High photocatalytic efficiency of a ZnO nanoplate/FeO nanospindle hybrid using visible light for methylene blue degradation.

In this work, ZnO nanoplates and FeO nanospindles were successfully fabricated a simple hydrothermal method using inorganic salts as precursors. The ZnO/FeO hybrid was fabricated using a mechanical mixture of two different ZnO : FeO weight ratios to investigate the effect of weight ratio on catalytic properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that ZnO nanoplates (NPls) are about 20 nm thick with lateral dimensions of 100 × 200 nm, and FeO nanospindles (NSs) are about 500 nm long and 50 nm wide.

University lecturers' perceived stress and self-rated health during COVID-19.

Background: In 2022, many universities transitioned from virtual learning back to in-person teaching. Significant changes in working conditions, along with COVID-19-related anxiety during the pandemic, might impact the well-being of lecturers.

Objective: This study aims to assess the perceived stress, self-rated physical and occupational health of Vietnamese lecturers in 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic levels, and to identify their associating factors.

Developing efficient CuO nanoplate/ZnO nanoparticle hybrid photocatalysts for methylene blue degradation under visible light.

CuO/ZnO nanocomposites with different components can overcome the drawbacks of previously used photocatalysts owing to their promotion in charge separation and transportation, light absorption, and the photo-oxidation of dyes. In this study, CuO nanoplates were synthesized by the hydrothermal method, while ZnO nanoparticles were fabricated by the precipitation method. A series of CuO/ZnO nanocomposites with different ZnO-to-CuO weight ratios, namely, 2 : 8, 4 : 6, 5 : 5, 6 : 4, and 8 : 2 were obtained a mixing process.

Enhanced Raman scattering based on a ZnO/Ag nanostructured substrate: an in-depth study of the SERS mechanism.

Combining semiconductor and noble metal nanostructures into a hybrid system has shown many complementary advantages in the optical properties, making them more attractive in practical applications. Herein, we prepared a semiconductor/noble metal hybrid system composed of Ag nanoparticles decorated on ZnO nanoplates acting as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for probing methyl red. The tuning of the optical characteristics of the hybrid system was demonstrated through the changes in the absorption, fluorescence, and Raman spectra.

Synthesis of cuprous oxide/silver (CuO/Ag) hybrid as surface-enhanced Raman scattering probe for trace determination of methyl orange.

Recently, there have been publications on preparing hybrid materials between noble metal and semiconductor for applications in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates to detect some toxic organic dyes. However, the use of cuprous oxide/silver (CuO/Ag) to measure the trace amounts of methyl orange (MO) has not been reported. Therefore, in this study, the trace level of MO in water solvent was determined using a SERS substrate based on CuO microcubes combined with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs).

Facile synthesis of silver/gold alloy nanoparticles for ultra-sensitive rhodamine B detection.

The synthesis of Ag/Au nanoparticles (NPs) in a controlled manner has been a challenge for a long time. The aim of this report is to present a systematic study on the fabrication, characterization of Ag/Au alloy NP-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates. Silver (Ag) and gold (Au) colloidal NPs were prepared by chemical reduction route of the corresponding metal salts by trisodium citrate (TSC).

Ag nanoparticles on ZnO nanoplates as a hybrid SERS-active substrate for trace detection of methylene blue.

Decorating two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials with nanoparticles provides an effective method to integrate their physicochemical properties. In this work, we present the hydrothermal growth process of 2D zinc oxide nanoplates (ZnO NPls), then silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were uniformly distributed on the surface of ZnO NPls through the reduction procedure of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride to create a metal-semiconductor hybrid. The amount of AgNPs on the ZnO NPls' surface was carefully controlled by varying the volume of silver nitrate (AgNO) solution.

Tunable LSPR of silver/gold bimetallic nanoframes and their SERS activity for methyl red detection.

Ag/Au bimetallic nanostructures have received much attention in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). However, the synthesis of this nanostructure type still remains a challenge. In the present research, Ag/Au nanoframes were synthesized a simple room temperature solution phase chemical reduction method using pre-synthesized triangular Ag nanoplates as templates in the presence of appropriate amounts of HAuCl.

Evaluation of diffusion coefficient of P-glycoprotein molecules labeled with green fluorescent protein in living cell membrane.

The movement of individual molecules inside living cells has recently been resolved by single particles tracking (SPT) method which is a powerful tool for probing the organization and dynamics of the plasma membrane constituents. Effective treatment of metastatic cancers requires the toxic chemotherapy, however this therapy leads to the multidrug resistance phenomenon of the cancer cells, in which the cancer cells resist simultaneously to different drugs with different targets and chemical structures. P-glycoprotein molecules which are responsible for multidrug resistance of many cancer cells have been studied by cancer biologists during past haft of century.

The sensitive detection of methylene blue using silver nanodecahedra prepared through a photochemical route.

In this work, we have carried out systematic studies on the critical role of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and citrate in the well-known chemical reduction route to synthesize silver nanodecahedra (AgND). Silver nitrate (AgNO) was used as silver source, which can be directly converted to metallic silver after being reduced by sodium borohydride (NaBH) under blue light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation ( = 465 nm), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping agent to assist the growth of AgND. The obtained products were silver nanodecahedra of excellent uniformity and stability with high efficiency and yield.

Sexual and reproductive health challenges facing minority ethnic girls in Vietnam: a photovoice study.

This paper describes a study that examined the challenges faced by Vietnamese ethnic minority girls regarding their sexual and reproductive health. The study employed photovoice, a research method which treats photographs and the accompanying stories provided by participants as qualitative data. Twenty-six (26) minority ethnic girls took photographs of aspects of their lives as a way of documenting the challenges, difficulties and barriers that they faced in looking after their sexual and reproductive health.

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) in Surface Waters of the KimNguu River, Vietnam.

This research presents the assessment of contamination status, congener profiles and ecological risk of selected endocrine disrupting compounds (S-EDCs) in surface water from KimNguu River, Hanoi. Selected EDCs compose polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalate esters (PAEs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Water sampling and chemical analyses were carried out in collected water samples in dry season (April) and wet season (October) in 2018.

Endocrine disrupting compounds in sediment from KimNguu river, Northern area of Vietnam: a comprehensive assessment of seasonal variation, accumulation pattern and ecological risk.

This research presents the assessment of seasonal variation, accumulation pattern and ecological risk of selected endocrine disrupting compounds (S-EDCs) in sediment samples covering six sites in KimNguu river, Hanoi, Northern area of Vietnam. Selected EDCs compose polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Sediment sampling was carried out in dry season (April) and wet season (October) in 2018.

A label-free and highly sensitive DNA biosensor based on the core-shell structured CeO-NR@Ppy nanocomposite for Salmonella detection.

A core-shell cerium oxide nanorod@polypyrrole (CeO-NR@Ppy) nanocomposite-based electrochemical DNA biosensor was studied for Salmonella detection. The core-shell CeO-NR@Ppy nanocomposite was prepared by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole monomer on CeO-NRs, which provided a suitable platform for electrochemical DNA biosensor fabrication. The immobilization of ss-DNA sequences onto nanocomposite-coated microelectrode was performed via covalent attachment method.

Biosensor based on nanocomposite material for pathogenic virus detection.

This paper introduces a DNA biosensor based on a DNA/chitosan/multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite for pathogenic virus detection. An easy, cost-effective approach to the immobilization of probe DNA sequences on the sensor surface was performed. Cyclic voltammograms were used to characterize the probe DNA sequence immobilization.