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A co-substrate model of Candida tropicalis TISTR 5306 cultivated in 10 - 100 g/L xylose and 1 - 10 g/L glucose at the ratio of 10:1 was developed based in part on modified Monod equation. The kinetic parameters include substrate limitation as well as substrate and product inhibitions with inclusion of threshold values. A general good fitting with average RSS total , R 2 , and MS total values of 162, 0.979, and 10.8, respectively, was achieved between ten simulated profiles and experimental kinetics data. The implementation of developed model on xylitol production from non-detoxified corncob hemicellulosic hydrolysate resulted in relatively good agreement with RSS total , R 2 , and MS total values of 368, 0.988, and 24.5, respectively. The developed model can be applied to predict microbial behavior in batch xylitol production system using hemicellulosic hydrolysate over a xylose range of 10 - 100 g/L and provide useful information for subsequent design of fed-batch and continuous systems to achieve the efficient sustainable resource management of this agricultural and agro-industrial waste., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rabies is a neglected disease primarily related to dog-mediated transmission to humans. Accurate dog demographic and dynamic data are essential for effectively planning and evaluating population management strategies when designing interventions to prevent rabies. However, in Thailand, longitudinal survey data regarding dog population size are scarce. A school-based participatory research (SBPR) approach was conducted to survey owned dogs for one year in four high-risk provinces (Chiang Rai, Surin, Chonburi, and Songkhla) of Thailand, aiming to understand dog population dynamics and raise awareness about rabies. 'Pupify' mobile application was developed to collect data on dog population and observe the long-term population dynamics in this study. At the end of the data collection period, telephone interviews were conducted to gain insight into contextual perceptions and awareness regarding both animal and human rabies, as well as the social responsibility of dog owners in disease prevention and control. Among 303 high school students who registered in our study, 218 students reported at least one update of their dog information throughout the one-year period. Of 322 owned dogs from our survey, the updates of dog status over one year showed approximately 7.5 newborns per 100-dog-year, while deaths and missing dogs were 6.2 and 2.7 per 100-dog-year, respectively. The male to female ratio was approximately 1.8:1. Twenty-three students (10%) voluntarily participated and were interviewed in the qualitative study. The levels of rabies awareness and precautions among high-school students were relatively low. The high dropout rate of the survey was due to discontinuity in communication between the researcher and the students over the year. In conclusion, this study focused on using the SBPR approach via mobile application to collect data informing dog population dynamics and raising awareness regarding rabies in Thailand Other engaging platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other popular applications) is necessary to enhance communication and engagement, thereby sustaining and maintaining data collection. Further health education on rabies vaccination and animal-care practices via social media platforms would be highly beneficial. For sustainable disease control, engaging communities to raise awareness of rabies and increase dog owners' understanding of their responsibilities should be encouraged., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Influenza, an acute respiratory illness, remains a significant public health challenge, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Its seasonal prevalence exhibits diversity across regions with distinct climates. This study aimed to explore the seasonal patterns of influenza and their correlation with meteorological and air pollution factors across six regions of Thailand. We conducted an analysis of monthly average temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, PM10, NO 2 , O 3 concentrations, and influenza incidence data from 2009 to 2019 using wavelet analysis. Our findings reveal inconsistent biannual influenza prevalence patterns throughout the study period. The biannual pattern emerged during 2010-2012 across all regions but disappeared during 2013-2016. However, post-2016, the biannual cycles resurfaced, with peaks occurring during the rainy and winter seasons in most regions, except for the southern region. Wavelet coherence reveals that relative humidity can be the main influencing factor for influenza incidence over a one-year period in the northern, northeastern, central, Bangkok-metropolitan, and eastern regions, not in the southern region during 2010-2012 and 2016-2018. Similarly, precipitation can drive the influenza incidence at the same period for the northeastern, central, Bangkok-metropolitan, and eastern regions. PM10 concentration can influence influenza incidence over a half-year period in the northeastern, central, Bangkok-metropolitan, and eastern regions of Thailand during certain years. These results enhance our understanding of the temporal dynamics of influenza seasonality influenced by weather conditions and air pollution over the past 11 years. Such knowledge is invaluable for resource allocation in clinical settings and informing public health strategies, particularly in navigating Thailand's climatic complexities., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The Trichinella spiralis novel cystatin (TsCstN) inhibits cathepsin L (CatL) activity and inflammation of macrophages during lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction. To identify the protease inhibitory region, this study applied an in silico modeling approach to simulate truncation sites of TsCstN (Ts01), which created four truncated forms, including TsCstN∆1-39 (Ts02), TsCstN∆1-71 (Ts03), TsCstN∆1-20, ∆73-117 (Ts04), and TsCstN∆1-20, ∆42-117 (Ts05). The superimposition of these truncates modeled with AlphaFold Colab indicated that their structures were more akin to Ts01 than those modeled with I-TASSER. Moreover, Ts04 exhibited the closest resemblance to the structure of Ts01. The recombinant Ts01 (rTs01) and truncated proteins (rTs02, rTs03, and rTs04) were successfully expressed in a prokaryotic expression system while Ts05 was synthesized, with sizes of approximately 14, 12, 8, 10, and 2.5 kDa, respectively. When determining the inhibition of CatL activity, both rTs01 and rTs04 effectively reduced CatL activity in vitro. Thus, the combination of the α1 and L1 regions may be sufficient to inhibit CatL. This study provides comprehensive insights into TsCstN, particularly regarding its protein function and inhibitory domains against CatL.

Mental health literacy is vital for well-being in educational settings, extending beyond academics to include social and emotional development. It empowers individuals, allowing them to recognize and address their mental health needs and provide essential support to their peers. Despite the acknowledged importance of modifiable factors, there is a noticeable research gap in those amenable to change through educational interventions. Thus, this systematic review aims to identify potentially modifiable predictors of mental health literacy in the educational context. A systematic search was conducted for quantitative studies published between 2019 and October 2023 using several databases following PRISMA guidelines. Studies needed to focus on potentially modifiable predictors of mental health literacy in the educational context. Study quality was assessed using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool). In total, 3747 titles and abstracts were screened, 60 articles were assessed in full-text screening, and 21 were included in the review. Significant correlations between mental health literacy and modifiable predictors, including stigma toward professional help, self-efficacy, attitudes toward help-seeking, social support, positive psychological states, receiving mental health training, and psychological distress, were identified. By addressing these factors, educational institutions can cultivate community's adept in mental health, fostering an environment marked by empathy, understanding, and proactive engagement in addressing mental health issues. The implications serve as a foundation for future research, policy development, and implementing of practical strategies to enhance mental health literacy in diverse educational settings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma trematodes, is a significant global health concern, particularly affecting millions in Africa and Southeast Asia. Despite efforts to combat it, the rise of praziquantel (PZQ) resistance underscores the need for new treatment options. Protein kinases (PKs) are vital in cellular signaling and offer potential as drug targets. This study focused on focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as a candidate for anti-schistosomal therapy. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of adult S. mekongi worms identified FAK as a promising target due to its upregulation and essential role in cellular processes. Molecular docking simulations assessed the binding energy of FAK inhibitors to Schistosoma FAK versus human FAK. FAK inhibitor 14 and PF-03814735 exhibited strong binding to Schistosoma FAK with minimal binding for human FAK. In vitro assays confirmed significant anti-parasitic activity against S. mekongi, S. mansoni, and S. japonicum, comparable to PZQ, with low toxicity in human cells, indicating potential safety. These findings highlight FAK as a promising target for novel anti-schistosomal therapies. However, further research, including in vivo studies, is necessary to validate efficacy and safety before clinical use. This study offers a hopeful strategy to combat schistosomiasis and reduce its global impact., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted public health and necessitated urgent actions to mitigate its spread. Monitoring and predicting the outbreak's progression have become vital to devise effective strategies and allocate resources efficiently. This study presents a novel approach utilizing Multivariate Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to analyze and predict COVID-19 trends in Central Thailand, particularly emphasizing the multi-feature selection process. To consider a comprehensive view of the pandemic's dynamics, our research dataset encompasses epidemiological, meteorological, and particulate matter features, which were gathered from reliable sources. We propose a multi-feature selection technique to identify the most relevant and influential features that significantly impact the spread of COVID-19 in the region to enhance the model's performance. Our results highlight that relative humidity is the key factor driving COVID-19 transmission in Central Thailand. The proposed multi-feature selection technique significantly improves the model's accuracy, ensuring that only the most informative variables contribute to the predictions, avoiding the potential noise or redundancy from less relevant features. The proposed LSTM model demonstrates its capability to forecast COVID-19 cases, facilitating informed decision-making for public health authorities and policymakers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Mass vaccination has proven to be an effective control measure for mitigating the transmission of infectious diseases. Throughout history, various vaccination strategies have been employed to control infections and terminate outbreaks. In this study, we utilized the transmission of COVID-19 as a case study and constructed a stochastic age-structured compartmental model to investigate the effectiveness of different vaccination strategies. Our analysis focused on estimating the outbreak extinction probability under different vaccination scenarios in both homogeneous and heterogeneous populations. Notably, we found that population heterogeneity can enhance the likelihood of outbreak extinction at varying levels of vaccine coverage. Prioritizing vaccinations for individuals with higher infection risk was found to maximize outbreak extinction probability and reduce overall infections, while allocating vaccines to those with higher mortality risk has been proven more effective in reducing deaths. Moreover, our study highlighted the significance of booster doses as the vaccine effectiveness wanes over time, showing that they can significantly enhance the extinction probability and mitigate disease transmission., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Background: Opisthorchis viverrini infection is traditionally diagnosed using the Kato-Katz method and formalin ethyl-acetate concentration technique. However, the limited sensitivity and specificity of these techniques have prompted the exploration of various molecular approaches, such as conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR, to detect O. viverrini infection. Recently, a novel technique known as recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) (RPA-CRISPR/Cas) assay was developed as a point-of-care tool for the detection of various pathogens, including viruses and bacteria such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This technology has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, we developed and used the RPA-CRISPR/Cas assay to detect O. viverrini infection in field-collected human feces., Methods: To detect O. viverrini infection in fecal samples, we developed a CRISPR/Cas12a (RNA-guided endonuclease) system combined with RPA (Ov-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a). Several fecal samples, both helminth-positive and helminth-negative, were used for the development and optimization of amplification conditions, CRISPR/Cas detection conditions, detection limits, and specificity of the RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay for detecting O. viverrini infection. The detection results were determined using a real-time PCR system based on fluorescence values. Additionally, as the reporter was labeled with fluorescein, the detection results were visually inspected using an ultraviolet (UV) transilluminator. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the optimal cutoff value for fluorescence detection. The diagnostic performance, including sensitivity and specificity, of the Ov-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay was evaluated on the basis of comparison with standard methods., Results: The Ov-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay exhibited high specificity for detecting O. viverrini DNA. On the basis of the detection limit, the assay could detect O. viverrini DNA at concentrations as low as 10 -1  ng using the real-time PCR system. However, in this method, visual inspection under UV light required a minimum concentration of 1 ng. To validate the Ov-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay, 121 field-collected fecal samples were analyzed. Microscopic examination revealed that 29 samples were positive for O. viverrini-like eggs. Of these, 18 were confirmed as true positives on the basis of the Ov-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay and microscopic examination, whereas 11 samples were determined as positive solely via microscopic examination, indicating the possibility of other minute intestinal fluke infections., Conclusions: The Ov-RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay developed in this study can successfully detect O. viverrini infection in field-collected feces. Due to the high specificity of the assay reported in this study, it can be used as an alternative approach to confirm O. viverrini infection, marking an initial step in the development of point-of-care diagnosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study investigated the potential of using SARS-CoV-2 viral concentrations in dust as an additional surveillance tool for early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 transmission. Dust samples were collected from 8 public locations in 16 districts of Bangkok, Thailand, from June to August 2021. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in dust were quantified, and their correlation with community case incidence was assessed. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between viral concentrations detected in dust and the relative risk of COVID-19. The highest risk was observed with no delay (0-day lag), and this risk gradually decreased as the lag time increased. We observed an overall decline in viral concentrations in public places during lockdown, closely associated with reduced human mobility. The effective reproduction number for COVID-19 transmission remained above one throughout the study period, suggesting that transmission may persist in locations beyond public areas even after the lockdown measures were in place., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Cellulosic bioethanol production generally has a higher operating cost due to relatively expensive pretreatment strategies and low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. The production of other high-value chemicals such as xylitol and phenylacetylcarbinol (PAC) is, thus, necessary to offset the cost and promote economic viability. The optimal conditions of diluted sulfuric acid pretreatment under boiling water at 95°C and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis steps for sugarcane bagasse (SCB), rice straw (RS), and corn cob (CC) were optimized using the response surface methodology via a central composite design to simplify the process on the large-scale production. The optimal pretreatment conditions (diluted sulfuric acid concentration (% w/v), treatment time (min)) for SCB (3.36, 113), RS (3.77, 109), and CC (3.89, 112) and the optimal enzymatic hydrolysis conditions (pretreated solid concentration (% w/v), hydrolysis time (h)) for SCB (12.1, 93), RS (10.9, 61), and CC (12.0, 90) were achieved. CC xylose-rich and CC glucose-rich hydrolysates obtained from the respective optimal condition of pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis steps were used for xylitol and ethanol production. The statistically significant highest ( p ≤ 0.05) xylitol and ethanol yields were 65% ± 1% and 86% ± 2% using Candida magnoliae TISTR 5664. C. magnoliae could statistically significantly degrade ( p ≤ 0.05) the inhibitors previously formed during the pretreatment step, including up to 97% w/w hydroxymethylfurfural, 76% w/w furfural, and completely degraded acetic acid during the xylitol production. This study was the first report using the mixed whole cells harvested from xylitol and ethanol production as a biocatalyst in PAC biotransformation under a two-phase emulsion system (vegetable oil/1 M phosphate (Pi) buffer). PAC concentration could be improved by 2-fold compared to a single-phase emulsion system using only 1 M Pi buffer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Porninta, Khemacheewakul, Techapun, Phimolsiripol, Jantanasakulwong, Sommanee, Mahakuntha, Feng, Htike, Moukamnerd, Zhuang, Wang, Qi, Li, Liu, Kumar, Nunta and Leksawasdi.)

Objectives: The effectiveness and efficiency of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) relies on how widely it is adopted and adhered to, particularly among high-risk groups of MSM. The meta-analysis aimed to collect and analyze existing evidence on various factors related to PrEP adherence in MSM, including demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, substance use, and psychosocial factors., Methods: The meta-analysis followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The search included articles published between January 2018 and December 2022, obtained from the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases. The studies that were included in the analysis reported the proportion of MSM who demonstrated adherence to PrEP and underwent quality appraisal using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale., Results: Of the 268 studies initially identified, only 12 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final meta-analysis. The findings indicated that education (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 2.40), number of sexual partners (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.31), engaging in sexual activities with an human immunodeficiency virus-positive partner (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.26), substance use (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99), and lower levels of depression (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.82) were associated with higher rates of PrEP adherence among MSM., Conclusions: Despite these findings, further research is necessary to investigate PrEP adherence more comprehensively. The findings of this meta-analysis can be utilized to inform interventions aimed at improving PrEP adherence among MSM and provide directions for future research in this area.

A study evaluated nine kinetic data and four kinetic parameters related to growth, production of various phytase activities (PE act ), and released phosphate ion concentration ([Pi]) from five lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains cultivated in three types of media: phytate (IP6), milling stage rice bran (MsRB), and whitening stage rice bran (WsRB). Score ranking techniques were used, combining these kinetic data and parameters to select the most suitable LAB strain for each medium across three cultivation time periods (24, 48, and 72 h). In the IP6 medium, Lacticaseibacillus casei TISTR 1500 exhibited statistically significant highest ( p ≤ 0.05) normalized summation scores using a 2:1 weighting between kinetic and parameter data sets. This strain also had the statistically highest levels ( p ≤ 0.05) of produced phosphate ion concentration ([Pi]) (0.55 g/L) at 72 h and produced extracellular specific phytase activity (ExSp-PE act ) (0.278 U/mg protein ) at 48 h. For the MsRB and WsRB media, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TISTR 877 performed exceptionally well after 72 h of cultivation. It produced ([Pi], ExSp-PE act ) pairs of (0.53 g/L, 0.0790 U/mg protein ) in MsRB and (0.85 g/L, 0.0593 U/mg protein ) in WsRB, respectively. Overall, these findings indicate the most promising LAB strains for each medium and cultivation time based on their ability to produce phosphate ions and extracellular specific phytase activity. The selection process utilized a combination of kinetic data and parameter analysis.

Human trichinellosis is a parasitic infection caused by roundworms belonging to the genus Trichinella , especially Trichinella spiralis . Early and accurate clinical diagnoses of trichinellosis are required for efficacious prognosis and treatment. Current drug therapies are limited by antiparasitic resistance, poor absorption, and an inability to kill the encapsulating muscle-stage larvae. Therefore, reliable biomarkers and drug targets for novel diagnostic approaches and anthelmintic drugs are required. In this study, metabolite profiles of T. spiralis adult worms and muscle larvae were obtained using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. In addition, metabolite-based biomarkers of T. spiralis excretory-secretory products and their related metabolic pathways were characterized. The metabolic profiling identified major, related metabolic pathways involving adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent synthetase/ligase and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis in T. spiralis adult worms and muscle larvae, respectively. These pathways are potential drug targets for the treatment of the intestinal and muscular phases of infection. The metabolome of larva excretory-secretory products was characterized, with amino acid permease and carbohydrate kinase being identified as key metabolic pathways. Among six metabolites, decanoyl-l-carnitine and 2,3-dinor-6-keto prostaglandin F1α-d9 were identified as potential metabolite-based biomarkers that might be related to the host inflammatory processes. In summary, this study compared the relationships between the metabolic profiles of two T. spiralis growth stages. Importantly, the main metabolites and metabolic pathways identified may aid the development of novel clinical diagnostics and therapeutics for human trichinellosis and other related helminthic infections., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Uthailak, Adisakwattana, Chienwichai, Tipthara, Tarning, Thawornkuno, Thiangtrongjit and Reamtong.)

Low- and middle-income countries faced significant challenges in accessing COVID-19 vaccines during the early stages of the pandemic. In this study, we utilized an age-structured modeling approach to examine the implications of various vaccination strategies, vaccine prioritization, and vaccine rollout speeds in Thailand, an upper-middle-income country experiencing vaccine shortages during the early stages of the pandemic. The model directly compares the effectiveness of several vaccination strategies, including the heterologous vaccination where CoronaVac (CV) vaccine was administered as the first dose, followed by ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZ) vaccine as the second dose, under varying disease transmission dynamics. We found that the traditional AZ homologous vaccination was more effective than the CV homologous vaccination, regardless of disease transmission dynamics. However, combining CV and AZ vaccines via either parallel homologous or heterologous vaccinations was more effective than relying solely on AZ homologous vaccination. Additionally, prioritizing vaccination for the elderly aged 60 years and above was the most effective way to reduce mortality when community transmission is well-controlled. On the other hand, prioritizing workers aged 20-59 was most effective in lowering COVID-19 cases, irrespective of the transmission dynamics. Lastly, despite the vaccine prioritization strategy, rapid vaccine rollout speeds were crucial in reducing COVID-19 infections and deaths. These findings suggested that in low- and middle-income countries where early access to high-efficacy vaccines might be limited, obtaining any accessible vaccines as early as possible and using them in parallel with other higher-efficacy vaccines might be a better strategy than waiting for and relying solely on higher-efficacy vaccines., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Pouteria cambodiana is a perennial plant that has a wide distribution in tropical regions. It is commonly referred to as 'Nom-nang' in the northern region of Thailand. The bark of this plant has been used for the purpose of promoting lactation among breastfeeding mothers. Moreover, P. cambodiana bark has a high nutraceutical potential due to the presence of saponins, which are secondary metabolites. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of saponins from the bark of P. cambodiana and to assess the in vitro inhibitory activities of saponin-rich extracts. The most effective extraction conditions involved a temperature of 50 °C and a 50% concentration level of ethanol as the solvent, which allowed the extraction of saponin at a concentration of 36.04 mg/g. Saponin-rich extracts and their hydrolysates from P. cambodiana bark were evaluated for their ability to inhibit α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. The IC50 values for saponin- and sapogenin-rich extracts inhibiting α-glucosidase were 0.10 and 2.98 mg/mL, respectively. Non-hydrolysed extracts also had a stronger inhibitory effect than acarbose. In the case of pancreatic lipase, only the hydrolysed extracts exhibited inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase (IC 50 of 7.60 mg/mL). Thus, P. cambodiana bark may be an applicable natural resource for preparing ingredients for functional products with inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. The phenolic contents, saponin contents, and antioxidant activities of the dried extract stored at a low temperature of 25 °C for 2 months showed the best stability, with more than 90% retention.

Phenylacetylcarbinol (PAC) is a precursor for the synthesis of several pharmaceuticals, including ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and norephedrine. PAC is commonly produced through biotransformation using microbial pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) in the form of frozen-thawed whole cells. However, the lack of microorganisms capable of high PDC activity is the main factor in the production of PAC. In addition, researchers are also looking for ways to utilize agro-industrial residues as an inexpensive carbon source through an integrated biorefinery approach in which sugars can be utilized for bioethanol production and frozen-thawed whole cells for PAC synthesis. In the present study, Candida tropicalis , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , and the co-culture of both strains were compared for their biomass and ethanol concentrations, as well as for their volumetric and specific PDC activities when cultivated in a sugarcane bagasse (SCB) hydrolysate medium (SCBHM). The co-culture that resulted in a higher level of PAC (8.65 ± 0.08 mM) with 26.4 ± 0.9 g L -1 ethanol production was chosen for further experiments. Biomass production was scaled up to 100 L and the kinetic parameters were studied. The biomass harvested from the bioreactor was utilized as frozen-thawed whole cells for the selection of an initial pyruvate (Pyr)-to-benzaldehyde (Bz) concentration ([Pyr]/[Bz]) ratio suitable for the PAC biotransformation in a single-phase emulsion system. The initial [Pyr]/[Bz] at 100/120 mM resulted in higher PAC levels with 10.5 ± 0.2 mM when compared to 200/240 mM (8.60 ± 0.01 mM). A subsequent two-phase emulsion system with Pyr in the aqueous phase, Bz in the organic phase, and frozen-thawed whole cells of the co-culture as the biocatalyst produced a 1.46-fold higher PAC level when compared to a single-phase emulsion system. In addition, the cost analysis strategy indicated preliminary costs of USD 0.82 and 1.01/kg PAC for the single-phase and two-phase emulsion systems, respectively. The results of the present study suggested that the co-culture of C. tropicalis and S. cerevisiae can effectively produce bioethanol and PAC from SCB and would decrease the overall production cost on an industrial scale utilizing the two-phase emulsion system with the proposed multiple-pass strategy.

Equitable SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in low-resource communities lacking centralized sewers is critical as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) progresses. However, large-scale studies on SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater from low-and middle-income countries is limited because of economic and technical reasons. In this study, wastewater samples were collected twice a month from 186 urban and rural subdistricts in nine provinces of Thailand mostly having decentralized and non-sewered sanitation infrastructure and analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA variants using allele-specific RT-qPCR. Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration was used to estimate the real-time incidence and time-varying effective reproduction number (R e ). Results showed an increase in SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in wastewater from urban and rural areas 14-20 days earlier than infected individuals were officially reported. It also showed that community/food markets were "hot spots" for infected people. This approach offers an opportunity for early detection of transmission surges, allowing preparedness and potentially mitigating significant outbreaks at both spatial and temporal scales., Competing Interests: No author declares any potential conflict of interest or competing financial or non-financial interest in relation to the manuscript., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

The sea cucumber body wall was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using papain. The relationship between the enzyme concentration (1-5% w / w protein weight) and hydrolysis time (60-360 min) and the degree of hydrolysis (DH), yield, antioxidant activities, and antiproliferative activity in a HepG2 liver cancer cell line was determined. The surface response methodology showed that the optimum conditions for the enzymatic hydrolysis of sea cucumber were a hydrolysis time of 360 min and 4.3% papain. Under these conditions, a 12.1% yield, 74.52% DH, 89.74% DPPH scavenging activity, 74.92% ABTS scavenging activity, 39.42% H 2 O 2 scavenging activity, 88.71% hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, and 9.89% HepG2 liver cancer cell viability were obtained. The hydrolysate was produced under optimum conditions and characterized in terms of its antiproliferative effect on the HepG2 liver cancer cell line.

