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Abstract Background My Dispense is a virtual pharmacy simulation developed for students to train and practice dispensing skills in a safe environment that causes no harm to patients. This study was aimed to investigate learners’ perspectives on the effectiveness of MyDispense and its suitability to integrate into the clinical pharmacy module in Viet Nam. Methods A mixed method approach was undertaken. Fourth- and fifth-year pharmacy students at University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh city and community pharmacists were invited to complete a survey questionnaire and to participate in semi-structured interviews. Results A total of 92/99 participants agreed to take part, of which 75% of participants were students and 65.2% were female. About three-quarters of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that MyDispense improved their dispensing skills, such as patient counselling (70.6%) and collecting patient infomation (85.9%). The majority of the participants (84.8%) considered that MyDispense was suitable to integrate into the clinical pharmacy module. Qualitative analysis from the interviews highlighted the advantages of MyDispense, comprising high interactivity with users, safe environment for practicing medication dispensing, and diversity of common marketed medications. In addition, certain barriers of this programme were also reported, including the complicated process, inconsistent quality of product images, and mixed English-Vietnamese languages. Conclusions From learner’s perspectives, MyDispense was an effective tool to enhance dispensing skills and was suitable to integrated into the clinical pharmacy module in Viet Nam.

Abstract Background Mammogram risk scores based on texture and density defined by different brightness thresholds are associated with breast cancer risk differently and could reveal distinct information about breast cancer risk. We aimed to investigate causal relationships between these intercorrelated mammogram risk scores to determine their relevance to breast cancer aetiology. Methods We used digitised mammograms for 371 monozygotic twin pairs, aged 40–70 years without a prior diagnosis of breast cancer at the time of mammography, from the Australian Mammographic Density Twins and Sisters Study. We generated normalised, age-adjusted, and standardised risk scores based on textures using the Cirrus algorithm and on three spatially independent dense areas defined by increasing brightness threshold: light areas, bright areas, and brightest areas. Causal inference was made using the Inference about Causation from Examination of FAmilial CONfounding (ICE FALCON) method. Results The mammogram risk scores were correlated within twin pairs and with each other (r = 0.22–0.81; all P

Luong Son is a district to the east gateway of Hoa Binh province, adjacent to Hanoi the capital and the northwest of Vietnam. Against the background of the rapidly expanding natural resources exploitation, a lack of experience in the general management of resources is obvious. The problem of serious environmental pollution occurs due to the increase of mining activities. This is especially true in mining areas located near fast-growing urban areas. In particular, after the end of the exploitation and mine closure, there is a need to improve and recover the environmental conditions in order to protect untapped mineral reserves and to keep the exploitation site in a sustainable status. This includes questions of environmental safety and soil recovery within the affected areas. This article deals with 2 types of land improvement and restoration in Luong Son district: (1) designing a method for land improvement by afforestation and (2) designing a method for land improvement by planting fruit trees and short-term crops.

No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. Case Presentation A patient presents to urgent care with the symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). The urinalysis is consistent with infection, and the urine culture is sent to lab. In the interim, a physician prescribes empiric treatment, and sends the patient home. Two days later, the culture is positive for E. coli, resistant to the drug prescribed (Ciprofloxacin, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) 64 μg/ml), but attempts to contact the patient (by telephone) are not successful. The patient returns the call two weeks later to say that the infection resolved without sequelae.Discussion Many clinicians have the experience of treatment success in the setting of known antibiotic resistance, and, conversely, treatment failure in the setting of known sensitivity. Such anomalies and empiric research described here forces us to revisit assumptions about the relationship between in vivo and in vitro drug responses. When it comes to the utility of microbiology…

Abstract Background Cutis laxa constitutes a diverse group of connective tissue diseases, both inherited and acquired, characterized by loose skin and varying systemic involvement, including pulmonary lesions. While cutis laxa has been linked to conditions like emphysema, asthma, and bronchiectasis, the specific pathological and radiological characteristics underlying pulmonary complications related to cutis laxa remain unclear. Case presentation A 36-year-old woman, diagnosed with cutis laxa at birth, presented to our outpatient clinic with severe obstructive ventilatory impairment, evident in pulmonary function tests (expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC): 34.85%; %residual volume [RV]: 186.5%; %total lung capacity [TLC]: 129.2%). Pulmonary function tests also indicated small airway disease (%FEF50%, 7.9%; %FEF75%, 5.7%; and %FEF25–75%, 6.8%). Computed tomography (CT) revealed the lack of normal increase in lung attenuation on expiratory CT scan, with no discernible emphysematous changes. Exome sequencing was performed to confirm the association between the pulmonary lesions and cutis laxa, revealing a frameshift variant in exon 30 of the elastin gene (ELN). Further analysis employing a parametric response map revealed a longitudinal increase in the percentage of functional small airway disease (fSAD) from 37.84% to 46.61% over the 8-year follow-up, despite the absence of overt changes in CT findings, specifically the lack of normal increase in lung attenuation on expiratory CT scan. Over the same follow-up interval, there was a modest reduction of 25.6 mL/year in FEV1 coupled with a significant increase in %RV. Pulmonary function test metrics, reflective of small airway disease, exhibited a continual decline; specifically, %FEF50%, %FEF75%, and %FEF25–75% diminished from 7.9% to 7.0%, 5.7% to 4.6%, and 6.8% to 5.4%, respectively. Conclusions This case highlighted an instance of autosomal dominant cutis laxa arising from a frameshift variant in exon 30 of ELN, accompanied by small airway disease. Comprehensive investigation, utilizing quantitative CT analysis, revealed a longitudinal increase in fSAD percentage with a mild reduction in FEV1. These findings indicate that elastin deficiency may not only diminish elastic fibers in the skin but also be implicated in small airway disease by impacting components of the extracellular matrix in the lungs.

In this study, high spatial resolution (3 m) PlanetScope (PS) imagery was utilized to map burned areas caused by a wildfire occurring on January 10, 2024, on Co Tien Mountain in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province, South Central Coast of Vietnam. A pre-fire image, acquired ten days earlier, on December 31, 2023, and a post-fire one, acquired nearly one month after, on February 04, 2024, were used to create pre- and post-fire Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps of the study area, then the difference of NDVI (dNDVI). A threshold (T = 0.20), proposed by the author, was applied to the histogram of the dNDVI product to classify the study area into two clusters: burned pixels (dNDVI > T) and unburned pixels (dNDVI

One of the innovative learning media that can be applied is learning video. Geo Talk Media is an innovation in education that combines the microlearning approach with multimedia technology by utilising natural resources as a laboratory in South Malang. This research aims to produce microlearning-based video learning media. The main focus of this platform is to foster student learning interest in Natural Resources material, especially those in South Malang. The type of research used is Research and Development (RnD), using the ADDIE development model. The instrument used is an open questionnaire with qualitative descriptive data analysis and a closed questionnaire with quantitative descriptive data analysis. The research subjects were geography teachers and students of class X SMAN 1 Kepanjen. The results showed that the micro-learning approach of Geo Talk learning video media can foster student learning interest in natural resources material in the South Malang laboratory. Proven by the percentage level of 87.12% with very feasible criteria. This research is important because it can overcome the problems that are often found, namely the limited focus of students in understanding the material provided, so that the advantages of this media are effective in helping facilitate student understanding of the material taught with a microlearning approach, and can provide new experiences for students.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the rate of salvage chemotherapy and review associated factors in invasive mole patients treated by primary or delayed hysterectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was carried out at the Tu Du Hospital, where a total of 189 patients were diagnosed with invasive mole based on histologic examination by hysterectomy between 01/2016 to 12/2020. We used the life table method to estimate the cumulative rate. We applied the Cox proportional hazard model to determine the factors associated with the need for salvage chemotherapy. RESULTS: At 12-month follow-up, 47 patients had required salvage chemotherapy. The incidence was 24.87% (95% CI: 18.88-31.66). Applying the multivariate model, prophylactic chemotherapy (HR = 2.75, 95% Cl: 1.20-6.30) and two weeks postoperative hCG value greater than 1,900 mIU/mL (HR = 4.30, 95% Cl: 2.08-8.87) increased the risk of requiring salvage chemotherapy. Postoperative chemotherapy decreased the risk of requiring salvage chemotherapy (HR = 0.43, 95% Cl: 0.22-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: Hysterectomy can be considered safe and effective in treating invasive mole patients. Although patients were treated by hysterectomy, 24.87% of patients needed salvage chemotherapy to achieve remission. This study affirms the malignant nature of invasive mole, a subtype of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). It is not purely a local invasion of molar villi. Postoperative chemotherapy plays an essential role in reducing the risk of requiring salvage chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cordyceps militaris, well known for its therapeutic potential in managing type-2 diabetes through the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, was the central focus of this research, which investigated the influence of various cultivation substrates on its enzymatic inhibitory properties and bioactive compound content. Previous studies have primarily focused on the general pharmacological benefits of C. militaris but have not thoroughly explored how different substrates affect its bioactive profile and enzyme inhibitory activities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of substrate selection on the enzyme inhibition activities and the levels of bioactive compounds such as cordycepin and adenosine in C. militaris, demonstrating that substrate selection markedly affects both these enzymes’ inhibition activities and bioactive compound levels. Particularly, C. militaris fruiting bodies grown on Brihaspa atrostigmella showed the highest concentrations of cordycepin (2.932 mg/g) and adenosine (1.062 mg/g). This substrate also exhibited the most potent α-glucosidase inhibition with an IC50 value of 336.4 ± 16.0 µg/mL and the most effective α-amylase inhibition with an IC50 value of 504.6 ± 4.2 µg/mL. Conversely, C. militaris cultivated on the solid residues of Gryllus bimaculatus displayed the strongest xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition, with the lowest IC50 value of 415.7 ± 11.2 µg/mL. These findings highlight the critical role of substrate choice in enhancing the medicinal properties of C. militaris, suggesting that optimized cultivation can enhance the bioactive properties for more effective natural therapies for diabetes and other metabolic disorders. This study not only extends the understanding of C. militaris’ pharmacological potential but also illustrates its applicability in developing customized treatment options.

