Clinical Epidemiological Characteristics and Risk Factors for Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia in Pediatric Patients: A Hospital-Based Study in Vietnam.

Introduction Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which can cause organ failure in several organs, cardiac problems, or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Identifying clinical epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for complications of COVID-19 allows clinicians to diagnose and treat promptly. Objectives This study aims to describe the clinical epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 and assess risk factors for the severity of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in children treated at Haiphong Children's Hospital. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Haiphong Children's Hospital, Haiphong, Vietnam, for one year, from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Results In our study, 540 children were evaluated; the male-to-female ratio was 1.48/1; the median age was 23 months (IQR=6-74); Children aged under one year accounted for the highest proportion (n=202; 37.4%); 40 (7.4%) children had underlying illnesses. The number of admitted patients diagnosed with COVID-19 peaked in February 2022. Regarding severity, 380 (70.4%) cases were mild, 136 (25.2%) were moderate, only 24 (4.4%) cases were severe, and no children died. Common symptoms were fever in 483 (89.4%), coughing in 399 (73.9%), and tachypnea in 163 (30.2%) children. Laboratory features: white blood cell count, platelet count, serum CRP, and coagulation test showed little change. Around 116 (21.5%) had lymphopenia and 148 (27.4%) had pneumonia. Patients under one year were approximately 1.64 times more likely to experience pneumonia complications from COVID-19 than those without such a history (OR=1.64, 95%CI = 1.12 - 2.41, p=0.0112). Patients with underlying conditions were approximately 2.08 times more likely to experience pneumonia complications from COVID-19 compared to those without such conditions (OR=2.08, 95%CI =1.08 - 4.02, p=0.0289). Conclusion In COVID-19 pediatric patients, the severity of the disease was mild to moderate without any mortality. Children aged under one year accounted for the highest proportion of all COVID-19 patients. This study found that age under one year and underlying illnesses are related to pneumonia in COVID-19 pediatric patients.

Genomic analysis reveals deep population divergence in the water snake Trimerodytes percarinatus (Serpentes, Natricidae).

Although several phylogeographic studies of Asian snakes have been conducted, most have focused on pitvipers, with non-venomous snakes, such as colubrids or natricids, remaining poorly studied. The Chinese keelback water snake (Trimerodytes percarinatus Boulenger) is a widespread, semiaquatic, non-venomous species occurring in China and southeastern Asia. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, we explored the population genetic structure, genetic diversity, and evolutionary history of this species. MtDNA-based phylogenetic analysis showed that T. percarinatus was composed of five highly supported and geographically structured lineages. SNP-based phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis consistently revealed four distinct, geographically non-overlapping lineages, which was different from the mtDNA-based analysis in topology. Estimation of divergence dates and ancestral area of origin suggest that T. percarinatus originated ~12.68 million years ago (95% highest posterior density: 10.36-15.96 Mya) in a region covering southwestern China and Vietnam. Intraspecific divergence may have been triggered by the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau uplift. Population demographics and ecological niche modeling indicated that the effective population size fluctuated during 0.5 Mya and 0.002 Mya. Based on the data collected here, we also comment on the intraspecific taxonomy of T. percarinatus and question the validity of the subspecies T. p. suriki.

Outcome of Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion in Patients with Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) has been identified as a major cause of acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO).This study compared the characteristics and treatment outcomes in acute BAO patients with and without ICAD. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted at 115 People's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam from August 2021 to June 2023. Patients with acute BAO who underwent endovascular treatment within 24 h from symptom onset were included (thrombectomy alone or bridging with intravenous alteplase). The baseline characteristics and outcomes were analyzed and compared between patients with and without ICAD. Good functional outcome was defined as mRS ≤3 at 90 days. RESULTS: Among the 208 patients enrolled, 112 (53.8%) patients were categorized in the ICAD group, and 96 (46.2%) in the non-ICAD group. Occlusion in the proximal segment of the basilar artery was more common in patients with ICAD (55.4% vs. 21.9%, p < 0.001), whereas the distal segment was the most common location in the non-ICAD group (58.3% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.001). Patients in the ICAD group were more likely to undergo treatment in the late window, with a higher mean onset-to-treatment time compared to the non-ICAD group (11.6 vs. 9.5 h, p = 0.01). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, distal segment BAO was negatively associated with ICAD (aOR 0.13, 95% CI: 0.05-0.32, p < 0.001), while dyslipidemia showed a positive association (aOR 2.44, 95% CI: 1.15-5.17, p = 0.02). There was a higher rate for rescue stenting in the ICAD compared to non-ICAD group (15.2% vs. 0%, p < 0.001). However, no significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of good outcome (45.5% vs. 44.8%, p = 0.91), symptomatic hemorrhage rates (4.5% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.25), and mortality (42% vs. 50%, p = 0.25). CONCLUSION: ICAD was a common etiology in patients with BAO. The location segment of BAO and dyslipidemia were associated with ICAD in patients with BAO. There was no difference in 90-day outcomes between BAO patients with and without ICAD undergoing endovascular therapy.

