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Background: Receiving hemodialysis treatment makes end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients highly vulnerable amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, their kidney disease quality of life (KDQOL) is affected. We aimed to examine the association between fear of COVID-19 (FCoV-19) and KDQOL, and the effect modification of Health literacy (HL) on this association. Material and Methods: A survey was conducted at 8 hospitals from July 2020 to March 2021 on 972 patients. Data collection includes socio-demographic factors, clinical parameters, HL, digital healthy diet literacy (DDL), hemodialysis diet knowledge (HDK), FCoV-19, suspected COVID-19 symptoms (S-COVID-19-S), and KDQOL. Results: Higher HL scores B = 0.13 (95% CI = 0.06–0.21, p = 0.001) and HDK scores B = 0.58 (95% CI = 0.31–0.85, p = 0.001) were associated with higher KDQOL scores. Whereas, S-COVID-19-S B = −6.12 (95% CI = −7.66 to – 4.58, p = 0.001) and FCoV-19 B = −0.91 (95% CI = −1.03 to – 0.80, p = 0.001) were associated with lower KDQOL scores. Notably, higher HL scores significantly attenuate the negative impact of FCoV-19 on overall KDQOL and the kidney disease component summary. Conclusions: In hemodialysis patients, FCoV-19 and S-COVID-19-S were associated with a lower KDQOL. Health literacy significantly mitigates the negative impact of FCoV-19 on KDQOL. Strategic public health interventions to improve HL are suggested to protect patient's KDQOL during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that has become a significant concern in pediatric mental health due to its rising prevalence in recent years. Despite this increase, the prevalence of ASD and its associated risk factors remain poorly understood. This study aims to elucidate the prevalence of ASD and its associated risk factors among preschool children in southern Vietnam. Methods This prospective study was conducted from June 2021 to December 2022 and included 9,397 children (4,813 boys and 4,584 girls) aged 24 to 72 months, attending 41 kindergartens in southern Vietnam. Diagnoses of ASD were made by qualified pediatric psychiatrists using DSM-5 criteria. Data on ASD-related variables were collected through a structured questionnaire administered by trained preschool teachers. Univariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify associations between independent variables and the prevalence of ASD, followed by multivariate logistic regression models to control for potential confounders. Results. The overall prevalence of ASD among children aged 24 to 72 months attending preschool in southern Vietnam was found to be 1.2% (1 in 84 children). The prevalence rates in central, subcentral, and suburban areas were 2.00%, 0.6%, and 1%, respectively. Significant risk factors for ASD identified through multivariate regression analysis included age (24 to 30 months) with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.35 (95% CI: 2.84-10.10), male gender (OR=2.55, 95% CI: 1.68-3.86), maternal exposure to pesticides (OR=4.62, 95% CI: 1.84-11.61), maternal stress or psychological trauma during pregnancy (OR=2.3, 95% CI: 1.1-5.4). Conclusion. ASD represents a significant pediatric psychiatric issue in southern Vietnam, with a higher incidence than previously reported. Some of the identified risk factors are potentially preventable, suggesting that targeted interventions could reduce the incidence of ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012, the Vietnamese government enacted the institutional autonomy policy to support the reform process of the higher education system. The autonomy policy signifies the transfer of decision-making authority from ministries to public universities to increase university performance and competitiveness in the globalized knowledge economy. This paper examines the nature of autonomy as a new form of governance in Vietnamese higher education through the lens of agency theory. I used thematic analysis to analyze policy documents released by the Vietnamese government between 1993 and 2021. The findings indicate autonomy means Vietnamese public universities have authority to make decisions on primary activities; yet they must be accountable for their decision-making and responsible for funding sources. The study contributes to the literature on comparative and international higher education by providing a better understanding of autonomy in a post-Soviet context and informing a transformative approach to policy practices for the higher education reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the synergy of self-brand connection and materialism on brand love and the negative impact of this relationship. Brand-love consumers display compulsive buying behavior because of their obsessive bond with their favorite brand. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to check the hypotheses and path analyses. The findings suggested that self-brand connection and materialism trigger brand love with emotional connections. Brand love, in return, was linked to higher levels of compulsive buying. Obsessive passion positively mediated the relationship between brand love and compulsive buying. Brand love also led to negative consequences concerning material behavior, self-identity connection, and obsessive passion. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed., Author(s): Minh T. H. Le [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.444827.9, 0000 0000 9009 5680, School of International Business and Marketing, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, , 59C Nguyen [...]

In this work, pineapple eye juice (PEJ) was utilized to produce gummy candies (GC) to promote the development of a circular economy. The objective was to investigate the effects of pectin and modified starch (MS) on the structural properties and sensory qualities of GC made from PEJ. The method involved formulating GC with varying concentrations of pectin (0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 %) and MS (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 %) alongside a constant 9 % gelatin concentration. Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) was employed to assess the textural properties, and the antioxidant activity was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. The results demonstrated that a combination of 0.05 % pectin and 1.5 % MS yielded GC with a more stable structure, harmonious flavour, and better colour compared to formulations using fewer polymers. The antioxidant activity of these GC was determined to be 79.95 ± 0.2 %. The conclusion of this study highlights the potential for using PEJ by-products in GC production, offering a sustainable solution for the food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The clinical frailty scale (CFS) evaluates the level of frailty based on clinical examination, comorbidities, and functional and activity levels of older patients. However, there are many difficulties for internists in evaluating frailty with this scale. Therefore, simplifying the CFS with good design and application is required for better treatment outcomes. Our study was conducted to design and evaluate the correlation of a simplified clinical frailty scale (sCFS) with CFS in older patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We undertook a cross-sectional analysis involving 279 older patients, which comprised two steps. Step 1 involves the implementation of sCFS, a protocol that has been endorsed by the Geriatrics Professional Council (GPC). Step 2 entails the enrollment of older patients for frailty assessment using sCFS, comparing it with CFS. RESULTS: The study was conducted on 279 older patients; the average age was 75.7 ± 8.4 (years old), and men accounted for 34.8%. There was a high correlation between the sCFS and CFS (Pearson's r = 0.996; p < 0 .001). The similarity of the sCFS to the CFS was very high, with Kappa coefficient = 0.984 (p < 0.001). Compared with the CFS, the sCFS had a Youden index of 98% with 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity assessed through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) with the CFS threshold of 5. CONCLUSIONS: The sCFS can be used to assess frailty with high sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nata de coco produced via coconut water fermentation using Acetobacter xylinum was directly applied to remove metal cations in aqueous solutions without any further chemical modification. Bacterial cellulose, contributing just 0.8 wt % to nata de coco, were randomly distributed and interconnected, yielding a three‐dimensional framework with high crystallinity and porosity. Due to these characteristics and the abundant presence of electron‐rich hydroxyl groups, unmodified bacterial cellulose in nata de coco exhibited a strong affinity to metal cations in water. The adsorption efficiency of nata de coco can be significantly improved to ∼30 and ∼45 mg g−1 for Pb2+ and Fe3+, respectively, by decreasing its size by grinding to decrease its size. Notably, nata de coco can adsorb multiple cations and the uptakes were almost similar for a 100‐fold scaled‐up adsorption volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]