Phase Electronic Structure Tuning via Pt, P-Doped Ni4Mo-Implanted Ti4O7 for Highly Efficient Water Splitting and Mg/Seawater Batteries.

Fine-tuning nanoscale structures, morphologies, and electronic states are crucial for creating efficient water-splitting electrocatalysts. In this study, a method for electronic structure engineering to enhance overall water splitting in a corrosion-resistant electrocatalyst matrix by integrating Pt, P dual-doped Ni4Mo electrocatalysts onto a Ti4O7 nanorod grown on carbon cloth (Pt, P-Ni4Mo-Ti4O7/CC) is introduced. By optimizing platinum and phosphorus concentrations to 1.18% and 2.42%, respectively, low overpotentials are achieved remarkably: 24 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction and 290 mV at 20 mA cm-2 for the oxygen evolution reaction in 1.0 m KOH. These values approach or surpass those of benchmark Pt-C and IrO2 catalysts. Additionally, the Pt, P-Ni4Mo-Ti4O7/CC bifunctional electrocatalyst displays low cell potentials across various mediums, maintaining excellent current retention (96% stability after 40 h in mimic seawater at 20 mA cm-2) and demonstrating strong corrosion resistance and suitability for seawater  electrolysis. As a cathode in magnesium/seawater batteries, it achieves a power density of 7.2 mW cm-2 and maintains stability for 100 h. Density functional theory simulations confirm that P, Pt doping-assisted electronic structure modifications augment electrical conductivity and active sites in the hybrid electrocatalysts.

First detection and genetic characterization of chicken infectious anemia virus in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Background: Chicken infectious anemia (CIA) caused by the CIA virus (CIAV) is considered one of the most important immunosuppressive diseases affecting chickens and recently poses a great economic burden to the poultry industry worldwide. Aim: This study aims to identify the presence of CIAV in the Mekong Delta (MD), Vietnam, and to determine genotypes of CIAVs that are currently circulating in this area. Methods: Organ samples (spleen, liver, and thymus) of 144 chickens suspected with CIA from 47 poultry farms were collected. A total of 47 pooled samples, each containing 2-4 chickens from each farm, were tested for the presence of CIAV. Results: Twenty out of 47 pooled organ samples (pool of 2-4 chickens per farm) were positive for CIAV using polymerase chain reaction targeting the viral VP1 gene. The VP1 amplicons of eight representative CIAVs were subjected to sequencing and genetic characterization. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial VP1 gene sequence revealed that the CIAVs detected in the MD grouped into different genotypes of II, IIIa, and IIIc together with CIAVs previously detected in the northern Vietnam and other Asian countries. The phylogenetic analysis also confirmed that detected CIAVs genetically differed from vaccine strains. In addition, deduced amino acids of the VP1 identified several critical amino acid substitutions in the VP1 protein that are likely associated with the virulence of CIAV. Conclusion: This is the first report to detect and determine the genetic characterization of the circulating CIAVs in the MD. Therefore, this study provides an important understanding of the evolution of CIAVs and highlights the importance of implementing prompt control measures against CIAVs in the MD and Vietnam.

Assessment of HIV viral load monitoring in remote settings in Vietnam - comparing people who inject drugs to the other patients.

INTRODUCTION: Increasing access to viral load (VL) monitoring is essential to fight HIV epidemics. In remote settings in Vietnam, using dried blood spot (DBS) sampling for specimen collection could improve the situation. Here, people who inject drugs (PWID) represent many newly antiretroviral therapy (ART)-initiated patients. The goals of this evaluation were to evaluate if access to VL monitoring and the rate of virological failure differed between PWID and non-PWID. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of patients newly initiated on ART in remote settings in Vietnam. DBS coverage at 6, 12 and 24 months of ART was investigated. Factors associated with DBS coverage were identified through logistic regression, as were factors associated with virological failure (VL ≥1,000 copies/mL) at 6, 12 and 24 months of ART. RESULTS: Overall 578 patients were enrolled in the cohort, of whom 261 (45%) were PWID. DBS coverage improved from 74.7% to 82.9% between 6 and 24 months of ART (p = 0.001). PWID status was not associated with DBS coverage (p = 0.74), but DBS coverage was lower in patients who were late to clinical visits and in those in WHO stage 4 (p = 0.023 and p = 0.001, respectively). The virological failure rate decreased from 15.8% to 6.6% between 6 and 24 months of ART (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, PWID were more at risk of failure (p = 0.001), as were patients who were late to clinical visits (p<0.001) and not fully adherent (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite training and simple procedures, DBS coverage was not perfect. DBS coverage was not associated with PWID status. Close management is required for effective routine HIV VL monitoring. PWID were more at risk of failure, as were patients who were not fully adherent and patients who were late to clinical visits. Specific interventions targeting these patients are needed to improve their outcomes. Overall, efforts in coordination and communication are essential to improve global HIV care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Number: NCT03249493.

