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AbstractUsing the GJR-GARCH method, this study examines the safe-haven role of gold, US dollar, and Bitcoin over a period including the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict from 3 April 2006 to 19 May 2023. The study supports the hypothesis that the safe-haven role of assets changes over periods of crisis. Specifically, gold loses its role as a safe-haven asset during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this role has been restored in the Dutch, US and German markets during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Similarly, Bitcoin is not a safe-haven asset during the COVID-19 pandemic but is a strong safe-haven asset for the stock markets of some European countries, and a weak safe-haven asset for China when the Russia-Ukraine conflict occurred. Only the USD acts as a stable safe-haven asset through periods of crisis. However, this role is weakened in Russia. These results partly help investors and portfolio managers choose a safe haven for their assets, especially during volatile market periods.

Introduction: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a condition that the function of venous system is impaired due to insufficiency of venous valves. The prolonged periods of standing or sitting is considered the most crucial risk factor of CVI. This study aims to determine the prevalence and associated factors of CVI among seafood processing workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through clinical examination and face-to-face interviews with 1160 seafood processing workers in Hai Phong from March to November in 2023 to assess the prevalence and associated factors to CVI. Results: The prevalence of CVI was 51.9%; the prevalent symptom was restless legs (54.0%); nocturnal cramps (49.3%); tight feeling in calves (43.2%); pins and needles (36.4%); edema lower legs (28.6%). Of all participants 4.1% were C0, 82.9% were C1, 11.0% were C2 and 2.0% were C3. Some factors associated with CVI: female (OR = 2.51, p=0.002); advanced age; prolonged periods of standing or sitting (OR = 2.08, p=0.001); overweight and obesity (OR =1.82, p=0.037); Abdominal obesity (OR =2.11, p=0.025); diabetes (OR = 1.95, p=0.045); hypertension (OR =2.59, p=0.004); gave birth to 2 and 3 children (OR = 1.78 and 2.35, p=0.002); working time over 8 hours per day (OR =3.87, p

A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. The tumor originates from Cajal cells, which generated peristaltic motion. Primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the liver is rare and should be considered in imaging diagnosis. We report a case of an 82-year-old female patient who represented with upper abdominal pain and poor appetite. Magnetic resonance imaging detected a large left lobe cystic lesion (10 × 15 cm). The tumor was resected. The histopathological and immunohistochemical results were of a primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the liver with cystic changes. On imaging, it is difficult to differentiate from other cystic lesions.

Acute methanol intoxication is uncommon. Methanol is mildly toxic, but its metabolites are formic acid and formaldehyde, causing total metabolism, visual disturbances, and central nervous system disturbances, leading to coma and death. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is very important for the diagnosis and prognosis of methanol intoxication. Putaminal necrosis with or without hemorrhage is the most frequently reported finding. Other affected areas that are reported in the literature are subcortical white matter, hippocampus, optic nerve, and cerebellum. We report 3 cases of methanol intoxication and discuss their brain lesions on MRI.

Background: Inflamm-aging is associated with the rate of aging and is significantly related to diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and age-related degenerative diseases such as type II diabetes and osteoporosis. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficiency of autologous adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell (AD-MSC) transplantation in aging-related low-grade inflammation patients., Methods: This study is a single-group, open-label, phase I clinical trial in which patients treated with 2 infusions (100 million cells i.v) of autologous AD-MSCs were initially evaluated in 12 inflamm-aging patients who concurrently had highly proinflammatory cytokines and 2 of the following 3 diseases: diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity. The treatment effects were evaluated based on plasma cytokines., Results: During the study's follow-up period, no adverse effects were observed in AD-MSC injection patients. Compared to baseline (D-44), the inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly reduced after 180 days (D180) of MSC infusion. IL-4/IL-10 at 90 days (D90) and IL-2/IL-10 at D180 increased, reversing the imbalance between proinflammatory and inflammatory ratios in the patients., Conclusion: AD-MSCs represent a potential intervention to prevent age-related inflammation in patients., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number is NCT05827757, first registered on 13th Oct 2020., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this work, a new procedure for the synthesis of benzo[ a ]carbazole from 1,3-diketones, primary amines, phenylglyoxal monohydrate, and malononitrile employing a solid acidic catalyst has been developed. The multicomponent reaction provided 3-cyanoacetamide pyrrole as an intermediate and then the formation of benzo[ a ]carbazole via intramolecular ring closure. The reaction was carried out for 2 h at 240 °C, resulting in the desired product with 73% yield. Acidic sites on the solid acid catalyst, made from rice husk-derived amorphous carbon with a sulfonic acid core (AC-SO 3 H), provided the best activity. Acidic sites on the surface of the catalyst, including carboxylic, phenolic, and sulfonic acids, were 4.606 mmol g -1 of the total acidity. AC-SO 3 H demonstrated low cost, low toxicity, porosity, stability, and flexibility of tuning and reusability., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Genetic factors play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, no comprehensive study has described genetic alterations in Vietnamese patients diagnosed with PD. This study aimed to identify genetic causes and their association with clinical phenotypes in a Vietnamese PD cohort., Methods: A total of 83 patients with early-onset PD (disease onset before the age of 50) were recruited for genetic analysis using a combination of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and next-generation sequencing for a panel of 20 PD-associated genes., Results: It was found that 37 out of 83 patients carried genetic alterations, with 24 pathogenic/likely pathogenic/risk variants and 25 variants of uncertain significance. The pathogenic/likely pathogenic/risk variants were mostly detected in LRRK2, PRKN, and GBA, while the variants of uncertain significance were identified in 12 different genes that were studied. The most common genetic alteration was LRRK2 c.4883G>C (p.Arg1628Pro), and patients with PD carrying this variant were found to have a distinct phenotype. Participants carrying pathogenic/likely pathogenic/risk variants had a significantly higher rate of a family history of PD., Conclusion: These results provide a further understanding of genetic alterations associated with PD in a South-East Asian population., (© 2023 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Competing Interests: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R21AI157817 to JDK and GML), Fogarty International Center (K01TW012170 to PCA), and the Wellcome Trust (106680/B/14/Z). We thank Nguyen Thi Thu Hong (Emerging Infections group, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam) and Nguyen Cong Thanh (Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Viet Nam) for their logistical support. We declare no competing interests.

Objective: Although epilepsy surgery is more effective than medical therapy for drug-resistant patients, it is underutilized in both high-income and low- and middle-income countries. In light of our efforts to establish an epilepsy surgery program in a resource-limited setting, this study aimed to determine the outcome of the epilepsy surgery program in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam., Methods: In 2018, we developed the HCMC epilepsy core multidisciplinary team with members from various hospitals and centers. The team typically included neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and nursing specialists. Presurgical evaluations were performed for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, fulfilling the ILAE criteria, with an epileptogenic lesion (mesial temporal sclerosis, low-grade gliomas, or focal cortical dysplasia). All epilepsy surgeries were performed in two epilepsy surgery centers in HCMC between 2018 and 2021. The patients were followed up for at least 12 months., Results: Fifty-two patients with drug-resistant epilepsy underwent presurgical evaluation, of which 35 underwent surgery. Among the 52 patients, 20 (38.5%) underwent surgery after showing concordance among the results of standard presurgical assessments such as semiology, scalp interictal or ictal electroencephalography, and brain imaging. Among the 26 people with epilepsy who required more advanced evaluations, 15 underwent surgery with intraoperative electrocorticography to delineate the optimal resection borders. The outcomes of Engel Class I and Class II were achieved in 29/35 (82.8%) and 6/35 (17.2%) patients, respectively., Significance: The epilepsy surgery program with a multicentered collaborative model in a resource-limited setting showed favorable outcomes in HCMC, Vietnam., (© 2022 The Authors. Epilepsia Open published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.)

We report a case of bilateral renal infarction following thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy for left ventricular embolism-induced lower leg artery ischemia. Imaging demonstrated thrombi from the left ventricle leading to bilateral renal arterial occlusion. Catheter embolectomy and long-term oral anticoagulant therapy were initiated, and the patient recovered with no residual complications. ( Level of Difficulty: Intermediate. )., Competing Interests: The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is one of the most common hereditary neuropathies. Identifying causative mutations in CMT is essential as it provides important information for genetic diagnosis and counseling. However, genetic information of Vietnamese patients diagnosed with CMT is currently not available., Methods: In this study, we described the clinical profile and determined the mutation spectrum of CMT in a cohort of Vietnamese patients with CMT by using a combination of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and next-generation sequencing targeting 11 genes PMP22, MPZ, EGR2, NEFL, MFN2, GDAP1, GARS, MTMR2, GJB1, RAB7A, LITAF., Results: In 31 CMT cases, the mutation detection rate was 42% and the most common genetic aberration was PMP22 duplication. The pedigree analysis showed two de novo mutations c.64C > A (p.P22T) and c.281delG (p.G94Afs*17) in the NEFL and PMP22 genes, respectively., Conclusion: The results of this study once again emphasize the important role of molecular diagnosis and provide preliminary genetic data on Vietnamese patients with CMT., (© 2022 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Cholesterol is one of the functional nutrients in human milk, which is indispensable for infant growth. In this study, the concentration of cholesterol and desmosterol in human milk from four Asian countries (n = 578), including Korea, China, Vietnam, and Pakistan, were investigated. The average cholesterol concentrations of Korea and China were similar ranging between 90.2-91.6 mg/L, but those from Vietnam and Pakistan were higher at 113.8 and 175.7 mg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviations were 31-36%, except for Pakistan (51%), showing a broad distribution of 48 to 612 mg/L. Desmosterol concentrations were similar, ranging between 11.2 and 12.8 mg/L except for Pakistan, which was lower than other countries at 9.4 mg/L. In addition, the cholesterol and desmosterol concentrations during the lactation periods were not significantly different in all four Asian countries. Mothers' BMI did not significantly impact the cholesterol and desmosterol concentration in maternal milk within the same country., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01141-9., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestNone of the authors of this study has any financial interest or conflict with industries or parties., (© The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Abstract: A 25-year-old male patient visited the ophthalmology clinic because of upper eye lid ptosis in the right eye, binocular double vision, and light sensitivity. He was diagnosed with a complete third nerve palsy caused by a skull base myofibroma, a rare clinical entity that has not been described before in oculomotor nerve palsy., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

Human milk lipids provide not only energy but also indispensable bioactive components such as essential fatty acids. To establish the recommended daily intake value and guidelines for infant formula, a reference library of fatty acid composition has been generated from 4 Asian countries (South Korea, China, Vietnam, and Pakistan). Regardless of country, palmitic acid (C16:0), linoleic acid (C18:1), and linolenic acid (C18:2) were the 3 most abundant fatty acids in human milk and account for more than 75% of total fatty acids (total FA). However, there were several considerable differences between fatty acids, particularly n-3 and n-6 (omega-3 and omega-6) groups. Chinese mothers' milk had a high concentration of linoleic acid at 24.38 ± 10.02% of total FA, which may be due to maternal diet. Among the 4 countries, Pakistani mothers' milk contained a high amount of saturated fatty acid (56.83 ± 5.96% of total FA), and consequently, polyunsaturated fatty acids, including n-3 and n-6, were significantly lower than in other countries. It is noteworthy that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in Pakistani mothers' milk was 44.8 ± 33.3 mg/L, which is only 25 to 30% of the levels in the other 3 countries, suggesting the need for DHA supplementation for infants in Pakistan. Moreover, the ratio of n-6 to n-3 was also remarkably high in Pakistani mothers' milk (15.21 ± 4.96), being 1.4- to 1.7-fold higher than in other countries. The average DHA:ARA ratio in Asian human milk was 1.01 ± 0.79. Korean mothers' milk showed a high DHA:ARA ratio, with a value of 1.30 ± 0.98, but Pakistani mothers' milk had a significantly lower value (0.42 ± 0.12). The fatty acid compositions and anthropometric data of mother (body mass index, age) did not show any correlation. The obtained data might provide information about human milk compositions in the Asian region that could benefit from setting up recommended nutrient intake and infant formula for Asian babies., (Copyright © 2021 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The complex cellular structure of trabecular bone possesses lightweight and superior energy absorption capabilities. By mimicking this novel high-performance structure, engineered cellular structures can be advanced into a new generation of protective systems. The goal of this research is to develop an analytical framework for predicting the critical buckling load, Young's modulus and energy absorption of a 3D printed bone-like cellular structure. This is achieved by conducting extensive analytical simulations of the bone-inspired unit cell in parallel to traverse every possible combination of its key design parameters. The analytical framework is validated using experimental data and used to evolve the most optimal cellular structure, with the maximum energy absorption as the key performance criterion. The design charts developed in this work can be used to guide the development of a futuristic engineered cellular structure with superior performance and protective capabilities against extreme loads.

