The costs of traumatic brain injury due to motorcycle accidents in Hanoi, Vietnam

Background: Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in Vietnam. The purpose of this study is to estimate the costs, in the first year post-injury, of non-fatal traumatic brain injury (TBI) in motorcycle users not wearing helmets in Hanoi, Vietnam. The costs are calculated from the perspective of the injured patients and their families, and include quantification of direct, indirect and intangible costs, using years lost due to disability as a proxy. Methods: The study was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data on treatment and rehabilitation costs, employment and support were obtained from patients and their families using a structured questionnaire and The European Quality of Life instrument (EQ6D). Results: Thirty-five patients and their families were interviewed. On average, patients with severe, moderate and minor TBI incurred direct costs at USD 2,365, USD 1,390 and USD 849, with time lost for normal activities averaging 54 weeks, 26 weeks and 17 weeks and years lived with disability (YLD) of 0.46, 0.25 and 0.15 year, respectively. Conclusion: All three component costs of TBI were high; the direct cost accounted for the largest proportion, with costs rising with the severity of TBI. The results suggest that the burden of TBI can be catastrophic for families because of high direct costs, significant time off work for patients and caregivers, and impact on health-related quality of life. Further research is warranted to explore the actual social and economic benefits of mandatory helmet use

An exochitinase with N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activity from shrimp heads conversion by Streptomyces speibonae and its application in hydrolyzing β-chitin powder to produce N-acetyl-d-glucosamine

[[abstract]]Marine chitinous byproducts possess significant applications in many fields. In this research, different kinds of fishery chitin-containing byproducts from shrimp (shrimp head powder (SHP) and demineralized shrimp shell powder), crab (demineralized crab shell powder), as well as squid (squid pen powder) were used to provide both carbon and nitrogen (C/N) nutrients for the production of an exochitinase via Streptomyces speibonae TKU048, a chitinolytic bacterium isolated from Taiwanese soils. S. speibonae TKU048 expressed the highest exochitinase productivity (45.668 U/mL) on 1.5% SHP-containing medium at 37 °C for 2 days. Molecular weight determination analysis basing on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the mass of TKU048 exochitinase was approximately 21 kDa. The characterized exochitinase expressed some interesting properties, for example acidic pH optima (pH 3 and pH 5–7) and a higher temperature optimum (60 °C). Furthermore, the main hydrolysis mechanism of TKU048 exochitinase was N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase-like activity; its most suitable substrate was β-chitin powder. The hydrolysis experiment revealed that TKU048 exochitinase was efficient in the cleavage of β-chitin powder, thereby releasing N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc, monomer unit of chitin structure) as the major product with 0.335 mg/mL of GlcNAc concentration and a yield of 73.64% after 96 h of incubation time. Thus, TKU048 exochitinase may have potential in GlcNAc production due to its N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase-like activity.[[sponsorship]]科技部[[notice]]補正完

Thermostable Branched-Chain Amino Acid Transaminases From the Archaea Geoglobus acetivorans and Archaeoglobus fulgidus: Biochemical and Structural Characterization

This is the final version. Available on open access from Frontiers Media via the DOI in this recordTwo new thermophilic branched chain amino acid transaminases have been identified within the genomes of different hyper-thermophilic archaea, Geoglobus acetivorans, and Archaeoglobus fulgidus. These enzymes belong to the class IV of transaminases as defined by their structural fold. The enzymes have been cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant enzymes have been characterized both biochemically and structurally. Both enzymes showed high thermostability with optimal temperature for activity at 80 and 85°C, respectively. They retain good activity after exposure to 50% of the organic solvents, ethanol, methanol, DMSO and acetonitrile. The enzymes show a low activity to (R)-methylbenzylamine but no activity to (S)-methylbenzylamine. Both enzymes have been crystallized and their structures solved in the internal aldimine form, to 1.9 Å resolution for the Geoglobus enzyme and 2.0 Å for the Archaeoglobus enzyme. Also the Geoglobus enzyme structure has been determined in complex with the amino acceptor α-ketoglutarate and the Archaeoglobus enzyme in complex with the inhibitor gabaculine. These two complexes have helped to determine the conformation of the enzymes during enzymatic turnover and have increased understanding of their substrate specificity. A comparison has been made with another (R) selective class IV transaminase from the fungus Nectria haematococca which was previously studied in complex with gabaculine. The subtle structural differences between these enzymes has provided insight regarding their different substrate specificities.Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC

Chronic activation of human cardiac fibroblasts in vitro attenuates the reversibility of the myofibroblast phenotype

Activation of cardiac fibroblasts and differentiation to myofibroblasts underlies development of pathological cardiac fibrosis, leading to arrhythmias and heart failure. Myofibroblasts are characterised by increased α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) fibre expression, secretion of collagens and changes in proliferation. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and increased mechanical stress can initiate myofibroblast activation. Reversibility of the myofibroblast phenotype has been observed in murine cells but has not been explored in human cardiac fibroblasts. In this study, chronically activated adult primary human ventricular cardiac fibroblasts and human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cFbs (hiPSC-cFbs) were used to investigate the potential for reversal of the myofibroblast phenotype using either subculture on soft substrates or TGF-β receptor inhibition. Culture on softer plates (25 or 2 kPa Young's modulus) did not alter proliferation or reduce expression of α-SMA and collagen 1. Similarly, culture of myofibroblasts in the presence of TGF-β inhibitor did not reverse myofibroblasts back to a quiescent phenotype. Chronically activated hiPSC-cFbs also showed attenuated response to TGF-β receptor inhibition and inability to reverse to quiescent fibroblast phenotype. Our data demonstrate substantial loss of TGF-β signalling plasticity as well as a loss of feedback from the surrounding mechanical environment in chronically activated human myofibroblasts

