Prosocial Behaviors Among the Vietnamese Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Social Education Programs

Objective: The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of prosocial behaviors and to examine associated factors among the Vietnamese people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Two hundred and ninety-two Vietnamese people participated in the study through web-based respondent network sampling. Result: Findings showed that the prevalence of high prosocial behaviors was 75.3%. Conclusion: In the multivariable regression models, significant factors for prosocial behaviors were institutional trust and age. Implications for social education programs were also discussed in this study.

The value of sonographic quantitative parameters in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome in the Vietnamese population

Objective To examine the value of ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the Vietnamese population. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study involved 42 wrists of 25 patients with idiopathic CTS evaluated by US. In addition, 38 wrists of 22 healthy volunteers were included as the control group. Results Significant differences in the median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) at different levels were found between patients with CTS and controls. Using a cut-off value of 9.5 mm2 for the median nerve CSA at the pisiform (p-CSA), US had a sensitivity and specificity of 95.2% and 97.4%, respectively, for the diagnosis of CTS. Area under the curve analysis revealed a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 95.4%, respectively, for the prediction of severe CTS using a p-CSA of >15.5 mm2. Conclusions The median nerve CSA is a highly accurate parameter in the diagnosis of CTS. We recommend using a p-CSA of >9.5 mm2 as a diagnostic criterion for CTS and a p-CSA of >15.5 mm2 as a marker for severe CTS in the Vietnamese population. Research Registry number: 7261

Molecular Analysis of Vietnamese Patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by deleterious mutations in the α‑L‑iduronidase (IDUA) gene. Until now, MPS I in Vietnamese has been poorly addressed. Five MPS I patients were studied with direct DNA sequencing using Illumina technology confirming pathogenic variants in the IDUA gene. Clinical characteristics, additional laboratory results, and family history were collected. All patients have presented with the classical characteristic of MPS I, and α‑L‑iduronidase activity was low with the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans. Three variants in the IDUA gene (c.1190‑10C>A (Intronic), c.1046A>G (p.Asp349Gly), c.1862G>C (p.Arg621Pro) were identified. The c.1190‑10C>A variant represents six of the ten disease alleles, indicating a founder effect for MPS I in the Vietnamese population. Using biochemical and genetic analyses, the precise incidence of MPS I in this population should accelerate early diagnosis, newborn screening, prognosis, and optimal treatment

Effect of Xylitol Chewing Gum on Presence of Streptococcus mutans in Saliva

BACKGROUND: Oral disease ranks third among the most serious diseases in the world, after cancer and cardiovascular disease. Vietnamese population has suffered from various dental and oral diseases, of which the most common have been identified to be cavities and inflammation around the teeth. AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using xylitol gum on the status of Strepptococus mutans bacteria in saliva. METHODS: The study design was an uncontrolled clinical study conducted at the Hanvinco Texture Factory (Hanoi). Two hundred and fifty-four subjects between the ages of 18 and 63 were included in the clinical trial. These subjects brushed their teeth for 2 weeks before providing a saliva sample for S. mutans. The 80 subjects with the highest number of salivary S. mutans were recruited for the further analysis (at least 104 CFU/ml). After each clinical intervention, participant chewed Lotte xylitol gum after each meal, two capsules each time and 1 time in the evening (total 4 times/day), continuously for 4 weeks. Saliva samples were quantified for S. mutans by real-time PCR method. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis of S. mutans bacteria in saliva of 254 subjects showed that 19.7% had S. mutans detected within 105 CFU/ml of saliva. These result shows that nearly 20% of the subjects examined have a high risk of tooth decay. After continuous use of xylitol chewing gum 4 times a day for 4 weeks by 80 subjects, it showed a decrease in the number of S. mutans in the saliva of participants, and the difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The use of xylitol chewing gum taken 4 times/day is effective in reducing the number of S. mutans bacteria in saliva when combined with brushing your teeth.

Association of \(\textit{FSIP2}\) rs4666689 and \(\textit{PON2}\) rs7493 with male infertility in Vietnamese population

Reproductive impairment in men is a multifactorial disease and is currently considered a global health issue. Previous studies have investigated the correlation between genetic variants and male infertility in different populations. However, such studies have appeared in limited amounts in the Vietnamese population. This study aimed to assess the association of polymorphisms FSIP2 rs4666689 and PON2 rs7493 with male infertile susceptibility in the Vietnamese population. Total DNAs were isolated from 376 samples, including 175 males with infertility and 201 controls having at least one child. For FSIP2 rs4666689, all 376 samples were applied for genotyping using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). For PON2 rs7493, only 178 samples (80 infertile patients and 98 controls) were used to assess genotype frequencies. By using statistical methods, we showed that the distribution of their genotypes was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p-values > 0.05). However, no association between both polymorphisms (FSIP2 rs4666689 and PON2 rs7493) and male infertility in the Vietnamese population was detected (p-values > 0.05). This study would help enrich to the knowledge about the effects of hereditary factors on male infertility in the Vietnamese population.

Exploring the Genomic Diversity and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum in a Vietnamese Population

Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum is a beneficial member of the human gut microbiota. The organism can modulate inflammation and has probiotic potential, but its characteristics are largely strain dependent and associated with distinct genomic and biochemical features.

Predominant HLA Alleles and Haplotypes in Mild Adverse Drug Reactions Caused by Allopurinol in Vietnamese Patients with Gout

Allopurinol (ALP) is commonly used as a drug for gout treatment. However, ALP is known to cause cutaneous adverse reactions (CARs) in patients. The HLA-B*58:01 allele is considered a biomarker of severe CAR (SCAR) in patients with gout, with symptoms of Stevens Johnson syndrome, and with toxic epidermal necrolysis. However, in patients with gout and mild cutaneous adverse drug reactions (MCARs), the role of HLA-allele polymorphisms has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, 50 samples from ALP-tolerant patients and ALP-induced MCARs patients were genotyped in order to examine the polymorphisms of their HLA-A and HLA-B alleles. Our results showed that the frequencies of HLA-A*02:01/HLA-A*24:02 and HLA-A*02:01/HLA-A*29:01, the dual haplotypes in HLA-A, in patients with ALP-induced MCARs were relatively high, at 33.3% (7/21), which was HLA-B*58:01-independent, while the frequency of these dual haplotypes in the HLA-A locus in ALP-tolerant patients was only 3.45% (1/29). The HLA-B*58:01 allele was detected in 38% (8/21) of patients with ALP-induced MCARs, and in 3.45% (1/29) of ALP-tolerant patients. Notably, although HLA-B*58:01 may be a cause for the occurrence of MCARs in patients with gout, this correlation was not as strong as that previously reported in patients with SCAR. In conclusion, in addition to the HLA-B*58:01 allele, the presence of the dual haplotypes of HLA-A*02:01/HLA-A*24:02 and/or HLA-A*02:01/HLA-A*29:01 in the HLA-A locus may also play an important role in the appearance of ALP-induced MCARs in the Vietnamese population. The obtained primary data may contribute to the development of suitable treatments for patients with gout not only in Vietnam but also in other Asian countries.

Jean-Paul Sartre e o Terceiro Mundo (1947-1979)