A built-up environment utilizes building materials containing natural radionuclides that will change radiological risks. While radiological risks have been estimated from the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in soil, it is important to evaluate the changes of these risks for the built-up environment using these building materials. Based on the direct measurements of absorbed dose rate in air and calculation of absorbed dose rate in air from activity concentrations in soil for all of Vietnam which has undergone significant economic growth in recent decades, the changes of absorbed dose rate in air and radiological risks before and after construction of many artificial structures were investigated. The results showed that the absorbed dose rates in air were clearly changed by the urbanization, and the difference ratio for all of Vietnam ranged from 0.5 to 2.1, meaning that the artificial structures have been acting as shielding materials to terrestrial gamma-rays or radiation sources. However, changes in annual effective dose in the built-up environment were small, and there was no new radiation risk from the built-up environment for Vietnam.

Background: Brainstem encephalitis is a serious complication of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation and hypertension may occur, sometimes progressing to cardiopulmonary failure and death. Vietnamese national guidelines recommend use of milrinone if ANS dysregulation with Stage 2 hypertension develops. We wished to investigate whether magnesium sulfate (MgSO 4 ) improved outcomes in children with HFMD if used earlier in the evolution of the ANS dysregulation (Stage 1 hypertension)., Methods: During a regional epidemic we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of MgSO 4 in children with HFMD, ANS dysregulation and Stage 1 hypertension, at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh city. Study participants received an infusion of MgSO 4 or matched placebo for 72 h. We also reviewed data from non-trial HFMD patients in whom milrinone failed to control hypertension, some of whom received MgSO 4 as second line therapy. The primary outcome for both analyses was a composite of disease progression within 72 h - addition of milrinone (trial participants only), need for ventilation, shock, or death., Results: Between June 2014 and September 2016, 14 and 12 participants received MgSO 4 or placebo respectively, before the trial was stopped due to futility. Among 45 non-trial cases with poorly controlled hypertension despite high-dose milrinone, 33 received MgSO 4 while 12 did not. There were no statistically significant differences in the composite outcome between the MgSO 4 and the placebo/control groups in either study (adjusted relative risk (95%CI) of [6/14 (43%) vs. 6/12 (50%)], 0.84 (0.37, 1.92), p = 0.682 in the trial and [1/33 (3%) vs. 2/12 (17%)], 0.16 (0.01, 1.79), p = 0.132 in the observational cohort). The incidence of adverse events was similar between the groups. Potentially toxic magnesium levels occurred very rarely with the infusion regime used., Conclusion: Although we could not demonstrate efficacy in these studies, there were no safety signals associated with use of 30-50 mg/kg/hr. MgSO 4 in severe HFMD. Intermittent outbreaks of HFMD are likely to continue across the region, and an adequately powered trial is still needed to evaluate use of MgSO 4 in controlling hypertension in severe HFMD, potentially involving a higher dose regimen., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01940250 (Registered 22 AUG 2013). Trial sponsor: University of Oxford.

