Ambient-temperature conversion of metakaolin to sub-micron LTA zeolite and its copper ion removal efficiency

Nowadays “green” processes such as room temperature processes are interested in new researches for production of practical-important solid materials. Zeolitic LTA materials are commonly prepared by hydrothermal transformation using sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium aluminate (NaAlO2), and sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) at high temperatures (95 – 100 ◦C). In this study, sub-micron zeolite LTA was prepared at ambient temperature from metakaolin which is easily obtained from kaolin mineral. The prepared materials were characterized using various methods, including XRD to identify their structure, SEM and EDX to analyze the shape and proportional components of the elements, and the N2 adsorption–desorption method to determine the surface area and pore volume. Regarding the Cu2+ ion adsorption capability of the synthetic zeolite, the experimental results revealed that the sub-micron zeolite LTA has potential applications in practice because its adsorption rate exceeds that of the commercial zeolite and the rate constant of the second–order kinetics model of the prepared zeolite was 1.7 times higher than that of the commercial zeolite

Prevalence of Antibodies against Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus among Cullers and Poultry Workers in Ho Chi Minh City, 2005

Background: Between 2003 and 2005, highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses caused large scale outbreaks in poultry in the Ho Chi Minh City area in Vietnam. We studied the prevalence of antibodies against H5N1 in poultry workers and cullers who were active in the program in Ho Chi Minh City in 2004 and 2005. Methodology/Principal Findings: Single sera from 500 poultry workers and poultry cullers exposed to infected birds were tested for antibodies to avian influenza H5N1, using microneutralization assays and hemagglutination inhibition assay with horse blood. All sera tested negative using microneutralization tests. Three samples showed a 1:80 titer in the hemagglutination inhibition assay. Conclusions/Significance: This study provides additional support for the low transmissibility of clade 1 H5N1 to humans, but limited transmission to highly exposed persons cannot be excluded given the presence of low antibody titers in some individuals. © 2009 Schultsz et al.published_or_final_versio

Spatiotemporal evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants during large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19, Vietnam, 2021

We analyzed 1,303 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Vietnam, and found the Alpha and Delta variants were responsible for a large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 in 2021. The Delta variant was confined to the AY.57 lineage and caused >1.7 million infections and >32,000 deaths. Viral transmission was strongly affected by nonpharmaceutical interventions

Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers against the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey across 57 countries.

BACKGROUND: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been concerns related to the preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to describe the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital HCWs at the time of the first wave. METHODS: This multinational, multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital HCWs from February to May 2020. We used a hierarchical logistic regression multivariate analysis to adjust the influence of variables based on awareness and preparedness. We then used association rule mining to identify relationships between HCW confidence in handling suspected COVID-19 patients and prior COVID-19 case-management training. RESULTS: We surveyed 24,653 HCWs from 371 hospitals across 57 countries and received 17,302 responses from 70.2% HCWs overall. The median COVID-19 preparedness score was 11.0 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.0-14.0) and the median awareness score was 29.6 (IQR = 26.6-32.6). HCWs at COVID-19 designated facilities with previous outbreak experience, or HCWs who were trained for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, had significantly higher levels of preparedness and awareness (p<0.001). Association rule mining suggests that nurses and doctors who had a 'great-extent-of-confidence' in handling suspected COVID-19 patients had participated in COVID-19 training courses. Male participants (mean difference = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.46; p<0.001) and nurses (mean difference = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.81; p<0.001) had higher preparedness scores compared to women participants and doctors. INTERPRETATION: There was an unsurprising high level of awareness and preparedness among HCWs who participated in COVID-19 training courses. However, disparity existed along the lines of gender and type of HCW. It is unknown whether the difference in COVID-19 preparedness that we detected early in the pandemic may have translated into disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 burden of disease by gender or HCW type

An Outbreak of Severe Infections with Community-Acquired MRSA Carrying the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin Following Vaccination

