A review of advanced bioremediation technologies for dioxin-contaminated soil treatment: Current and Future outlook.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), namely known as dioxins, are persistent organic compounds with high toxicity. The presence of dioxins in soil is a major environmental issue worldwide, as it negatively impacts both ecosystems and human health. Thus, several advanced techniques have been applied to overcome this issue, offering promising treatment efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This review employs a meta-analysis strategy to provide an up-to-date assessment of the global situation of dioxin-contaminated soil. Dioxin concentrations are commonly higher in industrial and urban areas than in rural areas, primarily due to anthropogenic activities such as chemical manufacturing and waste incineration. Furthermore, several advanced bioremediation technologies for dioxin treatment, including biosurfactants, composting, and phytoremediation were highlighted and thoroughly discussed. Aerobic composting has proven to be robust in removing dioxins, achieving treatment efficiencies ranging from 65% to 85%. Whereas, phytoremediation, particularly when involving agricultural crops like zucchini, cucumber, and wheat, shows great promise in dioxin removal through various mechanisms, including root uptake and transpiration. Notably, biosurfactants such as rhamnolipids and sophorolipids have been effectively used to remediate dioxin-contaminated soil due to their significantly enhanced bioavailability of dioxins and their interaction with microbes. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of advanced biotechnologies for remediating dioxin-contaminated soil. It also addresses the technical and economic aspects of dioxin treatment and identifies future directions and research perspectives to fill knowledge gaps in this field.

Investigating the effectiveness of web-based HIV self-test distribution and linkage to HIV treatment and PrEP among groups at elevated risk of HIV in Viet Nam provinces: a mixed-methods analysis of implementation from pilot to scale-up.

INTRODUCTION: In Viet Nam, key populations (KPs) face barriers accessing HIV services. Virtual platforms can be leveraged to increase access for KPs, including for HIV self-testing (HIVST). This study compares reach and effectiveness of a web-based HIVST intervention from pilot to scale-up in Viet Nam. METHODS: A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design used cross-sectional and thematic analysis. The pilot launched in Can Tho in November 2020, followed by Hanoi and Nghe An in April 2021. Scale-up included Can Tho and Nghe An, with 21 novel provinces from April to December 2022. After risk assessment, participants registered on the website, receiving HIVST (OraQuick®) by courier, peer educator or self-pick-up. Test result reporting and completing satisfaction surveys were encouraged. Intervention reach was measured through numbers accessing the testing, disaggregated by demographics, and proportion of individuals reporting self-testing post-registration. Effectiveness was measured through numbers reporting self-test results, testing positive and linking to care, and testing negative and using HIVST to manage pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use. Thematic content analysis of free-text responses from the satisfaction survey synthesized quantitative outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 17,589 participants registered on the HIVST website; 11,332 individuals ordered 13,334 tests. Participants were generally young, aged <25 years (4309/11,332, 38.0%), male (9418/11,332, 83.1%) and men who have sex with men (6437/11,332, 56.8%). Nearly half were first-time testers (5069/11,332, 44.9%). Scale-up participants were two times more likely to be assigned female at birth (scale-up; 1595/8436, 18.9% compared to pilot; 392/3727, 10.5%, p < 0.001). Fewer test results were reported in scale-up compared with pilot (pilot: 3129/4140, 75.6%, scale-up: 5811/9194, 63.2%, p < 0.001). 6.3% of all tests were reactive (pilot: 176/3129, 5.6% reactive compared to scale-up: 385/5811, 6.6% reactive, p = 0.063); of which most linked to care (509/522, 97.5%). One-fifth of participants with a negative test initiated or continued PrEP (pilot; 19.8%, scale-up; 18.5%, p = 0.124). Thematic analysis suggested that community delivery models increased programmatic reach. Live chat may also be a suitable proxy for staff support to increase result reporting. CONCLUSIONS: Web-based self-testing in Viet Nam reached people at elevated risk of HIV, facilitating uptake of anti-retroviral treatment and direct linkage to PrEP initiations. Further innovations such as the use of social-network testing services and incorporating features powered by artificial intelligence could increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the approach.

Cathepsin D overexpression in the nervous system rescues lethality and Aß42 accumulation of cathepsin D systemic knockout in vivo.

The lysosome is responsible for protein and organelle degradation and homeostasis and the cathepsins play a key role in maintaining protein quality control. Cathepsin D (CTSD), is one such lysosomal protease, which when deficient in humans lead to neurolipofuscinosis (NCL) and is important in removing toxic protein aggregates. Prior studies demonstrated that CTSD germ-line knockout-CtsdKO (CDKO) resulted in accumulation of protein aggregates, decreased proteasomal activities, and postnatal lethality on Day 26 ± 1. Overexpression of wildtype CTSD, but not cathepsin B, L or mutant CTSD, decreased α-synuclein toxicity in worms and mammalian cells. In this study we generated a mouse line expressing human CTSD with a floxed STOP cassette between the ubiquitous CAG promoter and the cDNA. After crossing with Nestin-cre, the STOP cassette is deleted in NESTIN + cells to allow CTSD overexpression-CTSDtg (CDtg). The CDtg mice exhibited normal behavior and similar sensitivity to sub-chronic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced neurodegeneration. By breeding CDtg mice with CDKO mice, we found that over-expression of CTSD extended the lifespan of the CDKO mice, partially rescued proteasomal deficits and the accumulation of Aß42 in the CDKO. This new transgenic mouse provides supports for the key role of CTSD in protecting against proteotoxicity and offers a new model to study the role of CTSD enhancement in vivo.

Radiation exposure for the population living around the coal-fired power plant complexes in Vietnam.

A coal-fired power plant's operation can release radioactive nuclides and radon gas into the environment, affecting the surrounding ecosystem. In this work, the collective effective dose due to the inhalation and the consumption of food containing the deposited radionuclides from the atmospheric release of the plants were evaluated. The results show that the radioactivity concentration in coal and fly ash samples depends on the origin of feed coal. The distribution of Th and U radionuclides in the 6a1 dust coal and bituminous coal is different. In general, the collective effective dose for different organs due to radiation exposure from the atmospheric release of two surveyed CFPP complexes are lower than the corresponding value published by UNSCEAR.

National health information systems for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

OBJECTIVES: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require data-driven public health action. There are limited publications on national health information systems that continuously generate health data. Given the need to develop these systems, we summarised their current status in low-income and middle-income countries. SETTING: The survey team jointly developed a questionnaire covering policy, planning, legislation and organisation of case reporting, patient monitoring and civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. From January until May 2017, we administered the questionnaire to key informants in 51 Centers for Disease Control country offices. Countries were aggregated for descriptive analyses in Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: Key informants in 15 countries responded to the questionnaire. Several key informants did not answer all questions, leading to different denominators across questions. The Ministry of Health coordinated case reporting, patient monitoring and CRVS systems in 93% (14/15), 93% (13/14) and 53% (8/15) of responding countries, respectively. Domestic financing supported case reporting, patient monitoring and CRVS systems in 86% (12/14), 75% (9/12) and 92% (11/12) of responding countries, respectively. The most common uses for system-generated data were to guide programme response in 100% (15/15) of countries for case reporting, to calculate service coverage in 92% (12/13) of countries for patient monitoring and to estimate the national burden of disease in 83% (10/12) of countries for CRVS. Systems with an electronic component were being used for case reporting, patient monitoring, birth registration and death registration in 87% (13/15), 92% (11/12), 77% (10/13) and 64% (7/11) of responding countries, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most responding countries have a solid foundation for policy, planning, legislation and organisation of health information systems. Further evaluation is needed to assess the quality of data generated from systems. Periodic evaluations may be useful in monitoring progress in strengthening and harmonising these systems over time.

Role of fibroblast growth factor 23 and klotho cross talk in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia that mainly affects the elderly. Several reports have demonstrated that aging is involved in the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of IPF. α-Klotho (KL) has been well characterized as an "age-suppressing" hormone and can provide protection against cellular senescence and oxidative stress. In this study, KL levels were assessed in human plasma and primary lung fibroblasts from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF-FB) and in lung tissue from mice exposed to bleomycin, which showed significant downregulation when compared with controls. Conversely, transgenic mice overexpressing KL were protected against bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Treatment of human lung fibroblasts with recombinant KL alone was not sufficient to inhibit transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß)-induced collagen deposition and inflammatory marker expression. Interestingly, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a proinflammatory circulating protein for which KL is a coreceptor, was upregulated in IPF and bleomycin lungs. To our surprise, FGF23 and KL coadministration led to a significant reduction in fibrosis and inflammation in IPF-FB; FGF23 administration alone or in combination with KL stimulated KL upregulation. We conclude that in IPF downregulation of KL may contribute to fibrosis and inflammation and FGF23 may act as a compensatory antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory mediator via inhibition of TGF-ß signaling. Upon restoration of KL levels, the combination of FGF23 and KL leads to resolution of inflammation and fibrosis. Altogether, these data provide novel insight into the FGF23/KL axis and its antifibrotic/anti-inflammatory properties, which opens new avenues for potential therapies in aging-related diseases like IPF.

Klotho deficiency affects the spine morphology and network synchronization of neurons.

Klotho-deficient mice rapidly develop cognitive impairment and show some evidence of the onset of neurodegeneration. However, it is impossible to investigate the long-term consequences on the brain because of the dramatic shortening of lifespan caused by systemic klotho deficiency. As klotho expression is downregulated with advancing organismal age, understanding the mechanisms of klotho action is important for developing novel strategies to support healthy brain aging. Previously, we reported that klotho-deficient mice show enhanced long-term potentiation prior to the onset of cognitive impairment. To inform this unusual phenotype, herein, we examined neuronal structure and in vitro synaptic function. Our results indicate that klotho deficiency causes the population of dendritic spines to shift towards increased head diameter and decreased length consistent with mature, mushroom type spines. Multi-electrode array recordings from klotho-deficient neurons show increased synchronous firing and activity changes reflective of increased neuronal network activity. Supplementation of the neuronal growth media with recombinant shed klotho corrected some but not all of the activity changes caused by klotho deficiency. Last, in vivo we found that klotho-deficient mice have a decreased latency to induced seizure activity. Together these data show that klotho-deficient memory impairments are underpinned by structural and functional changes that may preclude ongoing normal cognition.

Estimation of the Population Size of Men Who Have Sex With Men in Vietnam: Social App Multiplier Method.

BACKGROUND: Although the prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vietnam has been increasing in recent years, there are no estimates of the population size of MSM based on tested empirical methods. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to estimate the size of the MSM population in 12 provinces in Vietnam and extrapolate from those areas to generate a national population estimate of MSM. A secondary aim of this study was to compare the feasibility of obtaining the number of users of a mobile social (chat and dating) app for MSM using 3 different approaches. METHODS: This study used the social app multiplier method to estimate the size of MSM populations in 12 provinces using the count of users on a social app popular with MSM in Vietnam as the first data source and a questionnaire propagated through the MSM community using respondent-driven sampling as the second data source. A national estimation of the MSM population is extrapolated from the results in the study provinces, and the percentage of MSM reachable through online social networks is clarified. RESULTS: The highest MSM population size among the 12 provinces is estimated in Hanoi and the lowest is estimated in Binh Dinh. On average, 37% of MSM in the provinces surveyed had used the social app Jack'd in the last 30 days (95% CI 27-48). Extrapolation of the results from the study provinces with reliable estimations results in an estimated national population of 178,000 MSM (95% CI 122,000-512,000) aged 15 to 49 years in Vietnam. The percentage of MSM among adult males aged 15 to 49 years in Vietnam is 0.68% (95% CI 0.46-1.95). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first attempt to empirically estimate the population of MSM in Vietnam and highlights the feasibility of reaching a large proportion of MSM through a social app. The estimation reported in this study is within the bounds suggested by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. This study provides valuable information on MSM population sizes in provinces where reliable estimates were obtained, which they can begin to work with in program planning and resource allocation.

Klotho, the Key to Healthy Brain Aging?

Brain expression of klotho was first described with the initial discovery of the klotho gene. The prominent age-regulating effects of klotho are attributed to regulation of ion homeostasis through klotho function in the kidney. However, recent advances identified brain functions and cell populations, including adult hippocampal neural progenitors, which require klotho. As well, both human correlational studies and mouse models of disease show that klotho is protective against multiple neurological and psychological disorders. This review focuses on current knowledge as to how the klotho protein effects the brain.

Criteria for prioritization of HIV programs in Viet Nam: a discrete choice experiment.

