Recent advances in computerized imaging and its vital roles in liver disease diagnosis, preoperative planning, and interventional liver surgery: A review.

The earliest and most accurate detection of the pathological manifestations of hepatic diseases ensures effective treatments and thus positive prognostic outcomes. In clinical settings, screening and determining the extent of a pathology are prominent factors in preparing remedial agents and administering appropriate therapeutic procedures. Moreover, in a patient undergoing liver resection, a realistic preoperative simulation of the subject-specific anatomy and physiology also plays a vital part in conducting initial assessments, making surgical decisions during the procedure, and anticipating postoperative results.

Bandgap engineering of germanene for gas sensing applications.

Gas sensors are used to detect gas components in human breath to diagnose diseases, such as cancers. However, choosing suitable two-dimensional materials for gas sensors is a challenge. Germanene can be a good candidate because of its outstanding electronic and structural properties.

Computational assessment and test of phytochemicals of as potential inhibitors of efflux pump AcrB.

Lichens produce secondary metabolites that have many pharmaceutical activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer, antigenotoxic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities. However, there is limited research on their efflux pump inhibitory activities. Twelve phytochemicals were isolated from , and their activity of AcrAB-TolC efflux pump inhibition was evaluated.

Structures and bioactivities of monomeric and dimeric carvotacetones from Sphaeranthus africanus.

Four previously undescribed carvotacetones including one monomeric (1) and three dimeric (8, 9, 10) derivatives, together with six known compounds were isolated from the n-hexane extract of the aerial parts of Sphaeranthus africanus L. The structures of the previously undescribed compounds were elucidated as 3-angeloyloxy-5-isobutanoyloxy-7-hydroxycarvotacetone (1), 7,7'-oxybis{3-angeloyloxy-5-[(2R*,3R*)-2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanoyloxy]carvotacetone} (8), (2″S*,3″R*)-7-{3-angeloyloxy-5-[(2R*,3R*)-2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbuta-noyloxy]carvotaceton-7-yloxy}-3-angeloyloxy-5-(2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanoyloxy)carvo-tacetone (9), and 7,7'-oxybis{3-angeloyloxy-5-[(2S*,3R*)-2,3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutanoyl-oxy]carvotacetone} (10). The three dimeric derivatives (8-10) showed potent anti-proliferative activity against human cancer cell lines (CCRF-CEM, MDA-MB-231, U-251, HCT-116) with IC values ranging from 0.

Magnetite nanoparticles decorated on cellulose aerogel for -nitrophenol Fenton degradation: Effects of the active phase loading, cross-linker agent and preparation method.

Magnetite nanoparticles (FeO NPs) are among the most effective Fenton-Like heterogeneous catalysts for degrading environmental contaminants. However, FeO NPs aggregate easily and have poor dispersion stability because of their magnetic properties, which seriously decrease their catalytic efficiency. In this study, a novel environmentally friendly method for synthesising FeO@CA was proposed.

Data on chemical composition of coffee husks and lignin microparticles as their extracted product.

Coffee husks are an abundant and underutilized biomass waste released from coffee production. Experimental analysis showed that coffee husks consisted of 39.2 ± 0.

Tailored synthesis of NdMnFeO perovskite nanoparticles with oxygen-vacancy defects for lithium-ion battery anodes.

In this study, we synthesize nanostructured NdMnFeO perovskites using a facile method to produce materials for the high-working-efficiency anodes of Li-ion batteries. A series of characterization assessments (e.g.

Formation of pyramidal structures through mixing gold and platinum atoms: the AuPt clusters with + = 10.

The geometric and electronic structures of a small series of mixed gold and platinum AuPt clusters, with + = 10, were investigated using quantum chemical methods. A consistent tetrahedral pyramid structure emerges, displaying two patterns of structural growth by a notable critical point at = 5. This affects the clusters' electron population, chemical bonding, and stability.

