Impact of preoperative respiratory distress on outcomes of slide tracheoplasty.

OBJECTIVES: Children with congenital tracheal stenosis born in the developing world face a high risk of mortality due to limited access to proper treatment. Patients who required preoperative respiratory support were suspected to have poor survival after slide tracheoplasty; however, this was not clearly demonstrated in the previous studies. This study aims to investigate the impact of preoperative respiratory conditions on outcomes of slide tracheoplasty. METHODS: From 2016 to 2022, children who underwent slide tracheoplasty were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with respiratory distress requiring emergency operations (group A) were compared with patients in stable condition who were scheduled for surgery (group B). RESULTS: Perioperative results revealed that group A (n = 43) had a longer bypass time (P < 0.001), operation time (P = 0.01), postoperative ventilation time (P < 0.001) and length of intensive care unit stay (P = 0.00125) than group B (n = 60). The early mortality rate was 7.8%, and the actuarial 5-year survival rate was 85.3%. The cumulative incidence test revealed that group A was highly significant for overall mortality [sudistribution (SHR) 4.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-16.4; P = 0.023]. Risk factors for overall mortality were prolonged postoperative ventilation time (hazard ratio 3.86; 95% CI 1.20-12.48; P = 0.024), bronchial stenosis (hazard ratio 5.77; 95% CI 1.72-19.31; P = 0.004), and preoperative tracheal mucositis (hazard ratio 5.67; 95% CI 1.51-21.31; P = 0.01). Four patients needed reintervention during a follow-up of 28.4 months (interquartile range 15.3-47.3). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative respiratory distress negatively affected the outcomes of patients who required slide tracheoplasty. Therefore, early detection of congenital tracheal stenosis and aggressive slide tracheoplasty are crucial and obligatory to enhance long-term survival in this lethal congenital airway disease.

Promising clinical and immunological efficacy of Bacillus clausii spore probiotics for supportive treatment of persistent diarrhea in children.

Persistent diarrhea is a severe gastroenteric disease with relatively high risk of pediatric mortality in developing countries. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of liquid-form Bacillus clausii spore probiotics (LiveSpo CLAUSY; 2 billion CFU/5 mL ampoule) at high dosages of 4-6 ampoules a day in supporting treatment of children with persistent diarrhea. Our findings showed that B. clausii spores significantly improved treatment outcomes, resulting in a 2-day shorter recovery period (p < 0.05) and a 1.5-1.6 folds greater efficacy in reducing diarrhea symptoms, such as high frequency of bowel movement of ≥ 3 stools a day, presence of fecal mucus, and diapered infant stool scale types 4-5B. LiveSpo CLAUSY supportive treatment achieved 3 days (p < 0.0001) faster recovery from diarrhea disease, with 1.6-fold improved treatment efficacy. At day 5 of treatment, a significant decrease in blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-23 by 3.24% (p = 0.0409), 29.76% (p = 0.0001), and 10.87% (p = 0.0036), respectively, was observed in the Clausy group. Simultaneously, there was a significant 37.97% decrease (p = 0.0326) in the excreted IgA in stool at day 5 in the Clausy group. Overall, the clinical study demonstrates the efficacy of B. clausii spores (LiveSpo CLAUSY) as an effective symptomatic treatment and immunomodulatory agent for persistent diarrhea in children.Trial registration: NCT05812820.

Vietnamese consumer's perspective on green beauty care products: Exploring the impact of animal welfare concerns and skepticism toward green advertising.

Green consumers increasingly consider animal welfare (AW) in their decision-making, demonstrating a growing awareness of ethical considerations beyond conventional environmental concerns. However, with an increase in greenwashing, skepticism has grown among consumers. Regardless of manufacturers' efforts to enhance consumer awareness via green advertising, consumer skepticism toward these advertisements creates doubt and consequently reduces positive attitudes and intentions to buy green products. This study investigated the variables that impact Vietnamese consumers' decision-making processes toward green beauty care products. Specifically, we focused on the role of AW concerns and skepticism toward green advertising. For this study, we adopted the timulus-response organism (SOR) framework, which is known for its ability to analyze the impact of environmental stimuli (S) on personal perceptions (O), leading to specific responses (R). We elucidated the relationship between concern for AW and green advertising skepticism (GAS) as stimulus factors, green brand trust (GBT) and attitude toward green products (ATT) as organism factors, and three sub-dimensions of behavioral intentions (BI): green purchase intention (GPI), word-of-mouth (WOM), and willingness to pay (WPP) as response factors. We explored the mediating effect of ATT on the relationship between GAS-GPI and AW-GPI. This study involved 386 Vietnamese participants surveyed using convenience sampling. Smart PLS v3.2.9 software was used to analyze the data using structural equation modeling. The hypothesis test using PLS-SEM confirmed that (a) GBT had a positive effect on BI and ATT; (b) ATT had a positive effect on BI; (c) GAS had a negative effect on GBT and WPP, but not on GPI and WOM; and (d) AW had a positive effect on GPI and WOM, but not on ATT and WPP. Surprisingly, this study found insufficient statistical evidence to support the mediating role of ATT in the relationship between GAS-GPI and AW-GPI. This study highlights the importance of integrated advertising and education campaigns in increasing customer awareness toward green products and the significance of comprehending the cultural context when developing marketing strategies, especially in emerging markets such as Vietnam, where environmental concerns are skeptical and AW issues are relatively new. The study delved into the Vietnam market and specifically examined beauty care products labeled as "not tested on animals." Additionally, we addressed a gap in the existing research by investigating the combined influence of AW concerns and GAS on the formation of green behavioral intentions (GBI).

Population Subdivision and Migration Assessment of Mangalica Pig Breeds Based on Pedigree Analysis.

In conserving the genetic diversity of domestic animal breeds, strategies that emphasise between-breed diversity may not be optimal, as they neglect within-breed variation. The aim of the present study was to assess the extent of population subdivision in three Mangalica pig breeds and the contribution of migration to their substructure. Wright's FST coefficient was calculated based on genealogical data with breeding animals born between 1981 and 2023, with three colour variants (Blonde, Swallow-Belly and Red). These Wright's FST coefficients were analysed using multidimensional scaling to reveal the population substructure. The average FST coefficient was 0.04 for the Blonde breed and 0.047 for the Swallow-Belly and Red Mangalica breeds, while these parameters were lower in the active herds at 0.03 and 0.04, respectively. The migration of individuals between herds was 61.63% for the Blonde breed and 75.53% and 63.64% for the Swallow-Belly and Red Magalica breeds, respectively. No population substructure was observed in any of the Mangalica breeds, which can be explained by the extensive migration between herds.

Effectiveness of health education in improving knowledge, attitude and practice related to foodborne zoonotic trematodes in Vietnam, with a particular focus on Clonorchis sinensis.

OBJECTIVE: Foodborne zoonotic trematodes (FZT), which infect the liver, lungs and intestines of humans, are an emerging public health concern in tropical countries including Vietnam. In northern Vietnam, Clonorchis sinensis is recognised as the most important species of the FZT. Up to now, small-scale studies conducted in the country have indicated that health education could improve participants' knowledge and practices related to clonorchiasis, however strong evidence is still lacking. We conducted an intervention trial between 2020 and 2021 in four communes in Yen Bai and Thanh Hoa province, aiming to evaluate the impact of an extended educational package on knowledge, attitude and practices related to clonorchiasis, as well as on knowledge on the large liver fluke and minute intestinal flukes. METHODS: To this end, baseline and post-intervention questionnaires were conducted. Generalised estimating equations models were run to analyse the impact of the intervention on knowledge, attitudes and practices over time in the intervention versus control group. Finally, 172 people in the intervention group and 162 in the control group were included for analysis. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that the intervention significantly improved clonorchiasis knowledge, attitudes and practices, with higher odds for a correct knowledge response (odds ratio (OR) = 2.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.84-4.27, p-value < 0.001), increased average mean attitude score (mean = 0.363, 95%CI = 0.182-0.544, p-value < 0.001), and a reduced odds of consuming raw fish (OR = 0.15, 95%CI = 0.06-0.40, p = 0.002) in the intervention group compared to the control group post-intervention versus baseline. Additionally, participants in the intervention group exhibited enhanced basic knowledge of the large liver fluke and minute intestinal flukes post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the potential of health education programs in preventing clonorchiasis in endemic areas, emphasising the importance of continued health education as a critical component of integrated control programs for clonorchiasis.

Care needs assessment of older adults with dementia in a semi-rural district in Vietnam: A community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The increasing needs of people living with dementia (PLWD) in Vietnam present an enormous public health challenge. Vietnam is an understudied country, and little is known regarding the overall unmet needs of caregivers or the demographic risk factors associated with unmet caregiving needs. This study aimed to determine the burden of unmet care needs of community-dwelling PLWD and identify sociodemographic risks associated with unmet care needs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in a rural area facing urbanisation in Hanoi, Vietnam recruited PWLD-caregiver dyads with multistage sampling. We utilised the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE) instrument to evaluate care needs across four domains. Caregivers rated PLWD needs, with higher scores indicating greater unmet needs. The Mann-Whitney test was employed for comparing two groups, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparisons involving more than two groups in the analysis, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among 90 PLWD participating in the study, the overall mean care needs score was 11.6 ± 4.3, with only 16.2% of PLWD having their care needs met. Environmental and physical needs were more frequently met than psychological or social needs. Only 48.0% and 43.9% of environmental and physical needs were met respectively, and a meagre 20.9% and 23.6% for psychological and social needs. Unmet care needs were more frequent for PWLD who were female, single or divorced, had lower monthly household income, or who were in more advanced stages of dementia, as indicated by Clinical Dementia Rating scores ≥1. CONCLUSIONS: Unmet needs for PWLD are common. Increased caregiver education, resources, and services in Vietnam are urgently required to improve the quality of life for this population.

Molecular subtypes of Adenovirus-associated acute respiratory infection outbreak in children in Northern Vietnam and risk factors of more severe cases.

BACKGROUND: Under the pressure of Human Adenovirus (HAdV)-associated acute respiratory infection (ARI) outbreak in children in Northern Vietnam in the end of 2022, this study was initiated to identify the HAdV subtype(s) and examine the associated clinical features and risk factors of more severe cases. METHODS: This study evaluated pediatric patients with ARI which had tested positive for HAdV between October and November 2022 using a multiplex real-time PCR panel. Nasopharyngeal aspirates or nasal swab samples were used for sequencing to identify HAdV subtypes. Clinical data were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: Among 97 successfully sequenced samples, the predominant subtypes were HAdV-B3 (83%), HAdV-B7 (16%) and HAdV-C2 (1%). Lower respiratory manifestations were found in 25% of the patients of which 5% were diagnosed with severe pneumonia. There was no significant association between HAdV subtype and clinical features except higher white blood cell and neutrophil counts in those detected with HAdV-B3 (p<0.001). Co-detection of HAdV with ≥1 other respiratory viruses was found in 13/24(54%) of those with lower respiratory manifestations and 4/5(80%) of those with severe pneumonia (odds ratio (95% confidence interval) vs. those without = 10.74 (2.83, 48.17) and 19.44 (2.12, 492.73) respectively after adjusting for age, sex, birth delivery method, day of disease). CONCLUSION: HAdV-B3 and HAdV-B7 were predominant in the outbreak. Co-detection of HAdV together with other respiratory viruses was a strong risk factor for lower respiratory tract illnesses and severe pneumonia. The findings advocate the advantages of multi-factor microbial panels for the diagnosis and prognosis of ARI in children.

Influence of titanium dioxide and composite on the accuracy of an intraoral scanner for bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw (Kennedy class I) scanning: An in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES: The accuracy of 3-dimensional images produced by the intraoral scanner (IOS) is affected by scanning-aid materials. This in vitro study aimed to elucidate the influence of scanning-aid materials on the accuracy (trueness and precision) of digital scanning on the bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw (Kennedy class I). METHODS: The asymmetrical bilateral upper posterior edentulous model (reference model) was generated using a 3D printer with three groups (application of TiO2 powder - composite and no-treatment control). The experimental scans were executed (n = 10 per group) using TRIOS3 (3shape), while one reference scan was obtained by an industrial scanner (Solutionix - C500). Values of trueness and precision were evaluated using the 3D superimposition method on mean deviation values. The accuracy was assessed using mean deviation values following the 3D superimposition method. RESULTS: IOS had high trueness (20.6 µm), and significant differences were found between the no-treatment and TiO2 groups. Considering the cut-off value of deviations as 300 µm for clinical acceptability, the analysis clarified the most variations in the control group. There was a significant difference between the no-treatment group and others in the maxillary tuberosity area relating to long-span edentulous. The composite group had the best precision values (1.1 µm). Significant differences were found between composite and TiO2 groups (2.7 µm). CONCLUSIONS: The bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw digital impressions obtained using IOS were accurate. However, the digital images in the palate and maxillary tuberosity area related to long-span edentulous differed significantly. TiO2-containing powder and composite landmarks affected the accuracy and stability of the IOS. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Scanning aid materials can increase the accuracy of the bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw scanning with IOS.

Efficient symptomatic treatment and viral load reduction for children with influenza virus infection by nasal-spraying Bacillus spore probiotics.

Influenza virus is a main cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children. This is the first double-blind, randomized, and controlled clinical trial examining the efficacy of nasal-spraying probiotic LiveSpo Navax, which contains 5 billion of Bacillus subtilis and B. clausii spores in 5 mL, in supporting treatment of influenza viral infection in pediatric patients. We found that the nasal-spraying Bacillus spores significantly shortened the recovery period and overall treatment by 2 days and increased treatment effectiveness by 58% in resolving all ARTIs' symptoms. At day 2, the concentrations of influenza virus and co-infected bacteria were reduced by 417 and 1152 folds. Additionally, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-6 in nasopharyngeal samples were reduced by 1.1, 3.7, and 53.9 folds, respectively. Compared to the standard control group, treatment regimen with LiveSpo Navax demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness, resulting in 26-fold reduction in viral load, 65-fold reduction in bacterial concentration, and 1.1-9.5-fold decrease in cytokine levels. Overall, nasal-spraying Bacillus spores can support the symptomatic treatment of influenza virus-induced ARTIs quickly, efficiently and could be used as a cost-effective supportive treatment for respiratory viral infection in general.Clinical trial registration no: NCT05378022 on 17/05/2022.

A randomised controlled school-based nutritional intervention in five Middle Eastern countries: Ajyal Salima improved students' dietary and physical activity habits.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of the Ajyal Salima school intervention on nutrition and physical activity outcomes in children aged 9­11 years. DESIGN: The study was a 1-year cluster-randomised controlled trial. Ajyal Salima used a multi-component approach including classroom activities, family programme and food service adaptation. Outcomes included daily intake of breakfast, frequency of healthy and unhealthy food consumption, frequency of physical activity, knowledge score and self-efficacy score. Intervention and control groups were compared for all main outcomes and a post-intervention qualitative evaluation assessed strengths and limitations of the intervention components. SETTING: Schools in five countries ­ Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. PARTICIPANTS: Schools were selected by Ministries of Health and Education within their jurisdictions. Forty-five intervention schools (6052 students) and forty-six control schools (6200 students) were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The intervention group had a significantly higher odds of consuming breakfast daily (OR 95 % CI = 1·60, 1·35, 1·90), consuming healthy foods (OR 95 % CI = 1·60, 1·39, 1·84) and a decreased odds of consuming unhealthy foods and sweetened beverages (OR, 95 % CI = 0·70, 0·60, 0·81). Additionally, school children in the intervention group, as compared with the control group, were 47 % more likely to exercise outside school hours (OR 95 % CI = 1·47, 1·23, 1·76). Lastly, children in the intervention group had a significantly improved nutritional knowledge score and improved self-efficacy by 1·3 score unit and 1·1 score unit, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Ajyal Salima intervention led to significant improvements in dietary and physical activity habits among school children and increased nutritional knowledge scores.

Transition practice for primary immunodeficiency diseases in Southeast Asia: a regional survey.

Introduction: With increased diagnostic capabilities and treatment modalities in the field of primary immunodeficiencies (PID), many pediatric patients survive beyond childhood and experience a change of care to the adult-oriented healthcare system. Unfortunately, the transition pathways for PID are less clearly defined, resulting in deterioration of quality of care in adulthood. Hence, this is the first regional study to address PID clinicians' opinions on practices and challenges of transition care in 7 Southeast Asia (SEA) countries. Methods: We adopted a cross-sectional study design through an online survey platform to enquire opinions of transition practices from expert representatives in 7 SEA countries. Results: Regionally, 3 out 7 countries reported having no practice of transition care. Among cited challenges were reluctant adaptation by patients and caregivers to unfamiliarized adult healthcare systems, inadequate ratio of adult immunologists to patients and lack of facilities for transfer. Discussion and conclusion: Our study provides evidence to advocate policy makers on the importance of standardized integration of transition practice towards betterment of transiting PID patients into adulthood.

Configurational analysis of conditions influencing customers' channel switching intention in omnichannel retailing: a fuzzy-set analysis.

This research examined the interplay among personal factors, namely channel lock-in, cross-channel synergy, attribute-based decision making (ADM); environmental factors, namely others' past switching behaviour (OPB), pressure to switch from others (PSO); and behavioural factors, namely perceived self-efficacy and perception on facilitating conditions as antecedents to customers' channel switching intention in an omnichannel context. Drawing on the complexity theory and set theory, we applied configurational analysis using the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The result of the analysis indicated two (2) sufficient configurations that led to an intention to switch channels. Both configurations contained ADM, OPB, and PSO conditions that highlight the importance of personal factors and environmental factors needed for the presence of an intention to switch channels. However, no sufficient configurations were obtained that indicate an absence of intention to switch channels. This study challenges theoretical underpinnings by demonstrating that omnichannel channel-switching behaviours can be explained from a configurational perspective. The configurations produced by this study can serve as a basis for researchers who plan to conduct asymmetric modelling of customers' channel-switching behaviour in an omnichannel context. Finally, this paper suggests omnichannel retail strategies and management as informed by these configurations.

Next-generation sequencing-based HLA typing reveals the association of HLA-B*46:01:01 and HLA-DRB1*09:01:02 alleles with carbamazepine-induced hypersensitivity reactions in Vietnamese patients with epilepsy.

