGM) plates. The approach is based on a third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) introduced by Guangyu Shi. The material properties of the plate were assumed to be varied in the thickness direction by a power law distribution, but the material of the stiffener was the same as that of the one of the bottom surface where the stiffener was placed.

A Finite Element Model for Dynamic Analysis of Triple-Layer Composite Plates with Layers Connected by Shear Connectors Subjected to Moving Load.

Triple-layered composite plates are created by joining three composite layers using shear connectors. These layers, which are assumed to be always in contact and able to move relatively to each other during deformation, could be the same or different in geometric dimensions and material. They are applied in various engineering fields such as ship-building, aircraft wing manufacturing, etc.

Activation of the mouse primary visual cortex by medial prefrontal subregion stimulation is not mediated by cholinergic basalo-cortical projections.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) exerts top-down control of primary visual cortex (V1) activity. As there is no direct neuronal projection from mPFC to V1, this functional connection may use an indirect route, i.e.

Impaired functional organization in the visual cortex of muscarinic receptor knock-out mice.

Acetylcholine modulates maturation and neuronal activity through muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in the primary visual cortex. However, the specific contribution of different muscarinic receptor subtypes in these neuromodulatory mechanisms is not fully understood. The present study evaluates in vivo the functional organization and the properties of the visual cortex of different groups of muscarinic receptor knock-out (KO) mice.

Toward prevention of cowdriosis.

Mass production of Ehrlichia ruminantium variants from different regions of sub-Saharan Africa is one of the difficulties that must be overcome in producing a heartwater vaccine. Vaccine productivity can be limited by endogenous induction of interferon (IFN), which inhibits the propagation of Ehrlichia ruminantium (ER) in cell culture. Different kinds of endothelial cells, in which ER multiply efficiently, could be grown in a scalable way in VueLife Teflon bags on Cytodex 3 microcarriers where bead-to-bead transfer of cells occurs.

In vitro covalent binding of the pyrethroids cismethrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin to rat liver homogenate and microsomes.

Phenobarbital-induced rat liver homogenate and microsomes were used to study covalent binding of 14C-labelled (at the alcohol moiety) cismethrin, 14C-labelled (at the alcohol and acid moieties) cypermethrin, and 14C-labelled (at the alcohol and acid moieties) deltamethrin. Covalent binding was dependent on pyrethroid concentration. With liver homogenate, inhibition of esterases by tetraethylpyrophosphate and of mitochondrial respiration by rotenone or potassium cyanide only slightly altered the covalent binding level.

Cytotoxicity, cytogenotoxicity and allergenicity tests on certain pyrethroids.

Pyrethroids are potent synthetic insecticides which have been increasingly employed in recent years. Such compounds have been shown to bind covalently to hepatic proteins. Covalent binding is often associated with toxic effects.

Detection and quantitation of cannabinoids in biological fluids: specificity and kinetics after smoking.

A procedure for the quantitation and detection of cannabinoids in biological fluids (plasma and urine) is described. This method is based on isotopic derivatization and double labeling. delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and two of its metabolites (11-hydroxy-delta 9-THC and 8-beta-hydroxy-delta 9-THC) can be detected and measured in plasma or urine.

Isolation and toxicological study of tetrahydrocannabivarol, an homolog of tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 1--THC).

Selection and culture in a Phytotron of plants of Cannabis sativa L. with high content of propyl-THC are obtained. Then it was possible to isolate a large quantity of propyl-THC by column chromatography.

[Allergenic character of tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9 THC), active principle of Indian hemp (Cannabis saliva var. indica)].

The maximization test applied on the Hartley Guinea Pig and the mast cell degranulation test performed on the sensibilised Guinea Pig serum resulted in: 1, extreme allergenicity; 2, the formation of circulating antibodies anti delta9 THC.