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Background. The first cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) in humans in Vietnam were detected in early 2004, and Vietnam has reported the second highest number of cases globally. Methods. We obtained retrospective clinical data through review of medical records for laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A (H5N1) infection diagnosed in Vietnam from January 2004 through December 2006. Standard data was abstracted regarding clinical and laboratory features, treatment, and outcome. Results. Data were obtained for 67 (72%) of 93 cases diagnosed in Vietnam over the study period. Patients presented to the hospital after a median duration of illness of 6 days with fever (75%), cough (89%), and dyspnea (81%). Diarrhea and mucosal bleeding at presentation were more common in fatal than in nonfatal cases. Common findings were bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph (72%), lymphopenia (73%), and increased serum transaminase levels (aspartate aminotransferase, 69%; alanine aminotransferase, 61%). Twenty-six patients died (case fatality rate, 39%; 95% confidence interval, 27%–51%) and the most reliable predictor of a fatal outcome was the presence of both neutropenia and raised alanine aminotransferase level at admission, which correctly predicted 91% of deaths and 82% of survivals. The risk of death was higher among persons aged ⩽16 years, compared with older persons (P<.001), and the risk of death was higher among patients who did not receive oseltamivir treatment (P=.048). The benefit of oseltamivir treatment remained after controlling for potential confounding by 1 measure of severity (odds ratio, 0.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.026–0.893; P=.034). Conclusion. In cases of infection with Influenza A (H5N1), the presence of both neutropenia and raised serum transaminase levels predicts a poor outcome. Oseltamivir treatment shows benefit, but treatment with corticosteroids is associated with an increased risk of death.

This report describes the clinical details of 10 patients who were shown to have been infected with an H5N1 influenzavirus, which normally does not affect humans. The patients had direct contact with fowl a median of three days before they presented with fever, respiratory symptoms, and an acute influenza syndrome, characterized by lymphopenia and marked pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiography. Eight of the patients died, even though none had preexisting medical conditions. This report describes the clinical details of 10 patients who were shown to have been infected with an H5N1 influenzavirus. Eight of the patients died. Influenza A virus infects a variety of animals, including humans and birds. 1 Although the natural reservoir for all known subtypes of influenza A (hemagglutinins H1 through H15 and neuraminidases N1 through N9) is wild waterfowl, only three subtypes are currently circulating among humans (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2). However, during the past few years, several subtypes of avian influenza A have been shown to cross the species barrier and infect humans. During an outbreak of a highly pathogenic influenza A (H5N1) virus among poultry in Hong Kong in 1997, 6 of 18 people with confirmed infection died. 2 After this outbreak, prevention . . .

Background: HIV prevalence among sex workers in Ho Chi Minh City has increased rapidly, from 6.5% in 1999 to 18.1% in 2000. This study examined whether injecting drug use among street-based sex workers (SSWs) in Ho Chi Minh City is a high-risk factor for HIV infection. Goal: The goal of this study was to determine the correlates and prevalence of intravenous drug users among SSWs in Ho Chi Minh City. Study Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among SSWs in Ho Chi Minh City during December 2000. The SSWs were interviewed and tested for HIV-1. Results: HIV-1 seroprevalence was 16.3%. Regression analysis indicated that injecting drugs and being younger than 25 years of age were independently associated with HIV seropositivity. Conclusion: Young SSWs who inject drugs are at the greatest risk of contracting HIV and acting as a bridge for HIV to the sexually active population.

A high rate of human T‐lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV‐II) infection has been documented in intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs) in South Vietnam. We have investigated the molecular characteristics of the virus and have shown that one HTLV‐II subtype is predominant in Ho Chi Minh City. This molecular subtype, HTLV‐IIb, was identified in a number of South Vietnamese by nucleotide sequence analysis of the long terminal repeat (LTR) region. HTLV‐IIa was not found. These findings suggest that HTLV‐IIb is endemic in IVDAs in South Vietnam, although IVDAs in urban areas in North America are predominantly infected with HTLV‐IIa.

The optimal endometrial preparation protocol for frozen embryo transfer (FET) remains controversial, with different cycle regimens and luteal phase support strategies across studies yielding conflicting results. This study aimed to compare the pregnancy outcomes of modified natural cycles (mNC) versus hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycles, both with intensive luteal support using vaginal micronized progesterone and oral dydrogesterone. This retrospective cohort study included 2365 FET cycles (1892 HRT and 473 mNC) in ovulatory women. Both groups received vaginal progesterone (800 mg/day) and oral dydrogesterone (30 mg/day) from the day after ovulation trigger or upon progesterone initiation. Propensity score matching was used to balance baseline characteristics, resulting in 1419 HRT and 473 mNC cycles for analysis. Treatment effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals were estimated using appropriate regression models. The propensity score-matched population had similar live birth rate (34.7% in the mNC group and 34.8% in the HRT group; aRR 1.02, 95% CI 0.80-1.29), pregnancy rate (54.3% vs 51.3%), clinical pregnancy rate (42.9% vs 42.0%), ongoing pregnancy rate (35.5% vs 35.7%), and miscarriage rate (7.8% vs 7.1%). There were no significant differences in multiple pregnancy rates, gestational age at delivery, birthweight, preterm birth rates between the two protocols. In ovulatory women undergoing FET with intensive luteal phase support, the use of HRT or mNC for endometrial preparation yields comparable pregnancy and live birth rates.

Talaromyces marneffei is a dimorphic fungus that causes substantial disease in Asia, especially among persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. In this randomized, controlled trial, initial therapy with amphotericin B was found to be superior to itraconazole. The dimorphic fungus Talaromyces (previously Penicillium ) marneffei causes a life-threatening mycosis in immunocompromised persons living in or traveling to Southeast Asia, China, and India. 1 Talaromycosis (previously penicilliosis) is a major cause of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–related death; its prevalence is surpassed only by the prevalence of tuberculosis and cryptococcosis, 2 and it leads to 4 to 15% of HIV-related hospital admissions in regions in which the disease is endemic. 3 – 7 Talaromycosis is increasingly diagnosed among patients who are not infected with HIV but who have other immunodeficiency conditions 8 and is reported to be the second most common cause of all . . .

In this study, chitosan and alginate were selected to prepare alginate/chitosan nanoparticles to load the drug lovastatin by the ionic gelation method. The synthesized nanoparticles loaded with drug were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scattering and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods. The FTIR spectrum of the alginate/chitosan/lovastatin nanoparticles showed that chitosan and alginate interacted with lovastatin through hydrogen bonding and dipolar-dipolar interactions between the C-O, C=O, and OH groups in lovastatin, the C-O, NH, and OH groups in chitosan and the C-O, C=O, and OH groups in alginate. The laser scattering results and SEM images indicated that the alginate/chitosan/lovastatin nanoparticles have a spherical shape with a particle size in the range of 50–80 nm. The DSC diagrams displayed that the melting temperature of the alginate/chitosan/lovastatin nanoparticles was higher than that of chitosan and lower than that of alginate. This result means that the alginate and chitosan interact together, so that the nanoparticles have a larger crystal degree when compared with alginate and chitosan individually. Investigations of the in vitro lovastatin release from the alginate/chitosan/lovastatin nanoparticles under different conditions, including different alginate/chitosan ratios, different solution pH values and different lovastatin contents, were carried out by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The rate of drug release from the nanoparticles is proportional to the increase in the solution pH and inversely proportional to the content of the loaded lovastatin. The drug release process is divided into two stages: a rapid stage over the first 10 hr, then the release becomes gradual and stable. The Korsmeyer-Peppas model is most suitable for the lovastatin release process from the alginate/chitosan/lovastatin nanoparticles in the first stage, and then the drug release complies with other models depending on solution pH in the slow release stage. In addition, the toxicity of alginate/chitosan/lovastatin (abbreviated ACL) nanoparticles was sufficiently low in mice in the acute toxicity test. The LD 50 of the drug was higher than 5000 mg/kg, while in the subchronic toxicity test with treatments of 100 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg ACL nanoparticles, there were no abnormal signs, mortality, or toxicity in general to the function or structure of the crucial organs. The results show that the ACL nanoparticles are safe in mice and that these composite nanoparticles might be useful as a new drug carrier.

Outbreaks of emerging coronaviruses in the past two decades and the current pandemic of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged in China highlight the importance of this viral family as a zoonotic public health threat. To gain a better understanding of coronavirus presence and diversity in wildlife at wildlife-human interfaces in three southern provinces in Viet Nam 2013-2014, we used consensus Polymerase Chain Reactions to detect coronavirus sequences. In comparison to previous studies, we observed high proportions of positive samples among field rats (34.0%, 239/702) destined for human consumption and insectivorous bats in guano farms (74.8%, 234/313) adjacent to human dwellings. Most notably among field rats, the odds of coronavirus RNA detection significantly increased along the supply chain from field rats sold by traders (reference group; 20.7% positivity, 39/188) by a factor of 2.2 for field rats sold in large markets (32.0%, 116/363) and 10.0 for field rats sold and served in restaurants (55.6%, 84/151). Coronaviruses were also detected in rodents on the majority of wildlife farms sampled (60.7%, 17/28). These coronaviruses were found in the Malayan porcupines (6.0%, 20/331) and bamboo rats (6.3%, 6/96) that are raised on wildlife farms for human consumption as food. We identified six known coronaviruses in bats and rodents, clustered in three Coronaviridae genera, including the Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammacoronaviruses. Our analysis also suggested either mixing of animal excreta in the environment or interspecies transmission of coronaviruses, as both bat and avian coronaviruses were detected in rodent feces on wildlife farms. The mixing of multiple coronaviruses, and their apparent amplification along the wildlife supply chain into restaurants, suggests maximal risk for end consumers and likely underpins the mechanisms of zoonotic spillover to people.

Osteoporosis affects people worldwide. However, there are few validated tools for the early screening of osteoporosis in Vietnam. We set out to evaluate the performance of the osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) and the osteoporosis screening tool for Chinese (OSTC) for the early screening of osteoporosis in postmenopausal Vietnamese women. We analyzed retrospective data from 797 postmenopausal Vietnamese women. The bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) and the left and right femoral necks of all participants were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Osteoporosis was defined as the BMD (T-score) < -2.5. The OSTA and OSTC scores were calculated from the age and weight of participants. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was conducted to compare the performance of the two tools with the BMD measurements by DXA at different anatomical sites. The rates of osteoporosis determined by BMD varied between anatomical sites, and ranged from 43.4% to 54.7% in the lumbar vertebrae and 29.2% and 8.9% in the left and right femoral necks, respectively. For the vertebrae, the area under the curve (AUC) for OSTA ranged from 70.9% to 73.9% and for OSTC ranged from 68.7% to 71.6%. The predictive value of both tools was higher for femoral necks, with the AUC of OSTA for the left and right femoral necks being 80.0% and 85.8%, respectively. The corresponding figures for OSTC were 80.5% and 86.4%, respectively. The highest sensitivity and specificity of OSTA were 74.6% and 81.4%, while these figures for OSTC were 73.9% and 82.6%, respectively. OSTA and OSTC were shown to be useful self-assessment tools for osteoporosis detection in Vietnam postmenopausal women. Further research is encouraged to determine the applicability of tools for other populations and settings.

The swift growth of e-commerce has markedly changed how consumers shop, especially among Generation Z, which is called Digital Natives. This study examines how product presentation videos on the Shopee video platform influence impulse buying behaviors in this group, focusing on how internal stimuli, including entertainment experience (ET), educational experience (ED), escapist experience (ES), and esthetic experience (EH) influence online impulse buying (OIB) through the mediation of arousal (AR) and pleasure (PL). In addition, demographic factors, including age, gender, and income, are treated as control variables. This research adopts a quantitative methodology, and data was gathered using a Likert scale questionnaire and a non-probability sampling method, while the SmartPLS statistical tool was used to analyze the interactions of these stimuli and their effect on the impulse buying behavior of Generation Z on digital platforms. Research indicates that entertainment and recreational activities boost emotional engagement by eliciting arousal and pleasure. Educational experiences increase knowledge and also stimulate these feelings. Escapist activities provide temporary relief from daily stresses, increasing arousal, but can also highlight personal insecurities, possibly reducing pleasure. Esthetic experiences, subject to personal tastes, provoke emotional reactions that may vary in pleasure. For Generation Z, arousal and pleasure significantly influence impulsive buying decisions. The insights indicate that effectively managing internal factors can trigger emotions leading to impulsive purchases, offering strategic marketing tactics for optimizing e-commerce on platforms like Shopee video. This research advances the understanding of consumer behavior theories in the digital era, emphasizing the intricate roles of arousal and pleasure in online impulse buying.