Effectiveness of health education in improving knowledge, attitude and practice related to foodborne zoonotic trematodes in Vietnam, with a particular focus on Clonorchis sinensis.

OBJECTIVE: Foodborne zoonotic trematodes (FZT), which infect the liver, lungs and intestines of humans, are an emerging public health concern in tropical countries including Vietnam. In northern Vietnam, Clonorchis sinensis is recognised as the most important species of the FZT. Up to now, small-scale studies conducted in the country have indicated that health education could improve participants' knowledge and practices related to clonorchiasis, however strong evidence is still lacking. We conducted an intervention trial between 2020 and 2021 in four communes in Yen Bai and Thanh Hoa province, aiming to evaluate the impact of an extended educational package on knowledge, attitude and practices related to clonorchiasis, as well as on knowledge on the large liver fluke and minute intestinal flukes. METHODS: To this end, baseline and post-intervention questionnaires were conducted. Generalised estimating equations models were run to analyse the impact of the intervention on knowledge, attitudes and practices over time in the intervention versus control group. Finally, 172 people in the intervention group and 162 in the control group were included for analysis. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that the intervention significantly improved clonorchiasis knowledge, attitudes and practices, with higher odds for a correct knowledge response (odds ratio (OR) = 2.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.84-4.27, p-value < 0.001), increased average mean attitude score (mean = 0.363, 95%CI = 0.182-0.544, p-value < 0.001), and a reduced odds of consuming raw fish (OR = 0.15, 95%CI = 0.06-0.40, p = 0.002) in the intervention group compared to the control group post-intervention versus baseline. Additionally, participants in the intervention group exhibited enhanced basic knowledge of the large liver fluke and minute intestinal flukes post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the potential of health education programs in preventing clonorchiasis in endemic areas, emphasising the importance of continued health education as a critical component of integrated control programs for clonorchiasis.

Care needs assessment of older adults with dementia in a semi-rural district in Vietnam: A community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The increasing needs of people living with dementia (PLWD) in Vietnam present an enormous public health challenge. Vietnam is an understudied country, and little is known regarding the overall unmet needs of caregivers or the demographic risk factors associated with unmet caregiving needs. This study aimed to determine the burden of unmet care needs of community-dwelling PLWD and identify sociodemographic risks associated with unmet care needs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in a rural area facing urbanisation in Hanoi, Vietnam recruited PWLD-caregiver dyads with multistage sampling. We utilised the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE) instrument to evaluate care needs across four domains. Caregivers rated PLWD needs, with higher scores indicating greater unmet needs. The Mann-Whitney test was employed for comparing two groups, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparisons involving more than two groups in the analysis, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among 90 PLWD participating in the study, the overall mean care needs score was 11.6 ± 4.3, with only 16.2% of PLWD having their care needs met. Environmental and physical needs were more frequently met than psychological or social needs. Only 48.0% and 43.9% of environmental and physical needs were met respectively, and a meagre 20.9% and 23.6% for psychological and social needs. Unmet care needs were more frequent for PWLD who were female, single or divorced, had lower monthly household income, or who were in more advanced stages of dementia, as indicated by Clinical Dementia Rating scores ≥1. CONCLUSIONS: Unmet needs for PWLD are common. Increased caregiver education, resources, and services in Vietnam are urgently required to improve the quality of life for this population.

A randomised controlled school-based nutritional intervention in five Middle Eastern countries: Ajyal Salima improved students' dietary and physical activity habits.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of the Ajyal Salima school intervention on nutrition and physical activity outcomes in children aged 9­11 years. DESIGN: The study was a 1-year cluster-randomised controlled trial. Ajyal Salima used a multi-component approach including classroom activities, family programme and food service adaptation. Outcomes included daily intake of breakfast, frequency of healthy and unhealthy food consumption, frequency of physical activity, knowledge score and self-efficacy score. Intervention and control groups were compared for all main outcomes and a post-intervention qualitative evaluation assessed strengths and limitations of the intervention components. SETTING: Schools in five countries ­ Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. PARTICIPANTS: Schools were selected by Ministries of Health and Education within their jurisdictions. Forty-five intervention schools (6052 students) and forty-six control schools (6200 students) were included in the analysis. RESULTS: The intervention group had a significantly higher odds of consuming breakfast daily (OR 95 % CI = 1·60, 1·35, 1·90), consuming healthy foods (OR 95 % CI = 1·60, 1·39, 1·84) and a decreased odds of consuming unhealthy foods and sweetened beverages (OR, 95 % CI = 0·70, 0·60, 0·81). Additionally, school children in the intervention group, as compared with the control group, were 47 % more likely to exercise outside school hours (OR 95 % CI = 1·47, 1·23, 1·76). Lastly, children in the intervention group had a significantly improved nutritional knowledge score and improved self-efficacy by 1·3 score unit and 1·1 score unit, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Ajyal Salima intervention led to significant improvements in dietary and physical activity habits among school children and increased nutritional knowledge scores.

