An efficient cuckoo-inspired meta-heuristic algorithm for multiobjective short-term hydrothermal scheduling

This paper proposes an efficient Cuckoo-Inspired Meta-Heuristic Algorithm (CIMHA) for solving multi-objective short-term hydrothermal scheduling (ST-HTS) problem. The objective is to simultaneously minimize the total cost and emission of thermal units while all constraints such as power balance, water discharge, and generation limitations must be satisfied. The proposed CIMHA is a newly developed meta-heuristic algorithm inspired by the intelligent reproduction strategy of the cuckoo bird. It is efficient for solving optimization problems with complicated objective and constraints because the method has few control parameters. The proposed method has been tested on different systems with various numbers of objective functions, and the obtained results have been compared to those from other methods available in the literature. The result comparisons have indicated that the proposed method is more efficient than many other methods for the test systems in terms of total cost, total emission, and computational time. Therefore, the proposed CIMHA can be a favorable method for solving the multi-objective ST-HTS problems

FACTORS INFLUENCING CUSTOMER’S UNSCURED BORROWING DECISIONS AT FINANCIAL COMPANIES IN TRA VINH CITY, TRA VINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM

This case study investigates the factors influencing customers’ unsecured loan decisions at financial institutions in Tra Vinh City. By collecting primary data from 224 customers in need of loans in Tra Vinh City and using quantitative data analysis methods, the study discovered five factors influencing customers’ unsecured loan decisions at financial institutions in Tra Vinh City: service quality, lending policy,  consumer behavior, financial situation, and subjective standards, respectively. The authors propose policy implications based on the research findings to improve credit quality in Tra Vinh City

ANTECEDENTS OF TOURISTS’ LOYALTY: THE ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF TOURISM PRODUCTS, DESTINATION IMAGE IN HOIAN WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITE

The study’s aim is to examine the antecedents of destination loyalty, and considers the role and influence of tourism products and destination image to international tourisms’ loyalty in case of HoiAn World Cultural Heritage Site. The study suggested an integrated approach to understand tourists’ loyalty model and investigate the empirical evidence about the relationship among tourism products, destination image, risk perception, tourist experience, destination satisfaction and tourists’ loyalty. This study also mentions important questions concerning how tourism products, destination image, tourist experience, risk perception, and tourists’ satisfaction affect tourists’ loyalty. Smart PLS3 is used to estimate and test the relationships in the research model. Mediation analysis and importance performance matrix analysis are also used to consider clearly the relationship between the constructs of research model. The study’s results indicate that tourism products, destination image, tourism experience, risk perception, and satisfaction are antecedents of international tourists’ loyalty in Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Site. And in them, tourism products affect significantly positively to destination imagine and satisfaction, beside destination image and satisfaction hold the role of mediator in this relationship. Implementing IPMA to identify the predecessors that have relatively high importance for loyalty but also a relatively low performance. The results pointed out that the constructs as satisfaction, tourism product, risk perception and image have a high importance for the tourist loyalty. The study added the antecedent of tourism products and risk perception to the model and could enrich the literature, pointing to be possibility of a destination loyalty model that can be applied to various contexts, especially after COVID- 19 pandemic. The study also discussed theoretical and managerial implications for marketing tourism

Assessing the relationship between work-related factors and the quality of working life among nurses: A cross-sectional study in Laos

The quality of working life is crucial for improving work productivity, particularly among nurses, who often experience high levels of stress. This study aims to evaluate the quality of working life among nurses in Laos and identify the factors that influence it. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Laos nurses from August 2021 to July 2022. Data collection was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire distributed via the Internet. The Quality of Working Life version 2 (WRQoL-2) questionnaire, comprising 32 items divided into seven subscales, was employed to assess the quality of working life. Statistical tests such as t-tests, ANOVA, and Spearman correlation were applied to examine differences and correlations. A total of 326 participants were included, with an average age of 32.62±8.21 years. Among the seven subscales, the highest score was observed in the Job Career Satisfaction subscale (3.72±0.56), while the lowest score was found in the Safety at Work subscale (3.22±0.71). The overall mean score was 3.49±0.54. Significant differences in the quality of working life were observed among different groups categorized by age, job position, salary, and working hours. The WRQoL-2 questionnaire was found to be suitable for assessing the quality of working life in this study

Disinfection performance of an ultraviolet lamp: a CFD investigation

Ultraviolet (UV)-based devices have shown their effectiveness on various germicidal purposes. To serve their design optimisation, the disinfection effectiveness of a vertically cylindrical UV lamp, whose wattage ranges from P = 30 − 100 W, is numerically investigated in this work. The UV radiation is solved by the Finite Volume Method together with the Discrete Ordinates model. Various results for the UV intensity and its bactericidal effects against several popular virus types, i.e., Corona-SARS, Herpes (type 2), and HIV, are reported and analysed in detail. Results show that the UV irradiance is greatly dependent on the lamp power. Additionally, it is indicated that the higher the lamp wattage employed, the larger the bactericidal rate is observed, resulting in the greater effectiveness of the UV disinfection process. Nevertheless, the wattage of P ≤ 100W is determined to be insufficient for an effective disinfection performance in a whole room; higher values of power must hence be considered in case intensive sterilization is required. Furthermore, the germicidal effect gets reduced with the viruses less sensitive to UV rays, e.g, the bactericidal rate against the HIV virus is only ∼8.98% at the surrounding walls

Quantitative bacterial counts in the bone marrow of Vietnamese patients with typhoid fever

Background Bone marrow culture (BMC) is the reference standard for typhoid fever diagnosis. We studied the additional yield of BMC over blood culture (BC) and the relationship between quantitative BMC counts and severe disease. Methods Hospitalised Vietnamese patients with suspected typhoid fever were prospectively investigated with a BC, BMC, faecal culture and quantitative BMC counts. Results Salmonella typhi was isolated in 195 of 231 patients: from BC and BMC in 144 (73.8%), from BMC alone in 33 (16.9%), from BC alone in 12 (6.2%) and from faeces alone in 6 (3.1%). In 167 patients the median extracellular count of S. typhi was 2.5 cfu/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 0–10) and the intracellular count was 10.5 cfu/mL (IQR 2–42) with a ratio of 1.3 bacteria/cell (IQR 0.6–2.5). The median count of intracellular bacteria in 24 patients with severe disease was 46 bacteria/cell (IQR 9–105) compared with 6.5 bacteria/cell (IQR 2–34) in 143 with non-severe disease (p=0.005). The intracellular BMC count was negatively correlated with the peripheral white cell count and positively correlated with hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, aspartate transaminase, a positive BC and the fever clearance time following treatment with azithromycin, ofloxacin or a combination of the two. Conclusions BMC gave a moderate additional yield over BC. Intracellular BMC counts may reflect the bacterial load in typhoid fever

Host Transcription Profile in Nasal Epithelium and Whole Blood of Hospitalized Children Under 2 Years of Age With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

BACKGROUND: Most insights into the cascade of immune events after acute respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection have been obtained from animal experiments or in vitro models. METHODS: In this study, we investigated host gene expression profiles in nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and whole blood samples during natural RSV and rhinovirus (hRV) infection (acute versus early recovery phase) in 83 hospitalized patients <2 years old with lower respiratory tract infections. RESULTS: Respiratory syncytial virus infection induced strong and persistent innate immune responses including interferon signaling and pathways related to chemokine/cytokine signaling in both compartments. Interferon-α/β, NOTCH1 signaling pathways and potential biomarkers HIST1H4E, IL7R, ISG15 in NP samples, or BCL6, HIST2H2AC, CCNA1 in blood are leading pathways and hub genes that were associated with both RSV load and severity. The observed RSV-induced gene expression patterns did not differ significantly in NP swab and blood specimens. In contrast, hRV infection did not as strongly induce expression of innate immunity pathways, and significant differences were observed between NP swab and blood specimens. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that RSV induced strong and persistent innate immune responses and that RSV severity may be related to development of T follicular helper cells and antiviral inflammatory sequelae derived from high activation of BCL6

Pharmacists’ Perspectives on the Use of Telepharmacy in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Introduction: Telepharmacy, the application of information and communication technologies in healthcare services, has been adopted in many countries to provide patients with pharmaceutical care. However, it has yet to be widely used in Vietnam. This study was conducted to assess the current status of use and the factors associated with the willingness to use telepharmacy of pharmacists in Vietnam. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to July 2021; 414 pharmacists were recruited to fill in an online survey. Results: Overall, 86.7% of participants have used telepharmacy application and 87.2% of them were willing to apply telepharmacy in pharmacy practice. According to our multivariate analysis, the level of readiness was associated with positive attitude (odds ratio [OR] = 4.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.26-9.66), and a good behavior (OR = 11.34; 95% CI: 3.84-33.45). Discussion: Developing a telepharmacy system with appropriate features is essential to meet the requirements of pharmacy practice amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic