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Abstract On 1 December 2019, an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread around the world. In an effort to prevent transmission, global traffic flows were affected and lectures by international speakers at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy were streamed over the internet. Speakers from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mongolia reported on the status of COVID-19 infection in dialysis patients from December 2019 to June 2022. In addition, the situation in Japan is discussed in the introduction. In Japan, the mortality rate due to COVID-19 infection in dialysis patients was approximately 20% in a national statistical survey before the introduction of the vaccine, and decreased to 3.1% with the introduction of the vaccine. In Vietnam, the mortality rate was 42% in non-vaccinated recipients and 21% in two-dose recipients, but this was reported by a single center. Mortality among dialysis patients with COVID-19 infection in Indonesia was 57%, although reported by a single center. In Indonesia, 6 million people were infected with COVID-19, and the number of COVID-19 cases among dialysis patients was estimated to be around 52,200. Mongolia was considered to be the country that was able to move to vaccination while most effectively controlling the domestic spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 compared with many other countries.

The erosion and deposition are occurring more complex and unpredictable in the long coastline country like Vietnam. This study using numerical model method to investigate the erosion and deposition possibilities in Binh Thuan coastal areas, an area located in south-central of Vietnam. By utilizing MIKE 21/3 Coupled Model FM, we compared the current situation with the simulation of erosion and accretion under two extreme conditional scenarios: wave with 1% frequency, and sea level rise (SLR). The study simulated the semidiurnal tide, a featured characteristic of Binh Thuan coastal areas during the southwest (SW) and northeast (NE) monsoon, results seafloor changes overs 15 days. The first scenario shows that in SW monsoon, the coastal sediment in the southern part of Binh Thuan is being carried away, and deposit in the northern coastline, especially at Phan southern coastline. The SLR scenario results erosion in both monsoons at the rate of 8 − 15 mm^−1 day^ −1, but with higher erosion rate in SW. However, there is an exception where the information, can be used for management to protect the human-induced activities as well as preparation adaptation plan for upcoming climate change not only in Binh Thuan province but also in entire Vietnam.

A new method for the synthesis of adaptive state observation for a class of nonlinear non-stationary systems is proposed. This task is important and fundamental in control theory and is related to both the control problem and the task of monitoring the efficiency of the system operation. The solution to the problem is based on the generalized observer parameter estimation method to obtain the regression equation necessary for estimating the state and parameters of the system. Further, the dynamic regressor expansion and blending method dynamic regressor extension and mixing method is applied to identify the unknown system parameters. The paper proposes a method for estimating the state vector for a nonlinear non-stationary system in which the unknown parameters depend on the state vector under external disturbances. The results obtained are rigorously proved using mathematical theory. Simulation in Matlab/Simulink is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed algorithm. The mathematical model of the considered objects is a nonlinear system of equations with variable parameters. Compared to previous methods, the method proposed in this paper is more general, especially in a system where the unknown parameters depend on the state vector with nonlinear functions. However, the problem is currently solved only for discrete systems. In the future, it may be possible to extend it to continuous systems.

The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between maternal and fetal genetic variants and the risk of preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related condition that affects women. Despite the unclear role of these genetic factors in the development of preeclampsia, this analysis aimed to provide insights into the potential contributing factors. An electronic search of online databases was conducted to identify relevant studies. Stata SE software was used for the meta-analysis. A random-effects model was used to establish the association between the genetic variants and preeclampsia risk. Egger’s test was utilized to evaluate publication bias. Ten observational studies were selected from databases that met the inclusion criteria and included seven genes and twenty polymorphisms to analyze preeclampsia susceptibility influenced by the genetic background of both the mother and fetus. Our meta-analysis revealed that both the maternal and fetal polymorphisms, FLT1 rs4769613, were significantly associated with the risk of preeclampsia. However, the association between the maternal ACE rs4646994 polymorphism and preeclampsia risk was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, a significant association was observed between the fetal ACE rs4646994 polymorphism and preeclampsia in a dominant genetic model. In this study, the associations between maternal and fetal polymorphisms in ERAP2, VEGF, VDR, REN, and MMP were not statistically significant. According to the available evidence, maternal and fetal polymorphisms can impact the likelihood of developing preeclampsia. Additional research is required to fully understand the underlying mechanisms connecting maternal and fetal polymorphisms to preeclampsia, and to formulate recommendations for screening pregnant women based on these genetic variations.

