Opioid Therapy for Cancer Pain in Vietnam: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceived Barriers Among Health Care Professionals, Policymakers, and Regulators.

PURPOSE: We aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers among health care professionals (HCPs), policymakers, and regulators in Vietnam related to opioid therapy for cancer pain. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Vietnam from June to August 2022. Participants completed a questionnaire on their demographic characteristics, knowledge and attitudes toward opioid therapy, and barriers to accessing opioids for cancer pain. RESULTS: Two hundred seven HCPs and 15 policymakers/regulators completed the questionnaire. Poor knowledge about opioids in cancer pain was found in 63.3% of HCPs and 80.0% of policymakers/regulators. Poor knowledge was associated with a lack of training in cancer pain management or palliative care (PC; prevalence ratio [PR], 1.14 [95% CI, 1.04 to 1.24]). Negative attitudes toward opioid therapy in cancer pain were held by 64.7% of HCPs and 80.0% of policymakers/regulators. Negative attitudes were associated with the unavailability of oral morphine in the workplace (PR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.20]). The most common major barriers reported were the absence of national policy on pain management and PC (34.7%), inadequate training in opioid use for cancer pain (33.8%), lockdown of health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic (32.4%), limited opioid availability in local health facilities (32.4%), and excessively restrictive regulation of opioid dispensing in pharmacies (32.4%). CONCLUSION: This study found a knowledge deficit and negative attitudes toward opioid therapy for cancer pain among HCPs and policymakers/regulators. Improving education and training in opioid therapy is essential. Recognizing major barriers can guide strategies to enhance safe opioid accessibility for cancer pain management in Vietnam.

Long-term outcome of retroperitoneoscopic one-trocar-assisted pyeloplasty: a single-center and single-surgeon experience.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the long-term outcomes of retroperitoneoscopic one-trocar-assisted pyeloplasty (OTAP) for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in children. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 70 pediatric cases, all under the age of 5, diagnosed with UPJO and treated with the OTAP technique between May 2011 and June 2013 by a single surgeon. A single 10 mm operative scope with a 5 mm working channel was utilized to mobilize the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) and exteriorize it through the trocar insertion site. Subsequently, conventional Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty was conducted extracorporeally. Patient's demographics, operative time, hospital stay, complications, and success rate were evaluated. RESULTS: Seventy pediatric patients (65 males and 5 females) underwent OTAP, with ages at the time of operation ranging from 1 month to 5 years (mean = 22.6 ± 18.6 months). The mean operative time was 74.8 ± 15.2 min. There was a significant reduction in the mean renal pelvis size from 34.3 ± 8.1 mm preoperatively to 13.8 ± 4.7 mm postoperatively (p < 0.05). Moreover, the mean differential renal function (DRF) increased from 47.9 ± 9.8% preoperatively to 51.2 ± 5.9% postoperatively (p < 0.05). All patients experienced an uneventful postoperative recovery, with a median hospital stay of 3.4 days. The success rate was 95.7%, with a median follow-up time of 75 months (range: 6-125 months). CONCLUSION: OTAP is a safe and feasible minimally invasive technique to correct ureteropelvic junction obstruction in children. It could be considered as a treatment of choice for children under the age of 5 as it combines the advantages of open and retroperitoneoscopic pyeloplasty and presents excellent long-term outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06349161 April 4th, 2024, retrospectively registered.

Embryological and clinical outcomes in couples with severe male factor infertility versus normozoospermia.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated embryological and clinical outcomes in couples with severe male factor infertility versus those with normozoospermia undergoing ICSI and in vitro fertilisation. METHODS: This multicentre, retrospective cohort study included all couples who had undergone autologous ICSI cycles at My Duc Hospital and My Duc Phu Nhuan Hospital in Vietnam between January 2018 and January 2021 (female age < 35 years and males with severe male factor or normozoospermia based on the World Health Organization 2010 criteria). The primary outcome was the cumulative live birth rate after the first ICSI cycle. RESULTS: A total of 1296 couples were included, including 648 with severe male factor infertility and 648 with normozoospermia. The number of two pronuclei zygotes, embryos, and frozen embryos was significantly lower in couples with severe male factor infertility compared with normozoospermia (p < 0.05). In contrast, there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to cumulative pregnancy outcomes, including the live birth rate, and secondary outcomes including clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, and miscarriage rate. CONCLUSION: Severe male factor infertility appeared to have an impact on the fertilisation and early developmental potential of embryos, but sperm quality did not affect cumulative clinical fertility outcomes.

