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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global health concern. The development of vaccines with high immunogenicity and safety is crucial for controlling the global COVID-19 pandemic and preventing further illness and fatalities. Here, we report the development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, Nanocovax, based on recombinant protein production of the extracellular (soluble) portion of the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that Nanocovax induced high levels of S protein-specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies in three animal models: BALB/c mouse, Syrian hamster, and a non-human primate ( Macaca leonina ). In addition, a viral challenge study using the hamster model showed that Nanocovax protected the upper respiratory tract from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nanocovax did not induce any adverse effects in mice ( Mus musculus var. albino) and rats ( Rattus norvegicus ). These preclinical results indicate that Nanocovax is safe and effective.

The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a dire global health concern. The development of vaccines with high immunogenicity and safety is crucial for control of the global COVID-19 pandemic and prevention of further illness and fatalities. Here, we report development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, Nanocovax, based on recombinant protein production of the extracellular (soluble) portion of the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that Nanocovax induced high levels of S protein-specific IgG, as well neutralizing antibody in three animal models including Balb/C mice, Syrian hamsters, and non-human primate (Macaca leonina). In addition, the viral challenge study using the hamster model showed that Nanocovax protected the upper respiratory tract from SARS-CoV-2 infection. No adverse effects were induced by Nanocovax in swiss mice (Musmusculus var. Albino), Rats (Rattus norvegicus), and New Zealand rabbits. These pre-clinical results indicated that Nanocovax is safe and effective Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

A rhodium catalyst generated from ClRh[P((CH2)2(CF 2)n−1CF3)3]3 (n = 6, 8) was used to catalyze the hydrosilylation of ketones and enones. The catalyst was recovered and reused for a minimum of three cycles. Catalyst recovery was demonstrated through several representative protocols. One, the rhodium complex was dissolved in perfluoromethylcyclohexane, and cyclohexenone, PhMe2SiH, and toluene were added. The resulting biphasic mixture was heated at 60°C for 10 h and then cooled to room temperature. The top toluene layer containing the product was extracted. The rhodium catalyst remained in the bottom perfluoromethylcyclohexane (fluorous) layer and was recycled. Two, the above reaction was repeated with hexanes instead of toluene. The resulting monophase was heated to 60°C. The reaction was completed in 1 h cooling to −30°C gave a biphasic mixture. The product was extracted and the catalyst recycled as above. In the third recovery protocol, ClRh[P((CH2)2(CF 2)5CF3)3]3 was combined with PhMe2SiH, cyclohexanone and dibutylether. The mixture was heated to 55°C to give the product C6H11OSiPhMe 2. Upon cooling, the catalyst rest states precipitated, giving colorless product-containing solutions (98%). The precipitated catalysts can be reused at least three times. When this sequence is conducted in the presence of Teflon ® tape (thickness/width 0.0075/12 mm), the catalysts precipitate onto the tape, and can be thermally re-released for further reaction cycles. The catalyst precursor ClRh[P((CH2)2(CF2) 5CF3)3]3 can also be initially coated on the tape, which allows small quantities to be delivered by length as opposed to mass. Qualitative rate measurements show an induction period for the first cycle, excellent retention of activity for the second and third cycles, and significant loss of activity in the fourth (ascribed to deactivation). 19F NMR data show total ponytail leaching corresponding to 11.4% of the phosphine ligands over three cycles. Experiments in the presence of mercury show that colloidal or metallic rhodium are not responsible for catalysis. These data constitute (to our knowledge) the first catalyst recycling protocols involving common laboratory Teflon® tape, and there is every reason to expect that they can be extended to other fluorous catalysts and/or forms of Teflon®.

To date, no comprehensive study has evaluated the outcomes of single-level full endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy and herniectomy in Vietnam. This prospective, descriptive study was conducted before and after spinal disc herniation surgery at the Department of Spine Surgery, Viet Duc University Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam, from March 2023 to December 2024. All patients follow-up during the 12 months with clinical, radiological and image outcomes. The study included 47 patients, with 23 males (48.9%) and 24 females (51.1%), with a mean age of 44.46 ± 8.47 years old. The location of the operated disc was predominantly at the C5-C6 level (61.7%) with 10.34 ± 0.7 incision length. The recovery outcomes revealed a strong trend toward excellent and good results, totalling 93.6% of the positive outcomes. A statistically significant reduction in all measured parameters over time (the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) at multiple time points: pre-operation, post-operative day 1, and 1, 6, and 12 months post-operation) compared to pre-operative baseline values (p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Radiological outcomes showed significantly improved cervical neural curvature from to C2-C7 at all the postoperative time points. Foraminal dimensions (height, diameter, and area) showed significant immediate postoperative increases. Disc height decreased significantly, while cervical range of motion showed variable changes. C2-C7 SVA and T1 slope remained stable, indicating no significant changes in the global alignment. Complications were generally low; two patients had intraoperative nerve root injury, and one patient had transient root palsy. This study demonstrated that single-level full endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy and herniectomy are safe in the short-term with 12 months of follow-up and effective in the treatment of cervical disc herniation. Further study is needed with a larger sample size, with control group and long-term follow-up.

This paper examines the impact of the dike systems on river flows in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). The study combined a hydrological change index method and the Mann–Kendall test to assess the temporal dynamics of both discharge and water levels along the main rivers of the VMD. Results highlight that the system of rivers and canals helps facilitate waterway traffic and drainage during the flood season. However, the low elevation of the delta has created conditions suitable for saline water to increasingly penetrate upstream during the dry season. Observed changes in the hydrological indicators at the upstream stations of Tan Chau (Mekong River) and Chau Doc (Bassac River) are not only due to the dike system but also upstream alterations to the flow regime. More research is needed to consider the various drivers of flow-regime change associated with natural and human activities both inside and outside of the study area.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Vietnamese women, but its mutational landscape and actionable alterations for targeted therapies remain unknown. After treatment, a sensitive biomarker to complement conventional imaging to monitor patients is also lacking. In this prospective multi‐center study, 134 early‐stage breast cancer patients eligible for curative‐intent surgery were recruited. Genomic DNA from tumor tissues and paired white blood cells were sequenced to profile all tumor‐derived mutations in 95 cancer‐associated genes. Our bioinformatic algorithm was then utilized to identify top mutations for individual patients. Serial plasma samples were collected before surgery and at scheduled visits after surgery. Personalized assay tracking the selected mutations were performed to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the plasma. We found that the mutational landscape of the Vietnamese was largely similar to other Asian cohorts, showing higher TP53 mutation frequency than in Caucasians. Alterations in PIK3CA and PI3K signaling were dominant, particularly in our triple‐negative subgroup. Using top‐ranked mutations, we detected ctDNA in pre‐operative plasma in 24.6–43.5% of the hormone‐receptor‐positive groups and 76.9–80.8% of the hormone‐receptor‐negative groups. The detection rate was associated with breast cancer subtypes and clinicopathological features that increased the risk of relapse. Interim analysis after a 15‐month follow‐up revealed post‐operative detection of ctDNA in all three patients that had recurrence, with a lead time of 7–13 months ahead of clinical diagnosis. Our personalized assay is streamlined and affordable with promising clinical utility in residual cancer surveillance. We also generated the first somatic variant dataset for Vietnamese breast cancer women that could lay the foundation for precision cancer medicine in Vietnam. The authors determine, for the first time, the somatic variant landscape of Vietnamese women with breast cancer, and establish a personalized tumor‐informed assay (K‐Track®) to detect ctDNA in liquid biopsy. This assay is streamlined and affordable, with promising clinical utilities in both residual cancer surveillance and actionable mutation profiling for breast cancer patients.

People living in coastal areas are frequently affected by natural disasters, such as floods and storms. This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) of people living in disadvantaged coastal communes (subdivision of Vietnam) and identify their associated factors by using the World Health Organization’s quality of life instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). To achieve this, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 595 individuals aged 18 years and above living in the coastal communes in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam, from October 2022 to February 2023. The results showed that the mean overall QoL (mean ± SD) was 61.1 ± 10.8. Among the four domains of QoL, the physical health (57.2 ± 12.3) domain had a lower score than the psychological health (61.9 ± 13.0), social relations (63.4 ± 13.4), and environment (61.9 ± 13.3) domains. The QoL score of the domains for participants affected by flooding was significantly lower than that of those not affected, except for social relations. Multivariable logistic regression showed that subjects with not good QoL had the educational background with no formal education (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.63, 95% CI 1.19–5.83), fairly poor/poor households (OR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.48–5.12), suffered Musculoskeletal diseases (OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.02–2.56), unsatisfaction with health status (OR = 5.27, 95% CI 2.44–11.37), family conflicts (OR = 4.51, 95%CI 2.10–9.69), and low levels of social support (OR = 2.62; 95% CI 1.14–6.02). The analysis also revealed that workers (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.04–0.66) had a better QoL than farmer-fisherman. QoL in disadvantaged coastal communes was low, with the lowest scores in the physical health domain. Based on the socioeconomic factors associated with not good QoL identified here, it is recommended that local authorities take more appropriate and practical measures to increase support, including measures for all aspects of physical health, psychological health, social relations, and the living environment, especially for people affected by floods.

This paper presents information on the gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations of two hundred twenty-six groundwater samples collected by gas flow proportional counters in southern Vietnam. The gross alpha results in the water samples ranged from 0.024 to 0.748 Bq L −1 with a mean of 0.183 ± 0.034 Bq L −1 , and the gross beta results in the water samples ranged from 0.027–0.632 Bq L −1 with a mean of 0.152 ± 0.015 Bq L −1 . The values obtained in this work were compared with those previously published for various regions or countries. Next, untreated and treated groundwater samples were analyzed to assess their influences on the treatment process. The results showed that there were differences in the minimum detection concentrations and the mean activity values between the untreated and treated groundwater samples (The p-value of the mean comparison tests is significant with p < 0.05). In both sample groups, there was a strong positive correlation of the gross alpha versus the gross beta results (r > 0.6). This means that among the radionuclides, the major sources of beta radiation are uranium and thorium decay series radionuclides. Finally, the annual effective dose for adults (>17 years) was calculated based on the assumption that major radionuclides have the highest effective dose conversion factors. In general, the results for Pb-210, Ra-226, and Ra-228 were observed to be lower than the recommended reference values established by the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency, except for the value of Po-210.

ObjectiveTo develop and validate an LC-M/SMS method for the determination of tacrolimus in human whole blood.MethodThe LC–MS/MS method for the determination of tacrolimus in whole blood was developed and validated according to the guidelines. Concentrations of TAC in 100 kidney transplant patients measured by LC–MS/MS were compared with CMIA using correlation analysis and Bland–Altman plots.ResultsThe method had a total chromatographic run time of 5 min. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 0.5–100.0 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantification of 1 ng/mL. The intra- and interday accuracy was within the range of 93.3%–109.2% and 96.0%–108.4%, respectively, with precision ranging from 0.8 to 9.4%. The mean extraction recoveries of TAC ranged from 102.6 to 107.8%. The mean concentrations of TAC in whole blood of kidney transplant patients measured by the two assays were different at 1, 3 months and all time points (p < 0.001), but no significant difference was observed at 6 months (p = 0.094). The correlation of data was good with the correlation coefficients (r2) of 0.7581, 0.8811, 0.8777, and 0.8077, respectively. Passing–Bablok regression analysis demonstrated good correlations with r2 values higher than 0.88 between TAC levels measured by LC–MS/MS and CMIA. Using Bland–Altman plots yielded average biases of 1.29, 0.79, 0.11, and 0.65 ng/mL at 1, 3, and 6 months and all time points.ConclusionThe LC–MS/MS method was validated for the accurate determination of TAC in human whole blood. The comparison of tacrolimus concentrations measured by the LC–MS/MS with CMIA showed a good correlation and agreement of two methods, suggesting LC–MS/MS should be used routinely to monitor TAC concentrations in kidney transplant patients.

Antibody response against nucleocapsid and spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in 11 persons with mild or asymptomatic infection rapidly increased after infection. At weeks 18-30 after diagnosis, all remained seropositive but spike protein-targeting antibody titers declined. These data may be useful for vaccine development.