News frames for COVID-19 – a comparison of Australian (Australian broadcasting corporation) and Vietnamese (tuoi tre online) online news services in two key weeks in 2020

This article investigates the differences and similarities between the news frames used by online mainstream media in Vietnam and Australia when reporting COVID-19 in the early waves of the pandemic. The project uses constant comparative analysis to interrogate data gathered from two online news sources: ABC Online (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) in Australia, and Tuoi Tre Online in Vietnam. The article concludes that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation coverage focuses more on social, political and economic factors than is the case with Tuoi Tre Online, which foregrounds civic responsibility in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation highlights how COVID-19 amplifies the long-term consequences of social disadvantage while Tuoi Tre Online, in contrast, emphasises the short-term, acute community impacts of outbreaks, given that these require rapid identification and control. It is argued that differences between the Australian Broadcasting Corporation\u27s and Tuoi Tre Online\u27s framings of the pandemic reflect national differences in governance of disasters. Tuoi Tre Online perceives healthy citizenry as soldiers, and constructs the vulnerable and infected as challenges to the biological safety of the whole: the majority social collective. In contrast, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation frames vulnerable and infected individuals as important, focussing on their rights and on the responsibilities of mainstream society towards those who are at risk. © The Author(s) 2023

Effect of Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) on progression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with elevated triglycerides (200-499 mg/dL) on statin therapy: Rationale and design of the EVAPORATE study.

Despite reducing progression and promoting regression of coronary atherosclerosis, statin therapy does not fully address residual cardiovascular (CV) risk. High-purity eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) added to a statin has been shown to reduce CV events and induce regression of coronary atherosclerosis in imaging studies; however, data are from Japanese populations without high triglyceride (TG) levels and baseline EPA serum levels greater than those in North American populations. Icosapent ethyl is a high-purity prescription EPA ethyl ester approved at 4 g/d as an adjunct to diet to reduce TG levels in adults with TG levels >499 mg/dL. The objective of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled EVAPORATE study is to evaluate the effects of icosapent ethyl 4 g/d on atherosclerotic plaque in a North American population of statin-treated patients with coronary atherosclerosis, TG levels of 200 to 499 mg/dL, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of 40 to 115 mg/dL. The primary endpoint is change in low-attenuation plaque volume measured by multidetector computed tomography angiography. Secondary endpoints include incident plaque rates; quantitative changes in different plaque types and morphology; changes in markers of inflammation, lipids, and lipoproteins; and the relationship between these changes and plaque burden and/or plaque vulnerability. Approximately 80 patients will be followed for 9 to 18 months. The clinical implications of icosapent ethyl 4 g/d treatment added to statin therapy on CV endpoints are being evaluated in the large CV outcomes study REDUCE-IT. EVAPORATE will provide important imaging-derived data that may add relevance to the clinically derived outcomes from REDUCE-IT

Extremely Hot Ambient Temperature and Injury-related Mortality

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of extremely hot ambient temperatures on the total number of fatal injuries. Data were collected from a population-based mortality registry of Thanh Hoa, a province in the North Central region of Vietnam. This study qualified the distributed lag non-linear model and calculated the RR and 95% CI adjusted for long-term trend and absolute humidity. For the entire study population with 3,949 registered deaths due to injuries collected during 2005-2007, after the onset of extremely hot ambient temperatures, an increased risk of death was observed on the 9th day RR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.06–1.97) and reached the peak on the 12th day RR (95% CI) = 1.58 (1.14–2.17), and at the 15th day RR (95% CI) = 1.49 (1.08–2.06). Men and old adults were identified as the most vulnerable groups. This study confirmed a positive association between hot temperatures and injury-related deaths in the province of 3.6 million people. The findings motivated further investigation into the effect of warm climate changes and the risk of deaths related to other specific causes such as road traffic, work-related injury, and etc

Photo-to-heat conversion of broadband metamaterial absorbers based on TiN nanoparticles under laser and solar illumination

We theoretically investigate photothermal heating of ultra-flexible metamaterials, which are obtained by randomly mixing TiN nanoparticles in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Due to the plasmonic properties of TiN nanoparticles, incident light is perfectly absorbed in a broadband range (300-3000 nm) to generate heat within these metamaterials. Under irradiation of an 808 nm near-infrared laser with different intensities, our predicted temperature rises as a function of time agree well with recent experimental data. For a given laser intensity, the temperature rise varies non-monotonically with concentration of TiN nanoparticles because the enhancement of thermal conductivity and absorbed energy as adding plasmonic nanostructures leads to opposite effects on the heating process. When the model is extended to solar heating, photothermal behaviors are qualitatively similar but the temperature increase is less than 13 $K$. Our studies would provide good guidance for future experimental studies on the photo-to-heat conversion of broadband perfect absorbers.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publications in Materials Today Communication

How cheap can hygienic latrines be?

A construction and operation costing of 12 types of hygienic latrines widely used in rural areas of Vietnam and presented in the Hygienic latrine Manual of the Ministry of Health, using traditional construction materials has been conducted. The cost of latrines using traditional construction materials is ranging from USD37.5 (VIP) to USD194.4 (Septic tank constructed by brick for treatment of black and grey wastewater from sitting bowl toilet). Annually averted O&M costs of Vietnamese latrines range from USD1.86 (VIP) to USD 4.58 (wet latrine with septic tank) per capita per year. Costs of hygienic latrines can be further reduced, applying solutions such as using local materials for construction, reducing the tank volume by using the water-saving flushing devices or applying more frequent tank emptying services and mass production of latrine components. The less a hygienic latrine costs, the more chance for poor people in different places can get access to improved sanitation

Интеллектуальная радиосеть с нечеткой конфигурацией

В статье обсуждаются возможности применения одноранговой радиосети стандарта IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) диапазона 2,4 ГГц для работы системы, состоящей из группы малогабаритных мобильных роботов и одного командного пункта. Основная задача группы роботов – проведение разведки во время спасательных операций после техногенных и природных катастроф и аварий. Для сохранения управляемости отдельными роботами и системой в целом предлагается повысить «интеллект» системы связи за счет гибкой маршрутизации каналов между командным пунктом и конкретным мобильным роботом с тем, чтобы иметь систему с автоматическим, интеллектуальным восстановлением канала обмена данных.У статті обговорюються можливості застосування однорангової радіомережі стандарту ІЕЕ 802.15.4 (ZigBee) діапазону 2,4 Ггу для роботи системи, що складається з групи малогабаритних мобільних роботів та одного командного пункту. Основна задача групи роботів – проведення розвідки під час рятувальних операцій після техногенних та природних катастроф і аварій. Для збереження керованості окремими ротами та системою в цілому пропонується підвищити інтелект системи зв’язку за рахунок гнучкої маршрутитизації каналів між командним пунктом та конкретним мобільним роботом з тим, щоб мати систему з автоматичним, інтелектуальним відновлюванням каналу обміну даних.In the article the possibilities of application peer-to-peer radio networks of standard IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) a range of 2,4 GHz for work of the system consisting of small-sized mobile robots group and one command point are discussed. The primary goal of group of robots – is carrying out of investigation during rescue operations after technogenic and natural accidents and failures. For controllability preservation by separate robots and system as a whole, it is offered to raise “intelligence” of a communication system at the expense of flexible routeing of channels between command point and the concrete mobile robot to have system with automatic, intellectual restoration of the channel of data exchange

The novel method to reduce the silica content in lignin recovered from black liquor originating from rice straw

Difficulties in the production of lignin from rice straw because of high silica content in the recovered lignin reduce its recovery yield and applications as bio-fuel and aromatic chemicals. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop a novel method to reduce the silica content in lignin from rice straw more effectively and selectively. The method is established by monitoring the precipitation behavior as well as the chemical structure of precipitate by single-stage acidification at different pH values of black liquor collected from the alkaline treatment of rice straw. The result illustrates the significant influence of pH on the physical and chemical properties of the precipitate and the supernatant. The simple two-step acidification of the black liquor at pilot-scale by sulfuric acid 20w/v% is applied to recover lignin at pH 9 and pH 3 and gives a percentage of silica removal as high as 94.38%. Following the developed process, the high-quality lignin could be produced from abundant rice straw at the industrial-scale

Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study

Objective. To determine factors associated with single antiplatelet (SAP) or dual antiplatelet (DAP) therapy and anticoagulants (AC) use in hospital and after discharge among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods. We evaluated 5,294 ACS patients in the Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study from 2004 to 2009. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine predictors of AC or AP use. Results. In hospital, 99% received an AC, 79% DAP, and 19% SAP; 78% had DAP + AC. Coronary stents were the strongest predictors of DAP use in hospital compared to SAP (P<0.001). After discharge, 77% received DAP, 20% SAP, and 9% AC; 5% had DAP + AC. DAP compared to SAP was less likely for patients on AC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.30, P<0.0001) after discharge. Placement of a stent increased the likelihood of DAP (bare metal: OR = 54.8, P<0.0001; drug eluting: OR = 59.4, P<0.0001). 923 had atrial fibrillation and 337 had a history of venous thromboembolism; these patients had increased use of AC (29% and 40%, resp.). Conclusion. While in-hospital use of AC was nearly universal, postdischarge AC use was rare. Concern for providing the best antithrombotic therapy, while maintaining an acceptable bleeding risk, may explain the selection decisions