EFFECT OF SULFATION ON THE STRUCTURE AND ANTICOAGULANT ACTIVITY OF ULVAN EXTRACTED FROM GREEN SEAWEED ULVA RETICULATA

Ulvans are sulfated polysaccharides derived from the cell wall of green seaweeds. Thechemical structure of ulvan extracted from Ulva reticulata is reported, focusing on investigationof the sulfated modification of the ulvan and the changes in structure and anticoagulant activity.The results showed that sulfated modification was able to change the ulvan conformationalstructure and markedly enhance its anticoagulant activity

Using a Clinic-based Screening Tool for Primary Care Providers to Identify Commercially Sexually Exploited Children

Introduction: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), which encompasses acts of domestic minor sex trafficking, is a hidden problem in the U.S. that affects an estimated 300,000 children. Significant health impacts to victims include violence, substance abuse, mental illness, sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy. However, due to the covert nature of sexual exploitation, the lack of understanding among service providers and law enforcement, and complex psychological factors experienced by victims, identifying CSEC is a tremendous challenge. Primary care providers can play a critical role in identifying CSEC victims within clinical settings to help address this silent epidemic. Objective: The goal of this project was to assess the prevalence of CSEC using a clinic-based screening tool within a community health center serving indigent populations, with a large proportion of the patients being of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Methods: Medical charts were reviewed of young female patients (n=621) between 13-23 years of age and seeking clinical services in Asian Health Services’ Teen Clinic from 2008 through 2011, during the implementation of a clinic-based CSEC screening tool used by primary care providers. The CSEC screening tool consists of two questions about sexual exploitation. Results: Of the 621 patients in the study, 57.5% were Asian and Pacific Islander. Clinical providers applied the CSEC screening tool on 28.5% (n=177) of female patients in the study. Of the 177 patients who were screened, 7.3% (n=13) responded positive to questions about commercial sexual exploitation. Discussion: Using a clinic-based screening tool with patients who have identified risk factors helps primary care providers identify CSEC victims and link them to available resources. Under-reporting among victims and under-screening among providers remain major considerations in estimating CSEC prevalence. To address under-screening, it is important to raise awareness among primary care providers around the CSEC epidemic and their potential role for intervention, including screening for a history of sexual exploitation among youth patients

Study on conformational structure of tamarind seed polysaccharide and its sulfated derivative by light scattering method

The aim of this study was to study the conformational changing when sulfated groups were introduced to the molecular chain of native tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP). Light Scattering (LS) method was used to determine conformation of TSP and its sulfated derivative TSPS. The results indicated that both TSP and TSPS have a highly branched and more sphere-like molecule; however, after sulfation, the TSPS became more branched structure than native polysaccharide. Keywords. Tamarind seed polysaccharide, conformation, light scattering

PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF WATER ENVIRONMENT PROBLEMS IN HCMC

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

Osteogenesis activity of fractions extracted from Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. F.) Lindau

Osteogenesis activity of fractions extracted from Clinacanthus nutans was evaluated on an in vitro model using osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. The results showed that all fractions, including ethanol (EtOH), n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and butanol (BuOH) were not significantly toxic to the osteoblast cells at the test concentrations of 5, 10, 25, and 50 µg/mL. The EtOH and EtOAc fractions exhibited the highest osteogenesis activity in terms of enhancement of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and mineralization activity of MC3T3-E1 cells, especially the EtOAc fraction which increased ALP activity up to 30% and mineralization activity up to 100%. Thus, the EtOAc fraction shows osteogenesis activity through stimulating activites of the two markers for bone generation including ALP and mineralization in osteoblast cells. The fraction is now under extensive investigation to isolate and fully understand the modes of action of the active compounds. 

Determination of the Administration Routes, Doses and Appropriate Age to Vaccinate With Ornitin Triple Vaccine For Cross-breed Colored Broilers in Vietnam

The study was to determine the appropriate dose and administration route of Ornitin Triple vaccine in cross-breed coloured broilers in Vietnam by evaluating the antibody titer against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) and local reactions at injection sites on chickens after vaccination. The study was divided into 2 trials. Both trials were designed with 3 vaccine dose groups: 0.0ml (control group), 0.25ml and 0.5ml and 2 different administration routes: subcutaneous at neck (SC) and intramuscular at breast (IM) injection. The result showed that, no statistically significant difference was found between antibody titer of two administration routes as well as 2 vaccine doses until 13-week-old. Local reactions at the injection sites of IM route was less severe than SC at neck and in higher dose would produce a more severe swelling reaction. Daily weight gain was found to have a slight decrease in the vaccinated groups within 2 weeks after vaccination, however, no statistically significant difference was found in later stage (P > 0.05). In conclusion, Ornitin Triple can be used to vaccinate by IM with the dose of 0.25ml for coloured broilers at early age (3-week-old), or 0.5ml for older birds and should be careful for some reactions at the injection sites

Responding to Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC): A Community Health Center’s Journey towards Creating a Primary Care Clinical CSEC Screening Tool in the United States

The commercial sexual exploitation of children in the U.S. is an under-recognized yet prevalent issue. An increasing number of Asian-American adolescents, particularly of Southeast Asian descent, are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation due to a myriad of factors. These factors include poverty and intergenerational conflicts as adolescents attempt to adjust to a U.S. lifestyle and culture vastly different from that of their parents.  The issues of commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) first emerged at Asian Health Services (AHS), a community health center in Oakland, California, in 2001. AHS Youth Program staff and providers noticed that several Southeast Asian adolescent patients were seeking care for repeated symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases, reporting multiple sexual partners, disclosing chronic truancy issues, revealing a history of sexual abuse, and exhibited other high risk factors for sexual exploitation. Patients eventually disclosed their coercion into the sex trade and shared concerns for their health and safety. In 2006, AHS and its community partner Banteay Srei co-developed the first primary care clinical screening tool in a federally qualified health center (FQHC). This paper discusses the need for and development process of the screening tool. The process included gathering perspectives of CSEC patients to ensure the tool was grounded in lived experiences of the affected population, and also incorporated insight from healthcare providers and staff to ensure practical implementation by health practitioners. The paper provides recommendations to raise awareness among community members, healthcare professionals, and policy makers in order to curtail the rising CSEC epidemic, and to address the needs of patients who have been commercially sexually exploited

Anticaries activity of mangiferin isolated from Mangifera indica leaves in Vietnam

Mangiferin (1) was isolated from Vietnamese Mangifera indica leaves. Its antimicrobial activities against the oral bacterium Streptococcus mutans GS-5 were evaluated in terms of inhibition of acid production and biofilm formation. The obtained results indicated that mangiferin at the concentration of 0.5 mM clearly inhibited acid production by this organism with a final pH value of 5.2 compared to 3.9 of the control. The reduction in biofilm biomass was found up to 92 % when it was treated with 1.0 mM mangiferin. Thus, mangiferin possesses moderate anticaries activity against S. mutans GS-5. Keywords. Mangifera indica, mangiferin, Streptococcus mutans, anticaries activity

Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and Incidence of Breast Cancer in California, 1988–1997

California is the largest agricultural state in the United States and home to some of the world’s highest breast cancer rates. The objective of our study was to evaluate whether California breast cancer rates were elevated in areas with recent high agricultural pesticide use. We identified population-based invasive breast cancer cases from the California Cancer Registry for 1988–1997. We used California’s pesticide use reporting data to select pesticides for analysis based on use volume, carcinogenic potential, and exposure potential. Using 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census data, we derived age- and race-specific population counts for the time period of interest. We used a geographic information system to aggregate cases, population counts, and pesticide use data for all block groups in the state. To evaluate whether breast cancer rates were related to recent agricultural pesticide use, we computed rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals using Poisson regression models, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and neighborhood socioeconomic status and urbanization. This ecologic (aggregative) analysis included 176,302 invasive breast cancer cases and 70,968,598 person-years of observation. The rate ratios did not significantly differ from 1 for any of the selected pesticide categories or individual agents. The results from this study provide no evidence that California women living in areas of recent, high agricultural pesticide use experience higher rates of breast cancer

Efficacy of a high potency O1 Manisa monovalent vaccine against heterologous challenge with a FMDV O Mya98 lineage virus in pigs 4 and 7 days post vaccination

Early protection with a high potency (>6PD50) foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) O1 Manisa (Middle-EastSouth Asia lineage) vaccine against challenge with O/VIT/2010 (O Mya98 lineage) was tested in pigs. Only two pigs that were vaccinated seven days prior to challenge had any demonstrable antibodies as a result of vaccination at the time of challenge. However, 80% and 60% of pigs that were vaccinated seven and four days prior to coronary band challenge were protected. Vaccination significantly reduced the amount of virus excreted in nasal swabs, saliva and faeces compared to unvaccinated and infected controls. Virus and viral RNA could be detected in some pigs until termination of the experiment 14 days after challenge.Antibodies to the non-structural proteins (NSP) were detected in only one pig that was challenged four days post vaccination (dpv) and transiently in two pigs that were challenged seven dpv at only one timepoint. For each vaccine and control group, a group of unvaccinated pigs were kept in the same room but with no direct contact with the infected pigs to determine whether vaccination prevented transmission. Despite the presence of live virus and viral RNA in these indirect contact pigs, the groups in contact with the vaccinated and infected pigs did not develop clinical signs nor did they sero-convert. Contact pigs in the same room as unvaccinated challenged controls did show signs of disease and virus infection that resulted in sero-conversion to the NSP. A breach of the wall that separated the two groups at nine days post challenge might have contributed to this finding. This study showed that high potency vaccine can provide protection to pigs soon after vaccination and that aerosol transmission within rooms is a rare event.Funding was provided in part by the livestock industries in Australia through Animal Health Australia. The AHA funds are matched through the Meat and Livestock Australia Donor Company by the Australian Government under MLA Project P.PSH 0652.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/vaccinehb201