Study protocol for a duration-randomized clinical trial to determine the optimal length of treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis with a 5-drug regimen: The DRAMATIC trial.

Background: Current guidelines for the treatment of multidrug-resistant/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) are based on clinical trials evaluating fixed duration regimens. However, when a regimen succeeds, it remains unknown whether a shorter duration could yield the same results. Similarly, if a regimen fails, it is unclear whether extending the treatment could improve outcomes.

Solid-State Synthesis Enables Enhanced Crystallinity and Tunable Optical Properties in Lanthanum Oxytelluride.

Elucidating synthetic parameters to produce crystalline solid-state materials with specific properties remains an outstanding obstacle. Oxychalcogenide materials present their own challenges; gaseous reagents are difficult to control and quantify, and reactions cannot be monitored in situ at elevated temperatures. In this paper, we aim to address the lack of fundamental understanding of oxychalcogenides through the synthesis of LaOTe, by two different routes: traditional solid-state and hydrogen gas-assisted methods.

Carboxymethylnaringenin: a promising antioxidant in the aqueous physiological environment.

The synthetic naringenin derivative (2S)-8-carboxymethylnaringenin () was developed for the treatment of bacterial and viral respiratory infections. There are indications that may act as an antioxidant, however, no studies have been conducted in this regard. This work is aimed at assessing the antiradical capacity of against various physiologically relevant species in physiological environments by using thermodynamic and kinetic calculations.

Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling of tuberculosis in Vietnam: Insights from a local-area analysis.

Spatial analysis and disease mapping have the potential to enhance understanding of tuberculosis (TB) dynamics, whose spatial dynamics may be complicated by the mix of short and long-range transmission and long latency periods. TB notifications in Nam Dinh Province for individuals aged 15 and older from 2013 to 2022 were analyzed with a variety of spatio-temporal methods. The study commenced with an analysis of spatial autocorrelation to identify clustering patterns, followed by the evaluation of several candidate Bayesian spatio-temporal models.

Facilitators and Barriers to Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Adherence and Retention Among Young Men Who have Sex With Men: A Meta-Ethnographic Scoping Review.

Retention and adherence to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are critical for effective HIV prevention; however, YMSM exhibit lower rates of both compared to other populations. This is important because young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are at higher risk for HIV, and understanding their challenges can help create better support and interventions. This scoping review synthesizes evidence on the facilitators and barriers to HIV PrEP retention and adherence among YMSM, focusing on individuals aged 10 to 29 years.

Selection of Lactobacillus strains from native chicken feces for the fermentation of purple onion ( L.) as an antibiotic alternative against spp. in chickens.

Background: The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in poultry pathogens necessitates the development of sustainable alternatives to antibiotics. Probiotics, particularly spp., have shown promise in combating bacterial infections in poultry.

Unlocking new possibility of FeO@C@Ag nanostructures as an advanced SERS substrate for ultrasensitive detection of low-cross-section urea biomolecules.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is widely recognized as a powerful analytical technique, offering molecular identification by amplifying characteristic vibrational signals, even at the single-molecule level. While SERS has been successfully applied for a wide range of targets including pesticides, dyes, bacteria, and pharmaceuticals, it has struggled with the detection of molecules with inherently low Raman scattering cross-sections. Urea, a key nitrogen-containing biomolecule and the diamide of carbonic acid, is a prime example of such a challenging target.

Health-related Quality of Life Among Comorbidity Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension.

Background: Evaluating the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients with hypertension and diabetes is vital for improving treatment adherence and outcomes.

Objective: This study assessed HRQoL and its influencing factors among patients with both type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension at Can Tho Hospital, Vietnam.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 310 outpatients at the polyclinic, using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) between July 2021 and July 2022.

Innovative multi-criteria risk assessment framework for unsanitary, closed landfills: Integrating the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process with a weighted geometric mean approach.

In the past, unsanitary landfills were a common method for municipal solid waste disposal in developing countries. Although many nations have closed these landfills, the environmental pollution risks and impacts persist. This study introduces a new multi-criteria risk assessment framework specifically designed for closed, unsanitary landfills.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Corticosteroids Use Among Patients With Chronic Rheumatology Condition: A Cross-Sectional Study From Vietnam.

Objectives: To identify gaps in knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the use of corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) among patients with chronic rheumatic diseases.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire including 12 knowledge questions, 13 attitude assessment statements, 5 barrier assessment statements, and 7 practical scenarios. We counted the total numbers of correct answers in knowledge, positive attitudes, barriers, and appropriate practices and fitted using Poisson regression to examine factors associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

Multimodality Imaging Supports Cardiac Lesion Diagnosis in Patient With Liver Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Introduction: Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is a rare cardiac manifestation in patients with advanced malignancies of the lungs, pancreas, gynecological system, and gastrointestinal tract. It is often confirmed postmortem by histopathological evidence of sterile platelet-fibrin deposits attached to the endocardium, most often on heart valves. To the best of our knowledge, our case is the first to report multiple heart lesions caused by the systemic effect of cholangiocarcinoma.

PRMT1-mediated methylation regulates MLL2 stability and gene expression.

The interplay between multiple transcription factors precisely regulates eukaryotic transcription. Here, we report that the protein methyltransferases, MLL2/KMT2B and PRMT1, interact directly and act collectively to regulate gene expression. PRMT1 binds to the N-terminal region of MLL2, considered an intrinsically disordered region, and methylates multiple arginine residues within its RGG/RG motifs.

Levofloxacin for the Prevention of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Vietnam.

Background: Prevention of drug-resistant tuberculosis is a global health priority. However, trials evaluating the effectiveness of treating infection among contacts of persons with drug-resistant tuberculosis are lacking.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial comparing 6 months of daily levofloxacin (weight-based doses) with placebo to treat infection.

The Effectiveness of Afatinib as First-Line Treatment in Vietnamese Patients With EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Brain Metastases.

Introduction: The role of afatinib in the first-line treatment of EGFR-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been proven through clinical trials and real-world studies. However, additional data on the effectiveness of afatinib in patients with brain metastases are lacking.

Methods: EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with brain metastases were retrospectively reviewed across nine cancer centers in Vietnam from April 1, 2018 to June 1, 2022.

Costing curative outpatient care for the poorest in Burkina Faso: informing universal health coverage and leaving no one behind.

Introduction: The poorest in Burkina Faso face numerous barriers to healthcare access, including financial and geographic obstacles, as well as a high burden of chronic conditions and multimorbidity. This study estimates the average cost of providing curative outpatient consultations at first-level healthcare facilities to the poorest in Burkina Faso. It also estimates the budgetary impact of scaling up free access to these services nationwide.

The radical scavenging activity of 1-methyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide: theoretical insights into the mechanism, kinetics and solvent effects.

1,4-Dihydronicotinamide derivatives, including 1-methyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (MNAH), are derivatives of the active center of nicotinamide coenzyme (NADH) and are therefore potent radical scavengers. MNAH serves as a useful model of NADH that allows for modeling studies to address the activity of this important biomolecule. In this work, MNAH activity was evaluated against typical free radicals using quantum chemical calculations in physiological environments, with a secondary aim of comparing activity against two physiologically relevant radicals of markedly different stability, HO˙, and HOO˙, to establish which of these is a better model for assessing antioxidant capacity in physiological environments.

Emergency esophagectomy for esophageal perforation following balloon dilation due to stenosis post-endoscopic submucosal dissection for esophageal cancer: a case report.

Introduction And Importance: Esophageal perforation from endoscopic dilation is rare (0.53-0.6% incidence) but serious, with mortality rates of 12.

Urine lipoarabinomannan concentrations among HIV-negative adults with pulmonary or extrapulmonary tuberculosis disease in Vietnam.

Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a promising target biomarker for diagnosing subclinical and clinical tuberculosis (TB). Urine LAM (uLAM) testing using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has been approved for people living with HIV (PLWH), however there is limited data regarding uLAM levels in HIV-negative (HIV-ve) adults with clinical TB. We conducted a clinical study of adults presenting with clinical TB-related symptoms at the National Lung Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam.