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ObjectiveThis study aimed to measure depression among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hanoi, Vietnam and its associated factors by using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) instrument.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study among students from grades 6 to 9 within two secondary schools in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. A structured questionnaire was used, including information about personal characteristics, perception of COVID-19, and SMFQ. Factor analysis, Multivariate logistic and Tobit regression models were used.ResultsAmong 2378 students, 8.8% had depressive symptoms. The mean SMFQ score was 4.5 (SD=5.0). Being female, studying in higher grades, perceived low household income, higher perceived impacts of COVID-19 on health and higher perceived impacts of COVID-19-related quarantine on life were positively associated with factors’ scores, SMFQ score and depressive symptoms. Meanwhile, having better academic performance, living with parents and having higher perceived knowledge about COVID-19 were negatively associated with factors scores, SMFQ score and depressive symptoms.ConclusionsDepressive symptoms were common among secondary school students in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tailored interventions to improve pandemic-related knowledge and family and school support should be warranted for the students to enhance their mental well-being.

IntroductionThe objective of the current study was to examine the rate of high school students at risk of anxiety disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, as well as the coping strategies utilized within this demographic.MethodsAn evaluation was conducted through the utilization of mixed methods, consisting of a combination of a cross-sectional study and in-depth interviews. In this study, a sample of 3,910 students from 13 high schools in Hanoi, Vietnam were selected for participation. The measurement of symptoms of anxiety disorder was conducted through the application of the seven-item General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. To comprehend the underlying causes of anxiety and the various coping mechanisms employed, in-depth interviews were conducted.ResultsThe findings indicate a prevalence rate of anxiety disorder symptoms among students at 40.6% The prevalence rates of mild, moderate, and severe anxiety symptoms were found to be 23.9%, 10.9%, and 5.8%, respectively. In-depth interviews uncovered multiple sources of anxiety experienced by high school students, namely their academic performance, social interactions, prejudicial attitudes from their social circle, and familial expectations. Numerous coping strategies were then documented.DiscussionThe current investigation ascertained that there exists a moderate level of anxiety amongst high school students in Hanoi, Vietnam during the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, this study configured potential indicators to identify vulnerable individuals and further suggests the development of targeted interventions.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the male urinary system, and its incidence and mortality rates have been increasing worldwide. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) represents stromal and epithelial cell proliferation in the prostate in elderly males. Abnormal activation of inflammation-related signalling molecules, such as toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) has been linked to the initiation and progression of various human diseases including PCa and BPH. Cylindromatosis (CYLD) gene alterations are associated with PCa progression. In this study, the contribution of CYLD, JAK2, and TLR4 gene variants to PCa and BPH risks and their associations with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, immunophenotype, and clinical features in Vietnamese men were determined. Methods: A total of 102 patients with PCa, 65 with BPH, and 114 healthy controls were enrolled. The immunophenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry, cytokine secretion by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and gene variants by DNA sequencing. Results: Lower levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and higher numbers of CD13+CD117- and CD56+CD25+ cells were observed in the PCa group than in the BPH group. Genetic analysis of the CYLD gene identified five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which c.2351-47 C>T, c.2351-46A>T, and rs1971432171 T>G had significantly higher frequencies in PCa patients than in the control and BPH groups. Sequencing of the TLR4 gene revealed five nucleotide changes, in which the rs2149356 SNP showed an increased risk for both PCa and BPH and the c.331-206 SNP had a reduced risk for PCa. Importantly, the expansion of activated natural killer (NK) cells and higher levels of PSA were found in PCa patients carrying the CT genotype of the CYLD c.2351-47 compared to those with the wild-type genotype. Conclusion: Activation of NK cells in CYLD-sensitive PCa patients was associated with serum PSA release and the CYLD c.2351-47 variant may be a significant risk factor for prostatitis in PCa patients.

Abstract Psoriasis is a common chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the skin. PSORS1C3 is a non-protein coding gene, of which the RNA transcript is found in psoriatic patients. CARD14 is mainly expressed in epidermal keratinocytes. TLR4 is a transmembrane protein to recognize microbial antigens. Our study aimed to assess the relationship among PSORS1C3, CARD14 and TLR4 polymorphisms, inflammatory expression and psoriasis susceptibility. To the end, 71 patients with psoriasis and 46 healthy individuals with the well-characterized clinical profiles were enrolled. Gene polymorphisms were determined by Sanger DNA sequencing and secretion of cytokines by ELISA. As a result, genetic analysis of PSORS1C3 gene identified nine SNPs and three haplotype blocks. Sequencing of the CARD14 gene determined eight SNPs and one haplotype block. Sequencing of TLR4 gene identified nine SNPs, in which a SNP rs1018673641 was found to exert deleterious effect. The linkage disequilibrium analysis showed that seven variants in PSORS1C3 gene and three SNPs in CARD14 gene were in tightly linked. More importantly, a significant association between IL-6 level and rs1018673641 AT genotype in TLR4 gene was detected in psoriatic patients. In conclusion, the PSORS1C3, CARD14 and TLR4 polymorphisms and haplotypes may be correlated with risk of suffering psoriasis and the IL-6-mediated chronic inflammation in psoriasis could be partially regulated by the TLR4 functional variant.

Background and Objectives: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin disorder and commonly associated with highly noticeable erythematous, thickened and scaly plaques. Deubiquitinase genes, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha protein 3 (TNFAIP3, A20), the cylindromatosis (CYLD) and Cezanne, function as negative regulators of inflammatory response through the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathways. In this study, polymorphisms and expressions of A20, CYLD and Cezanne genes as well as immunophenotype in psoriatic patients were determined. Materials and Methods: In total, 82 patients with psoriasis and 147 healthy individuals with well-characterized clinical profiles were enrolled. Gene polymorphisms were determined by direct DNA sequencing, gene expression profile by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunophenotype by flow cytometry, and the secretion of cytokines and cancer antigen (CA) 125 by enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The inactivation of A20, CYLD and Cezanne and increased levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ and CA 125 was observed in psoriatic patients. Importantly, patients with low A20 expression had significant elevations of triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations and higher numbers of CD13+CD117− and CD19+CD23+ (activated B) cells than those with high A20 expression. Genetic analysis indicated that all rs4495487 SNPs in the JAK2 gene, rs200878487 SNPs in the A20 gene and four SNPs (c.1584-375, c.1584-374, rs1230581026 and p.W433R) in the Cezanne gene were associated with significant risks, while the rs10974947 variant in the JAK2 gene was at reduced risk of psoriasis. Moreover, in the Cezanne gene, p.W433R was predicted to be probably damaging by the Polyphen-2 prediction tool and an AA/CC haplotype was associated with a high risk of psoriasis. In addition, patients with higher CA 125 levels than the clinical cutoff 35 U/mL showed increased levels of IFN-γ than those with normal CA 125 levels. Conclusions: A20 expression was associated with lipid metabolism and the recruitment of CD13+ CD117− and activated B cells into circulation in psoriatic patients. Besides this, the deleterious effect of the p.W433R variant in the Cezanne gene may contribute to the risk of psoriasis.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crucial staple crop, and provides carbohydrate energy to more than half a billion people in the tropics. Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is the most important disease of cassava in Africa. Since Sri Lanka Cassava Mosaic Virus (SLCMV) was first reported in South East Asia in 2015, establishing sustainable solutions to CMD has become a top priority for the cassava program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and its partners. In the present study, we screened two populations for CMD resistance: VNM142, 142 clones collected from farms throughout Vietnam, and CIAT102, 102 clones resistant to CMD or mites, which were introduced from CIAT. High broad-sense heritability was observed in all the trials (>0.80). From the population VNM142, eight clones showed high CMD resistance with CMD severity scores less than 2.0. Two resistant clones had the same DNA fingerprinting with the accessions CR63 (PER262 or TAI9) and KM57 (VNM8) in the genebank, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CMD resistance in the genebank at CIAT. We also used the two populations to validate the CMD markers S12_7926132 and S14_4626854. Both markers explained 51% of the population variance in the segregating population CIAT102, but only 11% in the diverse population VNM142. Thus, we concluded that the two CMD markers could not be used to select for CMD resistance in diverse populations, but could predict the CMD resistance in segregating populations when the susceptible parents do not have resistant marker alleles and the resistance of the CMD2 donors is confirmed.

Gymnema sylvestre, a medicinal plant, has been used in Indian ayurvedic traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes. Phytochemical investigation of Gymnema sylvestre led to the isolation of five new pregnane glycosides, gymsylosides A–E (1–5) and four known oleanane saponins, 3β-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl (1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (6), gymnemoside-W1 (7), 3β-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D- glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (8), and alternoside XIX (9). Their structures were identified based on spectroscopic evidence and comparison with those reported in the literature. All compounds were evaluated for their α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities. Compounds 2–4 showed significant α-amylase inhibitory activity, with IC50 values ranging from 113.0 to 176.2 µM.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a group of lymphoproliferative disorders characterized by the abnormal proliferation and accumulation of lymphocytes in the lymphatic system. An ovarian tumor domain containing ubiquitin aldehyde binding protein 1 (Otubain-1) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that cleaves ubiquitin or ubiquitin-like molecules and is expressed in various human tissues. The pathogenesis of NHL is associated with activations of the nuclear transcription factor (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways. In this study, all the expressions of Otubain-1, NF-κB2, SHPs and STATs genes, the concentrations of cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-a and clinical features in NHL patients were examined. To the end, gene expression levels of 82 NHL patients and 56 healthy individuals were determined by quantitative real time RT-PCR and secretion of cytokines by ELISA. As a result, concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-a in the patient group were found higher than in the healthy individuals and patients with higher LDH concentrations in the clinical cutoff, 280 U/L showed increased concentrations of AST, ALT and GGT than those with normal LDH concentrations. Interestingly, NHL patients with high Otubain-1 expression had significant elevations of GGT and ferritin concentrations as well as STAT-5 expression compared to those with low Otubain-1 expression. In conclusion, the present study indicates that up-regulation of Otubain-1 led to activation of STAT5 in lymphoma cells and liver dysfunction and metabolic syndrome in NHL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for analytical methods that are fast, affordable, and ecologically friendly is expanding. Because of its low solvent consumption, minimal waste production, and speedy analysis, capillary electrophoresis is considered a "green" choice among analytical separation methods. With these "green" features, we have utilized the capillary electrophoresis method with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-C4D) to simultaneously determine glucosamine and Ca2+ in dietary supplements. The CE analysis was performed in fused silica capillaries (50 μm inner diameter, 40 cm total length, 30 cm effective length), and the analytical time was around 5 min. After optimization, the CE conditions for selective determination of glucosamine and Ca2+ were obtained, including a 10 mM tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane/acetic acid (Tris/Ace) buffer of p H 5.0 as the background electrolyte; separation voltage of 20 kV; and hydrodynamic injection (siphoning) at 25 cm height for 30 s. The method illustrated good linearity over the concentration range of 5.00 to 200 mg/L of for glucosamine (R2 = 0.9994) and 1.00 to 100 mg/L for Ca2+ (R2 = 0.9994). Under the optimum conditions, the detection limit of glucosamine was 1.00 mg/L, while that of Ca2+ was 0.05 mg/L. The validated method successfully analyzed glucosamine and Ca2+ in seven dietary supplement samples. The measured concentrations were generally in line with the values of label claims and with cross-checking data from reference methods (HPLC and ICP-OES). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Polycythemia vera (PV) is characterized by increased proliferation and accumulation of erythroid and mature myeloid cells and megakaryocyte in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. The JAK2V617F mutation is present in most PV patients. Deubiquitinase (DUB) genes, including TNFAIP3 (A20), CYLD and Cezanne, function as negative regulators of inflammatory reaction through nuclear factor kappa-light-chainenhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling. Objectives. To determine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) profiling and gene expression of the DUB genes as well as the immunophenotype of PV cells. Material and methods. Seventy-seven patients with PV and 55 healthy individuals with well-characterized clinical profiles were enrolled. Gene expression profile was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), the immunophenotype with flow cytometry, secretion of cytokines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and