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This study is aimed at investigating the poisoning effect of sulphide on methanogenic cultures. Using cultures enriched with either acetate or formate as a sole electron donor, sets of 1-week batch inhibition tests were performed to analyse the dynamic change of the living microorganism concentrations under the varied sulphide concentrations between zero and 400 mg-S L∁E. In both cultures, the cellular decay was doubled when the cultures were placed in 100 mg-S L E of total sulphide. When the cultures were exposed to higher sulphide, higher specific decay rates were obtained. Because of the low correlations of the unionised sulphide concentrations to the specific decay rates, the total sulphide concentration was thought to be the dominant inhibition factor rather than its unionised form. To express the acceleration of cellular decay, a mathematical model was developed. Since the decay phenomena of both cultures were quite similar to each other, a culture-wide empirical formula was obtained to calculate the specific decay rate. In the model equation, the specific decay rate of the methanogenic cultures was linearly expressed with a coefficient of 0.30∁E0∁E ± 0.05∁E0∁E mg-S∁E L d∁E for sulphide concentration and a coefficient of 0.044 ± 0.013 d E for the inherent specific decay rate.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: To characterise the clinical features of Acinetobacter baumannii infections and investigate the phylogenetic structure and transmission dynamics of A. baumannii in Vietnam. Methods: Between 2019 and 2020, a surveillance of A. baumannii (AB) infections was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were analysed using logistic regressions. Whole-genome sequence data were used to characterise genomic species, sequence types (STs), antimicrobial resistance genes, surface antigens, and phylogenetic relatedness of AB isolates. Results: Eighty-four patients with AB infections were enrolled in the study, 96% of whom were hospital-acquired. Half of the AB isolates were identified from ICU-admitted patients, while the remaining isolates were from non-ICU patients. The overall in-hospital mortality was 56%, with associated risk factors including advanced age, ICU stay, exposure to mechanical ventilation/central venous catheterization, pneumonia as source of AB infection, prior use of linezolid/aminoglycosides, and AB treatment with colistin-based therapy. Nearly 91% of isolates were carbapenem-resistant; 92% were multidrug-resistant; and 6% were colistin-resistant. ST2, ST571, and ST16 were the three dominant carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) genotypes, exhibiting distinct AMR gene profiles. Phylogenetic analysis of CRAB ST2 isolates together with previously published ST2 collection provided evidence of intra- and inter-hospital transmission of this clone. Conclusions: Our study highlights a high prevalence of carbapenem resistance and multidrug resistance in A. baumannii and elucidates the spread of CRAB within and between hospitals. Strengthening infection control measures and routine genomic surveillance are crucial to reducing the spread of CRAB and detecting novel pan-drug-resistant variants in a timely fashion.

Relevant value is important for information users to make business decisions, and stock prices have an essential relationship to the value relevance about enterprises. The paper aims to investigate the earnings and book value influences on the value relevance of 144 Vietnamese listed enterprises. Selected data are non-financial enterprises with a wide range of industries to ensure representativeness on the Vietnamese stock market. The research implements stakeholder and signaling theory to explain the hypotheses of the model related to earnings per share and book value per share. Time series data are analyzed for three years from 2018 to 2020. The quantitative method is applied to test hypotheses. The results determine that the fixed effects model is suitable. The results also show that the earnings per share positively affect the stock price, but book value per share has a negative impact on the stock price. The paper provides some policy suggestions for investors to make reasonable decisions using relevant information about listed enterprises in Vietnam.

