Development of a diagnostic scar marker for Vibrio shilonii caused acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease in whiteleg shrimp

Background: In a previous report, we showed that Vibrio shilonii was found on whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) with acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease in Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. This study was performed to develop a diagnostic molecular marker generated by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) for V. shilonii rapid detection.Methods: Pathogen Vibrio spp. were isolated from shrimps and fishes, and were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Genetic diversity of Vibrio strains was analysis by RAPD technique. Specific PCR product for V. shilonii was cloned and sequenced. SCAR marker was developed from specific PCR product.Result: Twenty random primers were evaluated for RAPD to identify DNA polymorphisms between Vibrio species. The random primer OPN-06 generated a 468-bp DNA fragment specific for V. shilonii. This was then converted into a sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker designated N6-441.Conclusion: Specific primers (Vshi-441F/Vshi-441R) amplified a unique DNA fragment in all V. shilonii isolates but not in the other Vibrio spp. This PCR assay showed significantly sensitive to the target DNA and reliably for the amplification the V. shilonii genome.Keywords: AHPND; RAPD; SCAR; Vibrio shilonii; Vietna

ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA MÔI TRƯỜNG NUÔI CẤY LÊN SINH TRƯỞNG CỦA CALLUS CÂY GIẢO CỔ LAM (Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino) – MỘT CÂY DƯỢC LIỆU CÓ GIÁ TRỊ

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino (Jiaogulan) is a traditional medicinal herb belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. G. pentaphyllum grows widely in Southern China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The essential bioactive components of Jiaogulan are saponin glycosides (gypenosides) and antioxidants. Jiaogulan exhibits bioactive activities such as anticancer, antioxidant, cholesterol-reducing agent, immunopotentiation, and others. In this study, the primary callus of Jiaogulan was used as a material to evaluate the influence of the culture medium on the induction and growth of secondary calli. The results reveal that the callus cultured on the MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L kinetin and 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid has the best growth ability, high rate of secondary callus induction (100%), and good callus quality for suspension culture. The concentration of gypenoside and Rb1 in callus is 36.298 and 0.009 mg/g dry weight. The gypenoside concentration of callus is lower than that of leaves (65.58%) and almost similar to that of stems (92.38%) from natural samples. The suitable solvent for the extraction of gypenoside is methanol. The obtained callus will be used as material for cell suspension culture in further studies.Giảo cổ lam (Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino) là một cây thuốc dân gian thuộc họ Bầu bí. Cây phân bố rộng ở miền Nam Trung Quốc, Nhật Bản, Hàn Quốc và Việt Nam. Các thành phần có hoạt tính sinh học quan trọng của Giảo cổ làm là saponin glycoside (gypenoside) và các chất chống oxy hóa. Giảo cổ lam được sử dụng hỗ trợ chống ung thư, chống oxy hóa, giảm cholesterol, tăng cường miễn dịch và các tác dụng khác. Trong nghiên cứu này, callus sơ cấp của cây Giảo cổ lam được sử dụng làm nguyên liệu để đánh giá ảnh hưởng của môi trường nuôi cấy lên khả năng phát sinh và sinh trưởng của callus thứ cấp. Kết quả cho thấy, callus được nuôi cấy trên môi trường MS có bổ sung 2,0 mg/L kinetin và 0,5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid sinh trưởng tốt nhất; tỷ lệ tạo callus thứ cấp cao (100%); callus đáp ứng được tiêu chuẩn để nuôi cấy huyền phù. Hàm lượng gypenoside và Rb1 trong callus là 36,298 và 0,009 mg/g chất khô; gypenoside thấp hơn trong lá (65,58%) và gần tương đương với mẫu thân (92,38%) của sản phẩm thu mua từ thị trường. Dung môi thích hợp để tách chiết gypenoside là methanol. Callus thu được sẽ được sử dụng làm nguyên liệu cho nuôi cấy tế bào huyền phù trong các nghiên cứu tiếp theo

Effect of Plumbagin on growth inhibition and apoptosis of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia

Development of a new inhibitor of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase is necessary for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) because of increasing resistance and tolerance to Imatinid efforts. Herein, we reported Plumbagin can significantly inhibit the growth of CML. The results revealed that Plumbagin inhitbited TCCY and TCCY/T315I cells with IC50 values 3 μM and 2.1 μM, respectively. Plumbagin also showed anti-proliferative effects on both the wide type Ba/F3 and the BCR-ABL-transfected Ba/F3 cells with a range of IC50 from 3.2 to 3.8 μM. In addition, Plumbagin induced the apoptosis of CML cells. That would provide a new and potential drug as a chemotherapy medication in the treatment of Imatinid -resistant CML

