Molecular detection, risk factors, and phylogenetic analysis of tick-borne pathogens in dogs from northern Vietnam.

In tropical regions, numerous tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) play a crucial role as causative agents of infectious diseases in humans and animals. Recently, the population of companion and pet dogs has significantly increased in Vietnam; however, information on the occurrence of TBPs is still limited. The objectives of this investigation were to determine the occurrence rate, risk factors, and phylogenetic characteristics of TBPs in dogs from northern Vietnam. Of 341 blood samples tested by PCR, the total infection of TBPs was 73.9% (252/341). Babesia vogeli (18SrRNA gene - 30.5%) was detected most frequently in studied dogs followed by Rickettsia spp. (OmpA gene - 27%), Anaplasma platys (groEL gene - 22%), Bartonella spp. (16SrRNA - 18.8%), Mycoplasma haemocanis (16SrRNA - 9.4%) and Hepatozoon canis (18SrRNA gene - 1.2%), respectively. All samples were negative for Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophylum. Co-infection was detected in 31.4% of the samples (107/341) of which, A. platys/Bartonella spp. (34/94,10%), Rickettsia spp./B. vogeli (19/94, 5.6%), and M. haemocanis/B. vogeli (19/94, 5.6%) were recorded as the three most frequent two species of co-infection types. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between TBP infection and several host variables regarding age, breed, and living area in the current study. The recent findings reported herein, for the first time in Vietnam, are essential for local veterinarians when considering the appropriate approaches for diagnosing these diseases. Furthermore, this data can be used to establish control measures for future surveillance and prevention strategies against canine TBPs in Vietnam.

Scaling up a brief alcohol intervention to prevent HIV infection in Vietnam: a cluster randomized, implementation trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) often address normative behaviors. If a behavior is also common among clinicians, they may be skeptical about the necessity or effectiveness of an EBI. Alternatively, clinicians' attitudes and behaviors may be misaligned, or they may lack the knowledge and self-efficacy to deliver the EBI. Several EBIs address unhealthy alcohol use, a common and often culturally acceptable behavior. But unhealthy alcohol use may be particularly harmful to people with HIV (PWH). Here, we present an implementation trial using an experiential implementation strategy to address clinicians' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Clinicians receive the experiential intervention before they begin delivering an evidence-based brief alcohol intervention (BAI) to PWH with unhealthy alcohol use. METHODS: Design: In this hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness cluster randomized controlled trial, ART clinics (n = 30) will be randomized 1:1 to facilitation, a flexible strategy to address implementation barriers, or facilitation plus the experiential brief alcohol intervention (EBAI). In the EBAI arm, clinicians, irrespective of their alcohol use, will be offered the BAI as experiential learning. EBAI will address clinicians' alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors and increase their knowledge and confidence to deliver the BAI. PARTICIPANTS: ART clinic staff will be enrolled and assessed at pre-BAI training, post-BAI training, 3, 12, and 24 months. All PWH at the ART clinics who screen positive for unhealthy alcohol use will be offered the BAI. A subset of PWH (n = 810) will be enrolled and assessed at baseline, 3, and 12 months. OUTCOMES: We will compare implementation outcomes (acceptability, fidelity, penetration, costs, and sustainability) and effectiveness outcomes (viral suppression and alcohol use) between the two arms. We will assess the impact of site-level characteristics on scaling-up the BAI. We will also evaluate how experiencing the BAI affected clinical staff's alcohol use and clinic-level alcohol expectations in the EBAI arm. DISCUSSION: This trial contributes to implementation science by testing a novel strategy to implement a behavior change intervention in a setting in which clinicians themselves may engage in the behavior. Experiential learning may be useful to address normative and difficult to change lifestyle behaviors that contribute to chronic diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT06358885 (04/10/2024), https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06358885 .

Lattice dynamics and self-trapped excitons in the Cs2SnBr6double perovskites.