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) Network Planning (RNP) is the problem of placing RFID readers in a working area where a tag is interrogated by at least one reader and at the same time satisfies some constraints such as minimum number of placed readers, minimal interference, and minimal outside coverage. The RNP optimization has been proven NP-hard; thus, natural-inspired approaches are often used to find the optimal solution. The paper proposes an energy-efficient RNP approach in which the positions of placed readers are optimized by a Hopfield network, and the energy efficiency is achieved through a placement area restriction technique. A mechanism of redundant reader elimination is also added to minimize the number of placed readers. Simulation results show that the Hopfield network-based energy-efficient RNP approach achieves the maximum tag coverage and energy efficiency by reducing interference, outside coverage, and the number of placed readers.

Background: The increasing prevalence of male infertility has become a global concern. Traditional Chinese and Asian medicines have long been using herbal remedies to promote spermatogenesis. This study aimed to systematically explore the potential of herbal medicines and formulations to enhance the male reproductive function in humans. Methods: Two prominent databases, MEDLINE and EMBASE, as well as scientific journals indexed in the Web of Science, were used for the literature search until October 2023. The studies included in the analysis focused on the impact of herbal medicines (Mucuna pruriens, Withania somnifera, Eurycoma longifolia, Panax ginseng, Lycopersicon esculentum, Crocus sativus, Vitis vinifera, Nigella sativa, Sesamum indicum, Curcuma longa, Lepidium peruvianum) and Chinese and Korean Polyherbal formulations (Shao-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang; 少腹逐瘀汤) on human serum reproductive hormone levels, semen parameters, and antioxidant enzymes. Results: A total of 23 articles were deemed eligible for the review and meta-analysis, which included 1,194 men from seven countries (China, Korea, Iran, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, and India). Of these, 19 articles were analyzed for semen parameters. The use of herbal medicine increased seminal parameters, including semen volume during each ejaculation (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.89; 95 % CI: 0.52, 1.26), sperm concentration (SMD = 1.97; 95 % CI: 1.30, 2.64), total sperm count (SMD = 2.28; 95 % CI: 1.44, 3.11), sperm motility (SMD = 1.07; 95 % CI: 0.68, 1.46), and normal morphology (SMD = 1.47; 95 % CI: 0.62, 2.32). Additionally, 18 articles that analyzed sex hormone levels showed that treatment with herbal medicines favorably reduced serum prolactin (SMD = -0.70; 95 % CI: -1.13, -0.28) and FSH levels (SMD = -1.07; 95 % CI: -1.56, -0.56). Meanwhile, herbal medicines did not affect testosterone levels (SMD = 0.41; 95 % CI: -0.24, 1.06) and LH levels (SMD = 0.45; 95 % CI: -0.33, 1.23). Finally, six articles were analyzed for seminal biochemical and antioxidant profiles, and the results showed that herbal medicine increased the levels of ascorbic acid (SMD = 1.19; 95 % CI: 0.51, 1.86), corrected seminal fructose (SMD = 1.32; 95 % CI: 0.89, 1.76), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) (SMD = 1.06; 95 % CI: 0.45, 1.68), and catalase activity (SMD = 0.91; 95 % CI: 0.69, 1.44) in seminal plasma. Conclusion: Herbal remedies have been found to promote spermatogenesis by optimizing semen parameters, sex hormone levels, and antioxidant profiles. As a result, these treatments should be regarded as complementary approaches to male infertility.

Abstract Background Many patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) have moderate-to-severe persistent AR. Meda Pharma’s AzeFlu (MP-AzeFlu ® ) is an intranasal AR treatment comprising a novel formulation of azelastine hydrochloride and fluticasone propionate in a single device. Methods This prospective observational study of 214 adults and adolescents in Austria with moderate-to-severe persistent AR assessed the effectiveness of MP-AzeFlu (one spray/nostril twice daily; daily doses: azelastine hydrochloride 548 μg; and fluticasone propionate 200 μg) for AR control in clinical practice using the visual analog scale. Symptom severity was reported on days 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42. Patient demographics, AR phenotype, allergen sensitization, symptomatology, AR treatments in the previous year, and the reason for the MP-AzeFlu prescription were recorded. Results MP-AzeFlu treatment was associated with a rapid and statistically significant reduction in the visual analog scale score from baseline to each timepoint measured, including day 1 (all p

