Even with antituberculosis therapy, tuberculous meningitis causes death or severe disability in more than half of affected adults. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted in ...Vietnam, dexamethasone treatment was associated with a reduced risk of death as compared with placebo (31.8 percent vs. 41.3 percent).
Dexamethasone treatment was associated with a reduced risk of death but the proportion of survivors with severe disability is not reduced.
Tuberculous meningitis is the severest form of infection with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
causing death or severe neurologic deficits in more than half of those affected in spite of antituberculosis chemotherapy.
1
,
2
Attenuation of the inflammatory response in bacterial and mycobacterial meningitis may improve outcome by reducing the likelihood or severity of neurologic complications. Early studies suggested that corticosteroids reduced cerebrospinal fluid inflammation and time to recovery in patients with tuberculous meningitis, but the studies were too small to confirm any effect on survival.
3
–
7
Concern remained that corticosteroids might reduce the case fatality rate but increase the number of disabled patients. . . .
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of first-line afatinib treatment in a real-world setting in Vietnam.
This retrospective study was conducted across nine hospitals in ...Vietnam. Advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who received afatinib as first-line therapy between April 2018 and June 2022 were included, and patient medical records were reviewed. Key outcomes were overall response rate (ORR), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), and tolerability.
A total of 343 patients on first-line afatinib were eligible for the study. EGFR exon 19 deletion (Del19) alone was detected in 46.9% of patients, L858R mutation alone in 26.3%, and other uncommon EGFR mutations, including compound mutations, in 26.8%. Patients with brain metastases at baseline were 25.4%. Patients who received 40 mg, 30 mg, and 20 mg as starting doses of afatinib were 58.6%, 39.9%, and 1.5%, respectively. The ORR was 78.1% in the overall population, 82.6% in the Del19 mutation subgroup, 73.3% in the L858R mutation subgroup, and 75.0% in the uncommon mutation subgroup (p > 0.05). The univariate and multivariate analyses indicate that the ORR increased when the starting dose was 40 mg compared to starting doses below 40 mg (83.9% vs. 74.3%, p = 0.034). The median TTF (mTTF) was 16.7 months (CI 95%: 14.8-18.5) in all patients, with a median follow-up time of 26.2 months. The mTTF was longer in patients in the common EGFR mutation subgroup (Del19/L858R) than in those in the uncommon mutation subgroup (17.5 vs. 13.8 months, p = 0.045) and in those without versus with brain metastases at baseline (17.5 vs. 15.1 months, p = 0.049). There were no significant differences in the mTTF between subgroups based on the starting dose of 40 mg and < 40 mg (16.7 vs. 16.9 months, p > 0.05). The most common treatment-related adverse events (any grade/grade ≥ 3) were diarrhea (55.4%/3.5%), rash (51.9%/3.2%), paronychia (35.3%/5.0%), and stomatitis (22.2%/1.2%).
Afatinib demonstrated clinical effectiveness and good tolerability in Vietnamese EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients. In our real-world setting, administering a starting dose below 40 mg might result in a reduction in ORR; however, it might not have a significant impact on TTF.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Although it is unclear how Zn
2+
cooperates with Cu
2+
in synergistic antibacterial activity, a 1:10 ratio of Cu
2+
/Zn
2+
atoms and ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid and urea ligands can be used to ...form a chelation complex containing Cu
2+
and Zn
2+
. This study investigated the effects of the combination of Cu
2+
and Zn
2+
in chelation with EDTA and urea. The results were compared with the outcomes of either copper or zinc alone against gram-negative
Escherichia coli (E. coli
) and gram-positive
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus
) bacteria. The antibacterial activity was determined through MICs, disc diffusion method, and bacterial cell growth curves. In addition, bacterial destruction by this chelation complex has been observed through SEM images. The presence of copper ion and zinc ion inside the bacterial cells has been proved through EDS measurements. The obtained results allowed us to draw conclusions that the use of both Cu
2+
and Zn
2+
in a chelation complex with EDTA and urea enhances the antimicrobial activity against these bacteria. The bacterial inhibition of this complex was stronger than that of Cu
2+
alone chelated with EDTA or CuSO
4
solution by approximately 100-fold for
S. aureus
and 20-fold for
E. coli
.
