Association of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Parameters with Malnutrition in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Malnutrition is one of the most common complications in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and is closely linked to increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status of HD patients and the clinical relevance of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameters such as the percent body fat (PBF), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), extracellular water-to-total body water ratio (ECW/TBW), and phase angle (PhA) in assessing malnutrition in Vietnamese HD patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 184 patients undergoing hemodialysis in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Clinician Needs and Requirements for a Decision Aid Navigator: Qualitative Study.

Background: Decision aids (DAs) are important tools that support shared decision-making (SDM) between clinicians and patients, enabling patients to be more informed and engaged in decisions regarding their care. The use of DAs can increase patient knowledge, reduce decisional regret, and engage the clinician and patient in meaningful dialog. Despite proven effectiveness in enhancing patient-centered care, a gap remains in clinician use of DAs.

Prevalence, risk factors, and serotypes of group B rectovaginal colonization among pregnant women: a cross-sectional study at three hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Background: Group B (GBS) infection among pregnant women is a major risk factor for a significant proportion of early-onset disease and late-onset disease in infants worldwide; however, data on the epidemiological features of GBS in Vietnam are very limited.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, potential risk factors, and serotype distribution of GBS isolates isolated from rectovaginal specimens of Vietnamese pregnant women.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

EchoLLM: extracting echocardiogram entities with light-weight, open-source large language models.

Objectives: Large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated high levels of performance in clinical information extraction compared to rule-based systems and traditional machine-learning approaches, offering scalability, contextualization, and easier deployment. However, most studies rely on proprietary models with privacy concerns and high costs, limiting accessibility. We aim to evaluate 14 publicly available open-source LLMs for extracting clinically relevant findings from free-text echocardiogram reports and examine the feasibility of their implementation in information extraction workflows.

A Shared Amyloid Architecture in Cardiac Fibrils from Three Neuropathy-Associated ATTR Variants.

ATTR amyloidosis results from the systemic accumulation of wild-type (ATTRwt) or mutant (ATTRv) transthyretin amyloids, leading to multi-organ dysfunction and death. The disease exhibits variable pathology and penetrance, and its relationship with the amyloid structure remains unclear. Patients carrying the neuropathy-associated variants ATTRvI84S and ATTRv-V122Δ present polymorphic ATTR fibrils, in contrast to the consistent morphology reported for most ATTR fibrils to date.

Innovations in kidney stone management: mini-PCNL for staghorn calculi in resource-limited settings.

Introduction: This study evaluates our initial experience with miniaturized percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) in Vietnamese patients with staghorn calculi, using an 18F metal access sheath. This technique addresses the challenges of complex kidney stone management in resource-limited settings.

Methods: A multi-center retrospective review of 236 patients with staghorn calculi who underwent mini-PCNL with high-power Ho laser lithotripsy (Lumenis 100 W) was conducted at four provincial hospitals in northern Vietnam from January 2020 to December 2023.

A Screening Protocol to Identify Older Adults With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers in Northern Vietnam.

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) pose a growing public health challenge in Vietnam. This study describes a community-based screening protocol to identify older adults and their primary family caregivers in Hai Duong province to support recruitment for a caregiver intervention clinical trial.

Methods: Village health workers were trained to identify older adults at risk for dementia using a simplified tool adapted from the California Alzheimer's Disease Centers' Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit.

Value chain analysis of medicinal plants in Geoparks: Livelihoods of ethnic minorities based on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Vietnam.

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) support the livelihoods and economic activities of households and communities in both rural and urban areas worldwide. This study applies the value chain analysis (VCA) approach to Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum), a local NTFP in the Cao Bang Geopark, Vietnam. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to survey 106 stakeholders involved in different stages of the Jiaogulan value chain, including agricultural experts (extension officers and farmer association representatives), harvesters, traders, primary processors, secondary processors, distributors, and consumers.

Facile access to quinazolin-4(3)-ones by tandem Cu-catalyzed annulation of 2-nitrobenzonitrile and alcohols under air.

A convenient Cu-catalyzed synthesis of 2-arylquinazolin-4(3)-one derivatives has been developed from simple starting materials such as 2-nitrobenzonitriles and alcohols under mild conditions. This procedure showed a broad substrate scope and tolerance of functional groups, high yields, and no need to use oxidants or reductants, making synthesis simple, convenient, and sustainable. Our methodology may be utilized for the one-pot synthesis of glycosminine alkaloid.

Structural variability of apolipoprotein A-I amyloid fibrils across organs, mutations, and clinical presentations, revealed by cryo-EM.

Hereditary apolipoprotein A-I (AApoA-I) amyloidosis is a rare systemic disease caused by the deposition of amyloid fibrils formed by apolipoprotein A-I in multiple organs, leading to severe clinical outcomes. With no available therapies or diagnostic tools, defining the structure of AApoA-I fibrils is crucial to understanding disease mechanisms and guiding intervention. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we analyzed AApoA-I fibrils from the heart, kidney, liver, and spleen of patients carrying G26R, L90P, and R173P mutations.

Cardiovascular Care Disruptions Among U.S. Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Medication Use, Mortality, and Medicare Hospitalization Trends From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Database.

Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in the United States, with mortality disproportionately affecting older adults and racial/ethnic minorities. This study analyzes national patterns in CVD medication use, mortality, and hospitalization from 2019 to 2021. Objectives To examine patterns of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering medication use, trends in CVD-related mortality (stroke, coronary heart disease, and total heart disease), and hospitalization rates for heart failure among the U.

Implementation of an open chemistry knowledge base with a Semantic Wiki.

In this work, a concept for an open chemistry knowledge base was developed to integrate chemical research results into a collaboratively usable platform. To achieve this, we enhanced Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) to support the collection and structured summary of chemical data contained in publications. We implemented tools for capturing chemical structures in machine-readable formats and designed data forms along with a data model to ensure standardized input and organization of research results.

Investigation on the Use and Preauthorization of Carbapenems at A National Hospital in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Carbapenems, known for their broad-spectrum activity and used as last-line treatment for severe drug-resistant infections, are encountering increasing resistance. Therefore, Thong Nhat Hospital, a national hospital in Vietnam, has implemented the preauthorization of some restricted antibiotics, including carbapenems, to optimize their use on patients. This study aimed to investigate the current use and preauthorization of carbapenems at the hospital.

A hand-operated microfluidic sample preparation-to-analysis workflow for simplifying the basophil activation test.

Access to the basophil activation test (BAT) has been hindered by the requirement for fresh blood analysis, specialized laboratory equipment, and advanced technical expertise. To address these issues, we have developed a hand-operated microfluidic sample preparation "μF-prep" device to perform the most time sensitive steps of the assay and stabilize the sample, effectively extending the time window before flow cytometry analysis. The μF-prep device performs concurrent basophil stimulation and staining for eight conditions in parallel.

Get ready! High urgency reduces beta band cortico-muscular coherence during motor preparation.

Motor preparation is a dynamic process that is tuned to task demands such as urgency. This study examined the effect of urgency to move on cortico-muscular coherence (CMC) in the beta frequency band during motor preparation. Participants (n = 25) prepared for a rapid wrist flexion movement under two distinct scenarios: high (350 ms to prepare) and low (1400 ms to prepare) urgency.

Genetic Factors Linking Nucleolar Stress with Retrotransposon Expression in .

retrotransposons reside exclusively within the regions of 10-20% of all rDNA genes comprising the nucleolar organizer loci on the X and Y chromosomes of . These -inserted genes are normally silent and heterochromatic. When expressed, however, the transcript is co-transcribed with the rRNA.

Pathological α-synuclein elicits granulovacuolar degeneration independent of tau.

Background: Pathologic heterogeneity is a hallmark of Lewy body dementia (LBD), yet the impact of Lewy pathology on co-pathologies is poorly understood. Lewy pathology, containing α-synuclein, is often associated with regional tau pathology burden in LBD. Similarly, granulovacuolar degeneration bodies (GVBs) have been associated with tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease.

New frontiers in type I diabetes treatment: the impact of mesenchymal stromal cells on long-term complications.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is not only a disorder of insulin production from beta cell destruction, but also a progressive condition that brings about life-threatening complications such as diabetic nephropathy, impaired wound recovery, and cardiovascular disease. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) use has recently become an encouraging new way to treat these complications and can result in better health outcomes for T1D patients. Some research has shown that MSC injections into mice and rat models have resulted in reduced mesangial cell thickening, inflammatory mediator recruitment, proteinuria, and fibrosis normally seen in diabetic nephropathy.

Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 Demonstrate Distinct Plasma Cytokine and Chemokine Concentrations in vivo and TLR-Mediated Cytokine and Chemokine Production in Whole Blood in vitro.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2's continued global health impact underscores the importance of ongoing pathogenesis research. Insights into the host's first line of defense against severe COVID-19 identify actionable biomarkers, informing disease management or therapeutics. Yet, the innate immune response, including cytokines, chemokines, adenosine deaminases (ADAs) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), relevant to COVID-19 remain incompletely characterized.

Prevalence and associated factors of antibiotic self-medication and home storage among antibiotic users: a cross-sectional study in Vietnam.

Background: Antibiotic self-medication and home storage are two common behaviors in the community that can lead to inappropriate or unnecessary use. This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with these two behaviors among antibiotic users in Vietnam.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 997 participants from six cities/provinces were selected using a convenience sampling method and directly interviewed from November 2023 to March 2024.

Informative Auditory Cues Enhance Motor Sequence Learning.

Motor sequence learning, or the ability to learn and remember sequences of actions, such as the sequence of actions required to tie one's shoelaces, is ubiquitous to everyday life. Contemporary research on motor sequence learning has been largely unimodal, ignoring the possibility that our nervous system might benefit from sensory inputs from multiple modalities. In this study, we investigated the properties of motor sequence learning in response to audiovisual stimuli.