An Unconventional Pathway: A Qualitative Inquiry Into the Experience of Racial Minority Transfer Students

Transfer students’ success is increasingly being discussed in higher education. A large population of transfer students includes racial minority, low-income, and first-generation college students. Due to the multiple layers of students’ identities, it has been difficult for educational leaders in institutions to grasp the essential elements needed to serve these students. As a result, this qualitative study contributes to this discussion and efforts to support the transfer student’s success. In this study, qualitative methods, including interviews with 14 students from 4-year universities and community colleges and a survey, were used to identify the steps and resources associated with supporting transfer students. The critical race theory framework served as the central lens to determine how racial factors played a vital key in the students’ post-transfer experience. The goal of this study was to ensure that the transfer students receive the essential resources and guidance from their institutions to have a successful transfer pathway to earning their degree

Assay of Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) Utilizing Isocratic Reversed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Aims: To demonstrate an analysis for vitamin B6 from commercial aqueous nutritional drinks and solid tablets, utilizing isocratic conditions with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV detection at 290 nm. Study Design: Vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxine hydrochloride is assayed by HPLC from various samples. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Durham Science Center, University of Nebraska, Omaha Nebraska from May to August 2016. Methodology: Utilizing a reversed-phase C-18 column with eluent solvent (19% ethanol, 77% water, 4% acetic acid), the samples were prepared in sample solvent (19% ethanol, 81% distilled water). Detection of vitamin B6 was accomplished at 290 nm. Analysis of samples was done following solubilizing in aqueous conditions having ethanol at 10% to 20% (v/v). Column pressure at 1900 psig, rise time 0.1 with flow rate 1.0 mL/minute. Elution peak for vitamin B6 occurred consistently at 1.6 minutes. Nutritional samples, aqueous samples, and solid pills were prepared in aqueous solvent with various levels of ethanol. Results: Levels of vitamin B6 detected were as low as 4.4029x10-5 molar to 7.8081x10-4 molar. Sensitivity for vitamin B6 was highest at 290 nm. Reverse phase isocratic conditions is shown to be effective for determination of vitamin B6 in aqueous based samples. Standard curves applied are highly linear in range from zero to 7.8081x10-4 molar (y = 112,521,145.5x + 2,818.6), having coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9948) with very strong positive correlation coefficient (r= 0.9974). Percent recovery of vitamin ranged from 95% to 105%. Amounts of vitamin present in drinks from same manufacturer were consistent. Conclusion: Utilizing reversed phase column, isocratic solvent conditions with ethanol in water, and a UV detector set at 290 nm is effective for determination of vitamin B6. Ethanol-water solvent system is effective. Vitamin B6 was found in various amounts in nutritional drinks tested. Percent recovery of vitamin averaged 101% with a standard deviation of 2.4%. Pyridoxine hydrochloride was effectively assayed from aqueous samples, vitamin preparations, and vitamin tablets. The methodology presented in this study will be useful for quality control analysis for commercial production. Analysis methods for vitamin assay are a necessary objective to ensure quality control of commercial products and medicinal applications

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

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Vietnamese university students' perspective on Peter Pan Syndrome

An increasing number of people, especially university students, are presenting Peter Pan Syndrome in society. Peter Pan Syndrome is a concept used to characterize the person who refuses to comply with the characteristics of the adult when reaching adulthood. The people with Peter Pan Syndrome are immature in emotion, behavior, and cognition. The main objective is to investigate the perception of Peter Pan Syndrome and the level of Peter Pan Syndrome among university students. Convenience sampling was used to collect data from 400 undergraduate students (186 males and 214 females) from three universities in Vietnam. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the manifestations of Peter Pan Syndrome in students in three dimensions of emotion, behavior, and cognition. This study contributes to the general discussion underway about the definition of Peter Pan Syndrome and the symptoms of Peter Pan Syndrome. Future research should carefully consider the potential effects of Peter Pan Syndrome among undergraduate students to assist families and educators in developing appropriate education and coping strategies

The impact of trust on intellectual property right protection: a cross-national study

Purpose – This study aims to empirically investigate how difference in social trust explains the heterogeneity of intellectual property right (IPR) protection (proxied by software piracy rate) across countries. Specifically, the authors also examine whether this effect is complementary or substitute to legal and economic factors. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use both ordinary least square and two-stage least square regressions to investigate this effect. Findings – The authors find that there is also a complementary effect between trust and rule of law in reducing the violation of IPRs. Originality/value – Although the literature by now has documented the solid relationship between trust and the quality of formal institutions, only few studies have explored more specific measures of institutional consequences. Thus, this study is the first study investigating the role of trust, a valuable social capital dimension, on IPR protection