gene polymorphisms using direct DNA sequencing. Results. Inactivation of A20, CYLD and Cezanne, and increases in interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels, as well as the enhanced number of CD25+CD4 T, Th1 and regulatory T cells were observed in PV patients. The genetic analysis of the CYLD gene identified 11 SNPs, in which a novel W736G nsSNP in exon 15 and a SNP c.2483+6 T>G in intron 15 were observed in PV cases with the frequencies of 18.2% and 5.2%, respectively. The W736G non-synonymous SNP (nsSNP) was found to be most likely to exert deleterious effect and the intronic SNP c.2483+6 T>G was identified as aberrant splicing. Sequencing of Cezanne gene identified 7 SNPs in intron 10 and PV carriers of the SNPs had at least 2 SNPs in this gene. Importantly, PV carriers of the W736G nsSNP had multiple SNPs in CYLD, but not in A20 or Cezanne gene. Conclusions. Two identified SNPs, including the W736G nsSNP and the SNP c.2483+6 T>G, in CYLD gene might be associated with a risk of PV disease, in which the deleterious effect of the W736G nsSNP in CYLD gene could contribute to the pathogenesis of PV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new acyclic diterpenes, siegetalises A-D (1-4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Siegesbeckia orientalis. Their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data. The effects of the isolated compounds on the activity of xanthine oxidase were evaluated by the oxidative reaction with xanthine as a substrate. At a concentration of 50 µM, compounds 1-4 exhibited xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity at levels of 13.59% ±0.51%, 19.64% ±1.54%, 17.45% ±1.26%, and 21.36% ±1.40%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven compounds (1-7) were isolated from the marine sponge Aaptos aaptos living in the Vietnamese sea. Their structures were determined as 2 hours, 5H,7H,9H-9S-hydroxy-imidazo[ 1,5-α]pyridine-1,3-dione (1), 3-([9-methylhexadecyl] oxy)propane-1,2-diol 2, 2,3-dihydro-2,3-dioxoaaptamine (3), indol-3-aldehyde (4), methyl indole-3-carboxylate (5) 4-hydroxy-5-(indole-3-yl)-5-oxo-pen tan-2-one (6), and thymidine (7) by extensive analysis of HR-ESI-MS, 1D, and 2D NMR spectral data, as well as by comparison of the spectral data with those reported in the literature. In addition, the absolute configuration of 1 was determined from the experimental ECD spectrum and comparison of this with the theoretical ECD calculations using the TDDFT method. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from nature for the first time. Compound 3 induced cytotoxic activity against SK-LU-1, MCF-7, HepG2, and SK-Mel-2 cell lines with IC50 values of 41.27 ± 2.63, 40.70 ± 2.65, 34.31 ± 3.43, and 36.63 ± 1.40 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new acylated sucroses, (6-O-axetoxyl)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2→1)-(6-O-feruloyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (1) and (6-O-axetoxyl)-β-d-fructofuranosyl-(2→1)-(6-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (2), and four known compounds, 2-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol-4′-O-[ 4′′′-hydroxy-3"',5′′′-dimethoxybenzoyl-(→6′′)-β-d-fructofuranoside (3), tryptophol glucoside (4), corchonoside C (5), and 2-hydroxy-5-(2-hydroxyethyl) phenyl β-d-fructofuranoside (6), were isolated from the roots of Canna indica L. (Cannaceae). Their structures were determined by extensive analysis of HR-ESI-MS, 1D, and 2D NMR spectral data, as well as by comparison of these with those reported in the literature. Antioxidant activity of compounds 1-6 were evaluated by peroxyl radical absorbance capacity assay. Compounds 1 and 3 neutralized high amounts of peroxyl radical. At a concentration of 1 μM, their ORACROO* values were 3.07 ± 0.15 and 4.27 ± 0.30, respectively, many times greater than that of trolox, which was used as an internal standard. At 10 μM, the peroxyl radical absorbance capacity of compounds 1 and 3 exhibited equivalents to 15.60 ± 0.22 and 24.91 ± 0.43 times the net protection by 1 μM of trolox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The employment of a purpose-made capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C 4 D) as a simple and cost-effective solution for clinical screening of paraquat in plasma samples for early-stage diagnosis of acute herbicide poisoning is reported. Paraquat was determined using an electrolyte composed of 10 mM histidine adjusted to pH 4 with acetic acid. A detection limit of 0.5 mg/L was achieved. Good agreement between results from CE-C 4 D and the confirmation method (HPLC-UV) was obtained, with relative errors for the two pairs of data better than 20% for 31 samples taken from paraquat-intoxicated patients. The results were used by medical doctors for identification and prognosis of acute paraquat poisoning cases. The objective of the work is the deployment of the developed approach in rural areas in Vietnam as a low-cost solution to reduce the mortality rate due to accidental or suicidal ingestion of paraquat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]