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Background: There are currently no specific tools available to assess self-efficacy among Vietnamese individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC) post-surgery. Translating and evaluating the psychometric properties of the New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE) for use in the Vietnamese population could help address this gap. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Vietnamese version of the NGSE scale. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample consisted of 120 individuals aged 20-59 with CRC post-surgery, recruited through a multi-stage sampling technique from three hospitals in Vietnam. The scale was translated into Vietnamese using Brislin’s technique. Content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index for item (I-CVI) and for scale (S-CVI). Construct validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability was measured using Cronbach’s α coefficients. Results: The findings showed an I-CVI of 1.00 and an S-CVI of 1.00, indicating excellent content validity. The Cronbach’s α for the NGSE was 0.95, indicating excellent internal consistency. CFA results showed that all eight items fit well within a unidimensional structure (X2 = 48.936, p >0.05, df = 24, X2/df = 2.04, RMSEA = 0.078, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.971, SRMR = 0.023). Factor loadings for each item ranged from 0.798 to 0.901. Conclusion: The results suggest that the NGSE scale demonstrates good psychometric properties as applied to the Vietnamese individuals examined in this study. This instrument can be regularly utilized in clinical settings to identify key concerns in colorectal cancer patients’ care and facilitate appropriate nursing interventions to enhance self-efficacy in this population effectively.

Inflammation is important in biomedical research, because it plays a key role in inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, allergies, asthma, and even cancer. In the present study, we describe the inhibitory effect of crude extracts and steroids isolated from the starfish Astropecten polyacanthus on pro-inflammatory cytokine (Interleukin-12 (IL-12) p40, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Among those tested, compounds 5 and 7 showed potent inhibitory effects on the production of all three pro-inflammatory cytokines with IC50 values ranging from 1.82 ± 0.11 to 7.00 ± 0.16 μM. Potent inhibitory activities were also observed for compound 1 on the production of IL-12 p40 and IL-6 with values of 3.96 ± 0.12 and 4.07 ± 0.13 μM, respectively, and for compounds 3 and 4 on the production of IL-12 p40 with values of 6.55 ± 0.18 and 5.06 ± 0.16 μM, respectively. Moreover, compounds 2 (IC50 = 34.86 ± 0.31 μM) and 6 (IC50 = 79.05 ± 2.05 μM) exhibited moderate inhibitory effects on the production of IL-12 p40, whereas compounds 3 (IC50 = 22.80 ± 0.21 μM) and 4 (IC50 = 16.73 ± 0.25 μM) moderately inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL-6, respectively.

Three bisdesmosidic saponins 3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl] oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), polyscioside D (2), and 3-O-{β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl} oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-galactopyranosyl ester (3) were isolated from a methanol extract of Polyscias fruticosa (L.) Harms leaves. Compound 1 was obtained as a main constituent and compound 3 was reported for the first time and named as polyscioside I. Saponin 1 inhibited porcine pancreas α-amylase and yeast α-glucosidase activities while 2 and 3 were inactive. Synergistic inhibitory effect on α-amylase was observed from the combination of low concentrations of 1 and acarbose. The findings suggest the use of P. fruticosa and its major saponin 1 for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