The double burden of malnutrition in Vietnamese school-aged children and adolescents: a rapid shift over a decade in Ho Chi Minh City

Background/objectives: Vietnam is undergoing a nutrition transition, which is leading to marked shifts in body size at the population level, but up-to-date data are lacking. We therefore quantified the prevalence of undernutrition (stunting and thinness) and overnutrition (overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity) in school-aged children in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMc), Vietnam, and compared this with previous estimates. Subjects/methods: A cross-sectional survey of 10,949 children (6–18 years old) from 30 schools in HCMc, Vietnam in 2014–2015 was used to ascertain the nutritional status of children and adolescents. Different international classification systems (WHO, IOTF, IOTF for Asian children) were used to assess the prevalence of under and overnutrition. Comparisons were made with previous surveys in HCMc. Results: Regardless of definitions used, the prevalence of overnutrition was high, particularly in primary school children (20–30% were overweight, 20–30% were obese, and 50% had abdominal obesity), in boys, and urban children. Undernutrition was more prevalent in high-school children (8% were stunted, and 6–18% were thin, versus 2 and 2–9% in primary children, respectively), and in rural areas. Comparisons with previous surveys indicated substantial increases in overnutrition and decreased in undernutrition since 2009 in all age groups. Conclusions: Overnutrition is increasingly common in school-aged children and adolescents in HCMc, while over and undernutrition continue to coexist. These findings highlight an urgent need for greater efforts to control malnutrition in children in HCMc

Notes on culturable endophytic microorganisms isolated from 14 medicinal plants in Vietnam: a diversity analysis to predict the host-microbe correlations

Endophytes can generate a cornucopia of marvelous bioactive secondary metabolites useful for mankind but their biodiversity and associations with host plants are still elusive. In this study, we explored the culturable endophytic microorganisms associated with 14 medicinal plants that are of high socio-economic value and/or reportedly endemic to northern Vietnam. Specifically, we isolated the endophytic microorganisms by applying surface sterilization methods and identified them based on morphological and rDNA sequence analyses. Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to analyze the correlations between the taxonomic affiliations of the culturable endophytes and the characteristics of their hosts. Most of the culturable endophytes obtained were bacteria (80), and few of those were actinomycetes (15) and fungi (8). Many of them are reported to be endophytes of medicinal plants for the first time. A number of plants (5) are also reported for the first time to contain microbial endophytes, while some plants with powerful pharmaceutical potential harbor unique endophytes. Furthermore, our results reveal a strikingly close relation between the compositions of bacterial and fungal isolates from plants having anti-bacterial activity and those from plants having anti-inflammatory activity, or between the compositions of the microbial endophytic isolates from plants having anti-cancer activity and those from plants having antioxidant activity. Altogether, the results provide new findings which can be inspiring for further in-depth studies to explore and exploit the relationships between medicinal plants and their associated endophytes in northern Vietnam and world-wide.3. Good health and well-bein

Economic burden of venous thromboembolism in surgical patients: A propensity score analysis from the national claims database in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND:Venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with surgery can cause serious comorbidities or death and imposes a substantial economic burden to society. The study examined VTE cases after surgery to determined how this condition imposed an economic burden on patients based on the national health insurance reimbursement database. Methods: This retrospective analysis adopted the public payer's perspective. The direct medical cost was estimated using data from the national claims database of Vietnam from Jan 1, 2017 to Sep 31, 2018. Adult patients who underwent surgeries were recruited for the study. Patients with a diagnostic code of up to 90 days after surgery were considered VTE cases with the outcome measure being the surgery-related costs within 90 days. RESULTS:The 90-day cost of VTE patients was found to be US$2,939. The rate of readmission increased by 5.4 times, the rate of outpatient visits increased by 1.8 times and total costs over 90 days in patients with VTE undergoing surgery increased by 2.2 times. Estimation using propensity score matching method showed that an increase of US$1,019 in the 90-day cost of VTE patients. CONCLUSION:The VTE-related costs can be used to assess the potential economic benefit and cost-savings from prevention efforts