Multi-scale phylodynamic modelling of rapid punctuated pathogen evolution.

Computational multi-scale pandemic modelling remains a major and timely challenge. Here we identify specific requirements for a new class of models simulating pandemics across three scales: (1) pathogen evolution, often punctuated by the rapid emergence of new variants, (2) human interactions within a heterogeneous population, and (3) public health responses which constrain individual actions to control the disease transmission. We then present a pandemic modelling framework satisfying these requirements and capable of simulating feedback loops between dynamics unfolding at these different scales.

Data-Driven Monitoring of Probiotic Fermentation in Fruit Juices Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Aquaphotomics: An Innovative Approach to Food Valorization.

The nutritional effects of fruit juices, combined with the added value of a probiotic, provide a plant-based fortified functional food. Some process-related drawbacks are caused by the pH parameter, which will affect the survival of probiotics during their industrial processing and storage. By means of developing a monitoring method for probiotic activity, the present study aims to investigate the application of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) as a correlative analytical method for fermentation process tracking, in association with the different absorption patterns of bound water, explained by aquaphotomics.

Addition of allopurinol to traditional Vietnamese medicine shows major improvement of 100 gout patients in a single center one-year prospective study.

Objectives: Gout is frequently severe in Vietnam, where urate-lowering drugs (ULDs) are seldom used and many patients are treated only with traditional herbal medicine. We assessed the addition of Western medicine on severe gout in Vietnamese people.

Methods: One hundred Vietnamese, ULD-free, crystal-proven gout patients with a GFR>60mL/min, were prospectively followed for 1year after allopurinol initiation.

Synthesis of zinc oxide nano-rice decorated with silver nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) trace detection of isoprocarb and crystal violet.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has gained substantial interest for the practical analysis of trace amounts of various molecules. However, improving the magnitude of the electromagnetic enhancement and preparing the substrate for long-term use remains top research priorities. This study presents a novel and straightforward synthesis method for zinc oxide nanorices (ZnONRs) decorated with small silver particles (Ag/ZnONR), which can serve as a highly stable, sensitive, and reproducible material for SERS detection of isoprocarb (IPC) and crystal violet (CV).

Application of Waste Glass Powder for Sustainable Concrete: Design, Performance, Perspective.

Waste glass (WG) is a solid waste with increasing reserves, and its disposal has become a global issue. The application of WG in the construction industry is one of the promising pathways for recycling WG while reducing high-cost WG landfills. This study is conducted to systematically review the potential effects of WG as both a cement and aggregate replacement on the mechanical and durability properties of cementitious composites.

Dataset on Vietnamese students' impulse buying behavior on TikTok shop.

This article aims to provide a dataset on the factors affecting the online impulse buying behavior of university and college students in Vietnam. The examined factors include scarcity (SC), serendipity information (SI), trust (TR), hedonic motivation (HM), shopping lifestyle (SL), and product presentation (PP). In particular, the survey focuses on impulse shopping behavior on TikTok Shop, a rapidly growing e-commerce platform that is increasingly popular among Generation Z in Vietnam and other Asian countries.

Symptoms, Mental Health, and Quality of Life Among Patients After COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-sectional Study in Vietnam.

Objectives: This study was conducted to characterize the symptoms, mental health, quality of life (QoL), and associated factors following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 394 participants previously infected with COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Mental health was assessed using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21).

Fracture behaviour assessment of high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete at high strain rates using interpretable modelling approaches.

High-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (HPFRC), a type of cementitious composite material known for its exceptional mechanical performance, has widespread applications in structures exposed to severe dynamic loading conditions. However, understanding nonlinear HPFRC fracture behaviour, particularly under high strain rates, remains challenging given the complexities of assessment procedures and cost-intensive nature of experiments. This study presents an interpretable framework for modelling and analysing HPFRC fracture strength at high strain rates.

Measuring unequal distribution of pandemic severity across census years, variants of concern and interventions.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic stressed public health systems worldwide due to emergence of several highly transmissible variants of concern. Diverse and complex intervention policies deployed over the last years have shown varied effectiveness in controlling the pandemic. However, a systematic analysis and modelling of the combined effects of different viral lineages and complex intervention policies remains a challenge due to the lack of suitable measures of pandemic inequality and nonlinear effects.

Valorization of dragon fruit waste to value-added bioproducts and formulations: A review.

Owing to the increasing worldwide population explosion, managing waste generated from the food sector has become a cross-cutting issue globally, leading to environmental, economic, and social issues. Circular economy-inspired waste valorization approaches have been increasing steadily, generating new business opportunities developing valuable bioproducts using food waste, especially fruit wastes, that may have several applications in energy-food-pharma sectors. Dragon fruit waste is one such waste resource, which is rich in several value-added chemicals and oils, and can be a renewable resource to produce several value-added compounds of potential applications in different industries.

Protein-polysaccharide nanoconjugates: Potential tools for delivery of plant-derived nutraceuticals.

Protein-polysaccharide nanoconjugates are covalently interactive networks that are currently the subject of intense research owing to their emerging applications in the food nanotechnology field. Due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability properties, they have played a significant role as wall materials for the formation of various nanostructures to encapsulate nutraceuticals. The food-grade protein-polysaccharide nanoconjugates would be employed to enhance the delivery and stability of nutraceuticals for their real use in the food industry.

A global perspective on a new paradigm shift in bio-based meat alternatives for healthy diet.

A meat analogue is a casserole in which the primary ingredient is something other than meat. It goes by various other names, such as meat substitute, fake meat, alternative meat, and imitation meat. Consumers growing interest in improving their diets and the future of the planet have contributed to the move towards meat substitutes.

Microencapsulation and Application of Probiotic Bacteria 299v Strain.

Microencapsulation is an up-and-coming technology for maintaining the viability of probiotics. However, the effect of core-to-wall ratios and ratios of polysaccharides on the protection of the 299v strain has not been deeply discussed. Lyophilization of the 299v strain was conducted, and different core-to-wall ratios and ratios of maltodextrin (MD) and resistant starch (RS) were applied.

Persistence of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Australia: The impact of fluctuating social distancing.

We modelled emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Australia between December 2021 and June 2022. This pandemic stage exhibited a diverse epidemiological profile with emergence of co-circulating sub-lineages of Omicron, further complicated by differences in social distancing behaviour which varied over time. Our study delineated distinct phases of the Omicron-associated pandemic stage, and retrospectively quantified the adoption of social distancing measures, fluctuating over different time periods in response to the observable incidence dynamics.

Estimating the health impacts of sugar-sweetened beverage tax for informing policy decisions about the obesity burden in Vietnam.

Background: Taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been adopted in more than 40 countries but remained under discussion in Vietnam. This study aimed to estimate the health impacts of different SSBs tax plans currently under discussion to provide an evidence base to inform decision-making about a SSBs tax policy in Vietnam.

Method & Findings: Five tax scenarios were modelled, representing three levels of price increase: 5%, 11% and 19-20%.

Tetrahydrocannabinols: potential cannabimimetic agents for cancer therapy.

Tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs) antagonize the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, whose signaling to the endocannabinoid system is essential for controlling cell survival and proliferation as well as psychoactive effects. Most tumor cells express a much higher level of CB1 and CB2; THCs have been investigated as potential cancer therapeutic due to their cannabimimetic properties. To date, THCs have been prescribed as palliative medicine to cancer patients but not as an anticancer modality.

A general framework for optimising cost-effectiveness of pandemic response under partial intervention measures.

The COVID-19 pandemic created enormous public health and socioeconomic challenges. The health effects of vaccination and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were often contrasted with significant social and economic costs. We describe a general framework aimed to derive adaptive cost-effective interventions, adequate for both recent and emerging pandemic threats.

Chemical and volatile composition of Pálinka produced using different commercial yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Pálinka is Hungarian traditional alcoholic drink, and its quality is strongly depending on applied yeast strain. Unfortunately, all commercial yeast strains used the production of pálinka are selected for oenological purpose, and thus the efficacy and aroma releasing capacity are vary depending on the type and quality of fruit used. In this study, the fermentation efficacy of nine commercial yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was focused.

The shrinking toe sign in gout.

Objective: To describe the frequency, clinical presentation and understand the pathophysiology of toe shortenings during urate-lowering treatment (ULT) of gout, a feature we called the shrinking toe sign.

Methods: Sequential foot photographs and radiographs of 1141 consecutive gouty patients followed-up for at least 6 months under ULT were retrospectively scrutinized. Features from patients with toe shortenings were extracted from anonymized files.

Assessment of a psychiatric intervention at community level for people who inject drugs in a low-middle income country: the DRIVE-Mind cohort study in Hai Phong, Viet Nam.

Background: Access to psychiatric care for people who inject drugs (PWID) is limited/absent and stigmatized in most low-middle-income countries (LMICs). Innovative interventions are needed. We aimed to describe and assess the impact of a community-based psychiatric intervention among PWID in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Development and assessment of a community-based screening tool for mental health disorders among people who inject drugs.

Introduction: The prevalence of mental health disorders among people who use drugs is high and well documented. This hard-to-reach population faces a very low awareness and access to mental health care, especially in developing countries. The objectives of this study were to design and assess a quick screening tool (QST) that community-based organisations (CBO) could routinely apply to a Vietnamese population of people who inject drugs (PWID), in order to refer them appropriately to mental health specialists.

Enhancement of the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of wheat bran using the Bacillus strains and their consortium.

In the downstream process, the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass can be improved by applying a biological pretreatment procedure using microorganisms to produce hydrolytic enzymes to modify the recalcitrant structure of lignocellulose. In this study, various Bacillus strains (B. subtilis B.

Synthesis of oligosaccharides with prebiotic potential by crude enzyme preparation from Bifidobacterium.

Oligosaccharides especially prebiotics take high attention in the development of foods because of their physiological properties in human health. They are generally synthetized enzymatically via transferases or hydrolases from mold or bacteria. The fact is that such oligosaccharides synthetized by probiotic bacteria, should be utilized by these microorganisms.