Impact of interventions on the quality of life of cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal research.

The impact of cancer interventions has been conducted in several research due to the significant burden of this non-communicable disease. The interventions that played an important role in the improvement of the patient's quality of life (QoL) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) can be classified into two main groups: pharmaceutical and non-pharmacological methods. However, studies so far often analyze a specific group of interventions for specific types of cancer. Thus, in this systematic review and meta-analysis, we synthesized the overall impact of cancer interventions on patients' quality of life in several cancers.In this research, we followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) to search the longitudinal original research on the Web of Science (WOS) database. After that, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Jadad Scale were used to assess the quality of non-randomized control trials and randomized control trials, respectively. Then, the characteristics of the included studies were described in the six main fields table and the random effect model with robust estimation was applied to analyze the impact of interventions on the health utility of patients.From the database, 122 longitudinal original research were included in the meta-regression, with most of them having high or fair quality. The European Organization for the research and treatment of cancer scale for quality of life (EORTC-QLQ) was the most used health utility measurement at 65.15%. In the adjusted effect models, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) had significant statistics in all models when we compared it with the EQ-5D Scale (p < 0.05) and several types of cancer such as breast, lung, and prostate cancer had significant statistics when comparing with hematological cancer in the model types of cancer (p < 0.01). Moreover, radiotherapy, screening, and a combination of chemotherapy and best supportive care also had significant statistics (p < 0.01) in the model of interventions when compared with radiotherapy applied only. Our research can suggest a vital combination of both pharmaceutical and non-pharmacological interventions to improve the quality of life of some common types of cancer patients.

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of English-Speaking Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder During a Verbal Fluency Task.

OBJECTIVE: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) provides direct and quantitative assessment of cortical hemodynamic response. It has been used to identify neurophysiological alterations in medication-naïve adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Hence, this study aimed to distinguish both medication-naïve and medicated adults with ADHD from healthy controls (HC). METHOD: 75 HCs, 75 medication-naïve, and 45 medicated patients took part in this study. fNIRS signals during a verbal fluency task (VFT) were acquired using a 52-channel system and relative oxy-hemoglobin changes in the prefrontal cortex were quantified. RESULTS: Prefrontal cortex hemodynamic response was lower in patients than HCs (p ≤ ≤.001). Medication-naïve and medicated patients did not differ in hemodynamic response or symptom severity (p > .05). fNIRS measurements were not associated with any clinical variables (p > .05). 75.8% patients and 76% HCs were correctly classified using hemodynamic response. CONCLUSION: fNIRS may be a potential diagnostic tool for adult ADHD. These findings need to be replicated in larger validation studies.

Crucial choices in a global health crisis: Revealing the demand and willingness to pay for a hypothetical monkeypox vaccine - the PREVENT study.

Background: The latent monkeypox outbreak has become the most emergent public health challenge globally. This study was conducted to assess the acceptability, and willingness to take and pay for a hypothetical Monkeypox vaccine among the Vietnamese general public as well as investigate preference for individual vaccine attributes. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted using snowball sampling among 842 respondents in Vietnam in 2022. A Discrete choice experiment (DCE) on preference for six major attributes of vaccine: effectiveness, immunity duration, side effects, mortality rate, restriction, and the cost was applied. Results: Fear of the impact of monkeypox on public health and the economy, vaccine service satisfaction and responsibility to the community were the most weighted factors in the decision to take a hypothetical monkeypox vaccine. Two-thirds of participants were willing to take the vaccine, while insufficient information on monkeypox and the vaccine were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. For vaccine attributes, the mortality rate after seven days of vaccination was the most weighted while cost was the least influential attribute. Factors associated with willingness to take and to pay for the monkeypox vaccine included knowledge of transmission, geographical location, service satisfaction, and risk of infection, while financial burden and fear of vaccine were major drivers of hesitancy. Conclusion: Our findings underline an urgent need for effective information dissemination through social media and counseling. The implementation of nationwide monkeypox vaccination requires prioritization and support for high-risk groups as well as consideration for the country's financial resources.

The Arabidopsis INNER NO OUTER (INO) gene acts exclusively and quantitatively in regulation of ovule outer integument development.

The INNER NO OUTER (INO) gene is essential for formation of the outer integument of ovules in Arabidopsis thaliana. Initially described lesions in INO were missense mutations resulting in aberrant mRNA splicing. To determine the null mutant phenotype, we generated frameshift mutations and found, in confirmation of results on another recently identified frameshift mutation, that such mutants have a phenotype identical to the most severe splicing mutant (ino-1), with effects specific to outer integument development. We show that the altered protein of an ino mRNA splicing mutant with a less severe phenotype (ino-4) does not have INO activity, and the mutant is partial because it produces a small amount of correctly spliced INO mRNA. Screening for suppressors of ino-4 in a fast neutron-mutagenized population identified a translocated duplication of the ino-4 gene, leading to an increase in the amount of this mRNA. The increased expression led to a decrease in the severity of the mutant effects, indicating that the amount of INO activity quantitatively regulates outer integument growth. The results further confirm that the role of INO in Arabidopsis development is specific to the outer integument of ovules where it quantitatively affects the growth of this structure.

Preference and Willingness to Pay for the Regular COVID-19 Booster Shot in the Vietnamese Population: Theory-Driven Discrete Choice Experiment.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 booster vaccination rate has declined despite the wide availability of vaccines. As COVID-19 is becoming endemic and charges for regular booster vaccination are being introduced, measuring public acceptance and the willingness to pay for regular COVID-19 boosters is ever more crucial. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to (1) investigate public acceptance for regular COVID-19 boosters, (2) assess the willingness to pay for a COVID-19 booster shot, and (3) identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Our results will provide crucial insights into and implications for policy response as well as the development of a feasible and effective vaccination campaign during Vietnam's waning vaccine immunity period. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 871 Vietnamese online participants from April to August 2022. An online questionnaire based on the discrete choice experiment (DCE) design was developed, distributed using the snowball sampling method, and subsequently conjointly analyzed on the Qualtrics platform. A history of COVID-19 infection and vaccination, health status, willingness to vaccinate, willingness to pay, and other factors were examined. RESULTS: Among the participants, 761 (87.4%) had received or were waiting for a COVID-19 booster shot. However, the willingness to pay was low at US $8.02, and most participants indicated an unwillingness to pay (n=225, 25.8%) or a willingness to pay for only half of the vaccine costs (n=222, 25.4%). Although information insufficiency and a wariness toward vaccines were factors most associated with the unwillingness to pay, long-term side effects, immunity duration, and mortality rate were the attributes the participants were most concerned with during the vaccine decision-making period. Participants who had children less than 18 years old in their homes infected with COVID-19 had a lower willingness to pay (odds ratio [OR] 0.54, 95% CI 0.39-0.74). Respondents who had children under 12 years old in their family who received at least 1 vaccine dose had a higher willingness to pay (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.12-3.66). The burden of medical expenses (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.25-0.45) and fear of the vaccine (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.86-1.00) were negative factors associated with the level of willingness to pay. CONCLUSIONS: A significant inconsistency between high acceptance and a low willingness to pay underscores the role of vaccine information and public trust. In addition to raising awareness about the most concerning characteristics of the COVID-19 booster, social media and social listening should be used in collaboration with health professionals to establish a 2-way information exchange. Work incentives and suitable mandates should continue to encourage workforce participation. Most importantly, all interventions should be conducted with informational transparency to strengthen trust between the public and authorities.

Laparoscopic caudate lobectomy for large hepatoblastoma in children: A case report.

Hepatoblastoma originating in the caudate lobe (segment 1) is extremely rare. Complete resection of the caudate lobe, without sacrificing other parts of the liver, remains a surgical challenge. We present our experience with laparoscopic complete resection of caudate lobe hepatoblastoma for a 7-years-old girl, with a history of hepatitis B.

Revisiting Plant Heterosis-From Field Scale to Molecules.