Aerobic vaginitis in the third trimester and its impact on pregnancy outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a vaginal inflammation characterized by disruption of the lactobacillus microbiota and increased counts of different aerobic bacteria. AV may result in severe complications, especially during pregnancy, including preterm delivery, neonatal and maternal infections. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AV in the third trimester of pregnancy, and the relationship between AV and pregnancy outcomes.  METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study included 323 pregnant women attending for routine antenatal care in the Hue University Hospital. Vaginal samples collected at the third trimester of pregnancy were evaluated for AV according to the scoring system of Donders and cultured for identification of predominant bacteria. Pregnancy was followed to its end, and pregnancy outcomes were recorded for both mothers and infants. RESULTS: The proportion of pregnant women diagnosed with AV in the third trimester was found to be 15.5%, with the vast majority of the cases (84%) displaying the light AV and 16% the moderate AV. The vaginal cultures in the women with AV revealed most frequently Streptococcus agalactiae (6%), followed by Enterococcus spp (4%), Staphylococcus aureus (4%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (2%). In addition, AV during the last trimester of pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of puerperal sepsis (OR 8.65, 95% CI: 1.41-53.16, p = 0.020) and there was a slightly increased risk for neonatal infections, which was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of AV is relatively high in Vietnamese pregnant women. Since it is associated with an increased risk of puerperal sepsis, it needs to be diagnosed and treated before delivery.

Cysteamine-Gold Coated Carboxylated Fluorescent Nanoparticle Mediated Point-of-Care Dual-Modality Detection of the H5N1 Pathogenic Virus.

Globally, point-of-care testing (POCT) is the most preferable on-site technique for disease detection and includes a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test (FICT). The testing kits are generally insufficient in terms of signal enhancement, which is a major drawback of this approach. Sensitive and timely on-site POCT methods with high signal enhancement are therefore essential for the accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases. Herein, we prepare cysteamine-gold coated carboxylated europium chelated nanoparticle (Cys Au-EuNPs)-mediated POCT for the detection of the H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV). Commercial nanoparticles were used for comparison. The spectral characteristics, surface morphologies, functional groups, surface charge and stability of the Cys AuNPs, EuNPs, and Cys Au-EuNPs were confirmed by UV-visible spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectrometry, transmission electron microscope with Selected area electron diffraction (TEM-SAED), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zeta potential analysis. The particle size distribution revealed an average size of ~130 ± 0.66 nm for the Cys Au-EuNPs. The Cys Au-EuNP-mediated RDT (colorimetric analysis) and FICT kit revealed a limit of detection (LOD) of 10 HAU/mL and 2.5 HAU/mL, respectively, for H5N1 under different titer conditions. The obtained LOD is eight-fold that of commercial nanoparticle conjugates. The photo luminance (PL) stability of ~3% the Cys Au-EuNPs conjugates that was obtained under UV light irradiation differs considerably from that of the commercial nanoparticle conjugates. Overall, the developed Cys Au-EuNPs-mediated dual-mode POCT kit can be used as an effective nanocomposite for the development of on-site monitoring systems for infectious disease surveillance.

Fluorescent Immunosorbent Assay for Chikungunya Virus Detection.

BACKGROUND: When infected with the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), 3% to 28% of CHIKV-infected individuals remain asymptomatic, necessitating the development of improved high-throughput screening methods to overcome the limitations of molecular diagnostics or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). OBJECTIVE: In this study, two novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting envelope 1 (E1) of CHIKV were developed and applied in a fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (FLISA) using coumarin-derived dendrimer as the fluorophore. METHODS: The performance of the FLISA was compared with that of ELISA. RESULTS: Using the two novel mAbs (2B5 and 2C8), FLISA could detect 1 × 105 PFU/mL of CHIKV, exhibiting a 2-fold lower limit of detection (LOD) compared to ELISA. The LOD of FICT corresponded to a comparative threshold value of 23.95 and 4 × 106 of RNA copy number/µL. In the presence of human sera and blood, virus detection by FLISA was 3-fold better than ELISA, with an LOD of 2 × 105 PFU/mL. Sera and blood interfered with the ELISA, resulting in 6 × 105 PFU/mL as the LOD. CONCLUSIONS: FLISA using two novel mAbs and coumarin-derived dendrimer is a superior diagnostic assay for detecting CHIKV in human sera and blood, compared to conventional ELISA.

Cost-effectiveness of measles treatment: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Measles is still common in many developing countries, and its outbreaks have been on the rise since 2009 even though the disease is almost entirely preventable through safe and effective vaccination. This paper aims to provide evidence about the systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of measles treatment in different regions worldwide. METHODS: The methodical search began on 10th January 2019 to look for all articles on the cost-effectiveness of measles treatment published from January 2019 to April 2019 in SCOPUS, Pubmed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) and Cochrane (www.cochrane.org).We summarised the articles by using a data table to extract all information using health economic evaluation methods. RESULTS: We identified 14 articles from the 69 total articles searched. These articles showed favourable costeffectiveness or cost-benefit ratios in high- and middle-income countries based on data organised by World Bank Income Level in 2018: the United States, Canada, Japan, India and Zambia. However, research is still limited in lowincome countries and thus the effectiveness of vaccination programmes cannot be conclusively identified. CONCLUSIONS: This review shows the overview of the research in health economic evaluations of measles in different places, years and using different methods of intervention. Overall, it evaluates the cost-effectiveness of measles treatment.

Sex-specific effects of perinatal dioxin exposure on eating behavior in 3-year-old Vietnamese children.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that perinatal dioxin exposure increased autistic traits in children living in dioxin-contaminated areas of Vietnam. In the present study, we investigated the impact of dioxin exposure on children's eating behavior, which is often altered in those with developmental disorders. METHODS: A total of 185 mother-and-child pairs previously enrolled in a birth cohort in dioxin-contaminated areas participated in this survey, conducted when the children reached 3 years of age. Perinatal dioxin exposure levels in the children were estimated using dioxin levels in maternal breast milk after birth. Mothers were interviewed using the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). A multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the association between dioxin exposure and CEBQ scores, after controlling for covariates such as location, parity, maternal age, maternal education, maternal body mass index, family income, children's gestational age at delivery, and children's age at the time of the survey. A general linear model was used to analyze the effects of sex and dioxin exposure on CEBQ scores. RESULTS: There was no significant association between most dioxin congeners or toxic equivalencies of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (TEQ-PCDDs/Fs) and CEBQ scores in boys, although significant associations between some eating behavior sub-scores and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzofuran were observed. In girls, there was a significant inverse association between levels of TEQ-PCDFs and enjoyment of food scores and between levels of TEQ-PCDFs and TEQ-PCDDs/Fs and desire to drink scores. Two pentachlorodibenzofuran congeners and 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofuran were associated with a decreased enjoyment of food score, and seven PCDF congeners were associated with a decreased desire to drink score. The adjusted mean enjoyment of food score was significantly lower in children of both sexes exposed to high levels of TEQ-PCDFs. There was, however, a significant interaction between sex and TEQ-PCDF exposure in their effect on desire to drink scores, especially in girls. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal exposure to dioxin can influence eating behavior in children and particularly in girls. A longer follow-up study would be required to assess whether emotional development that affects eating styles and behaviors is related to dioxin exposure.

In Vitro Characterization of Derrone as an Aurora Kinase Inhibitor.

Among mitotic kinases, Aurora kinases are the most widely studied, since their expression is restricted to mitosis. They play a key role in chromosome segregation and cell polyploidy. Aurora kinases are important therapeutic targets, and several research groups have directed their efforts toward the identification of kinase inhibitors. The aim of this study is to screen and characterize Aurora kinase inhibitors from natural substances extracted from plants that are used in the Vietnamese pharmacopoeia. We have characterized in vitro Derrone, extracted from Erythrina orientalis L. MURR, as a novel Aurora kinase inhibitor. This compound exhibited an ability to inhibit the phosphorylation of histone H3 at ser10 both in kinase assay and at the cellular level. The compound was more effective against Aurora kinase B, with a lower IC50 value as compared to Aurora A. Moreover, it impaired the mitotic spindle checkpoint and led to endoreduplication in cancer cells, a phenomenon caused by an Aurora B inhibitor. Interestingly, using the xCelligence system and real-time cell analysis (RTCA) software, we set up a comparison of cell proliferation profiles between cancer cells treated with Derrone and VX680-a well-known Aurora kinase inhibitor-and we found that these profiles exhibited considerable similarity in cell morphology, growth, and death. Additionally, Derrone significantly inhibited the formation and growth of MCF7 tumor spheroids.

Clinical and mutational features of Vietnamese children with X-linked agammaglobulinemia.

BACKGROUND: X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a primary immune deficiency characterized by recurrent bacterial infections and profoundly depressed serum immunoglobulin levels and circulating mature B cells. It is caused by mutations of the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) gene and is the most common form of inherited antibody deficiency. To our knowledge, this is the first report of XLA from Vietnam. METHODS: We investigated the BTK gene mutations and clinical features of four unrelated Vietnamese children. RESULTS: The mean ages at onset and at diagnosis were 2.5 and 8 years, respectively. All patients had a medical history of otitis media, pneumonia, and septicemia at the time of diagnosis. Other infections reported included sinusitis, bronchiectasis, arthritis, skin infections, meningitis, and recurrent diarrhea. We identified one previously reported mutation (c.441G >A) and three novel mutations: two frameshifts (c.1770delG and c.1742 delG), and one nonsense (c.1249A >T). CONCLUSIONS: The delayed diagnosis may be attributable to insufficient awareness of this rare disease on the background of frequent infections even in the immunocompetent pediatric population in Vietnam. Our results further support the importance of molecular genetic testing in diagnosis of XLA.

Vietnamese consumer's perspective on green beauty care products: Exploring the impact of animal welfare concerns and skepticism toward green advertising.

Green consumers increasingly consider animal welfare (AW) in their decision-making, demonstrating a growing awareness of ethical considerations beyond conventional environmental concerns. However, with an increase in greenwashing, skepticism has grown among consumers. Regardless of manufacturers' efforts to enhance consumer awareness via green advertising, consumer skepticism toward these advertisements creates doubt and consequently reduces positive attitudes and intentions to buy green products. This study investigated the variables that impact Vietnamese consumers' decision-making processes toward green beauty care products. Specifically, we focused on the role of AW concerns and skepticism toward green advertising. For this study, we adopted the timulus-response organism (SOR) framework, which is known for its ability to analyze the impact of environmental stimuli (S) on personal perceptions (O), leading to specific responses (R). We elucidated the relationship between concern for AW and green advertising skepticism (GAS) as stimulus factors, green brand trust (GBT) and attitude toward green products (ATT) as organism factors, and three sub-dimensions of behavioral intentions (BI): green purchase intention (GPI), word-of-mouth (WOM), and willingness to pay (WPP) as response factors. We explored the mediating effect of ATT on the relationship between GAS-GPI and AW-GPI. This study involved 386 Vietnamese participants surveyed using convenience sampling. Smart PLS v3.2.9 software was used to analyze the data using structural equation modeling. The hypothesis test using PLS-SEM confirmed that (a) GBT had a positive effect on BI and ATT; (b) ATT had a positive effect on BI; (c) GAS had a negative effect on GBT and WPP, but not on GPI and WOM; and (d) AW had a positive effect on GPI and WOM, but not on ATT and WPP. Surprisingly, this study found insufficient statistical evidence to support the mediating role of ATT in the relationship between GAS-GPI and AW-GPI. This study highlights the importance of integrated advertising and education campaigns in increasing customer awareness toward green products and the significance of comprehending the cultural context when developing marketing strategies, especially in emerging markets such as Vietnam, where environmental concerns are skeptical and AW issues are relatively new. The study delved into the Vietnam market and specifically examined beauty care products labeled as "not tested on animals." Additionally, we addressed a gap in the existing research by investigating the combined influence of AW concerns and GAS on the formation of green behavioral intentions (GBI).

Population Subdivision and Migration Assessment of Mangalica Pig Breeds Based on Pedigree Analysis.

In conserving the genetic diversity of domestic animal breeds, strategies that emphasise between-breed diversity may not be optimal, as they neglect within-breed variation. The aim of the present study was to assess the extent of population subdivision in three Mangalica pig breeds and the contribution of migration to their substructure. Wright's FST coefficient was calculated based on genealogical data with breeding animals born between 1981 and 2023, with three colour variants (Blonde, Swallow-Belly and Red). These Wright's FST coefficients were analysed using multidimensional scaling to reveal the population substructure. The average FST coefficient was 0.04 for the Blonde breed and 0.047 for the Swallow-Belly and Red Mangalica breeds, while these parameters were lower in the active herds at 0.03 and 0.04, respectively. The migration of individuals between herds was 61.63% for the Blonde breed and 75.53% and 63.64% for the Swallow-Belly and Red Magalica breeds, respectively. No population substructure was observed in any of the Mangalica breeds, which can be explained by the extensive migration between herds.

Impact of preoperative respiratory distress on outcomes of slide tracheoplasty.

OBJECTIVES: Children with congenital tracheal stenosis born in the developing world face a high risk of mortality due to limited access to proper treatment. Patients who required preoperative respiratory support were suspected to have poor survival after slide tracheoplasty; however, this was not clearly demonstrated in the previous studies. This study aims to investigate the impact of preoperative respiratory conditions on outcomes of slide tracheoplasty. METHODS: From 2016 to 2022, children who underwent slide tracheoplasty were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with respiratory distress requiring emergency operations (group A) were compared with patients in stable condition who were scheduled for surgery (group B). RESULTS: Perioperative results revealed that group A (n = 43) had a longer bypass time (P < 0.001), operation time (P = 0.01), postoperative ventilation time (P < 0.001) and length of intensive care unit stay (P = 0.00125) than group B (n = 60). The early mortality rate was 7.8%, and the actuarial 5-year survival rate was 85.3%. The cumulative incidence test revealed that group A was highly significant for overall mortality [sudistribution (SHR) 4.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-16.4; P = 0.023]. Risk factors for overall mortality were prolonged postoperative ventilation time (hazard ratio 3.86; 95% CI 1.20-12.48; P = 0.024), bronchial stenosis (hazard ratio 5.77; 95% CI 1.72-19.31; P = 0.004), and preoperative tracheal mucositis (hazard ratio 5.67; 95% CI 1.51-21.31; P = 0.01). Four patients needed reintervention during a follow-up of 28.4 months (interquartile range 15.3-47.3). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative respiratory distress negatively affected the outcomes of patients who required slide tracheoplasty. Therefore, early detection of congenital tracheal stenosis and aggressive slide tracheoplasty are crucial and obligatory to enhance long-term survival in this lethal congenital airway disease.

Promising clinical and immunological efficacy of Bacillus clausii spore probiotics for supportive treatment of persistent diarrhea in children.