Pneumonia occurs commonly in bronchiectasis patients with exacerbation, though necrotizing pneumonia remains rare. This report presents two cases of bronchiectasis complicated by necrotizing pneumonia. The first case involves a 39‐year‐old female with bronchiectasis due to primary ciliary dyskinesia. She presented with severe chest pain and persistent fever unresponsive to oral antibiotics. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed necrotizing pneumonia with associated empyema, necessitating prolonged antibiotic therapy, pleural drainage and ultimately surgical decortication. The second case is a 39‐year‐old male with bronchiectasis following ammonia inhalation injury, presenting with pleuritic chest pain and productive cough, with a CT scan showing consolidation with low attenuation areas. Intensive antibiotic treatment was required, alongside corticosteroids and inhaled antibiotics afterward. These cases demonstrate the importance of identifying risk factors for necrotizing pneumonia in bronchiectasis patients. Tailoring treatment strategies, including extending antibiotic regimens, using inhaled antibiotics, and administering corticosteroids, is essential to mitigate poor outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Research on coping strategies and social support among Vietnamese cancer caregivers remains limited. In this study, we aim to examine the relationships between types of coping strategies utilized and social support among cancer caregivers. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in three main cancer hospitals in the Northern, Central and Southern regions of Vietnam. The 28-item Brief COPE Inventory (BCI) Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were utilized. Descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression were performed. Active coping, acceptance and positive reframing were the most used coping strategies among participants, while substance use was the least commonly used. Level of social support was positively correlated with the utilization of coping mechanisms. Receiving high social support and utilizing positive coping strategies enables caregivers to mitigate their caregiving burden, control the situation and enhance their own quality of life.

Uterine tumor resembling ovarian sex cord tumor (UTROSCT) is a rare indolent stromal neoplasm of unclear histogenesis with a distinct histopathological entity. Immunophenotypes of sex cord positivity are the most significant information to confirm the diagnosis. We present the case of a 61-year-old female with a polypoid mass in the uterus which was successfully removed by surgical resection as hysterectomy. The pathological diagnosis was UTROSCT, which was characterized microscopically by sex cord images and immunohistochemical features of calretinin, CD99, and WT1 positivity.

Background: The androgen receptor (AR) has recently emerged as a useful marker for the more favorable prognosis and better outcomes among women with estrogen receptor (ER) + ve breast cancer (BC) and the further refinement of BC subtype. Furthermore, AR expression in ER − ve tumors has a particular prognostic significance. Additionally, the ratio of nuclear AR to ER may critically have an influence on tumor biology and respond to endocrine therapy. Purpose: To define the AR expression and AR:ER ratio, and explored their correlation with the clinicopathological features, prognosis, and survival outcomes in the various subclasses of invasive BC. Methods: The current study was conducted on 522 BC patients who had surgical operations, without neoadjuvant chemotherapy by applying a retrospective cohort analysis. The clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on AR, ER, PR, HER2, and Ki67. Expression of AR was paired into different immunophenotypes for analysis with clinicopathological features and survival. All BC patients’ survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier and log-rank models. Results: The presence of AR was detected in 65.3%. Positive AR, the ratio of AR:ER

Small polarons are quasi-particles in materials formed by a charge carrier and its self-induced distortion. In cathode materials containing transition metal elements, small polarons play an important role in the diffusion of charge carriers. In order to grasp the fundamentals of small polarons inside cathodes, we highlight the recent progress from both experiments and simulations focusing on the formation of small polarons and their migration. Because of their strong binding to small polarons, alkali ions accompany polarons during diffusion and thus the polaron – ion couple can be considered a complex quasi-particle. The diffusion mechanism of alkali ions inside cathodic materials can be explored by a simultaneous diffusion simulation approach, which naturally and accurately depicts the diffusion of alkali ions (and alkali vacancies) and their accompanying small polarons as complex diffusion particles during alkali intercalation and de-intercalation. The successful employment of this approach paves a new direction toward elucidating the diffusion mechanism in several promising cathode materials containing transition metals. This model and its application to the investigation of the electrochemical properties of several typical cathodic materials such as NASICON, PO44−–, SO44−–, and SiO44−– anion– based compounds are comprehensively demonstrated.

We translated the Effort-Reward imbalance questionnaire, an instrument for measuring work stress, into the Vietnamese language and investigated its psychometric properties among nurses in Vietnam. In a hospital-based cross-sectional study design, we sampled and interviewed 207 nurses working full-time (response rate 83%). We evaluated the internal consistency using standardized Cronbach's alpha coefficients and structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis. Discriminative validity was assessed by comparing the measured scores between age groups, gender, education levels, income groups, and job positions. In addition, we confirmed the criterion validity by investigating its association with self-reported health using simple and multiple logistic regression models. Most of the participants were female (73.3%), young (average 28.5 years old), and had education levels of college or higher (53.5%). We observed sufficient internal consistency in effort, reward, and over-commitment scales (Cronbach's alpha 0.80, 0.76, and 0.68, respectively). Confirmatory factor analysis of the three-factor hierarchical model showed an acceptable fit and fair construct validity with most moderate or stronger (>0.3) factor loading coefficients. Poor self-rated health was more likely in respondents in both Effort-Reward ratio's middle tertile (adjusted Odd-Ratio = 2.80, p-value = 0.031) and highest tertile (adjusted Odd-Ratio = 2.64, p-value = 0.05), adjusting for age, gender, and education levels. The Effort-reward imbalance scale has adequate reliability and validity for assessing work stress among nurses in Vietnam. Its significant association with poor self-rated health warrants further investigation. The validated instrument can help measure the effort-reward imbalance to manage better work-related emotional strains and mental health issues among nurses and ensure human resources' stability in healthcare in Vietnam.

Background: More than half of the people with dementia live in lower-middle income countries (LMIC), yet we lack research and evidence-based knowledge to guide health promotion and prevention strategies for cognitive decline. In the Philippines, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cardiovascular risk factors among older persons are high, making this population at high risk for developing dementia. This protocol describes a cluster randomized controlled trial that aims to investigate the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention to maintain cognitive performance among high-risk population.Methods: This is a cluster-randomized, two-arm, single-blind trial of a multicomponent intervention that combines dance called INDAK (Improving Neurocognition through Dance and Kinesthetics), nutrition counseling, and vascular risk management. The intervention arm will receive 12 months (1-h, twice per week) of INDAK and every 3 months of nutrition counseling and intensive vascular risk management and monitoring. The control group will receive the usual vascular care advice and referral. A total of 605 (20–25 clusters per arm) community-dwelling Filipino older adults aged ≥ 60 years old with MCI will participate in the study and will be assessed at baseline, 6th- and 12th-month follow-up. The primary outcome is cognitive performance assessed by the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale—Cognitive (ADAS-Cog), Mnemonic Similarity Tasks (MST), and executive function composite (EFC). Secondary outcomes are functional connectivity assessed through brain imaging, and measures of behavioral, functional level, and quality of life.Discussion: The study aims to provide scientific evidence on a public health intervention that is contextualized in a community setting to reduce dementia risk among older adults with MCI. This model can be an ecological, low-cost, and effective program, thereby conducive to widespread implementation in the Philippines as well as in other low-resource settings with similar public health challenges. The pilot phase was underway with eight villages (clusters), but temporarily interrupted by the pandemic. The full study is anticipated to start after community restrictions are eased.

Background: Filipino normative data for neuropsychological tests are lacking. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the Filipino normative data for the Filipino Norming Project (FNP) Neuropsychological Battery, combining the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale – Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) and the Neuropsychological Test Battery from the Uniform Dataset of Alzheimer’s Disease Center (UDS-ADC). Methods: We recruited participants 60 years and older with normal cognition (MMSE score of 25 and above and did not fulfill criteria for dementia according to DSM-IV criteria). Psychologists administered the tests to the study participants. We conducted multivariate analyses to study the effect of age, gender, and education on test performance. Results: A total of 191 participants underwent the FNP Neuropsychological Test Battery. The mean age was 68.8 years (SD 5.4). The majority were female (84.1%). The mean score of ADAS-Cog was 9.98 (SD 4.74). The effect of education was prominent throughout the cognitive domains tested while the effect of age was limited to a few cognitive domains. The mean ADAS-Cog scores were 11.80 ± 4.40 for primary education, 9.93 ± 5.08 for secondary, and 8.15 ± 3.95 for tertiary. On average, women scored 2.75 points lower than men and performed better on the verbal components. Men performed better on the constructional praxis component. The same effect of education and gender was observed for the UDS-ADC. Conclusion: For the first time, normative data are available for the ADAS-Cog and UDS-ADC for a Filipino older population. This study stresses the importance of establishing population-specific normative data, taking into account the specific sociocultural and linguistic context of that population.

Background: In the midst of competing priorities and limited resources in low-middle-income countries (LMIC), convincing epidemiological evidence is critical for urging governments to develop national dementia plans. The majority of primary epidemiological studies on dementia are from high income countries (HIC). Implications for developing countries are typically extrapolated from these outcomes through modeling, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. In this study, we directly assessed the incidence of dementia, disability adjusted life years (DALYs), and cost of care among community-dwelling Filipino elderly.Methods: This was a follow-up study of the prospective cohort Marikina Memory Ageing Project (MMAP). Baseline assessment was performed in 2011–2012, and follow-up was done in 2015–2016 (N = 748 at follow-up). Incident dementia was determined. Disease burden was computed using the incidence rates and DALYs. Both indirect and direct (medical and non-medical) costs of dementia care were computed.Results: The crude incidence rate was 16 (CI: 13–20) cases per 1,000 person-years (pyr) with 17 (CI: 12–21) per 1,000 pyr for females and 14 (CI: 9–21) per 1,000 pyr for males. Based on this incidence, we project an estimation of 220,632 new cases in 2030, 295,066 in 2040, and 378,461 in 2050. Disease burden was at 2,876 DALYsper 100,000 persons. The economic burden per patient was around Php 196,000 annually (i.e., ~4,070 USD, or 36.7% of average family annual income in the Philippines). The majority (86.29%) of this care expense was indirect cost attributed to estimated lost potential earning of unpaid family caregivers whereas direct medical cost accounted for only 13.48%.Conclusions: We provide the first Filipino community-based data on the incidence of dementia, DALYs, and cost of care to reflect the epidemiologic and economic impact of disease. The findings of this study serve to guide the development of a national dementia plan.

Background: Aberrant of p53 and Bcl2 genes cause changes in the quantity and quality of their proteins and contribute to the pathogenesis of some cancer types including breast cancer. Expression of p53 and Bcl2 were associated to adverse clinical outcomes in breast cancer. Purpose: To predict the survival outcomes of invasive breast cancer in Vietnam, using immunohistochemical expression of p53, Bcl2 proteins. Methods: The current study was conducted on 526 breast cancer patients who had surgical operations, but had not received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, from 2011 to 2014. The clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on p53, Bcl2 markers. Expression of p53 and Bcl2 were paired into different immunophenotypes for analysis with clinicopathological characteristics and survival. All breast cancer patients’ survival were analyzed by using Kaplan-Meier and Log-Rank models. Results: The presence of p53 protein was detected in 44.1%. Positive p53, and p53+Bcl2- immunophenotype were significantly associated with poorer prognostic features. In contrast, the positive Bcl2 protein accounted on 57.6%, and combination of p53-Bcl2+ were strong correlated with better clinicopathological parameters. Bcl2 positivity was observed in higher than the negative Bcl2 in the five-year OS (Overall survival) proportion (91.2 vs 79.4%, respectively) (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that the expression of p53, Bcl2 or combinations of these 2 proteins was no longer remained as an independent prognostic variable. Conclusion: The Bcl2 positivity had a distinct OS and DFS (Disease free survival). The expression of p53 and Bcl2 are inversely correlated to clinical outcomes in breast cancer.

In Vietnam, little is elucidated in scientific literatures about the mental health of caregivers of people with cancer. We conducted a cross-sectional study to report the situation and correlates of self-reported psychological distress among caregivers of cancer patients in Vietnam in 2019. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were performed. A total of 16.5% of the study participants had psychological distress. Respondent’s mean score of negative emotion was 7.6 ± 2. Educational level and type of support were significantly associated with having psychological distress among caregivers. Gender, occupation, financial difficulty, treatment belief and social support significantly correlated to psychological distress level of caregivers.

Background: Tumor budding (Bd) has been demonstrated to be a promising prognostic factor in many carcinomas and in gastric cancer. It may represent an optimal additional parameter that is helpful for risk stratification in gastric adenocarcinoma. Hence, the present research was designed to predict the survival outcomes of gastric cancer in Vietnam, applying the tumor budding criteria of the International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC) 2016. Methods: The present study was conducted on 109 gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery but did not receive neo-adjuvant chemotherapy from 2012 to 2015. The patients’ clinicopathological features were recorded. Bd was evaluated according to the 2016 ITBCC criteria and classified as Bd1 (0–4 buds), Bd2 (5–9 buds), and Bd3 (≥10 buds) grades, in addition to being categorized into 2 main Bd groups: low (

Mesectodermal leiomyoma of the ciliary body is exceptionally a rare intraocular tumor and apparently benign tumor is considered embryologically originating from the neural crest (ectoderm). Clinically, it is challenging identifying the mesectodermal leiomyoma and the most important differential diagnosis is uveal melanoma. We reported two females who presented the enlarged mesectodermal leiomyomas of the ciliary body of the right eye. The first patient was made newly diagnosed and the remaining one was locally recurred after 10-year the first surgeon. Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings demonstrated the mesectodermal leiomyoma. Early diagnosis and timely radical surgery is necessary to avoid ocular complications and local recurrence.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of shift work and long working hours in midlife on the risk of dementia in old age. METHODS: The present study comprised 4766 participants from the Copenhagen Male Study. We used information on shift work (collected in 1970–1971 and 1985–1986), long working hours defined as >45 hours per week (collected in 1970–1971), socioeconomic status, sleep, stress, and cardiovascular risk factors. Information about dementia diagnoses was obtained from registers. Participants were followed until 2014 (mean length of follow-up was 17.8 years). We employed Poisson regression for the survival analyses and estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: We found no statistically significant association between shift work (IRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.70–1.05) or long working hours (IRR 0.97, 95% CI 0.79–1.19) and dementia. Adjustment for potential confounders and mediators did not change the estimates. Working shifts at both time points of exposure assessment was not associated with a higher incidence of dementia compared with non-shift workers at both time points (IRR 0.99, 95% CI 0.69–1.42). The lowest incidence of dementia was observed among participants who reported shift work at one time point (only in 1985–1986: IRR 0.44, 95% CI 0.16–1.23 and only in 1970–1971: IRR 0.58, 95% CI 0.31–1.11). CONCLUSION: We did not find positive evidence of an association between shift work or long working hours and the incidence of dementia, but the negative findings may reflect the crude assessment of shift work and long working hours, which is a major limitation of the present study.

Background: Anemia in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is associated with poorer health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical function, and is frequently treated with transfusions. The current common practice of transfusing multiple red blood cells (RBC) units every 2–4 weeks may result in peaks/troughs in hemoglobin (Hb) level, yet maintaining a stable Hb may better improve HRQoL. We describe a study protocol aiming to investigate the feasibility of weekly low‐dose RBC transfusion in MDS patients, including assessing HRQoL and physical function outcomes. Study Design and Methods: In this n‐of‐1 pilot study, patients receive two treatment arms, with randomly allocated treatment sequence: arm A (patient's usual transfusion schedule) and arm B (weekly transfusion, individualized per patient). To facilitate timely delivery of weekly transfusion, extended‐matched RBCs are provided, with transfusion based upon the previous week's Hb/pre‐transfusion testing results to eliminate delays of awaiting contemporaneous cross‐matching. Primary outcome is the feasibility of delivering weekly transfusion. Secondary outcomes include HRQoL, functional activity measurements, RBC usage, and alloimmunization rates. A qualitative substudy explores patient and staff experiences. Results: The trial is open in Australia, Netherlands, and UK. The first patient was recruited in 2020. Inter‐country differences in providing RBCs are observed, including patient genotyping versus serological phenotyping to select compatible units. Discussion: This pilot trial evaluates a novel personalized transfusion approach of weekly matched RBC transfusion and challenges the dogma of current routine pre‐transfusion matching practice. Findings on study feasibility, HRQoL, and physical functional outcomes and the qualitative substudy will inform the design of a larger definitive trial powered for clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]