Afatinib is indicated for advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and uncommon mutations. However, real-world studies on this topic are limited. ...This study aimed to evaluate afatinib as first-line therapy for locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations.
A retrospective study included 92 patients with advanced NSCLC with uncommon and compound EGFR mutations, treated with afatinib as first-line therapy. Patients were followed up and evaluated every 3 months or when symptoms of progressive disease arose. The endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), and adverse events.
The G719X EGFR mutation had the highest occurrence rate (53.3% for both monotherapy and the compound). By contrast, the compound mutation G719X-S768I was observed at a rate of 22.8%. The ORR was 75%, with 15.2% of patients achieving complete response. The overall median TTF was 13.8 months. Patients with the G719X EGFR mutation (single and compound) had a median TTF of 19.3 months, longer than that of patients with other mutations, who had a median TTF of 11.2 months. Patients with compound EGFR mutations (G719X and S768I) demonstrated a median TTF of 23.2 months compared to that of 12.3 months for other mutations. Tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg achieved a longer median TTF of 17.1 months compared to 11.2 months with 40 mg. Median TTF differed between patients with and without brain metastasis, at 11.2 and 16.9 months, respectively. Rash (55.4%) and diarrhea (53.3%) were the most common adverse events, primarily grades 1 and 2. Other side effects occurred at a low rate.
Afatinib is effective for locally advanced metastatic NSCLC with uncommon EGFR mutations. Patients with G719X, compound G719X-S768I mutations, and tolerated doses of 20 or 30 mg had a longer median TTF than those with other mutations.
Summary
Soybean (
Glycine max
L. Merr.) is a major crop worldwide, providing essential dietary proteins and edible oils for agriculture, food, animal feed and biofuel industries. However, its limited ...genetic variation makes it vulnerable to harsh environmental conditions, and its chemical diversity was strongly reduced after long domestication. Wild soybean (
Glycine soja
Sieb. et Zucc.), the ancestor of the
G. max
, possesses a high level of genetic diversity and thus present a precious reservoir for improving cultivated soybean. Characterising metabolomes of different
G. soja
accessions is crucial in exploring metabolite accumulation patterns for developing metabolic breeding strategies. This study successfully revealed the metabolomes of sixty‐four seed lines of
G. soja
collected throughout Japan by a widely targeted metabolomics approach, therefore, providing a good source of information for further studies to induce the production of bioactive compounds and the defence mechanism to stress.
Vietnam is an important crossroads within Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) and a gateway to Island Southeast Asia, and as such exhibits high levels of ethnolinguistic diversity. However, comparatively ...few studies have been undertaken of the genetic diversity of Vietnamese populations. In order to gain comprehensive insights into MSEA mtDNA phylogeography, we sequenced 609 complete mtDNA genomes from individuals belonging to five language families (Austroasiatic, Tai-Kadai, Hmong-Mien, Sino-Tibetan and Austronesian) and analyzed them in comparison with sequences from other MSEA countries and Taiwan. Within Vietnam, we identified 399 haplotypes belonging to 135 haplogroups; among the five language families, the sequences from Austronesian groups differ the most from the other groups. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 111 novel Vietnamese mtDNA lineages. Bayesian estimates of coalescence times and associated 95% HPD for these show a peak of mtDNA diversification around 2.5-3 kya, which coincides with the Dong Son culture, and thus may be associated with the agriculturally-driven expansion of this culture. Networks of major MSEA haplogroups emphasize the overall distinctiveness of sequences from Taiwan, in keeping with previous studies that suggested at most a minor impact of the Austronesian expansion from Taiwan on MSEA. We also see evidence for population expansions across MSEA geographic regions and language families.
