An optimal control approach for the treatment of hepatitis C patients

In this article, the feasibility of using optimal control theory will be studied to develop control theoretic methods for personalized treatment of HCV patients. The mathematical model for HCV progression includes compartments for healthy hepatocytes, infected hepatocytes, infectious virions and noninfectious virions. Methodologies have been used from optimal control theory to design and synthesize an open-loop control based treatment regimen for HCV dynamics.Comment: Accepted for oral presentation at the ICCSE 2014, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietna

Correlated outcomes of a pilot intervention for people injecting drugs and their family members in Vietnam.

BackgroundThe interrelationship between the well-being of injecting drug users (IDUs) and their family environment has been widely documented. However, few intervention programs have addressed the needs of both IDUs and their family members.MethodsThis study describes a randomized intervention pilot targeting 83 IDUs and 83 of their family members from four communes in Phú Thọ province, Vietnam. The IDUs and family members in the intervention condition received multiple group sessions, with the intent to improve psychological well-being and family relationships. The intervention outcomes (depressive symptoms and family relations) were evaluated at baseline, 3-month and 6-month follow-up assessments.ResultsDepressive symptoms and family relations reported by IDUs were found to be correlated to those reported by their family members. Overall, significant intervention effects on depressive symptoms and family relations were observed for both IDUs and family members. A similar improvement pattern in family relations emerged for both the IDU and family member samples, although the intervention effect of reducing depressive symptoms was more sustainable for family members at the 6-month assessment when compared to the IDU sample.ConclusionThe intervention pilot addressed challenges faced by IDUs and their family members and revealed correlated outcomes for the two groups. Findings suggest a vital need to include family members in future drug prevention and harm reduction intervention efforts

Stakeholder engagement in late-stage translation phase 4 research for noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries : what works and why—the Vietnam experience (UMMS–Vietnam Team)

Background: Stakeholder engagement is crucial for conducting high-quality implementation research as well as for the incorporation and adoption of health interventions and policies in the community. Objectives: This study sought to build a mutually rewarding collaboration between stakeholders in Vietnam and investigators in the United States. Methods: A collaboration was established between investigators from several institutions in Vietnam and the University of Massachusetts Medical School that was built on mutual trust, cross-cultural learning, and shared experiences. This collaborative arrangement has led to sustainable stakeholder engagement in Vietnam. We formed a multidisciplinary transnational research team and maintained regular contact both online and in person. We also conducted a needs assessment study, in which several focus group discussions and in-depth interviews of stakeholders in Vietnam were carried out. Results: The formal collaboration between investigators in Vietnam and the University of Massachusetts Medical School began in 2011 and has strengthened over time. The U.S. team provided expertise in study and intervention design, data collection and analysis, and trial implementation, whereas the team in Vietnam brought a deep understanding of local health care delivery systems and expertise in the delivery of health care interventions at the grassroots level. Our initial partnership has now grown to include committed individuals at the government, academic, and community levels including the Vietnam Ministry of Health, key governmental and nongovernmental research institutions and agencies, medical and public health universities, and communities in rural settings. The needs assessment study found that there are important gaps in the delivery of hypertension management practices in many rural communities in Vietnam and that stakeholders are fully engaged in our ongoing, community-based, hypertension-control project. Conclusions: Multiple layers of stakeholders and communities in Vietnam are fully engaged with, and have contributed significantly to, our ongoing hypertension control research project in Northern Vietnam. © 2019 World Heart Federation (Geneva). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Huy Nguyen” is provided in this record*

A cross-sectional study of the antibiotic resistant prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Vietnam

Introduction: Antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae producing extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) is increasing. Accurate evaluation of antibiotic resistance rates in various categories of bacteria assists medical physicians in recommending suitable indications for their medical problems, improving treatment efficiency, and minimizing dangers for patients. As a result, we undertook this research to assess the prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae as well as the rate of antibiotic resistance in ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 2716 patients at the An Giang Central General Hospital from June 2020 to June 2021. Data collection was based on interviews and used SPSS 18.0 and GraphPad Prism 9 for data analysis and presentation. Samples included urine, blood, sputum, and pus. Samples were treated with the Phoenix 100 automated machine to separate and identify samples. Results: The highest rate was 64.8% for Escherichia coli, followed by 30.2% for Klebsiella pneumoniae. Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella oxytoca were found in 4.5% and 0.6% of the samples, respectively. Ampicillin resistance was greatest in E. coli (96.5%), K. pneumonia (92.4%), and K oxytoca (83.3%). The frequency of resistance to the other antibiotics was likewise extremely high, approaching 60%. Tobramycin, Amoxicillin/Clavulanate, Cefoxitin, and Nitrofurantoin were totally resistant to K. oxytoca in the ESBL-producing group. E. coli and K. pneumoniae with ESBL-producing genes also have a high antibiotic resistance rate of more than 50%. Conclusion: E. coli was the most common pathogenic bacteria. Most of the species of bacteria resisted Ampicillin

Evaluation of COVID-19 protease and HIV inhibitors interactions

The epidemic of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that started in 2019 has evoked an urgent demand for finding new potential therapeutic agents. In this study, we performed a molecular docking of anti-HIV drugs to refine HIV protease inhibitors and nucleotide analogues to target COVID-19. The evaluation was based on docking scores calculated by AutoDock Vina and top binding poses were analyzed. Our results suggested that lopinavir, darunavir, atazanavir, remdesivir, and tipranavir have the best binding affinity for the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease of COVID-19. The comparison of the binding sites of three drugs, namely, darunavir, atazanavir and remdesivir, showed an overlap region of the protein pocket. Our study showed a strong affinity between lopinavir, darunavir, atazanavir, tipranavir and COVID-19 protease. However, their efficacy should be confirmed by in vitro studies since there are concerns related to interference with their active sites

CSR motivators of local firms in a developing country: a case study in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam

This research explores firms’ motivators to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions from the middle managers’ perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with 27 middle managers from Quang Ninh province in Vietnam. Using Carroll’s (1991) CSR pyramid model as the framework for qualitative data analysis, the research finds that, through the middle managers’ lens, firms are motivated to engage with CSR for necessity and sufficiency. The necessity components are profitability, competitive advantage, law compliance, and anti-bureaucracy achievements serving as the maintenance factors; and the sufficient components known as encouraging factors include employee retention, ethical image and reputation. The research contributes to the extension of Carroll’s (1991) CSR pyramid model to the context of local firms in a developing country

Liver Involvement Associated with Dengue Infection in Adults in Vietnam

Globally, the number of adults hospitalized with dengue has increased markedly in recent years. It has been suggested that hepatic dysfunction is more significant in this group than among children. We describe the spectrum and evolution of disease manifestations among 644 adults with dengue who were prospectively recruited on admission to a major infectious disease hospital in southern Vietnam and compare them with a group of patients with similar illnesses not caused by dengue. Transaminase levels increased in virtually all dengue patients and correlated with other markers of disease severity. However, peak enzyme values usually occurred later than other complications. Clinically severe liver involvement was infrequent and idiosyncratic, but usually resulted in severe bleeding. Chronic co-infection with hepatitis B was associated with modestly but significantly increased levels of alanine aminotransferase, but did not otherwise impact the clinical picture