The Influence of Natural Sounds on California Ground Squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) Vigilance and Predator Detection

Many animals rely on the acoustical environment for functions spanning mate attraction, navigation and predator and prey detection. However, recent research suggests that the context of the acoustic environment can greatly influence the propagation and reception of acoustic signals and cues, potentially interfering with the ability of animals to perceive important environmental cues. Here, we sought to determine whether natural sounds influence vigilance and predator detection in the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi). In a manipulative field experiment, we measured squirrel vigilance behavior under three conditions: playback of river rapid noise, playback of cicada chorus noise and a control, unmanipulated sound treatment. Under each condition, we also measured squirrel flight initiation distance (FID), defined as the distance at which an animal flees from an approaching threat. This behavior was in response to an approaching robotic coyote, which simulated a common predator in our study area. Our study is poised to not only determine whether natural sounds influence key behaviors in a common mammal, but will provide needed information on whether natural sounds and human-made sounds cause similar perceptual limitations and behavioral responses in acoustically-oriented animals. For example, California ground squirrels are known to increase vigilance in the presence of anthropogenic noise, but it has yet to be determined how natural noises, with differing frequencies and power, affect behavior. We hope this study will shed light on the differences between these conditions

Cloning and expression of gene FanC-2NT encoding K99-2NT fimbrial antigen of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from diarrheic post-weaning piglets

Background and Purpose: The K99 (F5) is one pilus adhesin that mediates the attachment of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) strains to small intestines to cause to diarrhea in piglets, lambs and newborn calves. In this work, we carried out cloning and expression of the mature peptide of FanC subunit, K99 fimbriae, one of the most common adhesive antigens in E. coli. Materials and Methods: E. coli 2NT strain was isolated from fecal samples of post-weaning piglets with diarrhea. The coding sequence of the mature peptide of K99-2NT subunit was isolated by PCR amplification and cloned into pGEM®-T Easy vector for sequencing using fluorescent dideoxy-terminator method. Expression of K99-2NT protein which was inserted into pET200/D-TOPO vector induced with IPTG. The PCR product and expression level of protein was examined by agarose gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. Results and Conclusions: We cloned and expressed successfully the mature peptide of K99 subunit with molecular weight of approximately 17.5 kDa from E. coli 2NT strain (named K99-2NT). Nucleotide sequence of the K99-2NT subunit coding region of fanC-2NT gene is 477 bp in length and is 99% similarity with that of fanC gene (accession no: M35282). Highest expression level occurred after 12 h of induction with 0.75 mM IPTG at 37oC. This subunit antigen will be tested for immune response of rat in the next time

Frequency and Risk Factor of Lower-limb Deep Vein Thrombosis after Major Orthopedic Surgery in Vietnamese Patients

BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a prevalent complication of orthopedic surgery. According in many studies. The incidence of DVT may be up to 50% if thromboprophylaxis is not available. AIM: The objective of this study was to check the degree of disease, clinical characteristics and analyzed factors in vulnerabilities with lower-limp DVT after orthopedic surgery in a Vietnam teaching hospital. METHODS: Orthopedic patients who met criteria were recruited at our hospital between August 2017 and June 2018. Ultrasound was used to discovering lower-limp DVT in pre-surgery and 7 days after surgery in all patients. RESULTS: The incidence of DVT after orthopedic surgery was 7.2%. Patients with older age (> 60) have a risk of 2 times higher of DVT after surgery than normal people (p < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative DVT was higher in immobile individuals > 72 hours (p < 0.05). Patients with prolonged surgical time (>120 minutes) had a higher risk of postoperative DVT than non-surgical patients’ surgery (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DVT remains a common complication following orthopedic surgery. Older age, immobility status, and surgical time have been found to be risky factors for the development of postoperative lower-limp DVT in orthopedic patients

RESEARCH TRENDS ON COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM IN THE PERIOD 2013 - 2023

Community-based tourism (CBT) has been around since the 1970s and so far, has grown in popularity in most continents. This study systematically evaluates and generalizes theoretical and practical issues on CBT based on 87 related articles published in scientific journals under the Scopus system from 2013 to 2023 through the application of content analysis methods. The results also show that research in this area has different research areas and mainly uses qualitative methods. The literature review identified a number of key themes including: (1) benefits of CBT development, (2) community and stakeholder engagement, (3) advantages and barriers in CBT development, (4) community perceptions about CBT, and (5) sustainable CBT development. The article has analyzed research trends on CBT: theory and application.  Article visualizations

Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from bovine mastitis samples in Nghe An province, Vietnam

Background and Aim: Vietnam’s dairy sector is in its early phase of large-scale farming development. Therefore, mastitis in cows is always a concern to farm owners. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility, resistance, and virulence-related genes of Escherichia coli isolated from bovine mastitis in Nghe An province of Vietnam. Materials and Methods: Fifty E. coli strains were isolated from the clinical cases and subjected to this study. All isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by the disk-diffusion method, as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Antimicrobial and virulence genes were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction with specific primers. Results: All isolates were resistant to lincomycin and sulfamethoxazole and sensitive to gentamicin, while other antimicrobials showed resistance from 2% to 90%. Multidrug resistance was confirmed in 46% of isolates, and none of them were identified as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers. From fifty strains tested for antimicrobial and virulence genes, six isolates harbored tetA, 6 tetB, 13 sul1, 15 sul2, 2 Intimin (eae), 1 iutA, and 3 stx2. Conclusion: Antimicrobial and multidrug resistances are the main virulence factors of E. coli isolated from bovine mastitis in Vietnam. The virulence genes encoding adhesion, siderophore, Shiga-toxin-producing, and antimicrobials resistant were first reported in Vietnam with low prevalence and contributed to the pathogenesis

Development of a highly sensitive point‐of‐care test for African swine fever that combines EZ‐Fast DNA extraction with LAMP detection: Evaluation using naturally infected swine whole blood samples from Vietnam

[Background] While early detection and early containment are key to controlling the African swine fever (ASF) pandemic, the lack of practical testing methods for use in the field are a major barrier to achieving this feat. [Objectives] To describe the development of a rapid and sensitive point-of-care test (POCT) for ASF, and its evaluation using swine whole blood samples for field settings. [Methods] In total, 89 swine whole blood samples were collected from Vietnamese swine farms and were performed the POCT using a combination of crude DNA extraction and LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) amplification. [Results] The POCT enabled crude DNA to be extracted from swine whole blood samples within 10 min at extremely low cost and with relative ease. The entire POCT required a maximum of 50 min from the beginning of DNA extraction to final judgment. Compared to a conventional real-time PCR detection, the POCT showed a 1 log reduction in detection sensitivity, but comparable diagnostic sensitivity of 100% (56/56) and diagnostic specificity of 100% (33/33). The POCT was quicker and easier to perform and did not require special equipment. [Conclusions] This POCT is expected to facilitate early diagnosis and containment of ASF invasion into both regions in which it is endemic and eradicated

Effect of specificity of health expenditure questions in the measurement of out-of-pocket health expenditure: evidence from field experimental study in Ghana

Background: The effect of number of health items on out-of- pockets (OOPs) has been identified as a source of bias in measuring OOPs. Evidence comes mostly from cross-sectional comparison of different survey instruments to collect data on OOPs. Very few studies have attempted to validate these questionnaires, or distinguish bias arising from the comprehensiveness of the OOPs list versus specificity of OOPs questions. Objectives: This study aims to estimate biases arising from the specificity of OOPs questions by comparing provider and household's information. Methods: A generic questionnaire to collect data on household's OOPs was developed following the nomenclature proposed in division 6 of the classification of household final consumption 2018. The four categories within such division are used to set the comprehensiveness of the OOPs list, the specificity within each category was tailored to the design of the nationally representative living standard survey in Ghana where a field experiment was conducted to test the validity of different versions. Households were randomised to 11, 44 or 56 health items. Using data from provider records as the gold standard, we compared the mean positive OOPs, and estimated the mean ratio and variability in the ratio of household expenditures to provider data for the individual households using the Bland-Altman method of assessing agreement. Findings: We found evidence of a difference in the overall mean ratio in the specificity for OOPs in inpatient care and medications. Within each of these two categories, a more detailed disaggregation yielded lower OOPs estimates than less detailed ones. The level of agreement between household and provider OOPs also decreased with increasing specificity of health items. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, for inpatient care and medications, systematically decomposing OOPs categories into finer subclasses tend to produce lower OOPs estimates. Less detailed items produced more accurate and reliable OOPs estimates in the context of a rural setting

ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA CÔNG NGHỆ THỰC TẾ ẢO TĂNG CƯỜNG ĐẾN Ý ĐỊNH MUA HÀNG TRỰC TUYẾN CỦA NGƯỜI TIÊU DÙNG

The study shows the effects of factors affecting consumers' purchase intention after experiencing Virtual Try-on (VTO) in Vietnam. The study is carried out by quantitative method through data from 408 subjects of different ages in Hanoi and Northern provinces. The findings of the study demonstrate that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, and perceived privacy risk, have a significant impact on users' attitudes toward Virtual Try-On (VTO). Consequently, these factors increase their influence on customers' purchase intentions. Based on these results, the research group recommends that, in practical settings, enterprises concentrate on providing high-quality services, promoting their products to augment the aforementioned factors, and simultaneously addressing users' attitudes to enhance the overall customer experience. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights into the factors that influence customers' attitudes toward VTO technology, thereby contributing to the existing literature on the topic.Nghiên cứu chỉ ra những tác động của các nhân tố ảnh hưởng tới ý định mua hàng của người tiêu dùng qua hành vi sử dụng công nghệ trải nghiệm sản phẩm trực tuyến (Virtual Try-on - VTO) tại Việt Nam. Phương pháp định lượng được sử dụng để phân tích dữ liệu từ 408 đối tượng trong nhiều độ tuổi khác nhau trên địa bàn thành phố Hà Nội và các tỉnh thành phố miền Bắc. Kết quả cho thấy rằng các nhân tố như cảm nhận tính hữu ích, cảm nhận tính dễ sử dụng, cảm nhận tính thích thú, và cảm nhận rủi ro về quyền riêng tư có tác động đến thái độ của người dùng với công nghệ VTO từ đó gia tăng ảnh hưởng tới ý định mua sắm của khách hàng. Nhóm nghiên cứu đề xuất rằng, trong bối cảnh thực tiễn, doanh nghiệp cần tập trung vào cung cấp dịch vụ chất lượng, quảng bá sản phẩm để nâng cao các yếu tố đã được đề cập, đồng thời quan tâm đến thái độ của người dùng để cải thiện trải nghiệm tích cực cho khách hàng

