Background: As smartphone becomes increasingly prevalent and affordable, more youths today can ow... more Background: As smartphone becomes increasingly prevalent and affordable, more youths today can own a smartphone device and download applications in various application stores. Smartphone applications have been proven to be useful for youths in various aspects. However, there has been a paucity of data looking into the preferences of Vietnamese youths and adolescents with regards to health-related applications and their receptiveness towards smartphone apps. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the receptiveness and preferences of healthrelated smartphone applications (mHealth apps) among online Vietnamese youths and adolescents. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted between the periods of August till October 2015 in Vietnam. Respondent-driven sampling technique (RDS) was utilized to recruit participants. Participants were asked questions about their history of downloading and using health-related smartphone applications and their receptiveness when using these applications. Moreover, socio-demographic characteristics and health status were also self-reported. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to determine associated factors. Results: Among 1028 participants, 57.4% owned a smartphone and only 14.1% of smartphone users have used a health-related smartphone application, and most of these individuals downloaded the applications for disease prevention (66.3%). 66.4% of the participants who owned these applications reported that health applications were useful and 92.8% reported being satisfied with the functionalities of the applications which they owned. Among smartphone users, people who were employed (OR = 15.46; 95%CI = 4.93-48.47) were more likely to download mHealth apps. Meanwhile, youths with higher EQ-5D index had a lower likelihood of downloading healthcare-related smartphone applications (OR = 0.17; 95%CI = 0.04-0.81). Conclusions: This study highlighted a low rate of mHealth apps utilization among online Vietnamese youths and adolescents but a high acceptance of individuals who already used these apps. Developing mHealth apps or interventions towards the disease prevention and quality of life improvement could be feasible to proliferate the benefits of such applications in youths and adolescents in Vietnam. Further research should be conducted to optimize the contents and interfaces of mHealth apps that meet the needs of these populations.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, May 16, 2019
Despite the availability of effective and safe rubella vaccines for women of childbearing age, pr... more Despite the availability of effective and safe rubella vaccines for women of childbearing age, prevention and control of congenital rubella syndrome in children remains challenging in Vietnam. In order to examine this issue, we conducted a cross-sectional study, examining the current coverage of rubella vaccination before pregnancy among 807 pregnant women and women with children under 12 months of age in urban and rural districts, Dong Da and Ba Vi, in Hanoi, Vietnam. In this population, we observed an alarming non-compliance rate with rubella vaccination before pregnancy in both localities. Among the 82.0% of participants who remained unvaccinated against this contagious viral infection, 95.8% of them were in Ba Vi district, compared to 68.0% in Dong Da district (p < 0.001). Besides the differences in age, number of children, education levels, primary occupations and monthly incomes among the participants between the two districts, other reasons for noncompliance with rubella vaccination includeddisinterest in rubella vaccination, the high cost and long distance to vaccination sites as well as unawareness of vaccination locations. In addition to addressing the unique socio-economicchallenges behind one's accessibility to vaccination services in urban and rural areas, our study supports a continued effort in ensuring proper access to and education about pre-pregnancy vaccines and vaccination among women of childbearing age in order to achieve and sustain sufficient immunization coverage of rubella and other vaccine-preventable diseases in both settings.
RationaleTo prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest immunization campaign in histo... more RationaleTo prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest immunization campaign in history had been deployed worldwide. Therefore, it is important to inform the adverse events following immunization (AEFI) to populations.ObjectivesTo prevent vaccine hesitancy, this study focused on finding the common AEFI with the COVID-19 Comirnaty vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) among participants aged 18 and above and related factors in Hanoi, Vietnam.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out to collect participants’ data and AEFI after being vaccinated at Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam, in 2021. Logistic regression was utilized for analyzing the correlated factors of AEFI.ResultsWe recruited a random sample of 820 participants who received both basic doses of Pfizer vaccine in September and October 2021. The proportion of AEFI after the first dose, second dose, and both doses of Pfizer vaccine was 24.4%, 64.2%, and 18.5%, respectively. AEFI mostly appeared within 1 day and lasted for ...
