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Candidozyma auris is an emerging health threat, especially in healthcare settings due to its resistance to several classes of antifungals leading to high mortality. In Viet Nam, the burden of this fungal pathogen is unknown because of little available data. In this report, six cases with C. auris isolation between 2023 and 2024 at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a tertiary referral hospital in northern Viet Nam, are described. Our findings highlight the first report of C. auris in the north of Viet Nam and underscore the importance of prevalence surveys in the future.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Hereditary BC risk accounts for 25% of all cases. Pathological variants in known BC precursor genes explain only about 30% of hereditary BC cases, while the underlying genetic factors in most families remain unknown. Identifying hereditary cancer risk factors will help improve genetic counseling, cancer prevention, and cancer care. Methods: Here, we used whole-exome sequencing (WES) to identify genetic variants in 105 Vietnamese patients with BC and 50 healthy women. BC-associated variants were screened by the Franklin software and the criteria of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and evaluated based on in silico analysis. Results: In total, 56 variants were identified in 37 genes associated with BC, including ACVR1B, APC, AR, ARFGEF1, ATM, ATR, BARD1, BLM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CASP8, CASR, CHD8, CTNNB1, ESR1, FAN1, FGFR2, HMMR, KLLN, LZTR1, MCPH1, MLH1, MSH2, MSH3, MSH6, NF1, PMS2, PRKN, RAD54L, RB1CC1, RECQL, SLC22A18, SLX4, SPTBN1, TP53, WRN, and XRCC3 in 41 patients. Among them, 12 variants were novel, and 10 variants were assessed as pathogenic/likely pathogenic by ACMG and ClinVar. Variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were evaluated using in silico prediction software to predict whether they are likely to cause the disease in patients. Conclusions: This is the first WES study to identify BC-associated genetic variants in Vietnamese patients, providing a comprehensive database of BC susceptibility gene variants. We suggest using WES as a tool to identify genetic variants in BC patients for risk prediction and treatment guidance.

The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of self-reported non-communicable diseases among ethnic minority populations in Vietnam and related factors. A total of 5033 individuals aged 15 years and older who belonged to ethnic minority populations from 12 provinces in Vietnam completed a household survey. The overall prevalence of self-reported non-communicable diseases was 12.4% (95% CI: 11.5%–13.4%). Cardiovascular diseases were the most prevalent, followed by diabetes. Ethnicity was shown to have an independently significant correlation to having any non-communicable diseases. Older people, near-poor and non-poor people had significantly higher odds of having non-communicable diseases as compared to younger and poor people.

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. Of 181 Mtb isolates, predominant Vietnamese EAI4_VNM and EAI4-like spoligotypes (31.5%), ZERO strains (5.0%), and part of EAI5 (11.1%) were included in a lineage-1 (L1) sublineage, i.e., L1.1.1.1. These strains were found less often in younger people, and they genetically clustered less frequently than other modern strains. Patients infected with ZERO strains demonstrated less lung infiltration. A region in RD2bcg spanning six loci, i.e., PE_PGRS35 , cfp21 , Rv1985c, Rv1986, Rv1987, and erm(37) , was deleted in EAI4_VNM, EAI4-like, and ZERO strains, whereas another 118 bp deletion in furA was specific only to ZERO strains. L1.1.1.1-sublineage-specific deletions in PE_PGRS4 and PE_PGRS22 were also identified. RD900, seen in ancestral lineages, was present in majority of the L1 members. All strains without IS 6110 (5.0%) had the ZERO spoligo-pattern. Distinctive features of the ancestral L1 strains provide a basis for investigation of the modern versus ancestral Mtb lineages and allow consideration of countermeasures against this heterogeneous pathogen.