Our study delved into the detailed investigation of Cs2SnBr6double perovskites, focusing on their electrical properties, lattice dynamics, and stability. The direct bandgap for Cs2SnBr6was estimated to be at 2.93 eV. One external translational mode of the Cs+lattice withT2gsymmetry and three internal modes of the octahedral withA1g,Eg, andT2gsymmetries are defined by calculated lattice dynamics, experimental micro-Raman scattering. We show a correlation with first-principles calculations, validating using a band-structured electronic approach to understanding the behavior of charge carriers, and electron-phonon interactions in Cs2SnBr6. We propose that electron-vibration interactions result in self-trapped excitons (STEs) displaying significant Stokes shifts (0.508 eV) and broad-spectrum emission. Understanding the behavior of STEs is fundamental for their optoelectronic applications.

Room-temperature strong coupling in a single-photon emitter-metasurface system.

Solid state single-photon sources with high brightness and long coherence time are promising qubit candidates for modern quantum technology. To prevent decoherence processes and preserve the integrity of the qubits, decoupling the emitters from their surrounding environment is essential. To this end, interfacing single photon emitters (SPEs) with high-finesse cavities is required, especially in the strong coupling regime, when the interaction between emitters can be mediated by cavity fields. However, achieving strong coupling at elevated temperatures is challenging due to competing incoherent processes. Here, we address this long-standing problem by using a quantum system, which comprises a class of SPEs in hexagonal boron nitride and a dielectric cavity based on bound states in the continuum (BIC). We experimentally demonstrate, at room temperature, strong coupling of the system with a large Rabi splitting of ~4 meV thanks to the combination of the narrow linewidth and large oscillator strength of the emitters and the efficient photon trapping of the BIC cavity. Our findings unveil opportunities to advance the fundamental understanding of quantum dynamical system in strong coupling regime and to realise scalable quantum devices capable of operating at room temperature.

Meta-Analysis on the Prevalence of Failed Transfer of Passive Immunity in Calves from Pasture-Based Dairy Farms in Australasia.

Monitoring and minimizing the prevalence of failed transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in dairy replacement calves within the first week of life is crucial for calf health and farm profitability. In this study, a systematic literature search and meta-analysis were conducted on papers reporting the prevalence of FTPI in calves from pasture-based dairy farms in Australia and New Zealand. Two search methods, a "traditional method" and a "search engine method", were conducted to identify published studies on FTPI in Australia and New Zealand. Data from a total of 13,430 calves from eight studies in Australasia were included in the analysis for FTPI within 8 days of birth. The meta-analysis revealed that the average prevalence of FTPI was 33% across the two countries, with the lowest FTPI (9%) in Western Australia and the highest FTPI (59%) in New Zealand. Using farm data from three studies, the average prevalence of FTPI at the farm level in Australasia was 38%, with the lowest prevalence found in a farm in South Australia (6%). In conclusion, the meta-analysis confirmed the need for good management of cows and newborn calves after birth in pasture-based systems to reduce FTPI in calves. Collecting newborn calves from pasture at least twice per day after birth and providing colostrum of sufficient quantity and quality as soon as possible were the best practices for preventing FTPI in Australasian dairy systems.

Ultrafast exciton fluid flow in an atomically thin MoS2 semiconductor.

Excitons (coupled electron-hole pairs) in semiconductors can form collective states that sometimes exhibit spectacular nonlinear properties. Here, we show experimental evidence of a collective state of short-lived excitons in a direct-bandgap, atomically thin MoS2 semiconductor whose propagation resembles that of a classical liquid as suggested by the nearly uniform photoluminescence through the MoS2 monolayer regardless of crystallographic defects and geometric constraints. The exciton fluid flows over ultralong distances (at least 60 µm) at a speed of ~1.8 × 107 m s-1 (~6% the speed of light). The collective phase emerges above a critical laser power, in the absence of free charges and below a critical temperature (usually Tc ≈ 150 K) approaching room temperature in hexagonal-boron-nitride-encapsulated devices. Our theoretical simulations suggest that momentum is conserved and local equilibrium is achieved among excitons; both these features are compatible with a fluid dynamics description of the exciton transport.

Semi-automatic artifact quantification in thermal ablation probe and algorithms for the evaluation of metal artifact reduction.

OBJECTIVES: To compare metal artifacts and evaluation of metal artifact reduction algorithms during probe positioning in computed tomography (CT)-guided microwave ablation (MWA), cryoablation (CRYO), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using CT guidance, individual MWA, CRYO, and RFA ablation probes were placed into the livers of 15 pigs. CT imaging was then performed to determine the probe's position within the test subject's liver. Filtered back projection (B30f) and iterative reconstructions (I30-1) were both used with and without dedicated iterative metal artifact reduction (iMAR) to generate images from the initial data sets. Semi-automatic segmentation-based quantitative evaluation was conducted to estimate artifact percentage within the liver, while qualitative evaluation of metal artifact extent and overall image quality was performed by two observers using a 5-point Likert scale: 1-none, 2-mild, 3-moderate, 4-severe, 5-non-diagnostic. RESULTS: Among MWA, RFA, and CRYO, compared with non-iMAR in B30f reconstruction, the largest extent of artifact volume percentages were observed for CRYO (11.5-17.9%), followed by MWA (4.7-6.6%) and lastly in RFA (5.5-6.2%). iMAR significantly reduces metal artifacts for CRYO and MWA quantitatively (p = 0.0020; p = 0.0036, respectively) and qualitatively (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0005), but not for RFA. No significant reduction in metal artifact percentage was seen after applying iterative reconstructions (p > 0.05). Noise, contrast-to-noise-ratio, or overall image quality did not differ between probe types, irrespective of the application of iterative reconstruction and iMAR. CONCLUSION: A dedicated metal artifact algorithm may decrease metal artifacts and improves image quality significantly for MWA and CRYO probes. Their application alongside with dedicated metal artifact algorithm should be considered during CT-guided positioning.

When to sweat: A history of chemotherapy in malignant sweat gland tumors. A unique case report and literature review.

Sarcomatoid sweat gland carcinomas are rare among cutaneous cancers, with less than 20 cases described. A 54-year-old woman with sarcomatoid sweat gland carcinoma of the right upper extremity suffered extensive recurrence at 15 months, unresponsive to chemotherapy. There is no standard treatment or chemotherapy regimens for metastatic sweat gland carcinoma.

Analysis of immune-related microRNAs in cows and newborn calves.

Bovine colostrum contains a high concentration of immune-related microRNAs (miRNAs) that are packaged in exosomes and are very stable. In this study, 5 immune-related miRNAs (miR-142-5p, miR-150, miR-155, miR-181a, and miR-223) were quantified in dam blood, colostrum, and calf blood using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Their levels in calf blood after colostrum ingestion were investigated to assess whether miRNAs are transferred from the dam to newborn calves. Three groups of Holstein-Friesian bull calves were bottle-fed 2 L of colostrum or milk from different sources twice per day. The group A calves received colostrum from their own dam and the group B calves were fed foster dam colostrum. Each pair of group A and group B calves were fed identical colostrum from the same milking of the corresponding group A dam for 3 d and then bulk tank milk for 7 d after birth. Group C calves were fed only 2L of "pooled colostrum" from multiple dams d 0 to 4 postpartum, and then fed bulk tank milk thereafter for 7 d after birth. The groups were fed colostrum from different sources and different amounts to assess possible miRNA absorption from the colostrum. All miRNAs were at the highest level in colostrum at d 0 and then decreased rapidly after d 1. The level of miR-150 had the largest decrease from 489 × 106 copies/µL (d 0) to 78 × 106 copies/µL (d 1). MicroRNA-223 and miR-155 were the most abundant in both colostrum and milk. Dam colostrum had significantly higher levels of miR-142-5p, miR-155, and miR-181a than the bulk tank milk. However, only the miR-155 concentration was significantly higher in the dam colostrum than in the pooled colostrum. The concentrations of miRNAs in the colostrum were less than in the cow blood (100- to 1,000-fold less). There was no significant correlation between the level of miRNAs in the dam blood and their colostrum, suggesting that miRNA is synthesized locally by the mammary gland rather than being transferred from the blood. MicroRNA-223 had the highest level in both calf and cow blood compared with the other 4 immune-related miRNAs. Calves were born with high levels of immune-related miRNAs in their blood, and there were no significant differences in miRNA levels between the 3 calf groups at birth or after they were fed different colostrum. This suggests that these miRNAs were not transferred from the colostrum to the newborn calves.

Incidence of Inadequate Transfer of Passive Immunity in Dairy Heifer Calves in South Australia.

The objective of this observational study was to estimate the incidence of inadequate transfer of passive immunity (ITPI) on five pasture-based dairy farms in South Australia. Heifer calf uptake of colostrum was evaluated within the first 1−7 days of age (n = 2638) using a digital refractometer to estimate each calf's serum total protein concentration, as an indicator of colostrum uptake. Results of <51 g/L indicated inadequate transfer of passive immunity (ITPI). The data showed that the incidence of ITPI on the farms was 6.5%, 31.3%, 48.8%, 49.7% and 52.4%. The incidence of ITPI was calculated in relation to the age of the calf at testing and the breed of calf, and no significant differences were found. A significant difference was found in the incidence of ITPI when comparing the calf's first feed after separation from the dam (colostrum versus a colostrum-transition milk mixture). The farm with the lowest incidence of ITPI collected calves twice a day, measured colostrum quality on farm with a Brix refractometer and ensured that each calf received an appropriate amount of high-quality colostrum soon after collection. Further studies are required to establish the risk factors of ITPI in South Australian dairy heifers.

Exploring ITM2A as a new potential target for brain delivery.

BACKGROUND: Integral membrane protein 2A (ITM2A) is a transmembrane protein expressed in a variety of tissues; little is known about its function, particularly in the brain. ITM2A was found to be highly enriched in human brain versus peripheral endothelial cells by transcriptomic and proteomic studies conducted within the European Collaboration on the Optimization of Macromolecular Pharmaceutical (COMPACT) Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) consortium. Here, we report the work that was undertaken to determine whether ITM2A could represent a potential target for delivering drugs to the brain. METHODS: A series of ITM2A constructs, cell lines and specific anti-human and mouse ITM2A antibodies were generated. Binding and internalization studies in Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) cells overexpressing ITM2A and in brain microvascular endothelial cells from mouse and non-human primate (NHP) were performed with these tools. The best ITM2A antibody was evaluated in an in vitro human blood brain barrier (BBB) model and in an in vivo mouse pharmacokinetic study to investigate its ability to cross the BBB. RESULTS: Antibodies specifically recognizing extracellular parts of ITM2A or tags inserted in its extracellular domain showed selective binding and uptake in ITM2A-overexpressing cells. However, despite high RNA expression in mouse and human microvessels, the ITM2A protein was rapidly downregulated when endothelial cells were grown in culture, probably explaining why transcytosis could not be observed in vitro. An attempt to directly demonstrate in vivo transcytosis in mice was inconclusive, using either a cross-reactive anti-ITM2A antibody or in vivo phage panning of an anti-ITM2A phage library. CONCLUSIONS: The present work describes our efforts to explore the potential of ITM2A as a target mediating transcytosis through the BBB, and highlights the multiple challenges linked to the identification of new brain delivery targets. Our data provide evidence that antibodies against ITM2A are internalized in ITM2A-overexpressing HEK293 cells, and that ITM2A is expressed in brain microvessels, but further investigations will be needed to demonstrate that ITM2A is a potential target for brain delivery.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel 2-oxoindoline-based acetohydrazides as antitumor agents.

