Chitosan-Modified Biochar and Unmodified Biochar for Methyl Orange: Adsorption Characteristics and Mechanism Exploration.

In this study, shrimp shell-derived chitosan (CS) and rice husk-derived biochar (RHB) were produced; CS and RHB were then used to synthesize chitosan-modified biochar (CSBC) hydrogel beads. N2 adsorption (77K), SEM-EDX and FT-IR techniques were used to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents. A batch experiment was conducted to test the methyl orange (MO) adsorption performance of RHB and CSBC. The results showed that the MO adsorption process was strongly pH-dependent. The kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion models, assuming the chemisorption and intraparticle diffusion mechanisms govern the adsorption process. Homogeneous adsorption for MO on the surface of RHB and CSBC was also assumed since the isotherm data showed the best-fit to the Langmuir model. Under the experimental conditions of initial pH 3, dosage 0.2 g, contact time 240 min and temperature 298 K, the maximum adsorption capacity of CSBC and RHB for MO dye adsorption was 38.75 mg.g-1 and 31.63 mg.g-1, respectively. This result demonstrated that biochar had better performance after modification with chitosan, which provided more functional groups (i.e., -NH2 and -OH groups) for enhanced electrostatic interactions and complexation between MO and CSBC. Overall, CSBC is an effective adsorbent for the removal of MO from aqueous solution.

A pretest-posttest design to assess the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION: Stigma and discrimination are important barriers to HIV epidemic control. We implemented a multi-pronged facility-level intervention to reduce stigma and discrimination at health facilities across three high-burden provinces. Key components of the intervention included measurement of stigma, data review and use, participatory training of healthcare workers (HCWs), and engagement of people living with HIV and key populations in all stigma reduction activities. METHODS: From July 2018 to July 2019, we assessed HIV-related stigma and discrimination among patients and HCWs at 10 facilities at baseline and 9 months following an intervention. A repeated measures design was used to assess the change in stigma and discrimination among HCWs and a repeated cross-sectional design assessed the change in stigma and discrimination experienced by PLHIV. HCWs at target facilities were invited at random and PLHIV were recruited when presenting for care during the two assessment periods. McNemar's test was used to compare paired proportions among HCWs, and chi-square test was used to compare proportions among PLHIV. Mixed models were used to compare outcomes before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 649 and 652 PLHIV prior to and following the intervention, respectively. At baseline, over the previous 12 months, 21% reported experiencing discrimination, 16% reported self-stigma, 14% reported HIV disclosure without consent and 7% had received discriminatory reproductive health advice. Nine months after the intervention, there was a decrease in reported stigma and discrimination across all domains to 15%, 11%, 7% and 3.5%, respectively (all p-values <0.05). Among HCWs, 672 completed the pre- and post-intervention assessment. At baseline, 81% reported fear of HIV infection, 69% reported using unnecessary precautions when caring for PLHIV, 44% reported having observed other staff discriminate against PLHIV, 54% reported negative attitudes towards PLHIV and 41% felt uncomfortable working with colleagues living with HIV. The proportions decreased after the intervention to 52%, 34%, 32%, 35% and 24%, respectively (all p-values <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A multi-pronged facility-level intervention was successful at reducing healthcare-associated HIV-related stigma in Vietnam. The findings support the scale-up of this intervention in Vietnam and highlight key components potentially applicable in other settings.