Heterosis refers to the increase in biomass, stature, fertility, and other characters that impart superior performance to the F1 progeny over genetically diverged parents. The manifestation of heterosis brought an economic revolution to the agricultural production and seed sector in the last few decades. Initially, the idea was exploited in cross-pollinated plants, but eventually acquired serious attention in self-pollinated crops as well. Regardless of harvesting the benefits of heterosis, a century-long discussion is continued to understand the underlying basis of this phenomenon. The massive increase in knowledge of various fields of science such as genetics, epigenetics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics persistently provide new insights to understand the reasons for the expression of hybrid vigor. In this review, we have gathered information ranging from classical genetic studies, field experiments to various high-throughput omics and computational modelling studies in order to understand the underlying basis of heterosis. The modern-day science has worked significantly to pull off our understanding of heterosis yet leaving open questions that requires further research and experimentation. Answering these questions would possibly equip today's plant breeders with efficient tools and accurate choices to breed crops for a sustainable future.

Cytochrome P450 2F2 (CYP2F2) negatively regulates browning in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes.

Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are a multigene superfamily of constitutively expressed and inducible enzymes responsible for the detoxification of many endogenous and exogenous compounds and for the metabolism of numerous medications. The cytochrome P450 2F2 (CYP2F2) subfamily is preferentially expressed in the respiratory tract, but its functional role in adipocytes has never been explored. We found that CYP2F2 was highly expressed during the differentiation of the C3H10T1/2 murine mesenchymal stem cells to adipocytes and here we have explored its functional role in adipocytes. The expression of thermogenic marker proteins such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and beige-fat specific genes were significantly increased in Cyp2f2-deficient 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Moreover, Cyp2f2 silencing led to reduced adipogenesis and lipogenesis, and enhanced lipid catabolism through the increased expression of lipolytic and fatty acid oxidative enzymes. A mechanistic study to identify molecular signals for CYP2F2-mediated negative regulation in the browning of white adipocytes revealed that CYP2F2 impairs the beta-3 adrenergic receptor (ß3-AR) activation as well as its downstream regulators including protein kinase A (PKA), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2). This data provides evidence that CYP2F2 is a negative regulator of lipid catabolism and browning in white adipocytes, suggesting that inhibitors of CYP2F2 could be potential drugs for the treatment of obesity with a focus on enhancing energy expenditure.

Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Short Form (YQOL-SF) in a developing South-East Asian country.

This study was performed to evaluate the measurement properties of Youth Quality of Life-Short Form (YQOL-SF) in assessing the quality of life (QOL) among general youths in Vietnam. An online cross-sectional study was conducted to validate the YQOL-SF. Factor analysis (including exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was utilized to determine the factorial structure of this tool. The psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the new factorial model were assessed. The factor analysis revealed the two-factor model of YQOL-SF including factor 1 "Belief in self and family", and factor 2 "Environment and relationships". Cronbach's alpha value showed excellent internal consistency in both factors (0.911 and 0.910, respectively). Results also indicated good convergent, divergent, concurrent, and know-group validity of the two-factor model. Our study provided a promising model with different domains that were proved to be essential for the assessment of quality of life among Vietnamese youth aged 16-24. Our two-factor model affirmed that a balance between detail and length of the assessment is important to consider when selecting YQOL-SF for youths' QOL assessment. It helped reduce the risk of redundancy and encourages high survey completion rates among participants.

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) positively regulates lipid catabolism and induces browning in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes.

AIMS: Browning induction (beiging) of white adipocytes is an emerging prospective strategy to defeat obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), a membrane protein which belongs to the cytochrome P450 superfamily, reportedly functions in the xenobiotic metabolism in the body, especially ethanol metabolism. Although previous studies have reported the effect of CYP2E1 on obesity in animal models, the data remains controversial. In the current study, we investigate for the first time, the role of CYP2E1 in lipid metabolism in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes, with a focus on fat browning. METHODS: 3T3-L1 white adipocytes and Cyp2e1 siRNA were applied to investigate the role of CYP2E1 in white adipocytes. After that, cells were seperately exposed to ß3-AR agonist, ß3-AR antagonist and p38 inhibitor to identify the pathway which CYP2E1 was involved in to regulate browning event in white adipocytes. KEY FINDINGS: We found that CYP2E1 deficiency results in reduced adipogenesis and lipogenesis as well as brown adipocyte-like phenotype induction. A mechanistic study to identify the molecular signals for CYP2E1 regulation in the browning of white adipocytes revealed that CYP2E1 inhibition deters the ß3-adrenergic receptor activation and its downstream targets. SIGNIFICANCE: Our data unveilved a previously unknown mechanism in the regulation of browning by CYP2E1 in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes, suggesting that CYP2E1 is a promising molecular target for the treatment of obesity and its related diseases.

