Impacts of Economic Development on the Awareness of Cultural Preservation of Ethnic Minority People in the Border Region of Northern Vietnam

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine how the Vietnamese government's economic development strategies affect ethnic minority people's knowledge of cultural preservation in the border area of Northern Vietnam.   Theoretical framework: The study focuses on three main driven factors of the awareness of cultural preservation that are economic changes, societal changes, and environmental changes from three economic fields: agriculture, industry, and trade and services.   Design/methodology/approach: The research sample was taken from ethnic minorities in Northern Vietnam's border area. For questionnaire administration, interviewees are selected at random from the population. Face-to-face, drop-off, and phone-calling approaches were used to disseminate the questionnaire. We received 544 completed returns out of 725 surveys sent out. The data was then cleaned and analyzed with SPSS 20 software using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).   Findings: The results of a study of ethnic minority communities in seven provinces in Northern Vietnam's border region show that the development of agriculture, industry, trade and service significantly impacts ethnic minority people's awareness of cultural preservation issues due to environmental changes. In contrast, economic and sociological developments appear to have little influence on ethnic minority people's attention to cultural preservation. This phenomenon may be due to the long-term effects of economic and sociological changes, which mostly affect intangible cultural heritages. In contrast, environmental impats are felt swiftly and primarily on physical cultural heritages that can be seen.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The findings of the research provide policymakers with valuable insights on the effects of economic development on cultural preservation. The study's recommendations can inform policies that promote sustainable economic development while preserving the cultural heritage of ethnic minority communities.   Originality/value: The research focuses on the border region of Northern Vietnam, which is an area of strategic importance for economic development and cultural preservation. The study's unique focus on this region provides insights into the cultural and economic dynamics of a specific area that has not been extensively studied

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

Predicting atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery using a simplified risk index

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery and can lead to increased risk of postoperative adverse events. However, atrial fibrillation and postoperative adverse events are preventable. In this study, a risk index was developed to predict atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. Methods: A prospective cohort study of 405 patients who had undergone adult cardiac surgery from 2015 September to 2016 August at Heart Institute of HCMC and Cho Ray Hospital were obtained. In order to predict POAF, a logistic regression model was developed, and a risk score was derived and validated by bootstrap. Results: In our study, 98 patients developed POAF (24.2%). The risk score included three significant risk factors (age ≥ 60, left atrial diameter > 41 mm, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft with concomitant mitral valve replacement or repair) that were consistent with other reports. Each of these risk factors was assigned one point. The total risk score ranges from 0 to 3 (AUC = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.63–0.75) with the best cutoff point at 1. According to this scoring system, the incidences of POAF in patients associated with each score of 0, 1, 2, and 3 were 8.6%, 30.1%, 40.8%, and 58.3% respectively. Bootstrapping with 5000 samples confirmed the final model provided was consistent with predictions. Conclusions: We developed and validated a simple risk score based on clinical variables that can be obtained before surgery in order to accurately predict the risk of POAF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.Journal of Electrocardiology, 67, pp.45-49; 202

Thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications of COVID-19 in adults hospitalized in high-income countries compared with those in adults hospitalized in low- and middle-income countries in an international registry

Background: COVID-19 has been associated with a broad range of thromboembolic, ischemic, and hemorrhagic complications (coagulopathy complications). Most studies have focused on patients with severe disease from high-income countries (HICs). Objectives: The main aims were to compare the frequency of coagulopathy complications in developing countries (low- and middle-income countries [LMICs]) with those in HICs, delineate the frequency across a range of treatment levels, and determine associations with in-hospital mortality. Methods: Adult patients enrolled in an observational, multinational registry, the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections COVID-19 study, between January 1, 2020, and September 15, 2021, met inclusion criteria, including admission to a hospital for laboratory-confirmed, acute COVID-19 and data on complications and survival. The advanced-treatment cohort received care, such as admission to the intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, or inotropes or vasopressors; the basic-treatment cohort did not receive any of these interventions. Results: The study population included 495,682 patients from 52 countries, with 63% from LMICs and 85% in the basic treatment cohort. The frequency of coagulopathy complications was higher in HICs (0.76%-3.4%) than in LMICs (0.09%-1.22%). Complications were more frequent in the advanced-treatment cohort than in the basic-treatment cohort. Coagulopathy complications were associated with increased in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.52-1.64). The increased mortality associated with these complications was higher in LMICs (58.5%) than in HICs (35.4%). After controlling for coagulopathy complications, treatment intensity, and multiple other factors, the mortality was higher among patients in LMICs than among patients in HICs (odds ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.39-1.51). Conclusion: In a large, international registry of patients hospitalized for COVID-19, coagulopathy complications were more frequent in HICs than in LMICs (developing countries). Increased mortality associated with coagulopathy complications was of a greater magnitude among patients in LMICs. Additional research is needed regarding timely diagnosis of and intervention for coagulation derangements associated with COVID-19, particularly for limited-resource settings