Psychological Distress and its Association With Job Satisfaction Among Hospital Pharmacists in Vietnam.

Background: No previous studies have examined the relationship between stress, anxiety, and depression among pharmacists in Vietnam. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the correlation between stress, anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction among hospital pharmacists in Vietnam. Methods: The study comprised a 12-month cross-sectional survey in Can Tho City, Vietnam, with 11 conveniently selected hospitals. Out of 305 the distributed questionnaires, 303 were completed (99.3% response rate). The 21-item depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21) assessed stress, anxiety, and depression (21 items), while job satisfaction was measured using a 44-item questionnaire. Results: The study revealed a prevalence of 15.5% for stress, 27.1% for anxiety, and 20.5% for depression among hospital staff. Additionally, the majority of hospital staff (72.9%) reported being satisfied with their job. Those with more than 2 children (95% CI = 1.183-14.519) were nearly 4 times as likely to experience higher stress. Female respondents (95% CI = 1.34-5.92) and those who rented (95% CI = 1.05-3.55) were more likely to encounter anxiety. Those living outside Can Tho City (95% CI = 1.32-9.88) were at a 3.61 times higher risk of depression, while individuals who had been working at the hospital for 5 to 10 years (95% CI = 0.17-0.82) had a lower risk of depression. Increased depression (aOR = 0.441; 95% CI = 0.21-0.94) was linked to job dissatisfaction. Conclusion: Depression was significantly associated with job dissatisfaction. The study findings suggest that management agencies should implement prevention and intervention strategies to reduce mental health issues among hospital pharmacists.

Effects of Menadione on Survival, Feeding, and Tunneling Activity of the Formosan Subterranean Termite.

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is a highly destructive pest and a cosmopolitan invasive species. Sustainable termite management methods have been improving with the search for novel insecticides that are effective, safe, and cost efficient. Menadione, also known as vitamin K3, is a synthetic analogue and biosynthetic precursor of vitamin K with low mammalian toxicity. Menadione has shown insecticidal activity in several insects, presumably due to interference with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. However, little is known about its effectiveness against termites. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity and repellency of menadione in C. formosanus. Our results showed that menadione affected the survival and feeding activity of termites both in filter paper and substrate (sand) treatments, and menadione influenced termite tunneling activity in treated sand. In a no-choice assay, ≥90% mortality after seven days and minimal or no food consumption were recorded when sand was treated with menadione at 6 to 600 ppm. In a two-choice assay with a combination of treated and untreated sand, termites were deterred by menadione at 6 to 600 ppm and exhibited low mortality (≤30%) over seven days, while tunneling activity was prevented with 60 to 600 ppm of menadione treatment. Overall, our study demonstrated dose-dependent toxicity and repellency of menadione in C. formosanus. The potential use of menadione as an alternative termite control agent is discussed.

[Models of glomerular filtration barrier : New developments]. / Modélisation de la barrière de filtration glomérulaire - Nouvelles avancées.

In this article, we present the latest innovations to generate in vitro models of the glomerular filtration barrier. There is currently a growing interest for such model systems that allow to reduce the use of animal models. Methodologies to improve their physiological relevance have taken advantage of the development of induced pluripotent stem cells and of bioengineering, particularly tissue engineering. Here, we first introduce the methods to overcome the limitations of the currently used glomerular cells based on the use of stem cells. The different approaches to obtain podocytes, the most important cells in the glomerulus, are presented. Finally, we emphasize the importance of the glomerular microenvironment in maintaining the glomerular cell phenotype, which can be achieved by co-culturing different glomerular cells, integration of biomaterials mimicking the extracellular matrix and introduction of flows with microfluidics.

TITLE: Modélisation de la barrière de filtration glomérulaire - Nouvelles avancées. ABSTRACT: Nous présentons, dans cette revue, les dernières avancées concernant la modélisation in vitro de la barrière de filtration glomérulaire. Ces systèmes, permettant de réduire l'utilisation des modèles animaux, connaissent un intérêt croissant et bénéficient du développement de nos connaissances des cellules souches et de la bioingénierie. Nous discuterons les limites des modèles cellulaires glomérulaires actuels et nous introduirons les méthodes permettant d'obtenir des cellules glomérulaires à partir des cellules souches. Enfin, nous discuterons de l'importance du microenvironnement dans le maintien du phénotype, quels que soient les systèmes utilisés tels que la co-culture, les biomatériaux ou la microfluidique.

