Study on the temporal and spatial distribution of Culex mosquitoes in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Arboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes, including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), present a substantial global health threat. JEV is transmitted by mosquitoes in the genus Culex, which are common in both urban and rural areas in Vietnam. In 2020, we conducted a 1-year survey of Culex mosquito abundance in urban, suburban, and peri-urban areas of Hanoi using CDC-light traps. Mosquitoes were identified to species and sorted into pools based on species, sex, and trap location. The mosquito pools were also investigated by RT-qPCR for detection of JEV. In total, 4829 mosquitoes were collected over a total of 455 trap-nights, across 13 months. Collected mosquitoes included Culex, Aedes, Anopheles, and Mansonia species. Culex mosquitoes, primarily Cx. quinquefasciatus, predominated, especially in peri-urban areas. Most Culex mosquitoes were caught in the early months of the year. The distribution and abundance of mosquitoes exhibited variations across urban, suburban, and peri-urban sites, emphasizing the influence of environmental factors such as degree of urbanization, temperature and humidity on Culex abundance. No JEV was detected in the mosquito pools. This study establishes baseline knowledge of Culex abundance and temporal variation, which is crucial for understanding the potential for JEV transmission in Hanoi.

A retrospective investigation of the population structure and geospatial distribution of Salmonella Paratyphi A in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Salmonella Paratyphi A, one of the major etiologic agents of enteric fever, has increased in prevalence in recent decades in certain endemic regions in comparison to S. Typhi, the most prevalent cause of enteric fever. Despite this increase, data on the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of S. Paratyphi A remain generally scarce. Here, we analysed the whole genome sequences of 216 S. Paratyphi A isolates originating from Kathmandu, Nepal between 2005 and 2014, of which 200 were from patients with acute enteric fever and 16 from the gallbladder of people with suspected chronic carriage. By exploiting the recently developed genotyping framework for S. Paratyphi A (Paratype), we identified several genotypes circulating in Kathmandu. Notably, we observed an unusual clonal expansion of genotype 2.4.3 over a four-year period that spread geographically and systematically replaced other genotypes. This rapid genotype replacement is hypothesised to have been driven by both reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and genetic changes to virulence factors, such as functional and structural genes encoding the type 3 secretion systems. Finally, we show that person-to-person is likely the most common mode of transmission and chronic carriers seem to play a limited role in maintaining disease circulation.

Unravelling the effects of functional groups on the adsorption of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole on a copper surface: a DFT study.

The adsorption of organic compounds onto metal surfaces holds significant importance across various applications, where understanding the intricate interactions between the compounds and the metal surfaces is indispensable. By using density functional theory calculations, this study investigated the impact of functional groups on the interaction between the thione form of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) and the Cu(111) surface. The results indicated that substituting functional groups at the C6 position exerts a dual influence on the covalent and non-covalent interactions (NCI). Electron-donating groups enhanced both covalent and non-covalent interactions, whereas electron-withdrawing groups decreased covalent while increasing non-covalent interactions. The covalent interaction between MBTs and Cu(111) is mainly governed by the electron donation from the occupied orbitals of the molecules to the conduction band of copper, with the absolute interaction energies (eV) increasing in the order of MBT-NO2 (0.629) < MBT-COOH (0.660) < MBT-Cl (0.699) < MBT (0.715) < MBT-SH (0.727) < MBT-OH (0.733) < MBT-CH3 (0.735) < MBT-OCH3 (0.749) < MBT-NH2 (0.781) < MBT-NHCH3 (0.792). The influence of functional groups on covalent interactions is clarified by examining changes in the molecule's electronic structure, revealing a linear relationship between covalent interaction energy and HOMO energy, or the Hammett substituent constant. However, the impact of functional groups on non-covalent interactions is more complex and cannot be described by changes in the electronic structure. A novel parameter, the substitution interaction energy, was proposed to capture the effect of functional groups on the NCI-included adsorption energy of MBT derivatives on the Cu(111) surface. The stronger the substitution interaction, the stronger the NCI-included interaction of MBTs on Cu(111). The absolute NCI-included interaction energies follow the order of MBT (2.141) < MBT-Cl (2.213) < MBT-COOH (2.266) < MBT-CH3 (2.294) < MBT-OH (2.331) < MBT-OCH3 (2.379) < MBT-NO2 (2.461) = MBT-NH2 (2.461) < MBT-SH (2.530) < MBT-NHCH3 (2.565). These insights offer valuable guidance for manipulating the adsorption of organic substances on metal surfaces through functional groups in diverse applications.