BACKGROUND: With the decline in funding for Viet Nam's response to the HIV epidemic, there is a need for evidence on the criteria to guide the prioritization of HIV programs. There is a gap in the research on the relative importance of multiple criteria for prioritizing a package of interventions. This study elicits preferences and the trade-offs made between different HIV programs by relevant stakeholders and decision-makers in Viet Nam. It also pays attention to how differences in social and professional characteristics of stakeholders and their agency affiliations shape preferences for HIV program criteria in Viet Nam. METHODS: This study uses self-explicated ranking and discrete choice experiments to determine the relative importance of five criteria - effectiveness, feasibility, cost-effectiveness, rate of investment and prevention/treatment investment ratio - to stakeholders when they evaluate and select hypothetical HIV programs. The study includes 69 participants from government, civil society, and international development partners. RESULTS: Results of the discrete choice experiment show that overall the feasibility criterion is ranked highest in importance to the participants when choosing a hypothetical HIV program, followed by sustainability, treatment to prevention spending ratio, and effectiveness. The participant's work in management, programming, or decision-making has a significant effect on the importance of some criteria to the participant. In the self-explicated ranking effectiveness is the most important criterion and the cost-effectiveness criterion ranks low in importance across all groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that the preferred HIV program in Viet Nam is feasible, front-loaded for sustainability, has a higher proportion of investment on prevention, saves more lives and prevents more infections. Similarities in government and civil society rankings of criteria can create common grounds for future policy dialogues between stakeholders. Innovative models of planning should be utilized to allow inputs of informed stakeholders at relevant stages of the HIV program planning process.

Klotho regulates postnatal neurogenesis and protects against age-related spatial memory loss.

Although the absence of the age-regulating klotho protein causes klotho-deficient mice to rapidly develop cognitive impairment and increasing klotho enhances hippocampal-dependent memory, the cellular effects of klotho that mediate hippocampal-dependent memory function are unknown. Here, we show premature aging of the klotho-deficient hippocampal neurogenic niche as evidenced by reduced numbers of neural stem cells, decreased proliferation, and impaired maturation of immature neurons. Klotho-deficient neurospheres show reduced proliferation and size that is rescued by supplementation with shed klotho protein. Conversely, 6-month-old klotho-overexpressing mice exhibit increased numbers of neural stem cells, increased proliferation, and more immature neurons with enhanced dendritic arborization. Protection from normal age-related loss of object location memory with klotho overexpression and loss of spatial memory when klotho is reduced by even half suggests direct, local effects of the protein. Together, these data show that klotho is a novel regulator of postnatal neurogenesis affecting neural stem cell proliferation and maturation sufficient to impact hippocampal-dependent spatial memory function.

Population Size Estimation of Men Who Have Sex with Men in Ho Chi Minh City and Nghe An Using Social App Multiplier Method.

This study aims to estimate the number of men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Nghe An province, Viet Nam, using a novel method of population size estimation, and to assess the feasibility of the method in implementation. An innovative approach to population size estimation grounded on the principles of the multiplier method, and using social app technology and internet-based surveys was undertaken among MSM in two regions of Viet Nam in 2015. Enumeration of active users of popular social apps for MSM in Viet Nam was conducted over 4 weeks. Subsequently, an independent online survey was done using respondent driven sampling. We also conducted interviews with key informants in Nghe An and HCMC on their experience and perceptions of this method and other methods of size estimation. The population of MSM in Nghe An province was estimated to be 1765 [90% CI 1251-3150]. The population of MSM in HCMC was estimated to be 37,238 [90% CI 24,146-81,422]. These estimates correspond to 0.17% of the adult male population in Nghe An province [90% CI 0.12-0.30], and 1.35% of the adult male population in HCMC [90% CI 0.87-2.95]. Our size estimates of the MSM population (1.35% [90% CI 0.87%-2.95%] of the adult male population in HCMC) fall within current standard practice of estimating 1-3% of adult male population in big cities. Our size estimates of the MSM population (0.17% [90% CI 0.12-0.30] of the adult male population in Nghe An province) are lower than the current standard practice of estimating 0.5-1.5% of adult male population in rural provinces. These estimates can provide valuable information for sub-national level HIV prevention program planning and evaluation. Furthermore, we believe that our results help to improve application of this population size estimation method in other regions of Viet Nam.

Klotho regulates CA1 hippocampal synaptic plasticity.

Global klotho overexpression extends lifespan while global klotho-deficiency shortens it. As well, klotho protein manipulations inversely regulate cognitive function. Mice without klotho develop rapid onset cognitive impairment before they are 2months old. Meanwhile, adult mice overexpressing klotho show enhanced cognitive function, particularly in hippocampal-dependent tasks. The cognitive enhancing effects of klotho extend to humans with a klotho polymorphism that increases circulating klotho and executive function. To affect cognitive function, klotho could act in or on the synapse to modulate synaptic transmission or plasticity. However, it is not yet known if klotho is located at synapses, and little is known about its effects on synaptic function. To test this, we fractionated hippocampi and detected klotho expression in both pre and post-synaptic compartments. We find that loss of klotho enhances both pre and post-synaptic measures of CA1 hippocampal synaptic plasticity at 5weeks of age. However, a rapid loss of synaptic enhancement occurs such that by 7weeks, when mice are cognitively impaired, there is no difference from wild-type controls. Klotho overexpressing mice show no early life effects on synaptic plasticity, but decreased CA1 hippocampal long-term potentiation was measured at 6months of age. Together these data suggest that klotho affects cognition, at least in part, by regulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity.

Adult-born neurons modify excitatory synaptic transmission to existing neurons.

Adult-born neurons are continually produced in the dentate gyrus but it is unclear whether synaptic integration of new neurons affects the pre-existing circuit. Here we investigated how manipulating neurogenesis in adult mice alters excitatory synaptic transmission to mature dentate neurons. Enhancing neurogenesis by conditional deletion of the pro-apoptotic gene Bax in stem cells reduced excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and spine density in mature neurons, whereas genetic ablation of neurogenesis increased EPSCs in mature neurons. Unexpectedly, we found that Bax deletion in developing and mature dentate neurons increased EPSCs and prevented neurogenesis-induced synaptic suppression. Together these results show that neurogenesis modifies synaptic transmission to mature neurons in a manner consistent with a redistribution of pre-existing synapses to newly integrating neurons and that a non-apoptotic function of the Bax signaling pathway contributes to ongoing synaptic refinement within the dentate circuit.

Neurogenesis, the creation of new brain cells called neurons, occurs primarily before birth. However, a region of the brain called the dentate gyrus, which is involved in memory, continues to produce new neurons throughout life. Recent studies suggest that adding neurons to the dentate gyrus helps the brain to distinguish between similar sights, sounds and smells. This in turn makes it easier to encode similar experiences as distinct memories. The brain's outer layer, called the cortex, processes information from our senses and sends it, along with information about our location in space, to the dentate gyrus. By combining this sensory and spatial information, the dentate gyrus is able to generate a unique memory of an experience. But how does neurogenesis affect this process? As the dentate gyrus accumulates more neurons, the number of neurons in the cortex remains unchanged. Do some cortical neurons transfer their connections ­ called synapses ­ to the new neurons? Or does the brain generate additional synapses to accommodate the newborn cells? Adlaf et al. set out to answer this question by genetically modifying mice to alter the number of new neurons that could form in the dentate gyrus. Increasing the number of newborn neurons reduced the number of synapses between the cortex and the mature neurons in the dentate gyrus. Conversely, killing off newborn neurons had the opposite effect, increasing the strength of the synaptic connections to older cells. This suggests that new synapses are not formed to accommodate new neurons, but rather that there is a redistribution of synapses between old and new neurons in the dentate gyrus. Further work is required to determine how this redistribution of synapses contributes to how the dentate gyrus works. Does redistributing synapses disrupt existing memories? And how do these findings relate to the effects of exercise ­ does this natural way of increasing neurogenesis increase the overall number of synapses in the system, potentially creating enough connections for both new and old neurons?

Brief behavioural surveys in routine HIV sentinel surveillance: a new tool for monitoring the HIV epidemic in Viet Nam.

In this report we describe a new approach in HIV sentinel surveillance that was piloted in Viet Nam in 2009 and is currently being rolled out in all provinces. It comprises a brief behavioural questionnaire added to the HIV sentinel surveillance surveys conducted routinely among people who inject drugs, female sex workers and men who have sex with men. Timely reporting of data from this system has resulted in improvements to HIV prevention efforts for most at-risk populations.