Persistent diarrhea is a severe gastroenteric disease with relatively high risk of pediatric mortality in developing countries. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of liquid-form Bacillus clausii spore probiotics (LiveSpo CLAUSY; 2 billion CFU/5 mL ampoule) at high dosages of 4-6 ampoules a day in supporting treatment of children with persistent diarrhea. Our findings showed that B. clausii spores significantly improved treatment outcomes, resulting in a 2-day shorter recovery period (p < 0.05) and a 1.5-1.6 folds greater efficacy in reducing diarrhea symptoms, such as high frequency of bowel movement of ≥ 3 stools a day, presence of fecal mucus, and diapered infant stool scale types 4-5B. LiveSpo CLAUSY supportive treatment achieved 3 days (p < 0.0001) faster recovery from diarrhea disease, with 1.6-fold improved treatment efficacy. At day 5 of treatment, a significant decrease in blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-23 by 3.24% (p = 0.0409), 29.76% (p = 0.0001), and 10.87% (p = 0.0036), respectively, was observed in the Clausy group. Simultaneously, there was a significant 37.97% decrease (p = 0.0326) in the excreted IgA in stool at day 5 in the Clausy group. Overall, the clinical study demonstrates the efficacy of B. clausii spores (LiveSpo CLAUSY) as an effective symptomatic treatment and immunomodulatory agent for persistent diarrhea in children.Trial registration: NCT05812820.

Configurational analysis of conditions influencing customers' channel switching intention in omnichannel retailing: a fuzzy-set analysis.

This research examined the interplay among personal factors, namely channel lock-in, cross-channel synergy, attribute-based decision making (ADM); environmental factors, namely others' past switching behaviour (OPB), pressure to switch from others (PSO); and behavioural factors, namely perceived self-efficacy and perception on facilitating conditions as antecedents to customers' channel switching intention in an omnichannel context. Drawing on the complexity theory and set theory, we applied configurational analysis using the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The result of the analysis indicated two (2) sufficient configurations that led to an intention to switch channels. Both configurations contained ADM, OPB, and PSO conditions that highlight the importance of personal factors and environmental factors needed for the presence of an intention to switch channels. However, no sufficient configurations were obtained that indicate an absence of intention to switch channels. This study challenges theoretical underpinnings by demonstrating that omnichannel channel-switching behaviours can be explained from a configurational perspective. The configurations produced by this study can serve as a basis for researchers who plan to conduct asymmetric modelling of customers' channel-switching behaviour in an omnichannel context. Finally, this paper suggests omnichannel retail strategies and management as informed by these configurations.

Influence of titanium dioxide and composite on the accuracy of an intraoral scanner for bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw (Kennedy class I) scanning: An in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES: The accuracy of 3-dimensional images produced by the intraoral scanner (IOS) is affected by scanning-aid materials. This in vitro study aimed to elucidate the influence of scanning-aid materials on the accuracy (trueness and precision) of digital scanning on the bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw (Kennedy class I). METHODS: The asymmetrical bilateral upper posterior edentulous model (reference model) was generated using a 3D printer with three groups (application of TiO2 powder - composite and no-treatment control). The experimental scans were executed (n = 10 per group) using TRIOS3 (3shape), while one reference scan was obtained by an industrial scanner (Solutionix - C500). Values of trueness and precision were evaluated using the 3D superimposition method on mean deviation values. The accuracy was assessed using mean deviation values following the 3D superimposition method. RESULTS: IOS had high trueness (20.6 µm), and significant differences were found between the no-treatment and TiO2 groups. Considering the cut-off value of deviations as 300 µm for clinical acceptability, the analysis clarified the most variations in the control group. There was a significant difference between the no-treatment group and others in the maxillary tuberosity area relating to long-span edentulous. The composite group had the best precision values (1.1 µm). Significant differences were found between composite and TiO2 groups (2.7 µm). CONCLUSIONS: The bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw digital impressions obtained using IOS were accurate. However, the digital images in the palate and maxillary tuberosity area related to long-span edentulous differed significantly. TiO2-containing powder and composite landmarks affected the accuracy and stability of the IOS. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Scanning aid materials can increase the accuracy of the bilateral upper posterior edentulous jaw scanning with IOS.

