| 1. |
- Li, Jing-Rebecca, et al.
(författare)
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SpinDoctor : a Matlab toolbox for diffusion MRI simulation
- 2019
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier BV. - 1053-8119 .- 1095-9572. ; 202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The complex transverse water proton magnetization subject to diffusion-encoding magnetic field gradient pulses in a heterogeneous medium can be modeled by the multiple compartment Bloch-Torrey partial differential equation (BTPDE). A mathematical model for the time-dependent apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), called the H-ADC model, was obtained recently using homogenization techniques on the BTPDE. Under the assumption of negligible water exchange between compartments, the H-ADC model produces the ADC of a diffusion medium from the solution of a diffusion equation (DE) subject to a time-dependent Neumann boundary condition. This paper describes a publicly available Matlab toolbox called SpinDoctor that can be used 1) to solve the BTPDE to obtain the dMRI signal (the toolbox provides a way of robustly fitting the dMRI signal to obtain the fitted ADC); 2) to solve the DE of the H-ADC model to obtain the ADC; 3) a short-time approximation formula for the ADC is also included in the toolbox for comparison with the simulated ADC. The PDEs are solved by P 1 finite elements combined with built-in Matlab routines for solving ordinary differential equations. The finite element mesh generation is performed using an external package called Tetgen that is included in the toolbox. SpinDoctor provides built-in options of including 1) spherical cells with a nucleus; 2) cylindrical cells with a myelin layer; 3) an extra-cellular space (ECS) enclosed either a) in a box or b) in a tight wrapping around the cells; 4) deformation of canonical cells by bending and twisting. 5) permeable membranes for the BT-PDE (the H-ADC assumes negligible permeability). Built-in diffusion-encoding pulse sequences include the Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo and the Oscillating Gradient Spin Echo.
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| 2. |
- Duong, Quang Trung, et al.
(författare)
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Pairwise Error Probability of Distributed Space--Time Coding Employing Alamouti Scheme in Wireless Relays Networks
- 2009
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Ingår i: Wireless personal communications. - : Springer. - 0929-6212 .- 1572-834X. ; 51:2, s. 231-244
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper, we analyze the pairwise error probability (PEP) of distributed space-time codes, in which the source and the relay generate Alamouti space--time code in a distributed fashion. We restrict our attention to the space-time code construction for Protocol III in [1]. In particular, we derive two closed-form approximations for PEP when the relay is either close to the destination or source and an upper bound for any position of the relay. Using the alternative definition of $Q$-function, we can express these PEPs in terms of finite integral whose integrand is composed of trigonometric functions. We further show that with only one relay assisted source-destination link, system still achieves diversity order of two, assuming single-antenna terminals. We also perform Monte-Carlo simulations to verify the analysis.
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| 3. |
- Griswold, Max G., et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2016 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 392:10152, s. 1015-1035
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for death and disability, but its overall association with health remains complex given the possible protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption on some conditions. With our comprehensive approach to health accounting within the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016, we generated improved estimates of alcohol use and alcohol-attributable deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 195 locations from 1990 to 2016, for both sexes and for 5-year age groups between the ages of 15 years and 95 years and older.Methods: Using 694 data sources of individual and population-level alcohol consumption, along with 592 prospective and retrospective studies on the risk of alcohol use, we produced estimates of the prevalence of current drinking, abstention, the distribution of alcohol consumption among current drinkers in standard drinks daily (defined as 10 g of pure ethyl alcohol), and alcohol-attributable deaths and DALYs. We made several methodological improvements compared with previous estimates: first, we adjusted alcohol sales estimates to take into account tourist and unrecorded consumption; second, we did a new meta-analysis of relative risks for 23 health outcomes associated with alcohol use; and third, we developed a new method to quantify the level of alcohol consumption that minimises the overall risk to individual health.Findings: Globally, alcohol use was the seventh leading risk factor for both deaths and DALYs in 2016, accounting for 2.2% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1.5-3.0) of age-standardised female deaths and 6.8% (5.8-8.0) of age-standardised male deaths. Among the population aged 15-49 years, alcohol use was the leading risk factor globally in 2016, with 3.8% (95% UI 3.2-4-3) of female deaths and 12.2% (10.8-13-6) of male deaths attributable to alcohol use. For the population aged 15-49 years, female attributable DALYs were 2.3% (95% UI 2.0-2.6) and male attributable DALYs were 8.9% (7.8-9.9). The three leading causes of attributable deaths in this age group were tuberculosis (1.4% [95% UI 1. 0-1. 7] of total deaths), road injuries (1.2% [0.7-1.9]), and self-harm (1.1% [0.6-1.5]). For populations aged 50 years and older, cancers accounted for a large proportion of total alcohol-attributable deaths in 2016, constituting 27.1% (95% UI 21.2-33.3) of total alcohol-attributable female deaths and 18.9% (15.3-22.6) of male deaths. The level of alcohol consumption that minimised harm across health outcomes was zero (95% UI 0.0-0.8) standard drinks per week.Interpretation: Alcohol use is a leading risk factor for global disease burden and causes substantial health loss. We found that the risk of all-cause mortality, and of cancers specifically, rises with increasing levels of consumption, and the level of consumption that minimises health loss is zero. These results suggest that alcohol control policies might need to be revised worldwide, refocusing on efforts to lower overall population-level consumption.
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| 4. |
- Khoa, Nguyen Manh, et al.
(författare)
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Compounds from aerial parts of Isodon lophanthoides and their effects of cytotoxicity and LPS-induced IL-1β and IL-10 production in RAW 264.7 macrophages
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Ingår i: Vietnam Journal of Chemistry. - 2572-8288.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The bioassay-guided isolation of compounds from the aerial parts of Isodon lophanthoides (IL) resulted in the identification of five compounds (1–5). The chemical structures of 1–5 were determined through spectral analyses and compared to those identified in the literature to be 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (1), protocatechuic acid (2), rosmarinic acid (3), coetsoidin B (4), and coetsoidin A (5). Compounds 1, 4, and 5 were found for the first time in the aerial parts of IL. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed potent cytotoxic activity against A549, MCF-7, HepG2, and HL60 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 13.93 to 18.69 µm and from 11.97 to 18.30 µm, respectively. Compounds 1‒5 significantly inhibited LPS-induced IL-1β production in RAW 264.7 macrophages compared to the LPS 5 ng/mL control group, resulting in IL-1β concentrations ranging from 34.92 to 46.91 pg/mL. Additionally, compounds 1‒5 exhibited notable stimulation of IL-10 production, with IL-10 levels ranging from 358.77 to 478.23 pg/mL, compared to the LPS 5 ng/mL control group. These findings highlight the potential of compounds 1‒5 and the IL extracts for the cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines and on LPS-induced IL-1β and IL-10 production in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
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| 5. |
- Le, Trang Thi-Huyen, et al.
(författare)
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Food safety knowledge, needed and trusted information of pork consumers in different retail types in Northern Vietnam
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2571-581X. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Food safety is an important public health concern globally. Risk communication is one of crucial element to manage food safety. While current food safety studies have focused on contamination of hazards or risk factors, limited research exists on consumer concerns, knowledge and perception about the actual risk food poses to their health. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge and perceptions regarding food safety, and the information needed and trusted by pork consumers in Northern Vietnam.Methods: A total of 225 consumers recruited from three different market types: modern urban, traditional urban and traditional rural, were interviewed using a questionnaire between November to December 2019.Results: The majority of participants (81.8%) were female and consumers interviewed at modern urban retail were younger than those interviewed at traditional retail settings (p < 0.01). Sixty-five percent of participants across the three retail types agreed that microbes were the most common hazards which can make them sick, but the adverse health effect due to chemical hazards was ranked higher than that of biological hazards. Most participants often received food safety information that was about animal diseases (such as African swine fever most recently), chemical contamination and the unknown origin of food rather than about food poisoning and measures to prevent it. Food safety messages from television and professional experts were the most trusted sources and consumer preference was for information about the origin of food (traceability) and how to choose safe food. Participants were willing to receive food safety information daily to weekly. A lack of perception and awareness about animal welfare related to pig farming or slaughtering was reported by most respondents (84.3%).Discussion: These findings provide insight on Vietnamese consumer knowledge gaps, information demand and communication channels for food safety, so that risk communicators and managers can implement better food safety awareness campaigns and communication to consumers.
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| 6. |
- Ngo, Hai Hoang Tuan, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of light-touch intervention and associated factors to microbial contamination at small-scale pig slaughterhouses and traditional pork shops in Vietnam
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Food Microbiology. - : Elsevier. - 0168-1605 .- 1879-3460. ; 406
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditional pork value chains dominate the production and distribution of pork in Vietnam; however, the high level of microbiological contamination in pork may increase the risk of food-borne disease for consumers. There is limited evidence about how to feasibly and scalably reduce microbial contamination in pork sold in traditional markets. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of light-touch interventions for changing worker behaviour in small-scale slaughterhouses and vendors at traditional pork shops, as well as to identify risk factors for pork contamination. The intervention packages consisted of providing hygiene tools and delivering a food safety training which had been designed in a participatory way and covered 10 small-scale slaughterhouses and 29 pork shops. Pig carcasses, retailed pork, contact surfaces, and hands were sampled to measure the total bacterial count (TBC) and Salmonella contamination before, three and six weeks after the intervention, and trainee practices were observed at the same time. Linear and generalized linear mixed effects models were constructed to identify risk factors for TBC and Salmonella contamination at the slaughterhouses and pork shops. The interventions at slaughterhouses and pork shops both showed a slight reduction of TBC contamination in pig carcasses and Salmonella prevalence in retailed pork, while the TBC in retailed pork decreased only marginally. For slaughterhouses, the regression model indicated that smoking or eating during slaughtering (indicating poor hygienic practices) was associated with TBC increasing, while cleaning floors and wearing boots reduced TBC contamination. For pork shops, using rough materials (cardboard or wood) to display pork was the only factor increasing TBC contamination in pork, whereas cleaning knives was associated with lower TBC. Besides, the presence of supporters and wearing aprons reduced the probability of Salmonella contamination in pork. The findings highlight the effectiveness of light-touch interventions in reducing microbial contamination in pig carcasses at small-scale slaughterhouses and pork at traditional shops over the study period.
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| 7. |
- Ngo, Hai Hoang Tuan, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of perception and assessment of consumers on willingness to pay for upgraded fresh pork : An experimental study in Vietnam
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2571-581X. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditional pork shops play an essential role in delivering pork, the most popular food in Vietnam, to consumers. Studies have shown the need for investment in training and equipment to improve the safety of pork sold at traditional shops. However, it remains unclear how consumers perceived improvement to the hygiene in pork shops and if they are ready to pay premium prices for safer products. This study used an experimental approach to determine consumers’ perception and assessment of improved pork shops and their willingness to pay (WTP) for pork products. A total of 152 respondents in two provinces in Vietnam joined in a Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) mechanism experiment to collect data on WTP for pork from typical and upgraded pork shops. A questionnaire was used to record consumers’ perceptions and assessments of the pork shops and products. Overall, consumers were willing to pay 20% more for upgraded fresh pork than for what is currently available on the market. Consumers trusted in the effectiveness of the upgraded intervention and the quality of pork at the pork shop, which increased their WTP for the upgraded pork. Concerns about contaminated pork had a negative impact on the WTP for typical pork, while the high frequency of pork consumption and the existence of elderly family members led to higher WTP for both products. The findings indicate the potential economic benefit of upgrading pork shops, which would be an important driver to motivate sellers to improve food safety.
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| 8. |
- Ngo, Hai Hoang Tuan, et al.
(författare)
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Microbial contamination and associated risk factors in retailed pork from key value chains in Northern Vietnam
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Food Microbiology. - : Elsevier. - 0168-1605 .- 1879-3460. ; 346
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pork and pork products are important staple food in the diet of Vietnamese consumers. The safety of pork, including biological contamination, is a concern to several public authorities and value chain actors. This crosssectional study aimed to identify Salmonella and total bacterial count (TBC) contamination of cut pork sold in different outlets, and determine the potential factors leading to contamination. A total of 671 pork samples were collected from different retail channels in three provinces in Northern Vietnam. Hygiene conditions and practices at pork vending premises were also observed and recorded. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Overall, Salmonella prevalence in retailed pork was 58.1%. Salmonella contamination in pork from traditional retail, modern retail and food services were 60.5%, 50.9% and 80.5%, respectively. Eighty percent and 68% of fresh pork in canteen and street food was contaminated with Salmonella. Only a small proportion of a subset of the pork samples (6.2%) tested met the Vietnamese standard requirement for TBC contamination. Average concentration of TBC in fresh pork in traditional retail, modern retail and food services were 6.51 (SD: 0.64), 6.38 (0.65), and 6.96 (0.85) LogCFU/g, respectively. Transport time, use of the same tools for pork and other types of meat, storage temperature, and environment hygiene are important factors that might affect microbial contamination. The findings underline the high level of microbial contamination, which requires practical interventions to improve food safety hygiene practices and behavior of pork retailers.
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| 9. |
- Ngo, Hoang Tuan Hai, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of a light-touch intervention to reduce microbial contamination at small-scale pig slaughterhouses and traditional pork shops in Vietnam
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Food Microbiology. - : Elsevier. - 0168-1605 .- 1879-3460. ; 406
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditional pork value chains dominate the production and distribution of pork in Vietnam; however, there high microbiological contamination of pork may lead to health risks. There is limited evidence about how to sustainably and scalably reduce microbial contamination in pork sold in traditional markets. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of light-touch interventions for changing worker behaviour in small-scale slaughterhouses and retailers at traditional pork shops, as well as to identify risk factors for pork contamination. The intervention packages consisted of providing hygiene tools and delivering a food safety training which had been designed in a participatory way and covered 10 small-scale slaughterhouses and 29 pork shops. Pig carcasses, retailed pork, contact surfaces, and hands were sampled to measure the total bacterial count (TBC) and Salmonella contamination and trainee practices were observed before, three and six weeks after the intervention. Linear and generalized linear mixed effects models were constructed to identify risk factors for TBC and Salmonella contamination at the slaughterhouses and pork shops. Intervention results showed a slight reduction of TBC contamination in pig carcasses from 4.46 to 4.23 log10 CFU/cm2 (p = 0.09) and Salmonella prevalence in retailed pork (reduction from 52% to 24% detection, p = 0.08), while the TBC in retailed pork decreased only marginally (5.47 vs. 5.36 log10 CFU/g, p = 0.23). For slaughterhouses, the regression model indicated that smoking or eating during slaughtering was a risk factor, associated with TBC increasing by 0.60 log10 CFU/g (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12 to 0.96, p =0.02), while cleaning floors and wearing boots reduced TBC contamination with 0.53 log10 CFU/g (CI: –0.83 to 0.01, p = 0.03) and 1.04 log10 CFU/g (CI: –1.50 to –0.26, p = 0.03), respectively. For pork shops, using rough materials (cardboard or wood) to display pork was the only factor increasing TBC contamination in pork with 0.57 log10 CFU/g (CI: 0.22 to 0.91, p < 0.001), whereas wearing aprons was associated with lower TBC, with 0.45 log10 CFU/g (CI: –0.79 to –0.12, p = 0.02), and Salmonella contamination in pork (odds ratio (OR) = 0.13, CI: 0.02 to 0.72, p = 0.03). The findings highlight the effectiveness of light-touch interventions in reducing microbial contamination in pig carcasses and pork over the study period.
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| 10. |
- Ngo, Hoang Tuan Hai, et al.
(författare)
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The cost-benefit analysis of a light-touch intervention to improve the safety of pork in Vietnam : the case of salmonellosis
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Salmonellosis is a common food-borne disease in low and middle-income countries but there is not much cost-effective program to reduce its burden, even in developed countries. This study aims to estimate the cost of salmonellosis in Vietnam and analyse the net benefit of light-touch intervention at small-scale pork shop in reducing the burden of salmonellosis. The cost of light-touch intervention cost at 29 pork shops was collected as well as the prevalence of salmonellosis severity in Hung Yen and Thai Nguyen. The Monte Carlo simulation was implemented to estimate the cost of salmonellosis, cost and benefit pork sellers and consumers. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the most influenced factors to the net benefit of both two stakeholders. The cost of salmonellosis in Vietnam was calculated to be 345,770,000 VND per case (95% CI: 52,151 – 8,533,360,000). The total net benefit of the light-touch intervention was 27,900,000 VND per year (95% CI: -43,000 – 117,700,000) with 59.6% of positive cases. Most of this benefit was transferred to the consumers: 27,700,000 VND per year (95% CI: -550,000 – 117,520,000) with 61.2% of cases being positive while the figure of pork seller was 210,000 VND per year (95% CI: -39,000 – 660,000) with 93.2% positive cases. The pork seller was mostly profitable due to implementing the intervention while the consumer’s benefit varied strongly following the change of salmonellosis probability and the cost of salmonellosis
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