Sennosides A and B production by hairy roots of Senna alata (L.) Roxb

Hairy roots of Senna alata transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, strain ATCC 15834 were induced and grown in half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Effects of sucrose contents and hormones on the growth and sennosides A, B production were investigated. Hairy roots cultured on hormone-free half-strength MS medium containing 5% sucrose under dark condition mostly stimulated the growth of hairy roots and increased the content of sennosides A and B yielding (169 +/- 4) and (34 +/- 3) microg g(-1) dry wt, respectively.     

Rapid start-up of thermophilic anaerobic digestion with the turf fraction of MSW as inoculum

This study aims to determine suitable start-up conditions and inoculum sources for thermophilic anaerobic digestion. Within days of incubation MSW at 55 °C, methane was produced at a high rate. In an attempt to narrow down which components of typical MSW contained the thermophilic methanogens, vacuum cleaner dust, banana peel, kitchen waste, and garden waste were tested as inoculum for thermophilic methanogenesis with acetate as the substrate. Results singled out grass turf as the key source of thermophilic acetate degrading methanogenic consortia. Within 4 days of anaerobic incubation (55 °C), anaerobically incubated grass turf samples produced methane accompanied by acetate degradation enabling successful start-up of thermophilic anaerobic digestion. Other essential start-up conditions are specified. Stirring of the culture was not conducive for successful start-up as it resulted specifically in propionate accumulation.     

Trends in obesity and associations with education and urban or rural residence in Thailand

Objective: To measure trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the relationship with urban or rural residence and education in Thailand. Research Methods and Procedures: Data were from two nationally representative surveys of 38,323 individuals ≥18 years old (19,156 were 18 to 59 years old) in 2004 and 3375 individuals 18 to 59 years old in 1997. Overweight and obesity were defined using the World Health Organization's Asian criteria. Results: Among those ≥18 years old in 2004, 17.8% of men (95% confidence interval, 16.6% to 19.0%) were overweight, 18.4% (17.3% to 19.5%) had Class I obesity, 4.8% (4.1% to 5.5%) had Class II obesity, and 15.9% (14.6% to 17.1%) had abdominal obesity. In women, 18.2% (17.1% to 19.2%) were overweight, 26.1% (24.9% to 27.3%) had Class I obesity, 9.3% (8.6% to 10.0%) had Class II obesity, and 37.3% (35.3% to 39.2%) had abdominal obesity. In those 18 to 59 years old, the prevalence of Class I obesity in men and all four categories in women significantly increased between 1997 and 2004. There was an inverse relationship in women but a positive relationship in men between education and the odds of being overweight or obese. In 2004, there were significantly lower odds of being overweight or obese in rural compared with urban men but similar odds between urban and rural women. Discussion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Thailand is high and increasing. Although the transition of overweight and obesity to those of lower socioeconomic status is not complete, it is well on the way.     

Prevalence and Correlates of HIV Testing among Young People Enrolled in Non-Formal Education Centers in Urban Chiang Mai,Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundHIV testing is the gateway to HIV prevention, treatment, and care. Despite the established vulnerability of young Thai people to HIV infection, studies examining the prevalence and correlates of HIV testing among the general population of Thai youth are still very limited. This study investigates socio-demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors associated with HIV testing among young Thai people enrolled in Non-formal Education Centers (NFEC) in urban Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted among young unmarried Thai youth—between the ages of 15 and 24—who were enrolled in NFEC in urban Chiang Mai. Multiple logistic regressions were used to identify correlates of “ever tested for HIV” among the sexually active participants.FindingsOf the 295 sexually active participants, 27.3% reported “ever tested for HIV;” 65.4% “did not consistently use condom;” and 61.7% “had at least 2 lifetime partners.” We found that “self-efficacy” (AOR, 4.92; CI, 1.22–19.73); “perception that it is easy to find a location nearby to test for HIV” (AOR, 4.67; CI, 1.21–18.06); “having at least 2 lifetime sexual partners” (AOR, 2.05; CI, 1.09–3.85); and “ever been pregnant or made someone pregnant” (AOR, 4.06; CI, 2.69–9.15); were associated with increased odds of having ever been tested. On the other hand, “fear of HIV test results” (AOR, 0.21; CI, 0.08–0.57) was associated with lower odds of ever having been tested for HIV.ConclusionThe main finding is that a substantially high proportion of Thai youth is engaged in risky sexual behaviors—yet reports low rates of ever having been tested for HIV. This highlights an urgent need to develop appropriate interventions—based on the identified correlates of HIV testing. There is also an urgent need to enhance HIV testing and to promote safer sexual behaviors among young Thai people—particularly those who are out-of-school.     

High Prevalence and Genotype Diversity of Anal HPV Infection among MSM in Northern Thailand

Background

HPV infection is common and may cause cancer among men who have sex with men (MSM). Anal HPV infection (HPV+) was found in 85% of HIV-positive (HIV+) and 59% of HIV-negative (HIV-) MSM in Bangkok, central Thailand. As little is known about HPV in this group in northern Thailand, we studied MSM subgroups comprised of gay men (GM), bisexual men (BM), and transgender women (TGW).

