Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated at a General Hospital in Vietnam Between 2014 and 2021.

Purpose: Staphylococcus aureus is a commensal bacteria species that can cause various illnesses, from mild skin infections to severe diseases, such as bacteremia. The distribution and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) pattern of S. aureus varies by population, time, geographic location, and hospital wards. In this study, we elucidated the epidemiology and AMR patterns of S. aureus isolated from a general hospital in Vietnam. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Data on all S. aureus infections from 2014 to 2021 were collected from the Microbiology department of Military Hospital 103, Vietnam. Only the first isolation from each kind of specimen from a particular patient was analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage and chi-square tests. Results: A total of 1130 individuals were diagnosed as S. aureus infection. Among them, 1087 strains were tested for AMR features. Most patients with S. aureus infection were in the age group of 41-65 years (39.82%). S. aureus isolates were predominant in the surgery wards, and pus specimens were the most common source of isolates (50.62%). S. aureus was most resistant to azithromycin (82.28%), erythromycin (82.82%), and clindamycin (82.32%) and least resistant to teicoplanin (0.0%), tigecycline (0.16%), quinupristin-dalfopristin (0.43%), linezolid (0.62%), and vancomycin (2.92%). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. aureus were prevalent, accounting for 73.02% and 60.90% of the total strains respectively, and the strains isolated from the intensive care unit (ICU) had the highest percentage of multidrug resistance (77.78%) among the wards. Conclusion: These findings highlight the urgent need for continuous AMR surveillance and updated treatment guidelines, particularly considering high resistance in MRSA, MDR strains, and ICU isolates. Future research focusing on specific resistant populations and potential intervention strategies is crucial to combat this rising threat.

Effect of Transition Elements on the Thermal Stability of Glassy Alloys 82Al-16Fe-2TM (TM: Ti, Ni, Cu) Prepared by Mechanical Alloying.

In the present study, the thermal stability and crystallization behavior of mechanical alloyed metallic glassy Al82Fe16Ti2, Al82Fe16Ni2, and Al82Fe16Cu2 were investigated. The microstructure of the milled powders was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed remarkable distinction in thermal stability of the alloys by varying only two atomic percentages of transition elements. Among them, Al82Fe16Ti2 alloy shows the highest thermal stability compared to the others. In the crystallization process, exothermal peaks corresponding to precipitation of fcc-Al and intermetallic phases from amorphous matrix were observed.

Reduction Kinetics of Mill Scale Briquettes by Using A3 Fine Coal as a Reductant.

In this work, a mixture of mill scale with 5 wt% molasses as binder was pressed under pressure of 200 MPa to prepare briquettes. The reduction process was performed at the temperature of 1000, 1050, 1100, 1150 and 1200 °C in the bed of A3 fine coal as the reductant. The degree of reduction was evaluated at time duration of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 150 minutes, after the furnace temperature reached the predetermined reduction temperature. The highest reduction degree is 94.7% at the reduction process temperature of 1200 °C. Reaction rate constant (k) increased from 4.63×10-4 to 5.03×10-3 min-1 when the temperature increased from 1000 to 1200 °C. The apparent activation energy of the reduction reaction (Ea) is about 95.6 kJ/mole.

The Cu Matrix Strengthened by TiH2-C In-Situ Synthesized via Mechanical Milling and Spark Plasma Sintering.

The present work is focused on the fabrication and the investigation of microstructures of copperbased TiC nanocomposites produced by mechanical milling in a high energy planetary ball mill. TiH2, carbon and copper powders were used as starting materials in which In-Situ reaction between carbon and TiH2 occurs to form TiC nanoparticles. The mixture powders of Cu-TiH2-C were milled for 12 h at 450 rpm in Argon gas. Annealing treatment process at 950 °C for 2 h was applied for as-milled composite powders to enhance In-Situ reaction. The consolidation of composite powders was conducted by spark plasma sintering under uniaxial pressing of 70 MPa. Sintering procedure was done at 950 and 1000 °C for 5 min. The results indicated that as TiC nanoparticles are formed after sintering at 950 °C and the TiC particles are increased up at higher sintering temperature of 1000 °C. Fracture surface of sintered samples shows ductile mode. HR-TEM image showed the crystal size of copper was about 10 nm for sample sintered at 1000 °C. The hardness and relative density of the nanocomposites increase when increasing sintering temperature.

Genetic variants in NKG2D axis and susceptibility to Epstein-Barr virus-induced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare epithelial carcinoma arising from the nasopharyngeal region. The pathogenesis of NPC is linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, although genetics and lifestyle factors appears to be also implicated. NKG2D is an immunoreceptor expressed by NK and T-cell subsets that recognizes MICA protein and other ligands on tumor cells. NKG2D interaction with MICA plays a role in the immunosurveillance to viruses and cancer. METHODS: We investigated potential associations between functional polymorphisms in NKG2D and MICA genes with NPC susceptibility. We conducted a case-control study including 255 Vietnamese patients with EBV + non-differentiated NPC and 220 healthy controls. RESULTS: We observed a significant association between the LNK/LNK genotype of rs1049174 (a variant associated with lower NKG2D receptor expression and reduced NK cell cytotoxicity) and increased susceptibility to NPC (adjusted OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.07-2.59; p = 0.024). Similarly, the AA genotype of MICA rs2596542 was significantly associated with NPC (adjusted OR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.22-3.81; p = 0.009). In addition, tumor specimens of NPC patients with the AA genotype displayed a higher expression level of MICA proteins and showed higher EBV titers compared with tumor tissues from patients with the GG or GA genotypes. Higher EBV copy numbers were also observed in tumors with the A allele of MICA rs1051792 (also known as MICA-129 Met/Val) compared with those with the G allele; however, MICA rs1051792 variants were not associated with NPC susceptibility. These results suggest that genetic variants in components of the NKG2D axis may influence the individual susceptibility to EBV-induced NPC.