Beyond Medical Bills: High Prevalence of Financial Toxicity and Diverse Management Strategies Among Vietnamese Patients with Cancer.

Objectives: This study was conducted to measure financial toxicity (FT) among patients with cancer in Vietnam using the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) and to describe the cost management strategies employed by these patients. Methods: This comprehensive cross-sectional study enrolled 634 patients from 2 specialized oncology hospitals in Vietnam. Using COST cutoff scores, FT was classified as none/mild (≥26), moderate (14-25), or severe (≤13). Cost management strategies, or coping mechanisms, were classified into 4 groups: lifestyle changes, financial resource strategies, treatment modifications, and support seeking. Results: The prevalence of FT was 91.8%, with 51.7% of participants demonstrating severe and 40.1% exhibiting moderate FT. Severe FT was significantly associated with female sex, low education level, unstable employment, low household economic status, and advanced cancer stage. The most common coping strategies were as follows: among lifestyle changes, reducing spending on basic items and leisure activities (78.7%) and cutting back on essential household expenses (66.4%); among financial resource strategies, borrowing money from relatives or friends (49.1%) and withdrawing funds from retirement or savings accounts (32.1%); within treatment modifications, switching treatment facilities or doctors due to cost concerns (9.3%); and within support seeking, obtaining help from welfare or community organizations (18.8%). All strategies were significantly more likely to be used by patients with severe FT. Conclusions: FT was highly prevalent among patients with cancer. Most patients relied on lifestyle adjustments and coping strategies, underscoring the need for improved financial support systems to alleviate the economic burden associated with cancer care.

The origins of haplotype 58 (H58) Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to the clinical management of typhoid fever. AMR in Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) is commonly associated with the H58 lineage, a lineage that arose comparatively recently before becoming globally disseminated. To better understand when and how H58 emerged and became dominant, we performed detailed phylogenetic analyses on contemporary genome sequences from S. Typhi isolated in the period spanning the emergence. Our dataset, which contains the earliest described H58 S. Typhi organism, indicates that ancestral H58 organisms were already multi-drug resistant (MDR). These organisms emerged spontaneously in India in 1987 and became radially distributed throughout South Asia and then globally in the ensuing years. These early organisms were associated with a single long branch, possessing mutations associated with increased bile tolerance, suggesting that the first H58 organism was generated during chronic carriage. The subsequent use of fluoroquinolones led to several independent mutations in gyrA. The ability of H58 to acquire and maintain AMR genes continues to pose a threat, as extensively drug-resistant (XDR; MDR plus resistance to ciprofloxacin and third generation cephalosporins) variants, have emerged recently in this lineage. Understanding where and how H58 S. Typhi originated and became successful is key to understand how AMR drives successful lineages of bacterial pathogens. Additionally, these data can inform optimal targeting of typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs) for reducing the potential for emergence and the impact of new drug-resistant variants. Emphasis should also be placed upon the prospective identification and treatment of chronic carriers to prevent the emergence of new drug resistant variants with the ability to spread efficiently.

Novel machine learning approach toward classification model of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors.

HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus-1) has been causing severe pandemics by attacking the immune system of its host. Left untreated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), where death is inevitable due to opportunistic diseases. Therefore, discovering new antiviral drugs against HIV-1 is crucial. This study aimed to explore a novel machine learning approach to classify compounds that inhibit HIV-1 integrase and screen the dataset of repurposing compounds. The present study had two main stages: selecting the best type of fingerprint or molecular descriptor using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and building a computational model based on machine learning. In the first stage, we calculated 16 different types of fingerprint or molecular descriptors from the dataset and used each of them as input features for 10 machine-learning models, which were evaluated through cross-validation. Then, a meta-analysis was performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to select the optimal fingerprint or molecular descriptor types. In the second stage, we constructed a model based on the optimal fingerprint or molecular descriptor type. This data followed the machine learning procedure, including data preprocessing, outlier handling, normalization, feature selection, model selection, external validation, and model optimization. In the end, an XGBoost model and RDK7 fingerprint were identified as the most suitable. The model achieved promising results, with an average precision of 0.928 ± 0.027 and an F1-score of 0.848 ± 0.041 in cross-validation. The model achieved an average precision of 0.921 and an F1-score of 0.889 in external validation. Molecular docking was performed and validated by redocking for docking power and retrospective control for screening power, with the AUC metrics being 0.876 and the threshold being identified at -9.71 kcal mol-1. Finally, 44 compounds from DrugBank repurposing data were selected from the QSAR model, then three candidates were identified as potential compounds from molecular docking, and PSI-697 was detected as the most promising molecule, with in vitro experiment being not performed (docking score: -17.14 kcal mol-1, HIV integrase inhibitory probability: 69.81%).

REFORMS: Consensus-based Recommendations for Machine-learning-based Science.

Machine learning (ML) methods are proliferating in scientific research. However, the adoption of these methods has been accompanied by failures of validity, reproducibility, and generalizability. These failures can hinder scientific progress, lead to false consensus around invalid claims, and undermine the credibility of ML-based science. ML methods are often applied and fail in similar ways across disciplines. Motivated by this observation, our goal is to provide clear recommendations for conducting and reporting ML-based science. Drawing from an extensive review of past literature, we present the REFORMS checklist (recommendations for machine-learning-based science). It consists of 32 questions and a paired set of guidelines. REFORMS was developed on the basis of a consensus of 19 researchers across computer science, data science, mathematics, social sciences, and biomedical sciences. REFORMS can serve as a resource for researchers when designing and implementing a study, for referees when reviewing papers, and for journals when enforcing standards for transparency and reproducibility.

Wide-incident-angle, polarization-independent broadband-absorption metastructure without external resistive elements by using a trapezoidal structure.

The absorption of electromagnetic waves in a broadband frequency range with polarization insensitivity and incidence-angle independence is greatly needed in modern technology applications. Many structures based on metamaterials have been suggested for addressing these requirements; these structures were complex multilayer structures or used special materials or external electric components, such as resistive ones. In this paper, we present a metasurface structure that was fabricated simply by employing the standard printed-circuit-board technique but provides a high absorption above 90% in a broadband frequency range from 12.35 to 14.65 GHz. The metasurface consisted of structural unit cells of 4 symmetric substructures assembled with a metallic bar pattern, which induced broadband absorption by using a planar resistive interaction in the pattern without a real resistive component. The analysis, simulation, and measurement results showed that the metasurface was also polarization insensitive and still maintained an absorption above 90% at incident angles up to 45°. The suggested metasurface plays a role in the fundamental design and can also be used to design absorbers at different frequency ranges. Furthermore, further enhancement of the absorption performance is achieved by improved design and fabrication.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy with selective renal artery clamping for renal cell carcinoma: initial outcomes.

Introduction: To explore the feasibility and safety of retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RLPN) with selective artery clamp (SAC) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods: The authors recruited three men and two women who underwent RLPN for T1 RCC between December 2022 and May 2023 at a tertiary hospital. The median age of the patients was 32 years (range, 25-70 years). The tumour size ranged from 3 to 4.5 cm. The R.E.N.A.L scores were 4x, 5p, 8a, 5a, and 8ah. The median preoperative eGFR was 96.9 (74.3-105.2). Renal computed tomography angiography was performed before the surgery to evaluate the artery branches. The operation time, number of clamped arteries, warm ischaemic time (WIT), intraoperative blood loss, RCC type, postoperative hospital stay, changes in renal function, and complications were evaluated. The follow-up duration was 6 months. Results: The median operation time was 120 (75-150) minutes. One artery was clamped in four patients, while three were clamped in one patient. The median WIT was 22 (15-30) min, and the median blood loss was 150 (100-300) ml. No complications were recorded, and the resection margin was negative in all patients. The median decrease in eGFR was 6 (4-30%). Conclusions: RLPN with SAC for T1 RCC is safe and feasible in clinical practice.

Spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax define high-risk areas requiring intervention in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam 1991-2022.

Anthrax, a widespread zoonosis in low and middle-income countries with low disease awareness and insufficient livestock vaccination coverage, has been known in Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam for years before its apparent absence in 2009, which requires investigation as this infection is frequently reported from neighbouring provinces and countries. We aimed to describe the seasonal patterns of anthrax (1991-2008), compare livestock anthrax vaccine coverage to disease occurrence (1991- 2022), and delineate the high-risk areas to inform local disease surveillance in the province. We illustrated the seasonal pattern of anthrax and provided a comparison between livestock vaccine coverage and disease occurrence by purely spatial SaTScan (Poisson model, 25% population at risk) to detect spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax using population derived from zonal statistics routines. The number of cases, crude cumulative incidence, and spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax were mapped in QGIS. Results indicate peak anthrax incidence from May to October. Buffalo, domestic cattle, and horses accounted for 75% of total animal cases. Horse anthrax was more common in Lao Cai than in its neighbours and often occurred in years with human mortality. Vaccination covered less than 30% of the livestock population. We found an apparent pattern where anthrax was controlled from 1998-2003 with higher vaccine coverage (>20%) and identified spatial clusters of human and livestock anthrax in Muong Khuong, Bao Thang, and Bac Ha districts of Lao Cai. The local public health and veterinary agencies are recommended to revisit the high-risk areas and communicate with neighbouring provinces for a regional approach to anthrax surveillance and control.

A data-driven QSPR model for screening organic corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel using machine learning techniques.

Machine learning (ML) techniques have shown great potential for screening corrosion inhibitors. In this study, a data-driven quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model using the gradient boosting decision tree (GB) algorithm combined with the permutation feature importance (PFI) technique was developed to predict the corrosion inhibition efficiency (IE) of organic compounds on carbon steel. The results showed that the PFI method effectively selected the molecular descriptors most relevant to the IE. Using these important molecular descriptors, an IE predictive model was trained on a dataset encompassing various categories of organic corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel, achieving RMSE, MAE, and R2 of 6.40%, 4.80%, and 0.72, respectively. The integration of GB with PFI within the ML workflow demonstrated significantly enhanced IE predictive capability compared to previously reported ML models. Subsequent assessments involved the application of the trained model to drug-based corrosion inhibitors. The model demonstrates robust predictive capability when validated on available and our own experimental results. Furthermore, the model has been employed to predict IE for more than 1500 drug compounds, suggesting five novel drug compounds with the highest predicted IE on carbon steel. The developed ML workflow and associated model will be useful in accelerating the development of next-generation corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel.

Ectopic pregnancy located at pelvic wall and liver: Two uncommon case reports from Vietnam and mini-review literature.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Abdominal ectopic pregnancy (AEP) located at hepatic region and pelvic-wall ectopic pregnancy (EP) are rare entities, that provoking a potentially life-threatening condition. Due to insufficient data, a proper management of non-specific types remains a challenge for all gynecologists worldwide. CASE PRESENTATION: Two child-bearing age women were hospitalized due to delayed menstruation and a urine pregnancy test was positive without a determination of intrauterine pregnancy. The first EP case was located at the pelvic wall which identified incidentally during laparoscopy for a presumed tubal ectopic pregnancy on ultrasonography throughout. The second EP case was found at the hepatic region due to intermittent pain rising from the right upper quadrant region and serial ultrasonic findings. In our management, both cases were successfully assessed by laparoscopy and laparotomy without requiring further intervention, respectively. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: An accurate diagnosis of EP location at liver and pelvic wall is totally difficult since its uncommon location. An initial assessment should be based on clinical symptoms and the treatment remains controversial. The surgical management including laparotomy and laparoscopy depends on clinical evaluation, experience of surgeon, and interdisciplinary team. Thus, these abnormal sites of ectopic pregnancy ought to take into consideration for all gynecologists in an emergency condition with a major hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: In reproductive age women, primary EP at liver and pelvic wall should be considered with high index of suspicion if intrauterine pregnancy is totally excluded. Timely diagnosis, rational management by surgical excision, and a multidisciplinary team can reduce substantially adverse outcomes.

Charge Transfer-Promoted Excited State of a Heavy-Atom-Free Photosensitizer for Efficient Application of Mitochondria-Targeted Fluorescence Imaging and Hypoxia Photodynamic Therapy.

Conventional photosensitizers (PSs) used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) have shown preliminary success; however, they are often associated with several limitations including potential dark toxicity in healthy tissues, limited efficacy under acidic and hypoxic conditions, suboptimal fluorescence imaging capabilities, and nonspecific targeting during treatment. In response to these challenges, we developed a heavy-atom-free PS, denoted as Cz-SB, by incorporating ethyl carbazole into a thiophene-fused BODIPY core. A comprehensive investigation into the photophysical properties of Cz-SB was conducted through a synergistic approach involving experimental and computational investigations. The enhancement of intersystem crossing (kISC) and fluorescence emission (kfl) rate constants was achieved through a donor-acceptor pair-mediated charge transfer mechanism. Consequently, Cz-SB demonstrated remarkable efficiency in generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) under acidic and low-oxygen conditions, making it particularly effective for hypoxic cancer PDT. Furthermore, Cz-SB exhibited good biocompatibility, fluorescence imaging capabilities, and a high degree of localization within the mitochondria of living cells. We posit that Cz-SB holds substantial prospects as a versatile PS with innovative molecular design, representing a potential "one-for-all" solution in the realm of cancer phototheranostics.

Diagnostic Strategy for Suspected Unilateral Absence of the Pulmonary Artery.

Background: Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery (UAPA) is a very rare congenital anomaly. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the diagnostic strategy applied to seven patients with UAPA who were examined and subsequently treated at the National Lung Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. METHODS: All seven patients, including three pediatric cases (1, 2, and 14 years old) and four adult cases (21, 26, 44, and 53 years old), had a history of recurrent pneumonia, and the clinical symptoms on admission included cough, progressive dyspnea, chest pain, and fatigue. The patients were initially examined clinically, followed by hematological testing, blood biochemistry testing, and chest X-ray radiology. The results suggested UAPA, so echocardiography and contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) were performed as soon as practical. RESULTS: The echocardiographic and CT imaging findings confirmed the suspected diagnosis of UAPA in all seven patients, which was accompanied by congenital heart disease in three patients. Three of the seven patients had mild and medium pulmonary hypertension. All seven patients were treated with drugs, which led to improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSION: Frontal chest X-ray provided the initial signs suggesting a diagnosis of UAPA. Subsequent echocardiography and contrast-enhanced chest CT were effective diagnostic tools for fast and accurate confirmation of UAPA.

Exploring the Phytochemical Diversity and Antioxidant Potential of the Vietnamese Smilax glabra Roxb: Insights from UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and Zebrafish Model Studies.

