| 1. |
- Bui, Ha Thi Thu, et al.
(author)
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The Association Between Gender Inequalities and Women's Utilization of Maternal Health Services : A Cross-Sectional Survey in Eight South Central Coast Provinces, Vietnam
- 2018
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In: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. - 1078-4659 .- 1550-5022. ; 24:2, s. S19-S27
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Gender inequalities influence the utilization of maternal health services in Vietnam, but little research has been published. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the association between gender inequalities and women's utilization of maternal health services in Vietnam.Methods: The study was conducted in 8 provinces in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam during August 2013 to May 2014. A total of 907 women who delivered a year prior to the date of interview participated in the study. A multiple logistic regression model was used to examine the association between gender inequalities (including sociodemographic determinants of health) and utilization of 4 or more antenatal care (ANC4+) services, institutional delivery, and ever used contraceptive methods.Results: The utilization rate of maternal health services was varied, from 53.9% for ANC4+ to 87.7% for ever used a contraceptive method and 97% for institutional delivery. Ethnicity was identified as the most influential variable out of all sociodemographic determinants of health. Regarding gender inequalities, couple communication was the only variable having significant association with women's utilization of maternal health services.Conclusion: Women's equal role within context of their daily life and relations with their husbands (discussing maternal care with husband and having equal income to husband) supported their use of maternal health services. Therefore, there should be concerted efforts from all relevant stakeholders including the health system to focus on disadvantaged women in planning and delivery of maternal health services, especially to ethnic minority women. Male involvement strategy should be implemented to promote maternal health care, especially during the prenatal and postpartum period. To provide more culturally sensitive and right-based approaches in delivery of maternal health services to disadvantaged women in Vietnam, interventions are recommended that promote male involvement, that is, to engage men in service delivery to adapt and ensure the most appropriate and effective maternal health care.
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| 2. |
- Chuong, Nguyen Canh, et al.
(author)
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Amniocentesis test uptake for congenital defects : Decision of pregnant women in Vietnam
- 2018
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In: Health Care for Women International. - : TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC. - 0739-9332 .- 1096-4665. ; 39:4, s. 493-504
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Our study aimed to identify the knowledge, attitude, and factors associated with uptake of amniocentesis test amongst pregnant women of advanced maternal age (35+ years old). A cross-sectional survey was performed on 481 participants in 2016. Women with higher educational attainment, higher income level, having a baby with congenital defects, and women with better knowledge and/or attitude about amniocentesis test were more likely to accept the test. Our study suggested the importance of counseling for women and more time should be given for them to absorb information before they make their decision to uptake the amniocentesis test.
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| 3. |
- Doan, Thuy, et al.
(author)
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Biochemical characteristics of AtFAR2, a fatty acid reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana that reduces fatty acyl-CoA and -ACP substrates into fatty alcohols
- 2016
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In: Acta Biochimica Polonica. - : Polskie Towarzystwo Biochemiczne (Polish Biochemical Society). - 0001-527X .- 1734-154X. ; 63, s. 565-570
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fatty alcohols and derivatives are important for proper deposition of a functional pollen wall. Mutations in specific genes encoding fatty acid reductases (FAR) responsible for fatty alcohol production cause abnormal development of pollen. A disrupted AtFAR2 (MS2) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana results in pollen developing an abnormal exine layer and a reduced fertility phenotype. AtFAR2 has been shown to be targeted to chloroplasts and in a purified form to be specific for acyl-ACP substrates. Here, we present data on the in vitro and in planta characterizations of AtFAR2 from A. thaliana and show that this enzyme has the ability to use both, C16:0-ACPand C16:0-CoA, as substrates to produce C16:0-alcohol. Our results further show that AtFAR2 is highly similar in properties and substrate specificity to AtFAR6 for which in vitro data has been published, and which is also a chloroplast localized enzyme. This suggests that although AtFAR2 is the major enzyme responsible for exine layer functionality, AtFAR6 might provide functional redundancy to AtFAR2.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Doan, Thuy
(author)
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Fatty acid reductases (FAR): Insights into the biosynthesis of fatty alcohols in plants and bacteria
- 2011
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Primary fatty alcohols are present in all phyla, where they serve various unique biological functions, either in structural materials or biochemical compounds. Fatty alcohols and derivatives provided by living organisms are also important feedstock for the oleochemical and lubricant industries. Since they are biodegradable and generally non-toxic, they can also be used in the manufacture of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Fatty alcohols are produced by Fatty Acid Reductases (FAR), which catalyse the reductions of fatty acyl-CoA/ACPs. The reductions are conducted in two consecutive reactions; a fatty acyl-CoA/ACP is first reduced to a fatty aldehyde, which is then further reduced into a fatty alcohol. In prokaryotes, the two-step reduction has until now been considered to be catalysed by two different enzymes, while in eukaryotes it has been found that one enzyme carries out both reduction steps via an intermediate fatty aldehyde, which is thought not to be released during the reductions. This thesis presents data on the in vivo and in vitro characterisation of FARs from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtFARs) and Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 (Maqu_2220). Contrary to available literature, Maqu_2220 was found to catalyse both steps in the reductions of fatty acyl-CoA/ACPs into fatty alcohols. Thus, at least two biochemical pathways exist among prokaryotes for the reductions of activated fatty acyl chains to fatty alcohols, one of which is the above-identified activity in analogy with eukaryotic FARs. Characterisation of AtFAR6, AtFAR2/MS2 and the bacterial Maqu_2220 revealed that under in vitro conditions, intermediate fatty aldehydes were released and free fatty acids were observed, in addition to fatty alcohols produced as end-products. The in vitro characterisation of AtFAR2/MS2 and AtFAR6 showed that the ratio of fatty alcohol/fatty aldehyde produced by these enzymes depends strongly on chain length and saturation state of the substrates and substrate concentration. Both in vitro and in vivo data consistently showed that the highest activity of AtFAR2/MS2 and AtFAR6 is for the production of C16:0-alcohol from C16:0-CoA/ACP substrates. In a subsequent study, AtFAR6 was found to be a chloroplast-localised FAR enzyme involved in production and accumulation of C16:0-alcohol within this organelle.
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| 6. |
- Doan, Thuy, et al.
(author)
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Functional expression of five Arabidopsis fatty acyl-CoA reductase genes in Escherichia coli
- 2009
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In: Journal of Plant Physiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0176-1617 .- 1618-1328. ; 166:8, s. 787-796
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Very long chain primary alcohols are significant components in cuticle waxes of plants. Fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FARs) catalyze the formation of a fatty alcohol from an acyl-CoA. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome contains eight genes homologous to FAR genes from jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), silk moth, wheat and mouse. Expression of six Arabidopsis FAR homologs in Escherichia coli resulted in production of alcohols from endogenous E. coli fatty acids by five of these genes, confirming that they encode for FAR enzymes. Only a truncated splicing version of the sixth gene was found, and this gene yielded a protein with no FAR activity. The five functional FAR enzymes yielded distinctly different compositions of fatty alcohols when expressed in E. coli, indicating that the different enzymes may be involved in the production of different types of alcohols in plant cells. (C) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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