Emerging Enterovirus A71 Subgenogroup B5 Causing Severe Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, Vietnam, 2023.

We report on a 2023 outbreak of severe hand, foot, and mouth disease in southern Vietnam caused by an emerging lineage of enterovirus A71 subgenogroup B5. Affected children were significantly older than those reported during previous outbreaks. The virus should be closely monitored to assess its potential for global dispersal.

Efficient Synthesis of α-Haloboronic Esters via Cu-Catalyzed Atom Transfer Radical Addition.

The synthesis of α-haloboronic esters via atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) is constrained due to its limited range of compatible substrates or the need to manipulate the olefin coupling partners. Herein, we present a novel approach for their synthesis via Cu-catalyzed ATRA to vinyl boronic esters. The catalyst is proposed to mediate a traditionally inefficient halogen atom transfer of the α-boryl radical intermediate, thus significantly expanding the range of participating substrates relative to established methods. The forty-eight examples illustrate that a wide range of radical precursors, including primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl halides, readily add across both unsubstituted and α-substituted vinyl pinacol boronic esters. Further, a one-pot, two-step protocol is presented for direct access to an array of α-functionalized products. Finally, the synthetic utility of this methodology is demonstrated in the synthesis of an ixazomib analogue.

Effects of the age of raised beds on the physicochemical characteristics of fruit orchard soil in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta.

To grow fruit plants, farmers in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) must use raised bed constructions to avoid waterlogging during the rainy season. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the age of the raised beds on the soil physicochemical properties of longan orchards located in the VMD. Two raised bed systems were evaluated: a young bed constructed 10 years ago and an old bed constructed 42 years ago. Soil samples were collected from five different soil layers (0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80, and 80-100 cm) with four replicates per layer. Soil samples were tested for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (AP), total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM), exchangeable cations (Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, and Na+), cation exchange capacity (CEC), bulk density (BD), soil porosity, available water-holding capacity (AWC), particle composition (sand, silt, and clay), and size. The soil pH was approximately 1.0 units lower in the old bed compared to the young bed at depths of 0-20 and 20-40 cm. The BD was higher in the old bed (0.15 g cm-3) than in the young bed at a soil depth of 0.4 m. SOM, AP, exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Na+, and Mg2+), AWC, and soil porosity were significantly lower in both the topsoil (0-20 cm) and subsoil (20-40 cm) layers in the old bed than in the young bed. In particular, the SOM, AP, AWC, and soil porosity contents in the old bed decreased by 18%, 20%, 15%, and 17%, respectively, compared with those in the young bed at soil depths of 0-40 cm. Therefore, cultivating raised bed soil for a longer period significantly reduced the soil exchangeable cations, porosity, and fertility of the surface and subsurface soils. Based on these results, farmers should use soil conservation practices, such as cover crops, rice straw mulching, and soil amendments in their orchards to mitigate topsoil degradation.

Possible Concomitant Aggressive NK Cell Leukemia and EBV-positive T-cell lymphoma; Using the online beta version of WHO-HAEM5 and videoconferencing software to make diagnoses accessible in an emerging economy.

BACKGROUND: Using the World Health Organization Classification 5th edition (beta version online; WHO-HAEM5bv) in emerging economies is key to global healthcare equity. Although there may be ongoing updates, hesitancy in accepting and reporting these diagnoses in publication conflicts with the WHO's commitment to global accessibility. Aggressive NK cell leukemia (ANKL) and systemic EBV-positive T-cell lymphoma of childhood (SEBVTCL) with CD4-positive immunophenotype are both rare entities, are most described in Asians and East Asians, are associated with prior systemic chronic active EBV disease (CAEBV), and presentation with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Recognizing and diagnosing any one of these entities requires not only training and experience in hematopathology, but good cooperation between clinical physicians and all areas of the laboratory. We describe a 30-year-old woman who presented to a Vietnam hospital and was rapidly diagnosed with ANKL, SEBVTCL, and HLH using WHO-HAEM5bv essential criteria, aided by expert consultation from a United States (US) board certified hematopathologist in real-time using video conferencing software. METHODS: Zoom™ videoconferencing software; Immunohistochemistry; flow cytometric immunophenotyping; polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: At the time of hospital admission, automated complete blood count (CBC) with differential count showed slight anemia, slight lymphocytosis, and moderate thrombocytopenia. HIV serology was negative. Whole blood PCR for EBV was positive showing 98,000 copies/ml. A lymph node biopsy revealed histology and immunohistochemistry consistent with the online beta version WHO-HAEM5 classification of SEBVTCL arising in CAEBV. Blood and bone marrow studies performed for staging revealed no histologic or immunohistochemical evidence of T-cell lymphoma in the bone marrow core, however, atypical blood smear lymphocyte morphology and blood immunophenotyping by flow cytometry were consistent with WHO-HAEM5 classification of ANKL. NGS revealed no evidence of genetic variant(s) associated with HLH in Vietnam. All laboratory studies were performed at Blood Transfusion Hematology Hospital (BTHH) in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam. CONCLUSION: Although Vietnam, an emerging economy, currently lacks the laboratory infrastructure to more rigorously confirm a rare synchronous presentation of two distinct EBV-driven T/NK cell neoplasms, these two concomitant diagnoses were made using only laboratory techniques available in Vietnam with the help of WHO-HAEM5bv and real-time video consultation by a US hematopathologist.

Virtual implantation of Derivo Embolization Devices using PreSize Neurovascular software: Accuracy evaluation and size selection comparison study.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the deployed length of flow diverting stents (FDs) to select the optimal device size remains a challenging, yet crucial, task in aneurysm treatment. This study reports on the accuracy of PreSize Neurovascular (Oxford Heartbeat Ltd), a visualization and simulation software for FD intervention planning, in predicting FD deployed length, and on its impact on device size selection. METHODS: Imaging data from consecutive patients treated with Derivo Embolization Device (Acandis GmbH) were collected from University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and retrospectively analyzed. Accuracy evaluation: prediction accuracy was calculated by comparing deployed FD lengths measured from imaging data and simulated by PreSize. Size selection comparison: two Interventional Neuroradiologists (INR1, INR2), blinded to the devices deployed, used PreSize to select the optimal device size (diameter and length). Their choices were compared against the deployed devices selected by conventional planning. RESULTS: Among 98 implanted devices, PreSize predicted deployed FD length with a mean accuracy of 94.54% (95% confidence interval [93.72%, 95.35%]). Among 98 aneurysm cases, PreSize-informed device lengths were significantly shorter (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, INR1: W = 394, P < .001, INR2: W = 305, P < .001) by 4.13 and 4.18 mm on average, and up to 20 and 25 mm, for INR1 and INR2, respectively, than the conventionally selected FDs. In 32% of cases, PreSize-informed devices resulted in fewer vessel bends covered by the FD while achieving sufficient aneurysm coverage. CONCLUSIONS: PreSize retrospectively predicted deployed FD lengths with high accuracy. Moreover, INRs in this study were more inclined to select shorter stent length in the simulation than they would have done conventionally.

Evaluation of intracranial stenting in a simulated training and assessment environment for neuroendovascular procedures.

Purpose: Given the inherent complexity of neurointerventional procedures and the associated risks of ionizing radiation exposure, it is crucial to prioritize ongoing training and improve safety protocols. The aim of this study is to assess a training and evaluation in-vitro environment using a vascular model of M1 stenosis, within a clinical angiography suite, without relying on animal models or X-ray radiation. Materials and methods: Using a transparent model replicating M1 stenosis, we conducted intracranial stenting procedures with four different setups (Gateway & Wingspan, Gateway & Enterprise, Neurospeed & Acclino, and Pharos Vitesse). A video camera was integrated with the angiography system's monitor for real-time visualization, while a foot switch was employed to simulate live fluoroscopy. Three neuroradiologists with varying levels of expertise performed each procedure for three times. The total duration of fluoroscopy as well as the time from passing the stenosis with the wire to completion of the procedure were recorded using a dedicated software designed for this experimental setup. Results: Compared to the Gateway & Wingspan procedure, the total fluoroscopy time reduced significantly with the Gateway & Enterprise, Neurospeed & Acclino, and Pharos Vitesse procedures by 51.56 s, 111.33 s, and 144.89 s, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, physicians with under 2 years and over 5 years of experience reduced FT by 62.83 s and 106.42 s, respectively, (p < 0.001), compared to a novice physician. Similar trends were noted for the time of wire distal to stenosis, with significant reductions for Neurospeed & Acclino and Pharos Vitesse compared to both Gateway & Wingspan as well as Gateway & Enterprise (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: Procedures requiring wire exchange maneuvers exhibited nearly twice the fluoroscopy time in comparison to balloon-mounted stenting or stent-placement via PTA balloon catheters. The more experienced neuroradiologist demonstrated significantly quicker performance in line with expectations in a real-life clinical setting, when compared to the less experienced interventionalist. This in-vitro setup allowed the evaluation of alternative technical approaches and differences in experience of operators without the use of animal models or X-ray. The setup combines advantages of simulators and silicone vessel models in a realistic working environment.

Non-impact effects in the absorption spectra of HCl diluted in CO2, air, and He: Measurements and predictions.

Non-impact effects in the absorption spectra of HCl in various collision-partners are investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Fourier transform spectra of HCl broadened by CO2, air, and He have been recorded in the 2-0 band region at room temperature and for a wide pressure range, from 1 to up to 11.5 bars. Comparisons between measurements and calculations using Voigt profiles show strong super-Lorentzian absorptions in the troughs between successive lines in the P and R branches for HCl in CO2. A weaker effect is observed for HCl in air, while for HCl in He, Lorentzian wings are in very good agreement with measurements. In addition, the line intensities retrieved by fitting the Voigt profile on the measured spectra decrease with the density of the perturber. This perturber-density dependence decreases with the rotational quantum number. For HCl in CO2, the decrease in the retrieved line intensity can reach 2.5% per amagat for the first rotational quantum numbers. This number is about 0.8% per amagat for HCl in air, while for HCl in He, no density dependence of the retrieved line intensity is observed. Requantized classical molecular dynamics simulations have been performed for HCl-CO2 and HCl-He in order to simulate the absorption spectra for various perturber-density conditions. The density dependence of the intensities retrieved from the simulated spectra and the predicted super-Lorentzian behavior in the troughs between lines are in good agreement with experimental determinations for both HCl-CO2 and HCl-He. Our analysis shows that these effects are due to incomplete or ongoing collisions, which govern the dipole auto-correlation function at very short times. The effects of these ongoing collisions strongly depend on the details of the intermolecular potential: they are negligible for HCl-He but significant for HCl-CO2 for which a line-shape model beyond the impact approximation will be needed to correctly model the absorption spectra from the center to the far wings.

Nasal septal abscess in adult patients - A single center study.

PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to present and analyze the etiologic factors, clinical manifestations, bacteriology, and treatment outcomes of nasal septal abscess in a large cohort of adult patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis. RESULTS: 36 adult patients, age from 19 to 85 (mean age, 51.83), with nasal septal abscesses were treated at Ear Nose Throat Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City from January 2020 to August 2022. The most common symptoms were nasal obstruction (75 %), headache/facial pain (58.33 %). Etiologic factors were found in 83.33 % of cases with the most common were diabetes mellitus (47.22 %), nose-picking (44.44 %). 75 % of cases had positive bacterial culture, of which 70.37 % were Staphylococcus aureus. Septal abscess was successfully treated in all cases using our treatment protocol, which involved an extended modified Killian's incision, irrigation with 1 % poviodine, placement of gauze in the abscess pocket, and nasal packing with Merocels. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes and nose-picking were the most common etiologic factors; Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism of nasal septal abscess in our study. Our treatment protocol is safe and effective.

Pressure dependence of the measured line intensity and super-Lorentzian effects in the absorption spectra of pure HCl.

Super-Lorentzian effects in the troughs between lines and the pressure dependence of the line intensities retrieved from fits of absorption spectra of pure HCl have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. For that, spectra of pure HCl gas in the 2-0 band were recorded with a Fourier Transform spectrometer at room temperature and for pressures ranging from 1 to 10 atm. The line intensities, retrieved from fits of the measurements with the Voigt profile using a single spectrum fitting technique, reveal large decreases with increasing pressure - up to 3% per atm - with a relatively weak rotational dependence. We also show that the absorptions in-between successive P and R transitions are significantly larger than those predicted using Voigt profiles. Requantized classical molecular dynamics simulations were made in order to predict absorption spectra of pure HCl matching the experimental conditions. The pressure dependence of the intensities retrieved from the calculated spectra as well as the predicted super-Lorentzian behavior between lines are in good agreement with the measurements. Our analysis shows that these effects are essentially due to incomplete collisions, which govern the dipole auto-correlation function at very short times.

Influence of dicarboxylic acid polymer in enhancing the growth and productivity of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) in acidic soil.

The available phosphorus (P) in acid sulfate soils (ASSs) is low because of fixation by aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe), resulting in decreased P use efficiency and crop yield. At present, the use of dicarboxylic acid polymer (DCAP) coated on P fertilizer is expected to improve P use efficiency and plant productivity. However, the influence of DCAP on P solubility and on the yield of sweet potato cultivated in acidic soils has not been elucidated. Thus, the aimed of this study was to evaluate the effect of the use of DCAP-coated P fertilizer on the availability and nutrient uptake of P as well as the yield of sweet potato. Under the greenhouse condition, the use of DCAP significantly improved P availability (~3 mg P kg-1), increasing tuber diameter and length by ~0.5 and ~1.0 cm, respectively. Thus, the productivity of sweet potato in the treatment 40-kg P2O5 and 60-kg P2O5 ha-1 coated with DCAP was higher by about 100 g pot-1 than that in the same rate of P fertilizers (40- and 60-kg P2O5 ha-1) not coated with DCAP. In the field experiment, P accumulation (82.7 kg P2O5 ha-1) and tuber yield (22.0 t ha-1) in the treatment of DCAP-coated with 60-kg P2O5 ha-1 were not significantly different compared with that in the treatment of 80-kg P2O5 ha-1 (82.1 kg P2O5 and 21.7 t ha-1, respectively). Furthermore, the use of DCAP combined with 75% P fertilizer increased the P availability by the same amount as that with the use of 100% P fertilizer. Hence, the use of DCAP reduced about 25% of the chemical P fertilizer applied in soil.

Chemical processes and sustainability of rice-shrimp farming on saline acid sulfate soils in mekong delta.

In the history of rice-shrimp farming (RSF) in the Mekong Delta, in saline acid sulfate soils (ASS), RSF has proved its sustainability as there is no long-term accumulation of acidity and salinity that adversely affect RSF production. However, the soil processes involved in this phenomenon are not well understood. This study aimed to determine the significant changes in soil and water chemical indicators associated with soil processes during different stages of RSF. Sampling was conducted in six stages to determine the pH and electrical conductivity (EC) of canal and field water, and the pHe, ECe, and sodium-soluble saturated extract (Na-sol) of surface soil (surS) and subsurface soil (subS) in the low-salinity area (LSA) and high salinity area (HSA) of Bac Lieu province. Putative exchange (exch.) Na+ hydrolysis occurs at the beginning of the rainy season when excess salts are leached. This drastically increases the pH of the field water by 0.6 pH units, from 8.2 to 8.8 in stages 1 to 2, respectively. Putative sulfurization has been shown to occur in subS in both LSAs and HSAs, with a significant decrease of 0.5 pH units from stages 4 to 5, leading to a decrease in the Na-sol of subS through exch. Na+ transformation. Simultaneously, with active soil preparation and liming for RSF, chemical processes such as exch. Na+ hydrolysis, sulfurization, and Na+ transformation are the main factors promoting exch. Na+ desorption, which help to reduce the long-term build-up of salinity and acidity that adversely affect RSF production. Although gypsum is considered an effective material in improving saline soils, in Vietnam, gypsum is the liming material of CaSO4; however, it is not commonly used in agriculture because of its high cost. By using CaCO3 or dolomite as a liming material in saline ASS, the dissolution of lime by sulfuric acid can provide a good opportunity for soil improvement and rice growth in RSF.

Two new antidiabetic xanthones from the twigs of Garcinia oblongifolia.

Two new xanthones, oblongixanthones I (1) and J (2), and seven known compounds (3-9), were isolated from an EtOAc extract of the twigs of Garcinia oblongifolia. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, mainly 1 D and 2 D NMR. The antidiabetic effects of the two new compounds were evaluated using α-glucosidase and PTP1B inhibition assays. Both compounds displayed strong inhibition towards α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 258.7 ± 49.3 and 187.1 ± 27.5 µM, respectively (compared with acarbose, IC50 = 900.0 ± 3.0 µM) and moderate effects against PTP1B with IC50 values of 93.9 ± 12.3 and 64.1 ± 5.8 µM, respectively (compared with RK682, IC50 = 4.4 ± 0.3 l µM).

In vitro and in silico antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of compounds isolated from Garcinia gaudichaudii.

Nine compounds including a new one, garcichaudiic acid (1), were isolated from the bark of G. gaudichaudii and their structures were characterized mainly by 1 D and 2 D NMR experiments. The antioxidant capacity of the isolated compounds was determined using DPPH radical scavenging assay and the anti-hyperglycemic activity was assessed by measuring the inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase. Among them, compound 4 showed higher antioxidant activity than the positive control, ascorbic acid, while both compounds 1 and 7 exhibited more significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than the reference drug acarbose. Molecular docking analysis of the bioactive compounds was also performed to examine the binding modes and key interactions with the catalytic site.

An electrical- and chemical-free approach using microfilter and Ag-based catalysts for emergency drinking water treatment.

In emergency cases such as disasters, supplying enough safe drinking water is one of the most urgent needs for human life. This research aimed to develop a chemical- and electricity-free drinking water treatment system based on microfiltration and catalysts of Ag and Ag-TiO2-SiO2 coated on glass spheres in both dark and sunlight conditions. The system was applied to treat raw water samples taken from five rivers in Vietnam, simulated floodwater samples with high turbidity and E. coli concentration, and real flooding water samples. The results showed the filtration unit fed with simulated floodwater generated lower fluxes and shorter working durations before chemical cleaning than that fed with normal river water. However, filtrate quality was not significantly different for these five water samples with very low values of turbidity (0-0.66 NTU), total coliform (5-19 CFU (100 mL)-1), and E. coli (0-17 CFU (100 mL)-1). The catalyst units using glass spheres coated with either Ag in dark and sunlight or Ag-TiO2-SiO2 under sunlight can completely remove E. coli and coliform as well as additionally mitigate natural organic matters. This study hence suggests the combination of microfiltration and Ag-based catalytic treatment for safe drinking water supply in emergencies, especially for flooding conditions.

Impact of cover crop and mulching on soil physical properties and soil nutrients in a citrus orchard.

Background: Cover crops and mulching can ameliorate soil porosity and nutrient availability, but their effects on the physical characteristics and nutrients in the raised bed soils are unclear. Methods: The field experiment was conducted in a pomelo orchard from 2019 to 2021, with an area of 1,500 m2. The treatments included control (no cover crop), non-legume cover crop (Commelina communis L.), legume cover crop (Arachis pintoi Krabov & W.C. Gregory), and rice straw mulching (Oryza sativa L.). At the end of each year (2019, 2020, and 2021), soil samples were collected at four different layers (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, and 30-40 cm) in each treatment. Soil bulk density, soil porosity, and the concentration of nutrients in the soil were investigated. Results: The results revealed that soil bulk density at two depths, 0-10 and 10-20 cm, was reduced by 0.07 and 0.08 g cm-3 by rice straw mulch and a leguminous cover crop, thus, increasing soil porosity by ~2.74% and ~3.01%, respectively. Soil nutrients (Ca, K, Fe, and Zn) at topsoil (0-10 cm) and subsoil (10-20 cm) layers were not significantly different in the first year, but those nutrients (Ca, K, Fe, and Zn) improved greatly in the second and third years. Conclusions: Legume cover crops and straw mulch enhanced soil porosity and plant nutrient availability (Ca, K, Fe, and Zn). These conservation practices best benefit fruit orchards cultivated in the raised bed soils.

Non-communicable diseases prevention in remote areas of Vietnam: Limited roles of health education and community workers.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the exposure of residents to health education messages about non-communicable diseases (NCD)-related risk factors, and activities of village health workers (VHWs) in NCDs prevention and control in the mountainous setting of Vietnam. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was performed in Dap Thanh commune (Ba Che, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam), a mountainous area. There were 151 residents aged 18 years or above recruited for this study. Information regarding exposure to messages about risk factors of NCDs, and activities of VHWs was collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify associated factors with exposing messages about NCD-related risk factors. RESULTS: The majority of participants heard about messages related to risk factors of NCDs in the last 30 days, from 56.3% (physical inactivity message), 59.6% (diet message), 75.5% (alcohol use message) to 79.5% (smoking message). Radio/television was the most common source of the messages (from 91.8% to 95.8%) and the majority of participants heard these messages from one source (from 77.1% to 80.9%). Most of sample reported the unavailability of VHWs in their locals (53.6%). Among locals having VHWs, health communication and education was the most common service provided (54.3%); however, only 30% received NCD management services. Participants who had other jobs were less likely to hear about diet-related messages (OR = 0.32; 95%CI = 0.11-0.92), and those ever smoking were more likely to hear these messages in the last 30 days (OR = 6.86; 95%CI = 1.06-44.51). People who had diabetes mellitus were more likely to hear physical activity-related messages in the last 30 days (OR = 2.55; 95%CI = 1.20-5.41). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that health communication regarding risk factors of NCDs in mountainous areas in Vietnam was insufficient, and the role of health workers as formal information source was not recognized. Efforts should be made to increase the capacity and involvement of VHWs in health education and NCD prevention in mountainous regions.

Developing a hybrid time-series artificial intelligence model to forecast energy use in buildings.

The development of a reliable energy use prediction model is still difficult due to the inherent complex pattern of energy use data. There are few studies developing a prediction model for the one-day-ahead energy use prediction in buildings and optimizing the hyperparameters of a prediction model is necessary. This study aimed to propose a hybrid artificial intelligence model for forecasting one-day ahead time-series energy consumption in buildings. The proposed model was developed based on the integration of the Seasonal Autoregressive integrated Moving average, the Firefly-inspired Optimization algorithm, and the support vector Regression (SAMFOR). A large dataset of energy consumption in 30-min intervals, temporal data, and weather data from six real-world buildings in Vietnam was used to train and test the model. Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify appropriate model inputs. Comparison results show that the SAMFOR model was more effective than the others such as the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) and support vector regression (SVR), SARIMA-SVR, and random forests (RF) models. Evaluation results on real-world building depicted that the proposed SAMFOR model achieved the highest accuracy with the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 1.77 kWh in, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 9.56%, and correlation coefficient (R) of 0.914. The comparison results confirmed that the SAMFOR model was effective for forecasting one-day-ahead energy consumption. The study contributes to (1) the knowledge domain by proposing the hybrid SAMFOR model for forecasting energy consumption in buildings; and (2) the state of practice by providing building managers or users with a powerful tool for analyzing and improving building energy performance.

Risk factors for disease severity and mortality of children with Covid-19: A study at a Vietnamese Children's hospital.

INTRODUCTION: To find out risk factors for disease severity and mortality of pediatric COVID-19 in the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was performed at Children's Hospital 1 from July to December 2021. All children with COVID-19 confirmed by a positive Realtime RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 result and treated at COVID-19 department for at least 72 h were included. RESULTS: Of the 850 cases admitting to COVID-19 department, 555 children with COVID-19 confirmed by positive RT-PCR and treated at our center for more than 72 h. Median age of confirmed cases was 22.3 (IQR: 3.2-88.6) months, 55.1% were male, and 84.5% had a history of close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients. The rate of mild, moderate and severe/critical cases was 73,7%, 9.0% and 17.3%, respectively. One hundred ninety-two children (34.6%) had underlying diseases, in which, neurologic disease was the most common underlying disease (7.9%). Underlying disease, dyspnea, elevated CRP >20 mg/L and elevated ferritin were independent factors related to severe illness. Twenty-point two percent of patients in our study needed respiratory support, including 22 invasive mechanical ventilation cases. Eighteen cases (3.2%) died because of severe comorbidities, poor response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the severe/critical and mortality rates in pediatric COVID-19 cases were relatively high. All fatal cases had severe comorbidities. Underlying disease, dyspnea, and elevated inflammatory markers were independent factors related to severity in pediatric COVID-19 cases.

Proposing a hybrid metaheuristic optimization algorithm and machine learning model for energy use forecast in non-residential buildings.

The building sector is the largest energy consumer accounting for 40% of global energy usage. An energy forecast model supports decision-makers to manage electric utility management. Identifying optimal values of hyperparameters of prediction models is challenging. Therefore, this study develops a novel time-series Wolf-Inspired Optimized Support Vector Regression (WIO-SVR) model to predict 48-step-ahead energy consumption in buildings. The proposed model integrates the support vector regression (SVR) and the grey wolf optimizer (GWO) in which the SVR model serves as a prediction engine while the GWO is used to optimize the hyperparameters of the SVR model. The 30-min energy data from various buildings in Vietnam were adopted to validate model performance. Buildings include one commercial building, one hospital building, three authority buildings, three university buildings, and four office buildings. The dataset is divided into the learning data and the test data. The performance of the WIO-SVR was superior to baseline models including the SVR, random forests (RF), M5P, and decision tree learner (REPTree). The WIO-SVR model obtained the highest value of correlation coefficient (R) with 0.90. The average root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the WIO-SVR was 2.02 kWh which was more accurate than those of the SVR model with 10.95 kWh, the RF model with 16.27 kWh, the M5P model with 17.73 kWh, and the REPTree model with 26.44 kWh. The proposed model improved 442.0-1207.9% of the predictive accuracy in RMSE. The reliable WIO-SVR model provides building managers with useful references in efficient energy management.

Clinical and laboratory factors associated with neonatal sepsis mortality at a major Vietnamese children's hospital.

Sepsis is a major cause of neonatal mortality and children born in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at greater risk of severe neonatal infections than those in higher-income countries. Despite this disparity, there are limited contemporaneous data linking the clinical features of neonatal sepsis with outcome in LMICs. Here, we aimed to identify factors associated with mortality from neonatal sepsis in Vietnam. We conducted a prospective, observational study to describe the clinical features, laboratory characteristics, and mortality rate of neonatal sepsis at a major children's hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. All in-patient neonates clinically diagnosed with probable or culture-confirmed sepsis meeting inclusion criteria from January 2017 to June 2018 were enrolled. We performed univariable analysis and logistic regression to identify factors independently associated with mortality. 524 neonates were recruited. Most cases were defined as late-onset neonatal sepsis and were hospital-acquired (91.4% and 73.3%, respectively). The median (IQR) duration of hospital stay was 23 (13-41) days, 344/524 (65.6%) had a positive blood culture (of which 393 non-contaminant organisms were isolated), and 69/524 (13.2%) patients died. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (232/405; 57.3%), Klebsiella spp. (28/405; 6.9%), and Escherichia coli (27/405; 6.7%) were the most isolated organisms. Sclerema (OR = 11.4), leukopenia <4,000/mm3 (OR = 7.8), thrombocytopenia <100,000/mm3 (OR = 3.7), base excess < -20 mEq/L (OR = 3.6), serum lactate >4 mmol/L (OR = 3.4), extremely low birth weight (OR = 3.2), and hyperglycaemia >180 mg/dL (OR = 2.6) were all significantly (p<0.05) associated with mortality. The identified risk factors can be adopted as prognostic factors for the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal sepsis and enable early risk stratification and interventions appropriate to reduce neonatal sepsis in LMIC settings.