Preparation and characterization of spiked gold nanobipyramids and its antibacterial effect on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: This paper reports the preparation of a new family of spiked gold nanoparticles, spiked gold nanobipyramids (SNBPs). This protocol includes the process to synthesize gold nanobipyramids (NBPs) using combined seed-mediated and microwave-assisted method and procedure to form spikes on whole surface of gold nanobipyramid. We also evaluated the antibacterial activity against both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in various concentrations of SNBPs and NBPs by well diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) determination.

Data-driven prediction of the shear capacity of ETS-FRP-strengthened beams in the hybrid 2PKT-ML approach.

A new approach that combines analytical two-parameter kinematic theory (2PKT) with machine learning (ML) models for estimating the shear capacity of embedded through-section (ETS)-strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beams is proposed. The 2PKT was first developed to validate its representativeness and confidence against the available experimental data of ETS-retrofitted RC beams. Given the deficiency of the test data, the developed 2PKT was utilized to generate a large data pool with 2643 samples.

Insights into the epidemiology and clinical aspects of post-COVID-19 conditions in adult.

Objectives: While most individuals infected with COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks, some continue to experience lingering symptoms. This study was conducted to identify and describe the clinical and subclinical manifestations of adult patients from the long-term effects of COVID-19.

Methods: The study analyzed 205 medical records of inpatients (age ≥ 16 years, ≥ 4 weeks post-COVID-19 recovery, and a negative SARS-CoV-2 status at enrollment) at Thong Nhat Hospital, Vietnam, from 6 September 2021 to 26 August 2022, using R language software.

Preparation of self-assembly silica redox nanoparticles to improve drug encapsulation and suppress the adverse effect of doxorubicin.

Background And Purpose: The utilization of doxorubicin (DOX) in clinal trials is also challenging owing to its adverse effects, including low oral bioavailability, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cardiotoxicity, and epithelial barrier damage. Recently, scavenging of ROS reduced the cytotoxicity of DOX, suggesting a new approach for using DOX as an anticancer treatment. Thus, in this study, non-silica and silica redox nanoparticles (denoted as RNP and siRNP, respectively) with ROS scavenging features have been designed to encapsulate DOX and reduce its cytotoxicity.

The influence of twist angle on the electronic and phononic band of 2D twisted bilayer SiC.

Silicon carbide has a planar two-dimensional structure; therefore it is a potential material for constructing twisted bilayer systems for applications. In this study, DFT calculations were performed on four models with different twist angles. We chose angles of 21.

Identification of efflux pump inhibitors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa MexAB-OprM via ligand-based pharmacophores, 2D-QSAR, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics approaches.

Efflux pumps have been reported as one of the significant mechanisms by which bacteria evade the effects of multiple antibiotics. The tripartite efflux pump MexAB-OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most significant multidrug efflux systems due to its broad resistance to antibiotics such as chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, lipophilic β-lactam antibiotics, nalidixic acid, novobiocin, rifampicin, and tetracycline. A promising strategy to overcome this resistance mechanism is to combine antibiotics with efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs), which can increase their intracellular concentration to enhance their biological activities.

Advances in solar energy harvesting integrated by van der Waals graphene heterojunctions.

Graphene has garnered increasing attention for solar energy harvesting owing to its unique features. However, limitations hinder its widespread adoption in solar energy harvesting, comprising the band gapless in the molecular orbital of graphene lattice, its vulnerability to oxidation in oxidative environments, and specific toxic properties that require careful consideration during development. Beyond current challenges, researchers have explored doping graphene with ionic liquids to raise the lifespan of solar cells (SCs).

Extraction and Emulsification of Carotenoids from Carrot Pomaces Using Oleic Acid.

This study aimed to use oleic acid-based ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) to recover carotenoids from carrot pomace and emulsify the enriched-carotenoid oleic acid using spontaneous and ultrasonic-assisted emulsification. The extraction performance of oleic acid was compared with traditional organic solvents, including hexane, acetone, and ethyl acetate. The one-factor experiments were employed to examine the impact of UAE conditions, including liquid-to-solid ratios, temperature, ultrasonic power, and time, on the extraction yield of carotenoids and to find the conditional ranges for the optimization process.