Research on natural products is growing due to their potential health benefits and medicinal properties. Despite regional variations in phytochemical composition and bioactivity, Smilax glabra Roxb (SGB) has attracted the interest of researchers. Scientists are particularly interested in the Vietnamese SGB variant, which is influenced by biological and environmental factors. Despite geographical differences in phytochemical makeup and bioactivities, SGB remains a fascinating subject in traditional herbal medicine. Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), the phytochemicals in Vietnamese SGB extracts were investigated. This study revealed a wide range of phytochemical compounds, including flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, alkaloids, organic acids, phenolics, and steroids. Furthermore, utilizing zebrafish as a model organism, we discovered that these extracts have the surprising ability to greatly improve the survival rate of zebrafish larvae exposed to oxidative stress caused by arsenite (NaAsO2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Notably, our discoveries suggest the occurrence of new antioxidative pathways in addition to the kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway, expanding the understanding of the antioxidant properties and potential therapeutic uses of these plants. To summarize, our research findings shed light on the phytochemical composition of Vietnamese SGB, revealing its potential as a natural antioxidant and encouraging further exploration of its underlying mechanisms for future innovative antioxidant therapies.

Ecotoxicity of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic delafloxacin to the water flea Simocephalus vetulus and its offspring under the influence of calcium modulation.

Delafloxacin (DFX), one of the latest additions to the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, is gaining heightened recognition in human therapy due to its potential antibacterial efficacy in a wide range of applications. Concerns have arisen regarding its presence in the environment and its potential interactions with multivalent metals, such as calcium (Ca). The present study investigated the trans- and multigenerational effects of environmentally projected concentrations of DFX (100-400 µg DFX L-1) on individual- and population-level responses of parental S. vetulus (F0) and its descendants (F1) under normal (26 mg L-1) and high (78 mg L-1) Ca conditions. Exposure of the F0 generation to DFX under the normal Ca condition resulted in reduced juvenile body length (JBL), increased age-specific survival rate (lx), indicating prolonged developmental time, reduced age-specific fecundity rate (mx), and decreased population growth rate (rm). Under the high Ca condition, JBL, mx, and rm were adversely affected. Transgenerational effects of DFX existed, as F1 individuals exhibited persistent suppressions in at least one endpoint under both Ca conditions even after being transferred to a clear medium. Continuous exposure of the F1 generation to DFX had negative impacts on JBL, mx, and rm under the normal Ca condition, and on JBL and rm under the high Ca condition. However, cumulative effects were not observed, suggesting the potential development of tolerance to DFX in the F1 organisms. These findings suggest that DFX is a harmful compound for the non-target model organism S. vetulus and reveal a potential antagonism between DFX and Ca. Nevertheless, the interaction between other (fluoro)quinolones and Ca remains unclear, necessitating further research to establish this phenomenon more comprehensively, including understanding the interaction mechanism in ecotoxicological contexts.

Chemical constituents from the leaves of Sindora siamensis var. maritima and their antimicrobial and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

Two new glycosides, sindosides A-B (1-2), along with 11 previously identified metabolites (3-13), were isolated from an ethanolic extract of the leaves of Sindora siamensis var. maritima. The structures of the purified phytochemicals were elucidated by interpreting their spectroscopic data (IR, NMR, and HRMS). The absolute configuration of compound 1 was established by experimental and calculated ECD spectra. The antimicrobial results revealed that compound 8 selectively inhibited C. albicans fungal with a MIC value of 64 µg/mL, whereas 11 presented a weak inhibition toward E. faecalis, S. aureus, and B. cereus bacterial strains with the same MIC value of 128 µg/mL. Interestingly, compounds 1, 2, 8, 9, and 11 showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values ranging from 14.42 ± 0.21 to 30.62 ± 0.18 µM, which were more active than the positive control (acarbose, with an IC50 value of 46.78 ± 1.37 µM). Enzyme kinetic analysis revealed that compounds 1, 2, and 11 behaved as uncompetitive inhibitors with Ki values of 8.60 ± 1.04, 5.16 ± 0.73, and 7.17 ± 0.98 µM, respectively.

Computational tools supporting known miRNA identification.

