Association of public health interventions and COVID-19 incidence in Vietnam, January to December 2020.

Background: Vietnam implemented various public health interventions such as contact tracing and testing, mandatory quarantine, and lockdowns in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the effects of these measures on the epidemic remain unclear.

Methods: This article describes the public health interventions in relation to COVID-19 incidence.

Guaianolide sesquiterpenes and benzoate esters from the aerial parts of Siegesbeckia orientalis L. and their xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity.

Five undescribed (four guaianolide sesquiterpenes and a benzoate ester derivative) and seven known compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of S. orientalis L. Their chemical structures were determined by extensive analysis of HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopic methods.

Association between heavy metals, high-sensitivity C-reaction protein and 10-year risk of cardiovascular diseases among adult Korean population.

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Korea tends to be increasing. It has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing evidence shows heavy metals are associated with increased CVD risk.

Body weight perception outweighs body weight when predicting shame, criticism, depression and anxiety for lower BMI range and higher BMI range adults.

This study examined the relationship between body weight shame, self-criticism and mental health for individuals across body weight ranges. In total 1695 participants completed a series of online measures and we used Structural Equation Modelling, to assess for the relationship between weight, perceived weight, social rank (social comparison, body weight shame, submissiveness) self-criticism (inadequate and self-hatred) and anxious and depressive symptoms. Results indicated that perceived body weight is more important than actual body weight in predicting body weight shame.

Linh Phu Khang Tue Tinh inhibited prostate proliferation in rats induced benign prostatic hyperplasia by testosterone propionate.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the hyperproliferation of the stromal and the epithelial cells within the prostatic transition zone. In recent years, phytotherapy have been studied with the concern for increasing quality of life, improving lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as well as reducing prostate volume and the frequency of adverse events was similar to that of placebo. Linh Phu Khang Tue Tinh (LPKTT) capsules are formulated from 4 herbs widely used in traditional Vietnamese medicine - Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.

Feedback, Crosstalk and Competition: Ingredients for Emergent Non-Linear Behaviour in the PI3K/mTOR Signalling Network.

The PI3K/mTOR signalling pathway plays a central role in the governing of cell growth, survival and metabolism. As such, it must integrate and decode information from both external and internal sources to guide efficient decision-making by the cell. To facilitate this, the pathway has evolved an intricate web of complex regulatory mechanisms and elaborate crosstalk with neighbouring signalling pathways, making it a highly non-linear system.

Phenotypic and genotypic features of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage 1 subgroup in central Vietnam.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has different features depending on different geographic areas. We collected Mtb strains from patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis in Da Nang, central Vietnam. Using a whole genome sequencing platform, including genome assembly complemented by long-read-sequencing data, genomic characteristics were studied.

The Role of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Toxigenic Clostridium tetani Infection: A Case-Control Study.

Tetanus arises from wound contamination with Clostridium tetani, but approximately one fifth of patients have no discernable entry wound. Clostridium tetani is culturable from animal feces, suggesting the gastrointestinal tract could be an endogenous reservoir or direct-entry portal, but human data are lacking. In this study of 101 Vietnamese adults with tetanus and 29 hospitalized control subjects, admission stool samples were cultured for C.

Anti-inflammatory norclerodane diterpenoids and tetrahydrophenanthrene from the leaves and stems of Dioscorea bulbifera.

Chemical investigation of the leaves and stems of Dioscorea bulbifera resulted in isolation of 10 compounds, including three new norclerodane diterpenoids, diosbulbiferins A (1) and B (2) and diosbulbiferinoside A (3), and one new natural congener, diosbulbiferin C (4), along with one new tetrahydrophenanthrene, diosbulbinone (8). Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive analyses of spectroscopic methods, including NMR and mass spectra. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-3 and 8 were deduced by time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopic analyses.

Prolactin and Its Altered Action in Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Prolactin (PRL) is one of the most diverse pituitary hormones and is known to modulate normal neuronal function and neurodegenerative conditions. Many studies have described the influence that PRL has on the central nervous system and addressed its contribution to neurodegeneration, but little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the effects of PRL on neurodegenerative disorders, especially on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).

Summary: We review and summarize the existing literature and current understanding of the roles of PRL on various PRL aspects of AD and PD.

In Situ Tumor Vaccination with Nanoparticle Co-Delivering CpG and STAT3 siRNA to Effectively Induce Whole-Body Antitumor Immune Response.

The success of immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in a subset of individuals has been very exciting. However, in many cancers, responses to current ICIs are modest and are seen only in a small subsets of patients. Herein, a widely applicable approach that increases the benefit of ICIs is reported.

Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Reduce SARS-CoV2-Induced Inflammatory Cytokines Under High Glucose and Uremic Toxin Conditions.

