Introduction: Laboratory capacity is needed in central Viet Nam to provide early warning to public health authorities of respiratory outbreaks of importance to human health, for example the outbreak of influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in 2009. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedures established as part of a capacity-building process were used to conduct prospective respiratory surveillance in a region where few previous studies have been undertaken. Methods: Between October 2008 and September 2010, nose and throat swabs from adults and children (approximately 20 per week) presenting with an acute respiratory illness to the Ninh Hoa General Hospital were collected. Same-day PCR testing and result reporting for 13 respiratory viruses were carried out by locally trained scientists. Results: Of 2144 surveillance samples tested, 1235 (57.6%) were positive for at least one virus. The most common were influenza A strains (17.9%), with pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 and seasonal H3N2 strain accounting for 52% and 43% of these, respectively. Other virus detections included: rhinovirus (12.4%), enterovirus (8.9%), influenza B (8.3%), adenovirus (5.3%), parainfluenza (4.7%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (3.9%), human coronavirus (3.0%) and human metapneumovirus (0.3%). The detection rate was greatest in the 0–5 year age group. Viral co-infections were identified in 148 (6.9%) cases. Discussion: The outbreak in 2009 of the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic strain provided a practical test of the laboratory’s pandemic plan. This study shows that the availability of appropriate equipment and molecular-based testing can contribute to important individual and public health outcomes in geographical locations susceptible to emerging infections.

Objective To investigate the anti-proliferative effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone isolated from the bark of Dacrycarpus imbricatus (Blume) de Laub. Methods Column chromatography was used for isolation of compounds from plant material. The structure of the isolated compound was identified by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, including HSQC, HMBC, NOE-difference experiments. The isolated compound was tested for its anti-proliferative activity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and OCI-AML cells. Results Compound 1 was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of Dacrycarpus imbricatus barks by column chromatography. Its chemical structure was identified as 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE), a cholestane-type ecdysteroid, by a combination of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometric analyses. Our goal was to test the anti-proliferative activity of 20HE using the OCI-AML cell line. 20HE significantly decreased OCI cell number at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, whereas lower concentrations were ineffective. Moreover, this decrease was due to partial blockage of the G

Objective: To investigate the antitumor effect of maesopsin 4-O-β-glucoside (TAT2) isolated from the leaves of Artocarpus tonkinensis (A. tonkinensis) A. Chev. ex Gagnep. Methods: The antitumor activity of TAT2 was evaluated in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumor-bearing mice. BALB/c mice had tumors induced by implantation with 2 × 10

As authorities braced for the arrival of the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), infrastructure investments and government directives prompted action in central Viet Nam to establish capacity for genomic surveillance sequencing. From 17 November 2021 to 7 January 2022, the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang sequenced 162 specimens from 98 150 confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in the region collected from 8 November to 31 December 2021. Of these, all 127 domestic cases were identified as the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, whereas 92% (32/35) of imported cases were identified as the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant, all among international flight passengers. Patients were successfully isolated, enabling health-care workers to prepare for additional cases. Most (78%) of the 32 Omicron cases were fully vaccinated, suggesting continued importance of public health and social measures to control the spread of new variants.

BACKGROUND: Currently, it is recognized that water polluted with toxic heavy metal ions may cause serious effects on human health. Therefore, the development of new materials for effective removal of heavy metal ions from water is still a widely important area. Melanin is being considered as a potential material for removal of heavy metal from water. METHODS: In this study, we synthesized two melanin-embedded beads from two different melanin powder sources and named IMB (Isolated Melanin Bead originated from squid ink sac) and CMB (Commercial Melanin Bead originated from sesame seeds). These beads were of globular shape and 2-3 mm in diameter. We investigated and compared the sorption abilities of these two bead materials toward hexavalent-chromium (Cr) in water. The isotherm sorption curves were established using Langmuir and Freundlich models in the optimized conditions of pH, sorption time, solid/liquid ratio, and initial concentration of Cr. The FITR analysis was also carried out to show the differences in surface properties of these two beads. RESULTS: The optimized conditions for isotherm sorption of Cr on IMB/CMB were set at pH values of 2/2, sorption times of 90/300 min, and solid-liquid ratios of 10/20 mg/mL. The maximum sorption capacities calculated based on the Langmuir model were 19.60 and 6.24 for IMB and CMB, respectively. However, the adsorption kinetic of Cr on the beads fitted the Freundlich model with R values of 0.992 for IMB and 0.989 for CMB. The deduced Freundlich constant, 1/n, in the range of 0.2-0.8 indicated that these beads are good adsorption materials. In addition, structure analysis data revealed great differences in physical and chemical properties between IMB and CMB. Interestingly, FTIR analysis results showed strong signals of -OH (3295.35 cm) and -C=O (1608.63 cm) groups harboring on the IMB but not CMB. Moreover, loading of Cr on the IMB caused a shift of broad peaks from 3295.35 cm and 1608.63 cm to 3354.21 cm and 1597.06 cm, respectively, due to -OH and -C=O stretching. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our study suggests that IMB has great potential as a bead material for the elimination of Cr from aqueous solutions and may be highly useful for water treatment applications.
Adsorption ; Chromium ; chemistry ; Kinetics ; Melanins ; chemistry ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; methods ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; chemistry ; Water Pollution, Chemical ; prevention & control ; Water Purification ; methods