Reported Low Uptake of HCV Testing among People Who Inject Drugs in Urban Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: HCV testing is an important first step for treatment and prevention, particularly for those who are highly vulnerable to HCV infection such as people who inject drugs (PWID). In settings where direct-acting antiretroviral medicines are becoming more available, limited information exists about who and where to target to increase the prevalence of HCV testing among PWID. This study is aimed at understanding the prevalence of HCV testing uptake and its determinants of medical services and risk behaviors. METHODS: From February 2016 to April 2017, a sample of 509 PWID was interviewed using a structured questionnaire on their history of HCV testing, confirmation, services using in the previous year as well as HCV-related knowledge, and risk behaviors. Multiple logistic regression identified factors associated with ever being tested for HCV before enrollment in the program. RESULTS: Approximately 33% reported ever testing for HCV. Most cited sources of testing are public hospitals and general clinics (68.9%) and outpatient clinics (18.9%). Having ever tested for HCV was positively associated with accessing health services within the prior 12 months (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI 1.11-4.58), being currently enrolled in a methadone treatment program (aOR = 2.35; 95% CI 1.34-4.08), and/or on ART treatment (aOR = 2.30; 95% CI 1.30-4.08). Those who ever delayed in seeking healthcare services for any reason were less likely to get tested for HCV (aOR = 0.54; 95% CI 0.35-0.84). CONCLUSION: HCV testing prevalence is low among PWID in Hanoi despite a very high prevalence of HCV infection. To improve the cascade of HCV testing, it is critical that intervention programs scale up linkages among methadone, outpatient clinics, and HCV services, take steps to reduce stigma and discrimination in both community and, especially, in health care settings, and increase awareness of HCV for PWID by integrating HCV into routine counseling at health care services.

Building HIV healthcare worker capacity through telehealth in Vietnam.

Development of a robust technical assistance system is an essential component of a sustainable HIV response. Vietnam's National HIV Program is transitioning from a largely donor-funded programme to one primarily supported by domestic resources. Telehealth interventions are increasingly being used for training, mentoring and expert consultation in high-resource settings and hold significant potential for use as a tool to build HIV health worker capacity in low and middle-income countries. We designed, implemented and scaled up a novel HIV telehealth programme for Vietnam, with the goal of building a sustainable training model to support the country's HIV workforce needs. Over a 4-year period, HIV telehealth programmes were initiated in 17 public institutions with participation of nearly 700 clinical sites across 62 of the 63 provinces in the country. The telehealth programme was used to deliver certificate training courses, provide clinical mentoring and case-based learning, support programme implementation, provide coaching in quality improvement and disseminate new guidelines and policies. Programme evaluation demonstrated improved health worker self-reported competence in HIV care and treatment and high satisfaction among the programme participants. Lessons learnt from Vietnam's experience with telehealth can inform country programmes looking to develop a sustainable approach to HIV technical assistance and health worker capacity building.

Laparoscopic diverticulectomy versus non-operative treatment for uncomplicated right colonic diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND: Right-sided colonic diverticulitis (RCD) is an Asian-centric disease. The optimal treatment for acute uncomplicated RCD remains a controversial area. This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic diverticulectomy (LD) with non-operative treatment (NT) in patients with uncomplicated RCD. METHODS: A single-center, prospective, non-randomized controlled study ran from 2009 to 2017. Patients with first episode of uncomplicated RCD were divided into two treatment arms, LD or NT with bowel rest and broad-spectrum antibiotics, based on their choice. The primary outcome was recurrent diverticulitis during follow-up. Secondary outcomes were treatment success and complications. RESULTS: A total of 155 patients were enrolled, with 81 in the NT arm and 74 in the LD arm. Mean follow-up was 49 months. The treatment success rate for the NT arm was 90.1% and for the LD arm, 86.5% (P = 0.480). There was no significant difference in the complication rate between the LD arm, 12.2% and the NT arm, 8.6% (P = 0.472). LD was better than NT in preventing recurrent diverticulitis. Nine patients in the NT arm and none in the LD arm had recurrence (P = 0.003). The number needed to treat to prevent recurrence was nine. CONCLUSION: Non-operative management with bowel rest and antibiotics for uncomplicated RCD is safe and effective. Alternatively, LD is also safe and effective, with the added benefit of preventing recurrences. While both treatments could be reasonably offered for uncomplicated RCD, LD is an appealing option when recurrence is a concern.