The study of small RNAs is a field that is expanding quickly. Other functional short RNA molecules other than microRNAs, and gene expression regulators, have been found in animals and plants. MicroRNAs play a significant role in host-microbe interactions, and parasite microRNAs may affect the host's innate immunity. Furthermore, short RNAs are intriguing non-invasive biomarker possibilities because they can be found in physiological fluids. These trends suggest that for many researchers, quick and simple techniques for expression profiling and subsequent downstream analysis of miRNA-seq data are crucial. We selected sRNAtoolbox to make integrated sRNA research easier. Each tool can be used separately or to explore and analyze sRNAbench results in further depth. A special focus was placed on the tools' usability. We review available miRNA research tools to have an overview of the evaluation of the tools. Mainly we evaluate the tool sRNAtoolbox.

Development and validation of multiplex real-time PCR for simultaneous detection of six bacterial pathogens causing lower respiratory tract infections and antimicrobial resistance genes.

BACKGROUND: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus are major bacterial causes of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) globally, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. The rapid increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in these pathogens poses significant challenges for their effective antibiotic therapy. In low-resourced settings, patients with LRTIs are prescribed antibiotics empirically while awaiting several days for culture results. Rapid pathogen and AMR gene detection could prompt optimal antibiotic use and improve outcomes. METHODS: Here, we developed multiplex quantitative real-time PCR using EvaGreen dye and melting curve analysis to rapidly identify six major pathogens and fourteen AMR genes directly from respiratory samples. The reproducibility, linearity, limit of detection (LOD) of real-time PCR assays for pathogen detection were evaluated using DNA control mixes and spiked tracheal aspirate. The performance of RT-PCR assays was subsequently compared with the gold standard, conventional culture on 50 tracheal aspirate and sputum specimens of ICU patients. RESULTS: The sensitivity of RT-PCR assays was 100% for K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and 63.6% for S. aureus and the specificity ranged from 87.5% to 97.6%. The kappa correlation values of all pathogens between the two methods varied from 0.63 to 0.95. The limit of detection of target bacteria was 1600 CFU/ml. The quantitative results from the PCR assays demonstrated 100% concordance with quantitative culture of tracheal aspirates. Compared to culture, PCR assays exhibited higher sensitivity in detecting mixed infections and S. pneumoniae. There was a high level of concordance between the detection of AMR gene and AMR phenotype in single infections. CONCLUSIONS: Our multiplex quantitative RT-PCR assays are fast and simple, but sensitive and specific in detecting six bacterial pathogens of LRTIs and their antimicrobial resistance genes and should be further evaluated for clinical utility.

Spatial epidemiology of human anthrax in Son La province, Vietnam, 2003-2022.

AIMS: Anthrax is reported with frequency but poorly understood in Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam. In Vietnam, anthrax surveillance is national. However, case detection, prevention, and control are implemented locally at the provincial level. Here, we describe the epidemiological characteristics, identify spatial clusters of human anthrax, and compare the variation in livestock anthrax vaccine coverage to disease incidence in humans and livestock using historical data in Son La province, Vietnam (2003-2020). METHODS AND RESULTS: Most human cases occurred between April and September. Most of the patients were male, aged 15-54 years old. The human cases were mainly reported by public district hospitals. There was a delay between disease onset and hospitalization of ~5 days. We identified spatial clusters of high-high incidence communes in the northern communes of the province using the local Moran's I statistic. The vaccine coverage sharply decreased across the study period. The province reported sporadic human anthrax outbreaks, while animal cases were only reported in 2005 and 2022. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest underreporting for human and livestock anthrax in the province. Intersectoral information sharing is needed to aid livestock vaccination planning, which currently relies on reported livestock cases. The spatial clusters identify areas for targeted surveillance and livestock vaccination, while the seasonal case data suggest prioritizing vaccination campaigns for February or early March ahead of the April peak. A regional approach for studying the role of livestock trading between Son La and neighbouring provinces in anthrax occurrence is recommended.