Infusing clinical knowledge into language models by subword optimisation and embedding initialisation.

Objective: This study introduces a novel tokenisation methodology, K-Tokeniser, to infuse clinical knowledge into language models for clinical text processing.

Methods: Technically, at initialisation stage, K-Tokeniser populates global representations of tokens based on semantic types of domain concepts (such as drugs or diseases) from either a domain ontology like Unified Medical Language System or the training data of the task related corpus. At training or inference stage, sentence level localised context will be utilised for choosing the optimal global token representation to realise the semantic-based tokenisation.

Frailty in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: Comparisons Among Three Frailty Screening Tools in Predicting In-Hospital Adverse Events.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to investigate the proportion of frailty among inpatients having Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and to compare the prognostic value of three frailty screening methods in predicting in-hospital adverse events among the study population.

Methods: This prospective, observational study design was conducted on older patients with ACS. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire on general characteristics (age, gender, comorbidities, body mass index) and medical records (admission diagnosis, ACS type, angiography results, treatment therapy, left ventrical ejection fraction, and length of hospital stay).

Outcomes of transperitoneal laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy: a single-center study in Vietnam.

Purpose: (i) Describe renal vascular anatomy in Vietnamese donors with 256-slice MSCT; (ii) relate imaging to operative metrics and early outcomes of trans-peritoneal laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN).

Methods: All consecutive living kidney donors who underwent trans-peritoneal LDN at Viet Duc University Hospital between January 2023 and June 2024 were prospectively enrolled. Eligibility required compliance with national donation criteria, informed consent, and complete clinical documentation.

The Accreditation Journey for a Hospital in the Developing World.

Vinmec Times City International Hospital is the first organization in Vietnam to receive certification from both the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) and Joint Commission International, marking a significant turning point in Vietnam's approach to health care quality control. This article shares our journey toward CAP accreditation, offering insights from a laboratory in a developing nation. The data sources include documentation of our laboratory's experiences during 2 years (2020-2022), illustrating the collaborative work and achievements in preparing for the first inspection of the CAP LAP, alongside prior discussions and commitments (2018-2020) to develop our plan.

Renal Artery Perforation: A Rare Complication of Primary PCI Successfully Treated With a Vascular Plug.

A 73-year-old woman developed abdominal distention, pain with pallor, and hypotension after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention with 1 drug-eluting stent. Emergent blood tests and abdominal imaging confirmed right perirenal hemorrhage. Selective renal angiogram revealed ongoing bleeding from a distal renal artery perforation when her clinical condition deteriorated despite conservative management.

Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Position Statement on the Use of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in the Management of Aortic Stenosis.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been established as an effective treatment modality in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and the uptake of TAVI is rapidly growing in the Asia-Pacific region. However, there exist a heterogeneity in the management of aortic stenosis and the use of TAVI among countries in the region. Reasons for these differences include anatomic variations, disparity in healthcare resources and infrastructure, and the lack of consensus on the optimal management of AS in the Asia-Pacific region.

An appropriate DNA input for bisulfite conversion reveals LINE-1 and Alu hypermethylation in tissues and circulating cell-free DNA from cancers.

The autonomous and active Long-Interspersed Element-1 (LINE-1, L1) and the non-autonomous Alu retrotransposon elements, contributing to 30% of the human genome, are the most abundant repeated sequences. With more than 90% of their sequences being methylated in normal cells, these elements undeniably contribute to the global DNA methylation level and constitute a major part of circulating-cell-free DNA (cfDNA). So far, the hypomethylation status of LINE-1 and Alu in cellular and extracellular DNA has long been considered a prevailing hallmark of ageing-related diseases and cancer.

Hypermethylation at 45S rDNA promoter in cancers.

The ribosomal genes (rDNA genes) encode 47S rRNA which accounts for up to 80% of all cellular RNA. At any given time, no more than 50% of rDNA genes are actively transcribed, and the other half is silent by forming heterochromatin structures through DNA methylation. In cancer cells, upregulation of ribosome biogenesis has been recognized as a hallmark feature, thus, the reduced methylation of rDNA promoter has been thought to support conformational changes of chromatin accessibility and the subsequent increase in rDNA transcription.

Unique characteristics of Asians with hypertension: what is known and what can be done?

Hypertension remains the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide. Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of hypertension has been increasing in East and Southeast Asia to a greater extent as compared with other Western countries. Asians with hypertension have unique characteristics.

Avoidance of healthcare service use and correlates among HIV-positive patients in Vietnam: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: The prevention of HIV/AIDS is not making sufficient progress. The slow reduction of HIV/AIDS infections needs to prioritise hesitancy towards service utilisation, including treatment duration, social support and social stigma. This study investigates HIV-positive patients' avoidance of healthcare services and its correlates.