Most frequently, pure Ag or Au nanoparticles were used to decorate on GaN-based substrates; however, studies of Ag-Au bimetallic nanoparticles with exceptional optical and plasmonic capabilities are ...rare. In this study, we present a novel method for creating hybrid Ag-Au NPs/GaN materials, which were discovered to be highly suppressive in the broadband defect emission candidate and high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. When the annealing temperature increased from 450 to 650 °C, the average size of Ag nanoparticles reduced from 300 to 50 nm, respectively. Subsequently, enhancing the Raman intensity due to increasing hot spots. The as-fabricated SERS substrate shows a high sensitivity with a wide detection range of 1.0 × 10
− 6
– 1.0 × 10
− 12
mol L
− 1
. Furthermore, using the resonance effect between the surface plasmon of Ag-Au NPs and defect emission, the defects states can be suppressed and converted to beneficial excitonic emission. These findings show that Ag-Au bimetallic are a promising candidate for improving optical and trace analyses detection.
Chromatographic separation of ethyl acetate extract of the stingless bee Lisotrigona furva propolis, that collected in Khanh Hoa province, led to isolation of five cycloartane‐type triterpenes ...including cycloartenone (1), cycloartenol (2), (24E)‐3β‐hydroxycycloart‐24‐en‐26‐al (3), mangiferonic acid (4) and mangiferolic acid (5). Mango plant (Mangifera indica) was suggested to be a resin source of the propolis. The propolis EtOH extract showed good antimicrobial activity on Gram (+) strain E. feacalis and fungus C. albicans. Among the isolated compounds, compound 3 displayed selective activity against three Gram (+) strains and C. albicans over Gram (‐) strains with all MIC values of 64 μg/mL. However, the propolis EtOH extract was not active against LU‐1 and MCF‐7 cancer cell lines. Only compound 5 exhibited moderate activity on LU‐1 cancer cell line with IC50 of 13.33 μg/mL.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a lot of ethical controversy in the equal provision of healthcare, including vaccination. Therefore, our study was designed to assess the ...impact of Ho Chi Minh City's policy to hold the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Using a cross-sectional study design to assess low saturation of peripheral oxygen (SPO2) risk based on vaccination status, we included patients who were confirmed to have SARS-CoV-2 and were treated at home. The stepwise method was used to determine participants' low SPO2 risk-related factors. The average age of the 2836 respondents was 46.43 ± 17.33 (years). Research results have shown that seven factors are related to the low SPO2 status of participants, including age, sneezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and fainting as COVID-19 symptoms, the number of people living with COVID-19, and a history of lung disease. A statistically significant (
= 0.032) finding in this study was that fully vaccinated patients had a 6% lower risk of low SPO2 compared to the first dose less than 21 days group. This result was similar in the vaccine holder group (
< 0.001). Holding the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is associated with a lower SPO2 risk than that of fully vaccinated patients. Therefore, this approach should be considered by governments as it could bring a greater benefit to the community.
A number of studies have indicated that short food supply chains could create economic, social, and environmental benefits, but most of those chains were implemented in developed countries. This ...research aims to find out the characteristics of short food supply chains and their benefits to small farmers in Vietnam, which is a developing country, based on the survey results from 338 small farmers in the third quarter of 2020, with the support of Stata 14 software. The results showed that the short food supply chains in the survey sample in Vietnam were characterized by two main actors: small farmers and distributors. Farmers could sell products flexibly at the local market. There was some initial evidence to prove that these chains helped to stabilize the input, output price, and revenue; formulated sustainable income; and increased the satisfaction and confidence of farmers. They eliminated gender discrimination in rural areas and improved livelihood for ethnic minorities. These chains also enhanced the mindset on green, organic, and clean production of farmers, which in turn created environmental benefits. COVID-19 has posed a negative impact on the income of farmers and made them change their production and sales method. Therefore, the research could suggest some policies to sustainably develop the short food supply chains in Vietnam in the future.
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