The impact of zerovalent cobalt nanoparticle on photosynthesis - related genes expression in soybean leaves Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Dt26)

Photosynthesis is an important physiological process in plants. It plays a crucial role in plant growth and development. In this study, we investigated the impact of zerovalent cobalt nanoparticles on the photosynthesis and expressing of gene involving in this process in leave of soybean Glycine max (L) Merr “DT26” at different growth stages. The results showed that treatment of zerovalent cobalt nanoparticles made in Vietnam and USA (with two doses of 0.17 and 16.67 mg/kg of soybean seed) enhanced the photosynthesis of soybean by increasing the content of chlorophyll a and the ratio of Fv/Fm compared with the control (without treatment of zerovalent cobalt nanoparticles). These values tended to increase and reached the maximum value at 40 days and then decreased in at 70 days. The expression level of photosynthesis-related genes of soybean leaves also changed depending on the soybean’s growth stage and concentration of zerovalent cobalt nanoparticles being treated. The genes psaA, Lhca, psaB, Cytb6f (belonging to photosystem I) and psbA, psbB, psbC, psbD, psbE (belonging to photosystem II) in the experimental fomulas were higher expressed than that in control group at 20 and 70 days. However, at 40 days, the expression levels of these genes were significantly different. Obtained results supplied the basis for understanding the active mechanism of the above genes to control/regulates photosynthetic activity of plants with and without the presence of zerovalent cobalt nanoparticles as well as under stress conditions. 

The role of nutritional risk evaluation in predicting adverse outcomes among patients with severe COVID-19 in Vietnam

IntroductionAs sufficient nutrition helps alleviate catabolic stress and modulate the systemic inflammatory response of the body, it plays an indispensable role in the good prognosis of critically ill patients. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the malnutrition of patients with severe COVID-19 and its association with adverse treatment outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in two provincial hospitals in Hanoi from February to April 2022. Participants were patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Malnutrition risk were evaluated by Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 (NRS), Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and the adverse prognosis was assessed by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II). The multivariate receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to estimate the predictive ability of those criteria regarding worse treatment results.ResultsThe percentages of malnutrition measured by NRS, GLIM, PNI, and BMI were 62.6, 51.5, 42.9, and 16.6%, respectively. Patients with more severe malnutrition assessed by GLIM, PNI, and having above target fasting blood glucose (FBG) (≥10.0 mmol/L) were more likely to have higher APACHE scores. PNI had a better diagnostic performance than NRS and BMI (AUC = 0.84, 0.81, and 0.82, respectively). In addition, FBG revealed a good prognostic implication (AUC = 0.84).ConclusionA relatively high percentage of patients experienced moderate and severe malnutrition regardless of screening tools. Individuals at higher risk of malnutrition and high FBG were predicted to have more adverse treatment outcomes. It is recommended that nutritional screening should be conducted regularly, and personalizing nutritional care strategies is necessary to meet patients’ nutrient demands and prevent other nutrition-related complications

In vitro bioactivities of Codonopsis javanica root extract from Kon Tum province, Vietnam

Dangshen Codonopsis javanica exhibits invaluable medicinal properties in herbal remedies; however, there has currently not been much specific analysis of the phytochemicals and bioactivities of this plant. The root ethanol extract of C. javanica contains substances such as saponins, phenolic acids, terpenoids, and alkaloids. It displays an antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus with the IC50 values of 150, 100, 150, and 90 μg/mL, respectively. The antioxidant capacity of the root extract was also observed with an IC50 value of 46.8 ± 6.8 μg/mL. Furthermore, the extract exhibits activity on human cancer cell lines HepG2 (IC50 = 83.6 ± 2.7 μg/mL) and MCF-7 (IC50 = 95.3 ± 2.3 μg/mL). Hence, this study provides the basic data for further research on the bioactivities of natural compounds of Dangshen C. javanica for the first time

Study on synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose from pineapple leaf waste and its potential applications as a thickener

In this study, cellulose and hemicellulose were successfully extracted from pineapple leaf waste at yields of 58.8 and 16.1% by dried weight, respectively. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was synthesised from pineapple leaf cellulose by an esterification process using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and monochloroacetic acid (MCA) with isopropanol as the supporting medium. Preparation of CMC was investigated by varying three free factors, namely, NaOH concentration, MCA dose, and cellulose size. The carboxymethylation process was optimised to produce CMC with differing degrees of substitution (DS). The highest DS of CMC (0.86) was obtained with 15% (w/v) NaOH solution, 0.6 g of MCA/g cellulose, and 50 μm cellulose. The obtained CMC were characterised by FTIR spectroscopy, SEM images and XRD diffractions. Moreover, the thickening performance of obtained CMC was also determined. The influence of the CMC’s molecular weight and degree of substitution on the viscosity of 1% (w/v) aqueous solution was tested. The experimental results suggest that the viscosity of the solution increases with increasing molecular weight and degree of substitution of CMC

THE IMPACT OF NATIONAL CULTURE ON BILATERAL TRADE IN VIETNAM

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether or to what extent national culture influences bilateral trade flows between Vietnam and its trading partners. Using a panel dataset of 52 countries from 2001 till 2011 and six cultural dimensions of Hofstede, the regression analysis performed by gravity model shows that national culture and bilateral trade flows between Vietnam and trading partners are significantly correlated. This study's implications may help macro-policy makers devise better export promotion policies and boost the volume of bilateral trade between Vietnam and other countries around the world

Determinants of catastrophic costs among households affected by multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam: a prospective cohort study

Background: Globally, most people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and their households experience catastrophic costs of illness, diagnosis, and care. However, the factors associated with experiencing catastrophic costs are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with catastrophic costs incurrence among MDR-TB-affected households in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. Methods: Between October 2020 and April 2022, data were collected using a locally-adapted, longitudinal WHO TB Patient Cost Survey in ten districts of HCMC. Ninety-four people with MDR-TB being treated with a nine-month TB regimen were surveyed at three time points: after two weeks of treatment initiation, completion of the intensive phase and the end of the treatment (approximately five and 10 months post-treatment initiation respectively). The catastrophic costs threshold was defined as total TB-related costs exceeding 20% of annual pre-TB household income. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with experiencing catastrophic costs. A sensitivity analysis examined the prevalence of catastrophic costs using alternative thresholds and cost estimation approaches. Results: Most participants (81/93 [87%]) experienced catastrophic costs despite the majority 86/93 (93%) receiving economic support through existing social protection schemes. Among participant households experiencing and not experiencing catastrophic costs, median household income was similar before MDR-TB treatment. However, by the end of MDR-TB treatment, median household income was lower (258 [IQR: 0–516] USD vs. 656 [IQR: 462–989] USD; p = 0.003), and median income loss was higher (2838 [IQR: 1548–5418] USD vs. 301 [IQR: 0–824] USD; p < 0.001) amongst the participant households who experienced catastrophic costs. Being the household’s primary income earner before MDR-TB treatment (aOR = 11.2 [95% CI: 1.6–80.5]), having a lower educational level (aOR = 22.3 [95% CI: 1.5–344.1]) and becoming unemployed at the beginning of MDR-TB treatment (aOR = 35.6 [95% CI: 2.7–470.3]) were associated with experiencing catastrophic costs. Conclusion: Despite good social protection coverage, most people with MDR-TB in HCMC experienced catastrophic costs. Incurrence of catastrophic costs was independently associated with being the household’s primary income earner or being unemployed. Revision and expansion of strategies to mitigate TB-related catastrophic costs, in particular avoiding unemployment and income loss, are urgently required

Multilocus sequence typing of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii from Laos in a regional and global context.

Cryptococcosis causes approximately 180 000 deaths each year in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Patients with other forms of immunosuppression are also at risk, and disease is increasingly recognized in apparently immunocompetent individuals. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, responsible for the majority of cases, is distributed globally. We used the consensus ISHAM Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme to define the population structure of clinical C. neoformans var. grubii isolates from Laos (n = 81), which we placed into the global context using published MLST data from other countries (total N = 1047), including a reanalysis of 136 Vietnamese isolates previously reported. We observed a phylogeographical relationship in which the Laotian population was similar to its neighbor Thailand, being dominated (83%) by Sequence Types (ST) 4 and 6. This phylogeographical structure changed moving eastwards, with Vietnam's population consisting of an admixture of isolates dominated by the ST4/ST6 (35%) and ST5 (48%) lineages. The ST5 lineage is the predominant ST reported from China and East Asia, where it accounts for >90% of isolates. Analysis of genetic distance (Fst) between different populations of C. neoformans var. grubii supports this intermediate structure of the Vietnamese population. The pathogen and host diversity reported from Vietnam provide the strongest epidemiological evidence of the association between ST5 and HIV-uninfected patients. Regional anthropological genetic distances suggest diversity in the C. neoformans var. grubii population across Southeast Asia is driven by ecological rather than human host factors. Where the ST5 lineage is present, disease in HIV-uninfected patients is to be expected

The use of reproductive healthcare at commune health stations in a changing health system in Vietnam

