Streptomyces flaveus as a potential biocontrol agent due to its ability to degrade fungal biomass and colloidal chitin

Crop plant diseases caused by oomycetes and fungi have caused a lot of environmental, economic, and health damage to mankind. Streptomyces flaveus has been known to be able to suppress the growth of many oomycetes and fungal plant pathogens due to its ability to produce SW-B, an antibiotic. However, this antibiotic was reported not to be active enough to suppress the growth of a number of other fungal plant pathogens. In this paper, we demonstrate that S. flaveus RT1-1 was able to degrade fungal biomass and colloidal chitin due to producing chitinases. This promotes the potential of S. flaveus RT1-1 as a biocontrol agent that could help in achieving many sustainable development goals, to the benefit of mankind

Towards Green Tourism Development: Customers’ Perception of Using Plastic Products in the 5-star Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City

In recent years, green tourism has become a development trend, attracting the attention of the community, tourism businesses and tourists in many countries around the world. However, the approach of green tourism development in Vietnam is still limited in terms of scale and participants. This article examines the situation of using plastic products and the plastic waste treatment in the 5-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, this study aims to explore the perception of customers of the use of plastic products. By doing so, the study contributes to clarifying the current situation of green tourism development in the hotel sector in the study area. The authors used the research methods of questionnaire, semi-structured interview and non-participant observation to conduct this study. Research results show that although the use of plastic products in hotels is still high, the plastic waste treatment is not thorough because of high treatment costs. But, the hotels tend to change policy on the treatment of plastic waste in an environmentally friendly manner. Besides, customers’ perception of plastic products is completely positive related to their attitudes when using, the willingness to pay and the desire to access more environmentally friendly services and products in the hotel sector. Based on the results, the article also discusses and suggests implications and approaches to developing products and services in hotels towards the development of green tourism and sustainable tourism in the future

THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF PROMOTING THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS AT VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HO CHI MINH CITY

The purpose of the study was to have a comprehensive understanding of the existing conditions assured to give physical education (PE) programs to students at Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (VNUHCM). Through document synthesis, interviews, and statistical processing, the article gained a general evaluation of the current PE conditions according to the following aspects: facilities, administration, and curriculums. In terms of facilities, the total space for sports activities at VNUHCM is measured at 25,454m2, besides, the ratio of sports field area per student is 0.44m2/student. This indicates that VNUHCM’s students do not have enough space for their sports practice as standard. In terms of faculty, teachers at VNUHCM Sports Center are comprised 67.6% male, 88.2% at the age of thirty to fifty, and 100% holding postgraduate qualifications. In addition, 79.4% of the staff at the VNUHCM Sports Center graduated with PE specialized degrees, and 64.7% of them have less than five years of seniority. However, 68.8% of those who are currently delivering PE courses at this Center are visiting teachers. The statistic number reveals that the ratio of students per teacher at VNUHCM is 814.75 students/teacher, which reveals that the number of PE lecturers has not met the standard, and they have been in charge of a large teaching volume. In terms of curriculums, PE programs are conducted with 06 credits in total (90 periods), divided into 02 modules with 3 credits per each (45 periods). Students are allowed to choose their favorite PE content among 10 sports courses including football, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, tennis, badminton, martial arts, aerobics, swimming, and chess. The results indicate that VNUHCM’s students actively participate in sports training and competitions to advance their physical fitness.  Article visualizations

Implementing parasite genotyping into national surveillance frameworks: Feedback from control programmes and researchers in the Asia-pacific region

The Asia-Pacific region faces formidable challenges in achieving malaria elimination by the proposed target in 2030. Molecular surveillance of Plasmodium parasites can provide important information on malaria transmission and adaptation, which can inform national malaria control programmes (NMCPs) in decision-making processes. In November 2019 a parasite genotyping workshop was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, to review molecular approaches for parasite surveillance and explore ways in which these tools can be integrated into public health systems and inform policy. The meeting was attended by 70 participants from 8 malaria-endemic countries and partners of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network. The participants acknowledged the utility of multiple use cases for parasite genotyping including: quantifying the prevalence of drug resistant parasites, predicting risks of treatment failure, identifying major routes and reservoirs of infection, monitoring imported malaria and its contribution to local transmission, characterizing the origins and dynamics of malaria outbreaks, and estimating the frequency of Plasmodium vivax relapses. However, the priority of each use case varies with different endemic settings. Although a one-size-fits-all approach to molecular surveillance is unlikely to be applicable across the Asia-Pacific region, consensus on the spectrum of added-value activities will help support data sharing across national boundaries. Knowledge exchange is needed to establish local expertise in different laboratory-based methodologies and bioinformatics processes. Collaborative research involving local and international teams will help maximize the impact of analytical outputs on the operational needs of NMCPs. Research is also needed to explore the cost-effectiveness of genetic epidemiology for different use cases to help to leverage funding for wide-scale implementation. Engagement between NMCPs and local researchers will be critical throughout this process

Spatial Variation of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in Agricultural Soils Collected from Different Geographical Regions in Vietnam

Rare earth elements (REEs) exist commonly in minerals, such as carbonates, silicates, fluorides, and phosphates. REEs are also found in coals, animals, algae, and plants which were proven to increase the growth, development, yield, and quality of crops. In the present study, a preliminary assessment of REEs contents in soils collected from different areas in Vietnam was performed using the methods of Fe(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2 co-precipitation to exclude interferences from the sample matrix before analyzing REEs on ICP-MS system. The contents of REEs (mg kg-1) were in descending of Ce > Nd > La > Pr > Sm > Gd > Dy > Tb > Er > Yb > Lu. The light REEs contents were always higher than the heavy REEs, accounting for more than 70% of the total contents. In addition, the REEs also differed in total contents between areas. The contents of REEs were as follows Northwest > Northeast > Central Highland > Southeast. These differences could be related to influences during the natural weathering processes for soil formation and human activities such as mining and cultivation via fertilizers

