Search Results (9)

Increased saltwater intrusion likely causes a significant reduction in food production in alluvial river deltas worldwide. One of the mitigation measures for saltwater intrusion is to increase natural flow through irrigation water conservation and land-fallowing policies to prevent the saltwater from moving further inland. However, economic estimates of the costs of such measures under uncertainty are scant. Herein, we develop an integrated modeling framework for estimating the costs of saltwater intrusion mitigation policies by 2050 in the Mekong Delta. The integrated model combines hydrodynamic, advection-dispersion, statistical, crop yield, and economic models, thus allowing us to account for the risk and uncertainty of saltwater intrusion and the costs of mitigation policies. We found that a 95% confidence interval of the saltwater intrusion-impacted area is estimated to be 186,000–201,000 hectares for the baseline, 193,000–209,000 hectares for a sea level rise of 22 cm, and 204,000–219,000 hectares for a sea level rise of 53 cm scenarios, respectively. To bring the saltwater intrusion under the sea level rise of 22 cm back to the baseline level, 100,000–150,000 hectares of currently cultivated rice would need to be fallowed at least once a year. This is equivalent to annual economic losses, with a 50% chance, ranging from $100.03–$176.67 million, implying a substantial economic cost of sea level rise-induced saltwater intrusion even under a modest sea level rise scenario. Under the sea level rise of 53 cm scenario, the results show that widespread adoption of alternate wetting and drying and approximately 300,000 ha of land-fallowing would be needed to push saltwater intrusion back to the baseline level. The findings indicate that saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta is more likely than not to intensify considerably and is much less predictable, posing a greater risk to one of the most important rice-producing regions in the world. Full article

Background: In the study of coronary artery disease, the mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis initiation and progression or regression remain incompletely understood. Our research conceptualized the cardiovascular system as an integrated network of pumps and pipes, advocating for a paradigm shift from static imaging of coronary stenosis to dynamic assessments of coronary flow. Further review of fluid mechanics highlighted the water hammer phenomenon as a compelling analog for processes in coronary arteries. Methods: In this review, the analytical methodology employed a comprehensive, multifaceted approach that incorporated a review of fluid mechanics principles, in vitro acoustic experimentation, frame-by-frame visual angiographic assessments of in vivo coronary flow, and an artificial intelligence (AI) protocol designed to analyze the water hammer phenomenon within an acoustic framework. In the analysis of coronary flow, the angiograms were selected from patients with unstable angina if they had previously undergone one or more coronary angiograms, allowing for a longitudinal comparison of dynamic flow and phenomena. Results: The acoustic investigations pinpointed pockets of contrast concentrations, which might correspond to compression and rarefaction zones. Compression antinodes were correlated to severe stenosis, due to rapid shifts from low-pressure diastolic flow to high-pressure systolic surges, resulting in intimal injury. Rarefaction antinodes were correlated with milder lesions, due to de-escalating transitions from high systolic pressure to lower diastolic pressure. The areas of nodes remained without lesions. Based on the locations of antinodes and nodes, a coronary acoustic action map was constructed, enabling the identification of existing lesions, forecasting the progression of current lesions, and predicting the development of future lesions. Conclusions: The results suggested that intimal injury was likely induced by acoustic retrograde pressure waves from the water hammer phenomenon and developed new lesions at specifically exact locations. Full article

Background: In the research of coronary artery disease, the precise initial injury that starts the atherosclerotic cascade remains unidentified. Moreover, the mechanisms governing the progression or regression of coronary plaque are not yet fully understood. Based on the concept that the cardiovascular system is a network of pumps and pipes, could fluid mechanics principles and practices elucidate the question of atherosclerosis using flow dynamics images from a novel angiographic technique, focusing on antegrade and retrograde flows and their collisions in iliac and coronary arteries? Methods: From January 2023 to May 2024, coronary angiograms of all hemodynamically stable patients with stable or unstable angina were screened. The angiograms displaying either no lesions (normal) or mild-to-moderate lesions were selected. Each patient underwent an evaluation of flow dynamics and arterial phenomena in both iliac and right coronary arteries. For each artery, data were categorized based on the following parameters: laminar versus non-laminar flow, presence versus absence of collisions, and presence versus absence of retrograde flow. Additionally, in two sub-studies, we analyzed the relationship between retrograde flow and blood pressure, and artificial intelligence algorithms were used to detect the retrograde flow in the right coronary artery. Results: A total of 95 patients were screened, and 51 were included in this study. The results comprised quantitative data (prevalence of laminar flows, collisions, and retrograde flows) and qualitative data (morphological characteristics of antegrade laminar flow, retrograde contrast flow, and instances of flow collision). The results showed that in the iliac artery, laminar flow was observed in 47.06% (24/51) of cases, with collisions noted in 23.53% (12/51). Retrograde flow was present in 47.06% (24/51) of cases, and notably, 75% (18/24) of these cases were associated with uncontrolled diastolic blood pressure (DBP) above 80 mmHg (p < 0.001). Conversely, in the RCA, laminar flow was observed in 54.9% (28/51) of cases, with collisions noted in only 3.92% (2/51). Retrograde flow was identified in 7.84% (4/51) of cases, and all these cases (100%, 4/4) were associated with uncontrolled systolic blood pressure (SBP) above 120 mmHg, though statistical significance was not reached due to the small sample size (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the concept that the cardiovascular system is a network of pumps and pipes, this research methodology provides intriguing insights into arterial flow behaviors by integrating fluid mechanics practices with novel angiographic observations. The preliminary results of this study identified laminar flow as the predominant pattern, with retrograde flow and collisions occurring infrequently. The implications of vortex, collision, and disorganized flow highlight potential mechanisms for endothelial damage and atherosclerosis initiation. Moreover, the correlation with blood pressure underscores the critical role of hypertension management in preventing adverse hemodynamic events. Future directions include refining imaging techniques and further exploring the mechanistic links between flow dynamics and vascular pathophysiology to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases. Full article

This data article describes a dataset that consists of key statistics on the activities of 45 Vietnamese banks (e.g., deposits, loans, assets, and labor productivity), operated during the 2002–2021 period, yielding a total of 644 bank-year observations. This is the first systematic compilation of data on the splits of state vs. private ownership, foreign vs. domestic banks, commercial vs. policy banks, and listed vs. nonlisted banks. Consequently, this arrives at a unique set of variables and indicators that allow us to capture the development and performance of the Vietnamese banking sector over time along many different dimensions. This can play an important role for financial analysts, researchers, and educators in banking efficiency and performance, risk and profit/revenue management, machine learning, and other fields. Full article

Current treatment for invasive fungal diseases is limited to three classes of antifungal drugs: azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins. The most recently introduced antifungal class, the echinocandins, was first approved nearly 30 years ago. The limited antifungal drug portfolio is rapidly losing its clinical utility due to the inexorable rise in the incidence of invasive fungal infections and the emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) fungal pathogens. New antifungal therapeutic agents and novel approaches are desperately needed. Here, we detail attempts to exploit the antifungal and immunoregulatory properties of host defense peptides (HDPs) in the design and evaluation of new antifungal therapeutics and discuss historical limitations and recent advances in this quest. Full article

Along with rapid population growth in Vietnam, there is an increasing dependence on groundwater for various activities. An Giang province is known to be one of the agricultural intensification areas of The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). This study aimed to evaluate the spatiotemporal variation of groundwater quality for a period of ten years from 2009 to 2018 in An Giang. The weighted groundwater quality index (GWQI) was developed based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (Fuzzy-AHP) for assigning weighted parameters. The results show that that shallow wells in the Northeast and Southeast regions of An Giang were mostly categorized under “bad water” quality with high arsenic (As) concentration over the years partly due to huge amounts of sediment deposition in monsoon season. Overall, the reason for the poor groundwater quality in An Giang was the combined effect of both natural and human activities. On the other hand, we detected high values of GWQI links with high As concentration in areas where people extract more groundwater for irrigation. Temporal variation of GWQI suggested that groundwater quality at eight wells has improved from 2009 to 2018 in the wet season as compared to the dry season. The reason behind the improvement of groundwater quality during wet season was the decrease in river discharge, which causes less deposition of suspended solids near the flood plains. Moreover, the filling of unused wells can reduce the movement of pollutants from unused wells to groundwater aquifers. Although there was not sufficient evidence to show the relationship between As and sediment concentration, the temporal reduction trend in river discharge and suspended solids was detected in An Giang. The understanding of groundwater quality can help policymakers protect and manage limited water resources in the long-term. Full article

Human breast milk (HBM) may have beneficial effects on Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (LR 17938) -mediated immunomodulation. We aimed to determine the effects of HBM on proliferation of LR 17938 in vitro and its associated proteins and metabolites in culture, in order to provide mechanistic insights into the health benefits of LR 17938. LR 17938 was cultured anaerobically in MRS bacterial culture media, HBM (from 6 mothers), and 2 types of cow-milk formula. The colony-forming unit (CFU) was calculated to evaluate LR 17938 growth. Sixteen-hour-fermented supernatants were used for metabolomics, and bacterial lysates were used for proteomics analysis. We found that growth of LR 17938 was 10 times better in HBM than in formula. We detected 261/452 metabolites upregulated when LR 17938 cultured in HBM compared to in formula, mainly participating in the glyoxylate cycle (succinate), urea cycle (citrulline), methionine methylation (N-acetylcysteine), and polyamine synthesis (spermidine). The significantly up-regulated enzymes were also involved in the formation of acetyl-CoA in the glyoxylate cycle and the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. In conclusion, HBM enhances the growth of LR 17938 compared to formula and promotes LR 17938-associated metabolites that relate to energy and antioxidant status, which may be linked to the physiological effects of L. reuteri. Full article

Will soil organic carbon (SOC) and yields increase for conservation management systems in tropical zones in response to the next 100 years? To answer the question, the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model was used to study the effects of climate change, cropping systems, conservation agriculture (CA) and conservation tillage management practices on SOC and crop productivity in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. The EPIC model was successfully calibrated and validated for crop yields, biomass, SOC and nitrogen based on field data from a five-year field experiment. Historical weather (1994–2013) was used for baseline assessment versus mid-century (2046–2064) and late-century (2081–2100) climate projections generated by the Geophysical Fluids Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) CM2.1 global climate model. The simulated results showed that upland rice yield would increase the most under the B1 scenario in mid-century for all treatments, followed by soybean and maize. Cassava yield only increased under CA treatment when cultivated as a continuous primary crop. Carbon sequestration was more sensitive to cropping systems and crop rotation than climate change. The results indicated that the rotated CA primary crop (maize) systems should be prioritized for SOC sequestration as well as for increasing crop productivity. In addition, rice systems may increase SOC compared to soybean and cassava. Full article

θ-Defensins are cyclic antimicrobial peptides expressed in leukocytes of Old world monkeys. To get insight into their antibacterial mode of action, we studied the activity of RTDs (rhesus macaque θ-defensins) against staphylococci. We found that in contrast to other defensins, RTDs do not interfere with peptidoglycan biosynthesis, but rather induce bacterial lysis in staphylococci by interaction with the bacterial membrane and/or release of cell wall lytic enzymes. Potassium efflux experiments and membrane potential measurements revealed that the membrane impairment by RTDs strongly depends on the energization of the membrane. In addition, RTD treatment caused the release of Atl-derived cell wall lytic enzymes probably by interaction with membrane-bound lipoteichoic acid. Thus, the premature and uncontrolled activity of these enzymes contributes strongly to the overall killing by θ-defensins. Interestingly, a similar mode of action has been described for Pep5, an antimicrobial peptide of bacterial origin. Full article