EFFECTS OF SALT STRESS ON PLANT GROWTH AND BIOMASS ALLOCATION IN SOME WETLAND GRASS SPECIES IN THE MEKONG DELTA

Salt stress causes serious damage to many cellular and physiological processes that leads to yield reduction. The study induced salt stress using Hoagland solution added NaCl to evaluate its effects on plant growth and biomass allocation of some wetland grass species in order to identify salt-tolerant species for replacing and/or supplementing rice/grass in rice-shrimp model and salt-affected area in the Mekong Delta. The study also seeks to evaluate the response of leaf chlorophyll (SPAD unit) and proline content in salt-treated plants to varying application of salinity. Typha orientalis, Lepironia articulata, Eleocharis dulcis and Scirpus littoralis were studied in hydroponics condition with four levels of NaCl of 5, 10, 15, 20‰ and the control treatment (without adding NaCl). The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with 3 replications. The salt-treated plants showed visually clear responses of inhibited growth under salt stress condition compared to the control plants. Among the four studied species, T. orientalis produced the highest dry shoot biomass (15.5 g DW/plant), while E. dulcis had the lowest value (2.8 g DW/plant). However, only T. orientalis showed significantly decreased in biomass as salinity increased with 9.3 and 4.6 times lower of fresh and dry biomass in plants grown at the salinity level of 20‰ compared to those grown in the control treatment. The other three plant species did not affect by salinity levels. The results indicated that S. littoralis, L. articulata and E. dulcis could tolerate at high salinity of 20‰ (eq. to the EC value in the nutrient solution of 38.0 dS/m) and could be potential candidate to grow in the rice-shrimp model or in the salt-affected soils. 

Quantifying antimicrobial access and usage for paediatric diarrhoeal disease in an urban community setting in Asia.

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial-resistant infections are a major global health issue. Ease of antimicrobial access in developing countries is proposed to be a key driver of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) epidemic despite a lack of community antimicrobial usage data. METHODS: Using a mixed-methods approach (geospatial mapping, simulated clients, healthcare utilization, longitudinal cohort) we assessed antimicrobial access in the community and quantified antimicrobial usage for childhood diarrhoea in an urban Vietnamese setting. RESULTS: The study area had a pharmacy density of 15.7 pharmacies/km2 (a pharmacy for every 1316 people). Using a simulated client method at pharmacies within the area, we found that 8% (3/37) and 22% (8/37) of outlets sold antimicrobials for paediatric watery and mucoid diarrhoea, respectively. However, despite ease of pharmacy access, the majority of caregivers would choose to take their child to a healthcare facility, with 81% (319/396) and 88% (347/396) of responders selecting a specialized hospital as one of their top three preferences when seeking treatment for watery and mucoid diarrhoea, respectively. We calculated that at least 19% (2688/14427) of diarrhoea episodes in those aged 1 to <5 years would receive an antimicrobial annually; however, antimicrobial usage was almost 10 times greater in hospitals than in the community. CONCLUSIONS: Our data question the impact of community antimicrobial usage on AMR and highlight the need for better education and guidelines for all professionals with the authority to prescribe antimicrobials

Excess body weight and age associated with the carriage of fluoroquinolone and third-generation cephalosporin resistance genes in commensal Escherichia coli from a cohort of urban Vietnamese children.

PURPOSE: Antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a well-established global health issue. We aimed to assess the prevalence of and epidemiological factors associated with the carriage of ciprofloxacin- and ceftriaxone-resistant Escherichia coli and associated resistance genes in a cohort of 498 healthy children residing in urban Vietnam. METHODOLOGY: We cultured rectal swabs onto MacConkey agar supplemented with resistant concentrations of ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone. Additionally, we screened meta-E. coli populations by conventional PCR to detect plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR)- and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding genes. We measured the associations between phenotypic/genotypic resistance and demographic characteristics using logistic regression.Results/Key findings. Ciprofloxacin- and ceftriaxone-resistant E. coli were cultured from the faecal samples of 67.7 % (337/498) and 80.3 % (400/498) of children, respectively. The prevalence of any associated resistance marker in the individual samples was 86.7 % (432/498) for PMQR genes and 90.6 % (451/498) for β-lactamase genes. Overweight children were significantly more likely to carry qnr genes than children with lower weight-for-height z-scores [odds ratios (OR): 1.24; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 10.5-1.48 for each unit increase in weight for height; P=0.01]. Additionally, younger children were significantly more likely to carry ESBL CTX-M genes than older children (OR: 0.97, 95 % CI: 0.94-0.99 for each additional year, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: The carriage of genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance is highly prevalent among E. coli in healthy children in the community in Vietnam. Future investigations on the carriage of antimicrobial resistant organisms in LMICs should focus on the progression of carriage from birth and structure of the microbiome in obesity