Bacterial community composition in a two-stage anaerobic membrane bioreactor for co-digestion of food waste and food court wastewater.

This study investigated the microbial community of a two-stage anaerobic membrane bioreactor (2S-AnMBR) co-digesting food waste and food court wastewater. The hydrolysis reactor (HR) was dominated by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phylum, with genus Lactobacillus enriched due to food waste fermentation. The up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) was dominated by genus such as Methanobacterium and Methanosaeta.

Machine learning approach to monitor inkjet jetting status based on the piezo self-sensing.

One of the advantages of inkjet printing in digital manufacturing is the ability to use multiple nozzles simultaneously to improve the productivity of the processes. However, the use of multiple nozzles makes inkjet status monitoring more difficult. The jetting nozzles must be carefully selected to ensure the quality of printed products, which is challenging for most inkjet processes that use multi-nozzles.

Physics-based and data-driven modeling for basal stability evaluation of braced excavations in natural clays.

The design of fully braced excavation of underground works, whether in rural or urban areas, is important to ensure that the design of fully braced support is safe, particularly in determining the depth of excavation and inserting the length into the clay of the wall, as well as a proportional excavation width. This study investigates the undrained basal stability of fully braced excavation in anisotropic clays with linearly increasing shear strength with depth employing upper and lower bound finite element limit analysis under symmetry plane conditions based on the AUS failure criterion. The dimensionless variables were used to examine the stability number () and the failure mechanisms selected for this problem's practical analysis.

Simultaneous removal of multi-nuclide (Sr, Co, Cs, and I) from aquatic environments using a hydrate-based water purification process.

This study investigates the removal characteristics of a hydrate-based water purification process used to remove the major radionuclides monitored in nuclear accident areas. The effect of the coexistence of salt ions on the removal of radioactive materials is also evaluated. Previous studies have found existing processes such as ion exchange and membrane separation to be reliable methods for radionuclide removal from contaminated water.

The practice of sustainable fashion of luxury boutique fashion brands in Vietnam: What go right, and what go wrong.

This study investigated the current practices and challenges for the sustainable fashion of luxury boutique fashion brands (LBFBs) in Vietnam. A series of in-depth interviews with 20 founders and managers of LBFBs in Vietnam was conducted. Findings show that sustainable practices improve ethnic cultures, strengthen the usage of local resources, promote sustainable lifestyle, and thereby contributing to sustainable development of the boutique fashion brands.

Differences between surfactant-free Au@Ag and CTAB-stabilized Au@Ag star-like nanoparticles in the preparation of nanoarrays to improve their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance.

In this study, we assessed the controlled synthesis and efficacy of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on two distinct types of star-like Au@Ag core-shell nanoarrays. These nanoarrays were designed based on gold nanostars (AuNSs), which were synthesized with and without CTAB surfactant (AuNSs-CTAB and AuNSs-FS, respectively). The AuNS-FS nanoparticles were synthesized a novel modification process, which helped overcome the previous limitations in the free-surfactant preparation of AuNSs by significantly increasing the number of branches, increasing the sharpness of the branches and minimizing the adsorption of the surfactant on the surface of AuNSs.

Direct characterization of intrinsic defects in monolayer ReSe on graphene.

Understanding the characteristics of intrinsic defects in crystals is of great interest in many fields, from fundamental physics to applied materials science. Combined investigations of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S) and density functional theory (DFT) are conducted to understand the nature of Se vacancy defects in monolayer (ML) ReSe grown on a graphene substrate. Among four possible Se vacancy sites, we identify the Se4 vacancy close to the Re layer by registry between STM topography and DFT simulated images.

Solid-State Reaction Synthesis of MgAlO Spinel from MgO-AlO Composite Particles Prepared via Electrostatic Adsorption.

This paper presents the formation of magnesium aluminate spinel using composite particles prepared via electrostatic adsorption (ESA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirmed the presence of AlO-MgO composite particles. A mixture of AlO and MgO raw materials was also prepared by using the conventional bead-milling method for comparison.