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There has been a series of bird surveys conducted in Vietnam over the last 20 years. However, most of these studies and surveys have focused on sites in Tonkin, the Red River Delta, Cochinchina (Mekong Delta), the Central Highlands and mountainous areas of Central Annam (Central region of Vietnam). The central coastal plain as well as the mountainous region of North Annam have rarely been comprehensively investigated.As a result of our field surveys in 2023 and 2024, a total of 15 species of birds are recorded for the first time from North, Central and South Annam, comprising one Frigate-Bird species (Fregatidae), one ibis (Threskiornithidae), one reed-warbler (Acrocephalidae), one Treecreeper (Certhiidae), two buntings (Emberizidae), one chat (Muscicapidae), one yuhina (Zosteropidae), two nuthatches (Sittidae), two members of the laughingthrush family (Leiothrichidae) and three bulbuls (Pycnonotidae). In addition to photographs confirming the new records, we provide information on the distribution and conservation status of these newly-recorded bird species from Central Vietnam.

Abstract Background Recent years have seen a growing interest in the use of digital tools for delivering person-centred mental health care. Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM), a structured diary technique for capturing moment-to-moment variation in experience and behaviour in service users’ daily life, reflects a particularly promising avenue for implementing a person-centred approach. While there is evidence on the effectiveness of ESM-based monitoring, uptake in routine mental health care remains limited. The overarching aim of this hybrid effectiveness-implementation study is to investigate, in detail, reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance as well as contextual factors, processes, and costs of implementing ESM-based monitoring, reporting, and feedback into routine mental health care in four European countries (i.e., Belgium, Germany, Scotland, Slovakia). Methods In this hybrid effectiveness-implementation study, a parallel-group, assessor-blind, multi-centre cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) will be conducted, combined with a process and economic evaluation. In the cRCT, 24 clinical units (as the cluster and unit of randomization) at eight sites in four European countries will be randomly allocated using an unbalanced 2:1 ratio to one of two conditions: (a) the experimental condition, in which participants receive a Digital Mobile Mental Health intervention (DMMH) and other implementation strategies in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) or (b) the control condition, in which service users are provided with TAU. Outcome data in service users and clinicians will be collected at four time points: at baseline (t0), 2-month post-baseline (t1), 6-month post-baseline (t2), and 12-month post-baseline (t3). The primary outcome will be patient-reported service engagement assessed with the service attachment questionnaire at 2-month post-baseline. The process and economic evaluation will provide in-depth insights into in-vivo context-mechanism-outcome configurations and economic costs of the DMMH and other implementation strategies in routine care, respectively. Discussion If this trial provides evidence on reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance of implementing ESM-based monitoring, reporting, and feedback, it will form the basis for establishing its public health impact and has significant potential to bridge the research-to-practice gap and contribute to swifter ecological translation of digital innovations to real-world delivery in routine mental health care. Trial registration ISRCTN15109760 (ISRCTN registry, date: 03/08/2022).

Although the conventional relational database model is very useful for modeling, designing and implementing large-scale systems, it is limited for expressing and dealing with uncertain and imprecise information. In this paper, we introduce a new relational database model whose relational attributes may take a set of values associated with a probability interval for representing and handling uncertain and imprecise information in practice. To build the new database model, we use three key methods: (1) Extended probabilistic values of set data types are proposed for representing uncertain set-valued attributes; (2) The probabilistic interpretations of binary relations on sets are defined for computing the uncertain degree of relations on set values of relational attributes; and (3) The combination strategies of probability intervals are employed for manipulating uncertain data relations. Then, fundamental concepts as schemas, probabilistic relations, probabilistic relational database, the selection operation and uncertain and imprecise information queries are defined coherently and consistently for the new model.

ABSTRACT Human intestinal enteroids (HIEs) are gaining recognition as physiologically relevant models of the intestinal epithelium. While HIEs from adults are used extensively in biomedical research, few studies have used HIEs from infants. Considering the dramatic developmental changes that occur during infancy, it is important to establish models that represent infant intestinal characteristics and physiological responses. We established jejunal HIEs from infant surgical samples and performed comparisons to jejunal HIEs from adults using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and morphologic analyses. We then validated differences in key pathways through functional studies and determined whether these cultures recapitulate known features of the infant intestinal epithelium. RNA-Seq analysis showed significant differences in the transcriptome of infant and adult HIEs, including differences in genes and pathways associated with cell differentiation and proliferation, tissue development, lipid metabolism, innate immunity, and biological adhesion. Validating these results, we observed a higher abundance of cells expressing specific enterocyte, goblet cell, and enteroendocrine cell markers in differentiated infant HIE monolayers, and greater numbers of proliferative cells in undifferentiated 3D cultures. Compared to adult HIEs, infant HIEs portray characteristics of an immature gastrointestinal epithelium including significantly shorter cell height, lower epithelial barrier integrity, and lower innate immune responses to infection with an oral poliovirus vaccine. HIEs established from infant intestinal tissues reflect characteristics of the infant gut and are distinct from adult cultures. Our data support the use of infant HIEs as an ex vivo model to advance studies of infant-specific diseases and drug discovery for this population.IMPORTANCETissue or biopsy stem cell-derived human intestinal enteroids are increasingly recognized as physiologically relevant models of the human gastrointestinal epithelium. While enteroids from adults and fetal tissues have been extensively used for studying many infectious and non-infectious diseases, there are few reports on enteroids from infants. We show that infant enteroids exhibit both transcriptomic and morphological differences compared to adult cultures. They also differ in functional responses to barrier disruption and innate immune responses to infection, suggesting that infant and adult enteroids are distinct model systems. Considering the dramatic changes in body composition and physiology that begin during infancy, tools that appropriately reflect intestinal development and diseases are critical. Infant enteroids exhibit key features of the infant gastrointestinal epithelium. This study is significant in establishing infant enteroids as age-appropriate models for infant intestinal physiology, infant-specific diseases, and responses to pathogens.

Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae (Pca) is an important fungal pathogen causing crown rust that impacts oat production worldwide. Genetic resistance for crop protection against Pca is often overcome by the rapid virulence evolution of the pathogen. This study investigated the factors shaping adaptive evolution of Pca using pathogen populations from distinct geographic regions within the United States and South Africa. Phenotypic and genome-wide sequencing data of these diverse Pca collections, including 217 isolates, uncovered phylogenetic relationships and established distinct genetic composition between populations from northern and southern regions from the United States and South Africa. The population dynamics of Pca involve a bidirectional movement of inoculum between northern and southern regions of the United States and contributions from clonality and sexuality. The population from South Africa is solely clonal. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) employing a haplotype-resolved Pca reference genome was used to define 11 virulence-associated loci corresponding to 25 oat differential lines. These regions were screened to determine candidate Avr effector genes. Overall, the GWAS results allowed us to identify the underlying genetic factors controlling pathogen recognition in an oat differential set used in the United States to assign pathogen races (pathotypes). Key GWAS findings support complex genetic interactions in several oat lines, suggesting allelism among resistance genes or redundancy of genes included in the differential set, multiple resistance genes recognizing genetically linked Avr effector genes, or potentially epistatic relationships. A careful evaluation of the composition of the oat differential set accompanied by the development or implementation of molecular markers is recommended. [Graphic: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

In forensics, one-third of sudden deaths remain unexplained after a forensic autopsy. A majority of these sudden unexplained deaths (SUDs) are considered to be caused by inherited cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigated 40 young SUD cases (AKAP9, CSRP3, GSN, HTRA1, KCNA5, LAMA4, MYBPC3, MYH6, MYLK, RYR2, SCN5A, SCN10A, SLC4A3, TNNI3, TNNI3K, and TNNT2. Of these, eight variants were novel, and nine variants were reported in the ClinVar database. Five were determined to be pathogenic and four were not evaluated. The novel and unevaluated variants were predicted by using in silico tools, which revealed that four novel variants (c.5187_5188dup, p.Arg1730llefsTer4 in the AKAP9 gene; c.1454A>T, p.Lys485Met in the MYH6 gene; c.2535+1G>A in the SLC4A3 gene; and c.10498G>T, p.Asp3500Tyr in the RYR2 gene) were pathogenic and three variants (c.292C>G, p.Arg98Gly in the TNNI3 gene; c.683C>A, p.Pro228His in the KCN5A gene; and c.2275G>A, p.Glu759Lys in the MYBPC3 gene) still need to be further verified experimentally. The results of our study contributed to the general understanding of the causes of SUDs. They provided a scientific basis for screening the risk of sudden death in family members of victims. They also suggested that the Targeted NGS method may be used to identify the pathogenic variants in SUD victims.

ABSTRACTBackground Sexual and gender minorities face high levels of stigma, discrimination, and violence. In many countries, they are often criminalized and are at risk of mental health challenges. In Zambia, little is known about the psychosocial challenges and coping strategies of sexual and gender minorities. This study sought to explore psychosocial challenges and coping strategies among sexual and gender minority populations in Lusaka, Zambia to inform mental health and human rights promotion for this population.Methods The study used a qualitative phenomenological study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 16 sexual and gender minority participants (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) and four key informants. The sexual minorities included four lesbian, five gay, and three bisexual participants while the gender minorities included two transgender men and two transgender women. Interviews with gender and sexual minorities were mostly focused on the lived experiences of participants, while those of key informants focused on their work with sexual and gender minorities. Snowball strategy was used to recruit participants, while purposive sampling was used to select key informants. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was carried out with the aid of Nvivo 12 software.Results Psychosocial challenges included victimization in the form of threats and physical assault. Stigma and discrimination were experienced in different settings such as healthcare, the workplace, and school. Participants reported having experienced feelings of depression. Rejection from family members was experienced by those who revealed their sexual or gender minority status. Reported coping strategies included social support, self-concealment, listening to music, and substance use.Conclusion This study suggests that sexual and gender minorities in Zambia experience various psychosocial challenges related to their sexuality and gender identity. To assist them cope better with the obstacles they experience, improved psychosocial counseling and mental health services are needed.

Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome (CCS) is a rare, noninherited polyposis syndrome affecting 1 in every million individuals. Despite over 50 years of CCS cases, the etiopathogenesis and optimal treatment for CCS remains unknown due to the rarity of the disease and lack of model systems. To better understand the etiology of CCS, we generated human intestinal organoids (HIOs) from intestinal stem cells isolated from 2 patients. We discovered that CCS HIOs are highly proliferative and have increased numbers of enteroendocrine cells producing serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5HT). These features were also confirmed in patient tissue biopsies. Recombinant 5HT increased proliferation of non-CCS donor HIOs and inhibition of 5HT production in the CCS HIOs resulted in decreased proliferation, suggesting a link between local epithelial 5HT production and control of epithelial stem cell proliferation. This link was confirmed in genetically engineered HIOs with an increased number of enteroendocrine cells. This work provides a new mechanism to explain the pathogenesis of CCS and illustrates the important contribution of HIO cultures to understanding disease etiology and in the identification of novel therapies. Our work demonstrates the principle of using organoids for personalized medicine and sheds light on how intestinal hormones can play a role in intestinal epithelial proliferation.

The paper discusses the length to beam (L/B) ratio effects on ship resistance at three different Froude numbers using unsteady RANSE simulation. First, the JBC ship model was used as an initial hull form for verification and validation of predicted ship resistance results with measured data, and then the influence of the L/B ratio on ship resistance was carried out. Ship hull forms with different L/B ratios were produced from the initial one by using the Lackenby method. The numerical results obtained show the L/B ratio’s effect on ship resistance. Increases of the L/B ratio led to gradual reduction of the total ship resistance and vice versa. Analysis of the changing of the resistance components indicates that the pressure resistance changes are considerably larger than the frictional one. Finally, the paper analyses the difference in the flow field around the hull of the ship with variation of the L/B ratio to fully understand the physical phenomenon in the change of ship resistance at different L/B parameters.

AbstractIn 2010, Vietnam promulgated the Law on Environmental Protection Tax, introducing a comprehensive package of environmental levies. However, few studies have examined the impacts of such an environmental tax within the country. This study aims to explore the effects of the environmental protection tax, leading to higher fuel prices, on household welfare in Vietnam. Using data from the 2020 Household Living Standard Survey and an input-output approach, this paper finds that the total impact is relatively modest. Interestingly, the results reveal a non-linear relationship between the total effects of rising fuel prices and per capita expenditure. Households in the top quintile are the most affected, followed by those in the third and bottom quintiles. Geographically, wealthier urban households and poorer rural households are primarily affected. These findings suggest that increasing the environmental protection tax on petroleum products could be an effective measure to nudge households’ and producers’ demands toward a greener economy. Simultaneously, mitigating any adverse impacts on household welfare is crucial, particularly for poor households in rural areas. Possible solutions include (i) direct and indirect financial subsidies; (ii) clear public communication about the rationale behind an environmental tax on petroleum; (iii) promoting efficient fuel use and launching campaigns to adjust households’ and producers’ demand for fuel products, encouraging a shift from fossil fuels to greener energy alternatives.

This paper introduces an extended type-2 fuzzy relational database model (ET-2FRDB) for aggregate and grouping operations that can represent and query uncertain and imprecise information in the real world applications. In ET-2FRDB, each fuzzy relation is represented by a type-2 fuzzy set whose membership degree of each tuple is a fuzzy number on [0, 1], the fuzzy aggregate functions, the fuzzy relational algebraic, aggregate and grouping operations are defined as extensions of those in the classical relational database model thereby the membership degree of tuples associated by using the minimum and maximum of fuzzy numbers. Also, some properties of the fuzzy relational algebraic, aggregate and grouping operations in ET-2FRDB are formulated and proven.

This research utilizes a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to comprehensively examine the intricate interactions among various factors influencing corruption in Vietnam’s public sector. The findings reveal that certain factors, including inadequate anti-corruption policies and enforcement, a lack of accountability and transparency in anti-corruption endeavors, and significant income disparities between public officials and anti-corruption measures, significantly and positively impact the cultural and social norms associated with anti-corruption. Additionally, insufficient cultural and social standards exert a notable and positive influence on the level of corruption in the public sector. The outcomes of this study provide valuable insights for developing effective policies and strategies that promote accountability, transparency, and good governance to combat corruption in Vietnam’s public sector.

Trolox (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchromane-2-carboxylic acid) is a highly hydrophilic α-tocopherol analog that is widely used as a standard against which the antioxidant ability of other chemicals is measured and represented in Trolox equivalents. However, the effect of pH values on the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity has not been fully studied yet. In this study, the HOO• antiradical activity of Trolox in water was studied. It was found that the H-abstraction of the O1-H bond determined the activity of the neutral and monoanion states, whereas the electron transfer reaction of the hydroxyl anion state determined the activity of the dianion state. Although the total rate constant increased following the increase in pH levels, the overall rate constant of the Trolox + HOO• reaction in water changed when pH levels rose due to the decrease in HOO• molar fraction. The results also revealed that at pH < 2, the O1-radical was the main intermediate of the Trolox + HOO• reaction in water, whereas, at pH ---gt--- 5, the anion-radical was the significant intermediate. Thus the rate constants and the reaction intermediates vary with the pH values.

Abstract This study evaluated the suitability of commercially produced fermented corn protein concentrate (FCPC) known as MOTIV® (Cargill's IP Product), in replacing fishmeal (FM) and/or poultry by‐product meal (PBM) on growth and health performances of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. A 60‐day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the use of five iso‐nitrogenous and iso‐lipidic diets containing 0% FCPC (control), 7.5% FCPC and 1.5% Krill meal (KM) replacing 9% of FM (FCPC 1), 7.5% FCPC and 1% KM replacing 2% poultry by‐product meal (PBM) and 6.5% FM (FCPC2), 7.5% FCPC replacing 3.5% PBM and 4% FM (FCPC3) and 7.5% FCPC to replace 7.5% PBM (FCPC4) on growth performance, total haemocytes count, lysozyme activity, body composition, resistance on acute salinity change, total number of bacteria and histomorphological condition of the hepatopancreas of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. At the end of the growth trial, the dietary treatments significantly affect the growth performance of shrimp with better growth obtained in shrimp treated with FCPC 1 and 4 compared to the control treatment. For the non‐specific immune system, the inclusion of FCPC had significantly improved the lysozyme activity of L. vannamei but no significant effect to the total haemocytes counts. Total numbers of bacteria were lower in the hepatopancreas of shrimp fed on FCPC diets compared to the control treatment. In addition, FCPC diets increased survivability of shrimp acute salinity stress compared to the control group. Our findings suggested that FCPC could be used as an alternative for a sustainable approach to replace FM and/or PBM in shrimp diets to have better growth as well as enhancing stress resistances and increasing antibacterial responses of shrimp through enhancing the lysozyme activities in L. vannamei

Cadmium (Cd) is toxic for humans, but its effects on the yield and quality of rice under contaminated irrigation conditions remain uncertain. In this study, paddy soils in the Red River Delta (Vietnam) were selected for experiments with the purpose of understanding the effects of Cd contaminated irrigation water on growth, yields, and grain Cd accumulation. In addition, biochar was produced from rice husk (BRH) and rice straw for preventing Cd infiltration into rice was also studied in this experiment. A field experiment was established with applicated BRH and straw into polluted paddy soil, as a result the Cd content in grains reduced significantly. The Cd contaminated soil was added to the BRH and rice straw (RS) with six ratios, including: (1) RS 2.5%, (2) BRH 2.5%, (3) RS-BRH: 1.25%-1.25%, (4) RS 5.0%, (5) BRH 5.0%, (6) RS-BRH: 2.5%-2.5%, (w:w). Besides, three content levels 0.01 - 0.05 - 0.5 mg/L of Cd in irrigation water were applied throughout crop season. The results showed that the Cd accumulation in rice was in the following order: roots > stems > seeds. With 3 contaminated irrigation levels which were applied, the Cd concentrations of 0.05 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L affected plant height and yield. However, the Cd content in grains under contaminated soil condition can be controlled from 82.47 – 83.94% by applying a BRH ratio from 2.5 - 5% (w:w).

Abstract Background Accurately testing, treating, and tracking all malaria cases is critical to achieving elimination. Ensuring health providers are able and motivated to test, treat, and report cases is a necessary component of elimination programmes, and particularly challenging in low endemic settings where providers may not encounter a large volume of cases. This study aimed to understand provider motivations to test, treat, and report malaria cases to better optimize programme design, adjust incentive schemes, and ultimately improve reporting rates while growing the evidence base around private providers in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Methods With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this study aimed to identify and validate distinctive subtypes of motivation among private sector providers enrolled in the Greater Mekong Subregion Elimination of Malaria through Surveillance (GEMS) programme, implemented by Population Services International. Quantitative questionnaires were administered electronically in person by trained enumerators to various provider groups in Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. A three-stage confirmatory factor analysis was then conducted in STATA. Results Following this analysis, a two-factor solution that describes motivation in this population of providers was identified, and providers were scored on the two dimensions of motivation. The correlation between the two rotated factors was 0.3889, and the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy was 0.93, indicating an excellent level of suitability. These providers, who are often assumed to only be financially motivated, engaged in malaria elimination activities because of both internal and external motivational factors that are independent of remuneration or financial gain. For all three countries’ data, significant covariances between the two latent variables for internal and external motivation were found. The models were found to be of adequate to good fit for the data across all three countries. It was determined that private sector providers, who were previously believed to be primarily financially motivated, were also motivated by personal factors. Motivation was also associated with key outcomes of importance to malaria elimination, such as reporting and stocking of tests and treatments. Conclusion Maintaining or increasing provider motivation to test and treat is essential in the fight to eliminate malaria from the GMS, as it helps to ensure that providers continue to pursue this goal, even in a low incidence environment where cases may be rare and in which providers face financial pressure to focus on areas of health service provision. Establishing mechanisms to better motivate providers through intrinsic factors is likely to have a substantive impact on the sustainability of malaria case management activities.

Metal oxides are ideal for the fabrication of gas sensors: they are sensitive to many gases while allowing the device to be simple, tiny, and inexpensive. Nonetheless, their lack of selectivity remains a limitation. In order to achieve good selectivity in applications with many possible interfering gases, the sensors are inserted into an electronic nose that combines the signals from nonselective sensors and analyzes them with multivariate statistical algorithms in order to obtain selectivity. This review analyzes the scientific articles published in the last decade regarding electronic noses based on metal oxide nanowires. After a general introduction, Section 2 discusses the issues related to poor intrinsic selectivity. Section 3 briefly reviews the main algorithms that have hitherto been used and the results they can provide. Section 4 classifies the recent literature into fundamental research, agrifood, health, security. In Section 5, the literature is analyzed regarding the metal oxides, the surface decoration nanoparticles, the features that differentiate the sensors in a given array, the application for which the device was developed, the algorithm used, and the type of information obtained. Section 6 concludes by discussing the present state and points out the requirements for their use in real-world applications.

Guidance on contextually tailored implementation strategies for the prevention, treatment, and control of hypertension is limited in lower-middle income countries (Lower-MIC). To address this limitation, we compiled implementation strategies and accompanying outcomes of evidence-based hypertension interventions currently being implemented in five Lower-MIC. The Global Research on Implementation and Translation Science (GRIT) Coordinating Center (CC) (GRIT-CC) engaged its global network sites at Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, and Vietnam. Purposively sampled implementation science experts completed an electronic survey assessing implementation outcomes, in addition to implementation strategies used in their ongoing hypertension interventions from among 73 strategies within the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC). Experts rated the strategies based on highest priority to their interventions. We analyzed the data by sorting implementation strategies utilized by sites into one of the nine domains in ERIC and summarized the data using frequencies, proportions, and means. Seventeen implementation experts (52.9% men) participated in the exercise. Of Proctor's implementation outcomes identified across sites, all outcomes except for appropriateness were broadly assessed by three or more countries. Overall, 59 out of 73 (81%) strategies were being utilized in the five countries. The highest priority implementation strategies utilized across all five countries focused on evaluative and iterative strategies (e.g., identification of context specific barriers and facilitators) to delivery of patient- and community-level interventions, while the lowest priority was use of financial and infrastructure change strategies. More capacity building strategies (developing stakeholder interrelationships, training and educating stakeholders, and supporting clinicians) were incorporated into interventions implemented in India and Vietnam than Ghana, Kenya, and Guatemala. Although robust implementation strategies are being used in Lower -MICs, there is minimum use of financial and infrastructure change strategies. Our study contributes to the growing literature that demonstrates the use of Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) implementation strategies to deliver evidence-based hypertension interventions in Lower-MICs and will inform future cross-country data harmonization activities in resource-constrained settings.

Integrin αMβ2 (Mac-1, CD11b/CD18, CR3) is an important adhesion receptor expressed on monocytes. Mac-1 is responsible for mediating cell migration, phagocytosis, degranulation as well as cell-cell fusion. It is also the most promiscuous integrin in terms of ligand specificity with over 100 ligands, most of which use the αMI-domain as their binding site. Despite the importance of αMI-domain in defining ligand interactions of Mac-1, structural studies of αMI-domain's interactions with ligands are lacking. In particular, solution NMR studies of αMI-domain's interaction with ligands have not been possible because the most commonly used active αMI-domain mutants (I316G and ΔK315) are not sufficiently stable and soluble to be used in solution NMR. The goal of this study is to identify an αMI-domain active mutant that's amenable to NMR characterization. By screening known activating mutations of αMI-domain, we determined that the Q163C/Q309C mutant, which converts the αMI-domain into its active form through the formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond, can be produced with a high yield and is more stable than other active mutants. In addition, the Q163C/Q309C mutant has better NMR spectral quality than other active mutants and its affinity for ligands is comparable to other active mutants. Analysis of the Co2+-induced pseudocontact shifts in the Q163C/Q309C mutant showed the structure of the mutant is consistent with the active conformation. Finally, we show that the minor fraction of the Q163C/Q309C mutant without the disulfide bond can be removed through the use of carboxymethyl sepharose chromatography. We think the availability of this mutant for NMR study will significantly enhance structural characterizations of αMI-domain-ligand interactions.

Abstract Background Countries in the Greater Mekong sub-region (GMS) aim to eliminate all forms of malaria by 2030. In Cambodia and Vietnam, forest-goers are at an increased risk of malaria. Universal access to prompt diagnosis and treatment is a core malaria intervention. This can only be achieved by understanding the healthcare-seeking behaviour among the most vulnerable groups and eliminating barriers to prompt and effective treatment. This study aimed to explore healthcare-seeking behaviours for febrile illness among populations at risk for malaria in Cambodia and Vietnam. Methods In 2019, researchers from Population Services International (PSI) conducted a population-based survey of forest-goers in Cambodia and Vietnam using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) In Cambodia two operational districts, Oral and Phnom Srouch in Kampong Speu Province were included in the study. In Vietnam, communes located within 15 km of the forest edge in Binh Phuoc and Gia Lai Provinces were selected. Adults who had spent at least one night per week or four nights per month in the forest over the previous three months were eligible for the study. Results Some 75% of forest-goers in Cambodia and 65% in Vietnam sought treatment for illness outside the home. In Cambodia, 39% sought treatment from the private sector, 32% from community health workers, and 24% from public health facilities. In Vietnam, 62% sought care from community facilities, 29.3% from the private sector, and 6.9% went to a public facility. Among forest-goers who sought care, 33% in Cambodia and 52% in Vietnam did so within 24 h. Conclusions This study is consistent with others that show that early diagnosis and treatment of malaria remains an obstacle to malaria elimination. This study also demonstrates that there are gaps in timeliness of care seeking among forest-goers. The findings from this study around provider preference and delays in treatment-seeking can be used to strengthen the design and targeting of malaria interventions and social and behaviour change strategies to accelerate malaria elimination in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Abstract We present a numerical model to simulate the growth and deformation of a viscoelastic biofilm in shear flow under different nutrient conditions. The mechanical interaction between the biofilm and the fluid is computed using the Immersed Boundary Method with viscoelastic parameters determined a priori from measurements reported in the literature. Biofilm growth occurs at the biofilm-fluid interface by a stochastic rule that depends on the local nutrient concentration. We compare the growth, migration, and morphology of viscoelastic biofilms with a common relaxation time of 18 min over the range of elastic moduli 10–1000 Pa in different nearby nutrient source configurations. Simulations with shear flow and an upstream or a downstream nutrient source indicate that soft biofilms grow more if nutrients are downstream and stiff biofilms grow more if nutrients are upstream. Also, soft biofilms migrate faster than stiff biofilms toward a downstream nutrient source, and although stiff biofilms migrate toward an upstream nutrient source, soft biofilms do not. Simulations without nutrients show that on the time scale of several hours, soft biofilms develop irregular structures at the biofilm-fluid interface, but stiff biofilms deform little. Our results agree with the biophysical principle that biofilms can adapt to their mechanical and chemical environment by modulating their viscoelastic properties. We also compare the behavior of a purely elastic biofilm to a viscoelastic biofilm with the same elastic modulus of 50 Pa. We find that the elastic biofilm underestimates growth rates and downstream migration rates if the nutrient source is downstream, and it overestimates growth rates and upstream migration rates if the nutrient source is upstream. Future modeling can use our comparison to identify errors that can occur by simulating biofilms as purely elastic structures.

The performance of a magnetic-field-assisted finishing (MAF) process, an advanced surface finishing process, is severely affected by the rheological properties of an MAF brush. The yield stress and viscosity of the MAF brush, comprising iron particles and abrasives mixed in a liquid carrier medium, change depending on the brush’s constituents and the applied magnetic field, which in turn affect the material removal mechanism and the corresponding final surface roughness after the MAF. A series of experiments was conducted to delineate the effect of MAF processing conditions on the yield stress of the MAF brush. The experimental data were fitted into commonly used rheology models. The Herschel–Bulkley (HB) model was found to be the most suitable fit (lowest sum of square errors (SSE)) for the shear stress–shear rate data obtained from the rheology tests and used to calculate the yield stress of the MAF brush. Processing parameters, such as magnetic flux density, weight ratio of iron and abrasives, and abrasive (black ceramic in this study) size, with p-values of 0.031, 0.001 and 0.037, respectively, (each of them lower than the significance level of 0.05), were all found to be statistically significant parameters that affected the yield stress of the MAF brush. Yield stress increased with magnetic flux density and the weight ratio of iron to abrasives in MAF brush and decreased with abrasive size. A new process model, a rheology-integrated model (RM), was formulated using the yield stress data from HB model to determine the indentation depth of individual abrasives in the workpiece during the MAF process. The calculated indentation depth enabled us to predict the material removal rate (MRR) and the instantaneous surface roughness. The predicted MRR and surface roughness from the RM model were found to be a better fit with the experimental data than the pre-existing contact mechanics model (CMM) and wear model (WM) with a R2 of 0.91 for RM as compared to 0.76 and 0.78 for CMM and WM. Finally, the RM, under parametric variations, showed that MRR increases and roughness decreases as magnetic flux density, rotational speed, weight ratio of iron to abrasive particles in MAF brush, and initial roughness increase, and abrasive size decreases.

Recent developments show that an increasing number of organisations, regardless of type and size, understand that there is a need for them to make an active contribution to society, both socially and environmentally, while maintaining their financial profitability. It is no longer possible to waste resources and ignore the expectations of both internal and external stakeholders. To address these developments, all organisations are required to adapt their business models. Against this background, this paper provides a systematic review of the extant research on sustainable business models (SBMs) in smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to establish the current body of knowledge and, on this basis, to suggest some promising avenues for future research. Given the impact of SMEs on the majority of economies and their consequent role in addressing present and future societal challenges, there is a clear justification for this study. The review of 85 refereed articles shows that, although a good body of knowledge about the topic has been developed during the period covered in this study, there is still a need for further rigorous research. It appears that certain shortcomings, stressed by some researchers in the past, still prevail. The study’s findings advance the current understanding of SBMs in SMEs and highlight several promising research avenues that scholars who are interested in the study of SBMs, in general, and SBMs in SMEs, in particular, might address.

The amplification of Coronavirus risk on social media sees Vietnam falling volatile to a chaotic sphere of mis/disinformation and incivility, which instigates a movement to counter its effects on public anxiety and fear. Benign or malign, these civil forces generate a huge public pressure to keep the one-party system on toes, forcing it to be unusually transparent in responding to public concerns.

Strain Ug99 of the wheat stem rust pathogen, Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, is a major threat to global food security. Here, the authors present genomic analyses supporting that Ug99 arose as a result of non-sexual genetic exchange between dikaryotic ancestors.

Background: National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs) currently make limited use of parasite genetic data. We have developed GenRe-Mekong, a platform for genetic surveillance of malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) that enables NMCPs to implement large-scale surveillance projects by integrating simple sample collection procedures in routine public health procedures. Methods: Samples from symptomatic patients are processed by SpotMalaria, a high-throughput system that produces a comprehensive set of genotypes comprising several drug resistance markers, species markers and a genomic barcode. GenRe-Mekong delivers Genetic Report Cards, a compendium of genotypes and phenotype predictions used to map prevalence of resistance to multiple drugs. Results: GenRe-Mekong has worked with NMCPs and research projects in eight countries, processing 9623 samples from clinical cases. Monitoring resistance markers has been valuable for tracking the rapid spread of parasites resistant to the dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine combination therapy. In Vietnam and Laos, GenRe-Mekong data have provided novel knowledge about the spread of these resistant strains into previously unaffected provinces, informing decision-making by NMCPs. Conclusions: GenRe-Mekong provides detailed knowledge about drug resistance at a local level, and facilitates data sharing at a regional level, enabling cross-border resistance monitoring and providing the public health community with valuable insights. The project provides a rich open data resource to benefit the entire malaria community. Funding: The GenRe-Mekong project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP11188166, OPP1204268). Genotyping and sequencing were funded by the Wellcome Trust (098051, 206194, 203141, 090770, 204911, 106698/B/14/Z) and Medical Research Council (G0600718). A proportion of samples were collected with the support of the UK Department for International Development (201900, M006212), and Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Even though the matter was not widely acknowledged, informal recycling plays a vital role in waste treatment in many developing countries. In Vietnam, the management of waste collection and treatment faces many difficulties, as there is no statistical data or description of the informal sector in waste collection and recycling to clarify their role, their scale, and their capacity. This paper presents the preliminary data processed by informal waste collectors and aggregators in six Vietnamese cities, namely, Vinh, Nha Trang, Buon Ma Thuot, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh, and Hanoi. The surveys were conducted from January 2017 to December 2019 by the JEAI Recycurbs Viet project [1] and then from August 2019 to December 2020 in the framework of the COMPOSE project (2019–2021) [2]. Geographical and sociology data of aggregators will demonstrate the overall background of the presence, spatial allocation, and the establishment process of aggregators in the surveyed cities to find the patterns of establishment and operations of these aggregators. The data will be the basis for the development of policy making on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Vietnam.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely deployed in many applications such as transportation, data collection, monitoring, or tracking objects. Nowadays, numerous missions require UAVs to operate in a large area or to complete missions in a stringent period of time. Using a single UAV may not meet theperformance requirements because of its small size and limited battery. In this situation, multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as an effective measure that can address these limitations. A group ofUAVs cooperatively working together could offer a solution that is more efficient and economical than usinga powerful UAV alone. To better utilizing the multiple-UAVs system, control of formation UAVs is a critical challenge that needs to overcome. Therefore, formation control has become an active research topic that gains great attention from researchers. Extensive research efforts have been dedicated to studying the formation control problem with numerous control protocols which have been proposed. This paper reviews the profound studies on formation control in literature. Each approach is investigated based on different criteria, which highlights its distinct merits and demerits. The comparison is provided to facilitate the readers in their future researches in the field of formation control. Finally, some open challenges and research directions are also discussed.

On inland waterways the ship resistance and propulsive characteristics are strictly related to the depth of the waterway, thus it is important to have an understanding of the influence of water depth on ship hydrodynamic characteristics. Therefore, accurate predictions of hydrodynamic forces in restricted waterways are required and important. The aim of this paper is investigating the capability of the commercial unsteady Reynolds–Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver to predict the influence of water depth on ship resistance. The volume of fluid method (VOF) is applied to simulate the free surface flow around the ship. The hull resistance in shallow and deep water is compared. The obtained numerical results are validated against related experimental studies available in the literature.

Abstract Background Warfarin is classified as a high-alert medication for ambulatory healthcare and safe guards for high-alert medications are necessary, including the practice of mandatory patient education. The high cost of hospitalizations related to adverse events combined with the average bleeding event rate of 7–8% in spite of routine patient education, suggests the importance of new approaches to standardized health education on warfarin. We sought to evaluate the impact of a warfarin educational video using an electronic tablet on patient knowledge and to determine patients’ satisfaction with the use of an electronic tablet for educational purposes in outpatient clinics serving a low income, minority population. Methods A warfarin educational video delivered on an electronic tablet (iPad) was delivered at two pharmacist-managed anticoagulation clinics to uninsured patients whose annual income is equal or less than two hundred percent below the poverty level were offered. Patients (n = 18) completed a pre-video and post-video knowledge test on warfarin before and after viewing the warfarin educational video on an electronic tablet and a follow-up test to measure the retention of knowledge and a patient satisfaction survey at 60 days. The primary outcome was change in knowledge test scores. Other outcome measures included adherence rates, adverse events, time in therapeutic INR range, and patient-reported satisfaction scores. Results The majority of patients were uninsured men taking warfarin for atrial fibrillation (n = 5). The median scores at post-video knowledge test and follow-up knowledge test were significantly higher than that for the pre-knowledge test (12 (11–12) vs. 10(8–11), p

This study examines the Esplanade Underpass, an underground thoroughfare in Singapore that supports a range of public users and uses, despite not being a formally planned or officially designated public space. The Esplanade Underpass serves as an interesting case study as most public spaces in Singapore are zoned and governed by regulations of various kinds. The Esplanade Underpass, however, is minimally subject to these forms of surveillance and control. This research asks: What are the characteristics of the Esplanade Underpass that set it apart from the narrative of order and control often imposed upon public spaces in Singapore?” Through participant observation and interviews, the study investigates the users and uses of the Underpass. The study reveals how a range of users of the Underpass adapt the physical space for various uses, consequently establishing a series of informal social norms. Through varied habitual uses, the Underpass has been transformed from a place of transit into a meaningful public space which possesses a vibrant social life. The study highlights the nuances of social engagement that can work to make spaces “public” and offers a novel understanding of informally formed public space in Singapore.

The study aimed to produce fluorescent protein transgenic medaka Oryzias curvinotus (Nichols & Pope, 1927) as a novel strain of ornamental fish. These fish were produced by transferring a plasmid consisting of a fluorescent reporter gene and a strong promoter into one-cell stage embryos. For this purpose, myosin light chain 2, but not other promoters, was mainly used. The study also evaluated the stability of the transgenic medaka germline acquiring vivid fluorescent phenotypes via the transgenesis of the cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) gene under the control of O. curvinotus skeletal alpha-actin (OCacta) promoter. The pOCacta-CFP plasmid, containing a OCacta promoter and CFP reporter gene, was transferred into the one-cell stage of O. curvinotus embryos by a microinjection technique. As a result, 36 of 1386 microinjected O. curvinotus embryos exhibited CFP signals in their trunks. The expressed CFP signals in O. curvinotus embryos and adults were detected under a microscope using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) filter (450–490 nm wavelength), and blue LED light (400–450 nm wavelength). Five O. curvinotus founders showing clear CFP signals were selected and crossed with non-transgenic counterparts to produce subsequent generations. Among strains, the frequency of germline transmission from founder to F1 was highly variable. Only two of the five founders successfully pass the transgene to the F1 generation. At present, the progeny of subsequent generations is being produced and tested for the expression of CFP signals, and therefore, stable lines are ongoing.

Pathogen populations are expected to evolve virulence traits in response to resistance deployed in agricultural settings. However, few temporal datasets have been available to characterize this process at the population level. Here, we examined two temporally separated populations of Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae (Pca), which causes crown rust disease in oat (Avena sativa) sampled from 1990 to 2015. We show that a substantial increase in virulence occurred from 1990 to 2015 and this was associated with a genetic differentiation between populations detected by genome-wide sequencing. We found strong evidence for genetic recombination in these populations, showing the importance of the alternate host in generating genotypic variation through sexual reproduction. However, asexual expansion of some clonal lineages was also observed within years. Genome-wide association analysis identified seven Avr loci associated with virulence towards fifteen Pc resistance genes in oat and suggests that some groups of Pc genes recognize the same pathogen effectors. The temporal shift in virulence patterns in the Pca populations between 1990 and 2015 is associated with changes in allele frequency in these genomic regions. Nucleotide diversity patterns at a single Avr locus corresponding to Pc38, Pc39, Pc55, Pc63, Pc70, and Pc71 showed evidence of a selective sweep associated with the shift to virulence towards these resistance genes in all 2015 collected isolates.

Introduction: Pulmonary artery sling is a rare congenital vascular anomaly in which the left pulmonary artery originates from the right pulmonary artery, encircles the distal trachea and right main stem bronchus, and requiring early surgical interventions. Case presentation: We report a 8-month old girl who presented with 3 consecutive episodes within 2 months of recurrent respiratory symptoms and signs masquerading pneumonia. CT thorax and echocardiography showed an anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery from the right pulmonary artery passing behind the trachea. A left pulmonary artery reimplantation without tracheoplasty was performed. The child recovered slowly but uneventfully after surgery, and was discharged home in good health after 2-month-stay in the hospital. Conclusion: Although rare, pulmonary artery sling should not be overlooked in the differential diagnosis of children with recurrent respiratory symptoms. Prognosis after surgical repair without tracheoplasty seems to be good, and follow-up needs to be done routinely to identify the long-term consequences.

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become a revolution in the fields of data collection, surveying, monitoring, and tracking objects in the field. Many control and navigation algorithms are experimented and deployed for UAVs, especially quadrotors. Recent numerous approaches are geared towards reducing the influence of external disturbances to enhance the performance of UAVs. Nevertheless, designing cutting-edge controllers following the requirements of the applications is still a huge challenge. Based on the operating characteristics and movement principle of a quadrotor, this work reviews potential control algorithms of the current researches in the field of the quadrotor flight controller. Besides, a comparison has been made to provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the mentioned methods. At last, the challenges and future directions of the quadrotor flight controller are suggested.

OBJECTIVES The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rapidly increasing in Vietnam, particularly among adults aged over 45 years. This study estimated trends in diabetes and prediabetes prevalence and determined risk factors in Vietnamese adults (over 45 years). METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from an annual diabetes screening program among people aged 45-69 years in an urban city in central Vietnam (Da Nang). Joinpoint regression analyses were performed to calculate the annual percentage change and ptrend-values. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors. RESULTS In total, 3,765 men and 9,149 women were included in this analysis. The age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in 2017 was 11.4% and 52.9%, respectively. The prevalence of diabetes was higher in men (15.1%) than in women (10.3%), but that of prediabetes was similar in both genders (53.4% vs. 52.8%). The prevalence of prediabetes significantly increased during the study period, whereas no upward or downward trend for diabetes was observed. The prevalence of obesity, abdominal obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia showed no obvious trend. Obesity, a high waist-to-hip ratio, hypertension, more severe abdominal obesity, and dyslipidemia were significantly associated with a higher risk of diabetes and prediabetes. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes and prediabetes were more prevalent among people aged over 45 years than in the general population. Da Nang has experienced a marked increase in the prevalence of prediabetes. These findings have significant implications regarding the need for nationwide public health interventions and management aiming at diabetes prevention and control.

A second cluster of COVID-19 cases imported from Europe occured in Vietnam from early March 2020. We describe 44 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive patients (cycle threshold value

Pleiotrophin (PTN) is a potent cytokine that plays an important role in neural generation, angiogenesis, inflammation, and cancers. Its interactions with the polysaccharide glycosaminoglycan (GAG) are crucial to PTN’s biological activities. In this study, we investigated the interaction of selectively protonated PTN with the heparin hexasaccharide ΔUA2S-(GlcNS6S-IdoA2S)2-GlcNS6S using solution NMR. The use of a structurally defined oligosaccharide and selectively protonated PTN enabled us to obtain intermolecular contacts using unfiltered NOESY experiments, significantly increasing the amount of high-resolution structural information obtainable. Our data showed that PTN’s arginines, lysines, and tryptophans in the two structured domains have strong interactions with the 2-O-sulfated uronate protons in the heparin hexasaccharide. Consistent with the NMR data is the observation that 2-O-desulfation and N-desulfation/N-acetylation significantly decreased heparin hexasaccharides’ affinity for PTN, while 6-O-desulfation only modestly affected the interactions with PTN. These results allowed us to hypothesize that PTN has a preference for sulfate clusters centered on the GlcNS6S-IdoA2S disaccharide. Using these data and the fact that PTN domains mostly bind heparin hexasaccharides independently, models of the PTN-heparin complex were constructed.

The presence of a nearby boundary is likely to be important in the life cycle and evolution of motile flagellate bacteria. This has led many authors to employ numerical simulations to model near-surface bacterial motion and compute hydrodynamic boundary effects. A common choice has been the method of images for regularized Stokeslets (MIRS); however, the method requires discretization sizes and regularization parameters that are not specified by any theory. To determine appropriate regularization parameters for given discretization choices in MIRS, we conducted dynamically similar macroscopic experiments and fit the simulations to the data. In the experiments, we measured the torque on cylinders and helices of different wavelengths as they rotated in a viscous fluid at various distances to a boundary. We found that differences between experiments and optimized simulations were less than 5% when using surface discretizations for cylinders and centerline discretizations for helices. Having determined optimal regularization parameters, we used MIRS to simulate an idealized free-swimming bacterium constructed of a cylindrical cell body and a helical flagellum moving near a boundary. We assessed the swimming performance of many bacterial morphologies by computing swimming speed, motor rotation rate, Purcell’s propulsive efficiency, energy cost per swimming distance, and a new metabolic energy cost defined to be the energy cost per body mass per swimming distance. All five measures predicted that the optimal flagellar wavelength is eight times the helical radius independently of body size and surface proximity. Although the measures disagreed on the optimal body size, they all predicted that body size is an important factor in the energy cost of bacterial motility near and far from a surface.

Augmented reality is one of the fastest growing fields, receiving increased funding for the last few years as people realise the potential benefits of rendering virtual information in the real world. Most of today’s augmented reality marker-based applications use local feature detection and tracking techniques. The disadvantage of applying these techniques is that the markers must be modified to match the unique classified algorithms or they suffer from low detection accuracy. Machine learning is an ideal solution to overcome the current drawbacks of image processing in augmented reality applications. However, traditional data annotation requires extensive time and labour, as it is usually done manually. This study incorporates machine learning to detect and track augmented reality marker targets in an application using deep neural networks. We firstly implement the auto-generated dataset tool, which is used for the machine learning dataset preparation. The final iOS prototype application incorporates object detection, object tracking and augmented reality. The machine learning model is trained to recognise the differences between targets using one of YOLO’s most well-known object detection methods. The final product makes use of a valuable toolkit for developing augmented reality applications called ARKit.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision in "SFFA v. Harvard" to upend nearly fifty years of legal precedent for race-conscious admissions, this article summarizes arguments grounded in decades of social science research that sought to dispel the erroneous claims put forth by the plaintiffs. In critiquing the inaccuracies and contradictions embedded within the Court's opinion, we argue that SFFA and the Court relied on inaccurate logics regarding race that were devoid of empirical research on the heterogeneity amongst Asian Americans as a racial category. We put forth evidence that contextualizes the racialized experiences of Asian Americans--influenced by historical immigration patterns of exclusion and hyperselectivity--and how they facilitate harmful stereotypes such as the model minority myth. Thus, it is incumbent upon social scientists to actively counteract misinformation and misrepresentation through the continued production and dissemination of empirical research. While race-conscious admissions may no longer be permissible, we contend that universities and colleges are uniquely positioned to reimagine new avenues for enhancing educational access that is rooted in racial equity.

Background: Esophagus cancer patients are at high risk of malnutrition. This study was performed to assess the nutritional status and dietary intake of newly diagnosed esophageal cancer patients in Vietnam National Cancer Hospital (NCH). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 206 early esophageal cancer inpatients after gastrostomy from September 2017 to June 2018. The chi-squared test, Fisher exact test, and Mann–Whitney test were performed. The software of the Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition was used to evaluate the dietary intake of patients. Results: All the participants were male with a mean age of 57.1 ± 8.5 years. Overall, 87.4% of patients had dysphagia. Furthermore, 82.5% and 90.8% of patients reported weight loss one and six months pre-diagnosis, respectively. Moreover, 52.9% of patients suffered from mild/moderate malnutrition and 29.6% of patients had severe malnutrition according to the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). The body mass index (BMI) and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement revealed 47.6% and 50% of undernourished patients, respectively. The proportions of patients having malnutrition were 10.7%, 55.8%, and 27.2% according to albumin, prealbumin, and total lymphocyte counts, respectively. The means of energy, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate in the patients’ 24 h preoperative diets were 973.6 ± 443.0 kcal/day, 42.4 ± 21.6 g/day, 31.0 ± 15.5 g/day, and 130.0 ± 64.5 g/day. The total energy, total protein, animal protein, total lipid, and plant lipid in the dietary intake of patients were strongly correlated with age, economic classification, and PG-SGA (each p < 0.05). The total energy intake increased day by day, with the average energy intake of 1343.9 ± 521.3 kcal on the seventh day. Energy and protein response rates increased day by day and were highest at 7 days post-operation at 18.0% and 19.4%. Conclusion: Malnutrition and insufficient intake are noteworthy in esophageal cancer patients. The PG-SGA is strongly correlated with the dietary intake of patients. The results from this study will help medical staff to prevent malnutrition and improve the nutritional status of esophageal cancer inpatients. Furthermore, public awareness should be raised on recognizing weight loss as an early symptom of esophageal cancer and the utilization of preoperative assessment tools for nutritional assessment and malnutrition management.

Standards-based induction is a nationally mandated support programme for newly appointed government-registered teachers in Indonesia. The Indonesian government continues to promote teacher standards in their teacher improvement scheme even though they have been criticised in the anglophone literature as a weak driver of teacher learning. This study investigated the impact of standards on novice-teacher learning during induction through the analytical lens of cultural-historical activity theory. Using a multiple case study approach, the data were collected from three elementary schools through interviews with novice teachers, mentors, and school principals as well as document analysis. The findings are that standards-based assessment has the potential to enable teachers to demonstrate the necessary competencies, but the learning process does not always work effectively in practice. This failure was due to the teachers' lack of trust in the standards and the confusion created when they negotiated the different expectations placed upon them. The confusion stemmed from the clash between the standards and local community values, the fragmented strategy of introducing and implementing the specified measures, the top-down nature of the command structure and harmony-oriented working cultures.

To improve tuberculosis (TB) care among individuals attending a private tertiary care hospital in Vietnam, an innovative private sector engagement model was implemented from June to December 2018. This included: (i) Active facility-based screening of all adults for TB symptoms (and chest x-ray (CXR) for those with symptoms) by trained and incentivized providers, with on-site diagnostic testing or transport of sputum samples, (ii) a mobile application to reduce dropout in the care cascade and (iii) enhanced follow-up care by community health workers. We conducted a cohort study using project and routine surveillance data for evaluation. Among 52,078 attendees, 368 (0.7%) had symptoms suggestive of TB and abnormalities on CXR. Among them, 299 (81%) were tested and 103 (34.4%) were diagnosed with TB. In addition, 195 individuals with normal CXR were indicated for TB testing by attending clinicians, of whom, seven were diagnosed with TB. Of the 110 TB patients diagnosed, 104 (95%) were initiated on treatment and 97 (93%) had a successful treatment outcome. Given the success of this model, the National TB Programme is considering to scale it up nationwide after undertaking a detailed cost-effectiveness analysis.