Additional file 1: Figure S1. Sepficity of the anti-fowlerstefin. The anti-fowlerstefin was produ... more Additional file 1: Figure S1. Sepficity of the anti-fowlerstefin. The anti-fowlerstefin was produced in mice by pertioneal immunizations. The specificty of the anitbody was confimed against E. coli lysate by immunblot analysis. Lane M: protein size marker; Lane 1: non-induced E. coli lysate (20 µg); Lane 2: IPTG-induced E. coli lysate (20 µg).
Additional file 2: Figure S2. Cytotoxicity assay. BV-2 cells were treated with different concentr... more Additional file 2: Figure S2. Cytotoxicity assay. BV-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of fowlersetfin and the cell cytotoxicity was assessed using the CytoTox 96® Non-radioactive cytotoxicity assay kit. PC: positive control represented 100% cell death. Assays were performed in triplicate and the mean and SD values were calculated. *P < 0.05.
Additional file 5: Fig. S2. Structural comparison between PvLDH and PfLDH. (a) Semi-transparent c... more Additional file 5: Fig. S2. Structural comparison between PvLDH and PfLDH. (a) Semi-transparent cartoon representations of PvLDH in cyan and PfLDH in orange reveal a similar overall fold with 0.06 RMSD. All functional residues are identical to the amino acids in the corresponding positions; catalytic residues (R95, D155, R158 and H182) in red spheres, the active site (K84) and cofactor-binding site (P235 and P239) in blue spheres, and the substrate-specific loop (D90–N94) in green spheres. (b) Perpendicular view of (a) shows a Rossmann fold-like subdomain, which is composed of 6 β-strands and 5 α-helices.
Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Quality validation of the PvLDH homology models. (a) Ramachandran plo... more Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Quality validation of the PvLDH homology models. (a) Ramachandran plot showing that most amino acid residues the residues (94.1%) are located in favored regions, allowed regions (5.1%), generously allowed regions (0.4%), and disallowed regions (0.4%). Red (A, B, L), yellow (a, b, l, p) and light yellow (~ a, ~ b, ~ l, ~ p) indicate the most favored regions, allowed regions, and generously allowed regions, respectively. White indicates disallowed regions. All non-glycine and non-proline residues are shown as closed black squares while glycines (non-end) are shown as closed black triangles. Disallowed residues are colored in red. (b) The ProSA energy profile [33] indicates a Z-score of − 9.82. (c) In the ERRAT plot [32], the overall quality factor is 96.74%.
Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Polymorphisms and distributions of RO33 alleles among global pfmsp-1.... more Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Polymorphisms and distributions of RO33 alleles among global pfmsp-1. (a) Sequence alignment of RO33 allelic types among global pfmsp-1. The eighteen RO33 alleles were identified in global pfmsp-1. The dots represent residues identical to the reference sequence of RO33 (AB276005). Amino acid changes were marked with reds. (b) Frequency of RO33 alleles among global pfmsp-1. PNG, Papua New Guinea.
Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide face a critical shortage of human... more Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide face a critical shortage of human resources in the health sector. Medical students are a potential task force with the capability to support the stretched health sector. This study aims to evaluate their training need for epidemic control in order to employ them effectively. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based survey from December 2019 to February 2020. There were 5,786 observations collected using the snowball sampling technique. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with training participation in epidemic prevention and disaster prevention. Multiple Poisson regression model was constructed to examine factors associated with the number of times they participated in sanitation training and disaster prevention activities in the previous 12 months. Sanitation and health education communication activities had the highest proportion of participants, with 76.5 and 38.4%, followed by examining and treating diseases in the community (13.4%). Those who participated in community activities had a higher number of times to participate in epidemic sanitation training and be involved in disaster prevention. This study informed the need for training programs to prepare medical students for COVID-19 epidemic responses. The training curriculum should include both theoretical approaches and contextual approaches to achieve efficient epidemic control.
Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng (VG), an endemic Panax species in Vietnam, possesses a ... more Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng (VG), an endemic Panax species in Vietnam, possesses a unique saponin profile and interesting biological activities. This plant is presently in danger of extinction due to over-exploitation, resulting in many preservation efforts towards the geographical acclimatization of VG. Yet, no information on the saponin content of the acclimatized VG, an important quality indicator, is available. Here, we analyzed the saponin content in the underground parts of two- to five-year-old VG plants acclimatized to Lam Dong province. Nine characteristic saponins, including notoginsenoside-R1, ginsenoside-Rg1, -Rb1, -Rd, majonoside-R1, -R2 vina-ginsenoside-R2, -R11, and pseudoginsenoside-RT4, were simultaneously determined by HPLC coupled with UV and with a charged aerosol detector (CAD). Analyzing the results illustrated that the detection of characteristic ocotillol-type saponins in VG by CAD presented a superior capacity compared with that of UV, thus imp...
This study aimed to evaluate the psychological effects of the partial lockdown on the people in V... more This study aimed to evaluate the psychological effects of the partial lockdown on the people in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire regarding attitudes toward COVID-19 along with psychological parameters, including the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was conducted. From a total of 1,382 questionnaires, the respondents reported low prevalence of depression (4.9%), anxiety (7.0%), and stress (3.4%). The mean DASS-21 scores recorded were also markedly lower compared to similar studies conducted in China, Italy, and Iran. Respondents who reported severe PTSD had significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Factors that were associated with an increased level of depression, stress, and anxiety were being single, separated, or widowed, a higher education level, a larger family size, loss of jobs and being in contact with potential COVID-19 patients. Contrary to expectations, the level of depress...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
Health personnel and community workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 emergency response a... more Health personnel and community workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 emergency response and need to be equipped with adequate knowledge related to epidemics for an effective response. This study aimed to identify the coverage of COVID-19 health information via different sources accessed by health workers and community workers in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was carried out from January to February 2020 in Vietnam. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used for recruiting participants. We utilized the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the construct validity of the questionnaire. A higher percentage of participants knew about “Clinical and pathogen characteristics of COVID-19”, compared to “Regulations and policies related to COVID-19”. The percentage of participants accessing the information on “Guidelines and policies on prevention and control of COVID-19” was the lowest, especially among medical students. “Mass media and peer-educators...
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2019
Background: Globally, people who inject drugs are highly vulnerable to HIV transmission. Methadon... more Background: Globally, people who inject drugs are highly vulnerable to HIV transmission. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs are one of the most cost-effective mechanisms to substitute opioid use and improve the quality of life of patients. Since the coverage of MMT is still limited and even for those patients who are treated, improving their knowledge on HIV and maintaining healthy behaviors are key to maximizing the outcomes of HIV harm reduction programs. This study examined the knowledge on HIV, perceived risk and HIV testing among drug users accessing methadone maintenance services in three Vietnamese mountainous areas. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 300 people enrolling for MMT services in three provinces in Vietnam was conducted. The factors associated with the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of respondents about HIV/AIDS were exploited using multivariable logistic model. Results: Of the 300-people surveyed, 99% knew of HIV and 60.6% were identified as having good knowledge. While 75.2% identified that injecting drugs was a risk factor for HIV, 52.2% thought they were not at risk of HIV mainly as they did not share needles. 92.6% had undergone HIV testing with 17.4% being positive, a number which was significantly lower than Vietnam's national average for people who inject drugs. Age, ethnicity and education were associated with knowledge of HIV while ART treatment was linked to self-assessed HIV status. Conclusions: This study sheds new light on the knowledge attitudes and practices of people who inject drugs, particularly males in mountainous areas of Vietnam regarding HIV prevention. Overall, knowledge was good with most conducting safe practices towards transmission. Enhanced education and targeting of minority groups could help in increasing the numbers receiving MMT and HIV services.
