Changes in the levels of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein and the correlation with outcomes in severe traumatic brain injury patients.

Purpose: Glial fibrillary acidic protein serves as a biomarker indicative of astroglial injury, particularly following instances of severe traumatic brain injury. This study aims to evaluate variations in serum glial fibrillary acidic protein levels within the first 3 days and their correlation with outcomes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Subjects and methods: Thirty-nine patients with severe traumatic brain injury were enrolled in the study. Their blood samples were collected at six distinct time points: T0 (upon admission), T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 (6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, and 72-h post-admission, respectively). The blood samples were run for the quantification of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein levels and other biochemical tests. All patients were closely watched and the outcomes at discharge were evaluated. Results: Glial fibrillary acidic protein levels tend to increase gradually from the time of admission to 48 h post-admission and then decrease at 72 h post-admission. Glial fibrillary acidic protein T2 is correlated with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, lactate, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score and outcome. Glial fibrillary acidic protein max correlated with lactate, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II score, and outcome. Glasgow Coma Score at admission and glial fibrillary acidic protein T2 (OR = 1.034; p = 0.025), T3 (OR = 1.029; p = 0.046), T4 (OR = 1.006; p = 0.032), T5 (OR = 1.012; p = 0.048) and glial fibrillary acidic protein max (OR = 1.005; p = 0.010) were independent factors that have significant prognostic value in mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. The predictive model in predicting mortality had the highest area under the curve based on glial fibrillary acidic protein T2 and Glasgow Coma Score T0 with an area under the curve of 0.904 and p < 0.001. In the multivariable regression model, glial fibrillary acidic protein max was associated with Glasgow score (p < 0.001; VIF = 1.585), lactate T0 (p = 0.024; VIF = 1.163), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (p = 0.037; VIF = 1.360), and Rotterdam score (p = 0.044; VIF = 1.713). Conclusion: Glial fibrillary acidic protein levels tend to increase gradually from the time of admission to 48 h post-admission then decreases at 72 h post-admission. Glial fibrillary acidic protein T2, T3, T4, T5, and glial fibrillary acidic protein max were independent factors with significant prognostic mortality values in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of the self-amplifying mRNA ARCT-154 COVID-19 vaccine: pooled phase 1, 2, 3a and 3b randomized, controlled trials.

Combination of waning immunity and lower effectiveness against new SARS-CoV-2 variants of approved COVID-19 vaccines necessitates new vaccines. We evaluated two doses, 28 days apart, of ARCT-154, a self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, compared with saline placebo in an integrated phase 1/2/3a/3b controlled, observer-blind trial in Vietnamese adults (ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT05012943). Primary safety and reactogenicity outcomes were unsolicited adverse events (AE) 28 days after each dose, solicited local and systemic AE 7 days after each dose, and serious AEs throughout the study. Primary immunogenicity outcome was the immune response as neutralizing antibodies 28 days after the second dose. Efficacy against COVID-19 was assessed as primary and secondary outcomes in phase 3b. ARCT-154 was well tolerated with generally mild-moderate transient AEs. Four weeks after the second dose 94.1% (95% CI: 92.1-95.8) of vaccinees seroconverted for neutralizing antibodies, with a geometric mean-fold rise from baseline of 14.5 (95% CI: 13.6-15.5). Of 640 cases of confirmed COVID-19 eligible for efficacy analysis most were due to the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. Efficacy of ARCT-154 was 56.6% (95% CI: 48.7- 63.3) against any COVID-19, and 95.3% (80.5-98.9) against severe COVID-19. ARCT-154 vaccination is well tolerated, immunogenic and efficacious, particularly against severe COVID-19 disease.

Evaluation of activities and instrumental activities of daily living and correlated factors of traumatic brain injury patients in Vietnam.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the leading causes of death in Vietnam. Survivors of TBI suffer from functional and cognitive deficits. Understanding that Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are crucial in measuring the treatment and health-related quality of life among patients with TBI. This study aims to evaluate ADLs and IADLs among the TBI population in Vietnam and determine the correlated factors to these two indices. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 212 patients with TBI in Vietnam from February to September 2020. ADLs and IADLs scales were applied. Depression, quality of sleep, and social support scales were used. Multivariate Tobit regression was adopted to identify factors associated with ADLs and IADLs. Patients who received first aid had higher ADLs scores than those who had not, by a statistical difference with a p value = 0.04. The mean ADLs score was 5.4 (SD = 1.4). The mean score of IADLs was 7.3 (SD = 1.7). Female patients (Mean = 7.6, SD = 1.1) performed better in IADLs than male patients (Mean = 7.1, SD = 1.9). Both ADLs and IADLs were affected strongly by depression and Injury Severity scores (p < 0.01), whereas IADLs were significantly correlated to caregiver types and quality of sleep (p < 0.01). Family support was observed as a negatively correlated factor to IADLs. Findings from the study provided evidence for authorities to adjust the health strategies among patients with TBI. Proper prehospital care, a basic low-cost hospital care model, and mental health counseling services should be considered when developing health interventions in Vietnam.

Advances in the Immunology of the Host-Parasite Interactions in African Trypanosomosis, including Single-Cell Transcriptomics.

Trypanosomes are single-celled extracellular parasites that infect mammals, including humans and livestock, causing global public health concerns and economic losses. These parasites cycle between insect vectors, such as tsetse flies and vertebrate hosts, undergoing morphological, cellular, and biochemical changes. They have remarkable immune evasion mechanisms to escape the host's innate and adaptive immune responses, such as surface coat antigenic variation and the induction of the loss of specificity and memory of antibody responses, enabling the prolongation of infection. Since trypanosomes circulate through the host body in blood and lymph fluid and invade various organs, understanding the interaction between trypanosomes and tissue niches is essential. Here, we present an up-to-date overview of host-parasite interactions and survival strategies for trypanosomes by introducing and discussing the latest studies investigating the transcriptomics of parasites according to life cycle stages, as well as host cells in various tissues and organs, using single-cell and spatial sequencing applications. In recent years, this information has improved our understanding of trypanosomosis by deciphering the diverse populations of parasites in the developmental process, as well as the highly heterogeneous immune and tissue-resident cells involved in anti-trypanosome responses. Ultimately, the goal of these approaches is to gain an in-depth understanding of parasite biology and host immunity, potentially leading to new vaccination and therapeutic strategies against trypanosomosis.

Malocclusion among children in Vietnam: Prevalence and associations with different habits.

Background: This study aimed to measure the prevalence of malocclusion and identify associated factors among elementary school students in Vietnam. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to December 2022 at six primary schools located in the province of Thai Binh, Vietnam. A total of 873 students were recruited for research purposes. Students were classified into normal, malocclusion classes I, II and III. Bad habits were examined. Multivariate logistic regression was used to detect associations. Results: The prevalence of malocclusion was 60.7 %; 19.0 % had Class I, 31.0 % had Class II and 10.7 % had Class III. Having finger sucking habit was associated with Class I malocclusion (OR: 3.28), and Class II malocclusion (OR: 3.22). Having lip biting habit was related to a higher odds of having Class II malocclusion (OR = 4.37) Class III malocclusion (OR = 6.83). Having tongue thrusting habit was associated with higher odds of having Class I (OR: 5.25), and Class II malocclusion (OR: 6.42). Mouth breathing was related to a higher likelihood of having Class II malocclusion (OR = 2.71). Having early loss of deciduous teeth was associated with a higher odds of having Class III malocclusion (OR = 3.83). Conclusion: Findings showed high prevalence of malocclusion, mostly class II, in elementary students in Vietnam. Bad habits such as finger sucking, biting the lower lip, tongue thrusting, mouth breathing, and early loss of deciduous teeth play important roles in developing malocclusion, which should be considered in the development of interventions.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Thyroid Microcarcinoma: Findings from a Hospital-Based Study in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid microcarcinoma (TMC) incidence has significantly increased in recent decades. The rates of lymph node metastasis extrathyroidal extension have been significantly different in patients with TMC ≤5 mm versus those with size >5 mm. The current analysis aimed to examine the clinicopathologic features of TMC measuring <5 mm and to compare them with those of TMC ≥5 mm. METHODS: A total of 273 patients with TMC confirmed by histological examination from December 2020 to May 2021 were enrolled in Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to determine the association between clinicopathological factors and tumor size, central lymph node metastasis and extrathyroidal extension. RESULTS: We found 212/273 patients (77.7%) were diagnosed incidentally. The majority of patients were female (87.5%) and had a mean age of 44.2 years. The mean tumor size (±standard deviation (SD)) was 5.72 ± 2.33 mm. Most of the patients were also diagnosed with papillary TMC. Multifocal and bilateral lesions accounted for 13.2% and 12.1%, respectively. The extrathyroidal invasion was observed in 14.7% (40 patients), while 24.5% (67 patients) were those with central lymph node metastases. The rate of extrathyroidal extension in patients with tumor size ≥5 mm was significantly higher than in patients with tumor size <5 mm (odds ratio (OR) = 4.98; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.48-16.70; p = 0.004). Patients with body mass index (BMI) <23 kg/m2 were found to be protected against the odds of extrathyroidal extension (OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.19-0.75; p = 0.004) compared to those with BMI ≥23 kg/m2. In univariable mode, central lymph node metastasis was positively associated with the odds of the presence of extrathyroidal extension (OR = 2.70, 95% CI: 1.34-5.45; p = 0.004). In the multivariable model, central lymph node metastasis was also associated with the presence of extrathyroidal extension (OR = 2.507, 95% CI: 1.194-5.264; p = 0.017). Univariate analysis demonstrated that tumor size ≥5 mm (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.01-4.17; p = 0.047) and extrathyroidal extension (OR = 2.71; 95% CI: 1.34-5.45; p = 0.004) were risk factors of central cervical lymph node metastasis. In multivariable models, the extrathyroidal extension was associated with central lymph metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: TMC <5 mm tumor size is less likely to have aggressive characteristics, including extrathyroidal extension, than a TMC ≥5 mm. Long-term follow-up studies are thus warranted to investigate the factors in the prognosis of TMC.