Barriers and enablers to blood culture sampling in Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam: a Theoretical Domains Framework-based survey

Objective: Blood culture (BC) sampling is recommended for all suspected sepsis patients prior to antibiotic administration. We examine barriers and enablers to BC sampling in three Southeast Asian countries. Design: A Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)-based survey, comprising a case scenario of a patient presenting with community-acquired sepsis and all 14 TDF domains of barriers/enablers to BC sampling. Setting: Hospitals in Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam, December 2021 to 30 April 2022. Participants: 1070 medical doctors and 238 final-year medical students were participated in this study. Half of the respondents were women (n=680, 52%) and most worked in governmental hospitals (n=980, 75.4%). Outcome measures: Barriers and enablers to BC sampling. Results: The proportion of respondents who answered that they would definitely take BC in the case scenario was highest at 89.8% (273/304) in Thailand, followed by 50.5% (252/499) in Viet Nam and 31.3% (157/501) in Indonesia (p<0.001). Barriers/enablers in nine TDF domains were considered key in influencing BC sampling, including ‘priority of BC (TDF-goals)’, ‘perception about their role to order or initiate an order for BC (TDF-social professional role and identity)’, ‘perception that BC is helpful (TDF-beliefs about consequences)’, ‘intention to follow guidelines (TDF-intention)’, ‘awareness of guidelines (TDF-knowledge)’, ‘norms of BC sampling (TDF-social influence)’, ‘consequences that discourage BC sampling (TDF-reinforcement)’, ‘perceived cost-effectiveness of BC (TDF-environmental context and resources)’ and ‘regulation on cost reimbursement (TDF-behavioural regulation)’. There was substantial heterogeneity between the countries. In most domains, the lower (higher) proportion of Thai respondents experienced the barriers (enablers) compared with that of Indonesian and Vietnamese respondents. A range of suggested intervention types and policy options was identified. Conclusions: Barriers and enablers to BC sampling are varied and heterogenous. Cost-related barriers are more common in more resource-limited countries, while many barriers are not directly related to cost. Context-specific multifaceted interventions at both hospital and policy levels are required to improve diagnostic stewardship practices

Metabolic Versatility and Antibacterial Metabolite Biosynthesis Are Distinguishing Genomic Features of the Fire Blight Antagonist Pantoea vagans C9-1

Smits THM, Rezzonico F, Kamber T, et al. Metabolic Versatility and Antibacterial Metabolite Biosynthesis Are Distinguishing Genomic Features of the Fire Blight Antagonist Pantoea vagans C9-1. PLoS ONE. 2011;6(7): e22247.Background: Pantoea vagans is a commercialized biological control agent used against the pome fruit bacterial disease fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora. Compared to other biocontrol agents, relatively little is currently known regarding Pantoea genetics. Better understanding of antagonist mechanisms of action and ecological fitness is critical to improving efficacy. Principal Findings: Genome analysis indicated two major factors contribute to biocontrol activity: competition for limiting substrates and antibacterial metabolite production. Pathways for utilization of a broad diversity of sugars and acquisition of iron were identified. Metabolism of sorbitol by P. vagans C9-1 may be a major metabolic feature in biocontrol of fire blight. Biosynthetic genes for the antibacterial peptide pantocin A were found on a chromosomal 28-kb genomic island, and for dapdiamide E on the plasmid pPag2. There was no evidence of potential virulence factors that could enable an animal or phytopathogenic lifestyle and no indication of any genetic-based biosafety risk in the antagonist. Conclusions: Identifying key determinants contributing to disease suppression allows the development of procedures to follow their expression in planta and the genome sequence contributes to rationale risk assessment regarding the use of the biocontrol strain in agricultural systems

Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s=7 TeV

The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb-1. Jets are reconstructed with the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R=0. 4 or R=0. 6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta pT≥20 GeV and pseudorapidities {pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2. 5 % in the central calorimeter region ({pipe}η{pipe}<0. 8) for jets with 60≤pT<800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for pT<30 GeV in the most forward region 3. 2≤{pipe}η{pipe}<4. 5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon pT, the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-pT jets recoiling against a high-pT jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-pT jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating from light quarks, heavy quarks or gluons are also discussed and the corresponding uncertainties are determined. © 2013 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

Search for the neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for neutral Higgs bosons of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is reported. The analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The data were recorded in 2011 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb-1 to 4.8 fb-1. Higgs boson decays into oppositely-charged muon or τ lepton pairs are considered for final states requiring either the presence or absence of b-jets. No statistically significant excess over the expected background is observed and exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level are derived. The exclusion limits are for the production cross-section of a generic neutral Higgs boson, φ, as a function of the Higgs boson mass and for h/A/H production in the MSSM as a function of the parameters mA and tan β in the mhmax scenario for mA in the range of 90GeV to 500 GeV. Copyright CERN

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT