Sprouted rough rice as an alternative to corn for growth, health performance and meat quality of broilers.

Sprouted rough rice (SR) is not commly used for poultry diets but it could be a potential replacement ingredient to improve nutritional value of feed. This study aimed to evaluate the growth performance, carcass quality, blood lipids, hepatic enzymes, and fatty acid profiles of broiler meat when corn was replaced with sprouted rough rice in the feed. A completely randomized design was used with four groups and six replicate groups with 10 birds per replicate. The 4 treatment groups were 0, 15, 40 and 45 % sprouted-rice-replacement of corn. Growth performance and carcass quality were highest when corn was replaced with 45 % SR (p < 0.05). In particular, live weight and body weight gain increased linearly with increasing SR inclusion, whereas feed conversion ratio and feed intake linearly decreased with increasing SR (p < 0.05). Carcass, thigh, and breast weights showed the same trend of increase (p < 0.05). In addition, the pH of the thigh meat was significantly higher in diet with 45 % SR than in the other treatment groups. With increasing SR content, the weight of immune organs linearly increased, particularly the thymus and spleen (p < 0.05). Additionally, the fatty acids examined including saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acid, transfat were mostly highest when 30 or 45 % of corn was replaced with SR and linearly increased from 0 to 45 % of SR. There were no significant differences of linear relationships with cooking loss, or blood lipid and hepatic enzyme profiles between treatments (p > 0.05). Replacing 45 % of corn in a broiler diet with SR could improve the growth and meat paramenters of broilers.

Factors affecting highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccination practices at poultry farms in Tra Vinh, Vietnam.

Background: The increased number of cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as a zoonosis has raised concerns in terms of poultry and human health. Farmers' preventive practices are an effective way of reducing zoonosis. However, this practice may have been affected by many factors, including production behaviors, awareness, and farmers' perceptions of farmers toward zoonosis. Aim: This study was conducted on 166 poultry farms in Tra Vinh Province with 14,894 poultry heads to determine the socioeconomic profiles and production characteristics of poultry farms and analyze the effect of these factors on HPAI vaccination practices. Methods: Respondents were selected from lists provided by government officers. Descriptive statistics were used to describe all variables, and factors affecting HPAI vaccination practices were analyzed using binary regression analysis. Results: The results showed that most farmers raised poultry with other livestock using the free-range method, which is a semi-intensive system. The primary objectives of poultry farming are meat sales and augmenting household consumption, with farmers primarily raising chicks produced on their farms. The implementation of the vaccine was less than 50% on the surveyed farms, with a small number of farmers administering an HPAI booster dose. However, only 6% of the farmers confirmed that their livestock had been exposed to HPAI. In addition, HPAI vaccination and booster dose practices significantly increased when farmers had 4-6 family members and received HPAI prevention training. Moreover, increased poultry numbers have led to increased vaccination rates and the implementation of booster doses for poultry. The study also reported that the vaccination rate decreased when poultry was used for household consumption. Conclusion: Sociodemographic characteristics and production behaviors can affect the implementation of HPAI vaccination on small poultry farms.

Identification and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Pregnane Saponins from the Twigs and Leaves of Dregea volubilis.

Four new polyhydroxy pregnane glycosides, named volubilosides G-K (3, 5-7), along with three known secondary metabolites, dregeoside Da1 (1), dregeoside Ka1 (2), and volubiloside E (4) were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Dregea volubilis (DV). The chemical structures of these compounds (1-7) were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques (1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses) and compared with those in the published literature. Compounds (1-7) were evaluated for cytotoxicity against eight cancer cell lines (MB49, K562, MKN-7, HT29, A549, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and HepG2), revealing varying levels of cytotoxic effects with IC50 values ranging from 4.29 to 21.05 µM. The results indicated that compounds 1-7 may serve as potential lead compounds for the discovery and development of novel anti-cancer drugs.

Determinants of the renewable energy consumption: The case of Asian countries.

In recent year, Asia has rapid economic growth and policy makers care about the renewable energy consumption. The motivation about the choice of variables with theory and empirical backing on the subject in the manuscript is the theory of Cobb- Douglas function and determinants of renewable energy consumption in the Asian countries. This paper investigates the nexus of electricity consumption, fossil fuel consumption, foreign direct investment inflows, economic growth, and renewable energy consumption in Asian countries. Utilizing panel data analysis, the study finds significant interrelationships among these factors and highlights their implications for energy policy and sustainable development in the region. This article aims to use the Cobb- Douglas Model to analyze the factors affecting renewable energy consumption at Asian developed countries for sustainable development goals. This study collected data from World Bank in the period 2000-2020 of 06 developed countries such as Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel and China. The empirical research results show that the electricity consumption, fossil fuel consumption, foreign direct investment inflows, economic growth affect the environmental pollution in 06 Asian developed countries. The electricity consumption, foreign direct investment inflows, economic growth positively affect to the renewable energy consumption. If the electricity consumption increases 1 % then the renewable energy consumption up 0.6 %; if the foreign direct investment inflows up 1 % then the renewable energy consumption up 0.82 %; If the economic growth up 1 % then renewable energy up 2.73 %. In addition, fossil fuel consumption negatively affects the renewable energy consumption. If the fossil fuel consumption increases 1 % then the renewable energy consumption down 0.26 %. The paper offers conclusions and recommendations for Asian countries to address these interconnected issues and transition towards a more sustainable energy future.

Health staff perceptions of patient safety and associated factors in hospitals in Vietnam.

Introduction: Patient safety is a global challenge of preventing and mitigating medical errors which might harm patients during their course of treatment and care. This study was employed to contribute to the existing literature aimed to assess patient safety culture among health staff and to determine predictors of health staff perceptions of patient safety in hospitals in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals of Vietnam with a total of 763 participants. This study used the Hospital Patient Safety Scale developed by the American Health and Quality Research Organization. Results: In general, 8 of 12 patient safety dimensions in two hospital; and 10 of 12 dimensions in a third hospital had average scores of 60% and above positive responses. The communication openness and organizational learning dimensions were found to be significant different when comparing hospitals. Regarding sample characteristics, department (subclinical department) and health staff positions (nurses/technicians, pharmacists) were significant predictors in the total model including three hospitals (R2 = 0.07). Conclusion: This study reported that communication openness and organization learning are two aspects that need to be improved they are strongly related to patient safety culture and to knowledge exchange among health staff. It has been suggested that hospitals should deliver patient safety training courses and establish a supportive learning environment to improve these challenges.

Development and validation of a colorimetric antifungal susceptibility testing method for the dimorphic fungus Talaromyces marneffei.

Antifungal drug resistance is an emerging cause of treatment failure in invasive fungal infections, and antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) may inform treatment decisions. Currently, there are no established AFST guidelines for Talaromyces marneffei (Tm) or other dimorphic fungi. We developed a colorimetric AFST method using a fluorescent redox indicator alamarBlue, which changes from blue to pink in proportion to cellular metabolic activity. We determined the optimal time for alamarBlue addition to be 24 h post-inoculation and for MIC reading to be 72 h post-inoculation. Our method allows three ways to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): visual inspection of color change, optical density, and fluorescence intensity. We validated the assay by determining the MICs for seven antifungals against 32 Tm clinical isolates and assessed the essential agreement (EA) and inter-rater reliability between our alamarBlue and the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution methods. The MIC ranges (from low to high) were: 0.008-0.025 µg/ml for itraconazole, 0.004-0.13 µg/ml for voriconazole, 0.03-0.13 µg/ml for posaconazole, 0.06-0.5 µg/ml for flucytosine, 0.5-1 µg/ml for amphotericin B, 0.5-4 µg/ml for caspofungin, and 0.5-16 µg/ml for fluconazole. The EAs were 100% between all three MIC readouts of the alamarBlue method, and 94%-100% between the alamarBlue and CLSI methods. Our alamarBlue method had substantially higher inter-rater agreement and offers a more reliable method that can be standardized across laboratories in both high- and low-resource settings compared to the established CLSI methodology.

We developed a colorimetric alamarBlue method to determine the susceptibility of antifungal drugs against Talaromyces marneffei. We observed excellent agreement between the alamarBlue method and the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute broth microdilution method, and the alamarBlue method had substantially higher inter-rater agreement.

Removal of Acid Orange G Azo Dye by Polycation-Modified Alpha Alumina Nanoparticles.

Highly positively charged poly(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride) (PVBMA) was successfully synthesized with approximately 82% of yield. The PVBMA was characterized by the molecular weight (Mw ) of 343.45 g mol-1 and the molecular weight distribution, (D) of 2.4 by 1 H NMR and SEC measurements. The PVBMA was applied as an effective agent for α-Al2 O3 surface modification in the adsorptive removal of the azo dye acid orange G (AOG). The AOG removal performance was significantly enhanced at all pH compared to without surface modification. The experimental parameters were optimal at pH 8, free ionic strength, 15 min of adsorption time, and 5 mg mL-1 α-Al2 O3 adsorbents. The AOG adsorption which was mainly controlled by the PVBMA-AOG electrostatic attractions was better applicable to the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second kinetic model. The PVBMA-modified α-Al2 O3 demonstrates a high-performance and highly reusable adsorbent with great AOG performances of approximately 90.1% after 6 reused cycles.

A New Ceanothane-Type Triterpenoid Saponin Isolated from Gouania leptostachya DC. var. tonkinensis Pit. and Its Underlying Anti-Inflammatory Effects.

Metabolites from medicinal plants continue to hold significant value in the exploration and advancement of novel pharmaceuticals. In the search for plants containing compounds with anti-inflammatory effects, we observed that the ethanol (EtOH) extract obtained from the aerial components of Gouania leptostachya DC. var. tonkinensis Pit. exhibited substantial suppression of nitric oxide (NO) in vitro. In a phytochemical study on an EtOH extract of G. leptostachya, 11 compounds were purified, including one unreported compound namely gouanioside A (1). Their chemical structures were unambiguously determined through the use of various spectroscopic techniques, such as 1 and 2D NMR, IR, and HR-ESI-MS, and by producing derivatives via chemical reactions. The EtOH extract, fractions, and a new compound exerted inflammatory effects by altering NO synthesis in murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. The underlying inflammatory mechanism of the new compound 1 was also explored through various in vitro experiments. The results of this study indicate the potential usefulness of new compound 1 from G. leptostachya as a treatment for inflammatory diseases.

Evaluation of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthesis by Pichia sp. TSLS24 yeast isolated in Vietnam.

Following the rising concern on environmental issues caused by conventional fossil-based plastics and depleting crude oil resources, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are of great interest by scientists and biodegradable polymer market due to their outstanding properties which include high biodegradability in various conditions and processing flexibility. Many polyhydroxyalkanoate-synthesizing microorganisms, including normal and halophilic bacteria, as well as algae, have been investigated for their performance in polyhydroxyalkanoate production. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is still limited studies on PHAs-producing marine yeast. In the present study, a halophilic yeast strain isolated from Spratly Island in Vietnam were investigated for its potential in polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis by growing the yeast in Zobell marine agar medium (ZMA) containing Nile red dye. The strain was identified by 26S rDNA analysis as Pichia kudriavzevii TSLS24 and registered at Genbank database under code OL757724. The amount of polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized was quantified by measuring the intracellular materials (predicted as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) -PHB) by gravimetric method and subsequently confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses. Under optimal growth conditions of 35 °C and pH 7 with supplementation of glucose and yeast extract at 20 and 10 gL-1, the isolated strain achieved poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) content and concentration of 43.4% and 1.8 gL-1 after 7 days of cultivation. The poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) produced demonstrated excellent biodegradability with degradation rate of 28% after 28 days of incubation in sea water.

Cytotoxic Activities and Fingerprint Analysis of Triterpenes by HPTLC Technique for Distinguishing Ganoderma Species from Vietnam and other Asian Countries.

Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) P. Karst. (Ganodermataceae), commonly called Linhzhi, is traditionally employed in the treatment of human diseases, including hepatitis, liver disorders, hypercholesterolemia, arthritis, bronchitis, and tumorigenic diseases. In this study, the fingerprint profiles of five different strains of G. lucidum originated from Japan, Korea, China, and Vietnam, five samples of G. lucidum growing on Erythrophloeum fordii Oliv. in Vietnam, and five related Linhzhi species (Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma australe, Ganoderma clossum, Ganoderma subresinosu, and Ganoderma sp.) were investigated for triterpene derivatives using high-pressure, thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). The HPTLC fingerprint profiles demonstrated significant differences between G. lucidum and other related Linhzhi species in the presence of triterpene derivatives. Evaluation for the cytotoxicity of these samples against four cancer cell lines, including A549, MCF7, PC3, and HepG2, displayed various levels of cytotoxic effects, with IC50 values of: 15.6-46.3 µg/mL on the A549 cancer cell line, of 18.4-43.6 µg/mL on the MCF7 cancer cell line, of 10.0-32.1 µg/mL on the PC3 cancer cell line, and of 10.6-27.6 µg/mL on the HepG2 cancer cell line. Conclusively, these data contributed to the literature on the cytotoxic activities and fingerprint analysis of triterpenes by the HPTLC technique for distinguishing Ganoderma species from Vietnam and other Asian countries.

Unusual Case of Metformin-Associated Lactic Acidosis in Patient with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND Metformin is recommended as the first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to the American Diabetes Association. It is considered a safe medication with minimal adverse effects, with the most common being gastrointestinal. Metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA) is a rare but life-threatening complication. MALA usually occurs in patients with kidney dysfunction. However, it can still occur with preserved kidney function with the ingestion of a large dose of metformin. CASE REPORT A 66-year-old man with a significant medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus presented after an intentional ingestion of a high dose of metformin (3000 mg/day). He was admitted to our hospital with symptoms of fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and watery diarrhea lasting for 3 days. His initial laboratory findings were remarkable, with a serum creatinine level of 819 µmol/L. Arterial blood gas revealed severe lactic acidosis, with a pH of 6.94, HCO3⁻- of 3 mEq/L, anion gap of 48 mmol/L, and lactate level of 15 mmol/L. Emergent continuous renal replacement therapy was done. Two days later, his condition improved considerably, and the lactic acidosis was resolved entirely. He was discharged on day 11 of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS MALA is rare but life-threatening complication of treatment with metformin. MALA should be considered when there is evidence of metformin ingestion and renal insufficiency in patients with lactic acidosis. The curative treatment of MALA is based on hemodialysis, but the main remedy is prevention, which requires patient compliance with taking metformin as prescribed.

Simultaneous determination of vitamin B6 and magnesium using capillary electrophoresis coupled with contactless conductivity detection: Method development, validation, and application to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical samples.

Vitamins and minerals are usually incorporated in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, but a simple, rapid, and inexpensive analytical method for their simultaneous determination is still lacking. In this study, we developed a quantification method for pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and magnesium (Mg) by using purpose-made capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-C4D) instrument. Main analytical conditions include: fused silica capillary (total length 55 cm, effective length 40 cm, inner diameter 50 µm); background electrolyte consisted of 10 mM L-arginine/acetic acid (pH 5) with 20% acetonitrile; separation voltage + 20 kV; hydrodynamic injection (siphoning at 20 cm in 25 s). Detection limits of vitamin B6 and Mg were 1 and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. Good linearity (R2 > 0.999) was observed for vitamin B6 and Mg calibration curves over concentration ranges of 3-100 and 0.3-200 mg/L, respectively. The method was applied to analyze vitamin B6 and Mg in several pharmaceutical and nutraceutical samples. The analytical results obtained by our method were in good agreement with reference methods (i.e., HPLC for vitamin B6 and ICP-OES for Mg). High-efficient and low-cost CE-C4D method can accordingly serve as a promising tool for concurrent analysis of inorganic and organic species in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical analysis.

A case-control study of agricultural and behavioral factors associated with leptospirosis in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION: Leptospirosis is a neglected disease in Vietnam. Until now, there has been limited knowledge about risk factors of this disease in Vietnam. The study was carried out to identify agricultural and behavioral factors associated with the transmission of leptospirosis in Vietnam. METHODS: This matched retrospective hospital-community-based case-control study was conducted from 1 October 2018 to 31 October 2019. We recruited cases from 11 selected government hospitals in three provinces of Vietnam, while controls were selected from the same communes of cases and matched by age (± 2 years) and sex. Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to determine confirmed cases, while only MAT was used to identify controls with a single high MAT titer < 1:100. RESULTS: 504 participants (252 cases and 252 controls) were identified. Cultivating (OR 2.83, CI 1.38-5.79), animal farming (OR 8.26, CI 2.24-30.52), pig owners (OR 10.48, CI 5.05-21.73), cat owners (OR 2.62, CI 1.49-4.61) and drinking unboiled water (OR 1.72, CI 1.14 -2.59, p = 0.010) were significantly associated with human leptospirosis in Vietnam. Hand washing after farming/ gardening (OR 0.57, CI 0.38-0.86, p = 0.007) and bathing after farming, gardening, contact with cattle and poultry (OR 0.33, CI 0.19-0.58, p = 0.000) were determined as protective factors for this disease. CONCLUSIONS: In short, the case-control study has revealed the risks in agricultural and animal practices and protective behavioral factors related to human leptospirosis in Vietnam. The findings suggested promotion of communication and health education programs targeting health behaviors in daily life and agricultural practices. Using personal protective equipment such as gowns, gloves, and boots during agricultural practices, especially cultivating and animal farming, is most recommended.

Characterisation of four new triterpenoid saponins with nitric oxide inhibitory activity from aerial parts of Gouania leptostachya.

Four new triterpenoid saponins (gouaniasides VII-IX [1-3] and joazeiroside C [4]) and one known triterpenoid (5) were isolated from the aerial parts of Gouania leptostachya DC. (Rhamnaceae). Their structures were elucidated via one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high-resolution electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry, and analyses of hydrolytic cleavage results. The anti-inflammatory potential of compounds 1-3 was evaluated according to their ability to inhibit the production of nitric oxide (NO) by RAW 264.7 macrophages. All compounds at noncytotoxic concentrations significantly inhibited NO production by macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner.