Background: Infections with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) are emerging worldwide. We investigated an outbreak of severe CA-MRSA infections in children following out-patient vaccination. Methods and Findings: We carried out a field investigation after adverse events following immunization (AEFI) were reported. We reviewed the clinical data from all cases. S. aureus recovered from skin infections and from nasal and throat swabs were analyzed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis, multi locus sequence typing, PCR and microarray. In May 2006, nine children presented with AEFI, ranging from fatal toxic shock syndrome, necrotizing soft tissue infection, purulent abscesses, to fever with rash. All had received a vaccination injection in different health centres in one District of Ho Chi Minh City. Eight children had been vaccinated by the same health care worker (HCW). Deficiencies in vaccine quality, storage practices, or preparation and delivery were not found. Infection control practices were insufficient. CA-MRSA was cultured in four children and from nasal and throat swabs from the HCW. Strains from children and HCW were indistinguishable. All carried the Panton-Valentine leukocidine (PVL), the staphylococcal enterotoxin B gene, the gene complex for staphylococcal-cassette-chromosome mec type V, and were sequence type 59. Strain HCM3A is epidemiologically unrelated to a strain of ST59 prevalent in the USA, althoughthey belong to the same lineage. Conclusions. We describe an outbreak of infections with CA-MRSA in children, transmitted by an asymptomatic colonized HCW during immunization injection. Consistent adherence to injection practice guidelines is needed to prevent CA-MRSA transmission in both in- and outpatient settings

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Linear Approximation And Asymptotic Expansion Associated With The System Of Nonlinear Functional Equations

This paper is devoted to the study of the following perturbed system of nonlinear functional equations x ∊Ω=[-b,b], i = 1,…., n; where ε is a small parameter, aijk; bijk are the given real constants, Rijk, Sijk , Xijk : Ω → Ω ,gi → Ω →ℝ , Ψ: Ω x ℝ2→ ℝ are the given continuous functions and ƒi :Ω →ℝ are unknown functions. First, by using the Banach fixed point theorem, we find sufficient conditions for the unique existence and stability of a solution of (E). Next, in the case of Ψ ∊ C2(Ω x ℝ2; ℝ); we investigate the quadratic convergence of (E). Finally, in the case of Ψ ∊ CN(Ω x ℝ2; ℝ) and ε sufficiently small, we establish an asymptotic expansion of the solution of (E) up to order N + 1 in ε. In order to illustrate the results obtained, some examples are also give

Accessing land cover change in Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province based on highresolution satellite imagery based on objectoriented perspective

This paper aims to assess land cover change by high-resolution remote satellite images in Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province. The study used eCognition Developer 9.1 to classify SPOT and Sentinal-2 images of the study area. Objects on the images are characterized by values of Channels, including Red, Green, Blue, NIR, Brightness, NDVI, and RIV. Since then, maps of land cover status in the year of 2005, 2010, and 2017 were created with high accuracy 92.22%, 91.28%, 94.22%, respectively. Overlaid three land cover maps to develop the land cover change maps of two periods 2005-2010 (period 1) and 2010-2017 (period 2). The results show that there is a variation in the area of land cover types, especially agriculture and forest land. Of which, agrarian land increased by 7.7% in period 1 and 9.95% in period 2. Whereas, forest land decreased by 0.6% in period 1 and 1.5% in period 2.Bài báo này nhằm mục đích đánh giá biến động sử dụng đất bằng viễn thám độ phân giải cao tại huyện Bố Trạch, tỉnh Quảng Bình. Nghiên cứu sử dụng phần mềm eCognition Developer 9.1để phân loại ảnh ảnh SPOT và Sentinal-2 trên địa bàn nghiên cứu. Các đặc trưng của đối tượng trên ảnh được xác định dựa trên giá trị độ sáng các Kênh 1, Kênh 2, Kênh 3, Kênh 4, giá trị độ sáng trung bình (Brightness), chỉ số khác biệt thực vật (NDVI) và tỷ số thực vật (RIV). Từ đó xây dựng được các bản đồ lớp phủ mặt đất các năm 2005, 2010, 2017 với độ chính xác lần lượt là 92,22%, 91,28%, 94.22%. Chồng ghép các bản đồ lớp phủ mặt đất, xây dựng bản đồ biến động sử dụng đất giữa hai thời kỳ 2005-2010 và 2010-2017. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy có sự thay đổi giữa các loại hình lớp phủ gồm: đất nông nghiệp tăng khoảng 7,7% giai đoạn 1 và 9,95% giai đoạn 2. Đất lâm nghiệp giảm khoảng 0,6% giai đoạn 1 và 1,5% giai đoạn 2