Transparent crystalline cubic SiC-on-glass electrodes enable simultaneous electrochemistry and optical microscopy.

This work presents crystalline SiC-on-glass as a transparent, robust, and optically stable electrode for simultaneous electrochemical characterization and optical microscope imaging. Experimental results show a large potential window, as well as excellent stability and repeatability over multiple cyclic voltammetric scans in common redox biomarkers such as ruthenium hexaammine and methylene blue. The high optical transmittance and biocompatibility of SiC-on-glass were also observed, enabling cell culture, electrical stimulation, and high resolution fluorescence imaging. This new platform opens exciting opportunities in multi-functional biosensing-probes and observation.

Characterization of LiCoO2 nanoparticle suspensions by single collision events.

Transient electrochemical experiments associated with the collisions between hydrothermally synthesized LiCoO2 (LCO) nanoparticles/aggregates of different sizes and a polarized gold ultramicroelectrode (UME) were used as a new additive-free analytical tool applied to Li ion insertion compounds. The size of the LCO nanoparticles/aggregates, ranging from 75 to 450 nm, the diffusion coefficient of the LCO nanoparticles/aggregates in suspension (∼8 × 10-9 cm2 s-1), and the Li ion diffusion coefficient within crystalline LCO nanoparticles (∼1.3 × 10-11 cm2 s-1) were estimated from single collision events. Interestingly, the charge exchanged during each nanoparticle collision was related to the size of the corresponding LCO aggregate, which enables electrochemical sizing distribution measurement displaying evident concordance with optical techniques, including dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). Studying the nanoparticle collision frequency on the UME surface as a function of the LCO nanoparticle concentration allows estimation of the diffusion coefficient of LCO nanoparticles/aggregates in suspension. Finally, from the current decay observed in chronoamperometry after LCO nanoparticle collision on the polarized UME surface, which corresponds to the LCO oxidation (i.e. the Li+ deinsertion reaction), the Li ion diffusion coefficient within the host crystalline material is estimated. This is a key parameter, which controls the cycle lifetime and charge rate in Li ion battery performance. This new approach thus allows a fine description of the nanoparticle properties, which includes sizing as well as estimation of the Li ion diffusion coefficient within the host crystalline material.

Magnetic Detection Structure for Lab-on-Chip Applications Based on the Frequency Mixing Technique.

A magnetic frequency mixing technique with a set of miniaturized planar coils was investigated for use with a completely integrated Lab-on-Chip (LoC) pathogen sensing system. The system allows the detection and quantification of superparamagnetic beads. Additionally, in terms of magnetic nanoparticle characterization ability, the system can be used for immunoassays using the beads as markers. Analytical calculations and simulations for both excitation and pick-up coils are presented; the goal was to investigate the miniaturization of simple and cost-effective planar spiral coils. Following these calculations, a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) prototype was designed, manufactured, and tested for limit of detection, linear response, and validation of theoretical concepts. Using the magnetic frequency mixing technique, a limit of detection of 15 µg/mL of 20 nm core-sized nanoparticles was achieved without any shielding.

Monitoring and quantifying the passive transport of molecules through patch-clamp suspended real and model cell membranes.

Transport of active molecules across biological membranes is a central issue for the success of many pharmaceutical strategies. Herein, we combine the patch-clamp principle with amperometric detection for monitoring fluxes of redox-tagged molecular species across a suspended membrane patched from a macrophage. Solvent- and protein-free lipid bilayers (DPhPC, DOPC, DOPG) patched from single-wall GUV have been thoroughly investigated and the corresponding fluxes measurements quantified. The quality of the patches and their proper sealing were successfully characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This procedure appears versatile and perfectly adequate to allow the investigation of transport and quantification of the transport properties through direct measurement of the coefficients of partition and diffusion of the compound in the membrane, thus offering insight on such important biological and pharmacological issues.