The influence of human genetic variation on early transcriptional responses and protective immunity following immunization with Rotarix vaccine in infants in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam : a study protocol for an open single-arm interventional trial [awaiting peer review]

Background: Rotavirus (RoV) remains the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants and children aged under five years in both high- and low-middle-income countries (LMICs). In LMICs, RoV infections are associated with substantial mortality. Two RoV vaccines (Rotarix and Rotateq) are widely available for use in infants, both of which have been shown to be highly efficacious in Europe and North America. However, for unknown reasons, these RoV vaccines have markedly lower efficacy in LMICs. We hypothesize that poor RoV vaccine efficacy across in certain regions may be associated with genetic heritability or gene expression in the human host. Methods/design: We designed an open-label single-arm interventional trial with the Rotarix RoV vaccine to identify genetic and transcriptomic markers associated with generating a protective immune response against RoV. Overall, 1,000 infants will be recruited prior to Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccinations at two months of age and vaccinated with oral Rotarix vaccine at two and three months, after which the infants will be followed-up for diarrheal disease until 18 months of age. Blood sampling for genetics, transcriptomics, and immunological analysis will be conducted before each Rotarix vaccination, 2-3 days post-vaccination, and at each follow-up visit (i.e. 6, 12 and 18 months of age). Stool samples will be collected during each diarrheal episode to identify RoV infection. The primary outcome will be Rotarix vaccine failure events (i.e. symptomatic RoV infection despite vaccination), secondary outcomes will be antibody responses and genotypic characterization of the infection virus in Rotarix failure events. Discussion: This study will be the largest and best powered study of its kind to be conducted to date in infants, and will be critical for our understanding of RoV immunity, human genetics in the Vietnam population, and mechanisms determining RoV vaccine-mediated protection. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03587389. Registered on 16 July 2018

Successful Psoriasis Treatment Using NB-UVB with Methotrexate: The Vietnamese Experience

AIM: To compare the effectiveness of narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB) and oral methotrexate (MTX) to oral MTX alone in Vietnamese psoriasis patients, from May 2016 to May 2018. METHODS: We conducted a non-randomized trial on 70 patients with plaque-type psoriasis of moderate to severe. Thirty-five patients apply NBUVB once/day in 5 days/week for 4 weeks plus oral MTX 7.5 mg/week and 35 patients oral MTX 7.5 mg/week and both two groups treatment for 3 months. The extent of the lesion was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS: The proportion of decreasing PASI was comparable (68.49% in NBUVB and MTX versus 57.62% in MTX alone); p &lt; 0.05. Inside, good 28.58%, moderate 68.57% and poor 2.85% in NBUVB and MTX better than good 2.85%, moderate 71.4% and poor 25.72% in MTX alone; p &lt; 0.05. The recurrence rate after 24 months of the NBUVB and MTX group (42.9%) was lower than the MTX alone group (71.4%); p &lt; 0.05. CONCLUSION: NBUVB and oral MTX have affected treatment with chronic plaque psoriasis better than oral MTX alone

Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers against the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey across 57 countries.

BACKGROUND: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been concerns related to the preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to describe the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital HCWs at the time of the first wave. METHODS: This multinational, multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital HCWs from February to May 2020. We used a hierarchical logistic regression multivariate analysis to adjust the influence of variables based on awareness and preparedness. We then used association rule mining to identify relationships between HCW confidence in handling suspected COVID-19 patients and prior COVID-19 case-management training. RESULTS: We surveyed 24,653 HCWs from 371 hospitals across 57 countries and received 17,302 responses from 70.2% HCWs overall. The median COVID-19 preparedness score was 11.0 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.0-14.0) and the median awareness score was 29.6 (IQR = 26.6-32.6). HCWs at COVID-19 designated facilities with previous outbreak experience, or HCWs who were trained for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, had significantly higher levels of preparedness and awareness (p<0.001). Association rule mining suggests that nurses and doctors who had a 'great-extent-of-confidence' in handling suspected COVID-19 patients had participated in COVID-19 training courses. Male participants (mean difference = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.46; p<0.001) and nurses (mean difference = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.81; p<0.001) had higher preparedness scores compared to women participants and doctors. INTERPRETATION: There was an unsurprising high level of awareness and preparedness among HCWs who participated in COVID-19 training courses. However, disparity existed along the lines of gender and type of HCW. It is unknown whether the difference in COVID-19 preparedness that we detected early in the pandemic may have translated into disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 burden of disease by gender or HCW type