Re-Interpreting the Will Of God in the Discernment of Spirits According to Ignatian Tradition for Young Women in Vietnam

Young Vietnamese women seeking to discern a religious vocation often confuse their own unconscious motivations and desires with what they perceive as the “will of God” for their lives. This study argues that a clearer understanding of the “will of God” will lead young women to a more mature decision-making process when discerning a vocation to religious life. The thesis investigates how the “will of God” has been interpreted and understood in the Christian tradition and uses these insights to develop a systematic structure aiming to assist young Vietnamese women in their life discernment. It first examines how the will of God has been variously interpreted in the Scriptures and the lives of several distinguished spiritual figures in the Church. Second, it analyzes this concept in the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, whose writings and spiritual practices have been considered one of the most important tools for discernment in the Christian tradition—for detecting the language of God. Notably, the study will consider how the practice of active listening (by both director and directee) supports candidates in understanding their own inner motions and authentic desires, and through these movements, to hear the voice of God. Finally, it demonstrates how contextualizing these insights for the Vietnamese context will enlighten and empower young Vietnamese women in discerning their life vocation. The study makes a contribution to the academic discipline of Christian Spirituality concerning the concept of the “will of God,” proposing that a clearer understanding of this concept can lead to a richer and more effective discernment process. The discussion also seeks to assist spiritual directors of religious communities who are accompanying candidates in their spiritual journeys. It is my hope that it may also prove beneficial to all those who are interested in their own discernment process or in directing others in their spiritual journey

RESEARCH ON PROTEIN HYDROLYSIS FROM SHRIMP WASTE USING COMMERCIAL PROTEASES

Protein hydrolysates were produced from shrimp waste mainly comprising head and shell by different commercial proteases (Alcalase, Protamex, Flavourzyme). Shrimp waste was mixed with water (ratio of 1:5 w/v) and was treated with protease individually or together, which were incorporated either simultaneously or sequentially. Temperature was kept at the optimum for each enzyme. pH was initially adjusted to the most favorable value for each enzyme. Result of study showed that in case of individial addition, the highest yield of protein recovery (YPR 48.88 %) was obtained with Alcalase (375 U/g material) at 50 °C, pH 8 for 4 hours. Besides, the maximal yield of amino acids recovery (2.91 %) was obtained with Flavourzyme (250 U/g material) at 50 °C, pH 7 for 4 hours. Specially, the sequential treatment with Alcalase and Flavourzyme improved significantly the hydrolysis of protein. The yield of protein recovery (YPR 49.13 %) and yield of amino acids recovery (YAR 6.91 %) were obtained by addition of Flavourzyme 6 hours after Alcalase, which is attributed to the combined nature of the endo- and exocatalytic action of Alcalase and Flavourzyme, respectively. This research shows the feasibility of hydrolyzing shrimp by-products using different commercial proteases

The Role of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: Current State and Outlook.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest tumors, characterized by its aggressive tumor biology and poor prognosis. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) play a major part in the treatment algorithm of various solid tumors, there is still no evidence of clinical benefit from ICI in patients with metastatic PDAC (mPDAC). This might be due to several reasons, such as the inherent low immunogenicity of pancreatic cancer, the dense stroma-rich tumor microenvironment that precludes an efficient migration of antitumoral effector T cells to the cancer cells, and the increased proportion of immunosuppressive immune cells, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), facilitating tumor growth and invasion. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of ICIs in mPDAC, report on the biological rationale to implement ICIs into the treatment strategy of pancreatic cancer, and discuss preclinical studies and clinical trials in this field. Additionally, we shed light on the challenges of implementing ICIs into the treatment strategy of PDAC and discuss potential future directions

KHẢ NĂNG CHỐNG OXY HÓA CỦA 1-PHENYL-3-(2-PYRIDYL)-2-THIOUREA: NGHIÊN CỨU THỰC NGHIỆM KẾT HỢP VỚI TÍNH TOÁN HÓA LƯỢNG TỬ

2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS•+) were used in this study. IC50 values of 1-phenyl-3-(2-pyridyl)-2-thiourea (PPTU) with DPPH• and ABTS•+ are 1.3 × 10-3 and 1.1 × 10-3 M. Quantum chemical calculations were performed at the M05-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level to construct a potential surface of the reaction and calculate the rate constants according to hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and single electron transfer (SET) mechanisms. The reaction between PPTU and HOO• free radicals mainly occurs with the HAT mechanism. The portion of product under this mechanism accounts for 99.99% of the total products. N2-H17 is the most favored hydrogen transfer position in the PPTU molecule with the rate constant of 1.44 × 10-1 M-1·s-1.2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) và 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS•+) đã được sử dụng trong nghiên cứu này. IC50 của 1-phenyl-3-(2-pyridyl)-2-thiourea (PPTU) đối với DPPH• và ABTS•+ là 1,3 × 10–3 và 1,1 × 10–3 M. Các tính toán hóa lượng tử được thực hiện ở mức lý thuyết M05-2X/6-311++G(d,p) với việc xây dựng bề mặt thế năng phản ứng và tính tốc độ phản ứng theo cơ chuyển nguyên tử hydro (HAT) và cơ chế chuyển một electron (SET). Phản ứng giữa PPTU và gốc tự do HOO• chủ yếu xảy ra theo cơ chế HAT. Lượng sản phẩm tạo ra theo cơ chế này chiếm 99,99% tổng sản phẩm. N2-H17 là vị trí phản ứng chuyển nguyên tử hydro ưu tiên nhất với hằng số tốc độ 1,44 × 10-1 M-1·s-1

General one-loop formulas for H→ffˉγH\rightarrow f\bar{f}\gamma and its applications

We present general one-loop contributions to the decay processes $H\rightarrow f\bar{f}\gamma$ including all possible the exchange of the additional heavy vector gauge bosons, heavy fermions, and charged (also neutral) scalar particles in the loop diagrams. As a result, the analytic results are valid in a wide class of beyond the standard models. Analytic formulas for the form factors are expressed in terms of Passarino-Veltman functions in the standard notations of {\tt LoopTools}. Hence, the decay rates can be computed numerically by using this package. The computations are then applied to the cases of the standard model, $U(1)_{B-L}$ extension of the standard model as well as two Higgs doublet model. Phenomenological results of the decay processes for all the above models are studied. We observe that the effects of new physics are sizable contributions and these can be probed at future colliders.Comment: 32 page

ベトナム国北部におけるイネ遺伝資源の共同調査と収集

This exploration mission was undertaken to collect rice germplasm in the two provinces, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An of northern Vietnam from November 5 to December 4 in 1996. A total of 154 seed samples were collected. Most of them are glutinous landraces of upland rice. Landraces cultivated in irrigated fields have been replaced by improved cultivars, CR203 and IR17494 and hybrid rice from China, even in mountainous regions. Arable lands of upland rice have decreased in these two provinces because of a shift to other crops

Fabrication and Magnetic Properties of Mn1 - xZnxFe2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.8) Nanoparticles

In this paper, we report results on the fabrication and magnetic properties of spinel ferrite Mn1-xZnxFe2O4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.8) nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized by a co-precipitation method. The effects of substituting Zn for Mn on the magnetic properties and particles size were focused. It was found that the phase-formation temperature is 90OC and the average particle size decreases from 40 nm to 10 nm when increased Zn concentration from zero to 0.8. The Curie temperature TC strongly decreases from 585 K (x = 0) to 320 K (x = 0.8) concomitantly with a decrease of the saturation magnetization MS. With a TC of 320 K and MS of 17 emu/g, the x=0.8 sample could be a promising candidate for some biomedical applications

NGHIÊN CỨU ĐA DẠNG DI TRUYỀN TẬP ĐOÀN CÁC GIỐNG SẮN (Manihot esculenta Crantz) DỰA VÀO ĐA HÌNH TRÌNH TỰ GEN GBSS1

