Vu Gia-Thu Bon (VGTB) river basin is an area where flash flood and heavy flood events occur frequently, negatively impacting the local community and socio-economic development of Quang Nam Province. ...In recent years, structural and non-structural solutions have been implemented to mitigate damages due to floods. However, under the impact of climate change, natural disasters continue to happen unpredictably day by day. It is, therefore, necessary to develop a spatial decision support system for real-time flood warnings in the VGTB river basin, which will support in ensuring the area's socio-economic development. The main purpose of this study is to develop an online flood warning system in real-time based on Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, GIS, telecommunications, and modeling (Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System (HEC-RAS)) in order to support the local community in the vulnerable downstream areas in the event of heavy rainfall upstream. The structure of the designed system consists of these following components: (1) real-time hydro-meteorological monitoring network, (2) IoT communication infrastructure (Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), wireless networks), (3) database management system (bio-physical, socio-economic, hydro-meteorological, and inundation), (4) simulating and predicting model (SWAT, HEC-RAS), (5) automated simulating and predicting module, (6) flood warning module via short message service (SMS), (7) WebGIS, application for providing and managing hydro-meteorological and inundation data, and (8) users (citizens and government officers). The entire operating processes of the flood warning system (i.e., hydro-meteorological data collecting, transferring, updating, processing, running SWAT and HEC-RAS, visualizing) are automated. A complete flood warning system for the VGTB river basin has been developed as an outcome of this study, which enables the prediction of flood events 5 h in advance and with high accuracy of 80%.
Acinetobacter baumannii
is an important cause of multidrug-resistant hospital acquired infections in the world. Here, we investigate the presence of NDM-1 and other carbapenemases among ...carbapenem-resistant
A. baumannii
isolated between August 2010 and December 2014 from three large hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam. We identified 23/582 isolates (4 %) (11 from hospital A, five from hospital B, and seven from hospital C) that were NDM-1 positive, and among them 18 carried additional carbapenemase genes, including seven isolates carrying NDM-1, IMP-1, and OXA-58 with high MICs for carbapenems. Genotyping indicated that NDM-1 carrying
A. baumannii
have expanded clonally in these hospitals. Five new STs (ST1135, ST1136, ST1137, ST1138, and ST1139) were identified. One isolate carried NDM-1 on a plasmid belonging to the N-repA replicon type; no NDM-1-positive plasmids were identified in the other isolates. We have shown the extent of the carbapenem resistance and the local clonal spread of
A. baumannii
carrying NDM-1 in these hospitals; coexistence of NDM-1 and IMP-1 is reported for the first time from Vietnam here, and this will further seriously limit future therapeutic options.
Vietnam is a lower middle-income country with no national surveillance system for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). We assessed the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial use ...in adult intensive care units (ICUs) across Vietnam.
Monthly repeated point prevalence surveys were systematically conducted to assess HAI prevalence and antimicrobial use in 15 adult ICUs across Vietnam. Adults admitted to participating ICUs before 08:00 a.m. on the survey day were included.
Among 3287 patients enrolled, the HAI prevalence was 29.5% (965/3266 patients, 21 missing). Pneumonia accounted for 79.4% (804/1012) of HAIs Most HAIs (84.5% 855/1012) were acquired in the survey hospital with 42.5% (363/855) acquired prior to ICU admission and 57.5% (492/855) developed during ICU admission. In multivariate analysis, the strongest risk factors for HAI acquired in ICU were: intubation (OR 2.76), urinary catheter (OR 2.12), no involvement of a family member in patient care (OR 1.94), and surgery after admission (OR 1.66). 726 bacterial isolates were cultured from 622/1012 HAIs, most frequently Acinetobacter baumannii (177/726 24.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (100/726 13.8%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (84/726 11.6%), with carbapenem resistance rates of 89.2%, 55.7%, and 14.9% respectively. Antimicrobials were prescribed for 84.8% (2787/3287) patients, with 73.7% of patients receiving two or more. The most common antimicrobial groups were third generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and carbapenems (20.1%, 19.4%, and 14.1% of total antimicrobials, respectively).
A high prevalence of HAIs was observed, mainly caused by Gram-negative bacteria with high carbapenem resistance rates. This in combination with a high rate of antimicrobial use illustrates the urgent need to improve rational antimicrobial use and infection control efforts.
Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis caused by the crystallization of uric acid. Previous studies have demonstrated that the genetic predisposition of gout varies in different ethnic ...populations. However the association study of genetic variants with gout remains unknown in the Vietnamese population. Our study aimed to assess the relationship between polymorphisms in
and
and gout susceptibility in Vietnamese.
Genomic DNA was extracted from blood of a total of 170 patients with gout and 351 healthy controls. We genotyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs72552713, rs12505410 of the
gene and rs11231825, rs7932775 of the
gene using polymerase chain reaction⁻restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR⁻RFLP) and then confirmed 10% of randomly selected subjects by Sanger sequencing.
Three SNPs (rs72552713 and rs12505410 and rs11231825) were in accordance with Hardy⁻Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) (
> 0.05) while rs7932775 was not (
< 0.05). For rs72552713, CT genotype was significantly different between gout patient and control groups (
< 0.001) and the T allele was associated with an increased risk of gout (OR = 21.19; 95% CI: 3.00⁻918.96;
< 0.001). Serum uric acid and hyperuricemia differed significantly between CC and CT genotype groups (
= 0.004 and 0.008, respectively). For rs11231825, a protective effect against gout risk was identified in the presence of the C allele when compared with the T allele (OR = 0.712; 95% CI: 0.526⁻0.964
= 0.0302). In contrast, no significant difference of allele frequencies between gout patients and controls was detected for rs12505410 (
> 0.05). However, significant differences in serum uric acid and systolic blood pressure were obtained among gout patients.
Our results suggest that
rs72552713 and
rs11231825 are likely associated with gout in the Vietnamese population in which T allele may be a risk factor for gout susceptibility.
A microparticle‐based growth factor delivery system was engineered to drive endochondral ossification within human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) aggregates. Compared with cell‐only ...aggregates treated with exogenous growth factors, aggregates with incorporated transforming growth factor‐β1‐ and BMP‐2‐loaded microparticles exhibited enhanced chondrogenesis and alkaline phosphatase activity and a greater degree of mineralization. This microparticle‐incorporated system has potential as a readily implantable therapy for healing bone defects without the need for long‐term in vitro chondrogenic priming.
Bone tissue engineering via endochondral ossification has been explored by chondrogenically priming cells using soluble mediators for at least 3 weeks to produce a hypertrophic cartilage template. Although recapitulation of endochondral ossification has been achieved, long‐term in vitro culture is required for priming cells through repeated supplementation of inductive factors in the media. To address this challenge, a microparticle‐based growth factor delivery system was engineered to drive endochondral ossification within human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) aggregates. Sequential exogenous presentation of soluble transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) and bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) at various defined time courses resulted in varying degrees of chondrogenesis and osteogenesis as demonstrated by glycosaminoglycan and calcium content. The time course that best induced endochondral ossification was used to guide the development of the microparticle‐based controlled delivery system for TGF‐β1 and BMP‐2. Gelatin microparticles capable of relatively rapid release of TGF‐β1 and mineral‐coated hydroxyapatite microparticles permitting more sustained release of BMP‐2 were then incorporated within hMSC aggregates and cultured for 5 weeks following the predetermined time course for sequential presentation of bioactive signals. Compared with cell‐only aggregates treated with exogenous growth factors, aggregates with incorporated TGF‐β1‐ and BMP‐2‐loaded microparticles exhibited enhanced chondrogenesis and alkaline phosphatase activity at week 2 and a greater degree of mineralization by week 5. Staining for types I and II collagen, osteopontin, and osteocalcin revealed the presence of cartilage and bone. This microparticle‐incorporated system has potential as a readily implantable therapy for healing bone defects without the need for long‐term in vitro chondrogenic priming.
Significance
This study demonstrates the regulation of chondrogenesis and osteogenesis with regard to endochondral bone formation in high‐density stem cell systems through the controlled presentation of inductive factors from incorporated microparticles. This work lays the foundation for a rapidly implantable tissue engineering system that promotes bone repair via endochondral ossification, a pathway that can delay the need for a functional vascular network and has an intrinsic ability to promote angiogenesis. The modular nature of this system lends well to using different cell types and/or growth factors to induce endochondral bone formation, as well as the production of other tissue types.
Self-assembling cell sheets have shown great potential for use in cartilage tissue engineering applications, as they provide an advantageous environment for the chondrogenic induction of human ...mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). We have engineered a system of self-assembled, microsphere-incorporated hMSC sheets capable of forming cartilage in the presence of exogenous transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) or with TGF-β1 released from incorporated microspheres. Gelatin microspheres with two different degrees of crosslinking were used to enable different cell-mediated microsphere degradation rates. Biochemical assays, histological and immunohistochemical analyses, and biomechanical testing were performed to determine biochemical composition, structure, and equilibrium modulus in unconfined compression after 3weeks of culture. The inclusion of microspheres with or without loaded TGF-β1 significantly increased sheet thickness and compressive equilibrium modulus, and enabled more uniform matrix deposition by comparison to control sheets without microspheres. Sheets incorporated with fast-degrading microspheres containing TGF-β1 produced significantly more GAG and GAG per DNA than all other groups tested and stained more intensely for type II collagen. These findings demonstrate improved cartilage formation in microsphere-incorporated cell sheets, and describe a tailorable system for the chondrogenic induction of hMSCs without necessitating culture in growth factor-containing medium.
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Self-assembling cell sheets have shown great potential for use in cartilage tissue engineering applications, as they provide an advantageous environment for the chondrogenic induction of human ...mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). We have engineered a system of self-assembled, microsphere-incorporated hMSC sheets capable of forming cartilage in the presence of exogenous transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF- beta 1) or with TGF- beta 1 released from incorporated microspheres. Gelatin microspheres with two different degrees of crosslinking were used to enable different cell-mediated microsphere degradation rates. Biochemical assays, histological and immunohistochemical analyses, and biomechanical testing were performed to determine biochemical composition, structure, and equilibrium modulus in unconfined compression after 3 weeks of culture. The inclusion of microspheres with or without loaded TGF- beta 1 significantly increased sheet thickness and compressive equilibrium modulus, and enabled more uniform matrix deposition by comparison to control sheets without microspheres. Sheets incorporated with fast-degrading microspheres containing TGF- beta 1 produced significantly more GAG and GAG per DNA than all other groups tested and stained more intensely for type II collagen. These findings demonstrate improved cartilage formation in microsphere-incorporated cell sheets, and describe a tailorable system for the chondrogenic induction of hMSCs without necessitating culture in growth factor-containing medium.
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