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Abstract Background Neurofibromatosis is considered a rare genetic disorder primarily affecting neural tissues. The most common type is neurofibromatosis type 1, which is characterized by plexiform neurofibromas. Case presentation We report a case of a 30-year-old Rag-lay ethnic woman with facial plexiform neurofibroma, which not only infiltrated the left eye socket but also caused destruction of temporal bone and facial deformity. The disease started in her childhood, and she had numerous neurofibromas on her trunk and limb at the time of the hospital admission. The patient was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis 1 based on clinical symptoms, computed tomography images, and histopathologic result. For safety, we divided treatment into two phases. For the first phase, we dealt with the blood supply and meningeal suture, and then we performed surgical resection and skin flap reconstruction surgery. Conclusion The main therapy for plexiform neurofibroma is surgery, which aims at tumor removal and management of complications. However, the treatment plan is different in each case based on the nature and extent of tumor, which requires more verification and clinical practice.

Abstract The development of soft computing methods has had a significant influence on the subject of autonomous intelligent agriculture. This paper offers a system for autonomous greenhouse navigation that employs a fuzzy control algorithm and a deep learning-based disease classification model for tomato plants, identifying illnesses using photos of tomato leaves. The primary novelty in this study is the introduction of an upgraded Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (DCGAN) that creates augmented pictures of disease tomato leaves from original genuine samples, considerably enhancing the training dataset. To find the optimum training model, four deep learning networks (VGG19, Inception-v3, DenseNet-201, and ResNet-152) were carefully compared on a dataset of nine tomato leaf disease classes. These models have validation accuracy of 92.32%, 90.83%, 96.61%, and 97.07%, respectively, when using the original PlantVillage dataset. The system then uses an enhanced dataset with ResNet-152 network design to achieve a high accuracy of 99.69%, as compared to the original dataset with ResNet-152’s accuracy of 97.07%. This improvement indicates the use of the proposed DCGAN in improving the performance of the deep learning model for greenhouse plant monitoring and disease detection. Furthermore, the proposed approach may have a broader use in various agricultural scenarios, potentially altering the field of autonomous intelligent agriculture.

Abstract Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) present significant challenges due to limited treatment options, ethical concerns surrounding traditional animal models, and the time-consuming and costly process of using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We addressed these issues by developing a 3D culture protocol for differentiating SH-SY5Y cells into glutamatergic neurons, enhancing physiological relevance with a 3D microarray culture plate. Our protocol optimized serum concentration and incorporated retinoic acid (RA) to improve differentiation. We analyzed the proportions of N-type and S-type cells, observing that RA in the maturation stage not only reduced cell proliferation but also enhanced the expression of MAP2 and VGLUT1, indicating effective neuronal differentiation. Our approach demonstrates the strong expression of glutamatergic neuron phenotypes in 3D SH-SY5Y neural spheroids, offering a promising tool for high-throughput NDD modeling and advancing drug discovery and therapeutic development. This method overcomes limitations associated with conventional 2D cultures and animal models, providing a more effective platform for NDD research.

Abstract Erectile dysfunction (ED) shares common risk factors with cardiovascular (CV) disease, such as a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. However, the relationship between ED and CV risk in Vietnam remains unknown. To investigate this, we conducted a multi-center observational study, randomly selecting 2,936 men aged 40 to 69 years in Vietnam, with 385 participants included after exclusions. The study evaluated the 10-year CV risk using the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2-Diabetes (SCORE2-Diabetes) score and assessed ED using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score. Results showed that men with diabetes mellitus and hypertension had significantly lower IIEF-5 scores compared to healthy individuals (18 [15–22] vs. 23 [20–24], p

Abstract Circulating tumor cell separation has been the focus of numerous studies owing to its importance in the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of cancer. This study reports a highly efficient microfluidic device that integrates a specialized dielectrophoresis configuration, namely the facing-electrode configuration dielectrophoresis (FEC-DEP) structure, to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from various blood components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The FEC-DEP design features a bottom-slanted electrode array positioned parallel to a basic rectangular top electrode. A non-homogeneous electric field is produced between these parallel electrodes, generating dielectrophoretic forces acting on cells. Consequently, when the FEC-DEP is integrated into a flow, it can direct various biological objects in the flow along separate trajectories. As a result, cells with comparable characteristics might move together within a similar path. This configuration may simplify the microfabrication process and lessen dependency on particle position within the microchannel. The separation process was numerically analyzed using the finite element method, and device parameters were optimized to obtain high-efficiency and high-purity cell separation. The simulations show that the microfluidic device may effectively enrich tumor cells in a label-free and non-invasive manner, with a high-efficiency rate of almost 80%.

Abstract This study investigated the rate of agricultural occupational accidents among rice farmers in rural Northern Vietnam and identified factors associated with these accidents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on rice farmers in rural Thai Binh province, Northern Vietnam. A multi-stage random sampling method was used to select 1,171 rice farmers from six communes. Data were collected through structured interviews at the participants’ homes using a pilot-tested questionnaire that gathered information on occupational accidents in the previous six months, including their causes, frequency, and related injuries. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the factors associated with occupational accidents, considering variables such as age, gender, alcohol consumption, daily exercise, and working hours. Model fit was evaluated using goodness-of-fit tests, and significant variables were identified based on a p-value of

Abstract A central problem in the study of human mobility is that of migration systems. Typically, migration systems are defined as a set of relatively stable movements of people between two or more locations over time. While these emergent systems are expected to vary over time, they ideally contain a stable underlying structure that could be discovered empirically. There have been some notable attempts to formally or informally define migration systems. However, they have been limited by being hard to operationalize and defining migration systems in ways that ignore origin/destination aspects and fail to account for migration dynamics over time. In this work, we propose to employ spatio-temporal tensor co-clustering—that stems from signal processing and machine learning theory—as a novel migration system analysis tool. Tensor co-clustering is designed to cluster entities exhibiting similar patterns across multiple modalities and thus suits our purpose of analyzing spatial migration activities across time. To demonstrate its effectiveness in describing stable migration systems, we first focus on domestic migration between counties in the US from 1990 to 2018. We conduct three case studies on domestic migration, namely, (i) US Metropolitan Areas, (ii) the state of California, and (iii) Louisiana, in which the last focuses on detecting exogenous events such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In addition, we also examine a case study at a larger scale, using worldwide international migration data from 200 countries between 1990 and 2015. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of this approach and its limitations.

We studied a community cluster of 25 mpox cases in Vietnam caused by emerging monkeypox virus sublineage C.1 and imported into Vietnam through 2 independent events; 1 major cluster carried a novel APOBEC3-like mutation. Three patients died; all had advanced HIV co-infection. Viral evolution and its potential consequences should be closely monitored.

Norovirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis and imposes a substantial disease burden. In California, USA, norovirus surveillance is limited. We evaluated correlations between wastewater norovirus concentrations and available public health surveillance data. Wastewater surveillance for norovirus genotype GII in California provided timely, localized, and actionable data for public health authorities.

Abstract Central Sahel is affected by a reinforcement of rainfall since the beginning of 1990s. This increase in rainfall is affected by high inter-annual variability and is characterized by extreme rain events causing floods of unprecedented magnitude. However, few studies have been carried out on these extreme events. Moreover, with current climate change expected to strengthen the hydrological cycle, we don’t know if these events could become more frequent. Here, we report the hydrological changes that currently occur in the Lake Chad basin. Based on ground observations and satellite data, we focused on the 2022 flood event, demonstrating that it was the most important event from the last 60 years, comparable to what occurred during the last wet period between the 1950s and the 1960s. We showed that under this precipitation regime and if warming is not regulated at a global scale, the return period of the 2022 major riverine flood is expected to be between 2 and 5 years. By using modelling experiments, our study also suggested that in the next decade, future flow rates of the main rivers draining the Lake Chad basin could reach the values observed in the 1950s. These results strongly suggest anticipating water management in a context of poor infrastructural development.

Abstract Objective To investigate Vietnamese people’s knowledge, attitudes, and experience in purchasing medicines and functional foods online. Methods Via an online survey, the data of 1,070 participants were collected, including their general characteristics, Internet use, previous experience, knowledge, and attitudes towards purchasing medicines/functional foods online. Factors associated with their knowledge and attitudes were identified via multivariate linear regression models. Results During 2022–2023, about 97.2% of participants used the Internet to seek health information (self-diagnosis: 65.0%, self-medication: 72.6%). Roughly 52.8% bought medicines and/or functional foods online. Among 565 buyers, 41.8% felt satisfied. Only 19.9% understood that selling medicines online was illegal in Vietnam. The main benefits of purchasing medicines/functional foods online that many people agreed on included convenience (87.1%), freedom from location (84.8%), and being able to order/buy products after opening hours (84.7%). Many people felt worried about the ability to buy counterfeit or substandard products (87.7%), inaccurate product information (85.0%), the lack of supervision of the authorities (83.7%), and increasing risks of drug abuse, self-medication, and treatment non-adherence (82.5%). Roughly 84.3% found distinguishing between legal and illegal online pharmacies difficult. Participants’ average knowledge and attitude scores were 6.514 ± 2.461 (range: 0–16) and 89.330 ± 13.720 (range: 23–115), respectively. The main factors associated with people’s knowledge and attitudes towards purchasing these products online included their frequency of Internet use, seeking health information online for self-medication, feeling satisfied with previous experience, and having at least one chronic disease. Conclusions Many Vietnamese people’s knowledge about purchasing medicines/functional foods online was limited. With the increasing need for online shopping, enhancing their knowledge is paramount. In the forthcoming years, when the Ministry of Health and relevant authorities publish legal documents and enact laws involving online pharmacies and trading medicines on the Internet, ways to recognize licensed online pharmacies must be widely propagated and disseminated in the community.

Abstract Objective This study validates a direct multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay which was previously established for enabling rapid and simultaneous detection of African swine fever (ASF) virus (ASFV) and classical swine fever virus. The assay eliminates the need for viral nucleic acid purification using a buffer system for crude extraction and an impurity-tolerant enzyme. However, the assay had not yet been validated using field samples of ASFV-infected pigs. Therefore, to address this gap, we tested 101 samples collected from pigs in Vietnam during 2018 and 2021 for validation. Results The rRT-PCR assay demonstrated a diagnostic sensitivity of 98.8% and a specificity of 100%. Remarkably, crude samples yielded results comparable to those of purified samples, indicating the feasibility of using crude samples without compromising accuracy in ASFV detection. Our findings emphasize the effectiveness of the rRT-PCR assay for the prompt and accurate diagnosis of both swine fever viruses, which is essential for effective disease prevention and control in swine populations.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of mental health (MH) symptoms and associated factors among medical students who were engaged in combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in 4 provinces/cities of Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 580 participants was conducted at a medical university in Northern Vietnam. MH was assessed using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, which was previously standardized in Vietnam. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the association between MH symptoms and relevant factors. Results: Out of a total of 2703 medical students, 21.5% responded to the questionnaire. Among the 580 respondents, the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 43.3%, 44.0%, and 24.7%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with self-reported depression included being female and having a COVID-19 infection. Similarly, being female and having a COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with self-reported anxiety. Factors associated with self-reported stress included being female, having a personal or family history of MH symptoms, working more than 8 hr/day, and having a COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: COVID-19 has adversely impacted the MH of medical students. Our findings are valuable in their potential to motivate universities, MH professionals, and authorities to offer mental healthcare services to this group. Furthermore, there is a pressing need for training courses designed to equip future healthcare workers with the skills to manage crises effectively.

Abstract In recent years, the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) with Building Energy Modeling (BEM) has become the primary research focus for reducing the energy consumption of buildings in the planning and operational phases. The combination of BIM and BEM offers advantages for the various phases of a construction project. However, there are currently very few studies that can integrate multi-objective optimization algorithms into the BIM-BEM process to achieve automatic optimization and effectively manage many aspects of building development. In this study, an EnergyPlus integrated multi-objective jellyfish search (EP-MOJSO) system was developed, utilizing an optimization algorithm to find the best thermal insulation layers for an Aluminum composite material (ACM) wall. The goal is to reduce the energy consumption and total cost in a BIM-BEM environment. In the case study, the authors successfully applied the system to a real building, resulting in a 10.7% reduction in total cost and a 65 kWh/m2/year reduction in EUI. It is expected that the results of the study will open up new ways of using algorithms for multi-criteria optimization in BIM models to optimize various project factors such as energy and total cost and thus make an important contribution to sustainable building design.

The liver is commonly injured after blunt abdominal trauma. The choice of treatment for liver trauma depends not only on injury severity but also on the patient’s hemodynamic status. Most minor- and moderate-grade liver injuries in hemodynamically stable patients allow for conservative treatment or minimal intervention, while emergency laparotomy is indicated for patients with severe-grade liver trauma and hypotensive shock. We describe a 19-year-old male patient with traumatic shock due to grade IV liver injury and multiple fractures. An emergency laparotomy was performed, but the bleeding could not be controlled, and the patient remained hemodynamically unstable. Hyperacute transarterial embolization was successfully performed. In this case report, we emphasize the importance of transarterial embolization in cases of residual bleeding after initial damage-control surgery, even in hemodynamically unstable patients.

Abstract The distorted Born iterative (DBI) method is considered to obtain images with high-contrast and resolution. Besides satisfying the Born approximation condition, the frequency-hopping (FH) technique is necessary to gradually update the sound contrast from the first iteration and progress to the actual sound contrast of the imaged object in subsequent iterations. Inspired by the fact that the higher the frequency, the higher the resolution. Because low-frequency allows for low-resolution object imaging, hence for high-resolution imaging requirements, using low-frequency to possess a high-resolution image from the first iteration will be less efficient. For an effective reconstruction, the object’s resolution at low frequencies should be small. And similarly, with high frequencies, the object resolution should be larger. Therefore, in this paper, the FH, and the resolution-turning (RT) technique are proposed to obtain object images with high-contrast and -resolution. The convergence speed in the initial iterations is rapidly achieved by utilizing low frequency in the frequency-turning technique and low image resolution in the resolution-turning technique. It is crucial to ensure accurate object reconstruction for subsequent iterations. The desired spatial resolution is attained by employing high frequency and large image resolution. The resolution-turning distorted Born iterative (RT-DBI) and frequency-hopping distorted Born iterative (FH-DBI) solutions are thoroughly investigated to exploit their best performance. This makes sense because if it is not good to choose the number of iterations for the frequency f 1 in FH-DBI and for the resolution of N 1 × N 1 in RT-DBI, then these solutions give even worse quality than traditional DBI. After that, the RT-FH-DBI integration was investigated in two sub-solutions. We found that the lower frequency f 1 used both before and after the RT would get the best performance. Consequently, compared to the traditional DBI approaches, the normalized error and total runtime for the reconstruction process were dramatically decreased, at 83.6% and 18.6%, respectively. Besides fast and quality imaging, the proposed solution RT-FH-DBI is promised to produce high-contrast and high-resolution object images, aiming at object reconstruction at the biological tissue. The development of 3D imaging and experimental verification will be studied further.

Abstract Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection diagnosis remains a challenge due to its overlapping clinical symptoms with tuberculosis (TB), leading to inappropriate treatment. Herein, we employed noninvasive metabolic phenotyping coupled with comprehensive statistical modeling to discover potential biomarkers for the differential diagnosis of NTM infection versus TB. Urine samples from 19 NTM and 35 TB patients were collected, and untargeted metabolomics was performed using rapid liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The urine metabolome was analyzed using a combination of univariate and multivariate statistical approaches, incorporating machine learning. Univariate analysis revealed significant alterations in amino acids, especially tryptophan metabolism, in NTM infection compared to TB. Specifically, NTM infection was associated with upregulated levels of methionine but downregulated levels of glutarate, valine, 3-hydroxyanthranilate, and tryptophan. Five machine learning models were used to classify NTM and TB. Notably, the random forest model demonstrated excellent performance [area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve greater than 0.8] in distinguishing NTM from TB. Six potential biomarkers for NTM infection diagnosis, including methionine, valine, glutarate, 3-hydroxyanthranilate, corticosterone, and indole-3-carboxyaldehyde, were revealed from univariate ROC analysis and machine learning models. Altogether, our study suggested new noninvasive biomarkers and laid a foundation for applying machine learning to NTM differential diagnosis.

Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota-derived metabolites affect cognitive function, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction that can be targeted by acetic acid and butyric acid were analyzed using literature review, Metascape, Mienturnent, Passonline, and WissADME. We found that acetic acid and butyric acid may regulate important genes (PPARG, CASP3, IL1B, SOD2, and TNF) that protect against cognitive decline. We also found microRNAs (hsa-miR-17-5p and hsa-miR-20a-5p) and transcription factors (RELA and NFKB1) that play a critical role in this protective mechanism. The AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and apoptosis pathways also emerged as crucial to understanding the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Our findings are further supported by the physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetic profiles of acetic acid and butyric acid, which demonstrate remarkable intestinal absorption, ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, and non-inhibition of CYP450 enzymes. Our study provides further evidence of the therapeutic potential of butyric acid in managing cognitive impairment, including its anti-inflammatory properties, stimulation of insulin synthesis, and regulation of lipid metabolism. We also identified several promising treatments for cognitive impairment, including miRNA sponges, mesalazine, omega-3 fatty acids, pomalidomide, and andrographolide. Focused investigations into the apoptosis and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways, miRNA sponges, promising drugs, and the role of gut microbiota in cognitive function are warranted.

Mortality and morbidity from tuberculous meningitis (TBM) are common, primarily due to inflammatory response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to uncover genes and pathways associated with TBM pathogenesis and mortality, and determine the best predictors of death, utilizing whole-blood RNA sequencing from 281 Vietnamese adults with TBM, 295 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and 30 healthy controls. Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we identified hub genes and pathways linked to TBM severity and mortality, with a consensus analysis revealing distinct patterns between HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. We employed multivariate elastic-net Cox regression to select candidate predictors of death, then logistic regression and internal bootstrap validation to choose best predictors. Increased neutrophil activation and decreased T and B cell activation pathways were associated with TBM mortality. Among HIV-positive individuals, mortality associated with increased angiogenesis, while HIV-negative individuals exhibited elevated TNF signaling and impaired extracellular matrix organization. Four hub genes—MCEMP1, NELL2, ZNF354C, and CD4—were strong TBM mortality predictors. These findings indicate that TBM induces a systemic inflammatory response similar to PTB, highlighting critical genes and pathways related to death, offering insights for potential therapeutic targets alongside a novel four-gene biomarker for predicting outcomes.

In the realm of cancer immunotherapy, the meticulous selection of neoantigens plays a fundamental role in enhancing personalized treatments. Traditionally, this selection process has heavily relied on predicting the binding of peptides to human leukocyte antigens (pHLA). Nevertheless, this approach often overlooks the dynamic interaction between tumor cells and the immune system. In response to this limitation, we have developed an innovative prediction algorithm rooted in machine learning, integrating T cell receptor β chain (TCRβ) profiling data from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients for a more precise neoantigen prioritization. TCRβ sequencing was conducted to profile the TCR repertoire of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from 28 CRC patients. The data unveiled both intra-tumor and inter-patient heterogeneity in the TCRβ repertoires of CRC patients, likely resulting from the stochastic utilization of V and J segments in response to neoantigens. Our novel combined model integrates pHLA binding information with pHLA-TCR binding to prioritize neoantigens, resulting in heightened specificity and sensitivity compared to models using individual features alone. The efficacy of our proposed model was corroborated through ELISpot assays on long peptides, performed on four CRC patients. These assays demonstrated that neoantigen candidates prioritized by our combined model outperformed predictions made by the established tool NetMHCpan. This comprehensive assessment underscores the significance of integrating pHLA binding with pHLA-TCR binding analysis for more effective immunotherapeutic strategies.

