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Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a major concern in developing countries. The present study sought to define the pattern of antimicrobial resistance in ICU patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Methods Between November 2014 and September 2015, we enrolled 220 patients (average age ~ 71 yr) who were admitted to ICU in a major tertiary hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Data concerning demographic characteristics and clinical history were collected from each patient. The Bauer–Kirby disk diffusion method was used to detect the antimicrobial susceptibility. Results Antimicrobial resistance was commonly found in ceftriaxone (88%), ceftazidime (80%), ciprofloxacin (77%), cefepime (75%), levofloxacin (72%). Overall, the rate of antimicrobial resistance to any drug was 93% (n = 153/164), with the majority (87%) being resistant to at least 2 drugs. The three commonly isolated microorganisms were Acinetobacter (n = 75), Klebsiella (n = 39), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 29). Acinetobacter baumannii were virtually resistant to ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, piperacilin, imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. High rates (>70%) of ceftriaxone and ceftazidime-resistant Klebsiella were also observed. Conclusion These data indicated that critically ill patients on ventilator in Vietnam were at disturbingly high risk of antimicrobial resistance. The data also imply that these Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and multidrug resistance pose serious therapeutic problems in ICU patients. A concerted and systematic effort is required to rapidly identify high risk patients and to reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance in developing countries.

This study investigates the synergy of varying concentrations of graphene oxide (GO) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) molecular weight (MW) on the UV protection, transparency, and tensile strength (TS) of PVA/GO/CNC films. GO and CNCs were sustainably synthesized from graphite and office waste paper. PVA MW ranged from 20 to 130 kDa for broad applicability. The maximum percent of TS improvement (POTSI) reached 40% under 65% relative humidity, influenced more by CNC and GO concentrations than PVA MW. GO significantly impacted the films' optical properties. For low PVA MW (20 kDa), the optimized film (1.00 wt% GO, 3.52 wt% CNC) achieved excellent UVA (82.3%) and UVB (91.7%) barriers, acceptable transparency (43.9%), and a POTSI of 33.5%. For high PVA MW (130 kDa), the optimized film (0.6 wt% GO, 1.86 wt% CNC) exhibited higher transparency (50.8%) but reduced UVA (69.2%) and UVB (77.9%) barriers, and a POTSI of 36.5%. UV barriers can be controllably improved by increasing GO concentration, followed by CNC adjustment to preserve TS. Conversely, transparency can be enhanced by reducing GO and CNC concentrations, with some compromise in UV protection. These findings guide the optimization of PVA/GO/CNC films for enhanced performance in the composite industry.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many universities switched rapidly to the online learning mode to maintain the continuity of the teaching and learning process. This explanatory mixedmethods study was an attempt to investigate the problems EFL students encountered in their online English speaking classes. The study involved 135 EFL students at Vinh University, a key national university in Vietnam. To collect data, a questionnaire and semi-structured interview were used. The results showed that there were six barriers that influenced EFL students’ speaking skills in online classes, including facilities, computer skills, coordination, teaching method, learners’ attitudes and assessment. From the findings, the study tried to suggest some pedagogical solutions in order to improve the quality of online English speaking learning for EFL university students

ABSTRACTThe average transmit power and coverage probability (Pcov) of uplink energy harvesting-enabled long-range networks are investigated in the present paper. Particularly, we model the end-device (EDs) according to the homogeneous Poisson point process while the power beacon is randomly distributed on the circle in the middle of the network. All EDs rely on the harvested energy to perform their operations and transmissions. Under this context, the upper bound of the average transmit power of an end-device is derived in the closed-form expression. The signal-to-noise-ratio condition of the coverage probability is given in the closed-form expression as well. Simulation results are provided to corroborate the accuracy of the derived mathematical framework as well as to feature the impact of some key parameters on the considered metrics. Our findings unveil that increasing either the number of power beacons or their transmit power will monotonically ameliorate the Pcov. Nevertheless, rising the average number of EDs will significantly decline the Pcov's performance.

Abstract Background The Plasmodium vivax merozoite restrictively invades immature erythrocytes, suggesting that its ligand(s) might interact with corresponding receptor(s) that are selectively abundant on reticulocytes to complete the invasion. Finding the ligand‒receptor interaction involved in P. vivax invasion is critical to vivax malaria management; nevertheless, it remains to be unraveled. Methods A library of reticulocyte receptors and P. vivax ligands were expressed by a HEK293E mammalian cell expression system and were then used to screen the interaction using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A flow cytometry-based erythrocyte binding assay and bio-layer interferometry experiment were further utilized to cellularly and quantitatively identify the ligand‒receptor interaction, respectively. Results Plasmodium vivax merozoite-specific thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (PvMTRAP) was found to interact with human CD36 using systematic screening. This interaction was specific at a molecular level from in vitro analysis and comparable to that of P. vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) and Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) (K D: 37.0 ± 1.4 nM and 7.7 ± 0.5 nM, respectively). Flow cytometry indicated that PvMTRAP preferentially binds to reticulocytes, on which CD36 is selectively present. Conclusions Human CD36 is selectively abundant on reticulocytes and is able to interact specifically with PvMTRAP, suggesting that it may function as a ligand and receptor during the invasion of reticulocytes by P. vivax. Graphical Abstract