Introduction: There is a need for a validated Vietnamese translation of the colorectal cancer subscale (CCS) of the functional assessment of cancer therapy–colorectal (FACT-C) questionnaire to assess colorectal cancer-specific concerns of Vietnamese persons with colorectal cancer post-surgery. Objectives: This study aims to translate and validate the CCS of FACT-C questionnaire in Vietnamese persons with colorectal cancer post-surgery. Methods: The nine-item CCS was translated following the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy (FACIT) translation methodology guidelines. Psychometric properties of a Vietnamese version of the CCS were evaluated with a sample of 135 participants who were randomly selected from three hospitals in Vietnam, utilizing a multistage sampling method. Construct validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α coefficients. These measures aimed to validate the psychometric properties of the Vietnamese nine-item CCS version. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze participant demographics with SPSS. Results: The translated version demonstrated equivalence to the original English version. CFA results for the CCS Vietnamese version indicated that all 9 items were consistent with a unidimensional questionnaire (χ2 = 69.669, p >.05, df = 27, χ2/df = 2.58, RMSEA =.074, CFI =.917, TLI =.901, SRMR =.057). The Cronbach's α coefficient was.86, indicating high reliability. The Correlated Item-Total Correlation for the 9 items ranged from.39 to.76. Conclusion: The nine-item CCS Vietnamese version demonstrated appropriate translation, establishing its validity and reliability in measuring colorectal cancer-related concerns within the health-related quality of life among Vietnamese persons post-surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical research of Perilla frutescens aerial parts led to isolation of 12 secondary metabolites, including one new 3-benzoxepin glucoside, perillafrutoside A (1), one new megastigmane glycoside, perillafrutoside B (2), and 10 known compounds. Their chemical structures were identified based on 1D/2D NMR, HRESIMS, and ECD spectroscopic analyses. The structure of 2 was elucidated based on revision of the previously reported stereoisomer, (6R,9R)-blumenyl α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside. Evaluation of their antimicrobial effect revealed that compounds 1 and 5–11 inhibit Enterococcus faecalis growth, compounds 6, 7 and 9 suppress Staphylococcus aureus growth, whereas compounds 6 and 11 attenuate Candida albicans growth. This is the first report of the isolation of 3–5, 8–10 and 12 from the genus Perilla and the antimicrobial effect of compounds 3, 8 and 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research investigates multilingual practices and communication among ethnic minority communities in the southeast of Vietnam, where globalization and migration have led to dramatic changes in all aspects of socioeconomic life. A range of empirical data collected through interviews, questionnaires and direct observation of interviewees in their daily interactions helps to determine what languages or language varieties they are speaking and how they are speaking with them. Our aim is to present how rich linguistic superdiversity is in the region. The findings show that in everyday social interactions, speakers move dynamically and creatively between fragments from a number of languages to fulfil a variety of strategic and communicative functions in appropriate domains of use. The flexible use of named languages, including the national vernacular, Vietnamese, as well as ethnic minorities' languages and other language varieties, offers new insights into the complexity of language superdiversity and signifies a need to review post-multilingualism issues in Vietnam in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using various chromatographic separations, two new cembranoids, ehrenbergols F and G (1 and 2), along with three known analogs ehrenbergol D (3), (+)-isosarcophine (4) and sinulariol Z2 (5) were isolated from the soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi. The structural elucidation was done by extensive analysis of the 1 D and 2 D NMR, HR-ESI-QTOF-MS as well as CD experiments. In addition, compounds 1 (IC50 of 38.38 ± 2.89 µM), 3 (IC50 of 37.14 ± 3.22 µM) and 4 (IC50 of 45.01 ± 2.49 µM) revealed moderate inhibitory activity on LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells, whereas 2 (IC50 of 73.32 ± 1.95 µM) and 5 (IC50 of 64.48 ± 4.93 µM) exhibited weak effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our search for cytotoxic constituents from Vietnamese plants, the methanolic extract of Isotrema tadungense was found to exhibit significant cytotoxic effect. Subsequent phytochemical investigation of ethyl acetate fractions of this plant led to isolation of 11 compounds including one new arylbenzofuran rhamnoside namely aristolochiaside (1), two aristololactams (2 and 3), three lignanamides (4–6) and five phenolic amides (7–11). Their structures were elucidated by 1 D and 2 D NMR and HR-QTOF-MS experiments. Among the isolated compounds, aristolochiaside (1), aristolactam AIIIa (2) and N-trans-sinapoyltyramine (10) exhibited strong and selective cytotoxicity on the HeLa human cancer cell line with IC50 values of 7.59 ± 1.03, 8.51 ± 1.73 and 9.77 ± 1.25 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the MeOH extract of the Vietnamese sea cucumber Holothuria edulis, eight triterpene glycosides (1–8), including one new compound namely holothurin A5 (1), were isolated by using various chromatographic separations. Their structures were established by spectroscopic experiments including 1D, 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Holothurin A5 (1) has a hydroperoxy group at C-25. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this group in triterpene saponins obtained from sea cucumbers to date. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines (HepG2, KB, LNCaP, MCF7 and SK-Mel2) of all isolated compounds was also evaluated using SRB assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten briarane-type diterpenoids (1–10), including one new stereoisomer 17-epi-junceellolide B (1), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the Vietnamese gorgonian Junceella fragilis. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic experiments including 1D and 2D NMR, and HR-QTOF-MS. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxic activity against eight human cancer cell lines (LNCaP, HepG2, KB, MCF-7, SK-Mel2, HL-60, LU-1 and SW480) of all isolated compounds was evaluated by SRB assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six pregnane steroids including one new compound namely 15β-hydroxypregna-4,20-dien-3-one (1), were isolated and structurally elucidated from the octocoralCarijoa riisei. The cytotoxic activity against a panel of eight human cancer cell lines of isolated compounds was also evaluated by SRB method. As the results, 18-acetoxypregna-1,4,20-trien-3-one (5) showed significant cytotoxicity against all the tested cell lines with the IC50values from 22.29 ± 1.47 to 48.73 ± 3.93 μM, whereas 15β-acetoxypregna-1,4,20-trien-3-one (3) and 20R-acetoxypregna-1,4-dien-3-one (6) only exhibited weak effect on KB cell line with IC50values of 93.62 ± 7.32 and 71.38 ± 5.45 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A bioassay-guided phytochemical fractionation of the methanol extract of the Morus alba root barks led to the isolation of two chalcone-derived Diels–Alder adducts (1 and 2). Their structures were elucidated as kuwanon J 2,4,10″-trimethyl ether (1) and kuwanon R (2) by means of spectroscopic methods. Both compounds strongly inhibited nuclear transcription factor.κB activity with the IC50 values of 4.65 and 7.38 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]