Clinical Epidemiological Characteristics and Risk Factors for Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia in Pediatric Patients: A Hospital-Based Study in Vietnam

Introduction Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which can cause organ failure in several organs, cardiac problems, or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Identifying clinical epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for complications of COVID-19 allows clinicians to diagnose and treat promptly. Objectives This study aims to describe the clinical epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 and assess risk factors for the severity of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in children treated at Haiphong Children\u27s Hospital. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Haiphong Children\u27s Hospital, Haiphong, Vietnam, for one year, from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Results In our study, 540 children were evaluated; the male-to-female ratio was 1.48/1; the median age was 23 months (IQR=6-74); Children aged under one year accounted for the highest proportion (n=202; 37.4%); 40 (7.4%) children had underlying illnesses. The number of admitted patients diagnosed with COVID-19 peaked in February 2022. Regarding severity, 380 (70.4%) cases were mild, 136 (25.2%) were moderate, only 24 (4.4%) cases were severe, and no children died. Common symptoms were fever in 483 (89.4%), coughing in 399 (73.9%), and tachypnea in 163 (30.2%) children. Laboratory features: white blood cell count, platelet count, serum CRP, and coagulation test showed little change. Around 116 (21.5%) had lymphopenia and 148 (27.4%) had pneumonia. Patients under one year were approximately 1.64 times more likely to experience pneumonia complications from COVID-19 than those without such a history (OR=1.64, 95%CI = 1.12 - 2.41, p=0.0112). Patients with underlying conditions were approximately 2.08 times more likely to experience pneumonia complications from COVID-19 compared to those without such conditions (OR=2.08, 95%CI =1.08 - 4.02, p=0.0289). Conclusion In COVID-19 pediatric patients, the severity of the disease was mild to moderate without any mortality. Children aged under one year accounted for the highest proportion of all COVID-19 patients. This study found that age under one year and underlying illnesses are related to pneumonia in COVID-19 pediatric patients

Irreducible representations of Upq[gl(2/2)]

The two-parametric quantum superalgebra $U_{pq}[gl(2/2)]$ and its representations are considered. All finite-dimensional irreducible representations of this quantum superalgebra can be constructed and classified into typical and nontypical ones according to a proposition proved in the present paper. This proposition is a nontrivial deformation from the one for the classical superalgebra gl(2/2), unlike the case of one-parametric deformations.Comment: Latex, 8 pages. A reference added in v.

Prevalence and Determinants of Medication Adherence among Patients with HIV/AIDS in Southern Vietnam

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and determinants of medication adherence among patients with HIV/AIDS in southern Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a hospital in southern Vietnam from June to December 2019 on patients who began antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 6 months. Using a designed questionnaire, patients were considered adherent if they took correct medicines with right doses, on time and properly with food and beverage and had follow-up visits as scheduled. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify determinants of adherence. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 350 patients (from 861 medical records) were eligible for the study. The majority of patients were male (62.9%), and the dominant age group (≥35 years old) accounted for 53.7% of patients. Sexual intercourse was the primary route of transmission of HIV (95.1%). The proportions of participants who took the correct medicine and at a proper dose were 98.3% and 86.3%, respectively. In total, 94.9% of participants took medicine appropriately in combination with food and beverage, and 75.7% of participants were strictly adherent to ART. The factors marital status (odds ratio (OR) = 2.54; 95%CI = 1.51-4.28), being away from home (OR = 1.7; 95%CI = 1.03-2.78), substance abuse (OR = 2.7; 95%CI = 1.44-5.05), general knowledge about ART (OR = 2.75; 95%CI = 1.67-4.53), stopping medication after improvement (OR = 4.16; 95%CI = 2.29-7.56) and self-assessment of therapy adherence (OR = 9.83; 95%CI = 5.44-17.77) were significantly associated with patients' adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Three-quarters of patients were adherent to ART. Researchers should consider these determinants of adherence in developing interventions in further studies

Extremely Hot Ambient Temperature and Injury-related Mortality

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of extremely hot ambient temperatures on the total number of fatal injuries. Data were collected from a population-based mortality registry of Thanh Hoa, a province in the North Central region of Vietnam. This study qualified the distributed lag non-linear model and calculated the RR and 95% CI adjusted for long-term trend and absolute humidity. For the entire study population with 3,949 registered deaths due to injuries collected during 2005-2007, after the onset of extremely hot ambient temperatures, an increased risk of death was observed on the 9th day RR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.06–1.97) and reached the peak on the 12th day RR (95% CI) = 1.58 (1.14–2.17), and at the 15th day RR (95% CI) = 1.49 (1.08–2.06). Men and old adults were identified as the most vulnerable groups. This study confirmed a positive association between hot temperatures and injury-related deaths in the province of 3.6 million people. The findings motivated further investigation into the effect of warm climate changes and the risk of deaths related to other specific causes such as road traffic, work-related injury, and etc

Structural Basis for Binding of Allosteric Drug Leads in the Adenosine A1 Receptor

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Despite intense interest in designing positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) as selective drugs of the adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR), structural binding modes of the receptor PAMs remain unknown. Using the first X-ray structure of the A1AR, we have performed all-atom simulations using a robust Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) technique to determine binding modes of the A1AR allosteric drug leads. Two prototypical PAMs, PD81723 and VCP171, were selected. Each PAM was initially placed at least 20 Å away from the receptor. Extensive GaMD simulations using the AMBER and NAMD simulation packages at different acceleration levels captured spontaneous binding of PAMs to the A1AR. The simulations allowed us to identify low-energy binding modes of the PAMs at an allosteric site formed by the receptor extracellular loop 2 (ECL2), which are highly consistent with mutagenesis experimental data. Furthermore, the PAMs stabilized agonist binding in the receptor. In the absence of PAMs at the ECL2 allosteric site, the agonist sampled a significantly larger conformational space and even dissociated from the A1AR alone. In summary, the GaMD simulations elucidated structural binding modes of the PAMs and provided important insights into allostery in the A1AR, which will greatly facilitate the receptor structure-based drug design.Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment award TG-MCB170129National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center project M2874American Heart Association (Award 17SDG33370094)College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of KansasNHMRC Senior Principal Research FellowAustralian Heart Foundation Future Leader Fello

Knowledge of Antiretroviral Treatment and Associated Factors in HIV-Infected Patients

This study aimed to assess the knowledge of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and the associated factors in HIV-infected patients in Vietnam. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study of 350 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients being treated with ARV at outpatient clinics at Soc Trang, Vietnam, from June 2019 to December 2019. Using an interview questionnaire, patients who answered at least eight out of nine questions correctly, including some required questions, were considered to have a general knowledge of ARV treatment. Using multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with knowledge of ARV treatment, we found that 62% of HIV-infected patients had a general knowledge of ARV treatment, with a mean score of 8.2 (SD 1.4) out of 9 correct. A higher education level (p < 0.001); working away from home (p = 0.013); getting HIV transmitted by injecting drugs or from mother-to-child contact (p = 0.023); the presence of tension, anxiety, or stress (p = 0.005); self-reminding to take medication (p = 0.024); and a high self-evaluated adherence (p < 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with an adequate knowledge of ARV treatment. In conclusion, education programs for patients, as well as the quality of medical services and support, should be strengthened

POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER BY LEACHATE FROM DONG THANH LANDFILL DISPOSAL SITE

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart