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Abstract Background Ensuring ongoing first-aid training for primary healthcare providers (PHPs) is one of the critical strategies for providing quality health services and contributing to achieving universal health coverage. However, PHPs have received insufficient attention in terms of training and capacity building, especially in the remote areas of low-to-middle-income countries. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a first-aid training program for PHPs on a Vietnamese island and explored their perspectives and experiences regarding first-aid implementation. Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted among 39 PHPs working in community healthcare centers. The quantitative method utilized a quasi-experimental design to evaluate participants’ first-aid knowledge at three time points: pre-training, immediately post-training, and three months post-training. Sixteen of the PHPs participated in subsequent semi-structured focus group interviews using the qualitative method. Quantitative data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results The quantitative results showed a significant improvement in both the overall mean first-aid knowledge scores and the subdimensions of the first-aid knowledge scores among healthcare providers post-training. There was a statistically significant difference between the baseline and immediate posttest and follow-up knowledge scores (p 0.05). Three main themes emerged from the focus group discussions: perception of first-aid in remote areas, facilitators and barriers. Participants identified barriers, including infrastructure limitations, shortage of the primary healthcare workforce, inadequate competencies, and insufficient resources. Conversely, receiving considerable support from colleagues and the benefits of communication technologies in implementing first aid were mentioned as facilitators. The training bolstered the participants’ confidence in their first-aid responses, and there was a desire for continued education. Conclusions Implementing periodic first-aid refresher training for PHPs in a nationwide resource-limited setting can contribute significantly to achieving universal health coverage goals. This approach potentially enhances the preparedness of healthcare providers in these areas to deliver timely and effective first aid during emergencies, which may lead to more consistent primary healthcare services despite various challenges.

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.

This article examines in detail the characteristics of Dien Bien earthquake on 19 February 2001 and its aftershocks. On the basis of the temporal development of aftershocks and the spatial distribution of tectonic faults, five aftershock series have been determined. The analysis of spatial distribution and temporal evolution of these five aftershock series has clarified the development in the source zone of Dien Bien earthquake, which is closely related to the active and recent activities of tectonic faults in the area, especially Lai Chau Dien Bien fault. The comparison between characteristics of aftershock activities of Dien Bien earthquake and geomorphological features as well as tectonic activities in the area has indicated that the magnitude of these aftershocks and their temporal evolution (early or late) depend not only on the closer or further distance compared to the mainshock and the active faults that cause them but also on terrain elevation, slope index, lineament density and their positions relative to other tectonic faults in the studied area.

In this work, we fabricated crumpled graphite oxides (CGOs) from discharged electrodes of waste batteries by the cathodic plasma electrolysis process and applied it for arsenic (As) removal from water solutions. Several factors that affect the removal efficiency of As(III) were investigated, including pH, initial concentrations, and contact time. After 120 min of experiment [10 mg of CGO in 40 ml of 1 mg/l As(III) solution], the removal efficiency reached to as high as 98.6%. From the Langmuir isotherm model, the calculated maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) was found to be 47.39 mg/g. The results from this study showed that CGOs could be an effective adsorbent for As(III) removal from the water environment and acts as a promising adsorbent for other heavy metals from contaminated water.

Objective: To evaluate the antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo of saponin–phospholipid complex of Panax notoginseng. Methods: The in vitro cytotoxic effect of saponins extract and saponin–phospholipid complex against human lung cancer NCI-H460 and breast cancer cell lines BT474 was examined using MTS assay. For in vivo evaluation of antitumor potential, saponin and saponin–phospholipid complex were administered orally in rats induced mammary carcinogenesis by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, for 30 days. Results: Our data showed that saponin–phospholipid complex had stronger anticancer effect compared to saponin extract. The IC50 values of saponin–phospholipid complex and saponin extract for NCI-H460 cell lines were 28.47 μg/mL and 47.97 μg/mL, respectively and these values for BT474 cells were 53.18 μg/mL and 86.24 μg/mL, respectively. In vivo experiments, administration of saponin, saponin–phospholipid complex and paclitaxel (positive control) effectively suppressed 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene-induced breast cancer evidenced by a decrease in tumor volume, the reduction of lipid peroxidation level and increase in the body weight, and elevated the enzymatic antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase in rat breast tissue. Conclusions: Our study suggests that saponin extract from Panax notoginseng and saponin–phospholipid complex have potential to prevent cancer, especially breast cancer.

Objective: To investigated the protective potential of ethanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury. Methods: Dried roots of S. baicalensis were extracted with ethanol and concentrated to yield a dry residue. Mice were administered 200 mg/kg of the ethanol extracts orally once daily for one week. Animals were subsequently administered a single dose of LPS (5 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneal injection). Both protein and mRNA levels of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in liver tissues were evaluated by ELISA assay and quantitative PCR. Cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor-κB protein levels in liver tissues were analyzed by western blotting. Results: Liver injury induced by LPS significantly increased necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor-κB in liver tissues. Treatment with ethanol extracts of S. baicalensis prevented all of these observed changes associated with LPS-induced injury in liver mice. Conclusions: Our study showed that S. baicalensis is potentially protective against LPS-induced liver injury in mice.

Objective: To investigate the protective potential of ethanolic extracts of Tetracera scandens L. (T. scandens) against CCl4 induced oxidative stress in liver tissues. Methods: Dried leaf powder of T. scandens was extracted with ethanol and concentrated to yield a dry residue. Rats were administered with 100 mg/kg of ethanolic extracts orally once daily for one week. Animals were subsequently administered with a single dose of CCl4 (1 mL/kg body weight, intraperitoneal injection). Various assays, such as serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation (carbonyl protein group), tumor necrosis factor alpha, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, were used to assess damage caused by CCl4 and the protective effects of the ethanol extract on liver tissues. Results: Hepatotoxicity induced by CCl4 was evidenced by a significant increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase level, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl group, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, as well as decreased activity of the hepatic antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase). Treatment with ethanolic T. scandens extracts prevented all of these typically observed changes in CCl4-treated rats. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that T. scandens has a significant protective effect against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rat, which may be due to its antioxidant properties.

Giant freshwater prawn (GFP; Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is an exotic species that was introduced into China in 1976 and thereafter it became a major species in freshwater aquaculture. However the gene discovery in this species has been limited to small-scale data collection in China. We used the next generation sequencing technology for the experiment; the transcriptome was sequenced of samples of hepatopancreas organ in individuals from 4 GFP groups (A1, A2, B1 and B2). De novo transcriptome sequencing generated 66,953 isogenes. Using BLASTX to search the Non-redundant (NR), Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) databases; 21,224 unigenes were annotated, 9,552 matched unigenes with the Gene Ontology (GO) classification; 5,782 matched unigenes in 25 categories of Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG) and 20,859 unigenes were consequently assigned to 312 KEGG pathways. Between the A and B groups 147 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified; between the A1 and A2 groups 6,860 DEGs were identified and between the B1 and B2 groups 5,229 DEGs were identified. After enrichment, the A and B groups identified 38 DEGs, but none of them were significantly enriched. The A1 and A2 groups identified 21,856 DEGs in three main categories based on functional groups: biological process, cellular_component and molecular function and the KEGG pathway defined 2,459 genes had a KEGG Ortholog-ID (KO-ID) and could be categorized into 251 pathways, of those, 9 pathways were significantly enriched. The B1 and B2 groups identified 5,940 DEGs in three main categories based on functional groups: biological process, cellular_component and molecular function, and the KEGG pathway defined 1,543 genes had a KO-ID and could be categorized into 240 pathways, of those, 2 pathways were significantly enriched. We investigated 99 queries (GO) which related to growth of GFP in 4 groups. After enrichment we identified 23 DEGs and 1 KEGG PATHWAY 'ko04711' relation with GFP growth.