Androgen disruption by dioxin exposure in 5-year-old Vietnamese children: Decrease in serum testosterone level.

Dioxins have been suspected to be potential substances causing endocrine disruptions in humans. We are conducting the research in one of three dioxin exposure areas (hotspots) in Vietnam. We previously reported that the salivary dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) level decreased in 3-year-old Vietnamese children and that it was significantly inversely correlated with polychlorinated dibenzodioxin/dibenzofuran levels in their mother's breast milk. In this study, we investigated the influence of exposure to dioxin on steroid hormone biosynthesis in the same children when they reached 5 years of age, focusing on androgens. Thirty-five and 50 mother-child pairs from dioxin hotspot and non-sprayed areas, respectively, participated in this study. Maternal breast milk was donated at 4 to 16 weeks postpartum in 2008 to measure dioxin levels by gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. Serum was collected from 5-year-old children in 2013. Seven steroid hormones were measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Most dioxin congeners in breast milk were 2- to 10-fold higher in the hotspot than in the non-sprayed area. DHEA and testosterone (T) were significantly lower in the hotspot and showed negative correlations with most dioxin congeners. Similar results were observed for the activities of cytochrome P450-17, 20 lyase (CYP17 lyase), and 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD). Conversely, the elevated androstenedione (A-dione) level and 3ß-HSD activity in children from the hotspot were positively correlated with dioxin levels. Moreover, a positive correlation was shown between T and 17ß-HSD. It is possible that dioxin inhibits 17ß-HSD activity, leading to a decrease in the T level. Multiple regression analysis indicated that dioxin had a strong association with the DHEA, A-dione, and T levels. In conclusion, the present study suggests that dioxin is associated with low levels of DHEA and T and inhibition of the activity of steroidogenic enzymes such as CYP17 lyase and 17ß-HSD in 5-year-old children.

Resveratrol selectively induces apoptosis in malignant cells with the JAK2V617F mutation by inhibiting the JAK2 pathway.

SCOPE: Resveratrol is a natural occurring polyphenol with several health promoting activities, including anticancer potential. Here, we analyzed the cytotoxic effects of resveratrol against malignant cells characterized by aberrant activation of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). METHODS AND RESULTS: Cell-cycle analysis, proliferation, apoptosis, and Western blotting assays were performed to study the effect of resveratrol on malignant cells exhibiting an excessive activation of the JAK2 pathway secondary to the JAK2(V617F) mutation. Resveratrol inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in JAK2(V617F) mutant tumor cells and its selectivity was 1.5-6.9 times greater than that observed in other tumor cells without the JAK2(V617F) mutation. In addition, resveratrol inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK1, JAK2, and Tyk2 and their downstream mediators, including STAT3 and STAT5. In primary cultures, resveratrol treatment inhibited erythroid progenitor colony formation in blood samples obtained from JAK2(V617F) polycythemia vera patients. Moreover, resveratrol synergized with the selective JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib, eliminating tumor cells with the JAK2 mutation. CONCLUSION: Resveratrol may have therapeutic potential against myeloproliferative neoplasms associated with the aberrant activation of the JAK2 pathway.

The relationship between dioxins and salivary steroid hormones in Vietnamese primiparae.

OBJECTIVE: Nearly 40 years after Agent Orange was last sprayed, we conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the impact of dioxin exposure on salivary hormones in Vietnamese primiparae. Our previous studies found higher levels of salivary cortisol and cortisone in one of the most highly dioxin-contaminated areas, known as a "hot-spot", than in a non-exposed area. As a result, we suggested that further research with a larger number of participants would be needed to confirm whether dioxin affects steroid hormone levels in Vietnamese primiparae. METHODS: The concentration of steroid hormones in saliva was determined by liquid chromatography (electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry), whereas the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in breast milk were determined by gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, for a sample of the population from a "hot-spot" (n = 16) and a non-exposed area (n = 10). All subjects were aged between 20 and 30 years and had children aged between 4 and 16 weeks. RESULTS: The mean toxic equivalence of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCDDs + PCDFs in breast milk in the hot-spot area was found to be significantly higher than in the non-exposed area (p < 0.001). Likewise, salivary cortisol, cortisone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels were significantly higher in the hotspot area than in the non-exposed area (p < 0.05). As a result, herein we report, for the first time, that salivary DHEA levels in primiparae are higher in a hot-spot than in a non-exposed area, and that this may be the result of dioxin exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the long-term effects of Agent Orange/dioxin on steroid hormones in Vietnamese primiparae in the post-war period.