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Luan Thanh Nguyen,1 Kien Gia To,1 Thuong Chi Tang,2 Tuan Nhat Pham,1 Long Bui Nguyen Thanh,2 Truc Thanh Thai1 1University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam; 2Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, VietnamCorrespondence: Truc Thanh Thai, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam, Tel +84908381266, Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnPurpose: Falls among inpatients represent a significant global health concern and are among the leading causes of accidental death. However, hospital falls are context- and population dependent. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors contributing to falls and the fall profiles among Vietnamese inpatients.Methods: A nested case–control study was conducted at nine public hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City. For every fall identified through the medical fall incident reporting system, four controls (ie, nonfall patients) were also selected from medical records within the same department and timeframe. Medical records were extracted, which included detailed information about the falls.Results: Among 101 fall cases and 404 nonfall controls, several risk factors for falls were found, including reduced strength and mobility (OR=3.08, 95% 1.30– 7.30), nocturia (OR=9.08, 95% CI 4.04– 20.45), having more than two diseases (OR=2.76, 95% CI 1.53– 4.98), using walking aids (OR=23.26, 95% CI 10.20– 53.03), using medical devices (OR=3.44, 95% CI 1.92– 6.15) and using antiepileptics (OR=3.94, 95% CI 1.22– 12.77). About 19.8% of the falls occurred within the first 24 hours from admission and the most common time of falls was from 0:00 am to 5:59 am (44.6%). The patient bed and bathroom were the most frequent locations for falls, accounting for 44.55% and 37.62% of the cases, respectively. More than 40% of the falls occurred when the patients were with their personal caregivers.Conclusion: Although intervention programs can use these risk factors to target those who have a high risk of falling, to optimize resources, such programs should consider the fall patterns found in our study.Keywords: falls, associated factors, inpatients, profile, Vietnam

Chau Giang Huynh,1 Nghiem Xuan Huynh,1 Bich-Ha Thi Truong,2 Truc Thanh Thai,3 Phuong-Thao Thi Doan4 1Department of Pathology, Hung Vuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Department of Medical Statistics and Informatics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 4Department of Pathology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamCorrespondence: Truc Thanh Thai, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, 217 Hong Bang, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tel +84 908 381 266, Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnBackground: The rate of unfavorable outcomes, such as recurrence and death, in women with invasive breast cancer varies widely across countries and populations. Identifying those with high-risk profiles is critical so that early detection, prediction, and intervention can be made to improve their survival rate. Therefore, our study evaluated the rate of unfavorable outcomes and its association with clinicopathological characteristics in Vietnamese women with primary invasive breast cancer.Methods: A retrospective open cohort study was conducted on Vietnamese women with invasive breast cancer who underwent a mastectomy and were regularly followed up by the hospitals. Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate the rate of unfavorable outcomes to take into account the follow-up time of each patient. Univariate and multiple Cox regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between unfavorable outcomes and clinicopathological characteristics.Results: Among 204 women included in the data analysis, the mean age was 54.4 ± 10.9 years. The majority of patients were diagnosed with early-stage (76.5%) or locally advanced (22.5%) breast cancer. The 5-year rate of unfavorable outcomes was 12.8%, and the 8-year rate was 31.7%. Patients with advanced stages had a higher risk of unfavorable outcomes compared to those with early stages (IA, IIA, T2N1). Patients with lymph node metastases and those with triple-negative molecular classification had significantly higher rates of unfavorable outcomes.Conclusion: Although Vietnamese women with breast cancer have a relatively low rate of unfavorable outcomes compared to other countries, findings from this study emphasize the importance of early detection and underscore the need for targeted interventions for patients with advanced stages, lymph node metastases, and triple-negative breast cancer to optimize their treatment, outcomes, and overall prognosis.Keywords: unfavorable outcomes, invasive breast cancer, high-risk profiles, clinicopathological characteristics, Vietnamese women

Lan Thanh Thi Truong,1,* Truc Thanh Thai,2,* Tap Van Nguyen,3 Tran Que Nguyen,4 Tuyet Anh Thi Le,1 Nga Hong Le,1 Phuong Thu Thi Pham,2 Quynh Ngoc Ho Huynh2 1Department of Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Ho Chi Minh Provincial Center for Disease Control, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Faculty of Medical Management, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 4Department of Nursing, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Truc Thanh Thai, Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tel +84 908 381 266, Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vn Tap Van Nguyen, Faculty of Medical Management, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tel +84 914064340, Email tapnv@ntt.edu.vnPurpose: Immunization is the most cost-effective health strategy, contributing significantly to public health interventions for all ages, particularly for children. However, caregivers’ satisfaction with immunization systems affects their decisions on immunization for their children. This study evaluated the levels of clients’ satisfaction toward child immunization and to identify its associated factors.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 40 commune health centers (CHCs) in 24 districts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam among 1200 caregivers of children aged under 5 years. Clients who took their children to CHCs for immunization were recruited based on convenience sampling technique and were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire. Satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction with Immunization Service Questionnaire (SWISQ). Ordinal logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with satisfaction levels.Results: The majority of participants were female (85.5%) with a mean age of 33.3 (standard deviation = 9.0). Approximately 60% of participants reported a moderate (40.2%) or high (17.1%) level of satisfaction. Participants with older children and those who waited for a longer duration had a lower satisfaction level. In contrast, high satisfaction level was found to be positive associated with being reminded by healthcare workers and the condition of follow-up areas, vaccine storage and the immunization process met participant’s need.Conclusion: The level of clients’ satisfaction toward child immunization at grassroot healthcare centers in Ho Chi Minh City is relatively low, with 40.2% having moderate satisfaction and 17.1% having high satisfaction. Strategies to improve vaccination programs at CHCs are needed, focusing on clients’ experiences at CHCs during vaccination sessions. Further studies are also needed to have an in-depth understanding of more factors affecting satisfaction in this population.Keywords: service satisfaction, child immunization, community healthcare center, Vietnam

Nam Quang Tran,1,2 Bao Hoang Le,1 Chi Khanh Hoang,1 Huu-Thinh Nguyen,3 Truc Thanh Thai4 1Department of Endocrinology, University Medical Center at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Department of Endocrinology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Department of Health Checkup, University Medical Center at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 4Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamCorrespondence: Truc Thanh Thai, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, 217 Hong Bang, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tel +84 908 381 266, Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnBackground: Thyroid nodule is a common disorder normally detected by ultrasound. However, little is known about the population prevalence of thyroid nodules in a Vietnamese population. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of thyroid nodules, its characteristics, and associated factors in a large number of people undergoing annual health checkups.Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, based on electronic medical records of people undergoing health checkups at the Health Checkup Department, University Medical Center at Ho Chi Minh City. All of the participants underwent thyroid ultrasonography, anthropometric measurements, and serum examinations.Results: A total of 16,784 participants (mean age: 40.4 ± 12.7 years, 45.1% female) were included in this study. The overall prevalence of thyroid nodules was 48.4%. The mean diameter of nodules was 7.2 ± 5.8 mm. The prevalence of nodules with malignant characteristics was 36.9%. Women had a significantly higher prevalence of thyroid nodules than men (55.2% vs 42.9%, p< 0.001). Advanced age, hypertension, and hyperglycemia were significantly associated with thyroid nodules in both genders. In men, significant factors also included increased body mass index. In women, these included increased total cholesterol and LDLc, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperuricemia.Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of TNs in Vietnamese people undergoing general health checkups. Importantly, the proportion of TNs with malignant risk was quite high. Therefore, screening for TNs should be added to annual health checkups to improve early detection of TNs, targeting those who have a high-risk profile based on factors identified in this study.Keywords: thyroid nodules, malignant thyroid nodules, thyroid ultrasound, general health checkup

Thinh H Nguyen,1,&ast; Truc T Thai,2,&ast; Phuong TT Pham,2 Tam NM Bui,1 Han HT Bui,3 Bac Hoang Nguyen1 1Training and Scientific Research Department, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Truc T ThaiFaculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, 217 Hong Bang Street, Ward 11, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84 908 381 266Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnPurpose: Continuing medical education (CME) is a compulsory requirement for every health professional. However, to date, little is known about the effectiveness of CME in Vietnam. This study assessed CME programs based on attendees’ perception and evaluation.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during a five-month period in all 62 CME courses at a university hospital. A self-report, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to the participants during the course and was collected at the end of the course. The questionnaire included questions about demographic characteristics, experiences during the course and participants’ perception and evaluation as measured by the 19-item Program Evaluation Instrument (PEI). A higher score on the PEI indicates a higher level of positive reaction toward CME programs.Results: Among 1312 participants in the analysis, the majority were females (58.1%) with a mean age of 34.5 (SD = 10.6) years. Almost all participants had good, positive perceptions toward CME. However, about 5% of participants reported CME a waste of time. Participants reported a high score on the PEI (95.0± 8.9) and all four dimensions including program objectives (20.7± 2.2), learner’s objectives (18.8± 2.3), teacher’s behavior (25.7± 2.7) and program satisfaction (29.7± 3.4). While there was no association between demographic characteristics and PEI score, attendance rate during the courses and perceptions toward CME were positively associated with PEI score.Conclusion: CME programs receive positive reaction and evaluation from healthcare professionals and are helpful in providing and updating knowledge, attitude and practice in Vietnam. However, further studies are needed in other settings and specialties to fully understand the effectiveness of CME in Vietnam.Keywords: effectiveness, perception, evaluation, continuing medical education, health professional, Vietnam

Truc Thanh Thai,1 Mairwen K Jones,2 Thao Phuong Nguyen,1 Thao Van Pham,1 Han Hy Thi Bui,3 Loan Xuan Kim,1 Tap Van Nguyen4 1Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam; 2Faculty of Medicine & Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; 3Woolcock Institute of Medical Research Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 4Department of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh, VietnamCorrespondence: Truc Thanh ThaiFaculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84 908381266Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnTap Van NguyenDepartment of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh, VietnamTel +84 914064340Email nvtap@tvu.edu.vnPurpose: Research conducted across different countries has consistently identified non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) to be a common and significant public health problem. This study examined the prevalence, associated factors and functions of NSSI, among a large sample of Vietnamese adolescents.Methods: A total of 1316 high school students (15– 18 years old, 63.3% female) across urban and suburban areas in Ho Chi Minh City, participated in this cross-sectional study. NSSI was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation.Results: Almost half (43.9%) of the adolescents engaged in at least one type of NSSI within the preceding 12-month period and more than one quarter (26.1%) engaged in multiple types of NSSI. Hitting self on purpose (23.1%), picking at a wound (17.0%), or biting self (16.7%) were the most frequent behaviours. Severe forms of NSSI such as scraping, burning or erasing skin were reported by 17.2%. The most common functions for NSSI were to stop bad feelings (56.0%), to punish self (48.7%), to get control of a situation (44.0%) and to feel relaxed (42.2%). Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were significant factors associated with NSSI, particularly for participants who engaged in moderate/severe NSSI and multiple types of NSSI.Conclusion: High rates of NSSI were found in Vietnamese adolescents. There is a pressing need for the development and implementation of effective interventions to reduce NSSI. Strategies that promote positive mental health and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress as well as approaches that help adolescents manage their internal emotions are likely to be beneficial.Keywords: non-suicidal self-injury, functions, high school students, adolescents, associated factors, Vietnam

Truc Thanh Thai,1 Thinh Huu Nguyen,2 Phuong Thu Thi Pham,3 Han Hy Thi Bui,4 Tam Ngoc Minh Bui2 1Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Training and Scientific Research Department, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Hospital for Rehabilitation - Occupational Diseases at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 4Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Hanoi, VietnamCorrespondence: Truc Thanh ThaiFaculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84 908 381 266Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnTam Ngoc Minh BuiTraining and Scientific Research Department, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84 906 951 668Email tam.bnm@umc.edu.vnPurpose: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are a crucial resource in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic but are vulnerable to both SARS-CoV-2 infection and negative psychological consequences. This study evaluated HCWs’ emotions, stressor experiences and coping strategies during the pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs at the University Medical Center in Ho Chi Minh City. The questionnaire was adapted from the MERS-CoV Staff Questionnaire to measure HCWs’ emotions, stressor experiences and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Among the 1423 participants eligible in the data analysis, the majority were female (71.1%) with a mean age of 34.2 (standard deviation 7.8) years. While most participants reported that they did their job because of their professionalism and duty as HCWs (87.4%), a high number reported feeling nervous and scared (86.0%). Most participants reported worry about transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to their families or friends (76.6%) and concern that a small mistake or lapse in concentration could infect themselves and others (76.7%). The most common coping strategies were following strict personal protective measures (95.3%), avoiding going out (92.5%) and reading about SARS-CoV-2 (92.3%). Females who had a higher educational level and less than 5-years work experience and those who worked at clinical departments and subclinical departments were more vulnerable.Conclusion: This study indicates an urgent need for psychological support for HCWs, especially for those at high risk of having stress. Interventions and support should utilize psychological resources and approaches effectively to adapt to the new situation during the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords: stressor experience, coping strategy, motivational factors, health care worker, COVID-19

Truc Thanh Thai,1 Tuyet Anh Thi Le,2 Lan Thanh Thi Truong,2 Nga Hong Le,2 Quynh Ngoc Ho Huynh,1 Tap Van Nguyen,3 Huong Giang Nguyen Tran4 1Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Department of Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Ho Chi Minh Provincial Center for Disease Control, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Department of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh City, Vietnam; 4Training and Scientific Research Department, University Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamCorrespondence: Truc Thanh ThaiFaculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84 908 381 266Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnHuong Giang Nguyen TranTraining and Scientific Research Department, University Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84 916 154 524Email gianghuongtran07@gmail.comPurpose: This study explored job satisfaction and associated factors among community healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 319 HCWs in charge of infectious disease prevention and control activities at all commune healthcare centers in Ho Chi Minh City. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire which included the 36-item Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS).Results: Most participants were male (56.7%), and the mean age was 34.7 (SD=7.1) years. The overall job satisfaction was relatively low. Among 9 aspects measured, coworker was found to have the highest level of satisfaction (19.6± 3.9), followed by supervision (19.3± 4.1). In contrast, the lowest level of satisfaction was observed in operating condition (11.4± 3.4) and contingent rewards (14.3± 3.8). The total score of the JSS indicated that only half of HCWs were satisfied with their job in general. Older male HCWs who were married and those who had higher income reported a higher level of job satisfaction in several aspects measured. However, there was no association between job satisfaction and other HCW’s characteristics, including specialty, occupation type, and working experience.Conclusion: Since this is the crucial workforce in the battle against infectious diseases, urgent interventions are needed to increase job satisfaction in this population.Keywords: infectious disease, healthcare worker, COVID-19, job satisfaction, Vietnam

Bac Hoang Nguyen,1 Anh Tuan Le Quan,2 Pham Minh Hai,2 Vu Quang Hung,3 Truc Thanh Thai4 1University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 2Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 3Department of General Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 4University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamCorrespondence: Truc Thanh ThaiUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, 217 Hong Bang Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamTel +84-908-381266Email thaithanhtruc@ump.edu.vnBackground: Duodenal obstruction due to a gallstone, also known as Bouveret’s syndrome, is one type of gallstone ileus. This is a rare complication of cholelithiasis. Among gallstone ileus cases, duodenal obstruction is alsorare. Apart from rareness, diagnosis is challenging due to unspecific clinical manifestation. Treatment options have benefits and drawbacks with each as well. Therefore, setting an appropriate option in a certain patient is an important issue.Case Report: An 85-year-old woman presented clinically with a gastric outlet obstruction. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy was attempted but endoscopic exploration was limited because of duodenum filled by fluid. Rigler’s triad was detected on abdominal enhanced CT scan: duodenal obstruction, ectopic gallstone within duodenum lumen, pneumobilia. The stone was very large (9 cm long). The diagnosis was duodenal obstruction due to giant gallstone and cholecysto-duodenum fistula. The patient was treated with a radical one-stage procedure: fistulotomy for gallstone removal, cholecystectomy, side-to-side Roux-en-Y duodenojejunostomy. There were no complications related to surgery during the follow-up period.Conclusion: Surgery plays an important role in management of duodenal obstruction due to a gallstone, especially a large and impacted stone. Radical one-stage surgery is one of the feasible, safe, and efficient procedures in selected patients.Keywords: duodenal obstruction, giant gallstone, gallstone ileus, Bouveret syndrome, Bouveret’s syndrome

Background: Excessive use of smartphones and the Internet can lead to addiction and may increase the risk of developing mental disorders, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak., Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized the existing literature reporting the impact of smartphone and Internet addiction on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A systematic search was performed on two databases, PubMed and EMBASE, following the PRISMA guidelines to identify articles conducted from December 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic began to emerge. Studies were selected based on pre-defined criteria and assessed for quality before inclusion in the meta-analysis. The main effect estimate gathered from eligible studies was the odds ratio, which was computed using the random-effects model., Results: Our findings demonstrated significant associations between Internet addiction and depression (OR = 4.09, 95% CI [3.28, 5.09]), Internet addiction and anxiety (OR = 3.08, 95% CI [2.08, 4.57]), smartphone addiction and depression (OR = 3.82, 95% CI [3.31, 4.40]), and smartphone addiction and anxiety (OR = 4.81, 95% CI [3.81, 6.07]) during the COVID-19 pandemic., Conclusion: This meta-analysis underscores that Internet and smartphone addiction increases the likelihood of developing mental disorders in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the outbreak of infectious diseases, it is imperative for nations to not only address economic and educational challenges but also prioritize the mental well-being of their citizens., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: The Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) is widely used to identify vocal fatigue, but no Vietnamese version exists. This study aimed to translate the VFI into Vietnamese and evaluate its reliability and validity among primary school teachers in Vietnam., Methods: The VFI was translated using a forward-backward method. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 339 primary school teachers. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest reliability was measured with intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and criterion validity was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, with self-reported voice problems as the reference., Results: The mean age of participants was 39.9 years [standard deviation (SD) = 10.4], and 84.7% were female. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93). Test-retest reliability was also good (ICC = 0.77, P < 0.001). CFA indicated that the three-factor model fit well with the data (Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.91, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.93, root mean squared error of approximation = 0.07, standardized root mean squared residual = 0.05). ROC analysis showed good criterion validity (area under ROC curve (AUC) = 0.80), with a cut-off score of 33 (out of 76) yielding sensitivity of 77.7% and specificity of 69.1%., Conclusions: The Vietnamese version of the VFI demonstrates strong reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for screening and research in Vietnam. Future studies should extend its use to other populations, including professional voice users., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study conducts a rigorous comparative analysis between two cutting-edge instance segmentation methods, Mask R-CNN and YOLOv8, focusing on stomata pore analysis. A novel dataset specifically tailored for stomata pore instance segmentation, named PhenomicsStomata, was introduced. This dataset posed challenges such as low resolution and image imperfections, prompting the application of advanced preprocessing techniques, including image enhancement using the Lucy-Richardson Algorithm. The models underwent comprehensive evaluation, considering accuracy, precision, and recall as key parameters. Notably, YOLOv8 demonstrated superior performance over Mask R-CNN, particularly in accurately calculating stomata pore dimensions. Beyond this comparative study, the implications of our findings extend across diverse biological research, providing a robust foundation for advancing our understanding of plant physiology. Furthermore, the preprocessing enhancements offer valuable insights for refining image analysis techniques, showcasing the potential for broader applications in scientific domains. This research marks a significant stride in unraveling the complexities of plant structures, offering both theoretical insights and practical applications in scientific research., Competing Interests: Author YC was employed by the company Phytomix Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Thai, Ku, Le, Oh, Phan, Kim and Chung.)

Introduction Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable cause of patient morbidity and mortality among hospitalised patients. VTE events have a high incidence among orthopaedic patients, who routinely receive chemical thromboprophylaxis in the form of heparin, warfarin, antiplatelet agents or direct oral anticoagulants. These can be associated with adverse events, most commonly bleeding or heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. A VTE risk reassessment following 24 hours of admission or a change in clinical condition like surgery is recommended to avoid such complications. We evaluated the compliance to completion of these reassessments following surgery at a tertiary elective orthopaedic hospital.  Methods A closed-loop audit was undertaken for all elective orthoapedic specialties. First loop was conducted between 01/07/2022 and 25/05/2023, whilst the second loop was done between 01/01/2024 and 01/02/2024. Insight, an online database was used to collect data on initial VTE assessment forms completed at admission and VTE reassessment forms completed within 24 hours of surgery, as agreed with orthopaedic teams. Audit standards were derived from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on venous thromboembolism in over 16s. A target compliance was agreed at 100%. Paediatric patients, day case procedures and medical admissions comprised the exclusion criteria.  Results For the first audit loop, only 6/4780 (0.13%) patients had completed VTE reassessment forms within 24 hours following surgery. Following implementation of a system prompt on Electronic Patient Medication Administration (EPMA) to serve as a reminder for VTE reassessment completion, the second audit loop found 112/156 (74%) patients had completed forms (p<0.001).  Conclusion VTE risk reassessment following surgery is recommended by NICE guidelines in order to assess and potentially minimize complications like bleeding and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. A simple intervention such as a system reminder can serve to improve compliance. This can be implemented at a large scale given most hospitals use integrated electronic medication administration systems where initial VTE risk assessments are completed as part of the initial patient admission process., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Imtiaz et al.)

Herein, gold nanoparticle-decorated amorphous carbon (Au/AC) was prepared by reducing chloroauric acid and layering it on amorphous carbon. The characteristics of Au/AC were examined using FT-IR, XRD, TGA, SEM, EDS, and XPS. To assess its catalytic activity, Au/AC was tested in a reaction involving anthranilamide and benzyl alcohol at 110 °C for 24 hours. This reaction yielded various 2-phenylquinazolin-4(3 H )-one derivatives in moderate to good yields (44-80%). Furthermore, control experiments were conducted to demonstrate the oxidation and cyclization functions of Au/AC. Noteworthy aspects of this approach included the ease of isolating Au/AC ( via recrystallization) and the ability to recycle it.

Background: Along with environmental components, genetic factors play an essential role in the pathophysiology and progression of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). There is limited and conflicting data on the influence of the AGT M235T genetic variant on coronary atherosclerosis and death in AMI patients., Methods: We carried out a prospective cohort study among 504 Vietnamese AMI patients selected between January 2020 and May 2021. All patients underwent invasive coronary angiography, had AGT M235T genetic variant genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction method, and were followed up for 12-month all-cause mortality., Results: The proportions of the MM, MT, and TT genotypes were 0.4%, 20.8%, and 78.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the TT genotype and the MM + MT genotype groups regarding the position and number of stenosed coronary artery branches and the Gensini score. The AGT M235T genetic variant did not affect 12-month mortality (hazard ratio of TT vs. MM + MT: 1.185; 95% confidence interval: 0.596-2.354; P = 0.629). Subgroup analyses by age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker therapy also did not reveal an association between the AGT M235T variant and all-cause mortality., Conclusion: In summary, the AGT M235T genetic variant was not found to be associated with coronary atherosclerosis characteristics and 12-month mortality in Vietnamese patients with AMI. Further multicenter studies with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up periods are needed to investigate this issue., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Yersinochloanianheana sp. nov. from Vietnam is described and illustrated. It is found in southern Vietnam, where it occurs at an elevation of 1400-1500 m in Voi Mountain, Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province. This new species is distinguished from a similar species, Yersinochloadalatensis , by culm nodes with a thick swollen patella, culm leaf blades erect, auricles conspicuous, margins bearing long hairs, palea dorsal view showing rachilla extension and rudimentary floret at the apex and lodicules purple gradually towards the top. Besides that, the species is distinguished from Yersinochloanghiana by the leaf blades without being swollen at the base, the prophyllate bud 2-keeled, lodicules purple at ½ upper parts and unbifid at the base., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Nong Van Duy, Tran Thai Vinh, Vu Kim Cong, Quach Van Hoi, Dang Thi Tham, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang, Dinh Van Khiem, Hoang Thanh Truong, Nguyen Hoang Nghia, Nguyen Thi Ai Minh, Tran Van Tien.)

Antioxidant peptides derived from aquatic organisms have attracted tremendous research interest due to their potential applications in human health. Tilapia is one of the most widely farmed aquaculture species globally. The current understanding of tilapia-derived antioxidant peptides is gradually expanding. This review discusses the current knowledge of peptides and protein hydrolysates derived from tilapia muscle, skin, and scales, whose antioxidant capacity has been validated in various cellular and in vivo models. To date, at least 16 peptides and several hydrolysates have been identified from tilapia that protect human and non-human cell models against oxidative injury. Tilapia hydrolysates and peptide mixtures have also shown protective effects in animal models of oxidative stress-associated diseases and exercise-induced oxidative injury and fatigue. The key mechanisms of tilapia hydrolysates and peptide mixtures involve enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities and suppressing radical production. Notably, such hydrolysates also exerted additional in vivo functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, wound healing, and antiaging properties. Taken together, tilapia-derived antioxidant peptides and hydrolysates represent a valuable source of functional ingredients for applications in functional food, dietary supplements, and therapeutic applications. Continued research into their health benefits is warranted in the future.