Utility of self-report antiretroviral adherence for predicting HIV viral load among persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong Vietnam: assessing differences by methamphetamine use.

ABSTRACTIn resource-limited settings, alternatives to HIV viral load testing may be necessary to monitor the health of people living with HIV. We assessed the utility of self-report antiretroviral therapy (ART) to screen for HIV viral load among persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong Vietnam, and consider differences by recent methamphetamine use. From 2016 to 2018 we recruited PWID through cross sectional surveys and collected self-report ART adherence and HIV viral load to estimate sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) and likelihood ratios (LR+, LR-) for self-reported ART adherence as a screening test for HIV viral load. We used three HIV viral load thresholds: < 1000, 500 and 250 copies/mL; laboratory-confirmed HIV viral load was the gold standard. Among 792 PWID recruited, PPV remained above 90% regardless of recent methamphetamine use with slightly higher PPV among those not reporting recent methamphetamine use. The results remained consistent across all three HIV viral load thresholds. Our findings suggest that when HIV viral load testing is not possible, self-reported ART adherence may inform decisions about how to prioritize HIV viral load testing among PWID. The high PPV values suggest self-reported high ART adherence indicates likely HIV viral suppression, irrespective of methamphetamine use.

Economic burden and financial vulnerability of injuries among the elderly in Vietnam.

Falls are a leading cause of death among elderly people. However, research on the cost of fall-related injuries is limited in Vietnam. We estimated treatment costs and associated factors among 405 elderly patients in Thai Binh hospitals. Costs were estimated through self-reported data on medical and non-medical expenses. Logistic regression and GLM were used to identify payment and affordability factors. Inpatient and outpatient care costs for fall-related injuries were US$98.06 and US$8.53, respectively. 11.85% of participants couldn't pay for treatment. Payment ability and cost decline were linked to family income, medical history, and hospital stay length. Elderly with fall-related injuries in Vietnam experienced high costs and severe health issues. Primary healthcare services and communication campaigns should be strengthened to reduce disease burden and develop effective fall injury prevention strategies.

Knowledge, attitude and practice on fall risk factors and prevention among rural older community-dwellers in Vietnam.

Falls among the elderly are an important global health problem. This study assesses knowledge regarding risk factors of falls, as well as attitudes and practices towards fall prevention among older adults in the rural community. A cross-sectional study was performed in four rural communes in Thai Binh province, Vietnam. A total of 3038 older people were recruited. Knowledge was assessed by using Falls Risk Awareness Questionnaire. Questions about attitudes were based on the Health Belief Model. Other questions regarding attitudes and practices regarding fall prevention were also asked. Multivariate regression was performed to identify associated factors with knowledge, attitudes and practices. Results showed that the mean score of knowledge regarding risk factors of falls was low at 11.37/32. The highest scores were observed in terms of drug aspects, followed by medical condition and behavioural aspects. Older people mostly agreed with perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits and barriers, but their attitudes about cues to action, health motivation and actions were most neutral. Meanwhile, more than half of the participants practised recommended fall preventive measures. To conclude, health education interventions and fall prevention services that enhance community-based fall prevention knowledge, attitudes and practices for older adults should be performed to reduce the burden of falls in this population.

