Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Kawasaki Disease and COVID-19-Related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.

Geographical and racial factors constitute important distinctions between Kawasaki disease (KD) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), but no study has been conducted in Vietnam. Forty-one children with KD from January 2018 to July 2020 and 42 with KD/MIS-C from August 2020 to December 2022 were included in this study. Of the patients, 52.3% were aged between 12 and 35 months. Only two were aged over 5 years, and both were belong to the KD/MIS-C group. A 59.5% of the patients were male. Apart from fever, all symptoms tended to be more frequent in patients with KD/MIS-C. The prevalence of diffuse skin rash, hand and foot edema or erythema and gastrointestinal signs was significantly higher in patients hospitalized with KD/MIS-C. There was no significant difference in laboratory findings between the two groups. Coronary artery dilation was more frequently observed in patients with KD/MIS-C compared to those with KD (40.5% vs. 14.6%, P = 0.009).

The Effectiveness of Lifestyle Changes in Glycemic Control among Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Background and Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and affects approximately 10% of pregnant women worldwide. Understanding the impact of lifestyle changes on glycemic control in GDM is important for improving maternal and fetal outcomes and reducing the risk of diabetes in both the mother and child. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness as well as the factors affecting glycemic control by lifestyle changes in pregnant women with GDM. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals in the Thai Binh Province from June 2021 to May 2022. All pregnant women at 24-28 weeks of gestation, aged 18 years or older, were enrolled. GDM was diagnosed according to the guidelines of the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups. Lifestyle changes including diet and physical exercise were carried out for two weeks. The main outcome measured was successful glycemic control according to the 2018 ADA Recommendations for the Management and Treatment of GDM. Results: 1035 women were included and 20.2% diagnosed with GDM. After two weeks of lifestyle change intervention, 82.6% of the pregnant women with GDM had successful glycemic control. Pregnant women aged under 35 years had a 3.2 times higher rate of gestational glycemic control than those older than 35 (aOR = 3.22, p-value = 0.004). Women with a pre-pregnancy BMI of less than 25 had a higher rate of gestational glycemic control than those with a BMI of over 25 (aOR = 10.84, p-value < 0.001). Compared to women who had all three diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes, those with two diagnostic criteria and one criterion were 3.8 times and 3 times more likely to have successful blood sugar control (aOR = 3.78, p-value = 0.01 and aOR = 3.03, p-value = 0.03, respectively). Conclusion: Lifestyle changes can be an effective measure for achieving glycemic control in women with GDM. Healthcare providers should consider individualized treatment plans based on the specific needs of each patient.

Effect of Plasma Exchange Treatment in Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia-Induced Acute Pancreatitis.

Background and Objectives: To describe the clinical and biological characteristics of patients with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) and to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in the management of HTG-AP. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 81 HTG-AP patients (30 treated with TPE and 51 treated conventionally). The main outcome was a decrease in serum triglyceride levels (<11.3 mmol/L) within 48 h of hospitalization. Results: The mean age of participants was 45.3 ± 8.7 years, and 82.7% were male. Abdominal pain was the most frequent clinical sign (100%), followed by dyspepsia (87.7%), nausea or vomiting (72.8%), and a bloated stomach (61.7%). The HTG-AP patients treated with TPE had significantly lower calcemia and creatinemia levels but higher triglyceride levels than those who received conservative treatment. They also had more severe diseases than those treated conservatively. All patients in the TPE group were admitted to the ICU, whereas the ICU admission rate in the non-TPE group was 5.9%. The TPE patients were more likely to experience a rapid decrease in triglyceride levels within 48 h of treatment than those treated conventionally (73.3% vs. 49.0%, p = 0.03, respectively). The decrease in triglyceride levels did not depend on the age, gender, or comorbidities of the HTG-AP patients or the severity of disease. However, TPE and early treatment in the first 12 h of disease onset were effective in rapidly reducing serum triglyceride levels (adjusted OR = 3.00, p = 0.04 and aOR = 7.98, p = 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: This report demonstrates the effectiveness of early TPE in reducing triglyceride levels among HTG-AP patients. More randomized clinical trials studies with a large sample size and post-discharge follow-up are needed to confirm the effectiveness of TPE methods in managing HTG-AP.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among high-density communities and hyper-endemicity of COVID-19 in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the magnitude of active and recovering COVID-19 patients among at-risk communities and to identify the factors associated with positive serology. METHODS: Four hundred and eighty-three close contacts of COVID-19 patients residing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic (September and October 2021) were included. Five weeks after exposure to a COVID-19 patient, they underwent a serology test using the BIOSYNEX COVID-19 BSS kit. RESULTS: The median age of participants was 37 years. A total of 34.6% individuals presented at least one clinical symptom between the time of contact with the COVID-19 patient and inclusion in study. A total of 1.7% unvaccinated individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using real-time PCR, and 9.5% had evidence of recent infection (positive PCR and/or IgM). A further 26.7% unvaccinated individuals presented evidence of a past infection (positive IgG only). Socio-demographic characteristics, vaccination status and clinical symptoms were not associated with a positive IgM test. CONCLUSION: This is the first serosurvey conducted during the fourth wave of the epidemic in Vietnam. It revealed a seropositivity rate higher than in previous studies and confirmed the hyperendemicity of SARS-CoV-2. Testing using rapid serological tests proved to be a reliable, easy-to-use method and enabled a rapid estimation of the burden of COVID-19.

Enhancement of the electrical properties of silver nanowire transparent conductive electrodes by atomic layer deposition coating with zinc oxide.

Transparent conductive electrodes for applications in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes are important components and require low sheet resistance and high transmittance. Herein, we report an enhancement of the electrical properties of silver (Ag) nanowire networks by coating with zinc oxide using the atomic layer deposition technique. A strong decrease in the sheet resistance of Ag nanowires, namely from 20-40 Ω/□ to 7-15 Ω/□, was observed after coating with ZnO. Ag nanowire electrodes coated with 200-cycle ZnO by atomic layer deposition show the best quality, with a sheet resistance of 11 Ω/□ and transmittance of 75%.

Viral and bacterial microorganisms in Vietnamese children with severe and non-severe pneumonia.

To investigate potential respiratory pathogens in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and risk factors for severe disease. This prospective study was conducted among 467 children at the Thai Binh Paediatric Hospital, Vietnam between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021. Clinical data and laboratory results were collected. Twenty-four respiratory microorganisms were tested from nasopharyngeal swabs using real-time PCR. Logistical regression was used to estimate a factor's adjusted odd ratios of the severity of disease. Mean age of patients = 15.4 ± 13.3 months, 63.0% were male. Over 97% of patients had a positive PCR result. 87% of patients were positive for multiple (up to eight) microorganisms. Rhinovirus (46%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (24%), enterovirus (17%), and parainfluenza viruses-3 (13%) were the most frequent viruses. H. influenzae (61%), S. pneumoniae (45%) and M. catarrhalis (30%) were the most common bacteria. 128 (27%) cases were classified as severe pneumonia. Presence of smokers at home (aOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.27-3.52, P value = 0.004), CRP level ≥ 50 mg/dL (aOR 6.11, 95% CI 3.86-9.68, P value < 0.0001), RSV (aOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.07-2.96, P value = 0.03) and H. influenzae (aOR 1.66, 95% CI 1.03-2.67, P value = 0.04) PCR detection associated with a higher risk of severe pneumonia; ,. Causative agents of pneumonia in children are complex. Children positive with RSV and H. influenzae need to be closely monitored to prevent severe pneumonia.

Dataset on the effect of gamification elements on learning effectiveness among Vietnamese students.

The enhancement of learning effectiveness among university and graduate students is a continual and perplexing question for educational institutions. With the advancement of technology, educators are exploring and implementing diverse learning methods. In this current climate, gamification has emerged as an innovative and popular approach to education. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly examine the impact gamification has on the learning effectiveness of university and graduate students. The data also includes demographics of the participants. The questionnaire-based data was collected from previous studies with university and graduate students in Vietnam. The study used Excel and SmartPls 4.0 software to analyze data.. This research can serve as a resource for educational managers, lecturers, and universities to comprehend the effect of gamification on learning effectiveness. It can also aid researchers in the field to explore further the impact of gamification elements and their mediating roles, ultimately enhancing the learning effectiveness of university and graduate students.

Aetiology of Acute Undifferentiated Fever Among Children Under the Age of Five in Vietnam: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the aetiology of acute undifferentiated fever (AUF) among children under the age of five in Vietnam. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in the Thai Binh paediatric hospital, between July 2020 and July 2021 among children with AUF at admission. Real-time PCR testing 18 microbial pathogens were done on blood samples. RESULTS: 286 children were included, with median age of 16 months. 64.7% were male. 53.9% were positive for at least one pathogen by PCR. Enterovirus, human herpesvirus 6, adenovirus, and varicella zoster virus PCR were positive for 31.1, 12.6, 1.4, and 1.0% patients, respectively. Other pathogens tested negative by PCR. During the hospital stay, based on clinical criteria 47.2% children secondarily presented with signs of respiratory tract infections, 18.9% had hand, foot and mouth disease, 4.6% had chickenpox. 4.2% presented signs of central nervous system infections, 1.0% had dengue (antigenic test) and 1.0% had signs of gastrointestinal infection. Finally, 23.1% patients presented a fever with or without a rash and no other symptoms and ultimately received a diagnosis of AUF. CONCLUSION: Real-time PCR of blood is useful for detecting pathogens and diagnosing infectious causes of AUF. Further prospective studies with blood and urine culture testing and PCR investigation of not only blood but also cerebrospinal fluid, throat, and skin samples according to symptoms would be of interest to confirm the predominance of viral infections in children with AUF and to guide therapeutic options.

Short-Term Adverse Effects Immediately after the Start of COVID-19 Booster Vaccination in Vietnam.

Background: Risk communication is necessary to improve the booster vaccination rate, but Vietnam does not have a system to collect and disclose such information. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify adverse reactions and their frequency in the early period after booster vaccination, and to obtain primary data for improving the booster vaccination rate. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults aged ≥18 years. Clinical data were collected 14 days after booster vaccination by using a standard questionnaire. Results: A total of 1322 participants were included with median age = 23 and sex ratio (Male/Female) = 0.53. AstraZeneca was the most commonly used vaccine for the first and second doses, while Pfizer was the most commonly used vaccine for booster shots. Injection site pain, fatigue, and myalgia were the most common side effect reported (71.9%, 28.1%, and 21.8%, respectively). Compared to previous COVID-19 vaccine injections, 81.9% of participants reported that their symptoms were similar or milder after receiving the booster dose. They were more likely to present injection site pain (OR = 1.43, p < 0.0001) and lymphadenopathy (OR = 4.76, p < 0.0001) after receiving the booster shot. Fever (OR = 0.33, p < 0.0001) and fatigue (OR = 0.77, p = 0.002) were less often reported after booster shots compared to the first and second injections. The severity of symptoms occurring after booster dose versus first and second doses increased significantly with each additional year of age and among participants receiving the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Conclusion: Adverse reactions to booster vaccination are minor and their incidence is the same as for the first or the second vaccination. Multicenter studies with larger sample sizes on the side effects and safety of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots need to be conducted to make the population less worried, in order to increase the vaccination rate, to protect individuals' and communities' health.

Development of a Vietnamese version of the Revised Hasegawa's Dementia scale.

As the aging population grows worldwide, the problem of age-related health is becoming an important public health concern. Dementia is a devastating disease that places a significant physical, emotional, and financial burden on patients, their caregivers, and society. It is predicted to increase in developing countries. The Revised Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS-R) has been used in many Asian countries to measure cognitive function. However, there is still no Vietnamese version of the HDS-R. Therefore, this paper describes the development of the HDS-R scale and manual in Vietnamese language. Two Vietnamese researchers translated the HDS-R from English to Vietnamese. To confirm the accuracy of the translation, two other Vietnamese researchers conducted a back-translation. Another pair of Vietnamese researchers compared the back-translated English version to the original one. All six researchers discussed the inconsistencies between English HDS-R scale and manual and derived the most suitable version for the Vietnamese context. In Questions 4 and Question 7, we changed the words from "cherry blossom" and "train" to "daisy flower" and "bicycle" for the first option, and from "plum blossom" to "rose" for the second option. We also changed the expressions in some places in the manual to fit the Vietnamese language. Future studies are needed to validate this version to be able to access cognitive function in both clinical and public healthcare settings.

Morbidity and Mortality Patterns in Children Admitted to Hospital in Thai Binh, Vietnam: A Five-year Descriptive Study with a Focus on Infectious Diseases.

The objective of this study was to describe the overall pattern of morbidity and mortality of children seen at the Thai Binh Paediatric Hospital in Vietnam, with a focus on infectious diseases. A retrospective review of hospitalisation records was conducted from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019. Data were obtained from a total of 113,999 records. The median age of patients was 18 months, with 84.0% of patients aged <5 years. Infectious diseases accounted for 61.0% of all cases. The most prevalent diseases were lower respiratory tract infections (32.8%), followed by gastrointestinal infections (13.3%) and confirmed influenza (5.4%). Most infections were not microbiologically documented. A total of 81.4% patients received at least one antibiotic. Most patients (97.0%) were hospitalised for less than 15 days. Regarding outcomes, 87.8% patients were discharged home with a favourable outcome. Twelve percent were transferred to the Vietnam National Children's Hospital because their condition had worsened and 0.1% died. In total, infectious diseases accounted for 40.4% of deaths, followed by neonatal disorders (34.6%). Our data serves a basis for the identification of needs for diagnostic tools and for future evaluation of the effect of the targeted implementation of such facilities. Point-of-care tests, including real-time polymerase chain reaction assays to identify common pathogens should be implemented for more accurate diagnosis and more appropriate antibiotic use.

Risk Factors for Severe Pneumonia According to WHO 2005 Criteria Definition Among Children <5 Years of Age in Thai Binh, Vietnam: A Case-Control Study.

Vietnam is one of the 15 countries where the prevalence of child pneumonia is highest. It is a major cause of admission in pediatric hospitals. However, little is known on the burden of severe pneumonia and their risk factors in children <5 years of age in Vietnam. A case-control study was conducted among children aged 2-59 months presenting with pneumonia at the Pediatric Provincial Hospital of Thai Binh. Cases were children with severe pneumonia while controls included those with non-severe pneumonia as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of 2005. Eighty-three cases and 83 controls were included. Sex ratio was 2.19. Children with severe pneumonia were significantly less likely to receive antibiotics preadmission compared to children with non-severe pneumonia [odds ratio (OR) = 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.06-0.42]. The main risk factors of severe pneumonia were a lack of immunization (OR = 4.77, 95% CI = 1.80-12.65), an exposure to cigarette smoke (OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.62-9.23), and having a mother with a low level of education. Children with severe pneumonia were 25 times more likely to present with associated measles with p < 0.0001 and five times more likely to present with diarrhea than children with non-severe pneumonia (p < 0.0001). Improving immunization coverage, educating parents about the risks of passive smoking and the recognition of respiratory distress signs, and facilitating early antibiotic access for infants with acute pulmonary disease should reduce the burden of such illnesses. To implement a national, multicenter study about pneumonia in children, more precise inclusion criteria should be chosen, including radiological and/or biological assessment.

3-D solar cells by electrochemical-deposited Se layer as extremely-thin absorber and hole conducting layer on nanocrystalline TiO2 electrode.

A three-dimensional selenium solar cell with the structure of Au/Se/porous TiO2/compact TiO2/fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass plates was fabricated by an electrochemical deposition method of selenium, which can work for the extremely thin light absorber and the hole-conducting layer. The effect of experimental conditions, such as HCl and H2SeO3 in an electrochemical solution and TiO2 particle size of porous layers, was optimized. This kind of solar cell did not use any buffer layer between an n-type electrode (porous TiO2) and a p-type absorber layer (selenium). The crystallinity of the selenium after annealing at 200°C for 3 min in the air was significantly improved. The cells with a selenium layer deposited at concentrations of HCl = 11.5 mM and H2SeO3 = 20 mM showed the best performance, resulting in 1- to 2-nm thickness of the Se layer, short-circuit photocurrent density of 8.7 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage of 0.65 V, fill factor of 0.53, and conversion efficiency of 3.0%.