Background: With health sector reform in Vietnam moving towards greater pluralism, commune health stations (CHSs) have been subject to growing competition from private health services and increasing numbers of patients bypassing CHSs for higher-level health facilities. This study describes the pattern of reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP) service utilization among women at CHSs and other health facilities, and explores socio demographic determinants of RH service utilization at the CHS level

ТЕРМОХРОНОЛОГИЯ ГРАНИТОИДНЫХ БАТОЛИТОВ И ИХ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЯ В КОМПЛЕКСЫ МЕТАМОРФИЧЕСКИХ ЯДЕР (НА ПРИМЕРЕ МАССИВА ШОНГЧАЙ, СЕВЕРНЫЙ ВЬЕТНАМ)

Based on the reconstruction of the thermal evolution of granitoid batholith, represented by the Song‐Chai gneiss‐granite massif (Northern Vietnam), the long‐term existence of granitoid magma at deep levels of the Earth's crust (H≥25 km, Δt~20–50 Ma) is established. The geodynamic analysis of the granitoid batholith and mathematical modeling of its thermal history shows that the magmatic chamber should be considered as a thermal trap at the lower level of the crust, which preserved residual granite melts for a long time. Activation of the magmatic chamber occurs in post‐collisional strike‐slip fault zones and is accompanied by tectonic exhumation of large crustal segments. As a result, the batholith is transformed into a Cordilleran‐type metamorphic core complex, residual rare‐metal melts are emplaced, and, commercial deposits are thus formed.На основе реконструкции термической эволюции гнейсогранитного массива Шонгчай (Северный Вьетнам) обосновано длительное существование гранитоидной магмы на глубинных уровнях земной коры (H≥25 км, Δt~20–50 млн лет). Геодинамический анализ и математическое моделирование термической истории остывания гранитоидного батолита показывают, что эта магматическая камера представляла собой термоловушку на нижнем уровне земной коры, длительное время сохранявшую остаточный гранитный расплав. Выведение этой термоловушки из квазистационарного состояния происходит в зонах трансформного скольжения литосферных плит и сопровождается тектоническим экспонированием крупных геоблоков (сегментов земной коры). В конечном итоге это приводит к трансформации батолитов в комплекс метаморфического ядра кордильерского типа, внедрению остаточных расплавов и, как следствие, – к формированию промышленных редкометалльных месторождений

Evaluation of microscopic observation drug susceptibility assay for diagnosis of multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in Viet Nam

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) is important for the elimination of TB. We evaluated the microscopic observation drug susceptibility (MODS) assay as a direct rapid drug susceptibility testing (DST) method for MDR-TB screening in sputum samples</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All adult TB suspects, who were newly presenting to Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital from August to November 2008 were enrolled into the study. Processed sputum samples were used for DST by MODS (DST-MODS) (Rifampicin (RIF) 1 μg/ml and Isoniazid (INH) 0.4 μg/ml), MGIT culture (Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube) and Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) culture. Cultures positive by either MGIT or LJ were used for proportional DST (DST-LJ) (RIF 40 μg/ml and INH 0.2 μg/ml). DST profiles on MODS and LJ were compared. Discrepant results were resolved by multiplex allele specific PCR (MAS-PCR).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seven hundred and nine TB suspects/samples were enrolled into the study, of which 300 samples with DST profiles available from both MODS and DST-LJ were analyzed. Cording in MODS was unable to correctly identify 3 Mycobacteria Other Than Tuberculosis (MOTT) isolates, resulting in 3 false positive TB diagnoses. None of these isolates were identified as MDR-TB by MODS. The sensitivity and specificity of MODS were 72.6% (95%CI: 59.8, 83.1) and 97.9% (95%CI: 95.2, 99.3), respectively for detection of INH resistant isolates, 72.7% (95%CI: 30.9, 93.7) and 99.7% (95%CI: 98.1, 99.9), respectively for detecting RIF resistant isolates and 77.8% (95%CI: 39.9, 97.1) and 99.7% (95%CI: 98.1, 99.9), respectively for detecting MDR isolates. The positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) of DST-MODS were 87.5% (95%CI: 47.3, 99.6) and 99.3% (95%CI: 97.5, 99.9) for detection of MDR isolates; and the agreement between MODS and DST-LJ was 99.0% (kappa: 0.8, <it>P </it>< 0.001) for MDR diagnosis. The low sensitivity of MODS for drug resistance detection was probably due to low bacterial load samples and the high INH concentration (0.4 μg/ml). The low PPV of DST-MODS may be due to the low MDR-TB rate in the study population (3.8%). The turnaround time of DST-MODS was 9 days and 53 days for DST-LJ.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The DST-MODS technique is rapid with low contamination rates. However, the sensitivity of DST-MODS for detection of INH and RIF resistance in this study was lower than reported from other settings.</p