BMP10 positively regulates myogenic differentiation in C2C12 myoblasts via the Smad 1/5/8 signaling pathway.

BMP10 plays an essential role in regulating cardiac growth, chamber maturation, and maintaining normal expressions of several key cardiogenic factors; however, other functional roles of BMP10 in muscle remain unexplored. This study therefore undertook to investigate the roles of BMP10 in muscle physiology, using mouse-derived C2C12 myoblasts. Bmp10 silencing prevented a number of biological processes such as myogenic differentiation, glucose uptake, and lipid catabolism, whereas exogenous induction of BMP10 in C2C12 cells significantly stimulated the expression of proteins and genes involved in these processes, as well as mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis, resulting in reduced lipid accumulation. A mechanistic study revealed that BMP10 stimulates myogenesis mainly via the Smad 1/5/8 signaling pathway. In conclusion, our data unveiled a previously unknown mechanism in the regulation of lipid metabolisms by BMP10 in muscle cells and identified its significant roles in systemic metabolic homeostasis, shedding light on BMP10 as a pharmacotherapeutic target to treat metabolic disorders.

Treatment of complex complications after choledochal cyst resection by multiple minimal invasive therapies: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Choledochal cyst is a rare benign congenital dilation of the bile duct, which causes recurring disturbing symptoms without totally resection. Nonetheless, postoperative complications are still a common issue. A step up management for patients with complex complications is required to address the problem. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 10-year-old child who suffered complex postoperative complications after choledochal cyst resection at the age of 5, including cholangitis, bilioenteric stenosis and cystolithiasis in remnant intrapancreatic duct cyst. She occasionally endured episodes of epigastric pain, fever and jaundice afterwards. As the symptoms and recurrent rate were worsen over time, the patient was admitted multiple times and various approaches (balloon dilation, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic surgery) were applied. Afterwards, patient recovered and discharged without any complications. CONCLUSION: Our case presented sophisticated complications relating to choledochal cyst that were successfully treated by a combination of modern minimal invasive techniques. Despite operated by experienced surgeons, the post-op complications are still a concerned problem due to difficult laparoscopic techniques, injuries of hepatic artery, infection and risk of malignancy. We suggested that minimal-invasive procedures should be considered first with the aim of relieving symptoms, biliary drainage and preparing for the reoperation.

Feasibility and willingness to pay for dengue vaccine in the threat of dengue fever outbreaks in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: The escalation of dengue fever (DF) cases in recent years and the occurrence of a large-scale DF outbreak in 2017 underline the importance of dengue vaccines in Vietnam. Given the potential benefits of the dengue vaccines and the need for copayment by the private sector, this study aims to evaluate the willingness to pay (WTP) for the dengue vaccines in patients with DF in Northern Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 330 in-and-out patients with DF admitted to the Bach Mai Hospital. We used the contingent valuation method to evaluate the WTP for dengue vaccines. Socioeconomic and clinical characteristics were also investigated. Multivariate interval and logistic regression models were used to estimate the average amount of WTP and identify the factors associated with the WTP. RESULTS: Around 77.3% patients were willing to pay an average amount of US$ 67.4 (95% CI=57.4-77.4) for the vaccine. People of higher ages, those having health insurance, those traveling in the past 15 days or suffering from anxiety/depression were less likely to be willing to pay for the dengue vaccine. However, people having a longer duration of DF or having problems with mobility were positively associated with WTP for the dengue vaccine. Patients educated to more than high school levels (Coeff.=31.31; 95% CI=3.26-59.35), those in the richest quintile (Coeff.=62.76; 95% CI=25.40; 100.13), or those having a longer duration of the disease (Coeff.=6.18; 95% CI=0.72-11.63) were willing to pay a higher amount. CONCLUSION: This study highlights a relatively high rate and amount of WTP for the dengue vaccine among patients with DF. Psychological counseling services as well as educational campaigns should be undertaken to improve the WTP for the vaccine. Moreover, government subsidies should be given to increase the coverage of the vaccine in the future, especially for the poor.

Allelic variants of OsSUB1A cause differential expression of transcription factor genes in response to submergence in rice.

