Background: Flu and avian flu in humans are events in a number of countries all over the world. In Vietnam, there were some investigations on knowledge, attitude and practice for preventing flu and avian flu on several groups of the population and pharmacists in Tra Vinh province. However, there is no research for this issue in Hanoi city while the evident need for the planning of public health programs is required. Objective: To describe knowledge and identify the requirement of flu and avian flu information among pharmacists in Hanoi city. From that, some recommendations for intervention programs are proposed. Subject and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 143 pharmacists in Hanoi city with a structured questionnaire of knowledge and requirement of flu and avian flu information from October, 2007 to January, 2008. Results and Conclusion: Generally, knowledge on flu and avian flu is not yet comprehensive and sufficient. Requirement for flu and avian flu information was quite in demand, especially via television, capacity building training, having more communication materials and experience exchange workshops. Several interventions need to be directed towards: comprehensive communication on flu and avian flu to pharmacists, which aims to help them understand sufficiently and comprehensive about flu and avian flu; capacity improvement for pharmacists should pay attention to several channels such as television broadcasting communication, short-term training, disseminating relevant materials and perhaps experience exchange through seminars.
avian flu ; drug-sellers ; information needs

Background: In Vietnam, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is quickly spreading, almost totally in young people and among injecting drug users.The transition phase from smoking to injecting is very important for the life of injecting drug users because it is a risk factor of disease transmission. Objectives: (1) To analyze the transition phase from smoking/sniffing to injecting of the young male heroin users in Ha Noi. (2) To describe some factors related to the transition phase in these people. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional study carried out from September 2004 to September 2005 at 9 districts in Ha Noi city. The subjects were 1115 young men aged 16 to 29 years, who has been living in Ha Noi for over 6 months and smoked/sniffed heroin within the last 30 days. Results and conclusions: The average time of drug user in the 1115 subjects was 4.7 years. The majority started using drug at the age of 18.4 +/- 3.1 years. In which, 71 % consume the drugs by injection. The average time from smoking to injecting is 2.49 +/- 2.2 years. The main reasons for injecting drugs were for being faster \u2018on the height\u2019 (42%) and cheaper (40%). Some factors related to the transition phase included: age of the first heroin use, year of the first heroin use, situation for migrating into Ha Noi, knowledge level, the kind of drug used for the first time. Young people began using heroin in the year 2000 had a quicker transition phase than those using heroin before 1997 (p< 0.01).
injecting drug user ; drug user ; heroin

Background: \r\n', u'In the antituberculosis chemotherapy, shortening treatment course, and applying new high effective methods are top prioritized. Of which,the immunotherapy with M vaccea an environmental saprophyte, combined with the antituberculosis medicines all over the world has been applied since 1985, aimed to enhance the host immune responses.\r\n', u'Objectives:\r\n', u'To evaluate the results after 6 months of shortened course anittuberculosis chemotherapy by combining the immunotherapy withM vaccae.\r\n', u'Subjects and method: \r\n', u'233 newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients with AFB smear (+) selected from Centers for Tuberculosis Control in some districts of Ha Tay and Ha Noi. They are 15 above, and not the pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetes, HIV infections, and hepatitis B (Unnecessary) \r\n', u'Dividing randomly into 2 groups, group A was in treatment of the standard 8 month chemotherapy regimen, and group B was treated in a shortned 6 month chemotherapy regimen in combination with immunotherapy by using M. vaccae vaccine. \r\n', u'Results:\r\n', u'The rates of AFB (-) sputum of group B were 98,2% and 100% respectively, the rates of the group A were 97,4% and 99% respectively after 2 and 6 months of treatment. There are 88.5% and 100% for group B, 85.6% and 98.8% for group A at the same time to achieve a negative sputum culture for M. tuberculosis. IgM responses against M. tuberculosis sonicated antigen before and after the follow-up time in Group A are not changed, whereas this level of the immunotherapy group had reduced significantly at the 6th moth (P<0.05). There is no responses in IgC to M. tuberculosis of both groups during the same follow-up period. The mean weight of patients in group B was higher than that of group A after 2 and 6 months of treatment.\r\n', u'Conclusion:\r\n', u'M. vaccae vaccine brings good benefits when be combined with the chemo-immunotherapy for newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients with AFB smear (+). The negative sputum indicators and clinic improvements in the chemo- immunotherapy group of treatment are better than that of chemotherapy only. This study created more effective method for treating tuberculosis infection.\r\n', u'
Tuberculosis ; Pulmonary ; Tuberculosis ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ;

Objective: To investigate antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of the extract and fractions from Vietnamese red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea. Methods: The seaweed Laurencia dendroidea was extracted by using microwave-assisted extraction method in 80％ methanol. The seaweed extract was then fractionated using different solvents (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water). These obtained fractions were evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. Antioxidant activities were tested using DPPH, nitric oxide radical scavenging and metal chelating assays. The enzyme inhibition mode was determined using Lineweaver-Burk plot. For acidic and thermal stabilities, the ethyl acetate fraction was treated at pH 2.0 and 100 ℃, respectively. The residual inhibitory activity of the fraction was calculated based on the initial inhibitory activity. For in vivo antidiabetic activity, mice were divided into four groups, including normal control, diabetic control, diabetic mice treated with ethyl acetate fraction and diabetic mice treated with gliclazide. Blood glucose level of treated mice during acute and prolonged treatments was measured. To evaluate the toxicity of the ethyl acetate fraction, the body weight changes and activities of liver function enzymes (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and gammaglutamyl transferase) were carried out. Results: The extract of Laurencia dendroidea showed strong α-glucosidase inhibitory and DPPH radical scavenging activities. Methanolic concentrations affected both α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. A 80％ aqueous methanol was the suitable solvent for extraction of enzyme inhibitors and antioxidants. Among solvent fractions, ethyl acetate fraction had the highest inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase with a mixed type of inhibition and the strongest antioxidant activities, and was stable under acidic and thermal conditions. The ethyl acetate fraction treated diabetic mice significantly reduced blood glucose level compared with the diabetic control group (13.16 mmol/L vs. 22.75 mmol/L after 3 hours of treatment). Oral administration of ethyl acetate fraction did not exhibit toxicity at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight as determined by body weight changes and liver biochemical parameters. Conclusions: Laurencia dendroidea could be a potential source for production of antidiabetic and antioxidative agents.

Introduction: In South Australia, reporting of live births, stillbirths of at least 20 weeks or 400g birth weight, termination of pregnancies and congenital anomalies is mandated. We describe the investigation of an increase in notifications of neural tube defects (NTDs) in South Australia in 2009 and 2010 using data from several surveillance systems. Methods: NTD trend data from 1966 to 2010 were reviewed. Comparisons of pregnancies affected by an NTD in 2009 and 2010 were made with pregnancies affected by an NTD in the period 2003–2008 and with all pregnancies in 2009 and 2010. Statistical analysis was undertaken using Poisson regression, chi-squared or Fisher’s exact tests. Results: The prevalence of NTD-affected pregnancies was 1.95 per 1000 births (39 cases) in 2010 and 1.91 per 1000 births in 2009 (38 cases), the highest annual rates since 1991. Case series comparisons indicated women with NTD-affected pregnancies in 2009 and 2010 were less likely to be Caucasian compared with women who had NTD-affected pregnancies in the period 2003–2008. Women born in the Middle East and African region (n = 7) were significantly more likely to have NTD-affected pregnancies in the years 2009 and 2010 (relative risk: 3.03; 95% confidence interval: 1.39–6.62) compared with women born in the Oceania region. Discussion: The increased notifications of NTDs can only be partially explained by the increase in numbers of women from the Middle East and African region, with no other contributory causes revealed. This analysis highlighted areas where prevention efforts should be strengthened and surveillance data improved.

Background: In the past decades, preventive medicine had achieved significant success by promoting the effective prevention. However, we were facing with the rising again of dangerous infectious diseases that had been controlled. Ministry of Health had approved the development support project for preventive medicine system to strengthen early detection and control diseases in time. Objectives: To survey the manpower and the demand for training in basic microbiology technique of Centres for preventive medicine. Subjects and method: Technicians of 29 centres for preventive medicine in North provinces were surveyed and the results were studied by the described cross method. Results: Number of technicians graduated difference, fluctuated from 3 to 14 person per unit. The women were 80.4%; men were 19.6%. The staff who have degrees of postgraduate was 5.3%; University graduated was 41.2%; middle-ranking was 53.6%. Their specialities were very different: medicine doctor was 15.2%; biologists were 8.8%. The rest were nurse, technicians convalesce nurse, Medical Public Health...(34.4%). Among the demand for obtain the train in Microbiology, basic and advance labiratory techniques, 19.4% were the requests for training in basic microbiology; 16.4% were for molecular technology; 21.4% were for bacterium isolate technology and 19.4% were for virus technology. Conclusion: The results were the basis of creating a appropriate technical training strategy to contribute to the success of the project.
Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Education

Background: In recent years, due to the outbreak of new infectious diseases, re-emerging diseases and bio-terrorist threats, the biological safety for laboratories is essential\r\n', u'Objectives: to evaluate knowledge and practices related to biosafety of researchers in microbiological laboratories\r\n', u'Subjects and method: The study was carried out in the period 2006-2007. Questionnaires and checklists were used for the direct interview the knowledge and observe the practices related to biological safety of 97 laboratory technicians from microbiology laboratories of 22 provincial centers for preventive medicine, which represent for all areas in Vietnam.\r\n', u'Results: The percentage of technicians defines correctly the hazardous groups of some common pathogens are 8.2-33%. The percentage of technicians define correctly the transmission routes of Bacillus anthracis, Staphylococus, Streptococcus are 1%, 15% and 19.6%, respectively. The opinion that thay can wear the laboratory blouse out of laboratories, bring personal belongings into the laboratory and pipeting by mouth are 21.6%, 50.5% and 23.7%, respectively. Regarding laboratory practices: The percentage of technicians does not use gloves is 37.8%; pipeting by mouth: 22.6%. Over 40% technicians do not disinfect working area or washing hands with alcohol after experiments\r\n', u'Conclusion: The results of this study are a basis for planning programs to train, supervise and improve the operational quality of the microbiological laboratory of the provincial preventive health care centers.\r\n', u'\r\n', u'\r\n', u'
Health Knowledge ; Attitudes ; Practice ; Biotechnology/ standards ; Safety/ standards ;

Background: Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited mental retardation. The absence of Fragile X Mental Retardation (FMRP) in Fragile X syndrome changes other proteins. Objective: To detect changes of glycoprotein in human serum of Fragile X syndrome. Subject and methods: Affinity chromatography with lectin concanavalin A (ConA) used to receive glycoprotein. The collected glycoprotein was then separated using 2-D electrophoresis. The protein spots were further excised, trypsin digested, and analyzed by nano LC couple with ESI-MS/MS and identified by MASCOT v1.8 software. Results and conclusion: 5 glycoproteins showed the different expression levels in the serum of Fragile X syndrome. Haptoglobin, Ig-J were increased and ceruloplasmin, transferring, Ig kappa were decreased. Using affinity chromatography with lectin concanavalin A (ConA), glycoprotein was received and divided on 2 ways electrokinetic chromatography. The mixture protein was identified with a reliability of 99.5% by 2 ways liquid chromatography combined with continuous spectrum mass.
Fragile X syndrome ; Fragile X Mental Retardation ; proteomics

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of mental health (MH) symptoms and associated factors among medical students who were engaged in combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in 4 provinces/cities of Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 580 participants was conducted at a medical university in Northern Vietnam. MH was assessed using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, which was previously standardized in Vietnam. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the association between MH symptoms and relevant factors. Results: Out of a total of 2703 medical students, 21.5% responded to the questionnaire. Among the 580 respondents, the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 43.3%, 44.0%, and 24.7%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with self-reported depression included being female and having a COVID-19 infection. Similarly, being female and having a COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with self-reported anxiety. Factors associated with self-reported stress included being female, having a personal or family history of MH symptoms, working more than 8 hr/day, and having a COVID-19 infection. Conclusions COVID-19 has adversely impacted the MH of medical students. Our findings are valuable in their potential to motivate universities, MH professionals, and authorities to offer mental healthcare services to this group. Furthermore, there is a pressing need for training courses designed to equip future healthcare workers with the skills to manage crises effectively.

Purpose: Laparoscopic surgery is considered a promising approach for Hartmann reversal but is also a complicated major surgical procedure. We conducted a retrospective analysis at a city hospital in Vietnam to evaluate the treatment technique and outcomes of laparoscopic Hartmann reversal (LHR). Methods: A colorectal surgery database in 5 years between 2015 and 2019 (1,175 cases in total) was retrieved to collect 35 consecutive patients undergoing LHR. Results: The patients had a median age of 61 years old. The median operative time was 185 minutes. All the procedures were first attempted laparoscopically with a conversion rate of 20.0% (7 of 35 cases). There was no intraoperative complication. Postoperative mortality and morbidity were 0 and 11.4% (2 medical, 1 deep surgical site infection, and 1 anastomotic leak required reoperation) respectively. The median time to first bowel activity was 2.8 days and median length of hospital stay was 8 days. Conclusion When performed by skilled surgeons, LHR is a feasible and safe operation with acceptable morbidity rate.