UNESCO shares international experience to advance school health and nutrition in Viet Nam - UNESCO

Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Institute speaks at the press conferenceNew nuclear reactor in Dong Nai to have 30 times the capacity of Da Lat reactorAccording to Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, after being restored, upgraded, and put into operation in 1984 with the assistance of the former Soviet Union, the Da Lat Nuclear Research Reactor has been operating for 42 years. Despite its modest capacity of only 0.5 MW, the Da Lat reactor is evaluated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as one of the most effective low-power research reactors in the world. Currently, the reactor supplies about 80% of the radiopharmaceuticals for hospitals nationwide, primarily serving cancer diagnosis and treatment. Each year, Viet Nam records approximately 180,000 new cancer cases. While the demand for medical radioisotopes is growing, domestic production capacity remains limited. The project to establish the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Research, featuring a new research reactor in Dong Nai, is expected to enhance research and production capacity for radioisotopes and advance the deployment of nuclear technique applications.

Bioengineer.org news storyFor people living with HIV, modern antiretroviral therapy can suppress the virus to levels below what standard laboratory tests can detect. Yet some patients on long-term treatment experience a curious phenomenon: a single test result showing a small, transient amount of virus in the blood, followed by an immediate return to undetectable levels. These events, known as viral blips, have puzzled clinicians and researchers for years, raising questions about whether they represent harmless statistical noise, brief bursts of viral production from hidden reservoirs, or early warnings of impending treatment failure. A new nationwide Swedish study, published in BMC Infectious Diseases, offers one of the most comprehensive answers to date. Drawing on the Swedish national InfCareHIV cohort, researchers analyzed data from 4,210 treatment-naïve adults who began antiretroviral therapy from 1 January 2007 onward, with follow-up data extracted through 30 September 2020. The median observation time was 5.5 years, with some individuals followed for as long as 13.7 years.

European Medical Journal news storyPeople living with HIV may experience subtle changes in heart muscle function even when conventional measures of cardiac performance remain normal, according to findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Researchers identified significantly impaired global longitudinal strain (GLS) among people with HIV compared with HIV-uninfected individuals, despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in both groups. The findings suggest that speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) could provide additional information about early myocardial dysfunction in this population. Read the full news story here.