Abstract Objective To reveal the clinical features and assess risk factors linked to brain fog and its societal implications, including labor productivity, providing valuable insights for the future care of individuals who have experienced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Methods We analyzed a comprehensive cohort dataset comprising 1,009 patients with COVID‐19 admitted to Japanese hospitals. To assess brain fog, we analyzed patients who responded to a questionnaire indicating symptoms such as memory impairment and poor concentration. Results The prevalence of brain fog symptoms decreased 3 months posthospitalization but remained stable up to 12 months. Neurological symptoms such as taste and smell disorders and numbness at hospitalization correlated with a higher frequency of identifying brain fog as a long COVID manifestation. Our findings indicated that advanced age, female sex, a high body mass index, oxygen required during hospitalization, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and elevated C‐reactive protein and elevated D‐dimer levels were risk factors in patients exhibiting brain fog. Additionally, we demonstrated the negative impact of brain fog on labor productivity by presenteeism scores. Interpretations This study clarified the clinical characteristics of patients experiencing brain fog as a long COVID manifestation, specifically emphasizing neurological symptoms during hospitalization and their correlation with brain fog. Additionally, the study identified associated risk factors for its onset and revealed that the emergence of brain fog was linked to a decline in labor productivity.

Abstract Microbeads in exfoliating products are a significant source of microplastics entering aquatic ecosystems. This study characterized microbeads in popular facial scrub and body scrub products from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to quantify abundances and estimate emissions. A selection of facial scrub and body scrub cleansers were collected from local markets and analyzed to quantify microbead properties including the size, color, mass, and abundance of microbeads in the exfoliating cleansers. Results revealed a wide range of microbead sizes (66–1012 μm) and different shapes and colors within and between products. Most contained heterogenous particles of white, green, blue, red, brown, and black spherical microbeads. The range of microbead abundance was 236–942 particles per gram of product. Annual microbead emissions from the use of these products in Ho Chi Minh City were estimated based on population and usage data. The total annual emission of microbeads from facial and body scrubs in Ho Chi Minh City amounted to 1.3 billion microbeads. On a per capita basis, this equaled 880 microbeads per person annually discharged into the local water environment. According to the study, a preliminary calculation indicated that approximately 2640 microbeads were released per year per female student in Ho Chi Minh City. By providing an initial ssessment of microbead pollution arising specifically from personal care items in Vietnam, this study raises awareness of microplastics introduction into Asian coastal zones via cosmetic products. The baseline data establishes a foundation for further investigations. This represents an important step in quantifying and addressing an emerging microplastic source in the region.