Degradation of 2,3,7,8-TCDD by a consortium of bacterial strains isolated from heavil herbicide/dioxin contaminated soil in Bienhoa airbase

From two different soil sources in Bienhoa airbase (heavy herbicide/dioxin contaminated West-South region and bioremediated cell), five microbial strains were isolated and their 2,3,7,8-TCDD biodegrability in consortium was investigated. Based on the colony and cell morphological characteristics as well as 16S rRNA gene sequences, these strains were classified into 5 genera, including Methylobacterium (strain BHBi1), Hydrocarboniphaga (strain BHBi4), Agrobacterium (strain BHBi5), Bosea (strain BHBi7) and Microbacterium (strain BH09). Two strains BHBi7 and BHBi4 were the first representatives of the genera Bosea and Hydrocarboniphaga that were isolated from heavyly herbicide/dioxin contaminated soil. All five strains were able to grow well in mineral salt medium (MSM) supplemented with soil extract (SE) containing 2,3,7,8-TCDD (this congener is the main soil total compound toxicity) and other congeners, including PCDDs, PCDFs, 2,4,5-T, 2,4-D, PAHs and their intermediates. This microbial consortium degraded 2,537.34 ngTEQ/kg of 2,3,7,8-TCDD congener in soil, equivalent to 59.1% lost of total toxicity in comparison to the control without bacterial seeding (4,294.12 ng TEQ/kg). Such a high ratio of dioxin degradation by a bacterial consortium was reported here for the first time, contributing more evidences for convincing the successful dioxin bioremediation of “Active Landfill” technology at large scale in Z1 area at Bienhoa airbase, Dongnai, Vietnam

Alcohol Use, Risk Taking, Leisure Activities and Health Care Use Among Young People in Northern Vietnam

Alcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of health and social consequences. It is also associated with a number of risk taking behaviours. These include illicit drug use and unsafe sex.  Alcohol consumption appears to be increasing in Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to examine the patterns of alcohol consumption and its relationship with a number of other risk taking behaviours amongst young people.  Information was also obtained concerning leisure activities and use of health care. The paper also sets out to examine possible gender differences in relation to alcohol consumption and risk behaviour and to propose the development and implementation of alcohol monitoring and prevention programs in Vietnam.  The study involved a cross-sectional, community survey using a standardised interview.  This was conducted during face-to-face interviews with 1,408 young people aged 10-19 years.  Respondents were recruited randomly through the lists of the households from 12 selected communes in three areas in Northern Vietnam. The findings presented here were part of a larger health risk behaviour survey.  Levels of alcohol use were low. Overall, 16.5% of participants were experienced drinkers, and only 4% of them were current drinkers. Males were significantly more likely than females to report drinking. This study also showed that rates of alcohol consumption were associated with age, education, geographical area, gender, tobacco smoking, involvement in violence, watching television, computer use and playing computer games, wearing safety helmets and use of health services. Alcohol consumption tended to increase with age for both males and females.  Alcohol and its effects on young people are clearly a growing public health issue in Vietnam.  Because of this, more detailed behavioral research should be conducted into the relationship between alcohol consumption and other risky behaviours amongst young people.  It is also recommended that alcohol harm reduction policies should be implemented and integrated into measures to reduce levels of other health problems such as HIV/AIDS and non communicable diseases. Such policies should ideally be evidence-based and evaluated

EGG QUALITY COMPARISON OF TWO VIETNAMESE CHICKEN BREEDS (RI AND MIA)

In the context of the valorization of poultry biodiversity, this work represents a step toward a better knowledge of the production abilities of local chicken breeds in Vietnam. Local chicken breeds are indeed particularly well suited for low-input rearing systems, as widely practiced in rural households of Vietnam. The socio-economic importance of these breeds might be underpinned by a market valorization through the mounting of differentiated quality value chains. Such a strategy needs the production potential of these local breeds to be assessed using parameters of egg quality and quantity. This study presents data about egg quality traits in two chicken breeds, the Ri and the Mia. The former is the most widespread breed in Vietnam, while the latter is known to be in danger of extinction. Nineteen parameters of quality of ninety eggs of Ri chickens and sixty eggs of Mia chickens were measured, each for both 40 and 60-weeks old hens to take hens ages into account.Mean egg weight of Mia eggs (44.70g) was significantly (p<0.001) higher than that of Ri eggs (41.68g). The yolk to albumen ratio was not significantly different (p>0.05) between the two breeds at the age of 40 weeks (Ri: 0.55; Mia: 0.58). For 60-weeks old hens, the ratio became significantly (p<0.05) higher in Mia eggs compared to Ri eggs (0.64 vs. 0.57). No significant difference (p>0.05) was recorded between the two breeds for parameters used for egg freshness assessment (Haugh’s units and pH of albumen and yolk) or eggshell resistance (maximal breakage force). Despite the small sample available for the study (due to the low availability of Mia hens and eggs), significant differences in egg quality traits were thus observed between these two breeds.Peer reviewe

Helicobacter pylori-Negative Gastric Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma in a Girl

Introduction: Extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) arises in a number of epithelial tissues, including the stomach, salivary gland, lung, small bowel, thyroid, ocular adnexa, skin, and elsewhere. It has also been called low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). MALT lymphoma predominantly occurs in adults and is rare in children. Case Presentation: We report a case of MALT lymphoma involving the stomach, which is the most common subtype, in a 12-year-old girl. Initially, the patient relapsed after antibiotic therapy but achieved successful treatment subsequently through irradiation. Conclusion: Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy should be given to all patients with gastric MZL, irrespective of stage. In patients who do not respond to antibiotic therapy, treatment options such as irradiation and systemic cancer therapies should be considered, depending on the disease stage

NGHIÊN CỨU THÀNH PHẦN VÀ HÀM LƯỢNG CÁC LỚP CHẤT LIPID, PHOSPHOLIPID, AXIT BÉO, VÀ PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE LOÀI SAN HÔ MỀM CAPNELLA SP.

