Self-injurious Behavior of Children with Autism in Vietnam: Across Sectional Study

This study explored self-injurious behaviour (SIB) of autistic children in Vietnam through a crosssectional design. 60 informants, including 57 parents and 3 caregivers completed the questionnaire on problem behaviour consisting of aggression, self-injury, stereotyping, property destruction, other problem behaviours and their functions. Results revealed that children experienced all mentioned problem behaviours, especially self-injurious behaviour. The topographies of self-injurious behaviour of the children included head-hitting, head-scratching, head-banging, hair-pulling, face-hitting, facepuncturing with a pen, ear-scratching, lip-picking, hand-biting, hand-scratching, hand-pinching, and belly-scratching. The most common area of self-injurious behaviour is the head. The functions of these problem behaviours were expressed in four types (social positive reinforcement, social negative reinforcement, automatic positive reinforcement and automatic negative reinforcement). Social positive reinforcement appeared as a prominent function. Out of these 57 children, 21 of them who were autistic with self-injurious behaviour went through a functional behaviour assessment (FBA) in which the four conditions known as attention, tangible items, escape from task/activities, automatic stimulation were tested. The results of functional behaviour assessment (FBA) further indicated the correspondence between the FAST-R and FBA outcome on function of problem behaviour, especially self-injurious behaviour. The research concluded that the prominent function of these self-injurious behaviours was social function. It means self-injurious behaviours usually occur within a condition of social interaction, especially, in this present study, in the tangible condition. The antecedent of selfinjurious behaviour is the removal of tangibles (e.g. food, preferred items). This paper contributes to our knowledge of self-injurious behaviour of children with autism in Vietnam where empirical research of this field was still very rare

Factors affecting consumer’s bargaining behavior: The case of fashionable clothing

Shopping is one of the current trends of the Vietnamese. According to Nielsen’s research results about consumer confidence in the fourth quarter of 2017, more than half of Vietnamese people (51%) use their spare money to buy new clothes at modern business models such as supermarkets, shopping centers, or at very traditional models like street vendors and wet markets where haggling (also known as bargaining) is considered as a common habit for Vietnamese. This is due to business characteristics from a very long time ago in Viet Nam. The bargaining behavior is not so hard to recognize in shopping. Even now, a large part of foreign tourists is familiar with the bargaining culture. This study aimed to discover bargaining behavior, the factors affecting such a behavior in buying fashionable clothing of the consumers in Ho Chi Minh City, and to consider whether the differences in bargaining behavior exist among different groups of gender, age, and income. The research was conducted using mixed methods concluding qualitative research (in-depth interview and focus group) and quantitative one (survey). The results showed that Attitude towards bargaining, Perceived behavioral control, Interest in bargaining affect Consumer’s bargaining behavior when buying fashionable clothes. Results were validated in Ho Chi Minh City context, and some conclusions were also presented

Chemical Constituents and Bacterial Activity of Essential Oils of Five Wax Apples (Syzygium samarangense) from Dong Thap Province, Vietnam

In the present study, essential oils from the leaves of five varieties of wax apple trees, (\u27An Phuoc\u27, \u27Hoa An\u27, \u27Hong Dao\u27, \u27Sua\u27, and \u27Xanh Duong\u27) collected in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam were isolated using hydrodistillation, and their constituents were for the first time identified via gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. A total of 74 compounds from essential oils were identified. These compounds were classified into four clusters by hierarchical clustering analysis. The main constituents of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of five varieties of wax apple trees were o-cymene, α-cubebene, epizonarene, β-gurjunene, and α-selinene. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of five varieties of wax apples were evaluated for the first time. The results showed that the essential oils could inhibit the growth of four tested microorganisms: Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus

Chemical Constituents and Bacterial Activity of Essential Oils of Five Wax Apples (Syzygium samarangense) from Dong Thap Province, Vietnam

In the present study, essential oils from the leaves of five varieties of wax apple trees, (\u27An Phuoc\u27, \u27Hoa An\u27, \u27Hong Dao\u27, \u27Sua\u27, and \u27Xanh Duong\u27) collected in Dong Thap Province, Vietnam were isolated using hydrodistillation, and their constituents were for the first time identified via gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. A total of 74 compounds from essential oils were identified. These compounds were classified into four clusters by hierarchical clustering analysis. The main constituents of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of five varieties of wax apple trees were o-cymene, α-cubebene, epizonarene, β-gurjunene, and α-selinene. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils isolated from the leaves of five varieties of wax apples were evaluated for the first time. The results showed that the essential oils could inhibit the growth of four tested microorganisms: Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus

Chemical Components of Essential Oils From the Leaves of Seven Species Belonging to Rutaceae Family from Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, Vietnam

Several plant species of the Rutaceae family are medicinal plants, oil bearing and food crops. To provide more information for utilization of some species of this family in Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, we extracted essential oils from the leaves of seven species of the Rutaceae family: Acronychia pedunculata (L.) Miq., Atalantia citroides Pierre ex Guillaumin, Clausena excavata Burm.f., Glycosmis pentaphylla (Retz.) DC., Luvunga scandens (Roxb.) Buch.-Ham. ex Wight & Arn, Melicope pteleifolia (Champ. ex Benth.) T.G. Hartley, and Micromelum sp., via hydrodistillation, and identified their components using GC/MS analysis. A total of 60 compounds were identified from essential oils of seven species. The main components of the essential oils isolated from five species, including A. pedunculata, C. excavata, M. pteleifolia, G. pentaphylla, and Micromelum sp., were caryophyllene (57.63% and 55.41% in A. pedunculata and C. excavata, respectively), 1,9-decadiyne (32.59%, M. pteleifolia), β-ocimene (23.10%, G. pentaphylla), and 3-carene (58.03%, Micromelum sp.). Additionally, this study revealed the chemical composition of essential oils of L. scandens and A. citroides for the first time. The main constituent of A. citroides was 7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0] heptane, 3-oxiranyl- (53.91%) and that of L. scandens was caryophyllene (34.66%). These findings provide the basis for further application of these species in medicine

Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers against the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey across 57 countries.

BACKGROUND: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been concerns related to the preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to describe the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital HCWs at the time of the first wave. METHODS: This multinational, multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital HCWs from February to May 2020. We used a hierarchical logistic regression multivariate analysis to adjust the influence of variables based on awareness and preparedness. We then used association rule mining to identify relationships between HCW confidence in handling suspected COVID-19 patients and prior COVID-19 case-management training. RESULTS: We surveyed 24,653 HCWs from 371 hospitals across 57 countries and received 17,302 responses from 70.2% HCWs overall. The median COVID-19 preparedness score was 11.0 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.0-14.0) and the median awareness score was 29.6 (IQR = 26.6-32.6). HCWs at COVID-19 designated facilities with previous outbreak experience, or HCWs who were trained for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, had significantly higher levels of preparedness and awareness (p<0.001). Association rule mining suggests that nurses and doctors who had a 'great-extent-of-confidence' in handling suspected COVID-19 patients had participated in COVID-19 training courses. Male participants (mean difference = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.46; p<0.001) and nurses (mean difference = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.81; p<0.001) had higher preparedness scores compared to women participants and doctors. INTERPRETATION: There was an unsurprising high level of awareness and preparedness among HCWs who participated in COVID-19 training courses. However, disparity existed along the lines of gender and type of HCW. It is unknown whether the difference in COVID-19 preparedness that we detected early in the pandemic may have translated into disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 burden of disease by gender or HCW type

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

Nguyen Trai's patriotic thought-characteristics and historical meaning

Nguyen Trai (1380 – 1442) was a great thinker of Vietnam at the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century. Nguyen Trai's thought is expressed in many fields such as politics, philosophy, ethics, culture, military, education, etc. Among them, patriotic thought is a unique and prominent content in the ideological system. His ideals are love for his homeland, country, national pride, love for the people and pride in the national culture. Although it has been more than 600 years, the core contents of Nguyen Trai's patriotic thought still have profound theoretical and practical significance for the cause of national construction and defense in Vietnam today

Synergistic effect of metformin and vitamin D3 on osteogenic differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells under high d-glucose conditions

Introduction: Vitamin D3 plays a vital role in bone health, with low levels of vitamin D3 being related to skeletal fragility, fractures, and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Metformin is known as an antihyperglycemic agent for regulating blood sugar. A correlation between diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis is attracting considerable interest, and research to find the prevention and treatment is gradually being studied. In this study, we investigated the effect of metformin and vitamin D3 on osteogenic differentiation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) under high d-glucose concentrations and optimized by combining vitamin D3 and metformin in the process. Methods: ROS production of AT-MSCs under high d-glucose conditions was measured by DCFH-DA assay. The differentiated AT-MSCs were analyzed by Alizarin Red S staining and optical density measurement. The investigation involved the examination of osteogenic master genes' expressions using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) techniques. Results: Interestingly, the results have shown that human AT-MSCs will exhibit high ROS accumulation and low osteogenic differentiation capabilities, indicated by low calcium deposition, as well as low expression of indicative genes such as ALP, Runx-2 under high d-glucose conditions. The combination of vitamin D3 and metformin remarkedly accelerated the osteogenic differentiation of AT-MSCs under high d-glucose concentrations more effectively than the administration of either agent. Conclusions: This study partially explains an aspect of an in vitro model for pre-clinical drug screening for osteoporosis-related diabetic pathological mechanisms, which can be applied for further research on the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis in diabetic patients