Methods

From July 2012 through January 2013, 85 (42.5% of 200) GM, 30 (15%) BM, and 85 (42.5%) TGW who practiced receptive anal intercourse were recruited after informed consent, followed by self-assisted computer interview, HIV testing, and anal swabs for HPV genotyping.

Results

Of 197 adequate specimens, the overall prevalence of any HPV was 157 (80%). Prevalence was 89% (76/85) in GM, 48% (14/29) in BM, and 81% (67/83) in TGW. The most common high-risk types were HPV16 (27% of 197), HPV58 (23%), and HPV51 (18%). Prevalence of high-risk types was 74% in 85 GM, 35% in 29 BM, and 71% in 83 TGW. Prevalence of any HPV type, or high-risk type, was 100% and 94%, respectively, among 48 HIV+ MSM, 70% and 54% among 120 HIV- MSM. Of the 197 specimens, 36% (70) had HPV types 16 and/or 18 in the bivalent vaccine, compared to 48% (95) with ≥1 of types 16/18/06/11 in the quadrivalent, 56% (111) for 16/18/31/33/45/52/58 in the 7-valent, and 64% (126) for 16/18/31/33/45/52/58/06/11 in the 9-valent. HIV+, GM, and TGW were independently associated with HPV infection.

Conclusions

We found higher rates of both any HPV and high-risk types than previous studies. Among the heretofore unstudied TGW, their equivalent HPV rates were comparable to GM. Current and investigational HPV vaccines could substantially protect GM, BM, and TGW from the serious consequences of HPV infection especially among HIV + MSM.     

Inactivation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Burkholderia pseudomallei</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">bsaQ</Emphasis> results in decreased invasion efficiency and delayed escape of bacteria from endocytic vesicles

Burkholderia pseudomallei, an infectious Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative pathogen of melioidosis. In the present study, a B. pseudomallei strain with mutation in the bsaQ gene, encoding a structural component of the type III secretion system (T3SS), was constructed. This bsaQ mutation caused a marked decrease in secretion of BopE effector and BipD translocator proteins into culture supernatant. The B. pseudomallei bsaQ mutant also exhibited decreased efficiencies of plaque formation, invasion into non-phagocytic cells and multinucleated giant cell (MNGC) development in a J774A.1 macrophage cell line. Co-localization of the bacteria and lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein-1 (LAMP-1) containing vesicles suggested that defects in MNGC formation may result from the delayed ability of this B. pseudomallei mutant to escape from the vacuoles of macrophages. Veerachat Muangsombut and Supaporn Suparak contributed equally to this work.     

Distribution of Aeromonas hydrophila serogroups in different clinical samples and the development of polyclonal antibodies for rapid identification of the genus Aeromonas by direct agglutination

We characterized a collection of 256 Aeromonas hydrophila strains isolated from blood, discharge and stool for their serogroup designation. Of these, 2.3% were untypable and 15.2% were rough strains. Among the typable strains, about 50% comprised serogroups O:11, O:16, O:18, O:34 and O:83. To develop rapid differentiation of Aeromonas from other oxidase-positive bacteria, antisera against Aeromonas were produced to establish a direct, genus-specific, agglutination test. It was found that among 105 isolates of Aeromonas, 102 showed positive results with the agglutination test. The calculated sensitivity and specificity were 97.1% and 90.7%, respectively.     

Comprehension of safety signs for construction workers: comparison of existing and newly designed signs

The comprehension of safety signs for construction workers was compared among existing and improved designs. Safety signs considered were existing signs, existing signs improved by adding text, existing signs improved by adding/changing pictorials, and existing signs improved by adding/changing pictorials and text. Three hundred and eighty-four construction workers were randomized for assignments into four groups. They were working on nine constructions work sites randomly selected from work sites located in Bangkok, Thailand. The number of workers in each work site was calculated for the proportion of the sample size and then they were randomized so that equal numbers of workers were included in the four groups. The four types of safety signs and an interview form were used to test their comprehension of safety signs. For data analysis, percentages, means, standard deviations, the chi-square test, the one-way ANOVA and LSD tests were applied. The results showed that the mean comprehension scores of the existing signs improved by adding text, the existing signs improved by adding/changing pictorials, and the existing signs improved by adding/changing pictorials and text were significantly higher than those of the existing signs. In addition, the mean comprehension scores of the existing signs improved by adding text and the existing signs improved by adding/changing pictorials and text were significantly higher than those of the existing signs improved by adding/changing pictorials. The highest mean comprehension score of safety signs for the construction workers was found in the existing signs improved by adding/changing pictorials and text. These results indicated that for construction workers, the comprehension of safety signs with pictorials and explanatory text was better than that of the existing signs.