Fcg-Former: Identification of Functional Groups in FTIR Spectra Using Enhanced Transformer-Based Model.

Deep learning (DL) is becoming more popular as a useful tool in various scientific domains, especially in chemistry applications. In the infrared spectroscopy field, where identifying functional groups in unknown compounds poses a significant challenge, there is a growing need for innovative approaches to streamline and enhance analysis processes. This study introduces a transformative approach leveraging a DL methodology based on transformer attention models. With a data set containing approximately 8677 spectra, our model utilizes self-attention mechanisms to capture complex spectral features and precisely predict 17 functional groups, outperforming conventional architectures in both functional group prediction accuracy and compound-level precision. The success of our approach underscores the potential of transformer-based methodologies in enhancing spectral analysis techniques.

Hyaluronic acid functionalized iron-platinum nanoparticles for photothermal therapy and photoacoustic imaging.

This study represents an innovative approach to construct multi-functional nanoplatforms for cancer diagnosis and therapy by combining hyaluronic acid (HA) with iron-platinum nanoparticles (FePt NPs). These HA-coated FePt NPs, referred to as FePt@HA NPs, demonstrated remarkable biocompatibility, high absorption, and excellent light-to-heat conversion properties in the near-infrared (NIR) region, making them ideal candidates for photothermal therapy (PTT). In vitro studies revealed their effective cancer cell eradication under NIR laser irradiation, while in vivo experiments on mice showcased their superior heating capabilities. Moreover, FePt@HA NPs exhibited a distinct and strong photoacoustic (PA) signal, facilitating enhanced and precise intra-tumoral PA imaging. Our results highlight the potential of FePt@HA NPs as promising photothermal agents for future PTT applications. They offer high selectivity, precision, and minimal side effects in cancer treatment, along with their valuable PA imaging application for tumor localization and characterization.

Smartphone-based paper strip assay for putrescine and spermidine detection using hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite with Eu3+ complex.

A new method utilizing fluorescent ratiometry is proposed for detecting putrescine and spermidine. The method involves the use of a fluorescent probe comprising a 2D halide perovskite synthesized from octadecylamine-iodine and PbI2via a grinding-sonicating technique, along with a Eu3+-complex. Upon excitation at 290 nm, the probe fluoresces at two distinguishable wavelengths. The addition of putrescine and spermidine significantly decreases the emission of the 2D halide perovskite at 496 nm, while the emission of the Eu3+-complex at 618 nm remains stable. The color changes of the probe depend on the concentration of putrescine and spermidine, and the assay offers linearity over a wide concentration range (30-4000 ng mL-1), a low detection limit (4 ng mL-1 for putrescine, and 7 ng mL-1 for spermidine), and a quick response time. Furthermore, a portable device based on a smartphone can be used to record the color change of the paper test strip using the prepared fluorescent materials. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of the probe is explained as dynamic quenching.

Wearing masks as a protective measure for children against traffic-related air pollution: A comparison of perceptions between school children and their caregivers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) problems are unlikely to be solved in the short term, making it imperative to educate children on protective measures to mitigate the negative impact on their health. Children and their caregivers may hold differing views on wearing a face mask as a safeguard against air pollution. While many studies have focused on predicting children's health-protective behaviours against air pollution, few have explored the differences in perceptions between children and their caregivers. OBJECTIVES: To examine this, we conducted a study that compared the health beliefs of two generations and evaluated the factors that influence the use of masks by children to reduce air pollution exposure. METHODS: The study was conducted in 24 secondary schools and involved 8420 children aged 13-14 and their caregivers. We used a Health Belief Model (HBM)-based instrument containing 17-item self-administered health beliefs questionnaires to gather data. The results were analysed using hierarchical logistic regression to determine the probability of children frequently wearing masks to protect against TRAP. RESULTS: Our study showed both children and caregivers recognised that several factors could influence mask-wearing among children: discomfort or difficulty breathing while wearing a mask and forgetting to bring a mask when going outside; perceived threats of the poor quality of air and children's respiratory health problems; and cues to mask use (i.e., seeing most of their friends wearing facemasks and ease of finding masks in local stores). However, only children were significantly concerned with public perception of their appearance while wearing a mask. Females were more likely to wear masks, and caregivers with higher levels of education were more likely to encourage their children to wear masks. Children who commuted to schools by walking, biking, or motorbiking were also more accepting of mask-wearing than those who travelled by car or bus. CONCLUSIONS: Children and their caregivers hold different perceptions of wearing masks to protect against air pollution. Children are more susceptible to social judgements regarding their appearance when wearing a mask.

Removal of Acid Orange G Azo Dye by Polycation-Modified Alpha Alumina Nanoparticles.

Highly positively charged poly(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride) (PVBMA) was successfully synthesized with approximately 82% of yield. The PVBMA was characterized by the molecular weight (Mw ) of 343.45 g mol-1 and the molecular weight distribution, (D) of 2.4 by 1 H NMR and SEC measurements. The PVBMA was applied as an effective agent for α-Al2 O3 surface modification in the adsorptive removal of the azo dye acid orange G (AOG). The AOG removal performance was significantly enhanced at all pH compared to without surface modification. The experimental parameters were optimal at pH 8, free ionic strength, 15 min of adsorption time, and 5 mg mL-1 α-Al2 O3 adsorbents. The AOG adsorption which was mainly controlled by the PVBMA-AOG electrostatic attractions was better applicable to the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second kinetic model. The PVBMA-modified α-Al2 O3 demonstrates a high-performance and highly reusable adsorbent with great AOG performances of approximately 90.1% after 6 reused cycles.

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Core-Shell ZnO@SiO2 Nanoparticles and Application in Antibiotic and Bacteria Removal.

A novel core-shell nanomaterial, ZnO@SiO2, based on rice husk for antibiotic and bacteria removal, was successfully fabricated. The ZnO@SiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-vis (DR-UV-vis) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and ζ-potential measurements. ß-Lactam antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) was removed using ZnO@SiO2 nanoparticles with an efficiency greater than 90%, while Escherichia coli removal was higher than 91%. The optimum effective conditions for AMX removal using ZnO@SiO2, including solution pH, adsorption time, and ZnO@SiO2 dosage, were 8, 90 min, and 25 mg/mL, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 52.1 mg/g, much higher than those for other adsorbents. Adsorption isotherms of AMX on ZnO@SiO2 were more in accordance with the Freundlich model than the Langmuir model. The electrostatic attraction between negative species of AMX and the positively charged ZnO@SiO2 surface induced adsorption, while the removal of E. coli was governed by both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Our study demonstrates that ZnO@SiO2 based on rice husk is a useful core-shell nanomaterial for antibiotic and bacteria removal from water.

Fine particulate matter and daily hospitalizations for mental and behavioral disorders: A time-series study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Various adverse health outcomes caused by particulate matter (PM) exposure has been documented, while the evidence for the adverse effects of PM exposure on mental and behavioral disorders (MBDs) is limited. To date, few epidemiological studies, especially in developing countries, have focused on these adverse effects. In the past decade, air pollution sources in Vietnam have noticeably increased, resulting to the elevated concentrations of ambient air pollutants particularly fine PM or PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5). Hence, investigating the short-term association between PM2.5 and MBDs is worthwhile. In this study, a quasi-Poisson time-series regression analysis was used to investigate the association between PM2.5 exposure and daily hospitalizations for MBDs to the Ho Chi Minh City Mental Health Hospital during 2017-2020. A natural cubic spline smooth function for time was used to screen out long-term and seasonality trends. Stratified analyses were also performed by sex, age, and season. During study period, 9,986 hospitalizations for MBDs were recorded and included in the analysis. Results suggested that a 10 µg/m3 daily increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with a statistically significant 2.96% (95% confidence interval: 0.23%-5.76%) increase in hospitalizations for MBDs. The effects of PM2.5 exposure on hospital admissions were more pronounced in female patients and the middle-age group (35-59 years). This finding could increase awareness regarding prevention and minimization of MBDs on the public.

Synthesis, characterization of novel ZnO/CuO nanoparticles, and the applications in photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B dye degradation.

Photocatalytic deg radation of environmental pollutants is being up to date for the treatment of contaminated water. In the present study, ZnO/CuO nanomaterials were successfully fabricated by a simple sol-gel method and investigate the photo-degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). The synthesized ZnO/CuO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis-DRS), thermal analysis (TGA), surface charge, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The photo-degradation of the dye RhB was followed spectroscopically. The overall composition of ZnO/CuO material was found to be wurtzite phase, with particle size of 30 nm, and the Vis light absorption increased with an increase of Cu content. The ZnO/CuO nanomaterials were highly active leading to a photo-degradation of 10 ppm RhB reaching 98% within 180 min at 0.1 g/L catalyst dosage. The change in surface charge after degradation evaluated by ζ potential measurements and the differences in functional vibration group monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicates that the RhB adsorption on the Zn45Cu surface was insignificant. And scavenging experiments demonstrate that the RhB degradation by ZnO/CuO nanomaterials involves to some degree hydroxyl radicals.