Improving Hypertension Outcome Measurement in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

High blood pressure is the leading modifiable risk factor for mortality, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 deaths worldwide and 1 in 11 in low-income countries. Hypertension control remains a challenge, especially in low-resource settings. One approach to improvement is the prioritization of patient-centered care. However, consensus on the outcomes that matter most to patients is lacking. We aimed to define a standard set of patient-centered outcomes for evaluating hypertension management in low- and middle-income countries. The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement convened a Working Group of 18 experts and patients representing 15 countries. We used a modified Delphi process to reach consensus on a set of outcomes, case-mix variables, and a timeline to guide data collection. Literature reviews, patient interviews, a patient validation survey, and an open review by hypertension experts informed the set. The set contains 18 clinical and patient-reported outcomes that reflect patient priorities and evidence-based hypertension management and case-mix variables to allow comparisons between providers. The domains included are hypertension control, cardiovascular complications, health-related quality of life, financial burden of care, medication burden, satisfaction with care, health literacy, and health behaviors. We present a core list of outcomes for evaluating hypertension care. They account for the unique challenges healthcare providers and patients face in low- and middle-income countries, yet are relevant to all settings. We believe that it is a vital step toward international benchmarking in hypertension care and, ultimately, value-based hypertension management.

Using the gene expression signature of scutebarbalactone VN isolated from Scutellaria barbata to elucidate its anticancer activities.

Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the discovery of a novel neo-clerodane diterpenoid, scutebarbalactone VN (BalA: 8,13-epoxy-3-en-7-hydroxy-6,11-O- dibenzoyl-15,16-clerodanolide), from the methanol extract of the whole-plant of Vietnamese Scutellaria barbata D. Don. A microarray technique combined with bioinformatic analyses showed that BalA could inhibit cell cycle pathways by downregulating genes such as CDC25A and AURKA. BalA also showed the potential to reactivate downregulated genes in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and genes in antioxidant pathways such as HMOX1 and HSPA1A. Querying Connectivity map 2.0 resulted in a match of the BalA-modulated gene signature with that of 10 known compounds, most of which are currently marketed chemotherapy drugs. The highest matching scores belonged to lomustine, semustine, and withaferin A. Lomustine and semustine were found to alkylate DNA and RNA, while withaferin A inhibits nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity. A luciferase reporter assay was also conducted on 293/NF-κB human embryonic kidney cells that had been transfected with the NF-κB-luciferase plasmid to verify the anticancer activity of BalA. The assay showed that BalA effectively blocked NF-κB with an IC50 of 38.6 ± 0.05 µM.

Two new neoclerodane diterpenoids from Scutellaria barbata D. Don growing in Vietnam.

Various chromatographic separations of the aerial parts of Scutellaria barbata afforded two new neoclerodane diterpenoids, scutebatas S and T (1 and 2), along with scutebata D (3). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR and comparison with the literature values. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities against HL-60 (promyeloblast) human cancer cells. Weak cytotoxic effects toward four tested human cancer cell lines including KB (epidermoid carcinoma), LU-1 (lung adenocarcinoma), MCF7 (breast cancer), and Hep-G2 (hepatoma cancer) were observed for 1 and 3; whereas 2 was inactive on all five tested cell lines.

Cytotoxic Compounds from Brucea mollis.

Ten compounds, including soulameanone (1), isobruceine B (2), 9-methoxy-canthin-6-one (3), bruceolline F (4), niloticine (5), octatriacontan-1-ol (6), bombiprenone (7), α-tocopherol (8), inosine (9), and apigenin 7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (10), were isolated from the leaves, stems, and roots of Brucea mollis Wall. ex Kurz. Their structures were determined using one-and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against KB (human carcinoma of the mouth), LU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma), LNCaP (human prostate adeno-carcinoma), and HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia) cancer cell lines. Compound 2 showed significant cytotoxic activity against KB, LU-1, LNCaP, and HL-60 cancer cells with IC50 values of 0.39, 0.40, 0.34, and 0.23 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, compounds 3 and 5 showed significant cytotoxic activity against KB, LU-1, LNCaP, and HL-60 cancer cells with IC50 values around 1-4 µg/mL. Compounds 9-methoxycanthin-6-one (3) and niloticine (5) have been discovered for the first time from the Brucea genus.

