Investigation of Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Esters in Hanoi, Vietnam: Assessment Exposure and Estimated Daily Intake.

In recent years, organophosphate esters (OPEs) have become one of the most common additives in various consumer products worldwide, therefore the exposure and impact of OPEs on human health are drawing a lot of attention. In this study, three metabolites of OPEs including bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), diphenyl phosphate (DPhP) and diethyl phosphate (DEP) were investigated in first-morning void urine samples taken from a population (age range: 3-76 years old) in Hanoi, Vietnam. The most dominant urinary OPE metabolite was DEP with the geometric mean of specific gravity adjust (SG-adjusted) concentration were 1960 ng mL-1 and detected frequency (DF) of 98%. Followed by DPhP (8.01 ng mL-1, DF: 100%) and BDCIPP (2.18 ng mL-1, DF: 51%). The results indicated that gender and age might have associations with the OPE metabolites variation in urine samples. The levels of OPE metabolites in urine samples from females were slightly higher than in males. An increase in age seems to have an association with a decrease in DPhP levels in urine. Exposure doses of parent OPEs were evaluated from the unadjusted urinary concentration of corresponding OPE metabolite. The estimated exposure doses of triethyl phosphate (TEP) (mean: 534,000 ng kg-1 d-1) were significantly higher than its corresponding reference dose, suggesting the high potential risk from the current exposure doses of TEP to human health. The results of this work provided the initial information on the occurrence of three OPE metabolites in urine from Hanoi, Vietnam and estimated exposure dose of corresponding parent OPEs.

Prevalence of frailty according to the Hospital Frailty Risk Score and related factors in older patients with acute coronary syndromes in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To investigate the prevalence of frailty defined by the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS), a new scale for assessing frailty, in older patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS); (2) To identify associations between frailty and the prescriptions of cardiovascular medications, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and in-hospital adverse outcomes. METHODS: An observational study was conducted in patients aged older than 60 years with ACS at Thong Nhat Hospital from August to December 2022. The Hospital Frailty Risk Score is retrospectively calculated for all participants based on ICD-10 codes, and those with HFRS scores ≥5 were defined as frail. Logistic regression models were applied to examine the relationship between frailty and the study outcomes. RESULTS: There were 511 participants in the study. The median age was 72.7, 60% were male and 29% were frail. Frailty was associated with lower odds of beta-blocker use at admission (OR .49 95% CI .25-.94), treatment with PCI during hospitalisation (OR .48, 95% CI .30-.75), but did not show an association with prescriptions of cardiovascular drugs at discharge. Frailty was significantly associated with increased odds of adverse outcomes, including major bleeding (OR 4.07, 95% CI1.73-9.54), hospital-acquired pneumonia (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.20-5.42), all-cause in-hospital mortality (OR 3.14, 95% CI 1.37-7.20) and non-cardiovascular in-hospital mortality (OR 10.73, 95% CI 1.93-59.55). CONCLUSIONS: The HFRS was an effective tool for stratifying frailty and predicting adverse health outcomes in older patients with ACS. Further research is needed to compare the HFRS with other frailty assessment tools in this population.

Cardiac Tamponade Due to Pericardial Effusion Following Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter: A Single-Institution Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Although the use of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) has many advantages, misplacement can lead to serious life-threatening complications such as pericardial effusion (PCE) and cardiac tamponade (CT). This report aims to describe four cases of CT resulting from misplaced PICC, which were successfully managed. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of neonates who required PICC insertion and had PCE leading to CT in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during the year 2022. RESULTS: Four cases involved preterm infants at 28-30 weeks gestational age, weighing between 900-1,500 grams. The PCE/CT developed between 3 and 24 days following PICC insertion. The abrupt onset with clinical manifestations that showed hemodynamic instability included sudden deterioration, lethargy, apnea, bradycardia, pale skin, and cardiovascular collapse. We use cardiac point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to assess the condition of these patients and guide the pericardiocentesis procedure. The analysis of the aspirated fluid used for PCE/CT treatment is consistent with the component of parenteral nutrition. No deaths were encountered. CONCLUSION: Neonates presenting sudden deterioration following PICC insertion should undergo POCUS to prompt identifying PCE/CT. Timely diagnosis via POCUS, prompt pericardiocentesis, and prevention of misplaced PICC-associated serious complications are crucial. Monitoring of the PICC position twice a week is recommended to avoid life-threatening complications. Additionally, incorporating POCUS for identifying the tip of PICC rather than relying solely on X-ray should be considered in the current protocol.

Isolation and Characterization of Novel Huperzine-Producing Endophytic Fungi from Lycopodiaceae Species.

Huperzine A (HupA) is an important drug for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is primarily extracted from the Huperzia serrata (Lycopodiaceae). Failures in the chemical synthesis of Hup and in vitro culture have put H. serrata in danger of extinction, and there is a need for an extensive investigation of Hup from alternative perspectives. The aim of this study is to identify endophytic fungi that produce high Hup or simultaneously produce many types of Hup and have high genetic stability derived from other Lycopodiaceae species as a source of materials for natural Hup production. In this work, Hup-producing endophytic fungi were isolated from three species: Lycopodium clavatum, Phlegmariurus squarrosus, and P. phlegmaria. Of these, L. clavatum and P. squarrosus were confirmed as novel sources of Hup-producing fungi. Based on morphological characteristics and nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequences, four endophytic fungi Colletotrichum siamense THG1-17, Epicoccum sorghinum THG01-18, Phoma sp. TKH3-2, and Phyllosticta sp. THG2-27 were firstly isolated from these Lycopodiaceae plants, which were capable of simultaneously producing both HupA and HupB, as evidenced by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The four strains showed stability in Hup yield over 50 generations of culture with an in vitro storage period of 3 months. These isolated fungi will provide a new source of materials for further research to develop drugs containing HupA as well as HupB for AD treatment in the future.

Efficient Recovery of Vanadium and Titanium from Domestic Titanomagnetite Concentrate Using Molten Salt Roasting and Water Leaching.

The traditional roasting technique using sodium salts in vanadium production has been disadvantageous due to the large consumption of energy and the emission of harmful gases. A modified process using molten salt roasting and water leaching to extract vanadium and titanium from domestic titanomagnetite concentrate was investigated. The roasting process was performed under optimal conditions: the weight ratio between the sample and NaOH of 1:1, the temperature of 400 °C, and the experiment time 90 min, and the conversion of vanadium could be maximized to 90%. The optimization of water leaching (at 60 °C for 90 min with a pulp density of 0.05 g/mL) could extract 98% of the vanadium from the roasted products into the solution, leaving titanium and iron remaining in the residue. Further purification of vanadium and titanium using the precipitation/hydrolysis process followed by calcination obtained the final products V2O5 and TiO2 with high purities of 90% and 96%, respectively. A potential approach with modification of the roasting stage using NaOH was proposed, which was not only efficient to selectively extract the value metals from the titanomagnetite but also eco-friendly based on the reduction in energy consumption and emission of harmful gases.

UAV-based remote sensing of turbidity in coastal environment for regulatory monitoring and assessment.

The adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing for the regulatory monitoring of turbidity plumes induced by land reclamation operations remains a difficult task. Compared to UAV remote sensing on ambient turbidity in estuaries and rivers, such monitoring of construction-induced turbidity plumes requires significantly higher spatial resolutions and accuracy as well as wider turbidity ranges with nonlinear reflectance. In this study, a pilot-scale deployment of UAV-based hyperspectral sensing is carried out for this objective, with specific new elements developed to overcome the challenges and minimise the uncertainties involved. In particular, Machine learning (ML) models for the turbidity determination were trained by the large dataset collected to better capture the non-linearity of the relationship between the water leaving reflectance and turbidity level. The models achieve a good accuracy with a R2 score of 0.75 that is deemed acceptable in view of the uncertainties associated with construction and land reclamation work.

Diagnostic accuracy of two-dimensional and three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in detecting pannus and thrombus in left mechanical valve obstruction.

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of two-dimensional and three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the detection of pannus and thrombus in left mechanical valve obstruction (LMVO) compared with surgical and histopathology findings. Materials and methods: Patients with suspected LMVO on transthoracic echocardiography were enrolled consecutively. All patients underwent two-dimensional and three-dimensional TEE, and open-heart surgery to replace obstructed valves. Macroscopic and microscopic analysis of the excised masses was used as the gold standard for the diagnosis of thrombus and/or pannus. Results: Forty-eight patients [34 women (70.8%), age 49±13 years, New York Heart Association II: 68.8%, New York Heart Association III: 31.2%] were enrolled. In the diagnostic of thrombus, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of three-dimensional TEE were 89.2, 72.7, 85.4, 91.7, and 66.7%, respectively, compared with those of two-dimensional TEE (42.2, 66.7, 43.8, 95, and 7.1%, respectively). In the diagnosis of pannus, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of three-dimensional TEE were 53.3, 100, 85.4, 100, and 82.5%, respectively; compared with those of two-dimensional TEE (7.4, 90.5, 43.8, 50, and 43.2%, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curves depict that the area under the curves of three-dimensional TEE was higher than the area under the curves of two-dimensional TEE in both diagnoses of thrombus and pannus (0.8560 vs. 0.7330, P=0.0427 and 0.8077 vs. 0.5484, P=0.005, respectively). Conclusions: This study indicated that three-dimensional TEE had a higher diagnostic value than two-dimensional TEE in the detection of thrombus and pannus in patients with LMVO, and can be a reliable imaging modality to identify the causes of LMVO.

Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of organophosphate esters in surface water from rivers and lakes in urban Hanoi, Vietnam.

In this study, an investigation on the pollution status, distribution, and ecological risk to the aquatic organisms of six organophosphate tri-esters (tri-OPEs) and two organophosphate tri-esters (di-OPEs) in surface water in urban Hanoi, Vietnam were conducted. In 37 surveyed water samples (6 rivers and 17 lakes), all eight targeted OPEs were discovered with a detection frequency (DF) of 41-100% and the concentration varied largely from below the method detection limit (

Occurrence and risk of human exposure to organophosphate flame retardants in indoor air and dust in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The presence and distribution of thirteen organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were investigated in indoor air and dust samples collected in Hanoi, Vietnam. The total OPFRs (Æ©OPFRs) concentrations in indoor air and dust samples were 42.3-358 ng m-3 (median 101 ng m-3) and 1290-17,500 ng g-1 (median 7580 ng g-1), respectively. The profile of OPFRs in both indoor air and dust indicated that tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) was the most dominant compound with a median concentration of 75.3 ng m-3 and 3620 ng g-1, contributing 75.2% and 46.1% to Æ©OPFRs concentrations in indoor air and dust, respectively, followed by tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), with a median concentration of 16.3 ng m-3 and 2500 ng g-1, contributing 14.1% and 33.6% to Æ©OPFRs concentrations in indoor air and dust, respectively. The levels of OPFRs in the indoor air samples and corresponding indoor dust samples showed a strong positive correlation. The total estimated daily intakes (EDItotal) of Æ©OPFRs (via air inhalation, dust ingestion, and dermal absorption) for adults and toddlers under the median and high exposure scenarios were 36.7 and 160 ng kg-1 d-1, and 266 and 1270 ng kg-1 d-1, respectively. Among the investigated exposure pathways, dermal absorption was a primary exposure pathway to OPFRs for both toddlers and adults. The hazard quotients (HQ) ranged from 5.31 × 10-8 to 6.47 × 10-2 (<1), and the lifetime cancer risks (LCR) were from 2.05 × 10-11 to 7.37 × 10-8 (<10-6), indicating that human health risks from exposure to OPFRs in indoor environments are not significant.

Sediment contamination with polybrominated diphenyl ethers and alternative brominated flame retardants: case study in urban lakes of Hanoi, Vietnam.

Information regarding the contamination of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in lake sediments from Vietnam and Southeast Asia is still very limited. To fill such knowledge gaps, surface sediment samples from five urban lakes in Hanoi, Vietnam, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and some other BFRs. Concentrations of total PBDEs ranged from 1.1 to 26 (median 6.6) ng/g dry weight with the most predominant congeners as BDE-209 (62 ± 17%), BDE-99 (10 ± 8%), and BDE-47 (6 ± 5%). Concentrations of other BFRs decreased in the order: decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) > 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) > hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153) > pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), which were about one to two orders of magnitude lower than PBDEs. BDE-209 and DBDPE were highly correlated (Pearson's r = 0.879; p < 0.01), suggesting their similar applications and/or environmental fate. Potential sources of BFRs in lake sediments are estimated to be wastewater discharge, riverine inflow, and atmospheric deposition.

