BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM PROPOSED IN VIETNAM

Given that EFL is playing an important role in the national education system of Vietnam for its development and global integration, this paper proposes a bilingual education program with both Vietnamese and English subjects for primary schools. Descriptions and justifications for the proposed program are presented in details. Also, teaching methods and assessments are analyzed. As a pilot, this program is hoped to be widely implemented.   Article visualizations

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

Evolution and transmission of antibiotic resistance is driven by Beijing lineage Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Vietnam

A previous investigation has elucidated the landscape of Mtb genomic diversity and transmission dynamics in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Here, we expand the scope of this survey by adding a substantial number of additional genomes (total sample size: 2,542) and phenotypic drug susceptibility data for the majority of isolates. We aim to explore the prevalence and evolutionary dynamics of drug resistance and our ability to predict drug resistance from sequencing data. Among isolates tested phenotypically against first-line drugs, we observed high rates of streptomycin [STR, 37.7% ( N = 573/1,520)] and isoniazid resistance [INH, 25.7% ( N = 459/1,786)] and lower rates of resistance to rifampicin [RIF, 4.9% ( N = 87/1,786)] and ethambutol [EMB, 4.2% ( N = 75/1,785)]. Relative to global benchmarks, resistance to STR and INH was predicted accurately when applying the TB-Profiler algorithm to whole genome sequencing data (sensitivities of 0.81 and 0.87, respectively), while resistance to RIF and EMB was predicted relatively poorly (sensitivities of 0.70 and 0.44, respectively). Exploring the evolution of drug resistance revealed the main phylogenetic lineages to display differing dynamics and tendencies to evolve resistance via mutations in certain genes. The Beijing sublineage L2.2.1 was found to acquire de novo resistance mutations more frequently than isolates from other lineages and to suffer no apparent fitness cost acting to impede the transmission of resistance. Mutations conferring resistance to INH and STR arose earlier, on average, than those conferring resistance to RIF and are now more widespread across the phylogeny. The high prevalence of “background” INH resistance, combined with high rates of RIF mono-resistance (20.7%, N = 18/87), suggests that rapid assays for INH resistance will be valuable in this setting. These tests will allow the detection of INH mono-resistance and will allow multi-drug-resistant isolates to be distinguished from isolates with RIF mono-resistance. IMPORTANCE Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) infection is a growing and potent concern, and combating it will be necessary to achieve the WHO’s goal of a 95% reduction in TB deaths by 2035. While prior studies have explored the evolution and spread of drug resistance, we still lack a clear understanding of the fitness costs (if any) imposed by resistance-conferring mutations and the role that Mtb genetic lineage plays in determining the likelihood of resistance evolution. This study offers insight into these questions by assessing the dynamics of resistance evolution in a high-burden Southeast Asian setting with a diverse lineage composition. It demonstrates that there are clear lineage-specific differences in the dynamics of resistance acquisition and transmission and shows that different lineages evolve resistance via characteristic mutational pathways

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

The Impact of Non-Interest Income on the Performance of Commercial Banks in the ASEAN Region

This study investigates how non-interest income affects the performance of commercial banks in the ASEAN region. Using data from 36 commercial banks in ASEAN countries from 2008 to 2020 and Bayesian analysis techniques, the results of this study indicate that non-interest income negatively affects commercial banks’ performance in the ASEAN region. In addition, the quantile regression results demonstrated that non-interest income negatively affects commercial banks’ performance in the ASEAN region at all three percentiles (25th, 50th, and 75th). Additionally, we identified a non-interest income threshold of 59.3 percent of total income for commercial banks in the ASEAN region. In light of banking competition and the necessity for commercial banks to diversify their income streams, we offer a variety of policy implications to increase the performance of commercial banks

Environmental Concerns for Sustainable Mariculture in Coastal Waters of South-Central Vietnam

