Long Hoang Nguyen

This study investigated self-reported awareness, demand, and willingness to pay for artificial intelligence (AI)-supported healthcare services among Vietna

Anxiety disorders contribute substantially to the global mental health burden, yet evidence integrating psychometric validation of screening tools with ind

Background/Objectives: Linear growth in children reflects cumulative influences of nutrition, health, and skeletal development. Vitamin K₂, particularly menaquinone-7 (MK-7), plays an important role in bone mineralization, yet evidence regarding its potential relationship with height growth in children remains limited. This study evaluated the association between continuous MK-7 supplementation and longitudinal height growth in children. Methods: A longitudinal observational study was conducted among 1150 apparently healthy children aged 6–14 years in Hanoi, Vietnam (2022–2025), including 613 controls and 537 children receiving MK-7 supplementation. MK-7 was administered orally at 360 µg/day from baseline throughout follow-up. A total of 3491 repeated height measurements were collected. Analyses were stratified according to pubertal stage (no-puberty and pre-puberty). Height gain was summarized according to follow-up duration, and initial mixed-effects models were used to explore longitudinal growth trajectories. Because substantial follow-up imbalance was observed after the first follow-up assessment, the primary regression analyses were subsequently restricted to baseline and first follow-up observations. Multivariable linear regression models evaluated the interaction between MK-7 supplementation and follow-up duration after adjustment for age, sex, baseline body mass index-for-age Z-score, early sleep, and physical activity. Results: Height gain increased significantly with follow-up duration across all analyses (β range: 0.49–0.58 cm/month; all p < 0.001). MK-7 supplementation alone was not independently associated with height gain; however, positive interactions between MK-7 supplementation and follow-up duration were observed in several subgroup analyses. In the overall cohort, the interaction estimate was β = 0.05 cm/month (95% CI: 0.02–0.09). Positive interactions were observed in no-puberty children (β = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01–0.09) and pre-puberty children (β = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.03–0.09). The largest interaction estimate was observed among pre-puberty boys (β = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.07–0.13), whereas no statistically significant interaction was observed among girls in the pre-puberty subgroup. Conclusions: The findings suggest that continuous MK-7 supplementation may be associated with progressively greater height gain over time rather than an immediate increase in height. The observed associations appeared more evident with longer follow-up duration, particularly among pre-pubertal boys. However, given the observational design and substantial follow-up imbalance between groups, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. Further prospective studies with balanced longitudinal follow-up are needed to clarify the potential relationship between MK-7 supplementation and pediatric linear growth.

To assess AI readiness, perceptions, and usage patterns among first-year pharmacy students, and to identify factors associated with AI engagement. A mixed-methods study was conducted among 220 first-year pharmacy students. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing AI readiness (cognition, ability, vision, ethics), perceptions, and usage, followed by multivariable regression analyses. Qualitative insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews with a purposive subsample and analyzed thematically. Students showed moderate overall AI readiness, with higher cognition and ability than vision and ethics. AI use was common, primarily for academic tasks, with ChatGPT as the most frequently used tool. Positive perceptions of AI in education predominated, alongside concerns about academic integrity and over-reliance. Higher digital literacy and urban residence were associated with greater AI readiness and more favorable perceptions. Qualitative findings revealed strong interest in structured, pharmacy-specific AI education emphasizing practical application and ethical guidance. First-year pharmacy students demonstrate positive attitudes but uneven preparedness for AI. Early, structured integration of AI training that combines technical foundations with ethical and future-oriented perspectives is needed to support responsible AI adoption in pharmacy education.

Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have attracted increasing attention for their potential to modulate inflammatory signaling and influence tumor cell behavior. This in vitro study was designed to investigate the effects of ADSC-EVs on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. EVs were isolated from ADSC culture supernatants and applied to MCF-7 cells at concentrations ranging from 0 to 80% (v/v). Cell viability, migration, and expression of IL-6/STAT3 pathway-related genes were evaluated using MTT, scratch assays, and qRT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test, with significance set at p < 0.05. The results showed that 20% EV treatment markedly inhibited MCF-7 cell activity, significantly reducing viability and almost completely blocking migration, with wound closure rates of 35.4% ± 3.80 at 24 h and 47.6% ± 4.2 at 48 h, compared with 48% ± 4.6 and 67% ± 4.2 in the control group, respectively. Notably, expression levels of IL-6, IL-6RST, and STAT3 were significantly downregulated (fold changes 0.155 ± 0.02 and 0.258 ± 0.012, p < 0.01), accompanied by severe disruption of the microtubule network. Immunofluorescence imaging revealed a disorganized microtubule architecture and irregular filament distribution in EV-treated cells, corresponding with decreased expression of TubA1 and CALR genes. These findings indicate that ADSC-EVs not only suppress IL-6/STAT3 inflammatory signaling but also destabilize the intracellular microtubule system, collectively contributing to the inhibition of MCF-7 breast cancer cell migration and survival. This provides an important molecular basis for developing novel EV-based therapeutic strategies in breast cancer treatment.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of malnutrition—including stunting, thinness, overweight, and obesity—among Vietnamese children aged 6–17 years, and to identify demographic, geographic, and behavioral correlates to inform targeted nutrition interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional, nationally representative study was conducted from January 2024 to June 2025 using data from the MIDU Assessment Program. A multistage stratified random sampling approach recruited 43,505 children aged 6–17 years across all regions of Vietnam. Anthropometric measurements were obtained following WHO 2007 growth reference standards. Stunting was defined as height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) < −2 SD, and overweight/obesity as body mass index-for-age Z-score (BAZ) > +1 SD. Data on demographic characteristics, sleep patterns, sports participation, vitamin K₂ use, and pubertal status were collected via structured questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with stunting and overweight/obesity. Results: Overall, 3.9% were stunted, 5.1% were thin, 20.7% were overweight, and 11.4% were obese; 8.6% had any undernutrition and 39.5% had any form of malnutrition. Stunting was significantly associated with being male (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.24–1.52), older age—particularly 14–17 years (OR = 6.56, 95% CI: 5.48–7.84)—and residing in the Northern midlands, North Central, South Central, and Central Highlands regions. In contrast, frequent sports participation (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68–0.84), daily vitamin K₂–MK₇ use (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72–0.93), and having reached puberty (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.22–0.30) were associated with lower odds of stunting. For overweight and obesity, lower odds were found among females (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.46–0.51) and older children, while higher odds occurred among those living in the Southeast (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.36–1.53) and Mekong River Delta (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.24–1.48) regions. Early sleep (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.87–0.95) and sports participation (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02–1.11) showed modest associations, whereas vitamin K₂ use and puberty were not significant predictors. Conclusions: Vietnamese school-aged children face a significant rate of malnutrition, with regional, gender, and age disparities.

This study reports the construction and validation of a CAFLUX (Chemically Activated Fluorescent Expression) HepG2 reporter cell line engineered to express a histone H2B–green fluorescent protein (H2B–GFP) fusion protein under the control of a dioxin-responsive cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) promoter. A lentiviral construct containing a synthetic promoter with multiple dioxin-responsive elements (DREs) upstream of the H2B–EGFP coding sequence was cloned into the pFUGW vector, packaged in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293FT cells, and used to transduce HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Stable clones obtained by limiting dilution were screened for GFP expression in response to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The resulting CAFLUX HepG2 cells exhibited dose-dependent nuclear GFP fluorescence when exposed to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, with limits of detection of approximately 0.01 pM for TCDD and 0.1 pM for benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). This reporter activity correlated with endogenous CYP1A1 mRNA expression as determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), confirming that GFP signals reflected native transcriptional responses. In functional assays, curcumin suppressed GFP expression in a concentration-dependent manner and induced apoptotic morphology at higher doses, while extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) significantly reduced both GFP fluorescence and CYP1A1 mRNA levels, suggesting an inhibitory effect on AhR-driven transcription. The CAFLUX HepG2 reporter system therefore provides a sensitive and reproducible platform for real-time, nuclear-localized monitoring of AhR-mediated gene expression. Its responsiveness to both agonists and antagonists underscores its potential utility in toxicological evaluation, drug discovery, and the investigation of EV-mediated signaling in liver cancer models.