Abstract Introduction The aim of this retrospective study was to firstly assess the stability of surgical advancement using inter-molar mandibular distraction osteogenesis (IMDO) and secondly to assess the impact of the surgical intervention on subsequent mandibular growth in patients with residual growth. Methods The sample consisted of 17 (13F and 4M) consecutively treated patients who underwent IMDO and orthodontic treatment. Cephalometric analysis was performed at three time points: T0 prior to distraction; T1 post-distraction immediately prior to surgical removal of the distractors; and T2 following completion of orthodontic treatment when the final lateral cephalogram was taken (0.86–4.37 years after T1). Statistical comparison of lower facial height, mandibular length, growth, condylar position and anterior mandibular rotation was performed. Results No association was found between changes in any of the cephalometric measurements and the length of the follow-up interval. The anterior mandibular segment underwent clockwise rotation during distraction and recovered to near its pre-distraction angulation during remodelling. An increase in the lower facial height of 1.88 ± 2.81mm also occurred during distraction (T0–T1) and was maintained during the follow-up period (T1–T2). Post-distraction (T1–T2) growth of lower facial height (p value 0.872) and mandibular length (p value 0.251) showed no association when compared to an untreated control group and an overall reduction in growth was reported. Conclusions IMDO was highly stable within a follow-up period of 2.3 ± 0.9 years; however, growth appears to have been inhibited.

The emergence of multicancer early detection (MCED) tests holds promise for improving early cancer detection and public health outcomes. However, positive MCED test results require confirmation through recommended cancer diagnostic imaging modalities. To address these challenges, we have developed a consultation and work-up protocol for definitive diagnostic results post MCED testing, named SPOT-MAS. Developed through circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis and in line with professional guidelines and advisory board consensus, this protocol standardizes information to aid general practitioners in accessing, interpreting and managing SPOT-MAS results. Clinical effectiveness is demonstrated through a series of identified cancer cases. Our research indicates that the protocol could empower healthcare professionals to confidently interpret circulating tumor DNA test results for 5 common types of cancer, thereby facilitating the clinical integration of MCED tests.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of transparency of budget structure on risk of getting into financial distress in Vietnam. The article uses data regarding equity proportion from the financial reports of business entities on Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), divided into four main categories, namely large ownership, institutional ownership, managerial ownership, and state ownership ratio, to find the relation between the allocation of equity and the chance a company having financial failure. From the mentioned information, the research attempts to explain the relations, as well as suggestions for companies to prepare and avoid financial distress from an equity structure perspective. Results from the study’s sample show insignificant correlations between the share of owners and financial distress situation of a company, which plays a part to help the overall estimation of risk in businesses as a whole.

In this paper, we evaluate short packet communication (SPC) for a cooperative system where one relay assists data transmission between one multi-antenna source and one single antenna destination with the presence of co-channel interference at the relay. Two transmission schemes, i.e., transmit antenna selection (TAS) scheme and beamforming scheme (BF), are considered. Based on metric of SPC, we derive the average block error rate (BLER) for the system in asymptotic and closed-form expressions for both schemes. In addition, a solution of optimal power allocation (OPA) to maximize end-to-end effective system throughput is proposed. Effects of parameters such as total transmit power, number of the source’s antennas, number of co-channel interference, and packet length on the performance of the system are evaluated. Finally, the results reveal that the performance of the OPA scheme outperforms that of the benchmark scheme, i.e., equal power allocation solution, in terms of BLER and the effective throughput for both the TAS and BF schemes. Moreover, the performance of the system reaches to saturation value with more antennas at the source. The findings indicate that the TAS and BF schemes have the same performance in terms of both the BLER and the effective throughput.

PET bottles are widely used for drinking water. PET bottles’ quality depends on their thickness. The aim of this study is to find design variables and optimal parameters of the stretching blow molding (SBM) process of PET bottles in order to increase the uniformity of bottle thickness by using the simulation technique and Taguchi method. The finite element method is used to predict the results of the SBM process. The Taguchi method is performed with six variables that belong to two main factors, which are temperature positions and parison thickness. Through the analysis process, the optimal parameters are determined and verified, with a minimum objective function result of 0.000265. On the other hand, the temperature at T4 positions and the preform thickness at Th2 sections are the main influences on the uniformity of PET bottle thickness.

