The segment of organic products occupies an increasingly important place in dairy assortments. The European Union (EU) introduced a new EU organic logo in 2010 with the aim of harmonizing its organic ...sector and boosting consumer trust in organic food. This study focuses on organic yogurt and investigates consumer awareness and knowledge of the new EU logo. Consumers evaluate organic yogurt as superior compared with conventional yogurt on healthiness, environmental friendliness, quality, and safety. More frequent buyers of organic yogurt have a stronger belief that organic yogurt is superior. The willingness-to-pay for organic yogurt ranged from a premium of 15% for nonbuyers to 40% for habitual buyers, indicating the market potential for this product. A structural equations model reveals the positive association between knowledge, attitudes, and the frequency of purchasing and consuming organic yogurt. Nevertheless, consumer awareness of the EU organic logo remains rather low, which suggests a need for more effective information campaigns and marketing actions.
Early blood biomarkers to diagnose acute stroke could drastically reduce treatment delays. We investigated whether circulating small non-coding RNAs can serve as biomarkers to distinguish between ...acute ischemic stroke (IS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and stroke mimics (SM). In an ongoing observational cohort study, we performed small RNA-sequencing in plasma obtained from a discovery cohort of 26 patients (9 IS, 8 ICH and 9 SM) presented to the emergency department within 6 h of symptom onset. We validated our results in an independent dataset of 20 IS patients and 20 healthy controls. ICH plasma had the highest abundance of ribosomal and tRNA-derived fragments, while microRNAs were most abundant in plasma of IS patients. Combinations of four to five tRNAs yielded diagnostic accuracies (areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve) up to 0.986 (ICH vs. IS and SM) in the discovery cohort. Validation of the IS and SM models in the independent dataset yielded diagnostic accuracies of 0.870 and 0.885 to distinguish IS from healthy controls. Thus, we identified tRNA-derived fragments as a promising novel class of biomarkers to distinguish between acute IS, ICH and SM, as well as healthy controls.
Sepsis is the most common cause of in-hospital deaths, especially from low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to investigate the mortality rate and associated factors ...from sepsis in intensive care units (ICUs) in an LMIC. We did a multicenter cross-sectional study of septic patients presenting to 15 adult ICUs throughout Vietnam on the 4 days representing the different seasons of 2019. Of 252 patients, 40.1% died in hospital and 33.3% died in ICU. ICUs with accredited training programs (odds ratio, OR: 0.309; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.122-0.783) and completion of the 3-h sepsis bundle (OR: 0.294; 95% CI 0.083-1.048) were associated with decreased hospital mortality. ICUs with intensivist-to-patient ratio of 1:6 to 8 (OR: 4.533; 95% CI 1.621-12.677), mechanical ventilation (OR: 3.890; 95% CI 1.445-10.474) and renal replacement therapy (OR: 2.816; 95% CI 1.318-6.016) were associated with increased ICU mortality, in contrast to non-surgical source control (OR: 0.292; 95% CI 0.126-0.678) which was associated with decreased ICU mortality. Improvements are needed in the management of sepsis in Vietnam such as increasing resources in critical care settings, making accredited training programs more available, improving compliance with sepsis bundles of care, and treating underlying illness and shock optimally in septic patients.
Data on breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infections in vaccinated individuals are limited.
We studied breakthrough infections among Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccinated healthcare workers in an ...infectious diseases hospital in Vietnam. We collected demographic and clinical data alongside serial PCR testing, measurement of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and viral whole-genome sequencing.
Between 11th–25th June 2021 (7-8 weeks after the second dose), 69 staff tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. 62 participated in the study. Most were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and all recovered. Twenty-two complete-genome sequences were obtained; all were Delta variant and were phylogenetically distinct from contemporary viruses obtained from the community or from hospital patients admitted prior to the outbreak. Viral loads inferred from Ct values were 251 times higher than in cases infected with the original strain in March/April 2020. Median time from diagnosis to negative PCR was 21 days (range 8–33). Neutralizing antibodies (expressed as percentage of inhibition) measured after the second vaccine dose, or at diagnosis, were lower in cases than in uninfected, fully vaccinated controls (median (IQR): 69.4 (50.7-89.1) vs. 91.3 (79.6-94.9), p=0.005 and 59.4 (32.5-73.1) vs. 91.1 (77.3-94.2), p=0.043). There was no correlation between vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody levels and peak viral loads or the development of symptoms.
Breakthrough Delta variant infections following Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination may cause asymptomatic or mild disease, but are associated with high viral loads, prolonged PCR positivity and low levels of vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. Epidemiological and sequence data suggested ongoing transmission had occurred between fully vaccinated individuals.
Wellcome and NIH/NIAID
Knowledge of adult dengue virus (DENV) infection from Hanoi, Vietnam, is limited. In 2008, we prospectively studied 143 (77 male) confirmed (nonstructural 1 antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ...ELISA, DENV polymerase chain reaction, paired serology) adult dengue patients of median age 23.5 (range 16-72) years. They were admitted to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hanoi, on median illness day (D) 5 (range 1-8). By D8, 141 (98.6%) were afebrile. Platelet counts and hematocrit (median, interquartile range IQR) nadired and peaked on D5 and D4, respectively: 40,000/μL (10,000-109,000/μL), 43.4% (34.9-49.7%). Four (2.8%) patients had severe dengue: 1) D10 shock (N = 1) and 2) aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≥ 1,000 IU/L (N = 3, D5 and D7). Of 143 patients, 118 (82.5%) had ≥ 1 warning sign (World Health Organization WHO 2009 criteria): mucosal bleeding 66/143 (46.1%), soft tissue edema 54/143 (37.7%), and ultrasound detected plasma leakage (pleural effusions/ascites) 30/129 (23.25%). 138 (96.5%) patients received intravenous (IV) fluids: 3 L (IQR: 0.5-8.5 L). Most patients had non-severe dengue with warning signs. High rates of edema and plasma leakage may be explained partly by liberal use of IV fluids. Studies are needed on optimizing fluid management in non-severe adult dengue.
In this work, PrFeO3 nanoparticles were synthesized by modified
co-precipitation method and annealed at different temperatures up to 850?C.
The annealed PrFeO3 nanoparticles have single phase ...orthorhombic structure
and the average particle size of 25-30 nm. Due to the very small particle
size the prepared PrFeO3 nanoparticles are capable of being used as
photocatalyst materials thanks to their strong adsorption bands at 230-400
nm and 400-800 nm observed from the UV-Vis spectra. Additionally, the PrFeO3
nanoparticles are paramagnetic materials with Hc ~ 10Oe and Mr ~ 0. These
findings demonstrate their potential use not only as photocatalysts, but
also as magnetic materials.
This study investigates consumers’ attitudes towards, and familiarity with, food quality certification in selected urban areas in the South of Vietnam. Cross-sectional data were collected by means of ...a consumer survey (n = 500). Consumers’ awareness of food quality-related terms was relatively low. Less than half the participants claimed to understand the meaning of good agricultural practices (GAP), organic food and sustainability. Consumers’ familiarity with food quality certification (Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP), Global Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBALG.A.P.), organic, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)) was also low. Familiarity with food quality certification was positively associated with general attitude and food choice motives, namely food safety concern, perceived importance of healthy eating, and perceived importance of environmental consequences relating to food purchase. Food safety concern and perceived importance of environmental consequences were positively associated with consumers’ attitudes towards safe vegetables, as well as high quality rice. Perceived importance of healthy eating was positively related to attitude towards high quality rice. Findings suggest that food safety aspects of safe vegetables and high quality rice should be emphasized during policy and marketing activities for food quality certification. Additionally, an increase in the perceived importance of environmental consequences relating to quality food purchase should be encouraged to enhance positive consumer attitudes towards quality food. Efforts to improve public awareness and knowledge of food quality certification and sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries such as Vietnam are highly recommended.
•Familiarity with food quality certification is low among Vietnamese consumers.•Familiarity associates with higher education, income, and share of supermarket purchase.•Safety concerns associate with consumers’ attitude towards safe vegetables and quality rice.•Importance of healthy eating associates with consumers’ attitude towards high quality rice.•Attitudes associate with perceived importance of environmental consequences of food choice.
For the first time, the active moss biomonitoring technique has been used in Vietnam for investigation of atmospheric elemental contamination in the air of Hanoi region. The
Sphagnum girgensohnii
...moss harvested in the clean area were used to produce the moss-bags. After 2 months of expose in 45 different sites in Hanoi area, the moss samples were prepared and the concentration of 27 heavy metal elements were determined by proton induced X-ray emission at Cyclotron Research Center of Iwate Medical University (Japan). The comparison of the obtained results with those in several cities in Europe shows that Hanoi’s air pollution of heavy metal is much more serious. Based on the values of contamination coefficient, it is shown that Hanoi’s air is extremely polluted by Co; seriously polluted by V and Se; moderately polluted by Cl, Cr, As, Br, Zr, Nb, Mo and Hg; slightly polluted by Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba, W and Pb Statistical analysis has been applied to the original concentration data of the detected elements to find the possible pollution sources.
In this study, TiO2/CdS/CdxCu1−xSe, TiO2/CdS/CdxMn1−xSe, and TiO2/CdS/CdxAg2−2xSe thin films were synthesized by chemical bath deposition for the fabrication of photoanode in quantum-dot-sensitized ...solar cells. As a result, the structural properties of the thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction, which confirmed the zinc Blende structure in the samples. The optical films were researched by their experimental absorption spectra with different doping concentrations. Those results were combined with the Tauc correlation to estimate the absorption density, the band gap energy, valence band and conduction band positions, steepness parameter, and electron–phonon interaction. Furthermore, the electrical features, electrochemical impedance spectrum and photocurrent density curves were carried out. The result was used to explain the enhancing performance efficiency.
By using the co-precipitation method, the orthorhombic structure of YbFeO3 (o-YbFeO3) was obtained. To investigate the effect of different synthesis conditions on the resulting samples, NaOH (SH) and ...(NH4)2CO3 (AC) were used as precipitants, and a temperature range of 750–950 °C (tc) was applied for calcining the as-synthesized products. Depending on the synthesis conditions, the samples can be monophasic or diphasic and exhibit crystalline structure distortion. As the tc increases, the average size of o-YbFeO3 crystallites increases, which is in the 30–60 nm range. The samples' magnetism was not significantly affected by the synthesis conditions, and all displayed paramagnetic behavior, as evidenced by low values of coercive force (0.02–150.01 Oe) and net magnetization (0.41–0.54 emu·g−1); in this regard, the YbFeO3-AC-850 sample appeared to be superior, and the oxygen element preferred to face the sample's surface. The sample's morphology consists of oval-spherical-like grains with high agglomeration.
Perovskite-like YbFeO3 samples derived from the precipitation method under different precipitants and calcination temperatures were characterized as having paramagnetic behavior with low values of coercivity and net magnetization; the samples’ crystallite size was in the 30–60 nm range and increased with increasing calcination temperatures, as did the unit cell volume. Display omitted
•Obtaining homogeneous orthorhombic YbFeO3 (o-YbFeO3) by the precipitation method under different synthesis conditions.•The YbFeO3 structure was slightly distorted.•A sample prepared using (NH4)2CO3 as a precipitant and calcined at 850 °C performed slightly better in terms of magnetism.•o-YbFeO3 appeared to behave as a paramagnetic material.
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