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Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that endangers human health and social development. The granulomatous reaction of Schistosoma eggs in the liver is the main cause of hepatosplenomegaly and fibrotic lesions. Anti liver fibrosis therapy is crucial for patients with chronic schistosomiasis. Although Praziquantel is the only clinical drug used, it is limited in insecticide treatment and has a long-term large-scale use, which is forcing the search for cost-effective alternatives. Previous research has demonstrated that plant metabolites and extracts have effective therapeutic effects on liver fibrosis associated with schistosomiasis. This paper summarizes the mechanisms of action of metabolites and some plant extracts in alleviating schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis. The analysis was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Some plant metabolites and extracts ameliorate liver fibrosis by targeting multiple signaling pathways, including reducing inflammatory infiltration, oxidative stress, inhibiting alternate macrophage activation, suppressing hepatic stellate cell activation, and reducing worm egg load. Natural products improve liver fibrosis associated with schistosomiasis, but further research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of natural products in treating liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis, as there is no reported data from clinical trials in the literature.

Fuzzing is a popular and effective software testing technique that automatically generates or modifies inputs to test the stability and vulnerabilities of a software system, which has been widely applied and improved by security researchers and experts. The goal of fuzzing is to uncover potential weaknesses in software by providing unexpected and invalid inputs to the target program to monitor its behavior and identify errors or unintended outcomes. Recently, researchers have also integrated promising machine learning algorithms, such as reinforcement learning, to enhance the fuzzing process. Reinforcement learning (RL) has been proven to be able to improve the effectiveness of fuzzing by selecting and prioritizing transformation actions with higher coverage, which reduces the required effort to uncover vulnerabilities. However, RL-based fuzzing models also encounter certain limitations, including an imbalance between exploitation and exploration. In this study, we propose a coverage-guided RL-based fuzzing model that enhances grey-box fuzzing, in which we leverage deep Q-learning to predict and select input variations to maximize code coverage and use code coverage as a reward signal. This model is complemented by simple input selection and scheduling algorithms that promote a more balanced approach to exploiting and exploring software. Furthermore, we introduce a multi-level input mutation model combined with RL to create a sequence of actions for comprehensive input variation. The proposed model is compared to other fuzzing tools in testing various real-world programs, where the results indicate a notable enhancement in terms of code coverage, discovered paths, and execution speed of our solution.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of transparency of budget structure on risk of getting into financial distress in Vietnam. The article uses data regarding equity proportion from the financial reports of business entities on Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), divided into four main categories, namely large ownership, institutional ownership, managerial ownership, and state ownership ratio, to find the relation between the allocation of equity and the chance a company having financial failure. From the mentioned information, the research attempts to explain the relations, as well as suggestions for companies to prepare and avoid financial distress from an equity structure perspective. Results from the study’s sample show insignificant correlations between the share of owners and financial distress situation of a company, which plays a part to help the overall estimation of risk in businesses as a whole.

The concept of fiscal transparency holds significant importance; however, its attainment poses considerable challenges. Current discourse suggests that the concept of transparency lacks sophistication. To tackle this hurdle regarding public expenditure, analytical approaches that pertain to the general concept of transparency can be utilized. The present paper aims to ascertain the determinants of the openness of the provincial budget and its subcategories by human development, technology access, as well as industrialization progress, in addition to other relevant indicators. This study aims to ascertain the fundamental principles that underpin the achievement of efficient transparency in public expenditure. In terms of outcomes, the overall model has limited relations to the hypotheses. For the elemental dependent variables, the impact of various forms of transparency on the attainment of public policy goals varies, but generally have similar results. The study has attempted to conclude the components for an optimal transparent budget system, thus providing a suggestion for effective schemes later on.

This paper investigates the impact of spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) and relative phase on the propagation of a probe laser pulse in the presence of an incoherent pump field. It was discovered that when the control laser field is turned on, the medium forms an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect. Hence, the propagation of the probe laser pulse has a like-soliton form/shape. On the contrary, the probe laser field is rapidly attenuated when the control laser field is turned off. This feature allows the creation of a mechanism to turn “off” and “on” the probe laser field through “turning off” and “on” the control laser field, i.e., an all-optical switching mechanism based on EIT. Besides intensity and frequency, the laser field is also characterized by polarization and phase. The EIT has the nature of quantum interference, so it is very sensitive to changes in polarization, especially in the presence of relative phase between laser fields. Therefore, they also significantly affect pulse propagation and optical switching performance. The research results could be helpful for experimental observations or applications in photonic devices such as logic gates, quantum optical information processors, and quantum computers.

In the past, sustainable development was considered a guideline for all human activities, but the world has gradually changed. The criteria for action today must not only ensure sustainability but also meet appropriate ethical standards in diverse contexts. As a result, the topic of ethical behavior has been studied more extensively in recent studies. Accordingly, through bibliometric approaches, this study seeks to generalize the issues of ethical behavior explored in a variety of contexts from 1991 to 2022. A total of 1409 articles were found and extracted from the Web of Science using the keywords “ethical behavior” and “context”; they were then decoded using VOSviewer software (version 1.6). Three techniques, including bibliographic coupling, co-citation, and co-occurrence were conducted to identify the six most influential contexts in ethical behavior. The results demonstrate that the six most influential contexts in ethical behavior are consumption, leadership, business, organization, medical, and education. The results further revealed that leading countries such as the USA and UK have a larger number of studies on ethical behavior in many different contexts, such as organization, business, education, health, consumption, and politics. The Journal of Business Ethics leads the way in research into ethical behavior, followed by the Journal of Applied Psychology.

Objective: There is no evidence about the effects of personal traits on physical health, mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in healthcare workers in Vietnam, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to measure associations between the personality of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Vietnam and their physical health, mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods: A multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted on 245 HCWs in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) was used to measure HCWs’ personality. Physical Health Questionnaire-14 (PHQ-14), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7 (GAD7) and EuroQOL-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ-5D-5 L) instruments were used to measure physical health, mental health and HRQOL. Multivariate Tobit regression models were used. Results: The mean EPI Extraversion and Neuroticism scores were 8.75/24 (SD=5.66) and 8.69/24 (SD=6.30). The Extraversion score was negatively associated with PHQ14 respiratory infection (Coef.= - 0.13, 95 %CI=-0.24; -0.02) and GAD7 score (Coef. = -0.22, 95 %CI= - 0.40; -0.04). The Neuroticism score was positively correlated with PHQ14 gastrointestinal issue score, PHQ14 headache score, PHQ14 respiratory infection score, PHQ14 sleep disruption score, PQH14 total score, PHQ9 score, GAD7 score and fear of COVID-19 score, while negatively correlated with EQ-5D index (Coef. = -0.006, 95 %CI= -0.010; -0.002). Conclusion: This study indicated that personality had potential roles in impacting the physical and mental well-being of HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions to implement mindfulness practices, enhance overall well-being, and foster group dynamics among HCWs should be warranted..

Background and Objectives: Malaria continues to be a significant global health challenge. The efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) has declined in many parts of the Greater Mekong Subregion, including Vietnam, due to the spread of resistant malaria strains. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of the Dihydroartemisinin (DHA)–Piperaquine (PPQ) regimen in treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria and to conduct molecular surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance in Binh Phuoc and Dak Nong provinces. Materials and Methods: The study included 63 uncomplicated malaria falciparum patients from therapeutic efficacy studies (TES) treated following the WHO treatment guidelines (2009). Molecular marker analysis was performed on all 63 patients. Methods encompassed Sanger sequencing for pfK13 mutations and quantitative real-time PCR for the pfpm2 gene. Results: This study found a marked decrease in the efficacy of the DHA-PPQ regimen, with an increased rate of treatment failures at two study sites. Genetic analysis revealed a significant presence of pfK13 mutations and pfpm2 amplifications, indicating emerging resistance to artemisinin and its partner drug. Conclusions: The effectiveness of the standard DHA-PPQ regimen has sharply declined, with rising treatment failure rates. This decline necessitates a review and possible revision of national malaria treatment guidelines. Importantly, molecular monitoring and clinical efficacy assessments together provide a robust framework for understanding and addressing detection drug resistance in malaria.

This prospective observational study aimed to assess the impact of behavioral therapy on dysphagia in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing nasogastric tube feeding. The study was conducted between June 2020 and May 2022 at the Neurological Center of Bach Mai Hospital, Vietnam, with a sample size of 230 patients divided into two groups: a normal and a behavioral therapy group. The normal therapy group received routine care and treatment based on standard protocols, while the behavioral therapy group underwent daily swallowing exercises for approximately 60 minutes. The Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) was utilized to screen individuals with dysphagia, and the difference-in-differences (DID) method was adopted to estimate the effect of behavioral therapy on dysphagia patients. The study concluded that behavioral therapy improved dysphagia in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing nasogastric tube feeding. This study highlights the potential of behavioral therapy as an effective intervention for dysphagia rehabilitation in stroke patients.

Modeling of adsorption phenomena was carried out for core-shell adsorbents with spherical, cylindrical, and slab-type morphologies. Numerical solutions of adsorbates in the adsorber could be obtained as a function of time by solving coupled diffusion equations to take account of the inert-core thickness (x’). Transient responses of batch and continuous adsorbers containing core-shell adsorbents were predicted, assuming rectangular or Langmuir-type adsorption isotherms. In batch adsorber, the removal rate of adsorbates increased with increasing Biot number (Bi), and the decaying rate of the adsorbate concentration increased in the order of sphere > cylinder > slab. The equilibrium concentration of adsorbate in batch adsorber decreased with decreasing value of x’ due to the increased volume of active shell in the adsorbents. In continuous adsorber with suspended adsorbents, the adsorbate concentration was affected by feed rate and initial concentration of adsorbate, and the breakthrough curve was saturated more slowly by cascade connection. In fixed bed adsorber, the adsorbate concentration increased more rapidly with increasing x’ for insufficient active volume for adsorption. The breakthrough curve was also affected by Bi and Peclet number (Pe) as well as adsorbent shape, implying that external resistance and axial dispersion, as well as interfacial area, are an important factor for adsorber design. Estimations of effective diffusivity and Pe were possible from experimental data of organic dye by macroporous silica microspheres or micro-fibers as adsorbents.