Higher Education and Its Role for National Development. A Research Agenda with Bibliometric Analysis.

The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the literature on the function of higher education and extract significant insights using the VosViewer and Citespaces tools. The findings reveal that higher education is a substantial worry for scientists, particularly in 2015-2019. Furthermore, research indicates a significant body of knowledge on the function of higher education in national development related to human resources, economic growth, and other social issues. Finally, the research suggests strategies for promoting higher education's involvement in meeting the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In silico and in vitro studies on the anti-cancer activity of artemetin, vitexicarpin and penduletin compounds from Vitex negundo.

Vitex negundo L. (V. negundo) is one of the important medicinal and anticancer enhancer herbs. This plant is commonly used in the preparation of traditional drugs to treat numerous diseases. Inspired by the medicinal properties of this plant, the current study aimed to investigate antiproliferative potential and the primary molecular mechanisms of the apoptotic induction against human HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines, by pure compounds isolated from targeted fractions of V. negundo which were characterized by NMR, FTIR and HRMS analysis and identified as artemetin (FLV1), vitexicarpin (FLV2), and penduletin (FLV3) compounds. The FLV1, FLV2, and FLV3 compounds were evaluated for the antiproliferative potential against HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines by cell viability assay and exhibited IC50 values of 2.3, 23.9 and 5.6 µM and 3.9, 25.8, and 6.4 µM, respectively. In addition, those compounds increased the level of reactive oxygen species production, induced cell death occurred via apoptosis, demonstrated by Annexin V-staining cells, contributed significantly to DNA damage, and led to the activation of caspase3/caspase8 pathways.Additionally, molecular docking was also conducted to rationalize the cancer cells inhibitory and to evaluate the ability of the FLV1, FLV2, and FLV3 compounds to be developed as good drug candidates for cancers treatment.

Flavones from Combretum quadrangulare Growing in Vietnam and Their Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity.

Combretum quadrangulare Kurz is widely used in folk medicine in Eastern Asia and is associated with various ethnopharmacological properties including hepatoprotective, antipyretic, analgesic, antidysenteric, and anthelmintic activities. Previous phytochemical investigations reported the presence of numerous triterpenes (mostly cycloartanes, ursanes, lupanes, and oleananes) along with dozens of flavonoids. However, the extracts of C. quadrangulare and isolated flavonoids have not been evaluated for their alpha-glucosidase inhibition. In the frame of our efforts dedicated to the chemical investigation of Vietnamese medicinal plants and their biological activities, a phytochemical study of the MeOH extract of the leaves of C. quadrangulare using bioactive guided isolation was undertaken. In this paper, the isolation and structure elucidation of twelve known compounds, 5-hydroxy-3,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone (1), ayanin (2), kumatakenin (3), rhamnocitrin (4), ombuin (5), myricetin-3,7,3',5'-tetramethyl ether (6), gardenin D (7), luteolin (12), apigenin (13), mearnsetin (14), isoorientin (15), and vitexin (16) were reported. Bromination was applied to compounds 2 and 3 to provide four new synthetic analogues 8-11. All isolated and synthesized compounds were evaluated for alpha-glucosidase inhibition and antibacterial activity. Compounds 4 and 5 showed moderate antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus while others were inactive. All compounds failed to reveal any activity toward extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Compounds 2, 4, 6-9, and 11-14 showed good alpha-glucosidase inhibition with IC50 values in the range of 30.5-282.0 µM. The kinetic of enzyme inhibition showed that 8 and 11 were noncompetitive type inhibition against alpha-glucosidase. In silico molecular docking model indicated that compounds 8 and 11 were potential inhibitors against enzyme α-glucosidase.

The validation of organisational culture assessment instrument in healthcare setting: results from a cross-sectional study in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Organisational culture (OC) has increasingly become a crucial factor in defining healthcare practice and management. However, there has been little research validating and adapting OCAI (organisational culture assessment instrument) to assess OC in healthcare settings in developing countries, including Vietnam. The purpose of this study is to validate the OCAI in a hospital setting using key psychometric tests and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Self-administered structured questionnaire was completed by 566 health professionals from a Vietnamese national general hospital, the General Hospital of Quang Nam province. The psychometric tests and CFA were utilized to detect internal reliability and construct validity of the instrument. RESULTS: The Cronbach's alpha coefficients (α-reliability statistic) ranged from 0.6 to 0.8. In current culture, the coefficient was 0.80 for clan and 0.60 for adhocracy, hierarchy and market dimension, while in expected culture, the coefficient for clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, and market dimension was 0.70, 0.70, 0.70 and 0.60, respectively. The CFA indicated that most factor loading coefficients were of moderate values ranging from 0.30 to 0.60 in both current and expected culture model. These models are of marginal good fit. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that the OCAI be of fairly good reliability and construct validity in measuring four types of organisational culture in healthcare setting in resource-constrained countries such as Vietnam. This result is a first step towards developing a valid Vietnamese version of the OCAI which can also provide a strong case for future research in the field of measuring and managing organisational culture.

