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Objectives: To evaluate the compliance of patients with treatment regime of type 2 diabetes on outpatients at Dong Thap Regional General Hospital. Objects and methods: Retrospective descriptive study on 240 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and outpatient treatment at Dong Thap General Hospital. Results: The percentage of patients who always adhered to the treatment regime was not high: 38.40% of patients always limited the use of fast hyperglycemic foods; 30.28% of patients always limited the intake of high-fat foods; The rate of patients who always ate washy foods was 27.68%, the rate of patients who always limited drinking beer and alcohol was 28.12%, 31.45% of patients always consumed fiber foods. The rate of patients complying with exercise regimes was an average level: 53.48% patients had the regular adherence to exercise regimes. The rate of good compliance of using drugs was an average level of 60.43%, still having 11.30% of patients were poor drug compliance. Conclusion: The proportion of patients who always adhered to the treatment regime was not high. The percentage of patients adhering to the exercise regimen was moderate. The proportion of patients who complied with good drug administration was moderate.

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare malignant tumor in childhood cancer. This type of tumor is difficult to identify and can easily be misdiagnosed. The International PPB protocol is a complicated and aggressive protocol. It is not easily applicable to developing countries where hospitals do not have enough resources. Here we present a challanging case of a patient successfully treated in Vietnam, using limited medical resources. The patient (22 month old, male) was diagnosed with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation in his 1

A high-performance non-volatile memory with low power consumption for long battery life and for large data storage is one of the key requirements of the wearable and other electronic Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In this study, we have fabricated and investigated the resistive switching behavior of an RRAM device using the nanocomposite of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO) as the switching layer in a hybrid Ag/PVA–GO/FTO structure. The resistive switching behavior of the hybrid Ag/PVA–GO/FTO device depends on the GO amount in the PVA–GO matrix. The optical analysis depicts the good interaction through the hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl group (–OH) of PVA and C O of GO which play an important role in lowering the power consumption (sweeping voltage −0.5 V to +0.5 V, VSET = −0.28 V, VRESET = 0.34 V, switching ratio ION/IOFF = 104) and switching mechanism of the hybrid Ag/PVA–0.5 wt% GO/FTO device compared to the Ag/PVA/FTO, Ag/GO/FTO and Ag/PVA–1.0 wt% GO/FTO devices. The electrical conduction mechanism is found dominant by the SCLC and the Ohm's law corresponding to the high and low resistance states in which the combination of the trap filling and the delocalization of electrons within π bonding rings switch the device from the high to the low resistance state.

Objective: Describing the clinical and subclinical characteristics on breast cancer patients treated with Anthracyclines at Thong Nhat hospital.Subjects and methods: a prospective descriptive study on 43 patients with breast cancer was treated with Anthracyclines with 4 to 6 cycles as determined by clinical doctor at Thong Nhat hospital. Results: Average age: 49.2 ± 3.2 years old. The age group accounted for the largest proportion in the study object was the 50-60 age group (48.84%). The percentage of patients who self-examined the tumor was the highest with 79.07%. There were 9.30% of patients with pain symptoms, 11.63% of patients with nipple discharge. Tumor position in the upper-external quadrant accounted for the largest percentage with 55.81%. The average size of tumors was 2.56 ± 1.2 (cm). The main form of lesions detected on ultrasound was the local lesion with over 80% with an unknown boundaryfeature (81.40%) and predominantly invasive (76.74%). The histopathological type accounted for the highest percentage was the invasive tubular carcinoma (79.07%), the medullary carcinoma andmucinous carcinoma body accounted for the lowest rate with 2.33% and 0%, respectively. The histological degree accounted for the highest percentage among the research subjects was degree 2with 50.18%. Stage III accounted for the highest rate with 46.51%.Conclusion: The most common age group for breast cancer was 50-60 years old, the main symptom was self-examination with breast tumors, breast cancer were mainly local tumor at the upper-externalposition. On ultrasound, the lesions were the local, unknown boundary, and invasive lesions. Breast cancer was mainly invasive ductal carcinoma, histologic degree 2.

Background Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a challenge for clinicians treating patients with HIV/AIDS. CD4 counts can be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to determine several common etiologies of FUO stratified by CD4 count levels in HIV/AIDS patients. Methods A cross-sectional retrospective and prospective study was conducted in 195 HIV/AIDS patients with FUO admitted to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases from January 2016 to June 2019. Clinical parameters, immune status, and etiologies for each patient were recorded. Odds ratios were calculated to compare the distributions of common etiologies in groups with two different CD4 count levels: 3 and ≥ 50 cells/mm3. Results The proportions of opportunistic infections and noninfectious etiologies were 93.3% and 3.6%, respectively. Tuberculosis was the most common opportunistic infection (46.7%), followed by talaromycosis (29.2%) and Pneumocystis jiroveci (PCP) infection (20.5%). Tuberculosis was predominant in all CD4 level groups. Most patients with talaromycosis had CD4 counts below 50 cells/mm3. In total, 53.8% of the patients were infected by one pathogen. The risks of tuberculosis and talaromycosis in FUO-HIV patients were high when their CD4 counts were below 50 cells/mm3. Conclusions Opportunistic infections, especially tuberculosis, are still the leading cause of FUO in HIV/AIDS patients. Tuberculosis and Talaromyces marneffei (TM) infection should be considered in patients with CD4 cell counts 3. This study implies that guidelines for appropriate testing to identify the etiology of FUO in HIV/AIDS patient based on the CD4 cell count should be developed, thereby reducing resource waste.

Marketing literature shows that the interaction between service encounters and customers is essential for the value creation process. However, little is known about how interaction contributes to customer value in the special context of immigrants living in more-developed countries, who return to their native countries for medical service. Based on the data collected from overseas Vietnamese, this study investigates the effects of interaction quality on different forms of service value, leading to positive word-of-mouth. The findings indicate that interaction quality strongly affects customer perception of quality value and social value and moderately affects price value. In turn, these three forms of value significantly affect positive word-of-mouth. By linking perceived quality, social and price value with word-of-mouth, the present study suggests an effective way to promote this special form of medical service to immigrants living outside the country.

Objectives Cervical cancer is a major disease burden in Vietnam. This study aimed to estimate the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer in Vietnam (1999-2017) in comparison to those in Korea, where a population-based cancer registry and national cervical cancer screening program have been implemented. Methods The estimated incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in Vietnam and Korea (1999-2017) were collected from Global Burden of Disease 2017 study. Estimated age-standardized rates (ASRs) in both countries were calculated utilizing the 1999-2017 population of each country and the World Health Organization standard population. The reported ASRs in Korea were also computed using data on incidence and mortality (1999-2017) and the Korean population from the Korea Statistical Information Service. Results In Vietnam, the estimated incidence and mortality of cervical cancer decreased annually by 0.84% and 1.01%. In Korea, the trend of reported incidence showed a dramatic drop (1999-2007 annual percent change [APC], -4.53%) before stably declining (2007-2017 APC, -2.71%). Reported mortality also significantly decreased (2003-2008 APC, -6.63%), and then maintained a stable decline (2008-2017 APC, -3.78%). The incidence and mortality rates were higher in Vietnam than in Korea. The declining trend of incidence and mortality in Vietnam was slower than the corresponding trends in Korea. Conclusions A national screening program should be implemented for Vietnamese women aged over 30 to maintain, or even hasten, the decline in cervical cancer incidence and mortality. A population-based cancer registry may help monitor the effectiveness of a cervical cancer screening program.

Recently, nanocomposite materials that consist of chitosan (CS) and graphene oxide (GO) have received immense attention in many fields of research, such as biomedicine, environmental studies, energy and electronics. In this paper, we study resistive memory devices in capacitor-like Ag/CS-GO/FTO structures, with the CS-GO nanocomposites acting as the memory layer. The devices showed a bipolar resistive-switching effect under an external electric field, with the endurance of 103 and ON/OFF ratio around 102. The calculated results confirmed by using density-function-theory (DFT) calculations show the stability of CS-GO nanocomposites through the presence of peptide and hydrogen bonds. Moreover, the calculated HOMO–LUMO gap (HLG) of GO is within the HLG of CS, so several unoccupied levels of GO can serve as electron traps in CS-GO nanocomposites. Based on these results above, a resistive-switching mechanism in Ag/CS-GO/FTO devices can be proposed because of the trap/de-trap process of injected electrons under external electric field.

Converting solar energy into chemical fuels is important to develop renewable energy. Here, Cu-doped ZnO nanorods (NRs) decorated with Au nanoparticles (NPs) are used as an efficient semiconductor catalyst for visible-light-driven water splitting. Doping Cu into ZnO NRs narrows the bandgap and shifts the absorbance toward red light; decorating Au NPs onto the ZnO:Cu NRs enhances the absorbance in the visible region and improves the solar energy conversion. The band gap of the ZnO:Cu NRs is optimized at 3% Cu doping, which presents a minimum value of 3.09 eV. Furthermore, the surface plasmon resonance effect, which is caused by decorating 10-nm Au NPs on the Cu-doped ZnO NRs, enhances the optical absorption and improves the photoelectrochemical water splitting performance. The presence of Au NPs on the surface of the NRs also reduces charge recombination, increasing the photocurrent. Under visible illumination (λ > 420 nm), the considerable photocurrent density of this device reaches 10.2 μA cm−2 at 0.581 V, which is about 7.3 times higher than that of a pure ZnO NRs sample. The simple and cost-effective fabrication process of this design provides an innovative approach for water splitting and future optoelectronic devices.

PubMed: 30270054, 2-s2.0-85053666909, Background and aims: Management of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) may vary across different settings due to factors related to population characteristics, practice, resources and/or policies. We conducted a survey among the worldwide network of EAS FHSC Lead Investigators to provide an overview of FH status in different countries. Methods: Lead Investigators from countries formally involved in the EAS FHSC by mid-May 2018 were invited to provide a brief report on FH status in their countries, including available information, programmes, initiatives, and management. Results: 63 countries provided reports. Data on FH prevalence are lacking in most countries. Where available, data tend to align with recent estimates, suggesting a higher frequency than that traditionally considered. Low rates of FH detection are reported across all regions. National registries and education programmes to improve FH awareness/knowledge are a recognised priority, but funding is often lacking. In most countries, diagnosis primarily relies on the Dutch Lipid Clinics Network criteria. Although available in many countries, genetic testing is not widely implemented (frequent cost issues). There are only a few national official government programmes for FH. Under-treatment is an issue. FH therapy is not universally reimbursed. PCSK9-inhibitors are available in ?2/3 countries. Lipoprotein-apheresis is offered in ?60% countries, although access is limited. Conclusions: FH is a recognised public health concern. Management varies widely across countries, with overall suboptimal identification and under-treatment. Efforts and initiatives to improve FH knowledge and management are underway, including development of national registries, but support, particularly from health authorities, and better funding are greatly needed. © 2018 Elsevier B.V., Universidade de São Paulo, USP European Atherosclerosis Society, EAS Amgen Merck Sharp and Dohme, MSD, The ELSA Study suggests heterozygous FH (HeFH) may affect 1:263 Brazilians (?766,000 individuals). Currently, the only active genetic cascade screening program in Brazil is Hipercol Brasil in Sao Paulo (genetic testing for adults with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ?230?mg/dL, to maximise cost-effectiveness), with 1719 heterozygotes, 25 homozygotes, 13 compound-heterozygotes and one double-heterozygote identified by March 2018. To date, 4340 individuals from 440 families were screened. Genetic testing is funded by a government tax reduction programme (PROADI-SUS), and cascade screening by partnering between Samaritano Hospital and Heart Institute (InCor) University of Sao Paulo. Most FH patients are under non-specialist care and currently under-treated., Prevalence is unknown but assumed at 1:250. There is no state programme and few patients were diagnosed before the Latvian FH Registry was established in 2015. To date, the Registry has identified 181 cases (2.3% of 7876 estimated HeFH cases; no HoFH). Cascade screening is performed in first-degree relatives of index cases with probable/definite FH. Genetic testing is not reimbursed but has been funded by research grants for a few patients/relatives. About 5% of patients had LDL-C at target before inclusion in the Registry [ 61 ]. Statins are reimbursed 50% in primary prevention; statins and ezetimibe, 75–100% in secondary prevention; PCSK9i are available, but not reimbursed., Estimated prevalence is 1:250 (based on a meta-analysis of 6 observational studies) or 136,300 adults (only 2% diagnosed) [ 69 , 70 ]. Based on LIPIDOGRAM studies (2004–2015, ?50,000 participants), prevalence might be?1:200 [ 71 , 72 ]. Five HoFH cases are described [ 73 , 74 ]. Patients with DLCN ?3 are referred for genetic testing, funded by the National Health Program. The National Centre for FH at University Clinical Hospital, Medical University of Gdansk, was established in 2017, financed by the Ministry of Health. From August 2017, 345 patients underwent genetic testing (153 positive, including 46 relatives; 1 HoFH). Since 1999, 1884 patients (562 families) have undergone genetic testing and cascade diagnosis (data from the National Polish FH Registry, Medical University of Gdansk, established in 2000). PCSK9i are not reimbursed (under discussion with the Ministry of Health)., The EAS FHSC project has received support from a Pfizer Independent Grant for Learning & Change 2014 (No: 16157823 ) and from investigator-initiated unrestricted research grants to the European Atherosclerosis Society from Amgen , MSD , and Sanofi-Aventis .

The electrical conduction and associated resistance switching mechanism of top electrode/WO3/bottom electrode devices [top electrode (TE): Ag, Ti; bottom electrode (BE): Pt, fluorine-doped tin oxide] have been investigated. The direction of switching and switching ability depended on both the top and bottom electrode material. Multiple electrical conduction mechanisms control the leakage current of such switching devices, including trap-controlled space-charge, ballistic, Ohmic, and Fowler–Nordheim tunneling effects. The transition between electrical conduction states is also linked to the switching (SET–RESET) process. This is the first report of ballistic conduction in research into resistive random-access memory. The associated resistive switching mechanisms are also discussed.

In this work, we investigated resistive switching behavior of CrOx thin films grown by using sputtering technique. Conventional I-V measurements obtained from Ag/CrOx/Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si structures depict the bipolar switching behavior, which is controlled by formation/dissolution processes of Ag conducting filaments through electrochemical redox reaction under external electric field driven. Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) technique provides the valuable mapping images of existing Ag filaments at low resistance state as well as the characteristics of filament distributions and diameters. This study also reveals that where the higher amplitude of topography is, the easier possibility of forming conducting filament paths is on CrOx surface films.

In this study, the problem of vibration control of structures involving parameter uncertainties and actuator saturation using hedge-algebras-based fuzzy controller (HAC) is presented. When structural damping and stiffness cannot always be measured easily and precisely, their uncertainties are assumed to be norm-bounded. The proposed controller is designed based on hedge algebras theory, where inherent order relationships between linguistic values of each linguistic variable, determined by isomorphisms mapping called semantically quantifying mapping based on few fuzziness parameters of each linguistic variable instead of using any fuzzy sets, are always ensured. The performance of the proposed controller is investigated by numerical simulations on active control of a benchmark three-storey building structure with active bracing system subjected to excitation of typical earthquakes. A conventional fuzzy controller, designed based on parameters similar to those of HAC, is also considered for the purpose of comparing effectiveness between controllers in order to shown advantages of the proposed method.

Reversible resistive switching of Cr2O3 films was studied by use of conductive atomic force microscopy. Resistive switching in Cr2O3 films occurs as a result of Ag filament paths formed during electrochemical redox reactions. A large memory density of 100 Tbit/sq. inch was achieved with a small filament diameter of 2.9 nm under the action of a compliance current of 10 nA. A fast switching speed of 10 ns, high scalability, and low set/reset currents suggest that Cr2O3-based resistive memory is suitable for nanoscale devices.