Background: Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 (PfMSP-1) and-2 (PfMSP-2) are major... more Background: Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 (PfMSP-1) and-2 (PfMSP-2) are major blood-stage vaccine candidate antigens. Understanding the genetic diversity of the genes, pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2, is important for recognizing the genetic structure of P. falciparum, and the development of an effective vaccine based on the antigens. In this study, the genetic diversities of pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in the Myanmar P. falciparum were analysed. Methods: The pfmsp-1 block 2 and pfmsp-2 block 3 regions were amplified by polymerase chain reaction from blood samples collected from Myanmar patients who were infected with P. falciparum in 2013-2015. The amplified gene fragments were cloned into a T&A vector, and sequenced. Sequence analysis of Myanmar pfmsp-1 block 2 and pfmsp-2 block 3 was performed to identify the genetic diversity of the regions. The temporal genetic changes of both pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in the Myanmar P. falciparum population, as well as the polymorphic diversity in the publicly available global pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2, were also comparatively analysed. Results: High levels of genetic diversity of pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 were observed in the Myanmar P. falciparum isolates. Twenty-eight different alleles of pfmsp-1 (8 for K1 type, 14 for MAD20 type, and 6 for RO33 type) and 59 distinct alleles of pfmsp-2 (18 for FC27, and 41 for 3D7 type) were identified in the Myanmar P. falciparum population in amino acid level. Comparative analyses of the genetic diversity of the Myanmar pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 alleles in the recent (2013-2015) and past (2004-2006) Myanmar P. falciparum populations indicated the dynamic genetic expansion of the pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in recent years, suggesting that a high level of genetic differentiation and recombination of the two genes may be maintained. Population genetic structure analysis of the global pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 also suggested that a high level of genetic diversity of the two genes was found in the global P. falciparum population. Conclusion: Despite the recent remarkable decline of malaria cases, the Myanmar P. falciparum population still remains of sufficient size to allow the generation and maintenance of genetic diversity. The high level of genetic diversity of pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in the global P. falciparum population emphasizes the necessity for continuous monitoring of the genetic diversity of the genes for better understanding of the genetic make-up and evolutionary aspect of the genes in the global P. falciparum population.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018
Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) program has been considered a medium through which human im... more Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) program has been considered a medium through which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risks assessment and prevention on drug use/HIV-infected population can be effectively conducted. Studies concerning the implementation of such idea on patients in remote, under-developed areas, however, have been limited. Having the clinics established in three mountainous provinces of Vietnam, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in knowledge of HIV, perceived risk, and HIV testing uptake of the patients. A longitudinal study was conducted at six MMT clinics in three provinces with a pre- and post-assessments among 300 patients. Outcomes of interest were compared between baseline and after 12 months. The magnitude of changes was extrapolated. The proportion of participants reporting that their HIV knowledge was not good fell by 4.4% (61.3% at the baseline vs. 56.8% at 12 months). The significant improvement seen was in the knowledge that needle sharing wa...
Background: As smartphone becomes increasingly prevalent and affordable, more youths today can ow... more Background: As smartphone becomes increasingly prevalent and affordable, more youths today can own a smartphone device and download applications in various application stores. Smartphone applications have been proven to be useful for youths in various aspects. However, there has been a paucity of data looking into the preferences of Vietnamese youths and adolescents with regards to health-related applications and their receptiveness towards smartphone apps. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the receptiveness and preferences of healthrelated smartphone applications (mHealth apps) among online Vietnamese youths and adolescents. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted between the periods of August till October 2015 in Vietnam. Respondent-driven sampling technique (RDS) was utilized to recruit participants. Participants were asked questions about their history of downloading and using health-related smartphone applications and their receptiveness when using these applications. Moreover, socio-demographic characteristics and health status were also self-reported. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to determine associated factors. Results: Among 1028 participants, 57.4% owned a smartphone and only 14.1% of smartphone users have used a health-related smartphone application, and most of these individuals downloaded the applications for disease prevention (66.3%). 66.4% of the participants who owned these applications reported that health applications were useful and 92.8% reported being satisfied with the functionalities of the applications which they owned. Among smartphone users, people who were employed (OR = 15.46; 95%CI = 4.93-48.47) were more likely to download mHealth apps. Meanwhile, youths with higher EQ-5D index had a lower likelihood of downloading healthcare-related smartphone applications (OR = 0.17; 95%CI = 0.04-0.81). Conclusions: This study highlighted a low rate of mHealth apps utilization among online Vietnamese youths and adolescents but a high acceptance of individuals who already used these apps. Developing mHealth apps or interventions towards the disease prevention and quality of life improvement could be feasible to proliferate the benefits of such applications in youths and adolescents in Vietnam. Further research should be conducted to optimize the contents and interfaces of mHealth apps that meet the needs of these populations.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, May 16, 2019
Despite the availability of effective and safe rubella vaccines for women of childbearing age, pr... more Despite the availability of effective and safe rubella vaccines for women of childbearing age, prevention and control of congenital rubella syndrome in children remains challenging in Vietnam. In order to examine this issue, we conducted a cross-sectional study, examining the current coverage of rubella vaccination before pregnancy among 807 pregnant women and women with children under 12 months of age in urban and rural districts, Dong Da and Ba Vi, in Hanoi, Vietnam. In this population, we observed an alarming non-compliance rate with rubella vaccination before pregnancy in both localities. Among the 82.0% of participants who remained unvaccinated against this contagious viral infection, 95.8% of them were in Ba Vi district, compared to 68.0% in Dong Da district (p < 0.001). Besides the differences in age, number of children, education levels, primary occupations and monthly incomes among the participants between the two districts, other reasons for noncompliance with rubella vaccination includeddisinterest in rubella vaccination, the high cost and long distance to vaccination sites as well as unawareness of vaccination locations. In addition to addressing the unique socio-economicchallenges behind one's accessibility to vaccination services in urban and rural areas, our study supports a continued effort in ensuring proper access to and education about pre-pregnancy vaccines and vaccination among women of childbearing age in order to achieve and sustain sufficient immunization coverage of rubella and other vaccine-preventable diseases in both settings.
RationaleTo prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest immunization campaign in histo... more RationaleTo prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest immunization campaign in history had been deployed worldwide. Therefore, it is important to inform the adverse events following immunization (AEFI) to populations.ObjectivesTo prevent vaccine hesitancy, this study focused on finding the common AEFI with the COVID-19 Comirnaty vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) among participants aged 18 and above and related factors in Hanoi, Vietnam.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out to collect participants’ data and AEFI after being vaccinated at Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam, in 2021. Logistic regression was utilized for analyzing the correlated factors of AEFI.ResultsWe recruited a random sample of 820 participants who received both basic doses of Pfizer vaccine in September and October 2021. The proportion of AEFI after the first dose, second dose, and both doses of Pfizer vaccine was 24.4%, 64.2%, and 18.5%, respectively. AEFI mostly appeared within 1 day and lasted for ...
Additional file 1: Figure S1. Sepficity of the anti-fowlerstefin. The anti-fowlerstefin was produ... more Additional file 1: Figure S1. Sepficity of the anti-fowlerstefin. The anti-fowlerstefin was produced in mice by pertioneal immunizations. The specificty of the anitbody was confimed against E. coli lysate by immunblot analysis. Lane M: protein size marker; Lane 1: non-induced E. coli lysate (20 µg); Lane 2: IPTG-induced E. coli lysate (20 µg).
Additional file 2: Figure S2. Cytotoxicity assay. BV-2 cells were treated with different concentr... more Additional file 2: Figure S2. Cytotoxicity assay. BV-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of fowlersetfin and the cell cytotoxicity was assessed using the CytoTox 96® Non-radioactive cytotoxicity assay kit. PC: positive control represented 100% cell death. Assays were performed in triplicate and the mean and SD values were calculated. *P < 0.05.
Additional file 5: Fig. S2. Structural comparison between PvLDH and PfLDH. (a) Semi-transparent c... more Additional file 5: Fig. S2. Structural comparison between PvLDH and PfLDH. (a) Semi-transparent cartoon representations of PvLDH in cyan and PfLDH in orange reveal a similar overall fold with 0.06 RMSD. All functional residues are identical to the amino acids in the corresponding positions; catalytic residues (R95, D155, R158 and H182) in red spheres, the active site (K84) and cofactor-binding site (P235 and P239) in blue spheres, and the substrate-specific loop (D90–N94) in green spheres. (b) Perpendicular view of (a) shows a Rossmann fold-like subdomain, which is composed of 6 β-strands and 5 α-helices.
Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Quality validation of the PvLDH homology models. (a) Ramachandran plo... more Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Quality validation of the PvLDH homology models. (a) Ramachandran plot showing that most amino acid residues the residues (94.1%) are located in favored regions, allowed regions (5.1%), generously allowed regions (0.4%), and disallowed regions (0.4%). Red (A, B, L), yellow (a, b, l, p) and light yellow (~ a, ~ b, ~ l, ~ p) indicate the most favored regions, allowed regions, and generously allowed regions, respectively. White indicates disallowed regions. All non-glycine and non-proline residues are shown as closed black squares while glycines (non-end) are shown as closed black triangles. Disallowed residues are colored in red. (b) The ProSA energy profile [33] indicates a Z-score of − 9.82. (c) In the ERRAT plot [32], the overall quality factor is 96.74%.
Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Polymorphisms and distributions of RO33 alleles among global pfmsp-1.... more Additional file 4: Fig. S1. Polymorphisms and distributions of RO33 alleles among global pfmsp-1. (a) Sequence alignment of RO33 allelic types among global pfmsp-1. The eighteen RO33 alleles were identified in global pfmsp-1. The dots represent residues identical to the reference sequence of RO33 (AB276005). Amino acid changes were marked with reds. (b) Frequency of RO33 alleles among global pfmsp-1. PNG, Papua New Guinea.
Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide face a critical shortage of human... more Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide face a critical shortage of human resources in the health sector. Medical students are a potential task force with the capability to support the stretched health sector. This study aims to evaluate their training need for epidemic control in order to employ them effectively. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based survey from December 2019 to February 2020. There were 5,786 observations collected using the snowball sampling technique. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with training participation in epidemic prevention and disaster prevention. Multiple Poisson regression model was constructed to examine factors associated with the number of times they participated in sanitation training and disaster prevention activities in the previous 12 months. Sanitation and health education communication activities had the highest proportion of participants, with 76.5 and 38.4%, followed by examining and treating diseases in the community (13.4%). Those who participated in community activities had a higher number of times to participate in epidemic sanitation training and be involved in disaster prevention. This study informed the need for training programs to prepare medical students for COVID-19 epidemic responses. The training curriculum should include both theoretical approaches and contextual approaches to achieve efficient epidemic control.
Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng (VG), an endemic Panax species in Vietnam, possesses a ... more Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng (VG), an endemic Panax species in Vietnam, possesses a unique saponin profile and interesting biological activities. This plant is presently in danger of extinction due to over-exploitation, resulting in many preservation efforts towards the geographical acclimatization of VG. Yet, no information on the saponin content of the acclimatized VG, an important quality indicator, is available. Here, we analyzed the saponin content in the underground parts of two- to five-year-old VG plants acclimatized to Lam Dong province. Nine characteristic saponins, including notoginsenoside-R1, ginsenoside-Rg1, -Rb1, -Rd, majonoside-R1, -R2 vina-ginsenoside-R2, -R11, and pseudoginsenoside-RT4, were simultaneously determined by HPLC coupled with UV and with a charged aerosol detector (CAD). Analyzing the results illustrated that the detection of characteristic ocotillol-type saponins in VG by CAD presented a superior capacity compared with that of UV, thus imp...
This study aimed to evaluate the psychological effects of the partial lockdown on the people in V... more This study aimed to evaluate the psychological effects of the partial lockdown on the people in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire regarding attitudes toward COVID-19 along with psychological parameters, including the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was conducted. From a total of 1,382 questionnaires, the respondents reported low prevalence of depression (4.9%), anxiety (7.0%), and stress (3.4%). The mean DASS-21 scores recorded were also markedly lower compared to similar studies conducted in China, Italy, and Iran. Respondents who reported severe PTSD had significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Factors that were associated with an increased level of depression, stress, and anxiety were being single, separated, or widowed, a higher education level, a larger family size, loss of jobs and being in contact with potential COVID-19 patients. Contrary to expectations, the level of depress...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
Health personnel and community workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 emergency response a... more Health personnel and community workers are at the front line of the COVID-19 emergency response and need to be equipped with adequate knowledge related to epidemics for an effective response. This study aimed to identify the coverage of COVID-19 health information via different sources accessed by health workers and community workers in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was carried out from January to February 2020 in Vietnam. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used for recruiting participants. We utilized the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the construct validity of the questionnaire. A higher percentage of participants knew about “Clinical and pathogen characteristics of COVID-19”, compared to “Regulations and policies related to COVID-19”. The percentage of participants accessing the information on “Guidelines and policies on prevention and control of COVID-19” was the lowest, especially among medical students. “Mass media and peer-educators...
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2019
Background: Globally, people who inject drugs are highly vulnerable to HIV transmission. Methadon... more Background: Globally, people who inject drugs are highly vulnerable to HIV transmission. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs are one of the most cost-effective mechanisms to substitute opioid use and improve the quality of life of patients. Since the coverage of MMT is still limited and even for those patients who are treated, improving their knowledge on HIV and maintaining healthy behaviors are key to maximizing the outcomes of HIV harm reduction programs. This study examined the knowledge on HIV, perceived risk and HIV testing among drug users accessing methadone maintenance services in three Vietnamese mountainous areas. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 300 people enrolling for MMT services in three provinces in Vietnam was conducted. The factors associated with the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of respondents about HIV/AIDS were exploited using multivariable logistic model. Results: Of the 300-people surveyed, 99% knew of HIV and 60.6% were identified as having good knowledge. While 75.2% identified that injecting drugs was a risk factor for HIV, 52.2% thought they were not at risk of HIV mainly as they did not share needles. 92.6% had undergone HIV testing with 17.4% being positive, a number which was significantly lower than Vietnam's national average for people who inject drugs. Age, ethnicity and education were associated with knowledge of HIV while ART treatment was linked to self-assessed HIV status. Conclusions: This study sheds new light on the knowledge attitudes and practices of people who inject drugs, particularly males in mountainous areas of Vietnam regarding HIV prevention. Overall, knowledge was good with most conducting safe practices towards transmission. Enhanced education and targeting of minority groups could help in increasing the numbers receiving MMT and HIV services.
Background: Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 (PfMSP-1) and-2 (PfMSP-2) are major... more Background: Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 (PfMSP-1) and-2 (PfMSP-2) are major blood-stage vaccine candidate antigens. Understanding the genetic diversity of the genes, pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2, is important for recognizing the genetic structure of P. falciparum, and the development of an effective vaccine based on the antigens. In this study, the genetic diversities of pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in the Myanmar P. falciparum were analysed. Methods: The pfmsp-1 block 2 and pfmsp-2 block 3 regions were amplified by polymerase chain reaction from blood samples collected from Myanmar patients who were infected with P. falciparum in 2013-2015. The amplified gene fragments were cloned into a T&A vector, and sequenced. Sequence analysis of Myanmar pfmsp-1 block 2 and pfmsp-2 block 3 was performed to identify the genetic diversity of the regions. The temporal genetic changes of both pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in the Myanmar P. falciparum population, as well as the polymorphic diversity in the publicly available global pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2, were also comparatively analysed. Results: High levels of genetic diversity of pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 were observed in the Myanmar P. falciparum isolates. Twenty-eight different alleles of pfmsp-1 (8 for K1 type, 14 for MAD20 type, and 6 for RO33 type) and 59 distinct alleles of pfmsp-2 (18 for FC27, and 41 for 3D7 type) were identified in the Myanmar P. falciparum population in amino acid level. Comparative analyses of the genetic diversity of the Myanmar pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 alleles in the recent (2013-2015) and past (2004-2006) Myanmar P. falciparum populations indicated the dynamic genetic expansion of the pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in recent years, suggesting that a high level of genetic differentiation and recombination of the two genes may be maintained. Population genetic structure analysis of the global pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 also suggested that a high level of genetic diversity of the two genes was found in the global P. falciparum population. Conclusion: Despite the recent remarkable decline of malaria cases, the Myanmar P. falciparum population still remains of sufficient size to allow the generation and maintenance of genetic diversity. The high level of genetic diversity of pfmsp-1 and pfmsp-2 in the global P. falciparum population emphasizes the necessity for continuous monitoring of the genetic diversity of the genes for better understanding of the genetic make-up and evolutionary aspect of the genes in the global P. falciparum population.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018
Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) program has been considered a medium through which human im... more Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) program has been considered a medium through which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risks assessment and prevention on drug use/HIV-infected population can be effectively conducted. Studies concerning the implementation of such idea on patients in remote, under-developed areas, however, have been limited. Having the clinics established in three mountainous provinces of Vietnam, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in knowledge of HIV, perceived risk, and HIV testing uptake of the patients. A longitudinal study was conducted at six MMT clinics in three provinces with a pre- and post-assessments among 300 patients. Outcomes of interest were compared between baseline and after 12 months. The magnitude of changes was extrapolated. The proportion of participants reporting that their HIV knowledge was not good fell by 4.4% (61.3% at the baseline vs. 56.8% at 12 months). The significant improvement seen was in the knowledge that needle sharing wa...
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