The total lipid content of the soft coral Capnella sp. contained 1.44 ± 0.10% of the fresh weight. In the fatty acid content, the tetracosapolyenoic fatty acids 24:5n-6 and 24:6n-3, which were the typical markers for the soft corals (the eight compartment coral), and the fatty acids that marked for symbiotic microorganism including 18:5n-3, 18:2n-6, 18:3n-6, 18:4n-3, 20:4n-3 were presented. The result of the lipid composition analysis showed that the total lipid contained polar lipid, sterol, free fatty acid, triacylglycerol, monoalkyldiacylglycerol, hydrocarbon and wax. Of these, the polar lipid displayed the highest content with 21.14 ± 1.17% of the total lipid. The phospholipid composition of the soft coral Capnella sp. contained the characteristic phospholipid subclasses of the animals of the phylum Cnidaria, including phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and ceramide aminoethylphosphonate (phosphonolipid, CAEP). Of these, phosphatidylcholine exhibited the highest content with 35.53 ± 1.46% of the total phospholipid. This is the first time that the content and composition of the molecular types of the phosphatidylcholine from a Vietnamese soft coral species have been investigated and reported. By using modern mass spectrometry IT TOF LC-MS, the presence of 13 molecular types have been precisely identified, which PC 18:0e/20:4 and PC 16:0e/20:4 were the two ingredients displaying the highest content.Hàm lượng lipid tổng của mẫu san hô mềm Capnella sp. chiếm 1,44 ± 0,10% so với trọng lượng mẫu tươi. Trong thành phần axit béo có mặt các axit béo tetracosapolyenoic 24:5n-6 và 24:6n-3 là axit béo đánh dấu điển hình cho san hô mềm (san hô tám ngăn) và các axit béo đánh dấu cho vi sinh vật cộng sinh như 18:5n-3, 18:2n-6, 18:3n-6, 18:4n-3, 20:4n-3. Kết quả phân tích lớp chất lipid cho thấy trong lipid tổng có mặt các lớp chất lipid chính là lipid phân cực, sterol, axit béo tự do, triacylglycerol, monoalkyldiacylglycerol, hydrocacbon và sáp, trong đó lipid phân cực chiếm hàm lượng cao nhất (21,14 ± 1,17% hàm lượng lipid tổng). Thành phần phospholipid của san hô mềm Capnella sp. có mặt các phân lớp phospholipid đặc trưng của động vật ngành Cnidarian là phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphonolipid là ceramide aminoethylphosphonate, trong đó phosphatidylcholine chiếm hàm lượng cao nhất (35,53 ± 1,46% tổng phospholipid). Đây là lần đầu tiên ở Việt Nam, thành phần và hàm lượng các dạng phân tử trong lớp chất phosphatidylcholine từ loài san hô mềm của Việt Nam được nghiên cứu và công bố, kết quả đã xác định được sự có mặt của 13 dạng phân tử bằng phương pháp phổ khối hiện đại LC-MS IT TOF với độ chính xác cao. Hai dạng phân tử chiếm hàm lượng cao nhất là PC 18:0e/20:4 và PC 16:0e/20:4

Solid state crystal growth of single crystals of 0.75(Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3-0.25SrTiO(3) and their characteristic electrical properties

Ceramics of composition 0.75(Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3-0.25SrTiO(3) (NBT-25ST) show a giant electric field-induced strain, making them attractive for actuator applications. Single crystals generally have improved piezoelectric properties over their ceramic counterparts, but the electrical properties of NBT-25ST single crystals have not yet been studied. In this work, NBT-25ST single crystals are grown by the solid state crystal growth technique and their electrical properties measured for the first time. The single crystals show relaxor ferroelectric behavior typical of an NBT-type material. The ferroelectric and inverse piezoelectric properties depend strongly on crystallographic orientation, with superior properties in the (001) orientation. The inverse piezoelectric properties of the (001)-oriented NBT-25ST single crystal are superior to those of an NBT-25ST ceramic (S-max/E-max = 1042 pm/V vs. 739 pm/V)

Growth performance, meat quality, and blood characteristics of finisher crossbred pigs fed diets supplemented with different levels of green tea (Camellia sinensis) by-products.

peer reviewed[en] BACKGROUND AND AIM: Dietary supplementation with green tea by-product shows special effects on animal parameters. This study aimed to assess the effects of green tea by-products (GTBP) in the diet on some blood parameters, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs and on meat quality, and nutritional composition of pork. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and sixty crossbred pigs with an initial body weight of 65.15 ± 0.38 kg, were distributed into four dietary treatments, with four replicates of 10 pigs each. The dietary treatments were a basal diet (control diet, CON), and three experimental diets (GTBP8, GTBP16, and GTBP24) based on the CON diet supplemented with GTBP at 8, 16, and 24 g/kg of feed. The studied parameters were examined during the experimental period of 10 weeks. RESULTS: No statistical differences in average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio were observed between the diet treatments (p > 0.05). Backfat thickness decreased (linear, p 0.05). However, pigs fed with GTBP had a decrease in cholesterol content and an increase in crude protein and total omega-3 content of pork compared to the CON diet (p < 0.05). Moreover, dietary supplementation with GTBP significantly decreased plasma cholesterol (p < 0.05), and trends for the decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and urea nitrogen were observed (linear, p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Up to 24 g/kg GTBP in the diet for finishing pigs does not impair animal performance and makes carcass leaner with softer meat as well as positive effects on cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. Further experiments are needed to determine the optimal levels of GTBP addition in finishing pig diet to produce higher meat quality