Cytokine storm is recognized as one of the factors contributing to organ failures and mortality in patients with COVID-19. Due to chronic inflammation, COVID-19 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) or renal disease (RD) have more severe symptoms and higher mortality. However, the factors that contribute to severe outcomes of COVID-19 patients with DM and RD have received little attention.

Successful containment of a flight-imported COVID-19 outbreak through extensive contact tracing, systematic testing and mandatory quarantine: Lessons from Vietnam.

Background: The importation of SARS-CoV-2 through air travel poses substantial risks to generate new COVID-19 outbreaks. Timely contact tracing is particularly crucial to limit onwards transmission in settings without established community transmission.

Methods: We conducted an in-depth analysis of the response to a big flight-associated COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam in March 2020 that involved contact tracing, systematic testing and strict quarantine up to third generation contacts.

Two-Dimensional Boron Phosphide/MoGeN van der Waals Heterostructure: A Promising Tunable Optoelectronic Material.

A van der Waals (VDW) heterostructure offers an effective strategy to create designer physical properties in vertically stacked two-dimensional (2D) materials, and offers a new paradigm in designing novel 2D heterostructure devices. In this work, we investigate the structural and electronic features of the BP/MoGeN heterostructure. We show that the BP/MoGeN heterostructure exists in a multiple structurally stable stacking configuration, thus revealing the experimental feasibility of fabricating such heterostructures.

Structural barriers for retention of HIV/AIDS patients after initiating antiretroviral therapy in outpatient clinics of Vietnam.

Little evidence is available about structural factors associated with the retention in care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) in Vietnam. This retrospective longitudinal study was conducted among PLWH initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 62 ART clinics from 15 provinces, to estimate retention rates and identify specific related structural factors. Facility-related factors such as location, duration of HIV service implantation, level of healthcare facility, frequency of drugs dispensed, integration of HIV care were examined.

Antibacterial activity of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. red flower against antibiotic-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori and identification of the flower constituents.

Utilization of plant resources for treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections is one of the appealing approaches as rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains is occurring throughout the world. Ethanol extract and its fractions from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis red flower were assessed for antibacterial and urease inhibitory activities towards forty-three clinical strains and two reference strains of H. pylori.

EGR1 Addiction in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

Early growth response gene (EGR1) is a transcription factor known to be a downstream effector of B-cell receptor signaling and Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) signaling in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). While EGR1 is characterized as a tumor suppressor in leukemia and multiple myeloma, the role of EGR1 in lymphoma is unknown. Here we demonstrate that EGR1 is a potential oncogene that promotes cell proliferation in DLBCL.

Timeliness of contact tracing among flight passengers during the COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam.

Background: International air travel plays an important role in the global spread of SARS-CoV-2, and tracing of close contacts is an integral part of the public health response to COVID-19. We aimed to assess the timeliness of contact tracing among airline passengers arriving in Vietnam on flights containing COVID-19 cases and investigated factors associated with timeliness of contact tracing.

Methods: We included data from 2228 passengers on 22 incoming flights between 2 and 19 March 2020.

Age-Dependent Sensitivity to the Neurotoxic Environmental Metabolite, 1,2-Diacetylbenzene.

1,2-Diacetylbenzene (DAB) is a metabolite of 1,2-diethylbenzene, which is commonly used in the manufacture of plastics and gasoline. We examined the neurotoxic effects of DAB in young and old rats, particularly its effects on hippocampus. Previously, we reported DAB impairs hippocampal neurogenesis but that the underlying mechanism remained unclear.

Fixel-Based Analysis of White Matter Degeneration in Patients With Progressive Supranuclear Palsy or Multiple System Atrophy, as Compared to Parkinson's Disease.

White matter degeneration may contribute to clinical symptoms of parkinsonism. We used fixel-based analysis (FBA) to compare the extent and patterns of white matter degeneration in different parkinsonian syndromes-including idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). This is a retrospective interpretation of prospectively acquired data of patients recruited in previous studies during 2008 and 2019.

Mapping the deforestation footprint of nations reveals growing threat to tropical forests.

Deforestation, a significant threat to biodiversity, is accelerated by global demand for commodities. Although prior literature has linked deforestation to global supply chains, here we provide a fine-scale representation of spatial patterns of deforestation associated with international trade. Using remote sensing data and a multi-region input-output model, we quantify and map the spatiotemporal changes in global deforestation footprints over 15 years (2001-2015) at a 30-m resolution.

Automatic inference of demographic parameters using generative adversarial networks.

Population genetics relies heavily on simulated data for validation, inference and intuition. In particular, since the evolutionary 'ground truth' for real data is always limited, simulated data are crucial for training supervised machine learning methods. Simulation software can accurately model evolutionary processes but requires many hand-selected input parameters.