Using Hermetia illucens, or Black Soldier Fly (BSF) frass as an organic fertilizer is becoming increasingly popular in many countries. As a byproduct derived from BSF larvae that feed on organic waste, BSF frass has tremendous potential for preserving the environment and promoting the circular economy. Since it has diverse biochemical properties influenced by various production and environmental factors, further research is needed to evaluate its potential for extensive use in crop production and agriculture. Our review summarizes recent findings in BSF frass research by describing its composition and biochemical properties derived from various studies, including nutrient contents, biostimulant compounds, and microbial profiles. We also discuss BSF frass fertilizers' effectiveness on plant growth and contribution to environmental sustainability. Great compositions of BSF frass increase the quality of plants/crops by establishing healthy soil and improving the plants' immune systems. Special emphasis is given to potentially replacing conventional fertilizer to create a more sustainable cropping system via organic farming. Besides, we discuss the capability of BSF bioconversion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the socioeconomic aspect. The prospects of BSF frass in promoting a healthy environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the socioeconomic aspects of communities have also been highlighted. Overall, BSF frass offers an alternative approach that can be integrated with conventional fertilizers to optimize the cropping system. Further studies are needed to fully explore its potential in establishing sustainable system that can enhance socioeconomic benefits in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chronic implantation of intracortical microelectrode arrays (MEAs) capable of recording from individual neurons can be used for the development of brain-machine interfaces. However, these devices show reduced recording capabilities under chronic conditions due, at least in part, to the brain's foreign body response (FBR). This creates a need for MEAs that can minimize the FBR to possibly enable long-term recording. A potential approach to reduce the FBR is the use of MEAs with reduced cross-sectional geometries. Here, we fabricated 4-shank amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) MEAs and implanted them into the motor cortex of seven female Sprague-Dawley rats. Each a-SiC MEA shank was 8 μm thick by 20 μm wide and had sixteen sputtered iridium oxide film (SIROF) electrodes (4 per shank). A-SiC was chosen as the fabrication base for its high chemical stability, good electrical insulation properties, and amenability to thin film fabrication. Electrochemical analysis and neural recordings were performed weekly for 4 months. MEAs were characterized pre-implantation in buffered saline and in vivo using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry at 50 mV/s and 50,000 mV/s. Neural recordings were analyzed for single unit activity. At the end of the study, animals were sacrificed for immunohistochemical analysis. We observed statistically significant, but small, increases in 1 and 30 kHz impedance values and 50,000 mV/s charge storage capacity over the 16-week implantation period. Slow sweep 50 mV/s CV and 1 Hz impedance did not significantly change over time. Impedance values increased from 11.6 MΩ to 13.5 MΩ at 1 Hz, 1.2 MΩ-2.9 MΩ at 1 kHz, and 0.11 MΩ-0.13 MΩ at 30 kHz over 16 weeks. The median charge storage capacity of the implanted electrodes at 50 mV/s was 58.1 mC/cm 2 on week 1 and 55.9 mC/cm 2 on week 16, and at 50,000 mV/s, 4.27 mC/cm 2 on week 1 and 5.93 mC/cm 2 on week 16. Devices were able to record neural activity from 92% of all active channels at the beginning of the study, At the study endpoint, a-SiC devices were still recording single-unit activity on 51% of electrochemically active electrode channels. In addition, we observed that the signal-to-noise ratio experienced a small decline of -0.19 per week. We also classified observed units as fast and slow repolarizing based on the trough-to-peak time. Although the overall presence of single units declined, fast and slow repolarizing units declined at a similar rate. At recording electrode depth, immunohistochemistry showed minimal tissue response to the a-SiC devices, as indicated by statistically insignificant differences in activated glial cell response between implanted brains slices and contralateral sham slices at 150 μm away from the implant location, as evidenced by GFAP staining. NeuN staining revealed the presence of neuronal cell bodies close to the implantation site, again statistically not different from a contralateral sham slice. These results warrant further investigation of a-SiC MEAs for future long-term implantation neural recording studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Stuart F. Cogan reports financial support was provided byNational Institutes of Health. Stuart F. Cogan is an inventor on US Patent 11,224,371 on neural interface probes employing amorphous silicon carbide, assigned to the Board of Regents, The University of Texas System and the Trustees of Boston University. Stuart F. Cogan is CTO with equity interest in Qualia Oto, a private entity developing neural interface devices for hearing loss. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Small-cell neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (NECC) is a rare histology, and diagnosis and treatment of this condition are challenging because of its rarity, non-specific abdominopelvic symptoms, and less favorable prognosis compared to other cervical cancers. Here, we present a case of a 20-year-old patient diagnosed with small-cell NECC, defined within a cervical polyp, initially mimicking a benign lesion. Because of the difficulty in diagnosis, the patient underwent thorough diagnostics and interventions, including imaging, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. Initially, the patient underwent a distinctive treatment plan encompassing four cycles of cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy with minimal side effects. Subsequently, she received comprehensive surgical interventions, including hysterectomy, lymphadenectomy, and bilateral salpingectomy. Ovarian preservation, justified by the patient's youth and small cervical lesions (<4 cm) without parametrial disease or metastatic signs, was pursued. For long-term outcomes, the patient demonstrated no metastasis or recurrence during a five-year follow-up. This case emphasizes the requirement for strengthened awareness of neuroendocrine tumors in cervical masses, particularly in young patients, and the importance of individualized treatment approaches for optimal clinical outcomes. Continued documentation of such cases increases our understanding of managing infrequent cervical malignancies., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Huynh et al.)

Diabetes mellitus is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide, accounting for 6.7 million deaths in 2021, and is one of the most rapidly growing global health emergencies of this century. Although several classes of therapeutic drugs have been invented and applied in clinical practice, diabetes continues to pose a serious and growing threat to public health and places a tremendous burden on those affected and their families. The strategy of reducing carbohydrate digestibility by inhibiting the activities of α-glucosidase and α-amylase is regarded as a promising preventative treatment for type 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated the dual inhibitory effect against two polysaccharide hydrolytic enzymes of flavonoid derivatives from an in-house chemical database. By combining molecular docking and structure-activity relationship analysis, twelve compounds with docking energies less than or equal to - 8.0 kcal mol -1 and containing required structural features for dual inhibition of the two enzymes were identified and subjected to chemical synthesis and in vitro evaluation. The obtained results showed that five compounds exhibited dual inhibitory effects on the target enzymes with better IC 50 values than the approved positive control acarbose. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to elucidate the binding of these flavonoids to the enzymes. The predicted pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties suggest that these compounds are viable for further development as type 2 diabetes drugs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The catalytic application of 3-(4-sulfobutyl)-1 H -imidazole-3-ium chloride immobilized on activated silica gel (SiO 2 -Imi-SO 3 H) for the production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is described here for the first time. This material was synthesized using a three-step method involving the grafting of chloropropyl groups onto activated silica gel, the substitution of zwitterions, and the acidification of zwitterions to form silica-supported ionic liquid. The successful immobilization of the IL on silica gel was confirmed through energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental mapping. SiO 2 -Imi-SO 3 H-2 demonstrated good catalytic activity and recycling ability in fructose dehydration to 5-HMF. Several conditions for reaction were investigated, and an excellent 5-HMF yield (94.1%) was obtained after 4 h at 160 °C in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) from fructose. Furthermore, a mechanism was proposed, the catalyst's reusability was investigated, and the catalyst was applied for the conversion of glucose to 5-HMF with other metal salts., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is a subtype of chronic rhinosinusitis, characterized by excessive immune responses to environmental molds or fungi. The diagnosis and classification of AFRS into systemic and local types remain clinically challenging due to overlapping characteristics. This study investigated the prevalence of AFRS, its manifestation and associated factors in systemic and local AFRS. A total of 200 patients diagnosed with fungal rhinosinusitis underwent both skin provocation tests (SPT) and nasal provocation tests (NPT) to confirm AFRS and classify systemic and local types. Patients were considered to have AFRS if either the SPT or NPT was positive. Among these, patients with systemic AFRS were those who had a SPT positive. Local AFRS was when patients had a negative SPT and a positive NPT. Medical history, serum total IgE level, nasal endoscopy examinations, and CT scans were also recorded. Most patients were female (65.8%), with a mean age of 55.6 years (SD = 14.4). Based on the SPT and NPT results, 31% of patients (n = 62) were diagnosed with AFRS. Among these, 54.8% (n = 34) had systemic AFRS, while 45.2% (n = 28) had local AFRS. Patients with AFRS exhibited significantly higher levels of total IgE, eosinophils, and more pronounced signs and symptoms compared to those without AFRS. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between patients with systemic AFRS and those with local AFRS. AFRS was prevalent in our study. Among patients with AFRS, both systemic AFRS and local AFRS were also prevalent. While allergic indicators and clinical presentations can aid in AFRS diagnosis, minimal distinctions were observed between systemic and local AFRS. A comprehensive assessment incorporating both local and systemic allergic responses through provocation tests, such as a combination of skin and nasal tests, is imperative for optimizing AFRS diagnosis and management., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Afatinib is indicated for advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and uncommon mutations. However, real-world studies on this topic are limited. This study aimed to evaluate afatinib as first-line therapy for locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations., Patients and Methods: A retrospective study included 92 patients with advanced NSCLC with uncommon and compound EGFR mutations, treated with afatinib as first-line therapy. Patients were followed up and evaluated every 3 months or when symptoms of progressive disease arose. The endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), and adverse events., Results: The G719X EGFR mutation had the highest occurrence rate (53.3% for both monotherapy and the compound). By contrast, the compound mutation G719X-S768I was observed at a rate of 22.8%. The ORR was 75%, with 15.2% of patients achieving complete response. The overall median TTF was 13.8 months. Patients with the G719X EGFR mutation (single and compound) had a median TTF of 19.3 months, longer than that of patients with other mutations, who had a median TTF of 11.2 months. Patients with compound EGFR mutations (G719X and S768I) demonstrated a median TTF of 23.2 months compared to that of 12.3 months for other mutations. Tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg achieved a longer median TTF of 17.1 months compared to 11.2 months with 40 mg. Median TTF differed between patients with and without brain metastasis, at 11.2 and 16.9 months, respectively. Rash (55.4%) and diarrhea (53.3%) were the most common adverse events, primarily grades 1 and 2. Other side effects occurred at a low rate., Conclusion: Afatinib is effective for locally advanced metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations. Patients with G719X, compound G719X-S768I mutations, and tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg had a longer median TTF than those with other mutations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2024.)

The pathogenesis and prognosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Findings on the relationship of polymorphisms in various genes encoding the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with coronary artery lesions and mortality in AMI patients are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine whether the AGTR1 A1166C genetic polymorphism affects coronary artery lesions and 1-year mortality in post-AMI patients. Patients with their first AMI admitted to Cho Ray Hospital, Vietnam, from January 2020 to August 2021 were enrolled in this prospective clinical study. All participants underwent invasive coronary angiography and were identified as having the genotypes of AGTR1 A1166C by way of a polymerase chain reaction method. All patients were followed up for all-cause mortality 12 months after AMI. The association of the AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism with coronary artery lesions and 1-year mortality was evaluated using logistic regression and Cox regression analysis, respectively. Five hundred and thirty-one AMI patients were recruited. The mean age was 63.9 ± 11.6 years, and 71.6% of the patients were male. There were no significant differences in the location and number of diseased coronary artery branches between the AA and AC+CC genotypes. The AC and CC genotypes were independently associated with ≥ 90% diameter stenosis of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery (odds ratio = 1.940; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.059-3.552, p = 0.032). The 1-year all-cause mortality rate difference between patients with the AC and CC genotypes versus those with the AA genotype was not statistically significant (hazard ratio = 1.000, 95% CI: 0.429-2.328, p = 1.000). The AGTR1 A1166C genetic polymorphism is associated with very severe luminal stenosis of the LAD but not with mortality in AMI patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Tran et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: In Vietnam, there is limited research on the role of nerve conduction in myasthenia gravis and its association with clinical features., Objective: This study aims to describe the electrophysiological features in patients with myasthenia gravis., Methods: This descriptive study was conducted from September 2019 to December 2021. The study included 33 myasthenia gravis patients who sought medical consultation or received inpatient treatment during this period. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classifies myasthenia gravis into five groups: I, IIa, IIb, IIIa, IIIb, IVa, IVb, and V. Notably, Group I involves pure ocular weakness, whereas Group a primarily impacts limb and axial muscles, and Group b mainly affects bulbar and respiratory muscles., Results: The study revealed that motor and sensory nerve conduction in the upper and lower limbs were within normal limits for the patient group under evaluation. Repetitive nerve stimulation testing at a frequency of 3 Hz showed positive results in 66.7% of myasthenia gravis patients. Myasthenia gravis patients displayed distinct clinical symptoms, with ptosis being the most common (87.9%). Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classification indicated the highest proportion in subgroup IIa (24.2%), with myasthenia gravis predominating in limb and axial muscles (Group a) observed in 51.5% of cases. Needle electromyography showed no abnormalities in myasthenia gravis patients. There was an association between acetylcholine receptor antibody titers and the results of the 3 Hz repetitive nerve stimulation test in myasthenia gravis patients, with a significance of p  = 0.002., Conclusion: Nerve conduction studies should be performed in patients with suspected neuromuscular disorders to aid in differential diagnosis and definitive diagnosis of myasthenia gravis., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of deaths and widespread socio-economic damage worldwide. Therefore, numerous studies have been conducted to identify effective measures to control the spreading of the virus. Among various potential targets, the 3 chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), also known as Mpro, stands out as the key protease of SARS-CoV-2, playing an essential role in virus replication and assembly, is the most prospective. In this study, we modified the commercial vector, pETM33-Nsp5-Mpro (plasmid # 156475, Addgene, USA), by inserting an autocleavage site (AVLQ) of 3CLpro and 6 × His-tag encoding sequences before and after the Nsp5-Mpro sequence, respectively. This modification enabled the expression of 3CLpro as an authentic N terminal protease (au3CLpro), which was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by a single-step chromatography using two tandem Glutathione- and Ni-Sepharose columns. The enzyme au3CLpro demonstrated significantly higher activity (3169 RFU/min/μg protein) and catalytic efficiency (K cat /K m of 0.007 μM -1 .s- 1 ) than that of the 3CLpro (com3CLpro) expressed from the commercial vector (pETM33-Nsp5-Mpro) with specific activity 889 RFU/min/μg and K cat /K m of 0.0015 μM -1 .s- 1 , respectively. Optimal conditions for au3CLpro activity included a 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer at pH 7, containing 150 mM NaCl and 0.1 mg/ml BSA at 37 °C., Competing Interests: Declaration competing of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The research aimed to explore the potential of palm kernel meal (PKM) as a sustainable source of cellulose nanoparticles (CNPs) for active food packaging. The CNPs were isolated using a combination of chemical techniques, such as alkaline treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis. The characterization of the CNPs was analysed using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The findings revealed that chemical processing effectively removed lignin and hemicellulose from PKM. The SEM morphology confirmed the separation of the CNPs, resulting in the production of 40-100 nm spherical cellulose nanoparticles, while XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed their purity and composition. Moreover, the UV-visible spectroscopy exhibited high transmittance rates, indicating the potential of CNPs as reinforcing agents for polymer matrices. The significance of utilising PKM as a valuable fibre source for extracting CNPs can be recommended for developing active food packaging., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have participated in (a) conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of the data; (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (c) approval of the final version. This manuscript has not been submitted to, nor is under review at, another journal or other publishing venue. The authors have no affiliation with any organization with a direct or indirect financial interest in the subject matter discussed in the manuscript, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli including carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) threaten global health. Little is known, however, about the distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes in MDR isolated from patients in Vietnamese hospitals. In this study, we collected MDR Escherichia coli , defined as E. coli resistance against all fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and carbapenems., Aim: This study was designed to clarify the molecular epidemiology of Escherichia coli isolates resistant to carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides isolated from patients admitted to one of the largest hospitals in Vietnam in 2014-2019 based on both whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phenotypic data. Methodology . Sixty-seven Vietnamese isolates screened by drug resistance by the disk test were subjected to WGS, and their sequences were analyzed to determine their multilocus sequence type (MLST), O-types, H-types, distribution of drug resistance genes, plasmid types, pathogenicity islands (PIs), virulence factor distribution, and phylogenetic evolution using the WGS data., Results: Among the STs detected, ST410 was relatively dominant. Dominant O-types and H-types were O102 and H9 and showed some links, such as those between O102 and H8. The most dominant plasmid type and carbapenemase type were 4 and NDM-5, respectively. MLST, O-types, H-types, plasmid types, and types of carbapenemases were very heterogeneous among the isolates, with no clear correlation between them. Dominant plasmid type carrying drug resistance gene was IncQ1&#95;1. The percentage of isolates positive for drug resistance genes, such as anti-beta-lactams and aminoglycosides, was relatively high because the isolates screened were resistant to carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides., Conclusions: MDR E. coli isolates isolated at a high-volume Vietnamese hospital were very heterogeneous, suggesting that they were acquired from different sources, including nosocomial infection, animals, and water. Eradication of MDR E. coli from hospitals and other clinical environments is very challenging because a single measure may be ineffective., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Tohru Miyoshi-Akiyama et al.)

Age and gender are 2 important factors in the treatment of end-stage chronic kidney disease with hemodialysis. Understanding the influence of these 2 factors can help optimize treatment for this population. This study evaluated gender and age differences in achievement of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) treatment targets. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 324 chronic hemodialysis patients at a tertiary referral hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. KDIGO treatment targets included treatment time, prescribed Qb, treated blood volume, urea reduction ratio, spKt/V, hemoglobin, albumin, phosphorus, calcium, and parathyroid hormone. Men had significantly higher treatment time (P = .003), prescribed Qb (P = .037) and hemoglobin (P = .031) than women. However, women had significantly higher treated blood volume (P < .001), spKt/V (P < .001) and URR (P < .001). No significant difference between men and women was found in albumin, calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone. Based on KDIGO treatment targets, women had a significantly higher rate of achievement of spKt/V > 1.2 (91.4% vs 80.7%, P = .005) and URR ≥ 70% (77.0% vs 54.7%, P < .001) than men. A significantly higher rate of treated volume of ≥ 1 L/kg/BW, and phosphorus 2.5 to 4.6 mg/dL was found in women (90.0% and 40.2%) compared to men (68.7% and 27.3%). In contrast, men had a significantly higher rate of prescribed Qb ≥ 300 mL/min (26.7% vs 12.6%, P = .001), albumin ≥ 40 g/L (36.7% vs 26.4%, P = .047), and Hb > 12 g/dL (22.0% vs 11.5%, P = .011) than women. There was no significant difference between men and women in the rate of calcium 8.4 to 10.4 mg/dL, and parathyroid hormone 150 to 600 pg/mL. These differences were not the same across 4 age categories (<60, 60-69, 70-79, and ≥ 80). Most of the differences above were among patients aged < 60 and 60 to 69 years. Although men had higher satisfactory treatment parameters than women, based on KDIGO treatment targets, women received hemodialysis more effectively than men. Treatment targets for patients on hemodialysis should consider gender and age differences., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Sarcopenia, a condition characterized by muscle mass decline, is one of the leading health problems in the elderly. This study determined the rate of sarcopenia according to criteria by Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) and related factors in elderly people. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 632 people aged 60 years or over in Ho Chi Minh City. Data were collected through a predefined questionnaire and direct measurement. Sarcopenia was identified based on the Inbody 770 machine and AWGS criteria. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 32.0%. Participants with advanced age, low education, unemployment, low level of family economics and frailty were more likely to have sarcopenia. Among these, frailty had the highest impact on sarcopenia, with significantly higher odds of having sarcopenia found in participants with pre-frailty (OR = 4.80, 95% CI 2.75-8.38, p < 0.001) and frailty (OR = 21.16, 95% CI 8.96-49.97, p < 0.001). In contrast, BMI was inversely associated with sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is prevalent in the Vietnamese elderly. Apart from social demographic characteristics including age, education, employment and family economic status, frailty appeared to be an important risk factor. Early screening, referral, and treatment of sarcopenia among the elderly having a high risk of sarcopenia are recommended., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The 12-item Vietnamese smell identification test (VSIT) has been developed to evaluate the olfactory function of the Vietnamese population. This study aimed to investigate the normative value of the VSIT in different age groups and sexes., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Ho Chi Minh University Medical Center, Vietnam. All participants were evaluated for odor identification ability using the VSIT. We included healthy participants aged 18 years or older with no history of olfactory disturbances., Results: A total of 391 healthy volunteers were recruited with a mean age of 45.80 years (SD: 17.62; range: 18-86; female: 63.4 %). The tenth percentile of scores on the 0-12 VSIT scale was 8.3 in participants aged 18-29 years, 9.0 in 30-39 years, 8.0 in 40-49 years, 7.8 in 50-59 years, 7.9 in 60-69 years and 6.0 in over 70 years. Young adults (18-39 years old) had better olfactory identification ability than older adults (over 50 years), p  < 0.001. There was a significant main effect of sex on VSIT score (p = 0.02), suggesting that females outperformed males. Sensitivity to 8 odors were negatively correlated with age: lemon, garlic, banana, coffee, mango, guava, apple and watermelon (p < 0.05 in all cases) whereas four odors were age-independent including orange, fish sauce, soy sauce, and fish., Conclusion: Normative data provide guidance for assessing individual olfactory function. However, there were significant sex and age effects on olfactory identification scores on the VSIT. Therefore, future studies should be conducted to better adjust for those confounders mentioned above., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) associated with excess weight as a significant risk factor, but few studies have been sufficient enough to examine the magnitude of excess weight of Vietnamese adults. This review aimed to provide a generalized estimate of the prevalence of excess weight among Vietnamese adults., Methods: PubMed, Scopus and national database were used to identify articles published up to May 2022. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used to rate the study quality. The data was analyzed using RStudio software, and the combined effects were estimated using random-effects meta-analysis. The Cochran's Q-test and the I 2 test were employed to examine heterogeneity, and subgroups were conducted. Egger's test and visual inspection of the symmetry in funnel plots were used to determine publication bias., Results: 58 studies with 432,585 participants from 1998 to 2020 were suitable for inclusion in the final model after meeting the prerequisites. Over the last three decades, the combined pooled prevalence of excess weight among adults in Vietnam was 20.3% (95% CI: 15.2-26.6). Notably, this proportion has a tendency to go up between 1998 and 2020. Moreover, rates of excess weight were found to be substantially higher in non-national studies (23.1%, 17.3-30.1) compared to national studies (8.4%, 3.6-18.3) and significantly higher when Asian and Pacific cut-offs (27.6%, 20.0-36.7) were used rather than WHO classification (11.2%, 6.7-18.0)., Conclusion: The findings suggest healthcare professionals and policymakers should focus more on designing and implementing preventive initiatives to lower the rising prevalence of excess weight adults in Vietnam.

The prognostic role of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) genetic polymorphism in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is controversial and inconsistent across various study populations. This study evaluated the predictive validity of the ACE I/D variant based on 12-month all-cause mortality in Vietnamese patients after AMI. This was an observational, prospective study conducted among AMI patients at Cho Ray Hospital between January 2020 and September 2021. All participants were identified for ACE I/D polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction method, with follow-up on survival status at 12 months from the date of admission. The proportions of II, ID, and DD genotypes of the ACE I/D variant were 49.5%, 35.9%, and 14.6%, respectively. All-cause mortality after 12 months occurred in 58 cases (10.6%). The ACE I/D polymorphism did not affect all-cause mortality in the dominant (P = .196), recessive (P = .827), homozygous (P = .515), and heterozygous (P = .184) models. A subgroup analysis by usage status of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB) showed that in the non-ACEI/ARB group, patients with the DD genotype had a lower cumulative survival probability than patients with the II/ID genotypes (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-13.04; P = .023). Among patients with Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores below the median (153.5 points), those with DD genotype had a higher risk of mortality than those with the II/ID genotypes (HR = 3.35, 95% CI: 1.01-11.11; P = .049). The ACE I/D genetic polymorphism was found not to be associated with 12-month all-cause mortality in Vietnamese patients with AMI. However, it was associated with mortality in patients who did not use ACEI/ARB and also whose GRACE scores were below 153.5 points., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: The effectiveness of nonabsorbable and biodegradable nasal packing is still controversial, and the choice of nasal packing type can alter the outcome of endoscopic sinus surgery. This study compared the effectiveness of Posisep and Merocel as nasal packing materials with regard to hemostasis, adhesion, wound healing, patient's satisfaction and health-related quality of life after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS)., Methods: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial was conducted in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis refractory undergoing symmetrical bilateral ESS. At the completion of surgery, a nasal packing (either Merocel or Posisep) was randomly chosen and placed into the middle meatus of each nasal cavity. All patients were scheduled for follow-up visits at 24 hours, 5 days, 3 weeks, and 5 weeks days after surgery. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22). The overall inflammatory burden of chronic rhinosinusitis was measured by the Lund-Mackay postoperative endoscopic score (LMES)., Results: Among 62 patients included in data analysis (n = 31 for each group), the mean age was 42.4 years and 54.8% were females. Patients with Posisep after ESS had more improvement and better symptoms measured through SNOT-22 and LMES at 24 hours, 5 days, and 3 weeks than those with Merocel after ESS. While some aspects measured by LMES such as discharge and scarring were still better until 5 weeks after surgery, all symptoms measured by SNOT-22 were similar between the 2 groups 5 weeks after surgery., Conclusion: Posisep containing chitosan provided patients with a better quality of life throughout the early recovery period compared with Merocel. Although more studies are needed, our findings support the use of Posisep after ESS., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Correct olfactory identification requires familiarity with the odor stimuli and is culturally dependent. Existing smell identification tests (SIT) are not culturally specific and may not be reliable in detecting hyposmia in all populations. This study aimed to develop a smell identification test suitable for Vietnamese patients (VSIT)., Methods: The study included 4 phases: 1) survey-based evaluation of the familiarity of 68 odors to identify 18 odors for subsequent testing (N = 1050); 2) smell identification test of 18 odors in healthy patients (N = 50) to determine which 12 should be included in the VSIT; 3) comparison of VSIT scores on 12 odors in patients with hyposmia (N = 60; Brief smell identification test (BSIT) score <8 and those with normosmia (N = 120; BSIT score ≥8) to establish the validity of the newly developed test; and 4) retest of the VSIT in 60 normosmic patients from phase 3 (N = 60) to determine test-retest reliability., Results: As expected, the mean (SD) VSIT score was significantly higher in the healthy participants than in the hyposmic patients [10.28 (1.34) vs 4.57 (1.76); P < 0.001]. Using a cut-off score at 8, the sensitivity and specificity of the instrument in detecting hyposmia were 93.3% and 97.5% respectively. The test-retest reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient was at 0.72 (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The Vietnamese Smell Identification Test (VSIT) demonstrated favorable validity and reliability and will allow for assessment of olfactory function in Vietnamese patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Tai Ngoc Tran: has received consultation and/or honoraria/lecture fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, Ipsen Pharmaceuticals, and Medtronic, and research funding from University Medical Center, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City. Daniel Truong: has received consultation and/or honoraria/lecture fees from Neurocrine Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Inc., He received research funding from AbbVie, Acadia Cynapsus, Daiichi Sankyo Pharma, Intec, Ipsen, Kyowa, Merz, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Neurocrine, Neuroderm Ltd, Sunovion, Acorda Sage, Takeda, Cerevel Therapeutics, UCB Pharma, Pharmather, Inc., Teva, Aeon Biopharma, Bukwang Pharmaceuticals, Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction Lymph node (LN) metastasis happens even in early gastric cancer (GC) even in LN stations that are not adjacent to the primary tumor. Total or subtotal gastrectomy (TG or sTG) can be performed in the middle third of the GC if the negative proximal margin is maintained. These procedures differed in the extent of LN dissection; therefore, oncology considerations must be taken into consideration when selecting the appropriate procedure. Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving 98 patients suffering from middle-third GC. The metastatic lymph nodes (mLN) ratio was calculated in each case by the ratio between the number of mLN and the number of total LNs retrieved. We compare the difference in the total LN retrieved, number of mLN, and rate of positive LN (N+) between the two groups TG and sTG. Results The majority of patients had advanced GC (82.7% pT2-4). About 65.3% of patients had metastasis LN. The events of LN metastasis and skipped LN metastasis happened even in tumors contained in the submucosal layer. The metastasis rates in each LN station were also increasing in correlation with the depth of tumor invasion. For LN station No. 2, 4sa, 10, 11d (which are not mandatory) in sTG, the rate of mLN was 0% for the pT1-3 tumor, regardless of tumor longitudinal location. The rate of mLN for each station was higher in adjacent stations of the tumor (No. 1-3-5-7 in lesser curvature, No. 4sb-4d-6 in greater curvature, No.1-3-4sb in the anterior wall, No. 3-7-12a in the posterior wall). The total LN retrieved, number of mLN, and rate of positive LN were statistically higher in the TG group compared to the sTG group. However, the mean mLN ratios between the two groups were comparable (p = 0.116). Conclusion In accordance with the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, we observed a stratified distribution of mLN in the middle third of the GC. With these early results, sTG combined with standard lymphadenectomy was an acceptable treatment for T1-T3 middle-third GC in terms of mLN distribution. Total No. 4sb LN dissection might also be reserved in gastrectomy for T1-T3 GC., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Vu Tuan Anh et al.)

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are promising new factors in the prognosis and prediction of breast cancer patients. Our study evaluated the prevalence of expression of TILs on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides, PD-L1 expression on immunohistochemistry, and their association with clinicopathological characteristics in Vietnamese women with invasive breast cancer. This study was conducted on 216 women with primary invasive breast cancer. The evaluation of TILs on the HE slides was based on the International TILs Working Group 2014 recommendation. PD-L1 protein expression was determined using the Combined Positive Score, the number of tumor cells, lymphocytes, and macrophages stained by PD-L1 divided by the total viable tumor cells multiplied by 100. Based on the cutoff of 11%, the prevalence of TILs expression was 35.6%, of which highly expressed TILs (≥50%) accounted for 15.3%. Postmenopausal women and those who had a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or greater had a higher odds of having TILs expression. However, patients who had the expression of Ki-67, HER-positive molecular subtype, and triple-negative subtype were more likely to have TILs expression. The prevalence of PD-L1 expression was 30.1%. A significantly higher odds of having PD-L1 was found in patients who had a history of benign breast disease, self-detected tumor and had TILs expression. The expression of TILs and PD-L1 is common in Vietnamese women with invasive breast cancer. Because of the importance of these expressions, routine evaluation to find women who had TILs and PD-L1 is needed so that treatment and prognosis can be optimized. Such routine evaluation can be targeted to those who had a high-risk profile found in this study., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Lipoxygenases are non-heme iron-containing enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in the production of lipid hydroperoxides, which are precursors of inflammatory lipid mediators. These enzymes are widely distributed in humans, other eukaryotes, and cyanobacteria. Lipoxygenases hold promise as therapeutic targets for several human diseases, including cancer and inflammation-related disorders. Inhibitors of lipoxygenase have potential applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food. Bioactive peptides are short amino acid sequences embedded within parent proteins, which can be released by enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, and gastrointestinal digestion. A wide variety of bioactivities have been documented for protein hydrolysates and peptides derived from different biological sources. Recent findings indicate that protein hydrolysates and peptides derived from both edible and non-edible bioresources can act as lipoxygenase inhibitors. This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding the production of anti-lipoxygenase protein hydrolysates and peptides from millet grains, chia seeds, insects, milk proteins, fish feed, velvet antler blood, fish scales, and feather keratins. The anti-lipoxygenase activities and modes of action of these protein hydrolysates and peptides are discussed. The strengths and shortcomings of previous research in this area are emphasized. Additionally, potential research directions and areas for improvement are suggested to accelerate the discovery of anti-lipoxygenase peptides in the near future.

To date, little are known about HIV-related stigma, symptoms of depression (SOD) and suicidal ideation among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Vietnam. This study aimed to estimate the level of stigma, SOD and suicidal ideation and to explore the direction and magnitude of the relationship between stigma, SOD and suicidal ideation among Vietnamese PLHIV. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four outpatient clinics providing healthcare services including antiretroviral therapy (ART) for PLHIV in Ho Chi Minh City. At each clinic, patients were chosen using the systematic sampling technique. Participants underwent face-to-face interviews through a pre-defined structural questionnaire that included validated scales. Among 777 PLHIV in the analysis, most were male (81.1%) and the average age was 34.3 (SD = 8.8) years. Two-thirds of PLHIV had a moderate-to-high level of HIV stigma. Symptoms of depression were identified in 41.4% of PLHIV. Suicidal ideation was reported by 26.3% of PLHIV. Based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression, higher levels of SOD and HIV stigma were positively associated with suicidal ideation. For PLHIV with extreme stigma and SOD, the probability of having suicidal ideation was up to 80%. The prevalence and association found in this study indicates that interventions for SOD and stigma not only help reduce these two problems but also help address and minimize suicidal ideation in this vulnerable population. In Vietnam, to optimize such interventions, the involvement of families and communities is crucial.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Tri An Reservoir is a vital source of water for agriculture, industry, hydropower, and public usage in Southern Vietnam. Due to human activities, water eutrophication has become a serious problem in recent decades. This study investigated for the first time the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on streamflow and nitrate load from the upstream Dong Nai River basin, which is the largest watershed of the reservoir. The study utilized several LULC scenarios, including LULC 2000, 2010, and 2020. The SWAT model was applied to model the watershed during the period 1997-2009. Results showed that the hydrological model performed satisfactorily based on the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient, the root mean square error observations standard deviation ratio (RSR), and the percent bias (PBIAS). The average simulated values of monthly streamflow and nitrate load were 453.7, 450.0, 446.7 m 3 /s and 17,699.43, 17,869.13, 17,590.81 tonnes for the LULC 2000, 2010, and 2020 scenarios, respectively. There were no significant differences in streamflow and nitrate load at the basin level under the different LULC scenarios. However, when looking at the subbasin level, there were differences in nitrate load among the scenarios. This suggests that the impacts of LULC on nitrate load may be more pronounced at smaller scales. Overall, our finding underscores the importance of modeling techniques in predicting the impacts of LULC change on streamflow and water quality, which can ultimately aid in the sustainable management of water resources., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Infection with Plasmodium vivax is a recognized cause of severe malaria including deaths. The exact burden and patterns of severe P. vivax monoinfections is however still not well quantified, especially in P. vivax endemic regions. We examined the magnitude and patterns of severe malaria caused by monoinfections of P. vivax and associated predictors among patients admitted to a tertiary care center for malaria in Vietnam., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on the patients' medical records at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases from January 2015 to December 2018. Extracted information included demographic, epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory and treatment characteristics., Results: Monoinfections with P. vivax were found in 153 (34.5, 95% CI 30.3-39.1%) patients of whom, uncomplicated and severe malaria were documented in 89.5% (137/153, 95% CI 83.7-93.5%) and 10.5% (16/153, 95% CI 6.5-16.3%), respectively. Patterns of severe malaria included jaundice (8 cases), hypoglycemia (3 cases), shock (2 cases), anemia (2 cases), and cerebral malaria (1 case). Among 153 patients, 73 (47.7%) had classic malaria paroxysm, 57 (37.3%) had >7 days of illness at the time of admission, and 40 (26.1%) were referred from other hospitals. A misdiagnosis as having other diseases from malaria cases coming from other hospitals was up to 32.5% (13/40). Being admitted to hospital after day 7th of illness (AOR = 6.33, 95% CI 1.14-35.30, p = 0.035) was a predictor of severe malaria. Severe malaria was statistically associated with longer hospital length of stay (p = 0.035). Early and late treatment failures and recrudescence were not recorded. All patients recovered completely., Discussion: This study confirms the emergence of severe vivax malaria in Vietnam which is associated with delayed hospital admission and increased hospital length of stay. Clinical manifestations of P. vivax infection can be misdiagnosed which results in delayed treatment. To meet the goal of malaria elimination by 2030, it is crucial that the non-tertiary hospitals have the capacity to quickly and correctly diagnose malaria and then provide treatment for malaria including P. vivax infections. More robust studies need to be conducted to fully elucidate the magnitude of severe P. vivax in Vietnam., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Duong, Pham, Thai, Lee, Nguyen, Nguyen and Nguyen.)