Abstract In the era of Industry 4.0, online entrepreneurship is gradually seen as an essential tool that brings innovative values to the integration and development of a country. The rapid failure of nascent businesses stemming from a lack of human capital directed this study to explore the role of students' knowledge and technological innovativeness in motivating students to form e-entrepreneurial intentions. Information collected from 405 students from universities in Vietnam via online questionnaires was analysed using SmartPLS 4 to test the relationships among seven factors proposed in the research model. The results show that entrepreneurial education and prior experiences are the foundation for improving students' perceived feasibility and usefulness, forming their entrepreneurial motivation. Next, entrepreneurial motivation becomes an important premise for promoting students' entrepreneurial intentions more effectively. Furthermore, the study found that students' technological innovativeness moderated the relationship between their entrepreneurial motivation and intention to set up a digital business.

Objective This study aimed to assess the association of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thrombosis (AT). Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study including 585 medical records obtained from all consecutive patients who were suspected of having thrombosis. Results The AT group had a higher neutrophil count and NLR and a lower lymphocyte count than the non-thrombosis group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed the ability of the NLR to predict the presence of AT. The cut-off value for the NLR was 4.44. No distinction was found in the NLR between the VTE and non-thrombosis groups. Regression analysis showed that a high NLR was an independent factor related to the presence of AT. Patients with an NLR ≥ 4.44 had a higher risk of AT than those with an NLR

Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread human malaria parasite, and P. knowlesi, an emerging Plasmodium that infects humans, are the phylogenetically closest malarial species that infect humans, which may induce cross-species reactivity across most co-endemic areas in Southeast Asia. The thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) family is indispensable for motility and host cell invasion in the growth and development of Plasmodium parasites. The merozoite-specific TRAP (MTRAP), expressed in blood-stage merozoites, is supposed to be essential for human erythrocyte invasion. We aimed to characterize MTRAPs in blood-stage P. vivax and P. knowlesi parasites and ascertain their cross-species immunoreactivity. Recombinant P. vivax and P. knowlesi MTRAPs of full-length ectodomains were expressed in a mammalian expression system. The MTRAP-specific immunoglobulin G, obtained from immune animals, was used in an immunofluorescence assay for subcellular localization and invasion inhibitory activity in blood-stage parasites was determined. The cross-species humoral immune responses were analyzed in the sera of patients with P. vivax or P. knowlesi infections. The MTRAPs of P. vivax (PvMTRAP) and P. knowlesi (PkMTRAP) were localized on the rhoptry body of merozoites in blood-stage parasites. Both anti-PvMTRAP and anti-PkMTRAP antibodies inhibited erythrocyte invasion of blood-stage P. knowlesi parasites. The humoral immune response to PvMTRAP showed high immunogenicity, longevity, and cross-species immunoreactivity with P. knowlesi. MTRAPs are promising candidates for development of vaccines and therapeutics against vivax and knowlesi malaria.

Drawing on the social practice theory, theory of planned behavior, social contagion theory, and social exchange theory, this study focused on tourist behaviors affecting tourism social sustainability and their drivers. Besides its unique contribution to distinguishing positive behaviors from negative ones, this study is the first exploring tourism social sustainability in remote communities in Vietnam, an emerging country and focusing on domestic tourists. The study reveals that tourists’ knowledge about tourism social sustainability is not only the safeguard against conducting improper behaviors. Behaviors negatively impacting tourism social sustainability can be instigated by crowd, pampering of one’s convenience, and superiority feeling. Furthermore, inappropriate behaviors can be nurtured by the community and service providers. This study also indicates a mixed finding regarding the role of tour operators and tour guides in enforcing the code of conduct and regulations; however, both leader and members of the community can play a critical role in promoting socially sustainable tourist behaviors.

Malaria eradication efforts in resource-limited areas require a rapid, economical, and accurate tool for detecting of the low parasitemia. The malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) is the most suitable for on-site detection of the deadliest form of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum. However, the deletions of histidine rich protein 2 and 3 genes are known to compromise the effectiveness of mRDT. One of the approaches that have been explored intensively for on-site diagnostics is the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). LAMP is a one-step amplification that allows the detection of Plasmodium species in less than an hour. Thus, this study aims to present a new primer set to enhance the performance of a colorimetric LAMP (cLAMP) for field application. The primer binding regions were selected within the A-type of P. falciparum 18S rRNA genes, which presents a dual gene locus in the genome. The test result of the newly designed primer indicates that the optimal reaction condition for cLAMP was 30 minutes incubation at 65°C, a shorter incubation time compared to previous LAMP detection methods that typically takes 45 to 60 minutes. The limit of detection (LoD) for the cLAMP using our designed primers and laboratory-grown P. falciparum (3D7) was estimated to be 0.21 parasites/μL which was 1,000-fold higher than referencing primers. Under optimal reaction condition, the new primer sets showed the sensitivity (100%, 95% CI: 80.49-100%) and specificity (100%, 95% CI: 94.64-100%) with 100% (95% CI: 95.70-100%) accuracy on the detection of dried blood spots from Malawi (n = 84). Briefly, the newly designed primer set for P. falciparum detection exhibited high sensitivity and specificity compared to referenced primers. One great advantage of this tool is its ability to be detected by the naked eye, enhancing field approaches. Thus, this tool has the potential to be effective for accurate early parasite detection in resource-limited endemic areas.

The digital entrepreneurial intention has become a psychological phenomenon of interest as the digitalization process is taking place firmly under the advancement of science and technology. Therefore, explaining the mechanism for creating digital entrepreneurial intention is necessary to help build a force of potential entrepreneurs suitable for the new business model. This study applies social cognitive career theory to explore the influence of education on the relationship between subjective perception (self-efficacy, outcome expectation) and digital entrepreneurial intention. This study also expands this theory through innovativeness and entrepreneurship education to explore the formation of students' digital entrepreneurial intention. Data collected from 960 Vietnamese students were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that with the impact of universities through educational programs, environmental effects are standardized, and the ability to convert subjective perceptions to digital entrepreneurial intention is also improved. So, this study addresses the limitation of social cognitive career theory when adding intrinsic motivation to individual change and development.

The zoonotic malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi is an important public health concern in Southeast Asia. Invasion of host erythrocytes is essential for parasite growth, and thus, understanding the repertoire of parasite proteins that enable this process is vital for identifying vaccine candidates and how some species are able to cause zoonotic infection. Merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) is found in all malaria parasite species and is perhaps the most well-studied as a potential vaccine candidate. While MSP1 is encoded by a single gene in P. falciparum, all other human infective species (P. vivax, P. knowlesi, P. ovale, and P. malariae) additionally encode a divergent paralogue known as MSP1P, and little is known about its role or potential functional redundancy with MSP1. We, therefore, studied the function of P. knowlesi merozoite surface protein 1 paralog (PkMSP1P), using both recombinant protein and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. The recombinant 19-kDa C-terminus of PkMSP1P (PkMSP1P-19) was shown to bind specifically to human reticulocytes. However, immunoblotting data suggested that PkMSP1P-19-induced antibodies can recognize PkMSP1-19 and vice versa, confounding our ability to separate the properties of these two proteins. Targeted disruption of the pkmsp1p gene profoundly impacts parasite growth, demonstrating for the first time that PkMSP1P is important in in vitro growth of P. knowlesi and likely plays a distinct role from PkMSP1. Importantly, the MSP1P KO also enabled functional characterization of the PkMSP1P-19 antibodies, revealing clear immune cross-reactivity between the two paralogues, highlighting the vital importance of genetic studies in contextualizing recombinant protein studies.

This study investigates the sulfuric acid hydrolysis process to improve the efficiency of paper waste sludge (PWS) hydrolysis in a paper recycling plant. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the influence of factors, including liquid-to-solid ratio, acid concentration, temperature, and time on the hydrolysis process. The optimal conditions for hydrolysis were determined to be a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1/30.15, an acid concentration of 8.17 wt%, at a temperature of 91.31 ?, and a reaction time of 6.15 h, which yielded the highest sugar content of 11.12 g.L-1 (with the hydrolysis efficiency of 61.4 %). The resulting sugar solution was then fermented by Acetobacter xylinum bacteria to produce bacterial cellulose (BC) layers. This study addresses the environmental organic pollution caused by PWS and transforms it into a more valuable form with high carbon content and purity, such as BC.

AbstractThe existing literature has focused on the exclusive relationship between institutional logics that are perceived as competing. The current study argues that multiple logics can co-exist in a blended relationship. The purpose of this study is to shed light on such a blended relationship between the alleged competing logics through the analysis of the institutional demands prescribed for artisan product innovation. A qualitative study with 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews as the main data source was conducted in Bát Tràng, a local artisan ceramic community in Hanoi, Vietnam. This exploratory study reveals that institutional logics show the mutual intersection of some attributes that pave for the existence of the blended relationship. In other words, the mutual intersection of two logics permits the agents to traverse such a blurry boundary between these two logics without incurring institutional conflicts. This study also offers future research agenda in an established literature of institutional logics.