Differential prevalence and geographic distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in acute and chronic hepatitis C patients in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: The highest burden of disease from hepatitis C virus (HCV) is found in Southeast Asia, but our understanding of the epidemiology of infection in many heavily burdened countries is still limited. In particular, there is relatively little data on acute HCV infection, the outcome of which can be influenced by both viral and host genetics which differ within the region. We studied HCV genotype and IL28B gene polymorphism in a cohort of acute HCV-infected patients in Southern Vietnam alongside two other cohorts of chronic HCV-infected patients to better understand the epidemiology of HCV infection locally and inform the development of programs for therapy with the increasing availability of directly acting antiviral therapy (DAAs). METHODS: We analysed plasma samples from patients with acute and chronic HCV infection, including chronic HCV mono-infection and chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-HCV coinfection, who enrolled in four epidemiological or clinical research studies. HCV infection was confirmed with RNA testing. The 5' UTR, core and NSB5 regions of HCV RNA positive samples were sequenced, and the genotype and subtype of the viral strains were determined. Host DNA from all HCV positive patients and age- and sex-matched non-HCV-infected control individuals were analysed for IL28B single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs12979860 and rs8099917). Geolocation of the patients were mapped using QGIS. RESULTS: 355 HCV antibody positive patients were analysed; 54.6% (194/355) and 46.4% (161/355) were acute and chronic infections, respectively. 50.4% (81/161) and 49.6.4% (80/161) of chronic infections had HCV mono-infection and HIV-HCV coinfection, respectively. 88.7% (315/355) and 10.1% (36/355) of the patients were from southern and central regions of Vietnam, respectively. 92.4% (328/355) of patients were HCV RNA positive, including 86.1% (167/194) acute and 100% (161/161) chronic infections. Genotype could be determined in 98.4% (322/328) patients. Genotypes 1 (56.5%; 182/322) and 6 (33.9%; 109/322) predominated. Genotype 1 including genotype 1a was significantly higher in HIV-HCV coinfected patients compared to acute HCV patients [43.8% (35/80) versus 20.5% (33/167)], (p = <0.001), while genotype 6 was significantly higher in chronic HCV mono-infected patients [(44.4% (36/81) versus 20.0% (16/80)] (p = < 0.004) compared to HIV-HCV coinfected patients. The prevalence of IL28B SNP (rs12979860) homozygous CC was 86.46% (83/96) in control individuals and was significantly higher in acutely-infected compared to chronically-infected patients [93.2 (82/88) versus 76.1% (35/46)] (p = < 0.005). CONCLUSION: HCV genotype 6 is highly prevalent in Vietnam and the high prevalence in treatment naïve chronic HCV patients may results from poor spontaneous clearance of acute HCV infection with genotype 6

Evaluation of Luminex xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel Assay for Detection of Multiple Diarrheal Pathogens in Fecal Samples in Vietnam.

Diarrheal disease is a complex syndrome that remains a leading cause of global childhood morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis of enteric pathogens in a timely and precise manner is important for making treatment decisions and informing public health policy, but accurate diagnosis is a major challenge in industrializing countries. Multiplex molecular diagnostic techniques may represent a significant improvement over classical approaches. We evaluated the Luminex xTAG gastrointestinal pathogen panel (GPP) assay for the detection of common enteric bacterial and viral pathogens in Vietnam. Microbiological culture and real-time PCR were used as gold standards. The tests were performed on 479 stool samples collected from people admitted to the hospital for diarrheal disease throughout Vietnam. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the xTAG GPP for the seven principal diarrheal etiologies. The sensitivity and specificity for the xTAG GPP were >88% for Shigellaspp.,Campylobacterspp., rotavirus, norovirus genotype 1/2 (GI/GII), and adenovirus compared to those of microbiological culture and/or real-time PCR. However, the specificity was low (∼60%) for Salmonella species. Additionally, a number of important pathogens that are not identified in routine hospital procedures in this setting, such as Cryptosporidiumspp. and Clostridium difficile, were detected with the GPP. The use of the Luminex xTAG GPP for the detection of enteric pathogens in settings, like Vietnam, would dramatically improve the diagnostic accuracy and capacity of hospital laboratories, allowing for timely and appropriate therapy decisions and a wider understanding of the epidemiology of pathogens associated with severe diarrheal disease in low-resource settings