Factors correlated with neuropathic pain among industrial workers in Vietnam: a multi-site cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Neuropathic pain is a debilitating condition resulting from various etiologies such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and infection, and is associated with decreased quality of life, poor health outcomes, and increased economic burden. However, epidemiological studies on neuropathic pain have been largely limited in Vietnam.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adult Vietnamese industrial workers across three manufacturing plants.

Myocardial fibrosis in rheumatic heart disease: emerging concepts and clinical implications.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a significant cardiovascular burden in the world even though it is no longer common in affluent countries. Centuries of history surrounding this disease provide us with a thorough understanding of its pathophysiology. Infections in the throat, skin, or mucosa are the gateway for Group A Streptococcus (GAS) to penetrate our immune system.

The Frail Scale - A Risk Stratification in Older Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the impact of frailty on in-hospital adverse outcomes and net adverse clinical events (NACE) in older patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Patients And Methods: This observational study included elderly patients (≥60 years old), diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) at admission from February 2021 to August 2021. The primary outcome was net adverse clinical events (NACE) defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, stroke, and major bleeding.

Intermediate outcome for the single-stage surgical repair of aortopulmonary window associated with interrupted aortic arch.

Objectives: Aortopulmonary window (APW) associated with an interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is a rare cardiac malformation with significant mortality and morbidity. The goal of this study was to report the intermediate outcomes of single-stage repair concentrating on the surgical techniques and postoperative reintervention for this rare cardiac lesion.

Methods: Eleven patients were diagnosed with IAA-associated APW and underwent single-stage surgical repair at Vietnam National Children's Hospital.

Meta-Analysis on the Safety and Efficacy of Transradial Approach in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of transradial approach (TRA) in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the efficacy and safety of transfemoral approach (TFA). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (OS) reporting the outcomes of TRA versus TFA in CTO PCI. The primary end point was procedural success.

COVID-19 impacts, opportunities and challenges for wildlife farms in Binh Duong and Ba Ria Vung Tau, Vietnam.

The wildlife trade is a major cause of species loss and can trigger disease transmission. While the COVID-19 pandemic sparked public interest in eliminating the wildlife trade, a better understanding is needed of the economic repercussions of COVID-19 on those who rely on wildlife farming for their livelihoods. Using the case studies of Ba Ria Vung Tau and Binh Duong provinces in Vietnam - a country seen as Asia's wildlife trade hotspot - this paper explores COVID-19's impacts on wildlife farms and their owners.

Harmonising Individual Patient Level Cardiac Registry Data Across the Asia Pacific Region-A Feasibility Study of In-Hospital Outcomes of STEMI Patients From the Asia Pacific Evaluation of Cardiovascular Therapies (ASPECT) Network.

Objective: The Asia-Pacific Evaluation of Cardiovascular Therapies (ASPECT) collaboration was established to inform on percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the Asia-Pacific Region. Our aims were to (i) determine the operational requirements to assemble an international individual patient dataset and validate the processes of governance, data quality and data security, and subsequently (ii) describe the characteristics and outcomes for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing PCI in the ASPECT registry.

Methods: Seven (7) ASPECT members were approached to provide a harmonised anonymised dataset from their local registry.

Sex differences in quality of life of patients following percutaneous coronary intervention in Vietnam.

Purpose: Data regarding the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in men and women after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in low-and-middle incomes countries remains scarce. To investigate sex difference in the HRQoL at 30 days and 12 months post PCI in Vietnam.

Methods: We used data from a single percutaneous coronary registry established in the Vietnam National Heart Institute.

An enhanced two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) C-H diamond with positive surface charge model for advanced normally-off MOSFET devices.

Though the complementary power field effect transistors (FETs), e.g., metal-oxide-semiconductor-FETs (MOSFETs) based on wide bandgap materials, enable low switching losses and on-resistance, p-channel FETs are not feasible in any wide bandgap material other than diamond.

2021 Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Consensus Recommendations on the Use of P2Y1 Receptor Antagonists in the Asia-Pacific Region: Special Populations.

Advanced age, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease not only increase the risk for ischaemic events in chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) but also confer a high bleeding risk during antiplatelet therapy. These special populations may warrant modification of therapy, especially among Asians, who have displayed characteristics that are clinically distinct from Western patients. Previous guidance has been provided regarding the classification of high-risk CCS and the use of newer-generation P2Y inhibitors (i.

Depressive symptoms are associated with immunological failure among HIV-positive patients in Vietnam.

As the lives of people living with HIV (PLWH) become increasingly normalized, more focus is being given to the associated comorbidities of HIV, including those related to mental health such as depression. This study aims to evaluate the correlation between depressive symptoms and HIV outcomes in Vietnam through the measurement of CD4 cell count. A mixed design was utilized, in which both a longitudinal assessment of CD4 cell counts and a cross-sectional survey of depressive symptoms were conducted on 481 patients in the Bach Mai and Ha Dong HIV clinics (Hanoi, Vietnam).