GBSS1 gene regulates the biosynthesis of starch in cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz, and its allelic diversity relates to variation in their starch production. In this research, genetic diversity of the recent conserved cassava germplast was estimated based on DNA polymorphism of a targeted fragment on GPSS1 gene of 14 representatives selected from 44 cassava varieties, whose genetic diversity was previously determined with SSR markers. The results from analyses of boostrap values on Neighbor Joining tree, of genetic indice from DNAsp 4.10.9 software, and of typical mutated points of 612bp-fragments on GBSS1 gene of the studied varieties revealed high genetic diversity and were in agreement to previous analyses with SSR markers. All 14 varieties were separated into 3 clusters on Neighbor Joining tree, in accordance with the variation in tuber-starch percentage and fresh root yield between groups. All three groups showed high genetic diversity with 53-99% of bootstrap values, high genetic differentiation (Kst=0.74, χ2=28; P=0.036), high number of allele (A=9) and high allenic diversity (Ad=0.91). The varieties of each group had 2-5 typical alleles. Results of this study could be applied for estimation of effectiveness of cassava germplast conservation. Together with the relevant SSR markers, the typical alleles of GBSS1 gene of different groups could be used as additional markers for selection and breeding of cassava with high starch yield in their tubers. GBSS1 (Granule bound starch synthase 1) là gen điều khiển sinh tổng hợp tinh bột ở cây sắn (Manihot esculenta Crantz) và đa dạng alen của gen phản ánh đa dạng về năng suất và chất lượng tinh bột. Trong nghiên cứu này đa dạng di truyền của tập đoàn giống sắn đang lưu giữ được đánh giá dựa vào đa hình trình tự ADN dọc đoạn đích trên gen GBSS1 của 14 giống đại diện trong 44 giống sắn đã đươc đánh giá bằng chỉ thị SSR. Kết quả phân tích dựa vào giá trị bootstrap trên cây phát sinh chủng loại theo phương pháp Neighbor Joining, dựa vào hệ số di truyền trên phần mềm DNAsp4.10.9 và dựa vào đột biến điểm dọc đoạn đích 612bp trên gen GBSS1 của các giống sắn nghiên cứu đều phản ánh đa dạng di truyền cao và phù hợp với kết quả đánh giá bằng chỉ thị SSR. Các giống sắn được phân thành 3 nhánh tách biệt trên cây phát sinh chủng loại theo tỷ lệ tinh bột và năng suất củ tươi trung bình đặc trưng của từng nhóm. Giữa các nhóm có giá trị bootstrap từ 53-99% và khác biệt di truyền tin cậy (Kst= 0,74, χ2=28; P=0,036) với số lượng alen (A=9) và đa dạng alen (Ad =0,91) cao. Mỗi nhóm sắn có 2-5 alen đặc trưng. Kết quả nghiên cứu có thể áp dụng để đánh giá hiệu quả công tác lưu giữ nguồn gen các giống sắn. Các alen đặc trưng của từng nhóm có thể sử dụng kết hợp với chỉ thị SSR liên quan làm cơ sở để chọn lọc hiệu quả các dòng sắn có tỷ lệ tinh bột cao

Antibiotic Resistance Profile and Methicillin-Resistant Encoding Genes of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Bloodstream Infection Patients in Northern Vietnam

Background:  Evaluating the antibiotic susceptibility and resistance genes is essential in the clinical management of bloodstream infections (BSIs). Nevertheless, there are still limited studies in Northern Vietnam. AIM: This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance profile and methicillin-resistant encoding genes of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) causing BSIs in Northern Vietnam. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was done from December 2012 to June 2014 in two tertiary hospitals in Northern Vietnam. Tests performed at the lab of the hospital. RESULTS:  In 43 S. aureus strains isolating, 53.5 % were MRSA. Distribution of gene for overall, MRSA, and MSSA strains were following: mecA gene (58.1 %; 95.7%, and 15%), femA gene (48.8%, 47.8%, and 50%), femB gene (88.4%, 82.6%, and 95%). Antibiotic resistance was highest in penicillin (100%), followed by erythromycin (65.1%) and clindamycin (60.5%). Several antibiotics were susceptible (100%), including vancomycin, tigecycline, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin. Quinolone group was highly sensitive, include ciprofloxacin (83.7%), levofloxacin (86%) and moxifloxacin (86%). CONCLUSION:  In S. aureus causing BSIs, antibiotic resistance was higher in penicillin, erythromycin, and clindamycin. All strains were utterly susceptible to vancomycin, tigecycline, linezolid, quinupristin/dalfopristin

Antibiotic Resistance Profile and Diversity of Subtypes Genes in Escherichia coli Causing Bloodstream Infection in Northern Vietnam

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the antibiotic susceptibility and resistance genes is essential in the clinical management of bloodstream infections (BSIs). But there are still limited studies in Northern Vietnam. AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the antibiotic resistance profile and characteristics of subtypes genes in Escherichia coli causing BSIs in Northern Vietnam. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was done in the period from December 2012 to June 2014 in two tertiary hospitals in Northern Vietnam. Tests were performed at the lab of the hospital. RESULTS: In 56 E. coli strains isolating 39.29 % produced ESBL. 100% of the isolates harbored blaTEM gene, but none of them had the blaPER gene. The prevalence of ESBL producers and ESBL non-producers in blaCTX-M gene was 81.82%, and 73.53%, in blaSHV gene was 18.18% and 35.29%. Sequencing results showed three blaTEM subtypes (blaTEM 1, 79, 82), four blaCTX-M subtypes (blaCTX-M-15, 73, 98, 161), and eight blaSHV subtypes (blaSHV 5, 7, 12, 15, 24, 33, 57, 77). Antibiotic resistance was higher in ampicillin (85.71%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (64.29%) and cephazolin (50%). Antibiotics were still highly susceptible including doripenem (96.43%), ertapenem (94.64%), amikacin (96.43%), and cefepime (89.29%). CONCLUSION: In Escherichia coli causing BSIs, antibiotic resistance was higher in ampicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and cephazolin. Antibiotics was highly susceptible including doripenem, ertapenem, amikacin, and cefepime