Analysis of strategies to attract and retain rural health workers in Cambodia, China, and Vietnam and context influencing their outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Many Asia-Pacific countries are experiencing rapid changes in socio-economic and health system development. This study aims to describe the strategies supporting rural health worker attraction and retention in Cambodia, China, and Vietnam and explore the context influencing their outcomes. METHODS: This paper is a policy analysis based on key informant interviews with stakeholders about a rural province of Cambodia, China, and Vietnam, coupled with a broad review of the literature. RESULTS: Cambodia, China, and Vietnam have implemented medical education, provided financial incentives, and provided personal and professional support to attract and retain rural health workers. More socio-economic development was related to a wider range of interventions and their scope. The health system context influenced the outcomes. Increased autonomy of public hospitals attracted more health workers from rural primary health facilities in China and Vietnam. Health financing policies for universal health coverage in China and Vietnam have increased the utilization of health services. Subsidies for poor people to access health services in Cambodia have provided financial incentives to retain rural health workers. However, the dismantling of the referral system in China and Vietnam has resulted in a high rate of health workers moving from primary health facilities to higher-level hospitals while clear definition of primary healthcare package in Cambodia guided its planning of primary health workforce. The prosperous private health sector in Cambodia and Vietnam attracted more health workers from rural primary health facilities, impeded implementation and determined effectiveness of financial incentives. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-economic and health system reforms including health financing, public hospital autonomy, abolition of referral system and prosperous private sector have both positive and negative impacts on the design, implementation, and effectiveness of interventions to attract and retain rural health workers. Interventions to attract and retain health workers in rural and remote areas need to be considered within overall health system reform.

A new lignan and a new alkaloid, and α-glucosidase inhibitory compounds from the grains of Echinochloa utilis Ohwi & Yabuno.

A new lignan, utilisin (1), and a new alkaloid, echinoutilin (2), together with eleven known compounds 3-13 were isolated from the grains of Echinochloa utilis Ohwi & Yabuno. Their structures were identified through the analysis of spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of 2 was determined by Mosher's method. These compounds were evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Among them, compounds 2, 3 and 6 exhibited considerable α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 42.1±1.3, 58.9±3.7, and 40.9±1.1µM, respectively. The results indicate that the grains of E. utilis will be useful in the treatment of diabetes control agents.

Chemical constituents from Sonneratia ovata Backer and their in vitro cytotoxicity and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities.

Sonneratia ovata Backer, Sonneratiaceae, is a widespread plant in mangrove forests in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia. Sonneratia ovata's chemical composition remains mostly unknown. Therefore, we now report on the structural elucidation of three new phenolics, sonnerphenolic A (1), sonnerphenolic B (2), and sonnerphenolic C (23), a new cerebroside, sonnercerebroside (3) together with nineteen known compounds, including nine lignans (5-13), two steroids (14, 15), two triterpenoids (16, 17), three gallic acid derivatives (18-20), two phenolic derivatives (4, 22) and a 1-O-benzyl-ß-d-glucopyranose (21) isolated from the leaves of Sonneratia ovata. Their chemical structures were established by spectroscopic data, as well as high resolution mass spectra and comparison with literature data. The in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and cytotoxic activities against HeLa (human epithelial carcinoma), NCI-H460 (human lung cancer), MCF-7 (human breast cancer) cancer cell lines and PHF (primary human fibroblast) cell were evaluated on some extracts and purified compounds at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. Compounds (5, 6, 23) exhibited cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 cell line with the IC50 values of 146.9±9.0, 114.5±7.2, and 112.8±9.4 µM, respectively, while they showed nontoxic with the normal cell (PHF) with IC50s >277 µM. Among 15 tested compounds, (S)-rhodolatouchol (22) showed inhibition against AChE with an IC50 value of 96.1±14.5 µM.

Motivation or demotivation of health workers providing maternal health services in rural areas in Vietnam: findings from a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Motivation is an important driver for health professionals to maintain their professional competencies, continue in the workforce and make a positive contribution to their workplace. While there is some research about the motivation of health workers in low- to middle-income countries, maternal morbidity and mortality remains high and this can be lowered by improving the quality of maternal health services and the training and maintenance of the skills of maternal health workers. This study examines the impact of motivation on maintenance of professional competence among maternal health workers in Vietnam using mixed methods. METHODS: The study consisted of a survey using a self-administered questionnaire of 240 health workers in five districts across two Vietnamese provinces and in-depth interviews with 43 health workers and health managers at the commune, district and provincial level to explore external factors that influenced motivation. The questionnaire includes a 23-item motivation instrument based on the Kenyan health context, modified for Vietnamese language and culture. RESULTS: The 240 responses represented an estimated 95% of the target sample. Multivariate analysis showed that three factors contributed to the motivation of health workers: access to training (ß = -0.14, P = 0.03), ability to perform key tasks (ß = 0.22, P = 0.001) and shift schedule (ß = -0.13, P = 0.05). Motivation was higher in health workers self-identifying as competent or who were enabled to provide more maternal care services. Motivation was lower in those who worked more frequent night shifts and those who had received training in the last 12 months. The interviews identified that the latter was because they felt the training was irrelevant to them, and in some cases, they do not have the opportunity to practice their learnt skills. The qualitative data also showed other factors relating to service context and organisational management practices contributed to motivation. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates the importance of understanding the motivations of health workers and the factors that contribute to this and may contribute to more effective management of the health workforce in low- and middle-income countries.

Genotoxicity of chemical compounds identification and assessment by yeast cells transformed with GFP reporter constructs regulated by the PLM2 or DIN7 promoter.

Yeast cells transformed with high-copy number plasmids comprising a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-encoding gene optimized for yeast under the control of the new DIN7 or PLM2 and the established RNR2 and RAD54 promoters were used to assess the genotoxic potential of chemical compounds. The activity of potential DNA-damaging agents was investigated by genotoxicity assays and by OxoPlate assay in the presence of various test compounds. The fluorescence signal generated by GFP in response to DNA damage was related to the different concentrations of analytes and the analyte-dependent GFP synthesis. The use of distinct DNA damage-inducible promoters presents alternative genotoxicity testing strategies by selective induction of promoters in response to DNA damage. The new DIN7 and PLM2 systems show higher sensitivity than the RNR2 and RAD54 systems in detecting 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide and actinomycin D. Both DIN7 and PLM2 systems are able to detect camptothecin while RNR2 and RAD54 systems are not. Automated laboratory systems with assay performance on 384-well microplates provide for cost-effective high-throughput screening of DNA-damaging agents, reducing compound consumption to about 53% as compared with existing eukaryotic genotoxicity bioassays.

Identification and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity evaluation of two new coumarins derived from Mansonia gagei J. R. Drumm.

Five coumarins were isolated from the heartwood of Mansonia gagei, which included two newly discovered compounds, namely 11-hydroxypopulene E (1) and mansorin D (2), along with three previously identified compounds. The structures were determined through the utilisation of comprehensive spectroscopic data, ECD calculations, and a thorough comparison with existing literature data. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of all isolated compounds were assessed in yeast. Out of the compounds tested, compound 2 exhibited the most significant activity, displaying a percentage inhibition of 34.33% at a concentration of 200 µM.

Factors associated with self-directed learning among undergraduate nursing students in Vietnam.

AIM: This study purposed to determine nursing students' self-directed learning abilities and related factors. BACKGROUND: Self-directed learning is a significant and practical approach for nursing students in their lifelong learning. DESIGN: In this study, a descriptive cross-sectional study was used to assess the level of SDL undergraduate of 411 undergraduate nursing students from four academic years. METHODS: The Self-directed Learning Abilities and Related Factors Questionnaire was used to measure the Self-directed Learning Abilities of the Nursing Students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and a logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the factors influencing self-directed learning abilities. RESULTS: Of the 411 nursing students, most belonged to the female group. Moreover, most of the nursing students have permanent residence in rural areas. The average score of general self-directed learning abilities of nursing students was 3.88 ± 0.3. Only 33.8 % of the respondents had a high level (mean score ≥ 4) of self-directed learning abilities. There was a significant relationship between place of residence, grade obtained in previous level education, current grade point average, academic workload, assessment methods, learning resources and self-directed learning abilities (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The self-directed learning ability level was low in this nursing student sample. Therefore, this study may increase nursing educators' attention to designing appropriate strategies to improve students' self-directed learning abilities.

La-doped MIL-88B(Fe)-NH2: a mixed-metal-organic framework photocatalyst for highly efficient reduction of Cr(vi) in an aqueous solution.

With the aim to resolve the problem of water pollution, we herein propose a new photocatalyst based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), called La-doped MIL-88B(Fe)-NH2 (MIL-88B((1 - x)Fe/xLa)-NH2), which was designed and employed for the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(vi) in aqueous solutions. MIL-88B((1-x)Fe/xLa)-NH2 materials with different x values were synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal method. Their characteristics were investigated using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). We found that compared to pristine MIL-88B(Fe)-NH2 with a photocatalytic efficiency of 67.08, MIL-88B((1 - x)Fe/xLa)-NH2 materials with x = 0.010, 0.025 and 0.050 exhibit excellent photocatalytic efficiencies reaching 88.21, 81.19 and 80.26%, respectively, after only 30 minutes of irradiation at a small catalyst dosage of 0.2 g L-1. These La-doped MIL-88B(Fe)-NH2 photocatalysts can work well under mild conditions (pH = 6). Furthermore, they are robust-can be recycled for at least four consecutive runs without any activity loss. This novel material is promising for the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants.

Structural studies of the chemical constituents of Tithonia tagetiflora Desv. (Asteraceae).

Tithonia tagetiflora Desv. (Asteraceae) is a widespread plant in Vietnam, and the species of Tithonia are known as plants containing many biologically active compounds. However, T. tagetiflora's chemical composition remains mostly unknown. Therefore, we now report the structural elucidation of two new sesquiterpene lactones, 8-angeloyloxy-2,14-epoxygermacra-4,10(1),11(13)-trien-6,12-olide (1) and 6-angeloyloxy-1-hydroxy-3,4-epoxygermacra-9,11(13)-dien-8,12-olide (2), together with three known compounds, including two norisoprenoids, (6S,9S)-vomifoliol or (6R,9R)-vomifoliol (3) and (6S,9S)-roseoside (4), and one glutinane type triterpene, epi-glutinol (5), from the leaves of T. tagetiflora. Their structures are established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, as well as ESI-MS analysis and comparison with literature data.

Hedyocoronins A and B: two new oleanane saponins from the aerial parts of Hedyotis coronaria.

Two new oleanane saponins, hedyocoronin A (1) and hedyocoronin B (2), were isolated from the aerial parts of Hedyotis coronaria (Kurz) Craib, Rubiaceae, collected at Da Oai district, Lam Dong province in Vietnam. Their chemical structures were elucidated by HR-MS, 1D and 2D-NMR spectra, along with the comparison with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1 and 2 showed weak cytotoxicity against KB and HeLa-S3 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of more than 54 µM.

Two new phenolic compounds from Boerhavia erecta collected in Vietnam.

Boerhavia erecta is a tropical plant that is widely used in Asian folk medicine. Little is known about the alpha-glucosidase inhibition and antimicrobial properties of compounds from this plant. In the present study, the phytochemical study of the aerial parts of B. erecta collected in Vietnam was conducted using multiple chromatographic methods. The chemical structures of isolated compounds were identified by comprehensive spectroscopic methods. Two new compounds, berectone C (1) and (E)-tetracosyl 3-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)acrylate (4), together with the known compounds boeravinone C (2), liquiritigenin (3), bis(1H-indol-3-yl)methanone (5), and indole-3-carboxylic acid (6) were isolated and structural elucidated. Compounds 1 and 4 were evaluated for alpha-glucosidase inhibition and antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant, pathogenic bacteria Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Compound 1 showed strong inhibition of the alpha-glucosidase enzyme (IC50 43 µg/mL). Only compound 1 exhibited antimicrobial property against A. baumannii, forming an inhibition zone of 11 mm.

Tecomastane, a new megastigmane from the flowers of Tecoma stans.

Tecoma stans is a tropical plant that is widely used in folk medicine. Little is known about the chemical constituents of flowers of this plant. From flowers of the native plant in Vietnam, 12 compounds were isolated and elucidated, including one new compound tecomastane (1) and eleven known compounds, (3S,5R,6S,7E)-5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7-megastigmane-9-one (2), bosciallin (3), chakyunglupulin B (4), (2S,6R)-2,6-dimethyloctane-1,8-diol (5), cleroindicin F (6), rengyoxide (7), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (8), methyl 3,4-dihydrobenzoate (9), 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (10), luteolin (11), and indole-3-carboxylic acid (12). Compound 5 was a new natural product. The chemical structures of isolated compounds were identified by interpretation of their spectroscopic data (1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS) and by comparison with the literature. Compounds 1-7 and 10-12 were evaluated for alpha-glucosidase inhibition and antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant, pathogenic bacteria Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Nepetifoliol - a new glutinane-triterpenoid from Leonotis nepetifolia.

A new glutinane-triterpenoid, nepetifoliol (1), together with two known compounds, dymacrin D (2), and (+)-ar-tumerone (3) were isolated from the n-hexane extract of the aerial parts of Leonotis nepetifolia. Their chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis as well as the comparison of their NMR data with the ones published in the literatures. A putative biosynthetic pathway for the formation of the new compound (anti-diaxial-5,6-diol) (1) from the precursor triterpene glutinol was proposed. Compounds (2), (3) and some previously reported ones, isolated from this extract, including 5α-stigmasta-22-ene-3-one (4), friedelin (5), chrysophanol (6), physcion (7), and 4'-O-methylalpinumisoflavone (8) were evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibition. Among tested compounds, 3 and 6 showed good activities with their IC50 values of 5.3 ± 0.2 and 4.9 ± 0.3 µg/mL, respectively, comparing to the positive control, acarbose (IC50 127.7 ± 0.2 µg/mL).

Jasminanthoside - a new pregnane-steroid from Jasminanthes tuyetanhiae.

A new pregnane steroid, jasminanthoside (1), together with three known compounds, telosmoside A7 (2), syringaresinol (3), and methyl 6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-ß-D-allopyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranoside (4) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Jasminanthes tuyetanhiae roots collected in Vietnam. Their chemical structures were elucidated by NMR and MS spectroscopic data analysis along with the comparison of their data with the published ones in the literature. Although 4 was a known compound, its full NMR data were reported for the first time. All isolated compounds, evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibition, showed activities stronger than the positive control acarbose. Among them, 1 was the best with the IC50 value of 7.41 ± 0.59 µM.

Chemical composition, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of essential oils from two Luvunga species (L. scandens and L. hongiaoensis) from Vietnam.

New essential oils (EOs) extracted from different parts of two Luvunga species (L. scandens and L. hongiaoensis) from Vietnam were investigated for their chemical composition, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity. Sixty-nine total compounds were identified in the EOs by GC/MS. The major constituent of the leaf, fruit, and root EOs from L. scandens was ß-caryophyllene (71.5%, 63.0%, and 31.5% respectively). The main compounds in L. hongiaoensis EOs were ß-elemene (34.3% in leaf oil) and caryophyllene oxide (21.2% in root oil, 19.4% in stem oil). The EO from L. scandens fruits significantly inhibited nitric oxide production on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells (IC50 = 37.95 ± 2.76 µg/mL). The EOs from L. hongiaoensis roots and L. scandens leaves and fruits exhibited cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, SK-LU-1, and HepG2 (IC50 from 49.74 ± 3.36 to 97.82 ± 8.61 µg/mL). This is the first report on L. hongiaoensis EOs and significantly complements the composition and bioactivity of L. scandens EOs.

Health staff perceptions of patient safety and associated factors in hospitals in Vietnam.

Introduction: Patient safety is a global challenge of preventing and mitigating medical errors which might harm patients during their course of treatment and care. This study was employed to contribute to the existing literature aimed to assess patient safety culture among health staff and to determine predictors of health staff perceptions of patient safety in hospitals in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals of Vietnam with a total of 763 participants. This study used the Hospital Patient Safety Scale developed by the American Health and Quality Research Organization. Results: In general, 8 of 12 patient safety dimensions in two hospital; and 10 of 12 dimensions in a third hospital had average scores of 60% and above positive responses. The communication openness and organizational learning dimensions were found to be significant different when comparing hospitals. Regarding sample characteristics, department (subclinical department) and health staff positions (nurses/technicians, pharmacists) were significant predictors in the total model including three hospitals (R2 = 0.07). Conclusion: This study reported that communication openness and organization learning are two aspects that need to be improved they are strongly related to patient safety culture and to knowledge exchange among health staff. It has been suggested that hospitals should deliver patient safety training courses and establish a supportive learning environment to improve these challenges.