A car-borne survey was made in metropolitan Tokyo, Japan, in December 2014 to estimate external dose. This survey was conducted for all municipalities of Tokyo and the results were compared with measurements done in 2003. The ambient dose rate measured in the whole area of Tokyo in December 2014 was 60 nGy h(-1) (23-142 nGy h(-1)), which was 24% higher than the rate in 2003. Higher dose rates (>70 nGy h(-1)) were observed on the eastern and western ends of Tokyo; furthermore, the contribution ratio from artificial radionuclides ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) to ambient dose rate in eastern Tokyo was twice as high as that of western Tokyo. Based on the measured ambient dose rate, the effective dose rate after the accident was estimated to be 0.45 μSv h(-1) in Tokyo. This value was 22% higher than the value before the accident as of December 2014., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Carbon nanotube (CNT) characteristics, besides the processing conditions, can change significantly the microwave absorption behavior of CNT/polymer composites. In this study, we investigated the influence of three commercial multi-walled CNT materials with various diameters and length-to-diameter aspect ratios on the X-band microwave absorption of epoxy nanocomposites with CNT contents from 0.125 to 2 wt%, prepared by two dispersion methods, i.e. in solution with surfactant-aiding and via ball-milling., Results: The laser diffraction particle size and TEM analysis showed that both methods produced good dispersions at the microscopic level of CNTs. Both a high aspect ratio resulting in nanotube alignment trend and good infiltration of the matrix in the individual nanotubes, which was indicated by high Brookfield viscosities at low CNT contents of CNT/epoxy dispersions, are important factors to achieve composites with high microwave absorption characteristics. The multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) with the largest aspect ratio resulted in composites with the best X-band microwave absorption performance, which is considerably better than that of reported pristine CNT/polymer composites with similar or lower thicknesses and CNT loadings below 4 wt%., Conclusions: A high aspect ratio of CNTs resulting in microscopic alignment trend of nanotubes as well as a good level of micro-scale CNT dispersion resulting from good CNT-matrix interactions are crucial to obtain effective microwave absorption performance. This study demonstrated that effective radar absorbing MWCNT/epoxy nanocomposites having small matching thicknesses of 2-3 mm and very low filler contents of 0.25-0.5 wt%, with microwave energy absorption in the X-band region above 90% and maximum absorption peak values above 97%, could be obtained via simple processing methods, which is promising for mass production in industrial applications. Graphical AbstractComparison of the X-band microwave reflection loss of epoxy composites of various commercial multi-walled carbon nanotube materials.

The scaffold protein Vac14 acts in a complex with the lipid kinase PIKfyve and its counteracting phosphatase FIG4, regulating the interconversion of phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate to phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate. Dysfunctional Vac14 mutants, a deficiency of one of the Vac14 complex components, or inhibition of PIKfyve enzymatic activity results in the formation of large vacuoles in cells. How these vacuoles are generated and which processes are involved are only poorly understood. Here we show that ectopic overexpression of wild-type Vac14 as well as of the PIKfyve-binding deficient Vac14 L156R mutant causes vacuoles. Vac14-dependent vacuoles and PIKfyve inhibitor-dependent vacuoles resulted in elevated levels of late endosomal, lysosomal, and autophagy-associated proteins. However, only late endosomal marker proteins were bound to the membranes of these enlarged vacuoles. In order to decipher the linkage between the Vac14 complex and regulators of the endolysosomal pathway, a protein affinity approach combined with multidimensional protein identification technology was conducted, and novel molecular links were unraveled. We found and verified the interaction of Rab9 and the Rab7 GAP TBC1D15 with Vac14. The identified Rab-related interaction partners support the theory that the regulation of vesicular transport processes and phosphatidylinositol-modifying enzymes are tightly interconnected., (© 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Microglial activation plays an important role in the development and progression of various neurological disorders such as cerebral ischemia, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, controlling microglial activation can serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for such brain diseases. In the present study, we showed that kalopanaxsaponin A, a triterpenoid saponin isolated from Kalopanax pictus, inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia, while kalopanaxsaponin A increased anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 expression. Subsequent mechanistic studies revealed that kalopanaxsaponin A inhibited LPS-induced DNA binding activities of NF-κB and AP-1, and the phosphorylation of JNK without affecting other MAP kinases. Furthermore, kalopanaxsaponin A inhibited the intracellular ROS production with upregulation of anti-inflammatory hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Based on the previous reports that JNK pathway is largely involved in iNOS and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression via modulating NF-κB/AP-1 and ROS, our data collectively suggest that inhibition of JNK pathway plays a key role in anti-inflammatory effects of kalopanaxsaponin A in LPS-stimulated microglia.

The CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) has been linked to autoimmune and inflammatory disease, allograft rejection, and ischemic nephropathy. CXCR3 is expressed on endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Although a recent study posited that antagonizing of CXCR3 function may reduce atherosclerosis, the role of CXCR3 in controlling physiological vascular functions remains unclear. This study demonstrates that disruption of CXCR3 leads to elevated mean arterial pressures in anesthetized and conscious mice, respectively. Stimulation of isolated resistance vessels with various vasoconstrictors showed increased contractibility in CXCR3-/- mice in response to angiotensin II (ANG II) and a decreased vasodilatation in response to acetylcholine (ACh). The increased contractibility was related to higher ANG II type 1 receptor (AT1R) expression, whereas the decreased vasodilatation was related to lower M3-ACh receptor expression in the mesenteric arteries of CXCR3-/- mice compared with wild-type mice. The vasodilatatory response to ACh could be antagonized by the nonselective ACh receptor antagonist atropine and the selective M3 receptor antagonist 4-DAMP, but not by M1, M2, and M4 receptor antagonists. Additionally, EMSA studies revealed that transcription factors SP-1 and EGR-1 interact as a complex with the murine AT1R promoter region. Furthermore, we could show increased expression of SP-1 in CXCR3-/- mice indicating an imbalanced SP-1 and EGR-1 complex formation which causes increased AT1R expression and hypertension. The data indicate that CXCR3 receptor is important in vascular contractility and hypertension, possibly through upregulated AT1R expression.

Objectives: Two assay methods, namely the neutral Comet assay andterminal desoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) assay, were carried out for comparison to investigate the capability of using the neutral Comet assay as an alternative for detection of apoptosis., Materials and Methods: Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO-K1) cells were exposed to gamma-rays with different doses and then the frequencies of apoptotic cells were determined at given points of time using the neutral Comet assay andTdT assay., Results: Apoptotic frequency of CHO-K1 cells after gamma-irradiation is dependent on both time after irradiation and radiation dose using either the neutral Comet assay orTdT assay. There are differences between the data obtained using the neutral Comet assay andTdT assay (p<0.01, Student's t-test)., Conclusions: The neutral Comet assay appears to be an appropriate tool for detection of radiationinduced apoptosis at the early stage of the process. Compared to the other methods such as theTdT assay, the neutral Comet assay is a rapid, simple and economical method for detection of apoptosis.

A survey on the use of antibiotics purchased through retail pharmacies was conducted in the Badinh district of Hanoi, Vietnam. The survey found that purchasers visit a pharmacy when they or those who felt they needed antibiotics had minor symptoms such as cough (34.1%), sore throat (32.5%), stomach upsets (10.0%) and diarrhoea (8.8%). The most often purchased antibiotics were ampicillin (31.1%), amoxyllin (16.7%), cotrimoxazol (11.6%), tetracycline (5.2%) and cephalexin (4.8%). The median of the purchased quantity was 10 tablets, the mean 11.34 tablets (95%CI 9.65-12.97). About 30% of the purchasers intended to take antibiotics for three days or less. The mean cost of a antibiotic purchase was US$1.27 (95%CI 1.06-1.39). The main reason for not taking a full course of antibiotics was not economic constraint, but the purchasers' poor knowledge about antibiotics. Logistic regression analysis indicates that age of purchasers, length of symptoms and kinds of treatment used before visiting a pharmacy could be used as predictive variables for the decision to buy antibiotics in preference to alternative drugs. Antibiotics are used when illness lasts longer than one week and antibiotics have not yet been taken. Antibiotics are also purchased by young rather than old people. The study documents the need for better health education about the rational use of antibiotics in the general public.