Background The role of natural anticoagulant deficiency in the development of arterial thrombosis (AT) is controversial. Objective Our objectives were to assess the deficiency of natural anticoagulants, including protein S (PS), protein C (PC), antithrombin III (AT III) and their involvement in the occurrence of AT. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods This study was conducted in 585 patients who were examined with PS, PC, and AT III tests. The activity of PC, PS (men, women), and ATIII under 70%, 75%, 60%, and 80% was recognized as a deficiency, respectively. Peripheral blood cell and coagulation tests were performed before starting treatment. Patients with previous AT, venous thromboembolism (VTE) or anticoagulant therapy were excluded. Results Patients without thrombosis were 222 (38%), patients with newly diagnosed VTE were 281 (48%), and patients with newly diagnosed AT were 82 (14%). The most common AT sites were in the lungs, brain, and lower extremities (31.2%, 20.8%, and 20.8%, respectively). Compared to the nonthrombosis group, the AT group had a lower PS activity (%) (82.77 ± 24.09 vs 91.31 ± 27.27), a higher fibrinogen (g/L) (4.25 ± 1.68 vs 3.74 ± 1.51), a higher D-dimer (mg/L FEU) (6.16 vs 1.95), and a higher neutrophil count (G/L) (8.57 vs 6.50) with P

Electrical equipment is increasingly diversified in both types and capacity to meet the maximum needs of people in the 4th industrial revolution. This development has helped people to achieve many great scientific achievements, but this development has led to a rapid increase in the demand for electric energy in recent years. The traditional electricity supply from fossil fuels is gradually depleting, which has prompted the search for clean and renewable energy sources to gradually replace the dependence on this energy source. Prosumer, HEMS (home energy management system), and other solutions have been researched and applied to optimize electrical energy sources. However, for countries that mainly use fossil energy sources like Vietnam, these solutions are not effective. Policy on the management could help to solve this problem, in particular, the price policy is the solution that Vietnam has used to effectively manage this energy source. This article analyzes the issues of applicable pricing policy in Vietnam, proposes potential policies to improve and protect the electric energy system, as well as enhances the rate of renewable energy use in the electricity system in Vietnam

As an alternate non-destructive analytical modality for monitoring from pre-harvest to post-storage, optical imaging with near-infrared wavelength is used to forecast the quality of numerous fruits. In the near-infrared spectrum, bio-chemicals are identified and measured with light by penetrating deeply into food components. In addition, apples and other fruits with a high water content benefit from water absorption capabilities. The optical approaches are efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally beneficial. This study is performed to examine the setup of reflection imaging to pick the near-infrared wavelength and optimize the distance between the detector and the light source. Molecular Optical Simulation Environment (MOSE) and Monte Carlo multi-layered programs (MCML) were used to simulate the light propagation in a model of apple tissue to select the appropriate wavelength for evaluating food quality in experiments and optimize the position of the reflected signal receiver. As a consequence, the 700–900 nm wavelength has great promise for use in assessing food quality, particularly apple quality. One centimeter is the optimal distance between the detector and the light source. The data may be used to organize an experiment and create an evaluation tool for determining the quality of fruits using optical methods, particularly apples.

In this paper, the flexural strength and buckling of the partially concrete-filled steel tubes (PCFST) under laterally repeated loads was investigated through three-point bending test configuration. Three-dimensional Finite Element (FE) models of the bending tests of the PCFST were developed, in which the concrete filling was modelled using elastic-plastic-fracture model capturing crack development and the tube steel was modelled using elastic-plasticity model. The bond between concrete and tube was considered as frictional touching contact. The validation showed the FE results including the ultimate flexural load and buckling failure mode of the steel tube were in excellent agreement with the experimental ones. A parametric study was then conducted using the verified FE models to investigate the effects of the tube diameter-to-thickness ratio, the concrete filling length ratio, the compressive strength of concrete, and the tube steel’s yield and tensile strengths on the PCFST’s ultimate flexural strength. Based on this study, buckling modes, the optimal concrete filling lengths, and the confined compressive strengths of concrete were determined considering the effects of all these parameters. The confined compressive stresses and strains in concrete predicted by the FE models were evaluated against those determined by theoretical models. The results revealed that the effects of concrete compressive strength to the PCFST’s flexural capacity was insignificant while increasing the tube diameter-to-thickness ratio or the tube steel’s yield and tensile strengths could significantly increase the PCFST’s flexural capacity and the confined compressive strength of concrete; and there was an optimal length of concrete filling at about 66% of the tube length. It demonstrated that the Finite Element analysis can therefore be used as a powerful method to the analysis and design the PCFST columns under lateral loads.