Several studies have reported an association between certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and carbamazepine (CBZ)-induced hypersensitivity reactions in patients with epilepsy. Here, the relationship between the clinical spectrum and the HLA allele profiles in patients with CBZ-induced hypersensitivity reactions was investigated using next-generation sequence (NGS) data obtained from 65 Vietnamese patients with epilepsy, including 33 with CBZ-tolerance and 32 patients with CBZ-hypersensitivity, in which only 8 with severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions and 24 were mild-hypersensitive patients. Three loci of HLA class I (HLA-A, -B, and -C) and two loci of HLA class II (HLA-DQA1 and -DRB1) were included in our analysis. We observed a higher prevalence of three alleles, HLA-B*46:01:01, HLA-DQA1*03:02:01, and HLA-DRB1*09:01:02, in the CBZ hypersensitivity group compared to that in the CBZ tolerant group. Notably, all hypersensitive patients with HLA-DQA1*03:02:01 also harbored HLA-DRB1*09:01:02. We also used molecular modeling to gain mechanistic insight into the interactions of HLA-B*46:01 and HLA-DRB1*09:01 with CBZ. Our findings proposed the direct interaction of CBZ with peptide-binding pockets of these HLA proteins. The sensitivity and specificity of HLA-B*46:01:01 in considering with the appearance of HLA-DRB1*09:01:02 were 46.88% and 84.85%, respectively. Our data suggest that the presence of HLA-B*46:01:01/HLA-DRB1*09:01:02 is a potential marker of CBZ-induced hypersensitivity reactions in Vietnamese patients.

The Effect of Bisoprolol on Premature Ventricular Complex in Vietnamese Patients with Hypertension and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a common arrhythmia that causes a large number of clinical symptoms, adversely impacts the quality of life, and can even initiate serious arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. The incidence of premature ventricular contraction is higher in hypertensive patients, particularly if concomitant left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is present. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted on the characteristics of PVC in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and aimed to evaluate the effect of bisoprolol on PVC in Vietnamese patients with hypertension and LVH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a study to determine how bisoprolol potency affected PVC management in the group with both high blood pressure and LVH. We selected a convenient sample of all patients who came to the Medical Examination Department at the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital and met sampling criteria with hypertension, LVH on echocardiography, and PVC on 12-leads electrocardiogram. Over 2 years, we collected 76 patients who satisfied the above conditions. Out of which, 50 patients were indicated for management with bisoprolol, and 26 patients were excluded from the study, including 7 patients with asthma and 19 patients who had simple PVC on a 24-hour Holter ECG. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 22. RESULTS: Fifty patients participated in the study, of whom 70% were female. It is clear that palpitation was the most prevalent symptom (66%), and 38% of patients had complicated PVC (Lown III-V). When treating PVC with bisoprolol, 50% of patients achieved the treatment goal with a decrease in the number of PVCs of more than 70%, accompanied by symptom relief and eradication of dangerous PVCs. After 4 weeks of treatment, bisoprolol decreased the number of PVCs, heart rate, and blood pressure while also easing PVC-related symptoms (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Low-dose bisoprolol effectively reduces the number of PVCs in hypertensive patients with LVH.

COVID-19 impacts, opportunities and challenges for wildlife farms in Binh Duong and Ba Ria Vung Tau, Vietnam.

The wildlife trade is a major cause of species loss and can trigger disease transmission. While the COVID-19 pandemic sparked public interest in eliminating the wildlife trade, a better understanding is needed of the economic repercussions of COVID-19 on those who rely on wildlife farming for their livelihoods. Using the case studies of Ba Ria Vung Tau and Binh Duong provinces in Vietnam - a country seen as Asia's wildlife trade hotspot - this paper explores COVID-19's impacts on wildlife farms and their owners. Understanding these impacts is important, both in order to design appropriate interventions to support local people in mitigating COVID-19's impacts as well as to inform effective policymaking around wildlife conservation in Vietnam. In this study, we adopted mixed research methods (including a literature and policy review, stakeholder consultation with government agencies and NGOs engaged in designing and monitoring wildlife conservation policies, a wildlife farming household survey, and research validation workshop) to understand the status of Vietnamese wildlife farms, as well as the impacts of COVID-19, and any opportunities and challenges for wildlife conservation and management in Vietnam. Our paper shows that, across the two studied provinces, numbers of wildlife farms and farmed wildlife animals have both declined since the pandemic, with declining market demand and wildlife farm owners experiencing difficulties accessing markets due to travel restrictions. Although this affected wildlife-related income, this represented less than 30 % of families' overall income on average, and thus households were able to maintain their livelihoods through other sources. Most wildlife is raised as an additional food source for farming families and plays an important role in the diets of surveyed households. Findings also highlighted that most surveyed households' post-pandemic recovery strategies involved expanding their wildlife farms in scope and scale; these households perceived a stable domestic market and high prices for wildlife products in future. Our study found several opportunities for sustainable wildlife farming practices, including greater political commitment, an increasing number of wildlife conservation policies, and stronger law enforcement mechanisms. Challenges remain, however; including an unclear and inconsistent policy framework, the presence of an illegal market, and wildlife farm owners' limited knowledge and understanding of wildlife policies. Our paper also shows a lack of comprehensive data and understanding around actual wildlife transactions during the pandemic, leading to challenges in confirming whether COVID-19 had any real impact on wildlife trade. Further research is required to address this knowledge gap.

Non-communicable diseases prevention in remote areas of Vietnam: Limited roles of health education and community workers.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the exposure of residents to health education messages about non-communicable diseases (NCD)-related risk factors, and activities of village health workers (VHWs) in NCDs prevention and control in the mountainous setting of Vietnam. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was performed in Dap Thanh commune (Ba Che, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam), a mountainous area. There were 151 residents aged 18 years or above recruited for this study. Information regarding exposure to messages about risk factors of NCDs, and activities of VHWs was collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify associated factors with exposing messages about NCD-related risk factors. RESULTS: The majority of participants heard about messages related to risk factors of NCDs in the last 30 days, from 56.3% (physical inactivity message), 59.6% (diet message), 75.5% (alcohol use message) to 79.5% (smoking message). Radio/television was the most common source of the messages (from 91.8% to 95.8%) and the majority of participants heard these messages from one source (from 77.1% to 80.9%). Most of sample reported the unavailability of VHWs in their locals (53.6%). Among locals having VHWs, health communication and education was the most common service provided (54.3%); however, only 30% received NCD management services. Participants who had other jobs were less likely to hear about diet-related messages (OR = 0.32; 95%CI = 0.11-0.92), and those ever smoking were more likely to hear these messages in the last 30 days (OR = 6.86; 95%CI = 1.06-44.51). People who had diabetes mellitus were more likely to hear physical activity-related messages in the last 30 days (OR = 2.55; 95%CI = 1.20-5.41). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that health communication regarding risk factors of NCDs in mountainous areas in Vietnam was insufficient, and the role of health workers as formal information source was not recognized. Efforts should be made to increase the capacity and involvement of VHWs in health education and NCD prevention in mountainous regions.

Neurogenic Hypotension and Bradycardia Modulated by Electroacupuncture in Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus.

Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulates somatic median afferents underlying P5-6 acupoints and modulates parasympathoexcitatory reflex responses through central processing in the brainstem. Although decreases in blood pressure and heart rate by the neural-mediated Bezold-Jarisch reflex responses are modulated by EA through opioid actions in the nucleus tractus solitarius and nucleus ambiguus, the role of the hypothalamus is unclear. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is activated by sympathetic afferents and regulates sympathetic outflow and sympathoexcitatory cardiovascular responses. In addition, the PVN is activated by vagal afferents, but little is known about its regulation of cardiopulmonary inhibitory hemodynamic responses. We hypothesized that the PVN participates in the Bezold-Jarisch reflex responses and EA inhibits these cardiopulmonary responses through the PVN opioid system. Rats were anesthetized and ventilated, and their heart rate and blood pressures were monitored. Application of phenylbiguanide every 10 min close to the right atrium induced consistent depressor and bradycardia reflex responses. Unilateral microinjection of the depolarization blockade agent kainic acid or glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenic acid in the PVN reduced these reflex responses. In at least 70% of the rats, 30 min of bilateral EA at P5-6 acupoints reduced the depressor and bradycardia responses for at least 60 min. Blockade of the CCK-1 receptors converted the non-responders into EA-responders. Unilateral PVN-microinjection with naloxone reversed the EA inhibition. Vagal-evoked activity of the PVN cardiovascular neurons was reduced by 30 min EA (P5-6) through opioid receptor activation. These data indicate that PVN processes inhibitory cardiopulmonary reflexes and participates in EA-modulation of the neural-mediated vasodepression and bradycardia.

