Longitudinal visual outcomes in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: the role of early prognostic indicators and risk stratification in disease management.

Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is increasingly prevalent, yet longitudinal outcome data are scarce. This study aimed to characterise demographic and longitudinal clinical changes in a cohort of patients with IIH.

Methods: Retrospective cohort analysis on adult patients diagnosed with IIH (Friedman criteria) enrolled in the neuro-ophthalmology database (NODE) across two tertiary centres.

Tracing carriage, acquisition, and transmission of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli over two years in a tertiary care hospital.

Background: The impact of community carriage on the influx of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) into hospitals remains understudied. In this prospective 2-year single-centre study, we investigate the community ESBL-E influx and trace the colonisation, nosocomial acquisition, transmission, and infection dynamics of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) in non-ICU wards at a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: This study reports primary and post hoc outcomes of the clinical trial NCT01208519 in which hospitalised patients were screened for rectal carriage of ESBL-E.

Z-number based fuzzy MCDM models for analyzing non-traditional security threats to finance supply chains: A case study from Vietnam.

Non-traditional security (NTS) threats have a vast and profound impact on many aspects of economic, political, social, and many other areas, especially supply chain finance (SCF), particularly in countries like Vietnam, which potentially affects the economic efficiency of businesses' supply chain financial, thereby affecting the general economy of the country and the world. In order to prevent and minimize the negative impacts caused by NTS threats to SCF, this study was conducted to identify NTS threats affecting SCF in Vietnam, at the same time calculate the weight of the impact level and find out the cause and effect relationship between them. Solution strategies are also proposed and ranked, thereby serving as a reference basis for relevant parties to choose appropriate response solutions.

Pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B virus infection at the assessment of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate prescription: Baseline characteristics of a prospective cohort study in Vietnam.

Objectives: We aimed to determine epidemiological characteristics and serologic markers among chronically hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected pregnant women during the assessment of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) prescription in Vietnam.

Methods: We consecutively recruited 375 pregnant women with chronic HBV (cHBV) infection at week 25±2 of pregnancy, at which time they were assessed for TDF use as pre-prophylaxis and/or pre-treatment at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in southern Vietnam during December 2019-April 2021. Demographic characteristics, serological biomarkers, and prenatal liver ultrasounds were obtained through interviews and reviews of medical records.

Advanced cellulose-based hydrogel TiO catalyst composites for efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic dye methylene blue.

Sustainable cellulose-based hydrogels are used in medicine and environmental science. Hydrogels' porosity makes them excellent adsorbents and stable substrates for immobilizing photocatalysts to remove organic dyes. Despite their potential, the implementation of hydrogels for this purpose is still limited due to their high synthesis temperature and low cellulose content.

Mother-to-Child Transmission of HBV Infection by Preventive Interventions in Southern Vietnam's Hospitals.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for pregnant women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) presenting with HBV DNA levels of 106 copies/mL or more to hinder mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Moreover, it is suggested that neonates of HBV-infected mothers receive an HBV vaccine birth dose within 24 hours of birth to mitigate transmission risk.

Methodology: The study included 661 HBV-infected pregnant women and 316 infants from 3 hospitals in Southern Vietnam between October 2019 and November 2020.

HBeAg testing is better than quantitative HBsAg assay as an alternative to HBV DNA assay among HBV-infected pregnant women.

Introduction: Using tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is recommended in the 3rd trimester for pregnant women with HBV DNA ≥ 200,000 IU/mL to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, HBV DNA quantification is unavailable in many resource-limited areas worldwide, hence prophylaxis is often missed. The aim of this study was to determine whether HBeAg or qHBsAg is a better alternative to HBV DNA testing in HBV-infected pregnant women.

Removal of Acid Orange G Azo Dye by Polycation-Modified Alpha Alumina Nanoparticles.

Highly positively charged poly(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride) (PVBMA) was successfully synthesized with approximately 82% of yield. The PVBMA was characterized by the molecular weight (M ) of 343.45 g mol and the molecular weight distribution, (Đ) of 2.

Synthesis of heated aluminum oxide particles impregnated with Prussian blue for cesium and natural organic matter adsorption: Experimental and machine learning modeling.

Heated aluminum oxide particles impregnated with Prussian blue (HAOPs-PB) are synthesized for the first time using different molar ratios of aluminum sulfate and PB to improve the adsorption of cesium (Cs) and natural organic matter (NOM) from an aqueous solution. The Cs adsorption from various aqueous solutions, including surface, tap and deionized water by synthesized HAOPs-PB, is investigated. The influencing factors such as HAOPs-PB mixing ratio, pH and dosage are studied.

Predictive modeling of pharmaceutical product removal by a managed aquifer recharge system: Comparison and optimization of models using ensemble learners.

Pharmaceutical products (PPs) are emerging water pollutants with adverse environmental and health-related impacts, owing to their toxic, persistent, and undetectable microscopic nature. Globally, increasing scientific knowledge and advanced technologies have allowed researchers to study PP-associated problems and their removal for water reuse. Experimental modeling methods require laborious, lengthy, expensive, and environmentally hazardous lab-work to optimize the process.

Plastic pollution in the surface water in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Plastic pollution in the ocean primarily originates from the land-derived mismanaged plastic waste that is transported by rivers. This study aimed to estimate the plastic litter generation in the surface water in Jakarta and Indonesia. A field survey was conducted at six riverine sampling points (upstream to downstream) and three holding facilities of the litter in Jakarta during the rainy season.

Convergence of virulence and antimicrobial resistance in increasingly prevalent Escherichia coli ST131 papGII+ sublineages.

Escherichia coli lineage ST131 is an important cause of urinary tract and bloodstream infections worldwide and is highly resistant to antimicrobials. Specific ST131 lineages carrying invasiveness-associated papGII pathogenicity islands (PAIs) were previously described, but it is unknown how invasiveness relates to the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this study, we analysed 1638 ST131 genomes and found that papGII+ isolates carry significantly more AMR genes than papGII-negative isolates, suggesting a convergence of virulence and AMR.

Impoverishing effect of tobacco use in Vietnam.

Background: Tobacco consumption places a significant economic burden on households, which is particularly severe in developing countries like Vietnam. In a country where the social insurance system is weak and healthcare is often expensive, tobacco-consuming households may face a higher risk of living in poverty. Some evidence on the social consequences of tobacco consumption suggests that it might aggravate poverty and inequality in Vietnam; however, to the best of our knowledge, no research provides a reliable estimate of the impoverishing effect of tobacco use in the country thus far.

Treating reverse osmosis concentrate to address scaling and fouling problems in zero-liquid discharge systems: A scientometric review of global trends.

Currently, reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) treatment is one of the most promising techniques for its disposal because it produces freshwater with high recovery and valuable materials such as salts and reduces waste volume and environmental pollution. Public attention to the severe consequences of water pollution and strict environmental regulations on wastewater discharge has pushed water-polluting industries toward zero-liquid discharge (ZLD). However, scaling and fouling problems increase energy consumption and limit permeate flux at high salt concentrations, mainly due to calcium, magnesium, and silica precipitation, ultimately decreasing ZLD performance.

Mobility of antimicrobial resistance across serovars and disease presentations in non-typhoidal from animals and humans in Vietnam.

Non-typhoidal (NTS) is a major cause of bacterial enterocolitis globally but also causes invasive bloodstream infections. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) hampers the treatment of these infections and understanding how AMR spreads between NTS may help in developing effective strategies. We investigated NTS isolates associated with invasive disease, diarrhoeal disease and asymptomatic carriage in animals and humans from Vietnam.

Effect of a peer-led education intervention on dietary behaviour and physical activity among adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: a pilot study.

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of peer-led education intervention on physical activity, sedentary behaviours, and dietary behaviours among adolescents in HCM city, Vietnam. Among students in the intervention arm after a 9-month follow-up, total energy intake was reduced by 304 kcal/day, fat by 13 g/day, carbohydrate by 39 g/day, and sweet foods by 20 g/day, compared to pre-intervention figures (p < 0.05, adjusted for age, BMI at baseline, gender, the interaction between measurement time and intervention groups, and cluster effect in schools).

Establishment of an in-house real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 using the first World Health Organization international standard in a resource-limited country.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains public health burdens and many unresolved issues worldwide. Molecular assays based on real-time RT-PCR are critical for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical specimens from patients suspected of COVID-19.

Objective: We aimed to establish and validate an in-house real-time RT-PCR for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Unattended automated office blood pressure in living donor kidney transplant recipients.

Purpose: Hypertension is common in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). For the evaluation of blood pressure (BP), 24-h ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM) are considered superior to usual office measurements but are also resource demanding and troublesome to many patients. We therefore evaluated the use of unattended automated office BP (AOBP) during the first year following living donor kidney transplantation and compared AOBP with ABPM as obtained 12 months after transplantation.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes related to Zika virus in pregnant women in Southern Vietnam: An epidemiological and virological prospective analysis.

Background: In 2016-2017, 68 women in Southern Vietnam had RT-PCR confirmed Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy. We report here the outcomes of the pregnancies and the virological analyses related to this outbreak.

Methods: We collected clinical and epidemiological information from the women who were enrolled in the study.

Prior administration of chocolate improves the palatability of bitter drugs: The Choc-with-Med study.

Aim: The paediatric population has a low adherence and acceptance rate of unpalatable medicines. This study aimed to determine whether eating chocolate immediately prior to drug administration would help to mask the bitter taste of a drug. The difference in taste masking efficacy between white, milk and dark chocolate was a secondary measure outcome.