Cell-permeable NM23 blocks the maintenance and progression of established pulmonary metastasis.

Occult metastases are a major cause of cancer mortality, even among patients undergoing curative resection. Therefore, practical strategies to target the growth and persistence of already established metastases would provide an important advance in cancer treatment. Here, we assessed the potential of protein therapy using a cell permeable NM23-H1 metastasis suppressor protein. Hydrophobic transduction domains developed from a screen of 1,500 signaling peptide sequences enhanced the uptake of the NM23 protein by cultured cells and systemic delivery to animal tissues. The cell-permeable (CP)-NM23 inhibited metastasis-associated phenotypes in tumor cell lines, blocked the establishment of lung metastases, and cleared already established pulmonary metastases, significantly prolonging the survival of tumor-bearing animals. Therefore, these results establish the potential use of cell-permeable metastasis suppressors as adjuvant therapy against disseminated cancers.

TaqIB polymorphism in cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) gene predicts future cardiovascular death in patients experiencing an acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) plays a pivotal role in the remodelling of triglyceride (TG)-rich and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. Sequence variations in the CETP gene may interfere with coronary atherosclerosis. However, clinical studies of various CETP polymorphisms have shown controversial data in coronary artery outcome. We aimed to investigate whether TaqIB CETP gene polymorphism could predict clinical outcome in a prospective cohort of patients hospitalized for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: Two hundred and seventy consecutive Caucasian patients hospitalized for an ACS, and having a significant coronary artery disease in at least one major vessel (stenosis >50%), were prospectively enrolled and followed for 57 months. The mean age was 65.1+/-12.5 years, and 77% were males. One hundred and thirty-nine patients (51.5%) suffered from unstable angina at inclusion and 131 patients (48.5%) presented with an acute myocardial infarction (MI). The follow-up data were obtained from questionnaires. The major recurrent events recorded were 32 deaths comprising 28 cardiovascular deaths and 49 combined cardiovascular events (28 cardiovascular deaths, 19 non-fatal ACS and 2 non-fatal strokes). CETP genotyping was performed using a restriction fragment length polymorphism based method. RESULTS: A significant relation was found between B2B2 genotype and combined cardiovascular end-point (p<0.02), mainly driven by a link with cardiovascular death (p<0.05). The hazard risk ratio for cardiovascular death associated with B2B2 genotype was 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-4.94, p<0.05]. In multivariate analyses, no modification except for a significant interaction with statin therapy was observed by inclusion of potential confounders for the association of B2B2 genotype with cardiovascular death. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that patients homozygous for the B2 allele and not taking statin had a strong increase of recurrent cardiovascular event after an initial acute coronary event. This cardiovascular risk seems to be corrected with statin therapy.

Inhibitory effects of antrodins A-E from Antrodia cinnamomea and their metabolites on hepatitis C virus protease.

Antrodia cinnamomea is a highly valued folk medicine used for liver cancer, a disease often caused by the long term infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the present study, the maleic and succinic acid constituents (antrodins A-E) of this medicinal fungus, the in vivo metabolites of antrodin C and the analogue of one of the metabolites were tested for their inhibitory activity on HCV protease. Most of the compounds showed potent inhibitory activity, with antrodin A being the most potent (IC(50) = 0.9 microg/mL). Antrodin A was isolated as one of the constituents of A. cinnamomea and was also detected as an in vivo metabolite of the major constituent antrodin C. The mode of inhibition for antrodin A on HCV protease was revealed by a Lineweaver-Burk plot as competitive inhibition. These results strongly support the use of this folk medicine for liver cancer and HCV infection which is a global problem.