Drawing on the theory of planned behavior in entrepreneurship, the research proposes a model linking educational determinants, perceived entrepreneurial behavior control and entrepreneurial intentions. The model is tested with a sample of 163 students at National Economics University. The result shows that university education factors including “entrepreneurship inspiration”, “work integrated learning” and “extra curricular activities” have impact to “students’ entrepreneurial behavior control” and then “entrepreneurial behavior control” as a platform through which the educational factors have impact to “overall entrepreneurial intention”. The findings provide support to the Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour and have wider implications for the practice of teaching in higher educational institutions. Keywords Education, entrepreneurship, university students, teaching methods, entrepreneurial intention References Becchard Béchard, J. P., and Grégoire, D., “Entrepreneurship Education Research Revisited: The Case of Higher Education”, Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4 (2005) 1, 22-38.[2] Nguyen Thu Thuy and Nguyen Ngoc Huyen, “Determinants of university students’ entrepreuourship”, Journal of Economics and Development, 7/2014. [3] Fiet, J.O., “The theoretical side of teaching entrepreneurship”, Journal of Business Venturing, 16 (2000) 1, 1-24. [4] Wu, S., Wu, L., “The impact of higher education on entrepreneurial intention of university students in China”, Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 15 (2008), 752- 774.[5] Liñán, F., Chen, Y.W., “Development and Cross-Cultural Application of a Specific Instrument to Measure Entrepreneurial intentions”, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33 (2009) 3, 593-617.[6] Krueger, N.F., Reilly, M.D., Carsrud, A.L., “Competing models of entrepreneurial intentions”, Journal of Business Venturing 15 (2000) 5/6, 411-432.[7] Ajzen, I., “The theory of planned behavior”, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50 (1991) 2, 179211. [8] Verzat, C., and Bachelet, R., “Developing and Entrepreneurial Spirit among engineering college students: What are the educational factors?”, Entrepreneurship Education, Fayolle, A., and Klandt, H., Elgar, E., (eds) chapter 11, 2006.[9] Souitaris, V., Zerbinati, S. & Al-Laham, A., “Do entrepreneurship programmes raise entrepreneurial intention of science and engineering students? The effect of learning, inspiration and resources”, Journal of Business Venturing, 22 (2007) 4, 566-591.[10] Balan, P., Metcalfe, M., “Identifying teaching methods that engage entrepreneurship students”, Education & Training, 54 (2012) 5, 368-384.[11] Vesa P. T., “Learning entrepreneurship in higher education”, Education and Training, 52 (2010) 1, 48-61.[12] El-Khasawneh, B., “Entrepreneurship Promotion at Educational Institutions: A Model Suitable for Emerging Economies”, WSEAS transactions on business and economics, 5 (2008) 2, 27-35. [13]Lüthje, C., and Franke, N., “Entrepreneurial Intentions of Business Students: A Benchmarking Study”, International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management, 1 (2004) 3, 269-288. [14] Florin, J., Karri, R., and Rossiter, N., “Fostering entrepreneurial drive in business education: An attitudinal approach”, Journal of Management Education, 31 (2007) 1, pp. 17-42.[15] Peterman, N.E. & Kennedy, J., “Enterprise Education: Influencing Students’ Perceptions of Entrepreneurship”, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 28 (2003) 9 2, 129-144.

We investigated electrical conduction and resistance switching behavior of the Ag/ZnO/Ti structures for random access memory devices. These films were prepared on glass substrate by dc sputtering technique at room temperature. The resistance switching follows unipolar switching mode with small switching voltages (0.4 V - 0.6 V). Two electrical conduction mechanisms dominating the LRS and HRS are Ohmic and trap-controlled space charge limited current, respectively. These both conductions are consistent with the filamentary model. Based on the filamentary model, the switching mechanism was also interpreted.

We investigated resistance switching behavior of the Ag/ZnO/Ti structures for random access memory devices. These films were prepared on glass substrate by dc sputtering technique at room temperature. The resistance switching follows unipolar switching mode with small switching voltages (0.4 V – 0.6 V). Our results figured out that the Ag/ZnO/Ti/Glass structure is a candidate structure for nonvolatile data storage applications.

Objectives: 1.To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Mifepristone and Misoprostol in termination of pregnancy less than 49 days. 2. To evaluate the acceptability and side effects of that treatment scheme. Materials & Methods: 169 pregnant women less than

Type 1 diabetes occurs when pancreatic islet β-cells are damaged and are thus unable to secrete insulin. Pancreas- or islet-grafting therapy offers highly efficient treatment but is limited by inadequate donor islets or pancreases for transplantation. Stem-cell therapy holds tremendous potential and promises to enhance treatment efficiency by overcoming the limitations of traditional therapies. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of preclinical diabetic treatment. Diabetes was induced in mice by injections of streptozotocin. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were derived from mouse bone marrow or human umbilical cord blood and subsequently differentiated into insulin-producing cells. These insulin-producing cells were encapsulated in an alginate membrane to form capsules. Finally, these capsules were grafted into diabetic mice by intraperitoneal injection. Treatment efficiency was evaluated by monitoring body weight and blood glucose levels. Immune reactions after transplantation were monitored by counting total white blood cells. Allografting or xenografting of encapsulated insulin-producing cells (IPCs) reduced blood glucose levels and increased body weight following transplantation. Encapsulation with alginate conferred immune isolation and prevented graft rejection. These results provide further evidence supporting the use of allogeneic or xenogeneic MSCs obtained from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood for treating type 1 diabetes.