The current COVID-19 situation has forced many tourism businesses to close. Tourism workers have suffered chronic stress, discouragement, despair, and failure to find solutions for their businesses, resulting in deteriorating mental health. A psychological capital intervention (PCI) is therefore deemed necessary as it promotes the mental well-being of tourism workers. This article reports the development of a web-based PCI for the mental well-being of tourism workers and an investigation of its effectiveness using a mixed-methods intervention design. A qualitative approach was used to develop the intervention by conducting interview techniques with 20 tourism entrepreneurs. A content analysis was carried out. The intervention was tested through an experimental research design. The sample comprised 600 tourism workers who undertook a web-based PCI. Data on their mental well-being were collected before the intervention and 1 month afterward and analyzed using ANCOVA. The research revealed that 4 themes are needed for the intervention: having a goal, tolerance of difficulties, inspiration from a role model, and the appropriate way of thinking. An effectiveness examination showed that the web-based PCI improves mental well-being scores significantly. In conclusion, this web-based PCI, which focuses on developing strengths, effectively improves the mental well-being of tourism workers facing difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The Malayan pit viper ( Calloselasma rhodostoma ) is a hemotoxic snake widely found in Southeast Asia and is responsible for the majority of poisoning cases in this region, including Thailand. However, a comprehensive knowledge of the venom protein profile and classification, as well as novel venom proteins, of this viper is still limited. Recently, the detailed composition of several snake venoms has been discovered through the use of transcriptome analysis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to employ a next-generation sequencing platform and bioinformatics analysis to undertake venom-gland de novo transcriptomics of Malayan pit vipers. Furthermore, 21,272 functional coding genes were identified from 36,577 transcripts, of which 314 transcripts were identified as toxin proteins, accounting for 61.41% of total FPKM, which can be categorized into 22 toxin gene families. The most abundant are snake venom metalloproteinase kistomin (P0CB14) and zinc metalloproteinase/disintegrin (P30403), which account for 60.47% of total toxin FPKM and belong to the SVMP toxin family, followed by snake venom serine protease 1 (O13059) and Snaclec rhodocetin subunit beta (P81398), which account for 6.84% and 5.50% of total toxin FPKM and belong to the snake venom serine protease (SVSP) and Snaclec toxin family, respectively. Amino acid sequences of the aforementioned toxins were compared with those identified in other important medical hemotoxic snakes from Southeast Asia, including the Siamese Russell's viper ( Daboia siamensis ) and green pit viper ( Trimeresurus albolabris ), in order to analyze their protein homology. The results demonstrated that ranges of 58%-62%, 31%-60%, and 48%-59% identity was observed among the SVMP, Snaclec, and SVSP toxin families, respectively. Understanding the venom protein profile and classification is essential in interpreting clinical symptoms during human envenomation and developing potential therapeutic applications. Moreover, the variability of toxin families and amino acid sequences among related hemotoxic snakes found in this study suggests the use and development of universal antivenom for the treatment of envenomating patients is still challenging., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Stroke recurrence is increasing in the working-age population. This study aimed to summarize and evaluate the risk factors for recurrent stroke among the working-age population., Methods: Relevant studies were extracted from several databases following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Fixed- or random-effects estimates of the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of risk factors for recurrent stroke were generated based on heterogeneity. Subgroup and publication bias analyses were also performed., Results: Seventeen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled effects results revealed that the risk of recurrent stroke in the working-age group was as follows: Diabetes (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.47, 2.32), hypertension (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.44), smoking (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.81), history of cardiac disease (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 2.22, 3.67), history of stroke (OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.81, 3.31), and National Institutes of Health stroke severity score (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.15)., Conclusion: These findings suggest that several factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, history of cardiac disease and stroke, and severity of a stroke, are potential risk factors for recurrent stroke in the working-age group. Therefore, strategies to reduce those risk factors should be adopted and attention paid to prevent recurrent stroke among working-age populations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Dengue infection has been a public health problem worldwide, especially in tropical areas. A lack of sensitive diagnostic methods in the early phase of the illness is one of the challenging problems in clinical practices. We, herein, analyzed 86 sera of acute febrile patients, from both dengue and non-dengue febrile illness, to study the diagnostic performance of dengue diagnostics. When compared with detection by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), dengue NS1 detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) had the highest sensitivity of 82.4% (with 94.3% specificity), while NS1 by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) had 76.5% sensitivity. IgM detection by ELISA and RDT showed only 27.5% and 17.9% sensitivity, respectively. The combination of NS1 and IgM in RDT yielded a sensitivity of 78.4%, with 97.1% specificity. One of the essential steps in making a diagnosis from patient samples is the preparation process. At present, a variety of techniques have been used to increase the number of analytes in clinical samples. In this study, we focused on the sample concentration method. The sera were concentrated three times with the ultrafiltration method using a 10 kDa molecular weight cut-off membrane. The results showed an increase in the sensitivity of RDT-NS1 detection at 80.4%, with 100% specificity. When combining NS1 and IgM detection, the concentration method granted RDT an 82.4% sensitivity, with 100% specificity. In conclusion, serum concentration by the ultrafiltration method is a simple and applicable technique. It could increase the diagnostic performance of point-of-care dengue diagnostics.

Open burning of agricultural residues causes numerous complications including particulate matter pollution in the air, soil degradation, global warming and many more. Since they possess bio-conversion potential, agro-industrial residues including sugarcane bagasse (SCB), rice straw (RS), corncob (CC) and sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) were chosen for the study. Yeast strains, Candida tropicalis, C. shehatae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus were compared for their production potential of bioethanol and phenylacetylcarbinol (PAC), an intermediate in the manufacture of crucial pharmaceuticals, namely, ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine. Among the substrates and yeasts evaluated, RS cultivated with C. tropicalis produced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher ethanol concentration at 15.3 g L -1 after 24 h cultivation. The product per substrate yield (Y eth/s ) was 0.38 g g -1 with the volumetric productivity (Q p ) of 0.64 g L -1  h -1 and fermentation efficiency of 73.6% based on a theoretical yield of 0.51 g ethanol/g glucose. C. tropicalis grown in RS medium produced 0.303 U mL -1 pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC), a key enzyme that catalyzes the production of PAC, with a specific activity of 0.400 U mg -1 protein after 24 h cultivation. This present study also compared the whole cells biomass of C. tropicalis with its partially purified PDC preparation for PAC biotransformation. The whole cells C. tropicalis PDC at 1.29 U mL -1 produced an overall concentration of 62.3 mM PAC, which was 68.4% higher when compared to partially purified enzyme preparation. The results suggest that the valorization of lignocellulosic residues into bioethanol and PAC will not only aid in mitigating the environmental challenge posed by their surroundings but also has the potential to improve the bioeconomy., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The isolation of infected individuals and quarantine of their contacts are usually employed to mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Although 14-day isolation of infected individuals could effectively reduce the risk of subsequent transmission, it also substantially impacts the patient's psychological and emotional well-being. It is, therefore, vital to investigate how the isolation duration could be shortened when effective vaccines are available. Here, an individual-based modeling approach was employed to estimate the likelihood of secondary infections and the likelihood of an outbreak following the isolation of a primary case for a range of isolation periods. Our individual-based model integrated the viral loads and infectiousness profiles of vaccinated and unvaccinated infected individuals. The effects of waning vaccine-induced immunity against infection were also considered. By simulating the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant in a community, we found that in the baseline scenario in which all individuals were unvaccinated and nonpharmaceutical interventions were not used, there was an approximately 3% chance that an unvaccinated individual would lead to at least one secondary infection after being isolated for 14 days, and a sustained chain of transmission could occur with a less than 1% chance. With the outbreak risk equivalent to that of the 14-day isolation in the baseline scenario, we found that the isolation duration could be shortened to 7.33 days (95% CI 6.68-7.98) if 75% of people in the community were fully vaccinated with the BNT162b2 vaccine within the last three months. In the best-case scenario in which all individuals in the community are fully vaccinated, isolation of Delta variant-infected individuals may no longer be necessary. However, to keep the outbreak risk lower than 1%, a booster vaccination may be necessary three months after full vaccination., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Serology remains a useful indirect method of diagnosing tropical diseases, especially in dengue infection. However, the current literature regarding cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and dengue serology is limited and revealed conflicting results. As a means to uncover relevant serological insight involving antibody classes against SARS-CoV-2 and cross-reactivity, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA, IgM, and IgG ELISA, based on spike and nucleocapsid proteins, were selected for a fever-presenting tropical disease patient investigation. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Tropical Medicine during March to December 2021. The study data source comprised (i) 170 non-COVID-19 sera from 140 adults and children presenting with acute undifferentiated febrile illness and 30 healthy volunteers, and (ii) 31 COVID-19 sera from 17 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients. Among 170 non-COVID-19 samples, 27 were false positives (15.9%), of which IgA, IgM, and IgG cross-reactive antibody classes were detected in 18 (10.6%), 9 (5.3%), and 3 (1.8%) cases, respectively. Interestingly, one case exhibited both IgA and IgM false positivity, while two cases exhibited both IgA and IgG false positivity. The false positivity rate in anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgM was reported in adults with dengue infection (11.3% and 5%) and adults with other tropical diseases (16.7% and 13.3%). The urea dissociation method applied to mitigate false positivity resulted in significantly decreased ELISA-based false and true positives. In conclusion, the analysis of antibody against SARS-CoV-2 in sera of patients with different tropical diseases showed that high IgA and IgM false positivity thus potentially limits serological assay utility in fever-presenting patients in tropical areas.

