We probe the transport properties in protein solutions stable with respect to any, solid or liquid, phase separation as a step in the understanding of transport in the cytosol of live cells. We ...determine the mean-squared displacement of probe particles in the time range 10;{-3}-10 s in solutions of a model protein. The tested solutions exhibit significant elasticity at high frequencies, while at low frequencies, they are purely viscous. We attribute this viscoelasticity to a dense network of weakly-bound chains of protein molecules with characteristic lifetime of 10-100 ms. The found intrinsic viscoelasticity of protein solutions should be considered in biochemical kinetics models.
Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are used extensively in HICs to detect and control antibiotic resistance (AMR) in laboratories and clinical institutions. ML is ...designed to predict outcome variables using an algorithm to enable "machines" to learn the "rules" from the data. ML is increasingly being applied in intensive care units to identify AMR and to assist empiric antibiotic therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of ML models for predicting AMR bacteria and resistance to antibiotics in two Vietnamese hospitals. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study combined with retrospective was conducted from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2022. Five models were developed to predict antibiotic resistance of bacterial infections of ICU patients. Two datasets were prepared to predict AMR bacteria and antibiotics with ML models. The performance of the prediction models was evaluated by various indicators (sensitivity, specificity, precision, accuracy, F1-score, PRC, AuROC, and NormMCC) to determine the optimal time point for data selection. Python version 3.8 was used for statistical analyses. Results: The accuracy, F1-score, AuROC, and normMMC of LightGBM, XGBoost, and Random Forest models were higher than those of other models in both datasets. In both datasets 1 and 2, accuracy, F1- score, AuROC and normMCC of the XGBoost model were the highest among five models (from 0.890 to 1.000). Only Random Forest models had specificity scores higher than 0.850. High scores of sensitivity, accuracy, precision, F1-score, and normMCC indicated that the models were making accurate predictions for datasets 1 and 2. Conclusion: XGBoost, LightGBM, and Random Forest were the best-performed machine learning models to predict antibiotic resistance of bacterial infections of ICUs patients using the patients' EMRs. Keywords: antibiotic resistance, machine learning, XGBoost, LightGBM, random forest
Mangrove crabs as key ecosystem engineers may play an important role in the recovery process of storm-damaged forests. Yet, their response to storm disturbance is largely unknown. Here we compare the ...ground-dwelling brachyuran crab community of intact mangrove stands with that of typhoon gaps having experienced 100% tree mortality. Field work was conducted in two adjacent areas in Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, southern Vietnam. In each area, an 18–20yr old monoculture Rhizophora apiculata stand served as control and was compared with typhoon gaps where downed stems had been removed or left on-site. The gaps were 14 and 20months old when studied in the dry and rainy season 2008, respectively. Time-based sampling of ground-dwelling crabs with hand or shovel was conducted by 4 persons inside 100m2 plots for 30min (7 replicate plots per area, treatment and month). Abiotic (sediment pH, salinity, temperature, grain size, water content, carbon and nitrogen content), and biotic measures (e.g. canopy coverage, woody debris, number of trees, leaf litter) were also taken. Despite complete canopy loss, total crab abundance has not changed significantly (in contrast to biomass) and all 12 species found in the forest were also found in the gaps, demonstrating their robustness. Another 9 gap-exclusive species were recorded and average species number and Shannon diversity were thus higher in the gaps. Perisesarma eumolpe was the most abundant species, both in the forest and in the gaps, and a shift from sesarmids (typical forest species) to ocypodids (generally more prominent in open areas) has not occurred. The persistence of litter-feeding sesarmid crabs prior to the re-establishment of a mangrove canopy is likely to depend on the availability of woody debris on the ground of the gaps, fuelling a mangrove detritus based food web, rather than one based on microphytobenthos and deposit-feeding ocypodids. The presence of burrowing crabs in the gaps suggests that important ecosystem engineering activities are still performed. However, bioturbation may be reduced as crab biomass and body size were smaller in the gaps. Follow-up assessments and field experiments are needed to understand the crabs' role in processing the woody debris, their long-term community dynamics and possible feed-backs between species shifts and gap regeneration.
► We present first data testing the response of mangrove crabs to storm disturbance. ► All forest species were also found in the typhoon gaps; crab abundance was similar, biomass lower. ► Average crab species richness and Shannon diversity were higher in the gaps. ► Gaps were still dominated by sesarmids, probably due to the woody debris. ► The continuing presence of ecosystem-engineering crabs may facilitate forest recovery.
To assess the relationship between radiation dose and change in a set of mathematical intensity- and texture-based features and to determine the ability of texture analysis to identify patients who ...develop radiation pneumonitis (RP).
A total of 106 patients who received radiation therapy (RT) for esophageal cancer were retrospectively identified under institutional review board approval. For each patient, diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans were acquired before (0-168 days) and after (5-120 days) RT, and a treatment planning CT scan with an associated dose map was obtained. 32- × 32-pixel regions of interest (ROIs) were randomly identified in the lungs of each pre-RT scan. ROIs were subsequently mapped to the post-RT scan and the planning scan dose map by using deformable image registration. The changes in 20 feature values (ΔFV) between pre- and post-RT scan ROIs were calculated. Regression modeling and analysis of variance were used to test the relationships between ΔFV, mean ROI dose, and development of grade ≥2 RP. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to determine each feature's ability to distinguish between patients with and those without RP. A classifier was constructed to determine whether 2- or 3-feature combinations could improve RP distinction.
For all 20 features, a significant ΔFV was observed with increasing radiation dose. Twelve features changed significantly for patients with RP. Individual texture features could discriminate between patients with and those without RP with moderate performance (AUCs from 0.49 to 0.78). Using multiple features in a classifier, AUC increased significantly (0.59-0.84).
A relationship between dose and change in a set of image-based features was observed. For 12 features, ΔFV was significantly related to RP development. This study demonstrated the ability of radiomics to provide a quantitative, individualized measurement of patient lung tissue reaction to RT and assess RP development.
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted the lives and well-being of individuals worldwide, affecting both short-term and long-term quality of life. This study aimed to assess ...health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associated factors among patients who have recovered from COVID-19. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at 2 hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam between January and March 2022. Data were obtained from patients who recovered from COVID-19 using a structured questionnaire which included the EuroQoL-5 Dimension-5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) scale to quantify problems in 5 health dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) and the EuroQoL-Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) to determine self-rated health status. Factors associated with HRQoL were determined using a generalized linear model (GLM). A total of 325 participants were included in the analysis. The overall mean score from the EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS was 0.86 (SD 0.21) and 78.6 (SD 19.9), respectively. Anxiety/Depression and Pain/Discomfort were the major problems experienced by the participants. Lower HRQoL scores were reported among those who were 60 years and older, female, had comorbidities, persistent symptoms, living alone and experiencing stress (all P < .05). This study showed that there was a significant reduction in HRQoL among individuals who recovered from COVID-19, compared with the general population. The findings suggest that more interventions need to be implemented to increase such individuals’ quality of life, particularly for those who exhibit high-risk factors such as females, those with comorbidities, persistent symptoms, living alone and experiencing from stress.
This paper aims to analyze factors influencing earnings of workers in Vietnam using provincial-level data from 2016 to 2018. We show the important determinants of earnings of workers of more than 15 ...years old including working hour, labor force, life expectancy, education, regulation measured by Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and especially Industry 4.0, our major depart from literature proxies by government expenditure on science and technology, number of phone lines, and number of internet users. Working hours are a typical measurement of quantity of labor supplied. Labor force represents market size from the supply side. Life expectancy measures the health of laborers, a physical quality measure of workers. PCI stands for institutional status of the locality. Two most important factors of our interest are education, representing qualification of workers, and Industry 4.0, reflecting the new working environment of workers. By estimating a robust standard error fixed-effect model, we have evidence that all factors are significant in explaining earnings of Vietnamese workers. Education and IR4.0 play an important role in earnings of workers of Vietnam. Results also provide an estimation of Vietnam's labor supply in the context of Industry 4.0. In addition, findings contribute to explain the income discrepancy among Vietnamese provinces.
Lymphoma with cardiac involvement is a high-risk lesion, especially in children. We report a rare clinical case of multifocal precursor B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in a child with cardiac ...involvement. A 4-year-old boy presented to the Vietnam National Children's Hospital with a vague headache, but magnetic resonance imaging of the head was normal. After 1 week, the patient showed symptoms of chest pain, fatigue, dyspnea, and abdominal pain. On transthoracic echocardiography and multislice computed tomography of the thorax, a mass was detected in the right atrial wall. Abdominal ultrasound showed a small bowel intussusception, multiple nodules in the intestinal wall, and mesenteric lymph nodes. Histopathology of the bowel confirmed the diagnosis of multifocal precursor B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. The patient responded to 3 cycles of chemotherapy for lymphoma. Therefore, combining multiple imaging methods allowed for early diagnosis and improved treatment.
Intestinal hypoganglionosis in adults is quite uncommon, and hypoganglionosis of the ileum has not been documented to date. The majority of studies on this disorder are single case reports and brief ...case series. We describe a 30-year-old male patient with bowel obstruction and intestinal hypoganglionosis of the ileum and we review the literature on the disorder.
Objective To investigate the longitudinal effects of perinatal exposure to dioxin on neurodevelopment and physical growth of a birth cohort during the first 3 years of life. Study design A total of ...217 mother–infant pairs living in a dioxin-contaminated area in Vietnam were followed up. Perinatal dioxin exposure of infants was estimated by the measurement of dioxin levels in breast milk of nursing mothers. Neurodevelopment of infants and children, including cognitive, language, and motor development, was determined at 4 months, 1 year, and 3 years of age. Physical growth, including weight, height, and head and abdominal circumferences, was measured at birth, 1 and 4 months, and 1 and 3 years of age. Multivariate mixed models were applied for analyzing repeated measures. Results In boys, composite motor and gross motor scores were decreased with increasing exposure of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TetraCDD). The high toxic equivalent of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs-TEQ) group showed a significant decrease in expressive communication score. In girls, there was no decreased score in any neurodevelopment aspects in high-exposure groups. All body size measures in boys were decreased in the high-exposure groups of 2,3,7,8-TetraCDD and PCDDs/PCDFs-TEQ. In girls, high 2,3,7,8-TetraCDD and PCDDs/PCDFs-TEQ exposure was associated with increased head and abdominal circumferences. Conclusions Perinatal dioxin exposure affects physical growth and neurodevelopment of infants and children in the first 3 years of life in a sex-specific manner.
Low albumin levels, high levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and high white blood cell count were risk factors for changes in arterial intima-media thickness (IMT). Femoral artery ...IMT damages were one of the common peripheral artery type 2 diabetes. This study was conducted to determine the association between femoral artery IMT and plasma albumin, hs-CRP levels, and white blood cell count in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (nT2D).
From January 2015 to May 2020, 306 patients with nT2D were recruited for this cross-sectional descriptive study at Vietnam's National Endocrinology Hospital. We measured IMT by Doppler ultrasound.
There was a statistically significant difference in albumin, hs-CRP levels, hs-CRP-to-albumin ratio, and white blood cell counts between three different IMT groups namely normal IMT, thick IMT, and atherosclerosis (p = 0.003, p = 0.001, p = 0.001 and p = 0.049, respectively). In the multivariate linear regression analysis, white blood cell count, and hs-CRP levels showed a significantly positive correlation to IMT (standardized B and p of 0.17, 0.015 and 0.163, 0.024, respectively), but albumin levels were a significantly negative correlation to IMT (standardized B = -0.151, p = 0.029). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that albumin (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.90, p = 0.018), hs-CRP (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.18, p = 0.026), and white blood cell count (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.03-1.81, p = 0.033) had correlation to atherosclerosis of femoral artery.
Reduced plasma albumin, elevated hs-CRP, and white blood cell count associated with IMT increased the odds for atherosclerosis of femoral artery among nT2D.
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