Characteristics of human leptospirosis in three different geographical and climatic zones of Vietnam: a hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, this study is the first report on the seroprevalence of human leptospirosis and its epidemiological profile in 3 different geographical and climatic zones of Vietnam. METHODOLOGY: A hospital-based surveillance in 11 public hospitals in 3 provinces in Vietnam enrolled 3,815 patients with suspected leptospirosis. Two consecutive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IgM and a single microscopic aggregation test were applied at a 1:100 to 1:800 dilution for probable or confirmed cases. RESULTS: The findings showed that of the 3,815 suspected cases, 68 (1.8%) were Leptospira-confirmed and 248 (6.5%) probable cases, whereas more than a third were positive for acute ELISA-IgM sera. Furthermore, 20 different serovars were found, of which Wolffi (14.2%), Hebdomadis (13.8%), and Icterohaemorrhagiae (12.6%) were the most predominant. The ratio of probable and confirmed cases of leptospirosis between females and males was 1.4:1, and their clinical manifestation was not specific. Cases were more likely to be detected in groups that are farmers, pet raising or livestock farming, of working age, practicing either wading in mud or walking barefoot, or exposed to heavy rainfall. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of human leptospirosis has indicated fairly high seroprevalence and diversity of Leptospira serovars circulating in all studied geographical zones in Vietnam. The findings suggest an imperative need for effective measures of disease prevention, especially in high-risk groups.

Four new phenolic compounds from the fruit of Cornus officinalis (Cornaceae) and their anti-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 cells.

Using various chromatographic methods, four new phenolics, coroffesters A-D (1 - 4) were isolated from the fruit of Cornus officinalis (Cornaceae). Their structures (1 - 4) were elucidated unambiguously by spectroscopic methods such as one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1 D- and 2 D-NMR) spectroscopy and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds was also evaluated. All compounds (1 - 4) showed moderate inhibitory activity against NO production in a dose-dependent manner in RAW 264.7 cells.

Community responses to COVID-19 pandemic first wave containment measures: a multinational study.

INTRODUCTION: National strategies to control COVID-19 pandemic consisted mostly of social distancing measures such as lockdowns, curfews, and stay-home guidelines, personal protection such as hand hygiene and mask wearing, as well as contact tracing, isolation and quarantine. Whilst policy interventions were broadly similar across the globe, there were some differences in individual and community responses. This study explored community responses to COVID-19 containment measures in different countries and synthesized a model. This exaplains the community response to pandemic containment measures in the local context, so as to be suitably prepared for future interventions and research. METHODOLOGY: A mutlinational study was conducted from April-June 2020 involving researchers from 12 countries (Japan, Austria, U.S., Taiwan, India, Sudan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand). Steps in this research consisted of carrying out open-ended questionnaires, qualitative analyses in NVivo, and a multinational meeting to reflect, exchange, and validate results. Lastly, a commuinty response model was synthesized from multinational experiences. RESULTS: Effective communication is key in promoting collective action for preventing virus transmission. Health literacy, habits and social norms in different populations are core components of public health interventions. To enable people to stay home while sustaining livelihoods, economic and social support are essential. Countries could benefit from previous pandemic experience in their community response. Whilst contact tracing and isolation are crucial intervention components, issues of privacy and human rights need to be considered. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding community responses to containment policies will help in ending current and future pandemics in the world.

The Effect of DBD Plasma Activation Time on the Dyeability of Woven Polyester Fabric with Disperse Dye.

This study consists of two parts. In the first, the woven polyester fabric, after washing to remove lubricant oils, was treated with the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma at the short plasma exposure time (from 15 to 90 s). The effect of the plasma exposure time on the activation of the polyester fabric was assessed by the wicking height of the samples. The results show that the wicking height in the warp direction of the plasma-treated samples improved but was virtually unchanged in the weft direction. Meanwhile, although the tensile strength in the warp direction of the fabric was virtually unaffected despite the plasma treatment time up to 90 s, in the weft direction it increased slightly with the plasma treatment time. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images and the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of the samples before and after the plasma treatment were used to explain the nature of these phenomena. Based on the results of the first part, in the second part, two levels of the plasma treatment time (30 and 60 s) were selected to study their effect on the polyester fabric dyeability with disperse dyes. The color strength (K/S) values of the dyed samples were used to evaluate the dyeability of the fabric. The SEM images of the dyed samples also showed the difference in the dyeability between the plasma-treated and untreated samples. A new feature of this study is the DBD plasma treatment condition for polyester fabrics. The first is the use of DBD plasma in air (no addition of gas). Second is the very short plasma treatment time (only 15 to 90 s); this condition will be very favorable for the deployment on an industrial scale.