Purpose: Teacher education universities and schools have traditionally been the main sites of teacher learning in Vietnam. This relationship is the key in the process national curriculum innovation. The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between teacher education universities and schools in Vietnam, in regard to partnering for the delivery of teacher education adapting national curriculum innovation in Vietnam. Method: Data was collected through questionnaires involving 243 participants comprising pre-service teachers, university lecturers and mentors. The result of this paper also uses semi-structured interviews to draw conclusions. Findings: The findings show that there is a model for teacher education universities - schools cooperation in teacher preparation. However, the partnership is limited by such factors such as planning, mentoring, practicum program, communication between pedagogy universities and schools. The findings suggest that cooperation between pedagogical universities and schools can be promoted by mutually increasing awareness of the interdependence of relationships. The pedagogy universities and schools also need to diversify common areas of activity, especially to enhance dialogue on issues related to vocational training for pre-service students. Significance: The results of the study provide insight into the factors that reduce the effectiveness of the partnership between pedagogical universities and schools, helping policy makers and educational managers have appropriate measures to develop the professionalism of teachers in high schools and help pre-service students prepare for future careers.

Objective This study aimed to assess the association of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thrombosis (AT). Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study including 585 medical records obtained from all consecutive patients who were suspected of having thrombosis. Results The AT group had a higher neutrophil count and NLR and a lower lymphocyte count than the non-thrombosis group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed the ability of the NLR to predict the presence of AT. The cut-off value for the NLR was 4.44. No distinction was found in the NLR between the VTE and non-thrombosis groups. Regression analysis showed that a high NLR was an independent factor related to the presence of AT. Patients with an NLR ≥ 4.44 had a higher risk of AT than those with an NLR

Abstract Background Hemophilia A (HEMA) is an X-linked bleeding disorder caused by reduced/absent coagulation factor VIII expression, as a result of pathogenic variants in the F8 gene. Preimplantation prevention of HEMA should ideally include direct pathogenic F8 variant detection, complemented by linkage analysis of flanking markers to identify the high-risk F8 allele. Linkage analysis is particularly indispensable when the pathogenic variant cannot be detected directly or identified. This study evaluated the suitability of a panel of F8 intragenic and extragenic short tandem repeat markers for standalone linkage-based preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorder (PGT-M) of the Inv22 pathogenic variant, an almost 600 kb paracentric inversion responsible for almost half of all severe HEMA globally, for which direct detection is challenging. Methods Thirteen markers spanning 1 Mb and encompassing both F8 and the Inv22 inversion interval were genotyped in 153 unrelated females of Viet Kinh ethnicity. Results All individuals were heterozygous for ≥ 1 marker, ~ 90% were heterozygous for ≥ 1 of the five F8 intragenic markers, and almost 98% were heterozygous for ≥ 1 upstream (telomeric) and ≥ 1 downstream (centromeric) markers. A prospective PGT-M couple at risk of transmitting F8 Inv22 were fully informative at four marker loci (2 intra-inversion, 1 centromeric, 1 telomeric) and partially informative at another five (2 intra-inversion, 3 centromeric), allowing robust phasing of low- and high-risk haplotypes. In vitro fertilization produced three embryos, all of which clearly inherited the low-risk maternal allele, enabling reliable unaffected diagnoses. A single embryo transfer produced a clinical pregnancy, which was confirmed as unaffected by amniocentesis and long-range PCR, and a healthy baby girl was delivered at term. Conclusion Robust and reliable PGT-M of HEMA, including the common F8 Inv22 pathogenic variant, can be achieved with sufficient informative intragenic and flanking markers.

Abstract Introduction The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MP-AzeFlu nasal spray in comparison to commercially available azelastine hydrochloride and fluticasone propionate sprays in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods We conducted a 14-day multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active controlled prospective clinical study in adult and adolescent patients with AR, who had moderate-to-severe symptoms. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in combined 12-h reflective total nasal symptom score (rTNSS) (morning [AM] + afternoon [PM]). The safety profile of the study medications was assessed through the recording, reporting, and analysis of baseline medical conditions, adverse events (AEs), vital signs, and focused nasal examination. Three hundred patients per treatment group were randomized, which led to a total sample size estimation of 900 patients. Results MP-AzeFlu group showed significantly higher symptom reduction for the entire 2-week treatment period in rTNSS when compared with the AZE group (LS mean difference: − 1.96; 95% CI: − 2.53, − 1.39; p