Behavior of cough droplets emitted from Covid-19 patient in hospital isolation room with different ventilation configurations.

The world is now facing the Covid-19 pandemic and the control of Covid-19 spread in health care facilities is a serious concern. The ventilation system in hospital isolation rooms with infectious patients plays a significant role in minimizing the spread of viruses and the risk of infection in hospital. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is applied to investigate the important factors on transport and evaporation of multi-component cough droplets in the isolation room with different ventilation configurations. We analyzed the effects of various air outlet positions on the removal efficiency of infectious droplets in isolation room and proposed the optimum location of exhaust vent in hospital isolation room to maximize the droplet removal efficiencies. We found that the evaporation rate of droplets is strongly dependent on the relative humidity (RH) and, at low RH, the large-sized droplets with Covid-19 virus can evaporate quickly and become small-sized aerosols to stay in air for a long time and the Covid-19 can propagate more easily through the respiratory organs during breathing. It also explains why the Covid-19 can propagate faster in winter with low humidity than in summer with high humidity.

Assessment of nutritional status in older diabetic outpatients and related factors in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Purpose: Nutritional status is an important element for the wellness among older diabetic outpatients. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of the older diabetic outpatient by using the Mini-Nutrition Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) tool, and describe the relationship among related factors in older diabetic outpatients in the National Geriatric Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to September 2015 in the National Geriatric Hospital. A total of 158 diabetic patients aged ≥60 years at the Outpatient Department were included in this study. Patients were interviewed face-to-face to evaluate their nutritional status by using the MNA-SF. Socio-demographic, diabetic treatment information, frailty, exhaustion, cognitive function, hand grip strength and 4 m walk test were collected. Multivariate regression was used to determine factors associated with nutritional status. Results: The mean age was 69.52 (SD=6.758) with 31% patients malnourished and at risk of malnutrition. A significant association was found between the nutritional status and exhaustion, cognitive impairment, and frailty. In multiple logistic regression, the study found that risk of malnutrition was associated with frailty (OR=8.45; 95%CI=1.91-37.39) and cognitive impairment (OR=2.21; 95%CI=1.01-4.84). Conclusion: The results suggest that frailty was significantly associated with risk of malnutrition in older diabetic outpatients. Thus, early screening by nutritional assessment, and other interventions might improve the nutritional status of older outpatients with diabetes to prevent this complication and its effects.

Getting Incentives Right? The Impact of Hospital Capitation Payment in Vietnam.

This paper evaluates the impact on cost and utilization of a shift from fee-for-service to capitation payment of district hospitals by Vietnam's social health insurance agency. Hospital fixed effects analysis suggests that capitation leads to reduced costs. Hospitals also increased service provision to the uninsured who continue to pay out-of-pocket on a fee-for-service basis. The study points to the need to anticipate unintended effects of payment reforms, especially in the context of a multiple purchaser system. Copyright © The World Bank Health Economics © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Encouraging Health Insurance for the Informal Sector: A Cluster Randomized Experiment in Vietnam.

Subsidized voluntary enrollment in government-run health insurance schemes is often proposed as a way of increasing coverage among informal sector workers and their families. We report the results of a cluster randomized experiment, in which 3000 households in 20 communes in Vietnam were randomly assigned at baseline to a control group or one of three treatments: an information leaflet about Vietnam's government-run scheme and the benefits of health insurance, a voucher entitling eligible household members to 25% off their annual premium, and both. At baseline, the four groups had similar enrollment rates (4%) and were balanced on plausible enrollment determinants. The interventions all had small and insignificant effects (around 1 percentage point or ppt). Among those reporting sickness in the 12 months prior to the baseline survey the subsidy-only intervention raised enrollment by 3.5 ppts (p = 0.08) while the combined intervention raised enrollment by 4.5 ppts (p = 0.02); however, the differences in the effect sizes between the sick and non-sick were just shy of being significant. Our results suggest that information campaigns and subsidies may have limited effects on voluntary health insurance enrollment in Vietnam and that such interventions might exacerbate adverse selection. Copyright © The World Bank Health Economics © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.