Diabetes-Related Distress Among People with Type 2 Diabetes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Prevalence and Associated Factors.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes-related distress (DRD) refers to the condition of negative emotion as a result of living with diabetes and the burden of self-care. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of DRD among people with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on people with Type 2 Diabetes at three hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, between April and November 2020. The study used the Vietnamese version of the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) which includes 17 items. The mean total distress score was calculated on the average of the 17 items. A mean score of equal to 2.0 or higher was classified as moderate to severe distress. Descriptive statistics were performed by frequency and percentage, and the multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis was used to assess information where p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 517 participants, who were mainly over 60 years old (56.8%) with females being 65.0%, participated in the study. Results showed that 23.6% and 5.8% of them, respectively, were found as being moderately or highly distressed. Some factors that correlated with the total distress results included age, timescale of diabetes, and glycemic control level (HbA1c). The rate of total distress in those who were over 60 years old and had a HbA1c <7 were less prevalent than those who were under 60, and had a HbA1c ≥7 (OR 0.5 95% CI 0.3-0.7; OR 0.5 95% CI: 0.3-0.9, respectively, all p<0.05), whilst the timescale of diabetes between 5 and 10 years was significantly more prevalent than those who had a timescale less 5 years (OR 1.8 95% CI 1.1-2.9, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: A high rate of distress exists in people with diabetes. Therefore, combining the evaluation of distress as part of the regular diagnostic procedures of diabetes care, and recommending physicians apply a comprehensive approach to diabetes management, is necessary.

Nasalance scores for Vietnamese-speaking children with oral clefts.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to obtain nasalance scores for Vietnamese-speaking patients with repaired cleft palate with or without cleft lip. METHODS: A total of 29 children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (4-18 years old, mean age 7.9±3.5 years old) were included in this study. Speech material was designed specifically for the Vietnamese language. The speech material consisted of oral stimuli (19 oral words and 18 oral sentences), oro-nasal stimuli (eight sentences), and nasal stimuli (seven sentences). The patients repeated the stimuli after the examiner. The Nasometer II (model 6450) was used to compute nasalance scores. RESULTS: The mean nasalance scores were 27.1% for oral stimuli, 40.2% for oro-nasal stimuli, and 57.5% for nasal stimuli. Hypernasality was detected in 41.4% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Vietnamese-speaking patients with repaired cleft palate with or without cleft lip who did not undergo speech therapy had poor speech outcomes.

Normative nasalance scores for Vietnamese-speaking children.

OBJECTIVE: The Nasometer is increasingly being used to complement auditory perceptual assessment of nasality. Nasalance scores which are obtained from the Nasometer vary across languages. Normative nasalance scores have been established for many languages but not for the Vietnamese language. The objective of this study was to obtain the normative nasalance scores for Vietnamese-speaking children. PARTICIPANTS: In this study, 102 healthy Vietnamese children speaking in the central regional dialect aged from 7 to 9 years (45 boys, 57 girls; mean age = 7.5 years) at a primary school in Hue, Vietnam participated. PROCEDURES: Three speech stimuli, which were specific for the Vietnamese language, were designed: oral stimuli (19 words and 18 sentences), oro-nasal stimuli (eight sentences) and nasal stimuli (seven sentences). The children were asked to repeat these stimuli after the examiner. The Nasometer II (model 6450) was used to obtain the nasalance scores. The procedure took about 10 minutes for each child. RESULTS: The mean nasalance scores and the standard deviation of each stimulus were: 13.1 ± 5.8 (oral stimuli), 30.7 ± 6.6 (oro-nasal stimuli) and 56.9 ± 9.2 (nasal stimuli). No significant differences between the genders were found. CONCLUSIONS: The normative nasalance scores provide essential reference information for clinicians who deal with nasalance disorders, especially patients with cleft palate. The nasalance scores in this study were established for Vietnamese children speaking in the central regional dialect and can be applied to both genders.

A one-year prospective study of colonization with antimicrobial-resistant organisms on admission to a Vietnamese intensive care unit.

There is a paucity of data regarding initial bacterial colonization on admission to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Patients admitted to ICUs in LMICs are at high-risk of subsequent infection with antimicrobial-resistant organisms (AROs). We conducted a prospective, observational study at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from November 2014 to January 2016 to assess the colonization and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp. among adult patients within 48 hours of ICU admission. We found the admission colonization prevalence (with at least one of the identified organisms) was 93.7% (785/838) and that of AROs was 63.1% (529/838). The colonization frequency with AROs among patients admitted from the community was comparable to those transferred from other hospitals (62.2% vs 63.8%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated bacteria from nasal swabs (13.1%, 110/838) and the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization prevalence was 8.6% (72/838). We isolated Escherichia coli from rectal swabs from almost all enrolled patients (88.3%, 740/838) and 52.1% (437/838) of patients were colonized by extended spectrum ß-lactamase producing Escherichia coli. Notably, Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequently isolated bacteria from the tracheal swabs (11.8%, 18/153). Vietnamese ICU patients have a high rate of colonization with AROs and are thus at risk of subsequent infections with these organisms if good infection control practices are not in place.