Mariculture provides an increasing seafood supply to a growing population. It also brings unintended consequences for the environment, resources, and sustainable development. In an attempt to evaluate the impacts of intensive mariculture of lobster in cages, the water quality and sediment quality in three South-Central regions of Vietnam, Xuan Dai Bay, Van Phong Bay, and Cam Ranh Bay, were monitored from April 2019 to May 2020. In each bay, two stations in the farming areas were compared to a non-farming reference station. The result showed no significant differences in the water quality parameters among the stations within each bay and between the bays. However, sediment quality noticeably differed between sites within each bay and between the bays. The accumulation of the observed parameters of sediment in farming areas was higher than in non-farming areas. In the Cam Ranh Bay, the concentration of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in the sediment in farming areas was approximately 1.4 times higher compared to non-farming areas. Similar results were found in Van Phong Bay and Xuan Dai Bay with different magnitudes. Additionally, the difference in the sulfide concentration in the sediment of Van Phong Bay was notable for its better environmental quality than the other two. The findings indicated that mariculture wastes would accumulate in the sediment, and decompose over time, causing sediment degradation, which may affect the benthic biota in coastal waters

Environmental Concerns for Sustainable Mariculture in Coastal Waters of South-Central Vietnam

Mariculture provides an increasing seafood supply to a growing population. It also brings unintended consequences for the environment, resources, and sustainable development. In an attempt to evaluate the impacts of intensive mariculture of lobster in cages, the water quality and sediment quality in three South-Central regions of Vietnam, Xuan Dai Bay, Van Phong Bay, and Cam Ranh Bay, were monitored from April 2019 to May 2020. In each bay, two stations in the farming areas were compared to a non-farming reference station. The result showed no significant differences in the water quality parameters among the stations within each bay and between the bays. However, sediment quality noticeably differed between sites within each bay and between the bays. The accumulation of the observed parameters of sediment in farming areas was higher than in non-farming areas. In the Cam Ranh Bay, the concentration of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in the sediment in farming areas was approximately 1.4 times higher compared to non-farming areas. Similar results were found in Van Phong Bay and Xuan Dai Bay with different magnitudes. Additionally, the difference in the sulfide concentration in the sediment of Van Phong Bay was notable for its better environmental quality than the other two. The findings indicated that mariculture wastes would accumulate in the sediment, and decompose over time, causing sediment degradation, which may affect the benthic biota in coastal waters

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Phenolics and Terpenoids from Sweet Basil Leaves Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents

This investigation focused on assessing and enhancing ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) to extract phenolics and terpenoids from sweet basil leaves. The initial stage involved evaluating the extraction performance of twelve NADES and ethanol. A NADES comprising lactic acid and glucose with a 2 : 1 molar ratio and 20% water content (WC) obtained the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and total terpenoid content (TTC). Single-factor experiments systematically examined the impact of liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR), water content in NADES (WC), ultrasound power, temperature, and exposure time on the extraction yield. Optimization using Box–Behnken Design (BBD) models for the lactic acid and glucose-based UAE revealed the optimal conditions to be 80 ml/g LSR, 30% water, 300 W, 50°C temperature, and a 15-minute exposure time. Under these optimized parameters, the extraction achieved the highest TPC and TTC at 69.88 mg GAE/g and 110.71 mg UA/g, respectively. This study presents an environmentally friendly and sustainable extraction protocol for the extraction of phenolic compounds and terpenoids from sweet basil leaves

Dried blood spots perform well to identify patients with active HCV infection in Vietnam

International audienceRecently, treatment advances in direct-acting antivirals have radically changed the management of HCV patients. However, in resource-limited countries, identification of patients with active HCV infection is still challenging in remote settings due to the limited access to laboratories able to measure HCV viral load. This study evaluated whether dried blood spots (DBS) transferred to a central laboratory could overcome this challenge. A total of 315 HCV-infected patients, naïve to anti-HCV treatment, provided each three type of samples: plasma, DBS with calibrated quantities of venous blood and DBS with uncalibrated quantities of capillary blood. Qualitative comparison was conducted in terms of detection of HCV viral load on DBS as opposed to plasma to estimate sensitivity and specificity. Quantitative comparisons were conducted by means of correlation estimation. Of the 250 patients with detected plasma HCV viral load, 245 also had detectable DBS HCV viral load (capillary or venous) leading to a sensitivity of 98.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 95.4%-99.3%); importantly, all measurements with a plasma HCV viral load >118 IU/mL were also detected in DBS. When HCV was not detected in plasma, it was also not detected in DBS resulting in 100% specificity (95% CI: 94.5%-100%). Quantitative HCV viral load results were very similar when utilizing plasma or DBS sample types as illustrated by correlations >0.99. In conclusion, DBS sample types, with either uncalibrated capillary blood or calibrated venous blood, performed well to distinguish patients with active HCV infection, and who therefore need treatment, from other patients