Possible drug–food constituent interactions (DFIs) could change the intended efficiency of particular therapeutics in medical practice. The increasing number of multiple-drug prescriptions leads to the rise of drug–drug interactions (DDIs) and DFIs. These adverse interactions lead to other implications, e.g., the decline in medicament’s effect, the withdrawals of various medications, and harmful impacts on the patients’ health. However, the importance of DFIs remains underestimated, as the number of studies on these topics is constrained. Recently, scientists have applied artificial intelligence-based models to study DFIs. However, there were still some limitations in data mining, input, and detailed annotations. This study proposed a novel prediction model to address the limitations of previous studies. In detail, we extracted 70,477 food compounds from the FooDB database and 13,580 drugs from the DrugBank database. We extracted 3780 features from each drug–food compound pair. The optimal model was eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). We also validated the performance of our model on one external test set from a previous study which contained 1922 DFIs. Finally, we applied our model to recommend whether a drug should or should not be taken with some food compounds based on their interactions. The model can provide highly accurate and clinically relevant recommendations, especially for DFIs that may cause severe adverse events and even death. Our proposed model can contribute to developing more robust predictive models to help patients, under the supervision and consultants of physicians, avoid DFI adverse effects in combining drugs and foods for therapy.

This paper studies the vibration of bi-dimensional functionally graded Timoshenko beams excited by a moving concentrated load. The volume fraction of constituent materials is assumed to vary in both the thickness and longitudinal directions by power-law functions. The governing equations of motion based on Timoshenko beam theory are constructed from Hamilton’s principle. A finite element formulation is derived and used in combination with the Newmark method in computing the vibration response. A parametric study is carried out to highlight the effect of the material distribution and moving load speed on the vibration characteristics of the beams. The numerical results show that the two grading indexes which govern the variation of the effective material properties have opposite effect on the natural frequencies, dynamic magnification factor and mid-span axial stress. The influence of the aspect ratio on the dynamic behavior of the beams is also examined and discussed.

Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest cancers, with a grim prognosis despite advances in treatment. We conducted a population‐based case–control study from Taiwan, linking Health and Welfare Data Science Center data to the Taiwan Cancer Registry, which offers a promising strategy for its treatment through drug repurposing. The study aims to identify the association of anti‐parkinsonian drugs with pancreatic cancer risk across different age groups. The analysis encompassed 18,921 pancreatic cancer cases and 75,684 matched controls, employing conditional logistic regression to assess the impact of anti‐parkinsonian drugs on the risk of pancreatic cancer. Key findings revealed a statistically significant association of the administration with specific anti‐parkinsonian medications, including anticholinergic agents, tertiary amines, dopa derivatives, and dopamine receptor agonists, with a reduction in pancreatic cancer risk. These associations were represented as adjusted odds ratios (aORs), ranging from 0.620 (95% CI 0.470–0.810) to 0.764 (95% CI 0.655–0.891). Further, age‐stratified analysis revealed variations in efficacy across different age groups. Anticholinergic agents and tertiary amines exhibited greater effectiveness in the 40–64‐year age group (aOR, 0.653; 95% CI, 0.489–0.872), whereas dopa derivatives and dopamine receptor agonists were particularly efficacious in the cohort aged ≥65 years (aOR, 0.728; 95% CI, 0.624–0.850 and aOR, 0.665; 95% CI, 0.494–0.894, respectively). Notably, specific drugs such as trihexyphenidyl, levodopa/dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI), and pramipexole demonstrated a significant decrease in cancer risk, especially in the elderly population. These preliminary findings can contribute to the possible therapeutic role of anti‐parkinsonian drugs in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We conducted a population‐based case–control study from Taiwan, linking Health and Welfare Data Science Center data to the Taiwan Cancer Registry to evaluate the potential repurposing of anti‐parkinsonian drugs for pancreatic cancer treatment. The findings revealed a statistically significant association of the administration with specific anti‐parkinsonian medications, including anticholinergic agents, tertiary amines, dopa derivatives, and dopamine receptor agonists, with a reduction in pancreatic cancer risk. Further, age‐stratified analysis revealed differential efficacy across age groups.

Background Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important component of heart failure (HF) management but remains insufficiently characterized among older outpatients in low- and middle-income countries. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of impaired HRQoL in older Vietnamese outpatients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The secondary objectives were to identify factors associated with impaired HRQoL and to examine factors associated with six-month HF hospitalization. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study between August 2024 and June 2025 among outpatients aged ≥ 60 years with confirmed HFrEF at two specialized HF clinics. HRQoL was assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-23 (KCCQ-23), with impaired HRQoL defined as a score < 50. Participants were followed for six months for first HF hospitalization. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with impaired HRQoL, and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to evaluate factors associated with hospitalization. Results Among 310 patients (median age 71 years), 48 (15.5%) had impaired HRQoL at baseline. Depression (odds ratio [OR] 4.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70–9.97; P  = 0.002) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III (OR 6.55, 95% CI 3.01–13.9; P  < 0.001) were independently associated with impaired HRQoL. During follow-up, 92 patients (29.7%) experienced a first HF hospitalization, of whom 32 (34.8%) had impaired HRQoL at baseline. Age ≥ 75 years (hazard ratio [HR] 1.93, 95% CI 1.22–3.06; P  = 0.005), limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (HR 2.34, 95% CI 1.16–4.73; P  = 0.018), and impaired HRQoL (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.26–3.51; P  = 0.004) were independently associated with a higher risk of hospitalization. Receipt of quadruple therapy was associated with a lower risk (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40–0.99; P  = 0.047). Conclusions In older outpatients with HFrEF, impaired HRQoL was observed in approximately one-sixth of patients and was associated with depression and NYHA class III. Over six months, impaired HRQoL, advanced age, and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living were associated with an increased risk of HF hospitalization, whereas receipt of quadruple therapy was associated with a reduced risk. Clinical trial number This study was not registered as a clinical trial.

Aims/Introduction Blood glucose meters are commonly used at the bedside, but most of the meters used in Hung Vuong Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) are built for self‐monitoring and might not be suitable for determining glucose levels in patients. In this study, we aimed to validate the performance of six frequently used meters in our hospital using the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standard, and investigate the hematocrit impact on the accuracy of these meters. Materials and Methods A total of 135 pregnant women who underwent a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test consented to participate in the study at Hung Vuong Hospital. Whole blood glucose levels were measured in duplicate using meters, and hematocrit levels were measured using an Alinity h‐series analyzer. Within 5 min, plasma glucose levels were measured twice in a row using the Cobas c502 reference analyzer. For accuracy and precision, the hematocrit effect was assed using CLSI POCT12‐A3. Results Out of six evaluated meters, three meters qualified. For CLSI criterion at glucose concentration of 5.55 mmol/L, Accu‐Chek Inform II, Accu‐Chek Performa and OneTouch VerioVue achieved 97.31%, 98.08% and 99.62%, respectively. For CLSI criterion at 4.17 mmol/L, these three achieved 100%. Accu‐Chek Inform II and Accu‐Chek Performa showed an inverse correlation between glucose level and hematocrit with slopes of −0.500 (95% confidence interval −0.678 to −0.322) and −0.396 (95% confidence interval −0.569 to −0.224), whereas OneTouch VerioVue was not affected by hematocrit, with a slope of 0.207 (95% confidence interval −0.026 to 0.440). Conclusions Blood glucose meters' measurements can be affected by hematocrit, and might provide readings not within an acceptable bias. Medical organizations need to verify or validate before using on patients. Due to the differences between over‐the‐counter vs prescription blood glucose meters, and due to the concern about the effect of hematocrit on analyzers, we investigated the performance of common blood glucose meters in our hospital in Vietnam. This study, in our opinion, is novel, as this is the first in Vietnam to study the discrepancies of two types of meters.

The Xuan Dai Bay, located in Phu Yen Province, Vietnam, is one of the most traditional and important aquaculture areas of the country. Using physico-chemical methods to evaluate the environmental quality of the bay shows that the area is contaminated with nutrients. However, it is necessary to clarify the level of pollution and the impact of polluting factors on biological communities and ecological status in the area. Two marine biotic indices AZTI’s marine biotic index (AMBI) and multivariate-AMBI (M-AMBI) were used to shed light on these issues. This research reveals the outcomes of applying these indicators in evaluating the ecological status in the area. The results show that the environment of the Xuan Dai Bay is being polluted. The most severe pollution level is at stations close to denser farms sites; while the lower pollution is found at stations near the mouth of the bay. The benthic community was imbalanced at all sampling stations, ranging from mild to moderate levels; while the ecological status is moderate, except good-high quality status close to the mouth.