Parental knowledge and practice on childhood caries prevention in northern Vietnam.

This study was conducted to describe the knowledge and practices on dental caries prevention among parents of preschool children in Vietnam and identify associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three preschools in Northern Vietnam in 2020. A total of 316 parents of preschool children were randomly recruited. Knowledge and practices regarding early dental caries prevention were asked by using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate Tobit regression was used to examine factors associated with knowledge and practice scores. Results showed four aspects of knowledge that had the lowest proportion of parents having correct responses included timing of complete primary tooth replacement (12.3%), benefits of undergoing regular dental examination (31.7%), technique for brushing a child's teeth (33.9%), and duration for brushing (36.7%). The knowledge of parents was moderately low at 6.3/12 (SD = 2.3). The practices of parents were moderately good with the mean practice score at 6.1/9 (SD = 2.0). The proportion of parents taking children for regular checkups (56.2%) and replacing toothbrush every 3 months (53.7%) were the lowest. Information source, occupation, education and perceived necessity of oral care were found to be associated with parents' knowledge and practices. To conclude, parents had moderate levels of knowledge and practices regarding early dental caries prevention in preschool children. Further studies and interventions should be performed to improve parental knowledge and practices that could enhance the oral health of children.

Relationships of BRAF V600E Gene Mutation With Some Immunohistochemical Markers and Recurrence Rate in Patients With Thyroid Carcinoma.

Background: The B-type rafkinase (BRAF) V600E gene mutation plays an important role in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of thyroid carcinoma. This study was conducted to investigate the rate of the BRAF V600E mutation, the relationships between the BRAF V600E gene mutation and some immunohistochemical markers, and recurrence rate in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Method: The study was conducted by a descriptive and longitudinal follow-up method on 102 thyroid carcinoma patients at 103 Military Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. All patients were identified with the BRAF V600E gene mutation by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The rate of BRAF V600E gene mutation in patients with thyroid cancer was 60.8%. Patients with BRAF V600E gene mutation had a significantly higher rate of positive cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and Ki67 markers than those without the mutation (COX-2: odds ratio [OR] = 2.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27-6.74, P = .011; Ki67: OR = 3.41; 95% CI = 1.31-8.88, P = .01). A statistically significant relationship was identified between the rate of BRAF V600E mutation and the rate of positive Hector Battifora mesothelial 1 (HBME-1) (B = -1.040; P = .037) and COX-2 (B = -1.123; P = .023) markers. The recurrence rate in patients with BRAF V600E gene mutation was significantly higher than that in those without the mutation (P = .007). The mean of the recurrence time of patients with BRAF V600E mutation was significantly lower than that in those without the mutation (P = .011). Conclusions: A high prevalence of BRAF V600E gene mutation was found in thyroid carcinoma patients. The rates of positive HBME-1, COX-2, and Ki67 markers were significantly correlated to BRAF V600E gene mutation. Patients with BRAF V600E gene mutation showed a significantly higher relapse rate and earlier relapse time than those without the mutation.

A community-based strategy to eliminate hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in Vietnam.

Background: Towards hepatitis C elimination among people who inject drugs (PWID), we assessed the effectiveness of a strategy consisting of a community-based respondent-driven sampling (RDS) as wide screening, a simplified and integrated hospital-based care, and prevention of reinfection supported by community-based organisations (CBO), in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Methods: Adults who injected heroin were enrolled in a RDS survey implemented in two CBO premises. Rapid HIV and HCV tests were done on site, and blood was taken for HCV RNA testing. Those with detectable HCV RNA were referred with CBO support to three public hospitals for 12-week sofosbuvir/daclatasvir, plus ribavirin for patients with cirrhosis. Participants were followed-up 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12) and 48 weeks after enrolment. The primary endpoint was the rate of undetectable HCV RNA participants at 48 weeks. Findings: Among the 1444 RDS survey participants, 875 had hepatitis C. Their median age was 41 years (IQR 36-47), 96% were males, 36% were HIV-coinfected. Overall, 686 (78.4%) started sofosbuvir/daclatasvirs, and 629 of the 647 (97.2%) patients tested at SVR12 were cured. At week 48 (581/608) 95.6% had undetectable HCV RNA, representing 66.4% of all PWID identified with hepatitis C. The reinfection rate after SVR12 was 4/100 person-years (95% CI: 2-7). Interpretation: Our strategy, involving CBO and addressing all steps from wide HCV screening to prevention of reinfection, stands as a promising approach to eliminate HCV among PWID in low and middle-income countries. Funding: France ANRS|MIE (#ANRS12380). The RDS survey was implemented with grants from the NIDA (#R01DA041978) and ANRS|MIE (#ANRS12353).

Factors correlated with neuropathic pain among industrial workers in Vietnam: a multi-site cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition resulting from various etiologies such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and infection, and is associated with decreased quality of life, poor health outcomes, and increased economic burden. However, epidemiological studies on neuropathic pain have been largely limited in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adult Vietnamese industrial workers across three manufacturing plants. Demographic, socioeconomic, occupational and health data were collected. Prevalence of neuropathic pain was assessed using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) scale. Regression modeling was utilized to identify predictors of pain. Results: Among 276 workers, 43.1 and 24.3% reported that they had suffered from spinal pain and osteoarthritis pain, respectively. In terms of work conditions, people maintaining constant posture when working from 30 to 60 min (OR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.07; 9.29), or over 60 min (OR = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.12; 5.98) had a higher risk of suffering from spinal pain. People who worked in conditions lacking adequate lighting and with exposures to toxic chemicals were also likely to be suffering from osteoarthritis pain with OR = 4.26, 95% CI = 1.02; 17.74 and Coef. = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.49; 2.50, respectively. Regular health examinations and higher expenditure for healthcare were correlated with a lower prevalence of neuropathic pain. Discussion: These results may inform the adoption of pain screening and other programs that increase health care access for this population, as well as more stringent occupational health and safety standards.

Sleep disorders among patients suffering from road traffic injuries in an urban setting of Vietnam: an exploratory study.

Sleep quality is an important indicator of treatment outcome for patients with traffic accident injuries. In Vietnam, the impacts of injury on sleep status are usually amplified in urban areas due to disproportionate distribution of mental care services between the city and less developed settings. Our study investigated deterioration in sleep quality and identified associated demographic factors among traffic injury patients in an small urban setting of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 408 patients in one provincial hospital and five district hospitals in Thai Binh, Vietnam from October to December 2018. A structured questionnaire was designed based on 3 standardized scales: Health-related Quality of Life, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Kessler Scale. Face-to-face interviews and medical records were conducted by trained health professionals on patients hospitalized in the Trauma-Orthopedic/Burn Department and Surgery and General Department. About 16.9% of respondents had sleep disturbances, and there was a statistically significant difference between age group (p < 0.01), education level (p < 0.01), and monthly household income (p < 0.01) between participants who with and without sleep disturbances. Furthermore, more than half (50.7%) of respondents sleep less than 5 h per day, while 18.7% of the sampled also reported that the habitual sleep efficiency was below 85%. Current results indicated that people being female, suffering from traumatic brain injury, being comatose at hospitalization, and having higher psychological distress scores were more likely to suffer from sleep problems. Our study is one of the first evidence in Vietnam to assess sleep disturbances in road traffic injury patients and their correlated factors. It is important to identify patients who are at risk of sleep disturbances based on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as psychological distress status. Therefore, a holistic approach should be taken to include sleep quality and psychological state in the treatment process and outcome assessment for road traffic injury patients.

Assessing bicycle-vehicle conflicts at urban intersections utilizing a VR integrated simulation approach.

Animosity between drivers and cyclists has existed on urban road networks for many years. Conflicts between these two groups of road users are exceptionally high in the shared right-of-way environments. Benchmarking methods of conflict assessments are mostly based on statistical analysis with limited data sources. The actual crash data would be valuable to understand the features of bike-car collisions, however the available data are spatially and temporally sparse. To this end, this paper proposes a simulation-based bicycle-vehicle conflict data generation and assessment approach. The proposed approach uses a three-dimensional visualization and virtual reality platform, integrating traffic microsimulation to reproduce a naturalistic driving/cycling-enabled experimental environment. The simulation platform is validated to reflect the human-resembled driving/cycling behaviors under different infrastructure designs. Comparative experiments are carried out on bicycle-vehicle interactions under different conditions, with data collected from a total of 960 scenarios. Based on the results of the surrogate safety assessment model (SSAM), the obtained key insights include: (1) scenarios of a high conflict probability do not lead to actual crashes, which suggests that the classic SSM-based measurements such as TTC or PET values may not sufficiently reflect real cyclist-driver interactions; (2) the major cause of conflicts is variation in vehicle acceleration, which suggests that drivers are considered to be the main party responsible for bicycle-vehicle conflict/crash occurrence; (3) the proposed approach is able to generate near-miss events and reproduce interaction patterns between cyclists and drivers, facilitating experiments and data collections which would be typically unavailable for this type of study.

Effectiveness and safety of a cream product containing zinc oxide for alleviating mosquito bite symptoms.

BACKGROUND: People frequently experience discomfort with immediate wheal, delayed papules, and pruritus from mosquito bites. A topical cream product containing zinc oxide is commercially available for the management of insect bites, but there has been no published evidence for its effectiveness and safety. AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this product in symptoms caused by mosquito bites. METHODS: An open-label, controlled study was performed on 41 healthy participants. All subjects received Aedes aegypti mosquito bites on the forearm. Then test product was randomly applied to the bitten areas of the left or right arm. The other arm was left untreated (control). The onset of pruritus relief was noted. The severity of pruritus was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS), ranging from 0 mm (no pruritus) to 100 mm (severe pruritus), and a 4-point pruritus score (0 = none; 1 = mild, not affecting normal activities; 2 = moderate, affecting normal activities to some extent; 3 = severe, significantly affecting activities) at four time points: 15 minutes after the mosquito bite (baseline), as well as 1 hour, 24 hours, and 48 hours after initiating treatment. The size of the bite reaction lesion was also measured at all time points. Any local cutaneous adverse reactions observed during the study were documented. RESULTS: The onset of pruritus relief in the treated group (25 ± 21.7 minutes) was significantly faster compared to the untreated group (118.7 ± 304.8 minutes). The reduction in VAS score at 1 hour was significantly greater in the product group (30.5 ± 16.22) compared to the control group (14.9 ± 9.9). Moreover, there was a significant difference in the reduction of pruritus score at 1 hour, with the product group (1.1 ± 0.5) showing a higher reduction compared to the control group (0.3 ± 0.4). However, there was no significant difference in the reduction of bite lesion size between the two groups. Throughout the study, no adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary findings indicate that the product effectively reduces pruritus caused by mosquito bites but does not have a significant impact on the size of the bite lesions. The product was found to be safe and may be an option for managing mosquito bites pruritus.

Novel single nucleotide polymorphisms of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) gene significantly associated with growth traits in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus Sauvage, 1878).

Breeding program to improve economically important growth traits in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) requires effective molecular markers. This study was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 7 (IGFBP7) gene which plays multiple roles in regulating growth, energy metabolism and development. The association between SNPs in IGFBP7 gene and growth traits in striped catfish was analyzed in order to uncover the SNPs that have potential to be valuable markers for improving growth traits. Firstly, fragments of IGFBP7 gene from ten fast-growing fish and ten slow-growing fish were sequenced in order to discover SNPs. After filtering the detected SNPs, an intronic SNP (2060A > G) and two non-synonymous SNPs (344 T > C and 4559C > A) causing Leu78Pro and Leu189Met in protein, respectively, were subjected to further validated by individual genotyping in 70 fast-growing fish and 70 slow-growing fish using single base extension method. Our results showed that two SNPs (2060A > G and 4559 C > A (p. Leu189Met)) were significantly associated with the growth in P. hypophthalmus (p < 0.001), thus being candidate SNP markers for the growth traits of this fish. Moreover, linkage disequilibrium and association analysis with growth traits of haplotypes generated from the 3 filtered SNPs (344 T > C, 2060 A > G and 4559 C > A) were examined. These revealed that the non-coding SNP locus (2060A > G) had higher genetic diversity at which the G allele was predominant over the A allele in the fast-growing fish. Furthermore, the results of qPCR showed that expression of IGFBP7 gene with genotype GG (at locus 2060) in fast-growing group was significantly higher than that with genotype AA in slow-growing group (p < 0.05). Our study provides insights into the genetic variants of IGFBP7 gene and useful data source for development molecular marker for growth traits in breeding of the striped catfish.

Review of antibiotic prescriptions as part of antimicrobial stewardship programmes: results from a pilot implementation at two provincial-level hospitals in Viet Nam.

Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of retrospective prescription-based review and to describe the antibiotic prescribing patterns to provide information for an antimicrobial stewardship programme in Viet Nam. Methods: This study was conducted in two provincial-level hospitals between February and April 2020. Reviews were done by a clinical team consisting of leaders/senior doctors of each ward to assess the optimal level (optimal/adequate/suboptimal/inadequate/not assessable) of antibiotic prescriptions. Mixed-effect logistic regression at prescription level was used to explore factors associated with optimal antibiotic use. Results: The retrospective prescription-based review was accepted by study clinical wards with varied levels of participants. One hundred and eighty-three patients (326 prescriptions) in Hospital 1 and 200 patients (344 prescriptions) in Hospital 2 were included. One hundred and nineteen of the 326 (36.5%) antibiotic prescriptions in Hospital 1 and 51/344 (14.8%) antibiotic prescriptions in Hospital 2 were determined to be optimal by the review teams. The number of adequate antibiotic prescriptions were 179/326 (54.9%) and 178 (51.7%) in Hospital 1 and Hospital 2, respectively. The optimal level was lower for surgical prophylaxis antibiotics than for empirical therapy (OR = 0.06; 95% CI 0.01-0.45), higher in prescriptions in the ICU (OR = 12.00; 95% CI 3.52-40.92), higher in definitive antibiotic therapy (OR = 48.12; 95% CI 7.17-322.57) and higher in those with an indication recorded in medical records (OR = 3.46; 95% CI 1.13-10.62). Conclusions: This study provides evidence on the feasibility of retrospective prescription-based review, with adaption to the local situation. High and varying levels of optimal antibiotic prescriptions in clinical wards in hospitals were observed in Viet Nam.

Association between recent methamphetamine use, antiretroviral therapy and HIV viral load; a mediation analysis from a cohort of HIV positive persons who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: There has been a significant increase in methamphetamine use among persons who use drugs in Vietnam in the last 5-10 years. We examined the degree to which adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) mediates the relationship between recent methamphetamine use and unsuppressed HIV viral load among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Hai Phong, Vietnam. METHODS: We recruited PWID from October 2016-October 2018 and enrolled HIV positive PWID into a cohort, with up to three years of total follow-up. We assessed relationships among recent methamphetamine use frequency, ART adherence and unsuppressed HIV viral load. Mediation analysis was used to estimate the total and natural direct effects of recent methamphetamine use on unsuppressed HIV viral load and the indirect effect proportion. RESULTS: We enrolled 792 HIV seropositive PWID into the cohort; approximately 75.9% reported high/perfect ART adherence at baseline and 81.3% were virally suppressed. In mediation analysis, the total effect for the association between methamphetamine use and unsuppressed HIV viral load (1000 copies/mL) was 3.94 (95% CI: 1.95, 7.96); the natural direct effect was 2.14 (95% CI: 1.29, 3.55); the proportion mediated by self-reported ART adherence was 0.444. Similar results were found when examining lower unsuppressed HIV viral load cutpoints of 250 copies/mL and 500 copies/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Methamphetamine use is associated with unsuppressed HIV viral load among PWID despite high levels of ART adherence. Further research is needed to better understand these relationships, with emphasis on potential biological pathways that may interact with ART.

Detection of bovine leukemia virus in beef cattle kept in the Central Coast Regions of Vietnam.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is the etiologic agent of enzootic bovine leucosis. Our previous study showed the BLV existence in cattle kept in the Red River Delta Region of Vietnam. However, no positive samples were identified in beef cattle. Besides, information related to the BLV circulation in the remained parts of Vietnam is limited. Therefore, we tested the existence of BLV in 48 beef cattle kept in the Central Coast Regions. Nested PCR targeting the BLV-env-gp51 confirmed the prevalence of 14.6% in investigated regions. Phylogenetic analysis suggested the co-existence of genotypes 1 and 10. The close relationship between strains found in Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and China was revealed suggesting the possibility of BLV transmission through the movement of live cattle.