BackgroundInternet addiction (IA) is a common problem found in young Asians. This study aimed to study the influence of IA and online activities on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in young Vietnamese. This study also compared the frequencies of anxiety, depression and other addiction of young Vietnamese with and without IA.MethodsThis study recruited 566 young Vietnamese (56.7% female, 43.3% male) ranging from 15 to 25 years of age via the respondent-driven sampling technique. Chi-squared, t-test and analysis of variance were used to compare young Vietnamese with and without IA. Regression analyses were used to examine the association between internet usage characteristics and HRQOL.ResultsResults from this cross-sectional study showed that 21.2% of participants suffered from IA. Online relationship demonstrated significantly higher influences on behaviors and lifestyles in participants with IA than those without IA. Participants with IA were more likely to have problems with self-care, difficulty in performing daily routine, suffer from pain and discomfort, anxiety and depression. Contrary to previous studies, we found that there were no differences in gender, sociodemographic, the number of participants with cigarette smoking, water-pipe smoking and alcohol dependence between the IA and non-IA groups. IA was significantly associated with poor HRQOL in young Vietnamese.ConclusionIA is a common problem among young Vietnamese and the prevalence of IA is the highest as compared to other Asian countries. Our findings suggest that gender may not play a key role in IA. This can be an emerging trend when both genders have equal access to the internet. By studying the impact of IA on HRQOL, healthcare professionals can design effective intervention to alleviate the negative consequences of IA in Vietnam.

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Restrictive dermopathy (RD) is a rare and extremely severe congenital genodermatosis, characterized by a tight rigid skin with erosions at flexure sites, multiple joint contractures, low bone density and pulmonary insufficiency generally leading to death in the perinatal period. RD is caused in most patients by compound heterozygous or homozygous ZMPSTE24 null mutations. This gene encodes a metalloprotease specifically involved in lamin A post-translational processing. Here, we report a total of 16 families for whom diagnosis and molecular defects were clearly established. Among them, we report seven new ZMPSTE24 mutations, identified in classical RD or Mandibulo-acral dysplasia (MAD) affected patients. We also report nine families with one or two affected children carrying the common, homozygous thymine insertion in exon 9 and demonstrate the lack of a founder effect. In addition, we describe several new ZMPSTE24 variants identified in unaffected controls or in patients affected with non-classical progeroid syndromes. In addition, this mutation update includes a comprehensive search of the literature on previously described ZMPSTE24 mutations and associated phenotypes. Our comprehensive analysis of the molecular pathology supported the general rule: complete loss-of-function of ZMPSTE24 leads to RD, whereas other less severe phenotypes are associated with at least one haploinsufficient allele.

Background The median duration of hospital stays due to COVID-19 has been reported in several studies on China as 10−13 days. Global studies have indicated that the length of hospitalisation depends on different factors, such as the time elapsed from exposure to symptom onset, and from symptom onset to hospital admission, as well as specificities of the country under study. The goal of this paper is to identify factors associated with the median duration of hospital stays of COVID-19 patients during the second COVID-19 wave that hit Vietnam from 5 March to 8 April 2020. Method We used retrospective data on 133 hospitalised patients with COVID-19 recorded over at least two weeks during the study period. The Cox proportional-hazards regression model was applied to determine the potential risk factors associated with length of hospital stay. Results There were 65 (48.9%) females, 98 (73.7%) patients 48 years old or younger, 15 (11.3%) persons with comorbidities, 21 (16.0%) severely ill patients and 5 (3.8%) individuals with life-threatening conditions. Eighty-two (61.7%) patients were discharged after testing negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 51 were still in the hospital at the end of the study period and none died. The median duration of stay in a hospital was 21 (IQR: 16–34) days. The multivariable Cox regression model showed that age, residence and sources of contamination were significantly associated with longer duration of hospitalisation. Conclusion A close look at how long COVID-19 patients stayed in the hospital could provide an overview of their treatment process in Vietnam, and support the country's National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control in the efficient allocation of resources over the next stages of the COVID-19 prevention period.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), produced by the Aicda gene, is essential for the immunoglobulin gene (Ig) alterations that form immune memory. Using a Cre-mediated genetic system, we unexpectedly found CD4+ T cells that had expressed Aicda (exAID cells) as well as B cells. ExAID cells increased with age, reaching up to 25% of the CD4+ and B220+ cell populations. ExAID B cells remained IgM+, suggesting that class-switched memory B cells do not accumulate in the spleen. In T cells, AID was expressed in a subset that produced IFN-γ and IL-10 but little IL-4 or IL-17, and showed no evidence of genetic mutation. Interestingly, the endogenous Aicda expression in T cells was enhanced in the absence of B cells, indicating that the process is independent from the germinal center reaction. These results suggest that in addition to its roles in B cells, AID may have previously unappreciated roles in T-cell function or tumorigenesis.

There are around 140 species in the genus Callicarpa, with 23 species occurring in Vietnam. The Vietnamese Callicarpa species have been poorly studied. In this work, the leaf essential oils of C. bodinieri, C. candicans, C. formosana, C. longifolia, C. nudiflora, C. petelotii, C. rubella, and C. sinuata, have been obtained from plants growing in central Vietnam. The chemical compositions of the essential oils were determined using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. Mosquito larvicidal activities of the essential oils were carried out against Aedes aegypti. All of the Callicarpa leaf essential oils showed larvicidal activity, but two samples of C. candicans were particularly active with 48-h LC50 values of 2.1 and 3.8 μg/mL. Callicarpa candicans essential oil should be considered as a potential alternative mosquito control agent.

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The leaf, stem, and floral essential oils of Crassocephalum crepidioides growing wild in central Vietnam were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major component in all 3 oils was myrcene (59.3%, 26.1%, and 43.3%, respectively). The 24-hour mosquito larvicidal activities of the oil of the aerial parts (stems and leaves) were determined against wild-caught Aedes albopictus (IC 50 = 14.3 μg/mL), laboratory-reared Aedes aegypti (IC 50 = 4.95 μg/mL), and wild-caught Culex quinquefasciatus (IC 50 = 18.4 μg/mL). The high concentration of myrcene in the essential oil likely accounts for the mosquito larvicidal activity observed.