O artigo estuda as posições políticas de Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) relacionadas ao Terceiro Mundo entre 1947 e 1979. Além disso, e a partir delas, enseja reflexões e/ou debates sobre o papel do intelectual na sociedade à luz do conhecimento histórico. As posições políticas de Sartre sobre o Terceiro Mundo constituem, portanto, o objeto deste trabalho cujo problema é a liberdade. Sob o “impacto da História”, isto é, no curso dos acontecimentos do Terceiro Mundo – da Guerra da Argélia (1954-1962), da Revolução Cubana (1959-1961) e da Revolução Vietnamita (1946-1976) – Sartre elabora uma nova concepção de liberdade que contradiz sua concepção existencialista anterior. Se a liberdade na concepção existencialista tem uma base teórico-filosófica, situada no plano da ontologia, ou seja, abstrata e individual, sua nova concepção de liberdade tem uma base político-econômica, situada no plano da história, logo, concreta e coletiva. Em outras palavras, Sartre redefine a sua concepção de liberdade à luz de determinados problemas colocados pela emergência do Terceiro Mundo no cenário político mundial. Sob a ótica do marxismo e do método dialético, Sartre procura redefini-la em seus aspectos econômico (como independência), social (como justiça e igualdade), político (como soberania) e cultural (como humanização, em oposição à tortura e ao racismo). O referencial teórico-metodológico provém do marxismo, particularmente, suas contribuições acerca das relações entre indivíduo, sociedade e história. Os principais textos utilizados são os de Michael Löwy, Jean Chesneaux, István Mészáros, Eric Hobsbawm, Gérard Chaliand e Perry Anderson. Esse referencial nos permite pensar a trajetória de Sartre como uma unidade contraditória e as suas posições políticas sobre o Terceiro Mundo tendo em vista o seu fundamento histórico-social. Sartre radicaliza suas ideias e passa a defender o socialismo; intervém contra as guerras coloniais com a assinatura de manifestos, petições, passeatas e comícios populares; divulga as conquistas revolucionárias argelina, cubana e vietnamita ao público mundial, sobretudo, por meio da revista Les Temps Modernes; propõe a criação de um tribunal internacional para julgar os crimes de guerra norte-americanos contra a população vietnamita. Nessa esteira, devemos entender a afirmação de Sartre o “homem é possível” que contradiz a sua máxima ontológica o “homem é uma paixão inútil”. Enfim, para Sartre, o “problema humano” – a liberdade – somente pode ser resolvido em termos de produção e de relações sociais de produção de tipo socialista. The article studies the political positions of Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) related to the Third World between 1947 and 1979. In addition, and based on them, it encourages reflections and/or debates about the role of the intellectual in society in the light of historical knowledge. Sartre's political positions on the Third World constitute, therefore, the object of this work whose problem is freedom. Under the "impact of history," that is, in the course of Third World events - from the Algerian War (1954-1962), the Cuban Revolution (1959-1961), and the Vietnamese Revolution (1946-1976) - Sartre elaborates a new conception of freedom that contradicts his previous existentialist conception. If freedom in the existentialist conception has a theoretical-philosophical basis, situated on the level of ontology, that is, abstract and individual, his new conception of freedom has a political-economic basis, situated on the level of history, therefore, concrete and collective. In other words, Sartre redefines his conception of freedom in light of certain problems posed by the emergence of the Third World on the world political scene. From the standpoint of Marxism and the dialectical method, Sartre seeks to redefine freedom in its economic (as independence), social (as justice and equality), political (as sovereignty), and cultural (as humanization, in opposition to torture and racism) aspects. The theoretical and methodological framework comes from Marxism, particularly its contributions on the relationship between the individual, society, and history. The main texts used are those by Michael Löwy, Jean Chesneaux, István Mészáros, Eric Hobsbawm, Gérard Chaliand, and Perry Anderson. This reference allows us to think of Sartre's trajectory as a contradictory unit and his political positions on the Third World in view of its social-historical foundation. Sartre radicalizes his ideas and starts to defend socialism; he intervenes against colonial wars by signing manifestos, petitions, marches, and popular rallies; he publicizes the Algerian, Cuban, and Vietnamese revolutionary conquests to the world public, especially through the magazine Les Temps Modernes; he proposes the creation of an international tribunal to judge American war crimes against the Vietnamese population. In this vein, we must understand Sartre's statement that "man is possible" which contradicts his ontological maxim that "man is a useless passion. Finally, for Sartre, the "human problem" - freedom - can only be solved in terms of production and social relations of production of a socialist type.

First report of an important sheat nematode, Hemicycliophora poranga, associated with sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in Vietnam

Summary Several species of the sheat nematodes, Hemicycliophora spp., have been known to cause significant damage to agricultural crops, including Hemicycliophora arenaria, H. conida, H. parvana, H. poranga, H. similis, and H. typica. Remarkably, our study reported on the presence of H. poranga for the first time in Vietnam. This species was found on 83.33% of the total samples with an average density of 270 individuals/100ml of soil (positive samples). In this study, the Vietnamese population of H. poranga was characterized based on both morphology and molecular characterization of D2-D3 expansion segment of 28S rRNA sequence. Besides, a molecular phylogenetic tree of the genus Hemicycliophora was also provided.