The initial study of EBNA-2 polymorphisms in nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Vietnam

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is the main cause of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). EBNA-2, one of the most important genes participating in the formation of NPC, also helps EBV evade an attack on the immune system. EBNA-2 has 4 variants including E2-A, E2-B, E2-C and E-2D, of which E2-A and E2-C are the characterized variants for NPC. This study aimed to evaluate the variations of EBNA-2 in NPC biopsy samples of Vietnamese patients. This initial study used 10 biopsy samples, which were positively confirmed to NPC, collected from Cho Ray Hospital. Nested PCR – nucleotide sequencing was applied to analyze the variants of EBNA-2. The results showed that 8 out of 10 samples, accounting for 80%, were positive to EBNA-2. Additionally, only two variants, E-2A and E-2C were detected in our study, in which, E2-A subtype was identified as the predominant subtype. These findings would provide initial data about potential contribution of EBNA-2 polymorphisms to etiology of NPC in Vietnamese population

Spatiotemporal evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants during large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19, Vietnam, 2021

We analyzed 1,303 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Vietnam, and found the Alpha and Delta variants were responsible for a large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 in 2021. The Delta variant was confined to the AY.57 lineage and caused >1.7 million infections and >32,000 deaths. Viral transmission was strongly affected by nonpharmaceutical interventions

Effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine fixed-dose combination in the treatment of hypertension: a systematic review

Background: Uncontrolled blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy offers a promising approach to addressing this challenge by providing a convenient single-tablet solution that enhances the effectiveness of blood pressure control. In our systematic review, we assess the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in managing blood pressure.Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across four primary electronic databases, namely, PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Global Health Library (GHL), and Google Scholar, as of 8 February 2022. Additionally, we performed a manual search to find relevant articles. The quality of the selected articles was evaluated using the Study Quality Assessment Tools (SQAT) checklist from the National Institute of Health and the ROB2 tool from Cochrane.Results: Our systematic review included 17 eligible articles. The findings show that the use of perindopril/amlodipine FDC significantly lowers blood pressure and enhances the quality of blood pressure control. Compared to the comparison group, the perindopril/amlodipine combination tablet resulted in a higher rate of blood pressure response and normalization. Importantly, perindopril/amlodipine FDC contributes to improved patient adherence with minimal side effects. However, studies conducted to date have not provided assessments of the cost-effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC.Conclusion: In summary, our analysis confirms the effectiveness of perindopril/amlodipine FDC in lowering blood pressure, with combination therapy outperforming monotherapy and placebo. Although mild adverse reactions were observed in a small subset of participants, cost-effectiveness assessments for this treatment remain lacking in the literature

Antibiotic use and prescription and its effects on Enterobacteriaceae in the gut in children with mild respiratory infections in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A prospective observational outpatient study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Treatment guidelines do not recommend antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections (ARI), except for streptococcal pharyngitis/tonsillitis and pneumonia. However, antibiotics are prescribed frequently for children with ARI, often in absence of evidence for bacterial infection. The objectives of this study were 1) to assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for mild ARI in paediatric outpatients in relation to available guidelines and detected pathogens, 2) to assess antibiotic use on presentation using questionnaires and detection in urine 3) to assess the carriage rates and proportions of resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae before, during and after consultation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled in Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and diagnoses, prescribed therapy and outcome were recorded on first visit and on follow-up after 7 days. Respiratory bacterial and viral pathogens were detected using molecular assays. Antibiotic use before presentation was assessed using questionnaires and urine HPLC. The impact of antibiotic usage on intestinal Enterobacteriaceae was assessed with semi-quantitative culture on agar with and without antibiotics on presentation and after 7 and 28 days. RESULTS: A total of 563 patients were enrolled between February 2009 and February 2010. Antibiotics were prescribed for all except 2 of 563 patients. The majority were 2nd and 3rd generation oral cephalosporins and amoxicillin with or without clavulanic acid. Respiratory viruses were detected in respiratory specimens of 72.5% of patients. Antibiotic use was considered inappropriate in 90.1% and 67.5%, based on guidelines and detected pathogens, respectively. On presentation parents reported antibiotic use for 22% of patients, 41% of parents did not know and 37% denied antibiotic use. Among these three groups, six commonly used antibiotics were detected with HPLC in patients' urine in 49%, 40% and 14%, respectively. Temporary selection of 3rd generation cephalosporin resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae during antibiotic use was observed, with co-selection of resistance to aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. CONCLUSIONS: We report overuse and overprescription of antibiotics for uncomplicated ARI with selection of resistant intestinal Enterobacteriaceae, posing a risk for community transmission and persistence in a setting of a highly granular healthcare system and unrestricted access to antibiotics through private pharmacies. REGISTRATION: This study was registered at the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number registry under number ISRCTN32862422: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN32862422

Лексические средства связности в речи телеведущего в жанре интерактивной белорусскоязычной телебеседы

Материалы XII Междунар. науч. конф. студентов, магистрантов, аспирантов и молодых ученых, Гомель, 16–17 мая 2019 г