A systems approach toward climate resilient livelihoods: A case study in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam.

This study aims to identify strategic actions towards climate resilient livelihoods and secure income for smallholder farmers in Thai Nguyen province of Vietnam using a systems approach and system dynamic modelling tools. Information and data for this research was collected through surveys, interviews, focus group discussions and workshops with relevant stakeholders and 187 farmers in two vulnerable districts during October 2019-April 2020. Findings of this study uncovered a number of shortcomings of the government policies and approaches in climate change adaptation. Local initiatives, community learning and ownership seem to be neglected. This research has substantiated the effectiveness and validity of systems approaches and tools in structuring and solving complex issues in agricultural research and development under the interwoven relationships between environmental and human factors. Climate resilient production models and practices are just part of the systemic interventions that need to be implemented in a coordinated manner towards a more resilient future of the farming communities. This study has addressed the current knowledge gap and the need for using integrated approaches and decision support systems for unravelling ill-structured and/or complex issues of climate change adaptation (CCA). It also provided practical recommendations for informed CCA policies and implementation.

Overexpression of bla OXA-58 Gene Driven by ISAba3 Is Associated with Imipenem Resistance in a Clinical Acinetobacter baumannii Isolate from Vietnam.

The aim of this study was to investigate genetic structures and expression of bla OXA-58 gene in five Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates recovered from two hospitals in southern Vietnam during 2012-2014. A. baumannii isolates were identified by automated microbiology systems and confirmed by PCR. All isolates were characterized as multidrug resistant by antimicrobial testing using the disk diffusion method. Four imipenem susceptible and one nonsusceptible isolates (MIC > 32 µg·ml-1) were identified by E-test. PCR amplification of bla OXA-58 gene upstream and downstream sequences revealed the presence of ISAba3 at both locations in one multidrug-resistant isolate. Semiquantitation of bla OXA-51 and bla OXA-58 gene expression was performed by the 2-ΔΔCt method. The bla OXA-51 gene expression of five isolates showed little difference, but the isolate bearing ISAba3-bla OXA-58-ISAba3 exhibited significantly higher bla OXA-58 mRNA level. Higher ß-lactamases activity in periplasmic than cytoplasmic fraction was found in most isolates. The isolate overexpressing bla OXA-58 gene possessed very high periplasmic enzyme activity. In conclusion, the A. baumannii isolate bearing ISAba3-bla OXA-58 gene exhibited high resistance to imipenem, corresponding to an overexpression of bla OXA-58 gene and very high periplasmic ß-lactamase activity.