Occurrence, potential sources, and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in atmospheric particulate matter in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Pharmaceutical and personal care products (PCPPs) were recently recognized as emerging pollutants due to their potential for adverse health and environmental impacts. One potential route of exposure, atmospheric particulate matter (APM), for polar PPCP chemicals has to date received limited attention. This study screened for 190 polar PPCP chemicals in outdoor APM samples collected from two locations in Hanoi, Vietnam, and predictions of source and potential effects on human health are presented. Day and night, as well as dry and rainy seasonal samples, were taken, and samples screened by LC-TOF, using sequential window acquisition and all theoretical fragment ion spectra method. Eleven PPCP chemicals were detected above the LOD and in more than one sample. The ∑11PPCP chemicals ranged from 0.61 to 21.9 ng m-3 (median 2.07 ng m-3), with between 2 and 6 compounds identified in individual samples (median 4). The ∑11PPCP chemicals collected near a heavy traffic area was greater than that in a populated residential zone. Night concentrations were significantly greater than day in both dry and rainy seasons (p < 0.05). Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, benzophenone-3, acetaminophen, cotinine, and fluorescent brightener 71 were detected in > 50% of samples. These are typically found in sunscreens, cosmetics, antipyretics, tobacco, and dyes. The DIair, hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) for adults and children at sampling sites were estimated. The HQ for both adults and children were orders of magnitude less than the risk or were close to or whichever. APM does appear to be a potential additional secondary exposure source of PPCP chemicals to the environment and more work is needed to identify if sources are local or ubiquitous and if there is a greater health risk.

Occurrence and risk assessment of herbicides and fungicides in atmospheric particulate matter in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnam is a Southeast Asian developing country with rapidly increasing air pollution, especially in large cities. Over 350,000 chemicals and chemical mixtures are produced and used in Vietnam; however, the country has only implemented air quality standards for 44 substances, which are primarily focused on inorganic and volatile organic compounds. Although numerous pesticides are frequently applied across large cities in Vietnam, information on their concentrations in atmospheric particulate matter (APM) is limited. Therefore, to investigate their occurrence and health effects, 187 pesticides in APM were screened using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-quadrupole time of flight- Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Fragment Ion Spectra method (LC-QTOF-MS-SWATH). A total of 22 pesticides (16 fungicides and 6 herbicides) were quantified in the dry and rainy seasons. Among them, 19 substances were quantified in APM for the first time in Vietnam. Their median total concentrations in the dry season were higher than those in the rainy season, and the concentrations in the daytime were one-third of the night-time concentrations in both seasons. Their total levels ranged from 0.82 to 21.1 ng m-3 (median, 3.63 ng m-3), the detection frequencies of 9 pesticides were higher than 70%, and 7-14 pesticides were detected per sample (median, 10). Some of the detected pesticides were likely sourced from their prevalent use in amenity turf protection (e.g., in parks and public roads) and weed control (e.g., in gardens, floriculture, and agriculture). The total daily intake (DIair) values for adults, children, and infants were 8.17E-06, 2.06E-05, and 2.45E-05 mg kg-1 d-1, respectively, and the highest Hazard Quotients (HQs) were 4.81E-04, 1.22E-03, and 1.44E-03, respectively. All HQs and HIs of the pesticides were < 1 for all population groups (adults, children, and infants), indicating negligible exposure risks.

Contamination status, emission sources, and human health risk of brominated flame retardants in urban indoor dust from Hanoi, Vietnam: the replacement of legacy polybrominated diphenyl ether mixtures by alternative formulations.

This study investigated the occurrence, distribution of several additive brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and some novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in urban indoor dust collected from ten inner districts of Hanoi, Vietnam to assess the contamination status, emission sources, as well as their associated human exposure through indoor dust ingestion and health risks. Total concentrations of PBDEs and NBFRs in indoor dust samples ranged from 43 to 480 ng g-1 (median 170 ng g-1) and from 56 to 2200 ng g-1 (median 180 ng g-1), respectively. The most abundant PBDE congener in these dust samples was BDE-209 with concentrations ranging from 29 to 360 ng g-1, accounting for 62.6-86.5% of total PBDE levels. Among the NBFRs analyzed, decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) was the predominant compound with a mean contribution of 98.6% total NBFR amounts. Significant concentrations of DBDPE were detected in all dust samples (median 180 ng g-1, range 54-2200 ng g-1), due to DBDPE as a substitute for deca-BDE. Other NBFRs such as 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB) and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153) were found at very low levels. Based on the measured BFR concentrations, daily intake doses (IDs) of PBDEs and NBFRs via dust ingestion at exposure scenarios using the median and 95th percentile levels for both adults and children were calculated for risk assessment. The results showed that the daily exposure doses via dust ingestion of all compounds, even in the high-exposure scenarios were also lower than their reference dose (RfD) values. The lifetime cancer risks (LTCR) were much lower than the threshold level (10-6), which indicated the acceptable health risks resulting from indoor BFRs exposure for urban residents in Hanoi.

