Impact of COVID-19 anxiety on functional foods consuming intention: role of electronic word of mouth.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic, which involving mass quarantines in many nations, has affected consumer health consciousness behaviors, including food consumption. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 anxiety on functional food consumption within the framework of changes in health concerns and electronic word-of-mouth communication through digital platforms, paying special attention to the moderating effect of trust on eWOM information. Design: /methodology/approach: This cross-sectional study included 527 participants. The data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Mediating moderating effects were tested using bootstrapping and multigroup methods. Findings: Anxiety about the COVID-19 virus has a great impact on individuals' health concerns, word-of-mouth information seeking, and functional food consumption intention. Mediating effects of health consciousness and eWOM on functional food consumption intention were also observed. The anxiety about the COVID-19 virus and health consciousness triggers eWOM communication, and is a strong driver of intention to purchase functional foods if people trust the eWOM information source. Originality/value: While scholars have demonstrated the impact of COVID-19 on human behavior, a largely uninvestigated issue is the effect of COVID-19 virus anxiety on health product consumption. This is one of the first studies to examine the interrelationships among COVID-19 anxiety, health consciousness, eWOM, and functional food consumption intention.This study provides valuable insights into consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should consider the effect of COVID-19 virus anxiety on health-related issues and nutritional behavioral consequences. Based on the results, implications for managers and researchers are proposed.

A new skink of the genus emSubdoluseps/em Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer amp; Siler, 2019 (Squamata: Scincidae) from southern Vietnam.

We describe a new species of the genus Subdoluseps Freitas, Datta-Roy, Karanth, Grismer Siler from a coastal area in southern Vietnam. Subdoluseps vietnamensis sp. nov. is characterized by the following morphological characters: medium size in adults (snout-vent length up to 48.7 mm); tail length/snout-vent length ratio 1.04; toes not reaching finger when limbs adpressed; 27-30 midbody scale rows, smooth; 55-57 paravertebral scales; 55-62 ventral scale rows; 64-74 subcaudal scales; frontoparietal scale single; four supraoculars; prefrontals not in contact with one another; two loreal scales; seven supralabials; ear-opening with two lobules on the anterior border; smooth lamellae beneath finger III 9 or 10 and toe IV 12-15; six enlarged precloacal scales; and four distinct black stripes on dorsum. The new species differs genetically from its closest congeners, S. bowringii (Günther) and S. frontoparietale (Taylor), by uncorrected p-distances of 10.0% and 9.5%, respectively in ND1 sequences, and clusters into the same matriline with these two congeners on the phylogenetic trees.

A new species of Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from Son Tra Peninsula, central Vietnam.

Morphological, acoustic and molecular analyses result in the description of Leptolalax rowleyae sp. nov., a new species of frog in the Megophryidae, belonging to the L. applebyi Rowley Cao species group from central Vietnam. It differs from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological attributes: (1) adult SVL 23.4-25.4 mm in males and 27-27.8 mm in females; (2) presence of distinct dark/brown dorsolateral markings, including black spots on flanks; (3) pinkish milk-white to light brown chest and belly with numerous white speckles; (4) tympanum distinct; (5) absence of webbing or lateral dermal fringes on fingers and toes; (6) pectoral glands comparatively small (3.3-4.7% of SVL); (7) ventrolateral glands indistinct; and (8) iris bicolored with copper tint in upper half fading to golden in lower third of iris. The male advertisement call of the new species consists of 4-6 notes, lacking a distinct introductory note, with an average dominant frequency of 3.2-3.5 kHz. The description of the tadpole constitutes the first description of larval morphology for a member of the L. appleybi species group. Genetically, an uncorrected sequence divergence of 7.4% for 16S rRNA separates the new species from its two closest relatives, L. ardens and L. melicus in the L. applebyi species group.

Thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies in an ethnic minority group in Central Vietnam: implications to health burden and relationship between two ethnic minority groups.

Thalassemia is a genetic condition that can result in long and expensive treatments, and severe thalassemia may lead to death if left untreated. Couples contributing two genes for thalassemia place their children at particular risk for severe thalassemia. Gene frequency of thalassemia varies in Vietnam, but presents remarkably high levels among some ethnic minority groups. Limited information about thalassemia frequency makes prevention and control of thalassemia difficult. This study aimed to determine gene frequency of certain types of thalassemia among 390 women of reproductive age of the Ta-Oi ethnic minority. Hemoglobin and DNA analyses were carried out to diagnose thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies. Of the total participants, 56.1% (95% CI = 51.1-61.1) carried thalassemia genes. A remarkably high frequency of hemoglobin Constant Spring (Hb CS) of 23.8% (95% CI = 19.7-28.4) was noted. The frequency of α+-thalassemia (-3.7 kb deletion) was 26.4% (95% CI = 22.1-31.1), while hemoglobin E (Hb E) and hemoglobin Paksé (Hb Ps) were identified at frequencies of 14.6 (95% CI = 11.2-18.5) and 2.6% (95% CI = 1.4-5.0), respectively. Further analysis of α-globin gene haplotype revealed the same Hb CS haplotype (+ - M + + -) as of the Co-Tu minority, a neighboring minority of the Ta-Oi, indicating that these two minorities may share the same ancestors. This information will be helpful for further studies in population genetics, as well as the development prevention and control program in the region.

Thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies in Thua Thien Hue Province, Central Vietnam.

A community-based assessment of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies was conducted at the Thua Thien Hue Province, Central Vietnam. By cluster sampling, a total of 410 pregnant women attending the antenatal care service at 30 commune health centers were recruited consecutively from September 2011 to June 2012. Hemoglobin (Hb) analysis was performed using an automated Hb analyzer. α-Thalassemia (α-thal) genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques. Out of the 410 pregnant women, 2.7% carried α(0)-thal and 1.2% were ß-thal carriers. One woman with the - -(THAI) deletion was also found. Among the females under survey, structural Hb variants with 3.2% Hb E [ß26(B8)Glu→Lys, GAG>AAG; HBB: c.78G>C] and 3.7% Hb Constant Spring [Hb CS; α142, Term→Gln, TAA>CAA (α2); HBA2: c.427T>C] were found. Assessing the frequency of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies by ethnicity, Kinh (Vietnamese) and ethnic minority groups, Hb CS with a high frequency of 24.0% was observed in the ethnic minority groups. These results provide basic population-based information, are useful not only for implementing measures for prevention and control of thalassemias in the region but also for studying the importance of thalassemias and hemoglobinopathies in ethnic minorities within Southeast Asia.