The Effect of Bisoprolol on Premature Ventricular Complex in Vietnamese Patients with Hypertension and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a common arrhythmia that causes a large number of clinical symptoms, adversely impacts the quality of life, and can even initiate serious arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. The incidence of premature ventricular contraction is higher in hypertensive patients, particularly if concomitant left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is present. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted on the characteristics of PVC in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and aimed to evaluate the effect of bisoprolol on PVC in Vietnamese patients with hypertension and LVH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a study to determine how bisoprolol potency affected PVC management in the group with both high blood pressure and LVH. We selected a convenient sample of all patients who came to the Medical Examination Department at the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital and met sampling criteria with hypertension, LVH on echocardiography, and PVC on 12-leads electrocardiogram. Over 2 years, we collected 76 patients who satisfied the above conditions. Out of which, 50 patients were indicated for management with bisoprolol, and 26 patients were excluded from the study, including 7 patients with asthma and 19 patients who had simple PVC on a 24-hour Holter ECG. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 22. RESULTS: Fifty patients participated in the study, of whom 70% were female. It is clear that palpitation was the most prevalent symptom (66%), and 38% of patients had complicated PVC (Lown III-V). When treating PVC with bisoprolol, 50% of patients achieved the treatment goal with a decrease in the number of PVCs of more than 70%, accompanied by symptom relief and eradication of dangerous PVCs. After 4 weeks of treatment, bisoprolol decreased the number of PVCs, heart rate, and blood pressure while also easing PVC-related symptoms (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Low-dose bisoprolol effectively reduces the number of PVCs in hypertensive patients with LVH.

Next-generation sequencing-based HLA typing reveals the association of HLA-B*46:01:01 and HLA-DRB1*09:01:02 alleles with carbamazepine-induced hypersensitivity reactions in Vietnamese patients with epilepsy.

Several studies have reported an association between certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and carbamazepine (CBZ)-induced hypersensitivity reactions in patients with epilepsy. Here, the relationship between the clinical spectrum and the HLA allele profiles in patients with CBZ-induced hypersensitivity reactions was investigated using next-generation sequence (NGS) data obtained from 65 Vietnamese patients with epilepsy, including 33 with CBZ-tolerance and 32 patients with CBZ-hypersensitivity, in which only 8 with severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions and 24 were mild-hypersensitive patients. Three loci of HLA class I (HLA-A, -B, and -C) and two loci of HLA class II (HLA-DQA1 and -DRB1) were included in our analysis. We observed a higher prevalence of three alleles, HLA-B*46:01:01, HLA-DQA1*03:02:01, and HLA-DRB1*09:01:02, in the CBZ hypersensitivity group compared to that in the CBZ tolerant group. Notably, all hypersensitive patients with HLA-DQA1*03:02:01 also harbored HLA-DRB1*09:01:02. We also used molecular modeling to gain mechanistic insight into the interactions of HLA-B*46:01 and HLA-DRB1*09:01 with CBZ. Our findings proposed the direct interaction of CBZ with peptide-binding pockets of these HLA proteins. The sensitivity and specificity of HLA-B*46:01:01 in considering with the appearance of HLA-DRB1*09:01:02 were 46.88% and 84.85%, respectively. Our data suggest that the presence of HLA-B*46:01:01/HLA-DRB1*09:01:02 is a potential marker of CBZ-induced hypersensitivity reactions in Vietnamese patients.

Efficient symptomatic treatment and viral load reduction for children with influenza virus infection by nasal-spraying Bacillus spore probiotics.

Influenza virus is a main cause of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children. This is the first double-blind, randomized, and controlled clinical trial examining the efficacy of nasal-spraying probiotic LiveSpo Navax, which contains 5 billion of Bacillus subtilis and B. clausii spores in 5 mL, in supporting treatment of influenza viral infection in pediatric patients. We found that the nasal-spraying Bacillus spores significantly shortened the recovery period and overall treatment by 2 days and increased treatment effectiveness by 58% in resolving all ARTIs' symptoms. At day 2, the concentrations of influenza virus and co-infected bacteria were reduced by 417 and 1152 folds. Additionally, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-6 in nasopharyngeal samples were reduced by 1.1, 3.7, and 53.9 folds, respectively. Compared to the standard control group, treatment regimen with LiveSpo Navax demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness, resulting in 26-fold reduction in viral load, 65-fold reduction in bacterial concentration, and 1.1-9.5-fold decrease in cytokine levels. Overall, nasal-spraying Bacillus spores can support the symptomatic treatment of influenza virus-induced ARTIs quickly, efficiently and could be used as a cost-effective supportive treatment for respiratory viral infection in general.Clinical trial registration no: NCT05378022 on 17/05/2022.