Psychometric Properties of Vietnamese Versions of the Clinician-Rated and Self-Reported Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and the Patient Health Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the second-most prevalent mental health condition in Vietnam. This study aims to validate the Vietnamese versions of the self-reported and clinician-rated Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR and QIDS-C, respectively) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and to assess the correlations between the QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9. METHODS: 506 participants with MDD (mean age, 46.3 years; 55.5% women) were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5. The internal consistency, diagnostic efficiency, and concurrent validity of the Vietnamese versions of QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 were determined using the Cronbach's alpha, receiver operating characteristic curve, and Pearson correlation coefficient, respectively. RESULTS: The Vietnamese versions of QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 demonstrated acceptable validity, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.901, 0.967, and 0.864, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 87.8% and 77.8% for QIDS-SR and 97.6% and 86.2% for QIDS-C at the cut-off score of 6, and were 82.9% and 70.1% for PHQ-9 at the cut-off score of 4. Cronbach's alphas for QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 were 0.709, 0.813, and 0.745, respectively. The PHQ-9 highly correlated with the QIDS-SR (r = 0.77, p < 0.001) and the QIDS-C (r = 0.75, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Vietnamese versions of the QIDS-SR, QIDS-C, and PHQ-9 are valid and reliable tools for screening of MDD in primary healthcare settings.

The Effect of Nano-Encapsulated Herbal Essential Oils on Poultry' s Health.

Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining animal health, productivity, and reproductive performance. Among dietary elements, antioxidants from herbal essential oils are particularly important for stimulating growth performance, reproduction, and immune competence in animal production, especially while their replacement with synthetic antioxidants has no adverse side effects. Recent developments in nanotechnology have improved essential oils' absorption while protecting their bio-compounds. Despite its potential to improve animal health and performance, Nanotechnology has been underutilized in animal nutrition. Nano-encapsulation can cause enhance the herbal essential oil's antioxidant, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects, plus prolonged shelf life, improved physicochemical stability, and controlled release of herbal essential oils. Therefore, herbal essential oils encapsulated with bioactive substances such as phenol, flavonoid, carotenoid, vitamins, and minerals can improve the health and performance of animals. They can be added to both drinking water and feed, where they can be efficiently delivered and fulfill their beneficial effects on the animals. All perspectives on nano-encapsulated herbal essential oils will be discussed in this review, emphasizing their effects on poultry.

Antibacterial activity of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. red flower against antibiotic-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori and identification of the flower constituents.

Utilization of plant resources for treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections is one of the appealing approaches as rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains is occurring throughout the world. Ethanol extract and its fractions from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis red flower were assessed for antibacterial and urease inhibitory activities towards forty-three clinical strains and two reference strains of H. pylori. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the most potent bacteriostatic activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.2-0.25 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of 1.25-1.5 mg/mL against all test strains, including forty-three strains resistant to one to four antibiotics, azithromycin (MICs, 8-256 µg/mL), erythromycin (MICs, 8-128 µg/mL), levofloxacin (MICs, 8-256 µg/mL), and/or metronidazole (MICs, 8-256 µg/mL). The fraction had similar antibacterial activities toward these test strains suggesting the preparation and the antibiotics do not have a common mechanism of anti-H. pylori activity. The fraction also had stronger effects on biofilm formation, morphological conversion, and urease activity of H. pylori than the other fractions and the ethanol extract. These flower preparations were non-toxic to three human cell lines, and nine compounds were also isolated and identified from the ethyl acetate fraction. In vivo research needs to be conducted to confirm the potential usefulness of H. rosa-sinensis flower and its constituents for effective prevention and treatment of H. pylori disease.

Correction: Sensitive MnFe2O4-Ag hybrid nanoparticles with photothermal and magnetothermal properties for hyperthermia applications.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1RA03216J.].

Sensitive MnFe2O4-Ag hybrid nanoparticles with photothermal and magnetothermal properties for hyperthermia applications.

In this study, we present an experiment showing that designing multifunctional MnFe2O4-Ag nanoparticles to act as a dual hyperthermia agent is an efficient route for enhancing their heating ability. Interestingly, the specific absorption rate of the heteromeric MnFe2O4-Ag nanoparticles increased 2.7 times under simultaneous irradiation of a 100 Oe magnetic field and 0.14 W cm-2 laser compared to the action by the magnetic field alone, and more interestingly, is 30% higher than the sum of the two individual actions. The synergistic benefit of the magneto- and photo-thermal properties of the heteromeric structure can reduce the strengths of the magnetic field and laser intensities as well as their irradiation time to levels lower than those required in their hyperthermia applications individually. In vitro cytotoxicity analysis performed on HepG2 liver cancer and Hela cervical cancer cell lines showed that IC50 values were 83 ± 5.6 µg mL-1 (for HepG2) and 122.6 ± 19.8 µg mL-1 (for Hela cells) after 48 h of incubation, therefore, the nanoparticles are moderately cytotoxic and nontoxic to HepG2 and Hela cells, respectively; which offers the potential of safe therapy.

Antibacterial activity of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. red flower against antibiotic-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori and identification of the flower constituents

Utilization of plant resources for treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections is one of the appealing approaches as rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains is occurring throughout the world. Ethanol extract and its fractions from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis red flower were assessed for antibacterial and urease inhibitory activities towards forty-three clinical strains and two reference strains of H. pylori. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the most potent bacteriostatic activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.2-0.25 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of 1.25-1.5 mg/mL against all test strains, including forty-three strains resistant to one to four antibiotics, azithromycin (MICs, 8-256 µg/mL), erythromycin (MICs, 8-128 µg/mL), levofloxacin (MICs, 8-256 µg/mL), and/or metronidazole (MICs, 8-256 µg/mL). The fraction had similar antibacterial activities toward these test strains suggesting the preparation and the antibiotics do not have a common mechanism of anti-H. pylori activity. The fraction also had stronger effects on biofilm formation, morphological conversion, and urease activity of H. pylori than the other fractions and the ethanol extract. These flower preparations were non-toxic to three human cell lines, and nine compounds were also isolated and identified from the ethyl acetate fraction. In vivo research needs to be conducted to confirm the potential usefulness of H. rosa-sinensis flower and its constituents for effective prevention and treatment of H. pylori disease.

Exact formula for the horizontal-to-vertical displacement ratio of Rayleigh waves in layered orthotropic half-spaces.

This paper is concerned with the propagation of Rayleigh waves in a compressible orthotropic half-space coated by a compressible orthotropic layer. The main purpose of the paper is to establish an explicit exact formula for the H/V ratio (the horizontal-to-vertical displacement ratio) of the Rayleigh wave. This formula is derived by using the transfer matrix for an orthotropic elastic layer and by the effective boundary condition technique. The formula recovers the H/V formula by Malischewsky and Scherbaum [(2004). Wave Motion 40, 57-67] for the compressible isotropic case and the H/V formula by Love [(1911). Some Problems of Geodynamics (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge)] for the incompressible isotropic case. The effect of anisotropy on the H/V ratio's properties is examined and it is numerically shown that the anisotropy strongly affects the peak and zero frequency of the H/V ratio and its prograde domain as well. As the H/V ratio is a dimensionless quantity and it is easily experimentally measured, the obtained formula will be a useful tool for the nondestructive evaluation of mechanical properties of thin films deposited onto half-spaces. Two numerical examples are performed to show how the obtained formula can be used to extract the material properties of deposited layers from measured values of the H/V ratio.

A simple non-enzymatic method for the preparation of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) DNA from the haemolymph of Marsupenaeus japonicus using FTA matrix cards.

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is an important shrimp pathogen responsible for large economic losses for the shrimp culture industry worldwide. The nucleic acids of the virus must be adequately preserved and transported from the field to the laboratory before molecular diagnostic analysis is performed. Here, we developed a new method to isolate WSSV-DNA using Flinders Technology Associates filter paper (FTA matrix card; Whatman) without centrifugation or hazardous steps involved. FTA technology is a new method allowing the simple collection, shipment and archiving of nucleic acids from haemolymph samples providing DNA protection against nucleases, oxidation, UV damage, microbial and fungal attack. DNA samples prepared from 10-fold dilutions of moribund shrimp haemolymph using FTA matrix cards were analysed using semi-quantitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and were compared with two commercially available DNA isolation methods, the blood GenomicPrep Mini Spin Kit (GE Healthcare) and the DNAzol (Invitrogen). Sequence analysis was performed for the DNA samples prepared using the various isolation procedures and no differences in the sequence among these methods were identified. Results based on the initial copy number of DNA prepared from the GenomicPrep Mini Spin Kit are a little more sensitive than the DNA prepared from FTA matrix cards, whereas the DNAzol method is not suitable for blood samples. Our data shows the efficiency of retention capacity of WSSV-DNA samples from impregnated FTA matrix cards. Matrix cards were easy to store and ship for long periods of time. They provide ease of handling and are a reliable alternative for sample collection and for molecular detection and characterization of WSSV isolates.

Real-time quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification as a simple method for detecting white spot syndrome virus.

AIMS: White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) continues to be the most pathogenic virus among the crustacean aquaculture causing mass mortality. In the present study, we established a one-step, single tube, real-time accelerated loop-mediated isothermal amplification (real-time LAMP) for quantitative detection of WSSV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A set of six specially designed primers that recognize eight distinct sequences of the target. The whole process can be completed in 1 h under isothermal conditions at 63 degrees C. Detection and quantification can be achieved by real-time monitoring in an inexpensive turbidimeter based on threshold time required for turbidity in the LAMP reaction. A standard curve was constructed by plotting viral titre against the threshold time (T(t)) using plasmid standards with high correlation coefficient (R(2) = 0.988). CONCLUSIONS: Sensitivity analysis using 10-fold dilutions (equivalent to 35 ng microl(-1) to 35 ag microl(-1)) of plasmid standards revealed this method is capable of detecting upto 100 copies of template DNA. Cross-reactivity analysis with DNA/cDNA of IHHNV, TSV, YHV-infected and healthy shrimp showed this method is highly specific for quantitative detection of WSSV. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: WSSV real-time LAMP assay appears to be precise, accurate and a valuable tool for the detection and quantification of WSSV in large field samples and epidemiological studies.

Pharmacokinetics of oral and intravenous ofloxacin in children with multidrug-resistant typhoid fever.

The pharmacokinetics of oral and intravenous ofloxacin (7.5 mg.kg of body weight-1 given over 30 min) were studied in an open crossover study of 17 Vietnamese children, aged between 5 and 14 years, with acute uncomplicated typhoid fever. Following oral administration, the median (95% confidence interval [CI]) time to peak concentration of ofloxacin in serum (Cmax) was 1.7 h (1.4 to 1.9 h) and the mean (95% CI) Cmax was 5.5 mg.liter-1 (4.7 to 6.3 mg.liter-1) compared with a Cmax of 8.7 mg.liter-1 (7.6 to 9.7 mg.liter-1) following the intravenous infusion. The median (95% CI) total apparent volume of distribution following the first intravenous dose, 1.35 liter.kg-1 (1.17 to 1.73 liter.kg-1), was significantly larger than that following the second dose, 0.99 liter.kg-1 (0.86 to 1.17 liter.kg-1; P < 0.0005), although the estimates for systemic clearance were similar: 0.255 liter.kg-1 h-1 (0.147 to 0.325 liter.kg-1 h-1) compared with 0.172 liter.kg-1 h-1 (0.127 to 0.292 liter.kg-1 h-1; P = 0.14). The mean residence times (95% CI) following intravenous and oral administration were similar: 5.24 h (4.84 to 6.58 h) and 6.24 h (5.32 to 7.85 h), respectively. The mean (95% CI) oral bioavailability was 91% (74 to 109%). The peak concentrations in serum were 10 to 100 times higher than the maximum MICs for ofloxacin against multidrug-resistant Salmonella typhi isolated in this area. Although the systemic clearance values were higher than those reported previously for adults, these data overall suggest that weight-or area-adjusted dose regimens for the treatment of typhoid in older children should be the same as those for adults.