A finite-element model based on the First-Order Shear Deformation Theory is developed for the static flexural shape and vibration control of a glass fibre/polyester composite plate bonded piezoelectric actuator and sensor patches. The piezoelectric's mass and stiffness are taken into account in the present model. A simple negative velocity feedback control algorithm coupling direct and converse piezoelectric effects are used to actively control the dynamic response of an integrated structure through a closed control loop. The static analysis and active vibration suppression control of a cantilever composite plate are performed as a numerical example to validate the proposed model. The Newmark-\(\beta\) method is used in the numerical simulation to calculate the dynamic response of the piezolaminated composite plate. The numerical results are presented with discussion and in good agreement with carried out experiments.

A Finite Element model based on First-order Shear Deformation Theory is developed for the static shape control and vibration control of la minated composite plates integrated with piezoelectric sensors and actuators. A nine-node isoparametric rectangular element with 45 degrees of freedom for the generalized displacements and 2 electrical degrees of freedom is implemented for the static and dynamic analyses. The model is validated by comparing with existing results documented in the literature. Some numerical results are presented. It is concluded that the shape of the piezoelectric laminated composite plates can reach the desired shape through passive control or active control. The influence of stacking sequence of composite plates and position of piezoelectric layers and sensors/actuators patches on the response of the piezoelectric composite plates is evaluated.

This paper deals with buckling of analysis multilaminated cylindrical shell panels subjected to axial and hygrothermal loadings. The geometrical non-linear analysis is carried out using the Finite Element Method based on a single layer first shear deformation theory. A nine-nodal isoparametric element with 5 degrees of freedom per node is considered. The effects of different number of layers, lamination angles, length to width ratios and hygrothermal effects are studied.

This paper examines the differences in the impact of ownership types and economic sectors on the business efficiency of 4,733 enterprises in Vietnam by the year of 2015. By the method of analysis of variance (ANOVA), it is shown that while types of ownership, foreign, state and private ownership, have a significant and different impact on the performance of businesses, the difference in economic sectors does not affect the enterprise efficiency. In addition, when testing simultaneous effect of these factors, some findings are as follows: private-owned enterprises’ efficiency in the manufacturing and service sectors is better than those in agriculture, forestry and fishing sector; conversely, foreign invested enterprises operating in agriculture, forestry and fishing sector own better performance than theirs in manufacturing and service sectors; state-owned enterprises in manufacturing and service sectors is very less efficient than theirs in agriculture, forestry and fishing sector.

International audience; In this paper, light coupling into droplet optical resonators by means of a free-space Gaussian beam (GB) is investigated through numerical simulations and experiments. This method is introduced as an alternative to previously reported methods based on coupling through tapered fibers or prisms. Though applicable to solid-state optical resonators, this method is investigated here in the context of optofluidics for preserving the integrity of the droplet shape and for facilitating the steps of alignment and light coupling. The glycerol droplet under study is supported by a super-hydrophobic surface, which consists of Teflon-coated nanostructured silicon, to provide the advantage of keeping the droplet at a specific location, while maintaining a nearly spherical shape. The effectiveness of this method is tested with millimeter-sized droplets through measurements of their spectral responses. Quality factors Q in excess of 6 × 10(3) have been recorded. An analytical model for the external quality factor associated with this coupling technique has been derived, and the effect of the coupling parameters is demonstrated, allowing discussion about the scaling effects.

In our work we have fabricated TiO2 based resistive switching devices both on transparent substrates (ITO, IGZO/glass) and transparent flexible substrate (ITO/PET). All devices demonstrate the reproducibility of forming free bipolar resistive switching with high transparency in the visible light range (~80% at the wavelength of 550 nm). Particularly, transparent and flexible device exhibits stable resistive switching performance at the initial state (flat) and even after bending state up to 500 times with curvature radius of 10% compared to flat state. The achieved characteristics of resistive switching of TiO2 thin films seem to be promising for transparent flexible random access memory.

Background Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major cause of food poisoning in many countries. The rapid cases of this agent in recent years made it become an important etiology. However, the relationship between strains isolated from environment, food and clinical samples is still unclear. The presence of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors such as tdh (thermostable direct hemolysin), trh (the TDH – related hemolysin) are proven to be candidate markers for studying on Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In Vietnam, the existence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus is poorly understood. Our objective was to analyse the presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from different sources of samples as well as its virulent factors (tdh and trh genes) and antibiotic resistance characteristics.

Stem cell therapy in curing dangerous diseases usually is main target of many researches about stem cells. In the world, researching and applying stem cells to cure diseases got some great achievements while there is a few in Viet Nam. In recently years, Laboratory of Stem cell R&D, University of Science, VNU HCM city carried out some researches about preclinical treatment diseases using stem cell therapy. We used some different kinds of stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood to cure bone marrow failure syndrome and bone broken. The results showed that efficiency of cure was different when various methods and kinds of stem cell were applied. These results were bases for developing novel approaches and applying clinical treatment.

Type 1 diabetes is the result of an autoimmune attack against the insulin-producing β cells of the pancreas. Current treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes typically involves a rigorous and invasive regimen of testing blood glucose levels many times a day along with injections of recombinant insulin. Islet transplantation is still not indicated for pediatric patients. Many recent researches have shown that stem cell therapy can be the best choice for treatment this disease. The aims of this research were investigating regeneration of pancreatic β cells of type 1 diabetic mouse after stem cell transplantation. Diabetic mice were induced by streptozocin. Some different kinds of stem cell such as mesenchymal stem cells and nucleated cells derived from human umbilical cord blood; mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells and mononuclear cells derived from murine bone marrow; insulin-secreting cells differentiated from mesenchymal stem cells were used to transplant into diabetic mice. Each diabetic mouse was transplanted with 5x106 cells by one of two ways: inject into pancreas or inject into tail portal vein. Regeneration of β cells was confirmed by decreasing blood glucose level, increasing insulin concentration in blood, body weight and the number of islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. The results showed that transplanting different kinds of stem cells as well as injection methods would give different results for regeneration of β cells. The best result achieved when transplanting insulin producing cells derived from mesenchymal stem cells into diabetic mice by directly injecting into pancreas.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases, and it affects 12% of the population around the world. Although the disease is chronic, it significantly reduces the patient's quality of life. At present, stem cell therapy is considered to be an efficient approach for treating this condition. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show the most potential for stem cell therapy of osteoarthritis. In fact, MSCs can differentiate into certain mesodermal tissues such as cartilage and bone. Therefore, in the present study, we applied adipose tissue-derived MSCs to os- teoarthritis treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficiency of autologous adipose tissue-derived MSC transplantation in patients with confirmed osteoarthritis at grade II and III. Adipose tissue was isolated from the belly, and used for extraction of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF). The SVF was mixed with activated plate- let-rich plasma before injection. The clinical efficiencies were evaluated by the pain score (VAS), Lysholm score, and MRI findings. We performed the procedure in 21 cases from 2012 to 2013. All 21 patients showed improved joint function after 8.5 months. The pain score decreased from 7.6±0.5 before injection to 3.5±0.7 at 3 months and 1.5±0.5 at 6 months after injection. The Lysholm score increased from 61±11 before injection to 82±8.1 af- ter injection. Significant improvements were noted in MRI findings, with increased thickness of the cartilage layer. Moreover, there were no side-effects or complications related to microorganism infection, graft rejection, or tu- morigenesis. These results provide a new opportunity for osteoarthritis treatment. Level of evidence: IV. Keywords—Osteoarthritis, Adipose tissue-derived stem cell, Stromal vascular fraction, Platelet-rich plasma.

Pham Van Phuc, Phan Lu Chinh Nhan, Truong Hai Nhung, Nguyen Thanh Tam, Nguyen Minh Hoang, Vuong Gia Tue, Duong Thanh Thuy, Phan Kim NgocLaboratory of Stem Cell Research and Application, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh, VietnamBackground: Cells within breast cancer stem cell populations have been confirmed to have a CD44+CD24- phenotype. Strong expression of CD44 plays a critical role in numerous types of human cancers. CD44 is involved in cell differentiation, adhesion, and metastasis of cancer cells.Methods: In this study, we reduced CD44 expression in CD44+CD24- breast cancer stem cells and investigated their sensitivity to an antitumor drug. The CD44+CD24- breast cancer stem cells were isolated from breast tumors; CD44 expression was downregulated with siRNAs followed by treatment with different concentrations of the antitumor drug.Results: The proliferation of CD44 downregulated CD44+CD24- breast cancer stem cells was decreased after drug treatment. We noticed treated cells were more sensitive to doxorubicin, even at low doses, compared with the control groups.Conclusions: It would appear that expression of CD44 is integral among the CD44+CD24- cell population. Reducing the expression level of CD44, combined with doxorubicin treatment, yields promising results for eradicating breast cancer stem cells in vitro. This study opens a new direction in treating breast cancer through gene therapy in conjunction with chemotherapy.Keywords: antitumor drugs, breast cancer stem cells, CD44, CD44+CD24- cells, doxorubicin