Comprehensive study of insecticides in atmospheric particulate matter in Hanoi, Vietnam: Occurrences and human risk assessment.

Air pollution is the most serious environmental issue in Vietnam, particularly in big cities. Air pollutants that are set as environmental standards are regularly monitored by the public institutions. Whereas, environmental data on organic micro-pollutants in atmospheric particulate matters (APMs) is limited, including PAHs and POPs. Although massive pesticides are used in big cities, their data in APMs in Vietnam is very scarce. In order to elucidate their occurrence in the ambient air in Hanoi and their health effects, we surveyed 107 insecticides in APMs by a novel target screening method using LC-QTOF-MS-SWATH. A total of 19 insecticides were detected in the dry and the rainy seasons. Among them, 16 substances are, to our knowledge, reported for the first time in the literature. Their total concentrations varied from 0.47 to 27.0 ng m-3 (median, 3.6 ng m-3), detection frequencies of 12 compounds are higher than 42%, and the number of insecticides detected per each sample ranging from 5 to 13 (median, 9). Total concentrations in the dry season were generally higher than in the rainy season, and concentrations at night were higher than daytime in both seasons. The level of insecticides depends not only on the season, but also on its physicochemical properties, its application conditions, and the meteorological conditions. Their emission sources could be related to agricultural usage, floricultural activities, and pest control in houses. The total maximum daily intake (DIair) through inhalation for adults and children were 2.39E-05 mg kg-1 d-1 and 2.98E-05 mg kg-1 d-1, respectively. The highest Hazard Quotients (HQs) were 1.34E-03 and 3.37E-03, and the highest Hazard Indices (HIs) were 2.71E-03 and 6.33E-03 for adults and children, respectively. All values of HQs, and HIs of insecticides were less than 1, indicating that health risk would be negligible.

Indigenous knowledge in relation to climate change: adaptation practices used by the Xo Dang people of central Vietnam.

Even though indigenous knowledge (IK) is considered as one of the most effective strategies in response to climate change issues, this form is not being sufficiently integrated into the climate change planning and policy at both local and national levels in Vietnam. This study investigates the role of the traditional agricultural practices of the Xo Dang ethnic minority groups in Central Vietnam and provides insights into the factors that influence farmers to adopt these practices in response to climate change. Primary data was obtained through three focus group discussions and 87 household surveys involving the Xo Dang people through face-to-face semi-structured interviews in the Tra Doc commune, Bac Tra My district, Quang Nam province, Central Vietnam. The binary logistic regression model was used to examine the factors which have influenced the choices made by this community in response to climate change. The results showed that Xo Dang people were highly aware of climate change risks and had, in response, employed their current adaptation practices. The major adaptation strategies implemented by the Xo Dang people included the use of flora and fauna indicators, native plant varieties, the adjustment of planting calendars, irrigation practices, and the application of intercropping. The results indicated that the living years, their monthly farm incomes, and farmer's perceptions of ongoing climate change effects on their environment were the factors that significantly affected farmers' adaptation decisions. Understanding indigenous knowledge plays a fundamental role in the processes of deciding the appropriate adaptation techniques more effectively and making use of human resources. Therefore, policy makers should pay much attention to indigenous knowledge to combat climate change in future national policies and projects.

Comprehensive Study of Organic Micro-pollutants in Flooded Paddy Soils in Central Vietnam: Levels, Pollution Pathways and Sources.

In order to assess the environmental impacts caused by flood to the paddy field, 940 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were screened in paddy soil samples taken in central Vietnam before and after flooding. The concentration of 166 SVOCs in soil samples ranged from 0.031 to 2241 (mean 89.1) µg kg-1 dry wt. Chemicals originating from household sources showed the highest level, followed by chemicals originating from agriculture. Since untreated domestic wastewater used for agricultural irrigation, organic micro-pollutants in domestic wastewater is the main source of pollutants in paddy soil. However, contamination levels of pollutants in paddy soil after flooding were lower than those before flooding, possibly due to the removal of pollutants by floodwater. As a result, pollution characteristic of pollutants at sampling locations were different before flooding while they became similar after flooding due to the dispersion and elution of organic pollutants from soil into floodwaters.