The study evaluates chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization efficacy and safety. A prospective interventional study was conducted in Viet Duc Hospital from November 2021 to April 2024. All consecutive cSDH MMA embolization patients were included. Clinical and imaging data were collected before and one month after treatment. The study included 31 42-cSDH patients. Of these, 25.8% had hematoma evacuation, 83.9% were treated with surgery and embolization, and 16.1% with embolization alone. 92.9% of procedures used polyvinyl alcohol particles. The success rate was 92.9% and complications 7.1%. Asymptomatic external carotid artery vasospasm and MMA rupture occurred. Functional improvement occurred in 91.7% of patients one month after treatment. Significantly lower mean modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score (0.2±0.7 vs. 1.7±0.9; P=0.000) and higher proportion of patients with ≤2 mRS score (95.8% vs. 74.1%) were observed after treatment. Hematoma thickness decreased significantly (P=0.00) from 21.5±7.9 mm to 8.3±4.1 mm. The midline shift decreased significantly from 7.4±5.0 mm to 0.7±1.2 mm (P=0.00). Just one patient (4.2%) needed surgery. MMA embolization alone or with surgery appears to treat cSDH safely and effectively.

Objectives: This study was conducted to characterize the symptoms, mental health, quality of life (QoL), and associated factors following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 394 participants previously infected with COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Mental health was assessed using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Participants self-reported health-related QoL was measured with the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) scale. Results: Among the participants, 76.4% reported experiencing at least one symptom following COVID-19 infection. The most common symptoms were fatigue (42.1%), cognitive dysfunction (42.9%), and hair loss (27.9%). According to the DASS-21 results, the proportions of depression, anxiety, and stress were 28.7%, 26.4%, and 20.6%, respectively. The mean scores on the EQ-5D-5L and the EuroQol Visual Analog Scale were 0.94±0.11 and 84.20±13.11, respectively. Regarding QoL issues, the highest proportion of participants (32.7%) reported experiencing anxiety or depression, followed by pain or discomfort (25.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that factors associated with the presence of symptoms following COVID-19 infection included female (odds ratio [OR], 2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65 to 4.91) and having QoL issues (OR, 3.25; 95% CI, 1.71 to 6.19). Conclusions: The study investigated the prevalence rates of various symptoms following COVID-19 infection. These findings underscore the need to prioritize comprehensive care for individuals recovering from COVID-19 and to implement strategies to mitigate the long-term impact of the disease on mental health and QoL.

Abstract Rapid and sensitive detection of pathogens is critical in interrupting the transmission chain of infectious diseases. Currently, real-time (RT-)PCR represents the gold standard for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. RNase HII-assisted amplification (RHAM) is a promising technology, enabling reliable point-of-care (PoC) testing; however, its diagnostic accuracy has not yet been investigated. The present study compared the Pluslife Mini Dock (RHAM technology), with Abbott ID Now and Cepheid GeneXpert IV. The positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) were determined in 100 SARS-CoV-2 positive and 210 SARS-CoV-2 negative samples. Further, the reliability of the Pluslife Mini Dock was investigated in different SARS-CoV-2 variants (Delta and Omicron subvariants). The PPA was 99.00% for Pluslife, 100.00% for Abbott ID Now, and 99.00% for Cepheid GeneXpert, with an NPA of 100.00%, 98.90%, and 93.72%, respectively. Abbott ID Now demonstrated the highest rate of invalid results. All SARS-CoV-2 analysed variants were detected by the Pluslife device. Altogether, the Pluslife Mini Dock demonstrated a PPA of 99.16% (235/237) for CT

Objectives: Post-operative urinary retention (POUR) is a frequent complication following surgical procedures, characterized by an acute inability to void, leading to additional complications and extended hospitalization. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in facilitating spontaneous urination and alleviating anxiety in patients experiencing poor urination. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in the management of POUR in patients who have undergone lumbar spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study conducted at the National Hospital of Acupuncture in Vietnam and reviewed the medical records of patients over 18 years old who underwent lumbar spine surgery and were diagnosed with POUR between January to December 2019. Electroacupuncture was administered at five specific acupuncture points: Qugu (CV2), Zhongji (CV3), Zhibian (BL54), Pangguanshu (BL28), and Kunlun (BL60). This study monitored key parameters related to the effectiveness of the acupuncture treatment, including the number of acupuncture treatment sessions required until a patient was successfully treated was recorded, with a maximum of three acupuncture treatment sessions per patient, the time elapsed until urination following the treatment (minutes), and urinary bladder volume before and after treatment (mL). Results: The study demonstrated a 93.3% success rate in treating POUR with electroacupuncture. A significant reduction in post-void residual volume was noted, and patients could void within 30 minutes post-treatment. No significant differences in treatment effectiveness were observed across difference genders and age groups. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture proved to be a highly effective treatment for POUR in patients post-lumbar spine surgery, with a rapid response time and substantial reduction in PVR. However, the retrospective nature of the study and single-center focus limit its generalizability. Future research incorporating randomized controlled trials or multi-center observational studies are recommended to validate these findings and explore the potential of acupuncture in POUR management on a broader scale.

Abstract Although the use of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been proved that it can save live in a cancer treatment, the currently used drugs bring in many undesirable side-effects. Therefore, the search for new drugs and an evaluation of their efficiency are intensively carried out. Recently, a series of eighteen imidazole[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives were synthetized by us, and preliminary analyses pointed out their potential to be an important platform for pharmaceutical development owing to their promising actions as anticancer agents and enzyme (kinase, HIV-protease,…) inhibitors. In the present theoretical study, we further analyzed their efficiency in using a realistic scenario of computational drug design. Our protocol has been developed to not only observe the atomistic interaction between the EGFR protein and our 18 novel compounds using both umbrella sampling and steered molecular dynamics simulations, but also determine their absolute binding free energies. Calculated properties of the 18 novel compounds were in detail compared with those of two known drugs, erlotinib and osimertinib, currently used in cancer treatment. Inspiringly the simulation results promote three imidazole[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives as promising inhibitors into a further step of clinical trials.

Abstract Background The duplex kidney is one of the common congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. We present two cases of renal tumor accompanied with ipsilateral duplex kidney. The image of the tumor, renal artery system and collecting system were rendered by AI software (Fujifilm’s Synapse® AI Platform) to support the diagnosis and surgical planning. Case presentation Two Vietnamese patients (a 45-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman) with incidental cT1 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were confirmed to have ipsilateral duplex kidneys by 3D reconstruction AI technique. One patient had a Renal score 9ah tumor of left kidney while the other had a Renal score 9 × tumor of right kidney in which a preoperative CT scan failed to identify a diagnosis of duplex kidney. Using the Da Vinci platform, we successfully performed robotic partial nephrectomy without any damage to the collecting system in both cases. Conclusion RCC with duplex kidneys is a rare condition. By utilizing a novel AI reconstruction technique with adequate information, two patients with RCC in duplex kidneys were successfully performed robotic partial nephrectomy without complication.

Abstract Drought is considered the most severe water-related disaster in the Cauto river basin, which is the longest river and the main agricultural producer in Cuba. Better understanding of drought characteristics is crucial to drought management. Given the sparsity of ground-based precipitation observations in the Cauto, this study aims at using gridded global precipitation to analyze the spatio-temporal variations of drought in this river basin. Firstly, the monthly Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) was calibrated with the gauged precipitation using the Thiessen polygon-based method and linear least squares regression equations. Then, the gridded standardized precipitation index (SPI) with time scales of 3, 6, 9 months and drought characteristics, namely, drought frequency, duration and intensity were calculated using the calibrated CHIRPS. Finally, the spatio-temporal analysis was performed to investigate the variations of drought in the Cauto river basin in time and space. The obtained results show that the calibrated CHIRPS is highly consistent with the gauged observations and is capable of determining the magnitude, time, and spatial extent of drought events in the Cauto river basin. The trend analysis by the Mann–Kendall test reveals that although the trend is not statistically significant, the SPI tends to decrease with time in the dry season, which indicates the more severe drought. The spatial analysis indicates that the lower altitude area of the Cauto river basin is suffered from longer drought duration and higher drought intensity than the upper one. This study expresses the importance of open global precipitation data sources in monitoring and quantifying drought characteristics in data-scarce regions.

Abstract AGuIX, a novel gadolinium-based nanoparticle, has been deployed in a pioneering double-blinded Phase II clinical trial aiming to assess its efficacy in enhancing radiotherapy for tumor treatment. This paper moves towards this goal by analyzing AGuIX uptake patterns in 23 patients. A phantom was designed to establish the relationship between AGuIX concentration and longitudinal ( $${T}_{1}$$ T 1 ) relaxation. A 3T MRI and MP2RAGE sequence were used to generate patient $${T}_{1}$$ T 1 maps. AGuIX uptake in tumors was determined based on longitudinal relaxivity. AGuIX (or placebo) was administered to 23 patients intravenously at 100 mg/kg 1–5 hours pre-imaging. Each of 129 brain metastases across 23 patients were captured in $${T}_{1}$$ T 1 maps and examined for AGuIX uptake and distribution. Inferred AGuIX recipients had average tumor uptakes between 0.012 and 0.17 mg/ml, with a mean of 0.055 mg/ml. Suspected placebo recipients appeared to have no appreciable uptake. Tumors presented with varying spatial AGuIX uptake distributions, suspected to be related to differences in accumulation time and patient-specific bioaccumulation factors. This research demonstrates AGuIX's ability to accumulate in brain metastases, with quantifiable uptake via $${T}_{1}$$ T 1 mapping. Future analyses will extend these methods to complete clinical trial data (~ 134 patients) to evaluate the potential relationship between nanoparticle uptake and possible tumor response following radiotherapy. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04899908. Clinical Trial Registration Date: 25/05/2021.

Abstract To ensure that an external force can break the interaction between a protein and a ligand, the steered molecular dynamics simulation requires a harmonic restrained potential applied to the protein backbone. A usual practice is that all or a certain number of protein’s heavy atoms or Cα atoms are fixed, being restrained by a small force. This present study reveals that while fixing both either all heavy atoms and or all Cα atoms is not a good approach, while fixing a too small number of few atoms sometimes cannot prevent the protein from rotating under the influence of the bulk water layer, and the pulled molecule may smack into the wall of the active site. We found that restraining the Cα atoms under certain conditions is more relevant. Thus, we would propose an alternative solution in which only the Cα atoms of the protein at a distance larger than 1.2 nm from the ligand are restrained. A more flexible, but not too flexible, protein will be expected to lead to a more natural release of the ligand.

Abstract Obesity is one of the diseases with severe health consequences and rapidly increasing worldwide prevalence. Understanding the complex network of food intake and energy balance regulation is an essential prerequisite for pharmacological intervention with obesity. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are among the main modulators of metabolism and energy balance. They, for instance, regulate appetite and satiety in certain hypothalamic neurons, as well as glucose and lipid metabolism and hormone secretion from adipocytes. Mutations in some GPCRs, such as the melanocortin receptor type 4 (MC4R), have been associated with early-onset obesity. Here, we identified the adhesion GPCR latrophilin 1 (ADGRL1/LPHN1) as a member of the regulating network governing food intake and the maintenance of energy balance. Deficiency of the highly conserved receptor in mice results in increased food consumption and severe obesity, accompanied by dysregulation of glucose homeostasis. Consistently, we identified a partially inactivating mutation in human ADGRL1/LPHN1 in a patient suffering from obesity. Therefore, we propose that LPHN1 dysfunction is a risk factor for obesity development.

Abstract The integrity of the intestinal mucus barrier is crucial for human health, as it serves as the body's first line of defense against pathogens. However, postnatal development of the mucus barrier and interactions between maturity and its ability to adapt to external challenges in neonatal infants remain unclear. In this study, we unveil a distinct developmental trajectory of the mucus barrier in preterm piglets, leading to enhanced mucus microstructure and reduced mucus diffusivity compared to term piglets. Notably, we found that necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is associated with increased mucus diffusivity of our large pathogen model compound, establishing a direct link between the NEC condition and the mucus barrier. Furthermore, we observed that addition of sodium decanoate had varying effects on mucus diffusivity depending on maturity and health state of the piglets. These findings demonstrate that regulatory mechanisms governing the neonatal mucosal barrier are highly complex and are influenced by age, maturity, and health conditions. Therefore, our results highlight the need for specific therapeutic strategies tailored to each neonatal period to ensure optimal gut health.

BackgroundDecades of research have transformed hemophilia from severely limiting children's lives to a manageable disorder compatible with a full, active life, for many in high-income countries. The direction of future research will determine whether exciting developments truly advance health equity for all people with hemophilia (PWH). National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) and American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network conducted extensive inclusive all-stakeholder consultations to identify the priorities of people with inherited bleeding disorders and those who care for them.Research design and methodsWorking group (WG) 1 of the NHF State of the Science Research Summit distilled the community-identified priorities for hemophilia A and B into concrete research questions and scored their feasibility, impact, and risk.ResultsWG1 defined 63 top priority research questions concerning arthropathy/pain/bone health, inhibitors, diagnostics, gene therapy, the pediatric to adult transition of care, disparities faced by the community, and cardiovascular disease. This research has the potential to empower PWH to thrive despite lifelong comorbidities and achieve new standards of wellbeing, including psychosocial.ConclusionsCollaborative research and care delivery will be key to capitalizing on current and horizon treatments and harnessing technical advances to improve diagnostics and testing, to advance health equity for all PWH.

We determined the value of computed tomography perfusion (CTP) for assessing the response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). 20 post-TACE HCC patients were re-evaluated with contrast-enhanced computed tomography and CTP. Patients with persistent arterial vascularization [non-response (NR)] or those with no arterial vascularization in the mass, but with signs of new nodules, underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA), which was used to analyze image characteristics and CTP parameters of TACE-treated HCC. 27 post-TACE HCC masses (mean size 4.21 cm, range 2-6.5 cm) were observed in the 20 patients. The values yielded by CTP were 78.30±40.41 mL/min/100g and 33.67±38.74 mL/min/100g for hepatic arterial blood flow (HABF) and 51.40±17.80% and 25.60±26.53% for hepatic arterial fraction (HAF) in the NR group and complete response group, respectively. The NR group’s cutoff value of HABF was ≥55.95 mL/min/100g, with a sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 71.42%, and that of HAF was ≥32.55%, with a sensitivity of 92.3% and specificity of 83.33%. The CTP and DSA techniques showed high agreement in assessing the post-TACE responses of liver tumors (κ=0.872). The perfusion parameters HABF and HAF have high value for assessing post-TACE responses of HCC.

Based on a retrospective hospital-based analysis, this study examines the results of retroperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for patients with T1-T2 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from January 2019 to December 2023. Of the 73 patients, 4.1% had TNM stage II tumors and 95.8% had TNM stage I tumors (53.4% T1a and 42.4% T1b). In terms of frequency, clear cell RCC accounted for 84.9%, with papillary RCC coming in at 9.6% and chromophobe RCC at 4.1%. Following surgery, four patients experienced fevers, one needed a blood transfusion, two had infections, and one had emergency surgery. Lumbar masses and hematuria were absent in all patients. Subsequent metastatic lesions and abnormalities of the renal fossa were not observed on follow-up ultrasounds. 4.1% of the deaths after 25.9 months were due to the disease, and 1.4% were caused by accidents. At one, two, three, and four years, the cumulative survival rates were 100%, 97.2%, and 92.8%, respectively. 48.1 months was the mean postoperative survival period. For RCC stages T1-2, retroperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephrectomy offers significant benefits and comparable results to open surgery.

Hydrogen peroxide is a commonly used oxidizing agent with many different uses such as: as a multi-purpose disinfectant, non-chlorine bleach, hair dye, chlorine neutralizer in water, as a cleaning agent. bleaching in paper production, making wound cleaning agents, sterilizing ophthalmic instruments, etc. Owing to its applications in many fields, ingestion of hydrogen peroxide is not a rare case of poisoning. A 30-year-old female patient presented to our poison control center because of epigastric pain after drinking industrial hydrogen peroxide. Physical examination revealed that the patient was conscious, had no signs of infection, was hemodynamically stable, and had abdominal tenderness in many epigastric areas. Computed tomography results showed air in the biliary tract in the liver, air in the stomach wall, and poor drug enhancement in the stomach wall. Faced with the risk of gastric wall necrosis and gas embolism, the patient was prescribed hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). After 3 days of hyperbaric oxygen treatment, the patient’s clinical condition improved significantly. This article aims to discuss the mechanism of injury in hydrogen peroxide poisoning and hyperbaric oxygen therapy HBO in concentrated hydrogen peroxide poisoning.

Abstract Intracranial arterial dolichoectasia (IADE) is associated with the interaction of hypertension and inflammation, and microcurrent can be effective in hypertension. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of microcurrent electrical stimulation in a mouse IADE model. This study randomly categorized 20 mice into five groups: group 1-C (healthy control), group 2-D (IADE model), group 3-M + D (microcurrent administration before nephrectomy and until brain surgery), group 4-D + M (microcurrent administration for 4 weeks following brain surgery), and group 5-M (microcurrent administration for 4 weeks). Cerebral artery diameter and thickness and cerebral arterial wall extracellular matrix components were assessed. Among the five groups, group 2-D showed significantly higher cerebral arterial wall diameter (117.79 ± 17.05 µm) and proportion of collagen (42.46 ± 14.12%) and significantly lower arterial wall thickness (9.31 ± 2.26 µm) and proportion of smooth muscle cell (SMC) and elastin in the cerebral arterial wall (SMC: 38.05 ± 10.32%, elastin: 11.11 ± 6.97%). Additionally, group 4-D + M exhibited a non-significantly lower diameter (100.28 ± 25.99 µm) and higher thickness (12.82 ± 5.17 µm). Group 5-M demonstrated no evidence of toxicity in the liver and brain. The pilot study revealed that microcurrent is effective in preventing IADE development, although these beneficial effects warrant further investigation.

Abstract Expanding upon the well-established Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy model, the T–S fuzzy descriptor model emerges as a robust and flexible framework. This article introduces the development of optimal and robust-optimal controllers grounded in the principles of stability control and fuzzy descriptor systems. By transforming complicated inequalities into linear matrix inequalities (LMI), we establish the essential conditions for controller construction, as delineated in theorems. To substantiate the utility of these controllers, we employ the rotary inverted pendulum as a testbed. Through diverse simulation scenarios, these controllers, rooted in fuzzy descriptor systems, demonstrate their practicality and effectiveness in ensuring the stable control of inverted pendulum systems, even in the presence of uncertainties within the model. This study highlights the adaptability and robustness of fuzzy descriptor-based controllers, paving the way for advanced control strategies in complex and uncertain environments.

Abstract Whether the future of transportation is going to be electric or not is no longer a question. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer several benefits toward global sustainability. However, without a variety of charging infrastructures that cover diverse forthcoming charging needs, the speed of vehicle electrification may be slow and limited. In this study, we investigate the synergistic benefits of traditional charging stations and an emerging alternative, i.e., wireless dynamic charging roads, focusing on their impact on the daily commute of EV users. We center our evaluation on quantifiable metrics, chiefly time and convenience, and deploy computer simulations utilizing authentic transportation datasets from New York City, USA. Our findings underscore that integrating both charging stations and charging roads can substantially alleviate detours for EV users and remarkably reduce additional charging time. Our research provides evidence to encourage researchers, EV manufacturers, urban infrastructure planners, and policymakers to explore future charging infrastructures for EVs, with a notable emphasis on wireless dynamic charging roads.

Abstract Background Orbital ischemic syndrome is a rare entity. The clinical signs typically demonstrate acute loss of visual acuity, chemosis, proptosis, ptosis, and total ophthalmoparesis. We report a case of a man who suffered an acute internal carotid artery occlusion and developed orbital ischemic syndrome after a mechanical thrombectomy. Case presentation A 57-year-old Vietnamese (Kinh ethnicity) man was brought to the emergency room with complaints of a speech disturbance, facial palsy, and severe weakness of the left arm and leg, which had started 4 hours earlier, after waking up. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 12 (NIHSS 12) revealed the neurological score at admission. A head computed tomography scan showed no intracranial bleeding and an Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) of 8 on the right brain. Computed tomography angiography showed an occlusion of the right internal carotid artery. After that, a mechanical thrombectomy was performed, and the internal carotid artery was completely reperfused. After 10 hours, he experienced orbital pain, proptosis, ptosis, chemosis, and ophthalmoplegia of the right orbit. He also had acute loss of visual acuity, and fundoscopic examination revealed papilledema, no retinal hemorrhage, and no bruit in orbital auscultation. Intraocular pressure in the right eye was measured at 50.5 mmHg. Computed tomography angiography showed no carotid–cavernous fistula, but slight enlargement of the right medial and lateral rectus muscles. He was treated with steroids and hyperosmolar agents and recovered 7 days later, but had persistent loss of visual acuity in the right eye. Conclusion Orbital ischemic syndrome is a rare complication after mechanical thrombectomy treatment in acute ischemic stroke that can lead to loss of visual acuity.

Abstract The transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 within hospitals can exceed that in the general community because of more frequent close proximity interactions (CPIs). However, epidemic risk across wards is still poorly described. We measured CPIs directly using wearable sensors given to all present in a clinical ward over a 36-h period, across 15 wards in three hospitals in April-June 2020. Data were collected from 2114 participants and combined with a simple transmission model describing the arrival of a single index case to the ward to estimate the risk of an outbreak. Estimated epidemic risk ranged four-fold, from 0.12 secondary infections per day in an adult emergency to 0.49 per day in general paediatrics. The risk presented by an index case in a patient varied 20-fold across wards. Using simulation, we assessed the potential impact on outbreak risk of targeting the most connected individuals for prevention. We found that targeting those with the highest cumulative contact hours was most impactful (20% reduction for 5% of the population targeted), and on average resources were better spent targeting patients. This study reveals patterns of interactions between individuals in hospital during a pandemic and opens new routes for research into airborne nosocomial risk.

Abstract Advanced inlet guide vane (IGV) and diffuser vane (DV) geometries were constructed in an effort to increase the energy performance of an axial-flow pump at the best efficiency point (BEP). DV setting angles were also investigated to increase energy performance at the off-design points. By integrating the advantages of an adjustable IGV, combinations of adjustable IGV and DV geometries were constructed and thoroughly analyzed by way of energy loss. The asymmetrical geometry of the IGV, upgraded through the use of a hydrofoil profile, resulted in higher hydraulic performance compared to that of the reference model. The efficiency and total head at the BEP increased significantly with the implementation of the new DV, by 1.456% and 5.756% over those of the reference model, respectively. Using the new DV reduced the unsteady turbulent flow behind the trailing edge of the DV under all flow rate conditions, resulting in a reduction in vibration and noise. The positive setting angles of the DV increased the energy performance in the high-flow-rate region, whereas the negative DV setting angles produced a good performance in the low-flow-rate region. Combining an adjustable IGV with an adjustable DV model resulted in a significant increase in the total head, with more optimal energy performance provided by the positive IGV setting angles. At the BEP and under high-flow-rate conditions, the low-velocity zone is closely related to high entropy generation. Furthermore, these high-entropy generation regions follow the trajectory of the low-velocity zones. However, the low-velocity zone is not strongly associated with the high-entropy generation region when operating under low-flow-rate conditions.

Abstract The cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) is one of the rarest primates on Earth and now only survives in a single forest patch of less than 5000 ha on the Vietnam–China border. Accurate monitoring of the last remaining population is critical to inform ongoing conservation interventions and track conservation success over time. However, traditional methods for monitoring gibbons, involving triangulation of groups from their songs, are inherently subjective and likely subject to considerable measurement errors. To overcome this, we aimed to use ‘vocal fingerprinting’ to distinguish the different singing males in the population. During the 2021 population survey, we complemented the traditional observations made by survey teams with a concurrent passive acoustic monitoring array. Counts of gibbon group sizes were also assisted with a UAV-mounted thermal camera. After identifying eight family groups in the acoustic data and incorporating long-term data, we estimate that the population was comprised of 74 individuals in 11 family groups, which is 38% smaller than previously thought. We have no evidence that the population has declined—indeed it appears to be growing, with new groups having formed in recent years—and the difference is instead due to double-counting of groups in previous surveys employing the triangulation method. Indeed, using spatially explicit capture-recapture modelling, we uncovered substantial measurement error in the bearings and distances from field teams. We also applied semi- and fully-automatic approaches to clustering the male calls into groups, finding no evidence that we had missed any males with the manual approach. Given the very small size of the population, conservation actions are now even more urgent, in particular habitat restoration to allow the population to expand. Our new population estimate now serves as a more robust basis for informing management actions and tracking conservation success over time.

Conotoxins are small and highly potent neurotoxic peptides derived from the venom of marine cone snails which have captured the interest of the scientific community due to their pharmacological potential. These toxins display significant sequence and structure diversity, which results in a wide range of specificities for several different ion channels and receptors. Despite the recognized importance of these compounds, our ability to determine their binding targets and toxicities remains a significant challenge. Predicting the target receptors of conotoxins, based solely on their amino acid sequence, remains a challenge due to the intricate relationships between structure, function, target specificity, and the significant conformational heterogeneity observed in conotoxins with the same primary sequence. We have previously demonstrated that the inclusion of post-translational modifications, collisional cross sections values, and other structural features, when added to the standard primary sequence features, improves the prediction accuracy of conotoxins against non-toxic and other toxic peptides across varied datasets and several different commonly used machine learning classifiers. Here, we present the effects of these features on conotoxin class and molecular target predictions, in particular, predicting conotoxins that bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). We also demonstrate the use of the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE)-Tomek in balancing the datasets while simultaneously making the different classes more distinct by reducing the number of ambiguous samples which nearly overlap between the classes. In predicting the alpha, mu, and omega conotoxin classes, the SMOTE-Tomek PCA PLR model, using the combination of the SS and P feature sets establishes the best performance with an overall accuracy (OA) of 95.95%, with an average accuracy (AA) of 93.04%, and an f1 score of 0.959. Using this model, we obtained sensitivities of 98.98%, 89.66%, and 90.48% when predicting alpha, mu, and omega conotoxin classes, respectively. Similarly, in predicting conotoxins that bind to nAChRs, the SMOTE-Tomek PCA SVM model, which used the collisional cross sections (CCSs) and the P feature sets, demonstrated the highest performance with 91.3% OA, 91.32% AA, and an f1 score of 0.9131. The sensitivity when predicting conotoxins that bind to nAChRs is 91.46% with a 91.18% sensitivity when predicting conotoxins that do not bind to nAChRs.