Protocol for assessing single-cell persister recovery kinetics and physiology in Escherichia coli using spectrophotometry.

Bacterial persisters constitute a small fraction of cells that transiently display multidrug tolerance, allowing them to survive antibiotic treatment and to establish a new population upon recovery from the persistent state. Here, we present a protocol to quantify post-antibiotic persister recovery kinetics and physiological states at the single-cell level. We describe steps for sample preparation, technical setup, and data acquisition using spectrophotometry. Our assay allows for the elucidation of genes and mechanisms involved in persister survival. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wilmaerts et al.1.

Gut microbiome in association with chemotherapy-induced toxicities among patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Little research has focused on the relationship between gut microbiome and chemotherapy-induced toxicity. METHODS: This prospective study involves 301 patients with breast cancer who had prechemotherapy stool samples collected. Gut microbiome was sequenced by shotgun metagenomics; associations with chemotherapy-induced toxicities during first-line treatment by gut microbial diversity, composition, and metabolic pathways with severe (i.e., grade ≥3) hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities were evaluated via multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: High prechemotherapy α-diversity was associated with a significantly reduced risk of both severe hematological toxicity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99; p = .048) and neutropenia (OR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99; p = .016). A high abundance of phylum Synergistota, class Synergistia, and order Synergistales were significantly associated with a reduced risk of severe neutropenia; conversely, enrichment of phylum Firmicutes C, class Negativicutes, phylum Firmicutes I, and class Bacilli A, order Paenibacillales were significantly associated with an increased risk of severe neutropenia (p range: 0.012-2.32 × 10-3; false discovery rate <0.1). Significant positive associations were also observed between severe nausea/vomiting and high Chao1 indexes, ß-diversity (p < .05), 20 species belonging to the family Lachnospiraceae, Oscillospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae (p value range: 6.14 × 10-3 to 1.33 × 10-5; false discovery rate <0.1), and three metabolic pathways involved in reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle I and cycle II, and an incomplete reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle (p < .01). Conversely, a high abundance of species Odoribacter laneus and the pathway related to the L-proline biosynthesis II were inversely associated with severe nausea/vomiting. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that gut microbiota may be a potential preventive target to reduce chemotherapy-induced toxicity.

Gut Microbiome of Patients With Breast Cancer in Vietnam.

PURPOSE: Gut microbiota play an important role in human health, including cancer. Cancer and its treatment, in turn, may alter the gut microbiome. To understand this complex relationship, we profiled the gut microbiome of 356 Vietnamese patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stool samples were collected before chemotherapy, with 162 pre- and 194 postsurgery. The gut microbiome was measured by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Associations of gut microbial diversity, taxa abundance, and gut microbiome health index (GMHI) with sociodemographic, clinical factors, and tumor characteristics were evaluated. RESULTS: Postsurgery samples were associated with significantly lower α- and ß-diversities (P < .001) and showed significant differences in the abundance of 15% of 2,864 investigated taxa (false discovery rate [FDR] <0.1) compared with presurgery samples. An unhealthy gut microbiome was prevalent among patients with breast cancer, with a mean GMHI of -0.79 and -2.81 in pre- and postsurgery stool samples, respectively. In an analysis of 162 presurgery stool samples, diagnosis delay was significantly associated with lower α-diversity, variation in ß-diversity, an increased abundance of species Enorma massiliensis, and a decreased abundance of Faecalicoccus pleomorphus. High intake of fiber was significantly associated with lower α-diversity and a higher abundance of species belonging to Bifidobacterium, Prevotella, and Bacteroides gena (FDR < 0.1). We did not find that cancer stage and subtype, menopausal status, comorbidity, antibiotic use during 3 months before stool collection, or physical activity was significantly associated with α- and ß-diversities or GMHI although a few significant differences were observed in taxa abundance. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that diagnosis delay, high fiber intake, and breast cancer surgery, which is always followed by antibiotic prophylaxis in Vietnam, led to a less diverse and unhealthy gut microbiome among patients with breast cancer.

Childhood Acute Poisoning at Haiphong Children's Hospital: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Children are most often harmed by acute poisoning, which may cause disability or even death. This demonstrates the critical necessity for epidemiologic studies specific to each nation and area since they aid in developing plans for the prevention of acute poisoning. There are no data or outdated data on acute poisoning in children in Vietnam. This research would partly fill this existing gap and compare the trend with other places across the globe. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the 10-year period from 2012 to 2021 in Haiphong Children's Hospital, Vietnam. Results: There were 771 children hospitalized due to acute poisoning. Children in the 1-5-year-old group accounted for the highest rate, at 506 (65.6%). The mean age was 4.5 ± 4.1 years old. The male-to-female ratio was 1.2/1. Nonpharmaceutical chemicals were the most common agent in 331 cases (42.9%), including cleaning products 63 (19.0%), rat poison 60 (18.1%), and petrol 42 (12.7%). Medications were the second most common agent in 290 cases (37.6%), mostly paracetamol 60 (20.7%) and sedatives 40 (13.8%). There were 633 (82.1%) children exposed to poisons unintentionally. Conclusion: Children between the ages of 1 and 5 are more likely to be exposed to harmful substances. The most common agents were nonpharmaceutical chemicals followed by pharmaceuticals. Most incidents were inadvertent. Finally, our research may provide insights that public health authorities might use to plan practical actions.

Exploiting User Clustering and Fixed Power Allocation for Multi-Antenna UAV-Assisted IoT Systems.

Internet of Things (IoT) systems cooperative with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been put into use for more than ten years, from transportation to military surveillance, and they have been shown to be worthy of inclusion in the next wireless protocols. Therefore, this paper studies user clustering and the fixed power allocation approach by placing multi-antenna UAV-mounted relays for extended coverage areas and achieving improved performance for IoT devices. In particular, the system enables UAV-mounted relays with multiple antennas together with non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) to provide a potential way to enhance transmission reliability. We presented two cases of multi-antenna UAVs such as maximum ratio transmission and the best selection to highlight the benefits of the antenna-selections approach with low-cost design. In addition, the base station managed its IoT devices in practical scenarios with and without direct links. For two cases, we derive closed-form expressions of outage probability (OP) and closed-form approximation ergodic capacity (EC) generated for both devices in the main scenario. The outage and ergodic capacity performances in some scenarios are compared to confirm the benefits of the considered system. The number of antennas was found to have a crucial impact on the performances. The simulation results show that the OP for both users strongly decreases when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), number of antennas, and fading severity factor of Nakagami-m fading increase. The proposed scheme outperforms the orthogonal multiple access (OMA) scheme in outage performance for two users. The analytical results match Monte Carlo simulations to confirm the exactness of the derived expressions.

A new snake of the genus Dendrelaphis Boulenger, 1890 (Squamata: Colubridae) from the coastal area of southern Vietnam.

We describe a new species of Dendrelaphis from the coastal area in southern Vietnam based on morphological data and nucleotide sequences from one partial mitochondrial gene (Cytb). Dendrelaphis binhi sp. nov. is diagnosed by the following morphological characters: body scale rows 13 at neck and midbody, 9-11 before vent; vertebral scale row feebly enlarged; ventrals 154-158 in males and 161-170 in females; subcaudals 95-106 in males and 95-102 in females; one supralabial touching the eye; 18 or 19 maxillary teeth; hemipenis spinose, reaching 10th or 11th SC, with a slender papilla; cloacal plate divided; dorsum dark brown; and a white stripe along the lower flank. The new species differs from its congeners by an uncorrected p-distance in Cytb sequences of at least 8.1%.

Effectiveness of a New Clinical and Communication Curriculum for Medical Students: Result of a Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Educational Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To improve 4 skills (communication, history-taking, past history-taking, and documentation) in medical students, we designed and pilot-tested a curriculum to teach a sample of Year 4 (Y4) students these skills and compared the clinical performance of these students with students not receiving the intervention. METHODS: The study focused on the new curriculum's effectiveness in enhancing students' performance of these skills. To minimize exposure across groups, participants were divided into intervention and control groups at random and placed in various classrooms. We evaluated each group's clinical competency 3 times: prior to the intervention, 9 weeks afterward, and 2 years later. RESULTS: There was no difference at baseline between the 2 groups. Immediately following the intervention, the mean score of the intervention group's skills was significantly higher than before and higher than the control group in each clinical skill. The performance difference between the 2 groups was maintained for 2 years following the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Following a 9-week curriculum, evaluators rated students' performance higher than their counterparts who learned these skills through standard informal exposure in the clinical setting. The fact that this performance advantage was maintained for 2 years following the intervention is a testament to the durability of the intervention and the value of dedicated training in these critical areas at an early point in students' clinical careers.

Novel single nucleotide polymorphisms of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) gene significantly associated with growth traits in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus Sauvage, 1878).

Breeding program to improve economically important growth traits in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) requires effective molecular markers. This study was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 7 (IGFBP7) gene which plays multiple roles in regulating growth, energy metabolism and development. The association between SNPs in IGFBP7 gene and growth traits in striped catfish was analyzed in order to uncover the SNPs that have potential to be valuable markers for improving growth traits. Firstly, fragments of IGFBP7 gene from ten fast-growing fish and ten slow-growing fish were sequenced in order to discover SNPs. After filtering the detected SNPs, an intronic SNP (2060A > G) and two non-synonymous SNPs (344 T > C and 4559C > A) causing Leu78Pro and Leu189Met in protein, respectively, were subjected to further validated by individual genotyping in 70 fast-growing fish and 70 slow-growing fish using single base extension method. Our results showed that two SNPs (2060A > G and 4559 C > A (p. Leu189Met)) were significantly associated with the growth in P. hypophthalmus (p < 0.001), thus being candidate SNP markers for the growth traits of this fish. Moreover, linkage disequilibrium and association analysis with growth traits of haplotypes generated from the 3 filtered SNPs (344 T > C, 2060 A > G and 4559 C > A) were examined. These revealed that the non-coding SNP locus (2060A > G) had higher genetic diversity at which the G allele was predominant over the A allele in the fast-growing fish. Furthermore, the results of qPCR showed that expression of IGFBP7 gene with genotype GG (at locus 2060) in fast-growing group was significantly higher than that with genotype AA in slow-growing group (p < 0.05). Our study provides insights into the genetic variants of IGFBP7 gene and useful data source for development molecular marker for growth traits in breeding of the striped catfish.

A sunflower seed foreign body aspiration misdiagnosed as pneumonia in a child after tetralogy of Fallot operation: A case report.

Approaching a child with dyspnea, coughing, and wheezing, doctors must consider a foreign body in the respiratory tract, and bronchoscopy should be performed. This report described a child having sunflower seed aspiration late- and misdiagnosed as pneumonia. He failed with antibiotics therapy. The patient underwent a bronchoscopy, and then the seed was found and entirely removed.

Baseline concentration of microplastics in surface water and sediment of the northern branches of the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam.

The Mekong River Delta in Vietnam, is concerned by numerous microplastic-related issues such as a lack of wastewater treatment facilities and mismanagement of plastic waste released from agriculture, aquaculture and related activities. This study aimed to examine the presence of microplastics in surface water and sediment by collecting samples from six sites along the Tien River and its distributaries in February 2019. The results showed that the average concentration of microplastics over the entire area was 53.8 ± 140.7 items m-3 in surface water and 6.0 ± 2.0 items g-1 dried weight in sediment, with a predominance of microplastic fibres rather than fragments, respectively 85 % and 98 % in surface water and sediment. In the main flow of surface water, the concentration of microplastics was stable; however, in the sediment, microplastic concentration was affected by the high dynamic flow regime rather than the sources where microplastics are released.

A new species of Vietnamophryne (Anura: Microhylidae) from Northeastern Vietnam.

A new species of the genus Vietnamophryne is described from Vietnam on the basis of two specimens collected from Tuyen Quang Province, Northeastern Vietnam. The new species is morphologically most similar to Vietnamophryne occidentalis from Thailand, however, it differs from the latter by having large black blotches in the lower jaw region, and a yellow-orange chest and belly. The genetic distance between the new species and other Vietnamophryne taxa is > 2.13% (16S mtDNA gene fragment). Vietnamophryne aurantifusca sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of Vietnamophryne by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: Size medium (SVL 17.618.2 mm in males); head wider than long; tympanum medium; finger I longer than half of finger II; dorsal skin relatively smooth with some round nodules, concentrated in the middle of the back, arranged along the length of the back, with a prominent ridge along the spine; Dorsum orangish-brown entirely and paler on margin of back with a small brownish ridge along the spine; sides brownish with creamy patches and orange spots; ventral surface orange, with grey marbling, most intense on the throat, ventral side of arms and thighs, and ventral surfaces of limbs dark grey with some orange spots.

Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicities and Their Associations with Clinical and Non-Clinical Factors among Breast Cancer Patients in Vietnam.

Understanding the burden and factors related to chemotherapy-induced toxicity is important in treatment planning for breast cancer patients. We conducted a prospective study among 396 newly diagnosed and chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients recruited in two major cancer hospitals in northern Vietnam. Toxicities were captured through medical chart reviews and patient self-reports and graded using NCI CTCAE classification. Associations for sociodemographic and clinical factors with chemotherapy-induced toxicities during first-line chemotherapy were evaluated via multivariable logistic regression. Severe (i.e., grade ≥ 3) hematological (38.6%), and gastrointestinal (12.9%) toxicities were common. A pre-existing nephrological condition was significantly associated with the risk of severe hematological toxicity with adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 2.30 (1.32-4.01). Patients living in rural areas had a lower risk of severe hematological toxicity (OR = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30-0.77). Patients diagnosed with stage II and stage III-IV had a lower risk of severe gastrointestinal toxicity with ORs and 95% CIs of 0.26 (0.12-0.59) and 0.47 (0.20-1.10), respectively. Triple-negative/basal-like subtype was associated with a higher risk of severe hematological (OR = 3.15; 95% CI, 1.56-6.34) and gastrointestinal toxicities (OR = 3.60; 95% CI, 1.45-8.95) comparing to hormone receptor (HR)-positive HER2-negative subtype. Further research investigating underlying mechanisms would facilitate the development and delivery of personalized treatment and care plans.

Menstrual and Reproductive Factors in Association With Breast Cancer Risk in Vietnamese Women: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVES: Though menstrual and reproductive factors have been associated with the risk of breast cancer in many populations, very few studies have been conducted among Vietnamese women. This study aimed to assess the association between menstrual and reproductive factors and the risk of breast cancer in Vietnamese women. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study of 490 breast cancer cases and 468 controls was conducted in Northern Vietnam. Unconditional logistic regression models adjusting for confounders were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of menstrual and reproductive factors with the risk of breast cancer; overall and by cancer subtype. RESULTS: Among breast cancer patients, the luminal B subtype was the most frequent (48.6%), followed by HER2-overexpressing (24.5%), luminal A (16.7%), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC; 10.2%). Among menopausal women, menopausal age at 50 years or older (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.15-2.57 vs. <50 y) was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Earlier age at menarche (<13 y) was associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.08-7.51) among premenopausal women only and the luminal A subtype of breast cancer (OR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.04-8.16). Having more than two children was associated with a reduced risk of premenopausal (OR = .42, 95%CI: .21-.83), luminal B (OR = .43, 95% CI: .24-.79), and TNBC (OR = .34, 95% CI: .14-.89). Later menopause was positively associated with the risk of breast cancer with HER2 overexpression (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.14-4.23). CONCLUSION: Associations of menstrual and reproductive factors with breast cancer among Vietnamese women, particularly for among premenopausal women and for the luminal A subtype, are generally consistent with those reported from other countries. These findings suggest that changes in menstrual and reproductive patterns among young Vietnamese women may contribute to the recent rising incidence of breast cancer in Vietnam.

Polyphasic evaluation and cytotoxic investigation of isolated cyanobacteria with an emphasis on potent activities of a Scytonema strain.

Cyanobacteria are phototrophic organisms widely found in most types of natural habitats in the tropical regions of the world. In this study, we isolated and identified cyanobacterial strains from paddy soil in Hanoi (Vietnam) and investigated their cytotoxic activities. Five isolated cyanobacterial strains showed distinctive profiles of gene sequences (rRNA 16S and rbcL), phylogenetic placements, and morphological characteristics. Based on the polyphasic evaluation, they were classified as Scytonema bilaspurense NK13, Hapalosiphon welwitschii MD2411, Aulosira sp. XN1103, Desikacharya sp. NS2000, and Desmonostoc sp. NK1813. The cytotoxic screening revealed that the extract of strain Scytonema bilaspurense NK13 exhibited potent cytotoxic activities against four human cell lines of HeLa cells, OVCAR-8 cells, HaCaT cells, and HEK-293T cells, with IC50 values of 3.8, 34.2, 21.6, and 0.6 µg/mL, respectively. This is the first time a well-classified Scytonema strain from tropical habitat in Southeast Asia has been recognized as a potential producer of cytotoxic compounds.

Oral N-acetylcysteine decreases IFN-γ production and ameliorates ischemia-reperfusion injury in steatotic livers.

Type 1 Natural Killer T-cells (NKT1 cells) play a critical role in mediating hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Although hepatic steatosis is a major risk factor for preservation type injury, how NKT cells impact this is understudied. Given NKT1 cell activation by phospholipid ligands recognized presented by CD1d, we hypothesized that NKT1 cells are key modulators of hepatic IRI because of the increased frequency of activating ligands in the setting of hepatic steatosis. We first demonstrate that IRI is exacerbated by a high-fat diet (HFD) in experimental murine models of warm partial ischemia. This is evident in the evaluation of ALT levels and Phasor-Fluorescence Lifetime (Phasor-FLIM) Imaging for glycolytic stress. Polychromatic flow cytometry identified pronounced increases in CD45+CD3+NK1.1+NKT1 cells in HFD fed mice when compared to mice fed a normal diet (ND). This observation is further extended to IRI, measuring ex vivo cytokine expression in the HFD and ND. Much higher interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) expression is noted in the HFD mice after IRI. We further tested our hypothesis by performing a lipidomic analysis of hepatic tissue and compared this to Phasor-FLIM imaging using "long lifetime species", a byproduct of lipid oxidation. There are higher levels of triacylglycerols and phospholipids in HFD mice. Since N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is able to limit hepatic steatosis, we tested how oral NAC supplementation in HFD mice impacted IRI. Interestingly, oral NAC supplementation in HFD mice results in improved hepatic enhancement using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared to HFD control mice and normalization of glycolysis demonstrated by Phasor-FLIM imaging. This correlated with improved biochemical serum levels and a decrease in IFN-γ expression at a tissue level and from CD45+CD3+CD1d+ cells. Lipidomic evaluation of tissue in the HFD+NAC mice demonstrated a drastic decrease in triacylglycerol, suggesting downregulation of the PPAR-γ pathway.

Clinical Epidemiology Characteristics and Etiology of Febrile Neutropenia in Children: Analysis of 421 Cases.

The congenital immune system includes neutrophils, which perform a variety of functions. Congenital and acquired neutropenia are rare illnesses with an underestimated prevalence in children. The aim of this study is to examine the epidemiology and etiology of febrile neutropenia in children at Haiphong Children's Hospital, Haiphong, Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 421 febrile neutropenia children. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were examined. Results: The median age (IQR) was 25.0 (12.5-59.5) months. The male-to-female ratio was 1.35/1. There were twice as many children living in the suburbs (66.98%) as in urban areas (33.02%). The mean (SD) temperature at admission was 38.50 ± 0.59 °C. Diagnosed causes associated with neutropenia included acute respiratory infections 250 (59.45%), gastrointestinal infections 68 (16.1%), erythema 37 (8.79%), acute leukemia 15 (3.56%), urinary tract infection 5 (1.19%), and encephalitis/meningitis 4 (0.95%). Viral etiology accounted for 61.52% (259): influenza type A-50.19% (130), influenza type B-31.27% (81), dengue virus-14.67% (38), measles virus 1-93% (5), rotavirus-1.54% (4), and EBV-0.4% (1). Twenty-five patients (5.94%) were found to have bacteria in their cultures, with Streptococcus pneumonia being the most common (eight patients; 32%). Conclusions: Febrile neutropenia was common in children under 2 years old. Primary clinical manifestations were acute upper respiratory tract infections, and viruses most commonly caused febrile neutropenia. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the cause of febrile neutropenia.