The relationship between financial decisions and equity risk.

This study was conducted to determine the impact of financial decisions on equity risk in enterprises. The factors representing financial decisions include investment decisions, working capital decisions, and funding decisions. The equity risk is represented by beta in firms. Research and analysis of panel data with generalized least squares (GLS) via industry construction companies listed on the Vietnam Stock Exchange from 2015 to 2019. The data analysis results show that investment decisions do not affect equity risk, working capital decisions have a positive impact on equity risk, and funding decisions have a negative impact on equity risk. Furthermore, this study shows that agency theory does not exist in the relationship between financial decisions and equity risk in industry-construction enterprises in Vietnam. From this result, the authors also provide implications to help investors and corporation managers make decisions according to their goals based on signs of financial decisions.

Cysteamine-Gold Coated Carboxylated Fluorescent Nanoparticle Mediated Point-of-Care Dual-Modality Detection of the H5N1 Pathogenic Virus.

Globally, point-of-care testing (POCT) is the most preferable on-site technique for disease detection and includes a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test (FICT). The testing kits are generally insufficient in terms of signal enhancement, which is a major drawback of this approach. Sensitive and timely on-site POCT methods with high signal enhancement are therefore essential for the accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases. Herein, we prepare cysteamine-gold coated carboxylated europium chelated nanoparticle (Cys Au-EuNPs)-mediated POCT for the detection of the H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV). Commercial nanoparticles were used for comparison. The spectral characteristics, surface morphologies, functional groups, surface charge and stability of the Cys AuNPs, EuNPs, and Cys Au-EuNPs were confirmed by UV-visible spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectrometry, transmission electron microscope with Selected area electron diffraction (TEM-SAED), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zeta potential analysis. The particle size distribution revealed an average size of ~130 ± 0.66 nm for the Cys Au-EuNPs. The Cys Au-EuNP-mediated RDT (colorimetric analysis) and FICT kit revealed a limit of detection (LOD) of 10 HAU/mL and 2.5 HAU/mL, respectively, for H5N1 under different titer conditions. The obtained LOD is eight-fold that of commercial nanoparticle conjugates. The photo luminance (PL) stability of ~3% the Cys Au-EuNPs conjugates that was obtained under UV light irradiation differs considerably from that of the commercial nanoparticle conjugates. Overall, the developed Cys Au-EuNPs-mediated dual-mode POCT kit can be used as an effective nanocomposite for the development of on-site monitoring systems for infectious disease surveillance.

Self-Hybridized Exciton-Polaritons in Sub-10-nm-Thick WS2 Flakes: Roles of Optical Phase Shifts at WS2/Au Interfaces.

Exciton-polaritons (EPs) can be formed in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) multilayers sustaining optical resonance modes without any external cavity. The self-hybridized EP modes are expected to depend on the TMD thickness, which directly determines the resonance wavelength. Exfoliated WS2 flakes were prepared on SiO2/Si substrates and template-stripped ultraflat Au layers, and the thickness dependence of their EP modes was compared. For WS2 flakes on SiO2/Si, the minimum flake thickness to exhibit exciton-photon anticrossing was larger than 40 nm. However, for WS2 flakes on Au, EP mode splitting appeared in flakes thinner than 10 nm. Analytical and numerical calculations were performed to explain the distinct thickness-dependence. The phase shifts of light at the WS2/Au interface, originating from the complex Fresnel coefficients, were as large as π/2 at visible wavelengths. Such exceptionally large phase shifts allowed the optical resonance and resulting EP modes in the sub-10-nm-thick WS2 flakes. This work helps us to propose novel optoelectronic devices based on the intriguing exciton physics of TMDs.