A review on the recycling processes of spent auto-catalysts: Towards the development of sustainable metallurgy.

Spent auto-catalysts are considered as promising platinum group metals (PGMs) resources based on their rapidly increasing demand along with the underlying uncertainty of the sustainability and long-term availability of PGMs. Recycling spent auto-catalysts presents attractive advantages, particularly for the conservation of primary resources reserves, and for the reduction of negative environmental impact due to exploitation. PGM reclamation is the major aim of recycling operations despite their minor concentration in spent auto-catalysts, which implies that the remaining materials are disposed of as unwanted solid waste after the extraction process. This poses a genuine challenge, as well as a motivation to develop recycling processes for spent auto-catalysts capable of recovering all components/valuable metals, while moderating environmental pollution and global warming. The focus herein involves the description of the available technologies, including pyro- and hydro-metallurgical processes, to recover PGMs from spent auto-catalysts, and specifically an analysis of the developmental trends in recycling methods to ensure "sustainable metallurgy".

A novel huperzine A-producing endophytic fungus Fusarium sp. Rsp5.2 isolated from Huperzia serrate.

The isolation, identification and characterization of a novel huperzine A (HupA)-producing fungal strain Rsp5.2 isolated from Huperzia serrata (Thunb. ex Murray) Trev. in Vietnam. The fifty-eight endophytic fungi were recovered from roots of natural H. serrata in Lao Cai province of northern Vietnam and screened for HupA-producing by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The only one of the 58 strains, Rsp5.2, could produce HupA. The amount of HupA produced by Rsp5.2 was quantified to be 19.45 µg g-1 dried mycelium by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Acetylcholine esterase (AchE) inhibition (IC50) of the crude HupA extract from Rsp5.2 fermentation broth was 2.849 ± 0.0026 µg mL-1. The fungus was identified as Fusarium sp. Rsp5.2 by morphological characteristics and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences. This is the first report of Fusarium sp. as a HupA-producing endophyte isolated from H. serrata.

Total recycling of all the components from spent auto-catalyst by NaOH roasting-assisted hydrometallurgical route.

Total recycling of all valuable metals such as PGMs, Ce, Al and Mg from the spent automobile catalysts has been explored. The alkali roasting was performed under NaOH, 0.5-3.0 g; temperature, 300-800 °C; and time, 10-60 min. The phase transformation from cordierite to the soluble products (NaAlO2, Na2MgSiO4) was influenced by the temperature, following the diffusion-controlled model (Ea(roasting), 6.4 kJ/mol). XRD analysis of the roasted mass revealed that the refractory phases of cordierite and γ-alumina could be eliminated at ≥600 °C at sample-to-NaOH mass ratio, 1:1. The leaching of the roasted mass followed an intermediate-controlled mechanism for aluminum leaching with (Ea(Al-leaching) value of 20.3 kJ/mol), while it was diffusion-controlled for magnesium leaching (Ea(Mg-leaching), 8.9 kJ/mol). At the optimum leaching condition (1.0 M H2SO4, 90 °C, 60 min, yielding >95% aluminum and magnesium), a significant amount of PGMs was also leached. Thereafter, the cementation process was investigated with Al0-powder that could precipitate >99% PGMs within 15 min at 90 °C. The yielded concentrate of PGMs and CeO2 was subsequently leached in 6.0 M HCl with 2.0 M NaClO3 that dissolved >97% PGMs, leaving the residue as the CeO2 concentrate. Individual metals can be recovered by following established separation and purification techniques.

Living in skipped generation households and happiness among middle-aged and older grandparents in China.

This study examines whether living in skipped-generation households (SGHs) is prospectively linked to happiness among middle-aged and older grandparents in China and explores the moderating effects of age, gender, education, income and rural-urban status on this link. The analyses use the two most recent waves of data (collected in 2012 and 2014) from the China Family Panel Studies. The outcome is a continuous, single-item happiness scale composed of data taken from the latter wave, while the key predictor is a categorical measurement of the respondents' living arrangements in 2012. The analyses use ordinary least squares (OLS) linear regression analyses to assess the relationship between the two variables of interest. Overall, grandparents living in SGHs are less happy than those living only with a spouse or those living in three-generation households. Age group and rural-urban status are found to be significant moderators. The negative link between living in SGHs and happiness is largely absent in the oldest age group (i.e., age 70 or above) and among urban dwellers.