Background: The severity of coronary artery disease is a prognostic factor for major adverse cardiovascular events in patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. ACE I/D polymorphism is one of the genetic factors that may affect the severity of coronary artery disease. This study aimed to investigate the association between ACE I/D genotypes and the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with acute myocardial infarction., Materials and Methods: A single-center, prospective, observational study was conducted at the Department of Cardiology and Department of Interventional Cardiology, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from January 2020 to June 2021. All participants diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction underwent contrast-enhanced coronary angiography. The severity of coronary artery disease was determined by Gensini score. ACE I/D genotypes were identified in all subjects by using the polymerase chain reaction method., Results: A total of 522 patients diagnosed with first acute myocardial infarction were recruited. The patients' median Gensini score was 34.3. The II, ID, and DD genotype rates of ACE I/D polymorphism were 48.9%, 36.4%, and 14.7%, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the ACE DD genotype was independently associated with a higher Gensini score compared with the II or ID genotypes., Conclusion: The DD genotype of the ACE I/D polymorphism was associated with the severity of coronary artery disease in Vietnamese patients diagnosed with first acute myocardial infarction., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Tran, Le, Thai, Hoang, Do and Truong.)

Background: Complicated appendicitis, a potentially life-threatening condition, is common. However, the diagnosis of this condition is mainly based on physician's experiences and advanced diagnostic equipment. This study built and validated machine learning models to facilitate the detection of complicated appendicitis., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on medical charts of all patients undergoing a laparoscopic appendectomy at a city hospital during 2016-2020. The synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) was used to adjust for the imbalance. Multiple classification approaches were used to train and validate models including support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression (LR), artificial neural network (ANN), and gradient boosting (GB)., Results: Among 1,950 patients included in the data analysis, there were 483 patients identified as having complicated appendicitis (24.8%). Based on data without SMOTE adjustment for imbalance, the accuracy levels and AUCs were high in all models using different parameters, ranging from 0.687 to 0.815. After adjusting for imbalance data using SMOTE, AUC and accuracy levels in the models using imbalance adjusted data were higher. Of these, the GB had all AUC and accuracy values of approximately 0.8 or more in both adjusted and unadjusted data., Conclusions: Machine learning approaches including SVM, DT, logistic, KNN, ANN, and GB have a high level of validity in classifying patients with complicated appendicitis and patients without complicated appendicitis. Among these, GB had the highest level of validity and should be used or further validated. Our study indicates the beneficial potentials of machine learning techniques in a clinical setting in general and in the diagnosis of complicated appendicitis in particular., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Tuong-Anh Phan-Mai et al.)

Background: While depression is a common mental disorder, the diagnosis of this condition is still challenging. Thus, there is a need to have a validated tool to help evaluate symptoms of depression. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Vietnamese version of the Hamilton D-17 scale., Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and validation study was conducted on 183 patients including 139 depressed and 44 non-depressed patients at the University Medical Center of Medicine and Pharmacy University at Ho Chi Minh City. Internal reliability and inter-rater reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate construct validity. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) was used to measure concurrent validity of the Hamilton D-17. Area under the ROC curve was used to measure criterion validity., Results: Both Cronbach alpha coefficient and ICC were at good level at alpha = 0.83 and ICC = 0.83. CFA with a second-order model consisting of four factors fitted the data at good to excellent level. The SRMR (Standardized Root Mean Squared Residual) was 0.066, RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) (90% CI) was 0.053 (0.036-0.069), CFI (comparative fit index) was 0.93, TLI (Tucker Lewis index) was 0.92. The Hamilton D-17 and the PHQ-9 had a correlation coefficient of r = 0.77 ( p < 0.001). The Hamilton D-17 had a very high level of criterion validity with AUC of 0.93 (0.88-0.98)., Conclusion: The Vietnamese version of the Hamilton D-17 scale has a high level of validity and reliability. The scale should be used to assess symptoms of depression among Vietnamese patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Le-Nguyen-Thuy, Nguyen-Dao-Uyen, Tran-Nguyen-Quynh, Thai, Ngo-Tich, Do-Van and Duong-Quy.)

The difference in participants' characteristics between samples and the inconsistency in the methodology have led to variability in both direction and magnitude of association between cyber-victimization and depression in adolescents. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the relationship between cyber-victimization and depression in adolescents. Primary studies on cyber-victimization and depression among adolescents (10-19 years of age based on WHO definition) on PubMed and EMBASE databases were included. The forward and backward snowballing searching method was also used to explore more publications. The main effect estimate extracted from eligible studies was the odds ratio which was synthesized based on the random-effect model. The protocol of this study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO database (registration number: CRD42020185700). Among 1,008 research articles identified, 17 were eligible which comprised a total sample of 79,202 adolescents. The odds of depression among cyber-victims was almost three-fold higher (OR = 2.73; 95% CI 2.25-3.31) compared to non-cyber-victims. The overall effect estimate remained positive irrespective of differences in sample and method characteristics (study location, female percentage, sampling procedures, the use of single vs. multiple items, and elaboration of cyber-bullying definition). The presence of traditional bullying items was found to be important moderator of this relationship. However, none of the anticipated moderators had a clear impact on this relationship. Moreover, absence of publication bias was confirmed. This study confirms findings from the literature about the significant association between cyber-victimization and depression in adolescents across settings and populations. More efforts should be made to address this issue rigorously and to a greater extent.

The reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle remains a big challenge due to the anatomical characteristics of this area. This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of covering by lateral supramalleolar flap in patients with soft tissue defects around the ankle and foot. We conducted a retrospective study from January 2017 to December 2020 at the Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Data about patients' characteristics, detailed injuries, perioperative information, intraprocedural dossier, and complications of this method were recorded and analyzed. There were 31 male and 17 female patients, with an average age of 39.8 (ranging from 11 to 77) years. The skin defects ranged from 8 cm 2 to 120 cm 2 . The blood supply for the flap included a mixed-flow pattern ( n  = 30) and retrograde flow ( n  = 18). The success rate was 94%. Forty-two patients had been successfully covered, five patients had partial flap necrosis (in which two cases needed skin graft afterwards and three cases got spontaneous healing), only one patient had total flap necrosis. In conclusion, the lateral supramalleolar flap can cover the soft tissue of ankle and foot defects in both mixed-blood supply pattern or retrograde pattern with high success rates. However, the risk of venous congestion should be considered, particularly when using the retrograde pattern flap.