Background/Objectives: Moringa oleifera is a matrix plant with the high potential to cure several diseases with its medicinal and ethnopharmacological value and nutraceutical properties. In this study, we investigated the chemical and biological properties of this plant cultivated in our local region. Methods: Leaves, roots, seeds, stem bark, and twigs of oleifera were extracted and evaluated bioactivities targeting intracellular lipid accumulation and adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, and UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS/MS-Based molecular networking guided isolation and dereplication of metabolites from these extracts. Results: Five extracts of different organs of M. oleifera significantly stimulated intracellular lipid accumulation and adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. These extracts markedly increased the expression of genes related to adipogenesis and lipogenesis. Notably, these extracts promoted peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) activity and the expression of its target genes, including phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, fatty acid-binding protein 4, and perilipin-2. These adipogenic and lipogenic effects of Moringa extracts through the regulation of PPARγ activity suggests their potential efficacy in preventing or treating type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, chemical investigation revealed high contents of phytonutrients as rich sources of secondary metabolites including glycosides, flavones, fatty acids, phenolics, and other compounds. In addition, in silico studies on major components of these extracts revealed the bioavailability of major components through their binding affinity to respective proteins targeting adipocyte differentiation.

Abstract Global sand demand due to infrastructure construction has intensified sand mining activities in many rivers, with current rates of sand extraction exceeding natural replenishment. This has created many environmental problems, particularly concerning riverbank stability, which adversely affects the livelihoods of people in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). However, sand mining’s social impacts in the region remain inadequately understood. Here we assess locals’ perception of sand mining activities in the VMD and its impacts on riverbank erosion. Residents living along the Bassac River, a hotspot of sand mining, were interviewed. Our results showed that while sand mining is perceived as destructive to the environment, few were aware of its role in worsening riverbank erosion. Only residents directly affected by riverbank collapse were aware of the implications of sand mining and its negative effect on bank stability, as they seem to have actively sought clarification. Our findings highlight the need for greater awareness and understanding among the locals regarding sand mining’s impact on riverbank stability.

This paper proposes a compact design of dual-sense circularly polarized (CP) antenna for simultaneous transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) communication systems. The primary radiating aperture of the proposed antenna is a 2 × 2 unit-cell metasurface (MS). The MS is excited by the asymmetric patch in the center, which acts as the CP source of the whole antenna structure. By properly tuning the feeding positions, dual-sense CP with high isolation can be achieved. For verification, an antenna prototype with compact dimensions of 0.36λ × 0.36λ × 0.02λ (λ is the free-space wavelength at the center operating frequency) is fabricated and measured. The measured operating bandwidth is 1.6% (2.45-2.49 GHz), in which the reflection and transmission coefficients are less than-10 dB and the axial ratio is lower than 3 dB. Within this band, the maximum isolation value is 39 dB, and the peak gain is 5.7 dBi.

BackgroundThis study aimed to measure the preferences for mental health support among health professionals, their willingness to support the mental health of colleagues and associated factors.MethodA descriptive cross-sectional study was performed from August to October 2022 within five hospitals located in Hanoi, Vietnam. A total of 244 health professionals participated in the study. Data on socio-economic status, health and COVID-19-related characteristics, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21); and preferences for mental health support services were collected by using a structured self-reported questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to identify associated factors with the demand for mental support services.Results13.9%, 17.1% and 8.6% reported having at least mild depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. There 13.9% did not seek any mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most common support included talking with friends (52.9%), family (50.8%), colleagues (47.6%) and using social networks/Internet (43.5%). There 31.1% had been aware of mental health services, but only 18.0% used this service at least once. Regarding preferences, 47.3% had a demand for mental support services, and the most preferred service was providing coping skills (25.9%), followed by skills to support others against mental problems (22.2%). Major sources of support included psychiatrists (34.4%), colleagues (29.1%) and family (27.9%). The main preferred channels for support included telephone/mobile phone (35.7%) and Internet (20.9%). Only 12.3% were willing to provide mental support for colleagues during the pandemic. Age, education, perceived mental health status, ever seeking any mental service, and DASS-21 depression score were associated with demand for mental support services.ConclusionThis study found a lack of awareness of mental health services for health professionals, as well as moderate levels of demand for this service in this population. Raising awareness and developing tailored mental health support services are important to enhancing the mental well-being of health professionals in Vietnam to prepare for the next pandemic.

We analyzed data from human genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to identify genetic variants and biological pathways linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Ten AD biomarkers (APOE, NECTIN2, APOC1, APOC1P1, TOMM40, RNU4-67P, KRAS, Y_RNA, THORLNC, LINC01956) were found across studies, including six central genetic variants (MAPT (rs242557-A), GRIN2B (rs74442473-G), APOE (rs438811-T), ANK3 (rs438811-T), BIN1 (rs744373-G), and BDNF (rs7481773-A)). ANK3 (rs438811-T) and GRIN2B (rs74442473-G) were essential hub biomarkers for amyloid plaques, while MAPT (rs242557-A) and BIN1 (rs744373-G) were crucial for neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Higher-risk AD biomarkers were associated with increased protein-lipid complex formation, while lower-risk AD biomarkers were correlated with improved synaptic function. Six essential miRNAs (hsa-miR-124–3p, 15a-5p, 16–5p, 204–5p, 520g-3p, 520h) and three transcription factors (ZMAT4, ZBED6, FOXG1) emerged as possible candidates to reveal the genetic differences that lead to amyloid plaques, NFTs, and ultimately AD. These findings serve as a basis for potential AD treatments and offer new avenues for therapeutic approaches to directly target the genetic variations and processes associated with the disease.

Objective: Drug-related problems (DRPs) can lead to treatment failures and high risks of hospitali-zation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pharmacist-led interventions on DRPs in outpa-tient prescribing and to determine the risk factors relative to these DRPs. Material and Methods: A prospective study was conducted that compared before- (April 1 to June 30, 2020) and after- (June 1 to June 15, 2021) interventions on the outpatient prescribing process from a public hospital in Vietnam. The PCNE classification version 9.1 and suitable drug information were used to determine DRPs, which then used Drugs.com to find drug-drug interactions for each prescription. Collaborated with hospital pharmacists via reporting on the pre-intervention results, sending information sheets, and reminding doctors of the DRPs was conducted. Results: 32.8% of prescriptions had at least 1 DRP in 500 pre-intervention prescriptions. In 500 post-intervention prescriptions, the proportion of at least 1 DRP prescription decreased from 32.8% to 31.0% (p-value>0.05). Prescriptions with ≥5 drugs increased the possibility of a DRP appearance (p-value