In our search for novel small molecules activating procaspase-3, we have designed and synthesized two series of novel (E)-N'-arylidene-2-(2-oxoindolin-1-yl)acetohydrazides (4) and (Z)-2-(5-substituted-2-oxoindolin-1-yl)-N'-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)acetohydrazides (5). Cytotoxic evaluation revealed that the compounds showed notable cytotoxicity toward three human cancer cell lines: colon cancer SW620, prostate cancer PC-3, and lung cancer NCI-H23. Especially, six compounds, including 4f-h and 4n-p, exhibited cytotoxicity equal or superior to positive control PAC-1, the first procaspase-3 activating compound. The most potent compound 4o was three- to five-fold more cytotoxic than PAC-1 in three cancer cell lines tested. Analysis of compounds effects on cell cycle and apoptosis demonstrated that the representative compounds 4f, 4h, 4n, 4o and 4p (especially 4o) accumulated U937 cells in S phase and substantially induced late cellular apoptosis. The results show that compound 4o would serve as a template for further design and development of novel anticancer agents.

The mismatch between morphological and molecular attribution of three Glossogobius species in the Mekong Delta.

BACKGROUND: The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) is the granary for the whole country, providing animal and plant resources, especially fish. Among the fish species, the genus Glossogobius are the majority. Until now, research for this species has been solely relied on fish morphology for identification. Hence, the present study aimed to describe the morphological variations of the morphologically identified gobies and to validate them at the molecular level through the sequencing of the barcode region, the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene to preliminary provide fundamental information for conservation. RESULTS: The mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I genes were amplified successfully with an approximate size of 650-680 bp. Their morphometries were quite different, and the genetic distance (p-value) among groups and within groups ranged from 0.00 to 0.12. The similarity of the COI gene sequences between the analyzed samples and in the NCBI database was from 87.01 to 100%. The specimens of G. aureus, G. giuris and G. sparsipapillus were interspersed in small branches of the phylogenetic tree with a low genetic distance highlighting that the genetic diversity of COI gene was low among species. Therefore, it is recommended that a combination of morphological method and mtCOI DNA barcoding is required for accurate classification. CONCLUSION: This study helps determine three distinct lineages of Glossogobius species, so an appropriate strategy can be proposed for exploitation and conservation.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel (E)-N'-(3-allyl-2-hydroxy)benzylidene-2-(4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)acetohydrazides as antitumor agents.

In our continuing search for novel small-molecule anticancer agents, we designed and synthesized a series of novel (E)-N'-(3-allyl-2-hydroxy)benzylidene-2-(4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)acetohydrazides (5), focusing on the modification of substitution in the quinazolin-4(3H)-one moiety. The biological evaluation showed that all 13 designed and synthesized compounds displayed significant cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (SW620, colon cancer; PC-3, prostate cancer; NCI-H23, lung cancer). The most potent compound 5l displayed cytotoxicity up to 213-fold more potent than 5-fluorouracil and 87-fold more potent than PAC-1, the first procaspase-activating compound. Structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that substitution of either electron-withdrawing or electron-releasing groups at positions 6 or 7 on the quinazolin-4(3H)-4-one moiety increased the cytotoxicity of the compounds, but substitution at position 6 seemed to be more favorable. In the caspase activation assay, compound 5l was found to activate the caspase activity by 291% in comparison to PAC-1, which was used as a control. Further docking simulation also revealed that this compound may be a potent allosteric inhibitor of procaspase-3 through chelation of the inhibitory zinc ion. Physicochemical and ADMET calculations for 5l provided useful information of its suitable absorption profile and some toxicological effects that need further optimization to be developed as a promising anticancer agent.

T-Cell Large Granular Lymphocytic Leukemia: A First Case Report Diagnosed by Flow Cytometry in Vietnam.

T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGL leukemia) is a rare, chronic lymphoproliferative disorder in the peripheral blood. This is characterized by peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM) lymphocytic infiltration with clonal large granular lymphocytes (LGLs). The neoplastic cells of this disease display a mature T-cell immunophenotype, with the majority of cases showing a CD4-/CD8+ T-cell, T-cell receptor (TCR) subset immunophenotype versus other permutations of those markers.

Proposal for a standardised method for the identification of essential oils by HPTLC.

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), includes both individual monographs on essential oils and a general monograph that covers all essential oils for pharmaceutical use, whether covered by an individual monograph or not. The individual monographs generally describe gas chromatography as a first identification test, while thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) methods are included in the second identification series. To comply with Ph. Eur. general chapter 2.8.25. High-performance thin-layer chromatography of herbal drugs and herbal drug preparations, HPTLC parameters must be standardised. Currently, 18 of the 32 monographs on essential oils feature the same TLC/HPTLC method, but differ in terms of the other conditions described. A single, standardised chromatographic system with a system suitability test (SST) and intensity markers for all 32 essential oils covered by individual monographs would be desirable, particularly for pharmacies and other users that cannot perform gas chromatography for financial reasons. To this end, this paper describes the development of a general HPTLC method for the identification of essential oils in compliance with general chapter 2.8.25. The method proposes the use of ethyl acetate, toluene (5:95 V/V) as mobile phase, isoeugenol/isoeugenyl acetate for the SST, and a combination of one alcohol (either borneol or linalool) and one ester (either linalyl acetate or bornyl acetate) as intensity markers.

Bioactive molecules for regenerative pulp capping.

Since the discovery of bioactive molecules sequestered in dentine, researchers have been exploring ways to harness their activities for dental regeneration. One specific area, discussed in this review, is that of dental-pulp capping. Dental-pulp caps are placed when the dental pulp is exposed due to decay or trauma in an attempt to enhance tertiary dentine deposition. Several materials are used for dental-pulp capping; however, natural biomimetic scaffolds may offer advantages over manufactured materials such as improved aesthetic, biocompatibility and success rate. The present review discusses and appraises the current evidence surrounding biomimetic dental-pulp capping, with a focus on bioactive molecules sequestered in dentine. Molecules covered most extensively in the literature include transforming growth factors (TGF-ßs, specifically TGF-ß1) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs, specifically BMP-2 and BMP-7). Further studies would need to explore the synergistic use of multiple peptides together with the development of a tailored scaffold carrier. The roles of some of the molecules identified in dentine need to be explored before they can be considered as potential bioactive molecules in a biomimetic scaffold for dental-pulp capping. Future in vivo work needs to consider the inflammatory environment of the dental pulp in pulpal exposures and compare pulp-capping materials.

Direct Observation of Magnon-Phonon Strong Coupling in Two-Dimensional Antiferromagnet at High Magnetic Fields.

We report the direct observation of strong coupling between magnons and phonons in a two-dimensional antiferromagnetic semiconductor FePS_{3}, via magneto-Raman spectroscopy at magnetic fields up to 30 Tesla. A Raman-active magnon at 121 cm^{-1} is identified through Zeeman splitting in an applied magnetic field. At a field-driven resonance with a nearby phonon mode, a hybridized magnon-phonon quasiparticle is formed due to strong coupling between the two modes. We develop a microscopic model of the strong coupling in the two-dimensional magnetic lattice, which enables us to elucidate the nature of the emergent quasiparticle. Our polarized Raman results directly show that the magnons transfer their spin angular momentum to the phonons and generate phonon spin through the strong coupling.

Future prophylactic treatments in migraine: Beyond anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies and gepants.

Migraine is ranked as a leading cause of years lived with disability among all neurological disorders. Therapies targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) signaling pathway, including monoclonal antibodies against the receptor or ligand and small molecule CGRP receptor antagonists (gepants), are today approved for migraine prophylaxis with additional compounds expected to be introduced to the market soon. In this review, we consider other putative prophylactic migraine drugs in development, including compounds targeting G-protein coupled receptors, glutamate, ion channels, and neuromodulatory devices. Emergence of these new interventions could complement our current treatment armamentarium for migraine management.