BACKGROUND: Flooding during seasonal monsoons affects millions of hectares of rice-cultivated areas across Asia. Submerged rice plants die within a week due to lack of oxygen, light and excessive elongation growth to escape the water. Submergence tolerance was first reported in an aus-type rice landrace, FR13A, and the ethylene-responsive transcription factor (TF) gene SUB1A-1 was identified as the major tolerance gene. Intolerant rice varieties generally lack the SUB1A gene but some intermediate tolerant varieties, such as IR64, carry the allelic variant SUB1A-2. Differential effects of the two alleles have so far not been addressed. As a first step, we have therefore quantified and compared the expression of nearly 2500 rice TF genes between IR64 and its derived tolerant near isogenic line IR64-Sub1, which carries the SUB1A-1 allele. Gene expression was studied in internodes, where the main difference in expression between the two alleles was previously shown. RESULTS: Nineteen and twenty-six TF genes were identified that responded to submergence in IR64 and IR64-Sub1, respectively. Only one gene was found to be submergence-responsive in both, suggesting different regulatory pathways under submergence in the two genotypes. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) mainly included MYB, NAC, TIFY and Zn-finger TFs, and most genes were downregulated upon submergence. In IR64, but not in IR64-Sub1, SUB1B and SUB1C, which are also present in the Sub1 locus, were identified as submergence responsive. Four TFs were not submergence responsive but exhibited constitutive, genotype-specific differential expression. Most of the identified submergence responsive DEGs are associated with regulatory hormonal pathways, i.e. gibberellins (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and jasmonic acid (JA), apart from ethylene. An in-silico promoter analysis of the two genotypes revealed the presence of allele-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms, giving rise to ABRE, DRE/CRT, CARE and Site II cis-elements, which can partly explain the observed differential TF gene expression. CONCLUSION: This study identified new gene targets with the potential to further enhance submergence tolerance in rice and provides insights into novel aspects of SUB1A-mediated tolerance.

Virulence variation among strains of the emerging infectious fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in multiple amphibian host species.

Emerging infectious diseases have been documented in numerous plant and animal populations. The infectious disease amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is associated with global amphibian population declines. While much Bd-amphibian research has centered on response variation in hosts, a paucity of information exists on how variation in the pathogen, such as strain differences, affects infection dynamics. To examine how different Bd strains may differentially impact multiple hosts, we conducted laboratory experiments to measure 2 infection outcomes, viz. host survival and pathogen load, in 3 amphibian host species (Pacific treefrog, western toad, and Cascades frog) after exposure to 3 different Bd strains (an additional fourth Bd strain was tested in toads only). Our results confirm that the infection response differs among host species. Western toads experienced significant mortality, but Pacific treefrogs and Cascades frogs did not. Interestingly, our experiment also captured strain-dependent virulence variation but only in 1 host species, the western toad. Increased mortality was observed in 2 of the 4 Bd strains tested in this host species. Toads were also the only host species found to have variable pathogen load dependent on strain type; individuals exposed to the Panama strain harbored significantly higher loads compared to all other strains. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of Bd infection, showing that virulence can vary contingent on host and strain type. We highlight the importance of both host- and pathogen-dependent factors in determining overall infection virulence and show the need for in vivo testing to fully assess pathogenicity.

Effect of Simultaneous Amphibian Exposure to Pesticides and an Emerging Fungal Pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

Amphibian declines have been linked to numerous factors, including pesticide use and the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Moreover, research has suggested a link between amphibian sensitivity to Bd and pesticide exposure. We simultaneously exposed postmetamorphic American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), western toads (A. boreas), spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer), Pacific treefrogs (P. regilla), leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens), and Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae) to a factorial combination of two pathogen treatments (Bd+, Bd-) and four pesticide treatments (control, ethanol vehicle, herbicide mixture, and insecticide mixture) for 14 d to quantify survival and infection load. We found no interactive effects of pesticides and Bd on anuran survival and no effects of pesticides on infection load. Mortality following Bd exposure increased in spring peepers and American toads and was dependent upon snout-vent length in western toads, American toads, and Pacific treefrogs. Previous studies reported effects of early sublethal pesticide exposure on amphibian Bd sensitivity and infection load at later life stages, but we found simultaneous exposure to sublethal pesticide concentrations and Bd had no such effect on postmetamorphic juvenile anurans. Future research investigating complex interactions between pesticides and Bd should employ a variety of pesticide formulations and Bd strains and follow the effects of exposure throughout ontogeny.