Thailand has experienced the most prominent COVID-19 outbreak in 2021, resulting in a new record for COVID-19 cases and deaths. To assess the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on mortality, we estimated excess all-cause and pneumonia mortality in Thailand during the COVID-19 outbreak from April to October 2021. We used mortality from the previous 5 years to estimate the baseline number of deaths using generalized linear mixed models. The models were adjusted for seasonality and demographics. We found that, during the outbreak in 2021, there was a significant rise in excess fatalities, especially in the older age groups. The estimated cumulative excess death was 14.3% (95% CI: 8.6-18.8%) higher than the baseline. The results also showed that the excess deaths in males were higher than in females by approximately 26.3%. The excess deaths directly caused by the COVID-19 infections accounted for approximately 75.0% of the all-cause excess deaths. Furthermore, excess pneumonia deaths were also found to be 26.2% (95% CI: 4.8-46.0%) above baseline.

Green soybean ( Glycine max L.) seeds (GSS) are rich in various antioxidants and phytonutrients that are linked to various health benefits. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technology was used for extracting the effective components from GSS. A response surface method (RSM) was used to examine the influence of liquid-to-solid ratio and extraction temperature on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant characteristics. The optimal conditions were a liquid-to-solid ratio of 25:1 and a UAE temperature of 40 °C. The observed values coincided well with the predicted values under optimal conditions. Additionally, the effects of drying methods on the procyanidins and antioxidant activities of GSS extract were evaluated. The spray-dried GSS extract contained the highest levels of procyanidins (21.4 ± 0.37 mg PC/g), DPPH (199 ± 0.85 µM Trolox eq/g), and FRAP (243 ± 0.26 µM Trolox eq/g). Spray drying could be the most time- and energy-efficient technique for drying the GSS extract. The present study also assessed the effects of storage temperature and time on procyanidins and antioxidant activities in GSS extract powder. Procyanidins were found to degrade more rapidly at 45 °C than at 25 °C and 35 °C. Storage under 25 °C was appropriate for maintaining the procyanidin contents, DPPH, and FRAP activities in the GSS extract powder. This study contributed to the body of knowledge by explaining the preparation of procyanidin extract powder from GSS, which might be employed as a low-cost supply of nutraceutical compounds for the functional food industry and pharmaceutical sector.

Rabies is a fatal disease that has been a serious health concern, especially in developing countries. Although rabies is preventable by vaccination, the spread still occurs sporadically in many countries, including Thailand. Geographical structures, habitats, and behaviors of host populations are essential factors that may result in an enormous impact on the mechanism of propagation and persistence of the disease. To investigate the role of geographical structures on the transmission dynamics of canine rabies, we developed a stochastic individual-based model that integrates the exact configuration of buildings and roads. In our model, the spatial distribution of dogs was estimated based on the distribution of buildings, with roads considered to facilitate dog movement. Two contrasting areas with high- and low-risk of rabies transmission in Thailand, namely, Hatyai and Tepha districts, were chosen as study sites. Our modeling results indicated that the distinct geographical structures of buildings and roads in Hatyai and Tepha could contribute to the difference in the rabies transmission dynamics in these two areas. The high density of buildings and roads in Hatyai could facilitate more rabies transmission. We also investigated the impacts of rabies intervention, including reducing the dog population, restricting owned dog movement, and dog vaccination on the spread of canine rabies in these two areas. We found that reducing the dog population alone might not be sufficient for preventing rabies transmission in the high-risk area. Owned dog confinement could reduce more the likelihood of rabies transmission. Finally, a higher vaccination coverage may be required for controlling rabies transmission in the high-risk area compared to the low-risk area., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Gnathostomiasis is a food-borne zoonotic disease that can affect humans who eat improperly cooked meat containg infective third-stage larvae. Definitive diagnosis is through larval recovery. However, this is an invasive technique and is impractical if the larvae have encysted in inaccessible areas of the body. Antigen or antibody detection might be more interesting techniques for diagnosis. Proteomic could elucidate diagnostic markers and improve our understanding of parasite biology. However, proteomic studies on Gnathostoma spinigerum are hampered by the lack of a comprehensive database for protein identification. This study aimed to explore the protein and antigen profiles of advanced third-stage G. spinigerum larvae (aL3Gs) using interrogation of mass spectrometry data and an in-house transcriptomic database for protein identification. Immunoproteomic analysis found 74 proteins in 24-kDa SDS-PAGE bands, which is size-specific for the immunodiagnosis of gnathostomiasis. Moreover, 13 proteins were found in 2-DE 24-kDa bands. The data suggest that collagenase 3, cathepsin B, glutathione S-transferase 1, cuticle collagen 14, major antigen, zinc metalloproteinase nas-4, major egg antigen, peroxiredoxin, and superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn] may be good candidates for novel human gnathostomiasis diagnostic assays. These findings improve our understanding of the parasite's biology and provide additional potential targets for novel therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Mental well-being is a state of positive mental health, but there is currently no valid tool for assessing mental well-being in the Thai population. The purpose of this research was to develop and validate a mental well-being scale for Thai people. Data from 2000 Thai citizens were analyzed to explore the structural components of mental well-being. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 1000) was conducted and determined a mental well-being factor structure consisting of three factors: 1) positive emotion and thinking, 2) positive relationship and 3) positive functioning. Confirmatory factor analysis of a validation group (n = 1000) identified 10 items within these three factors of mental well-being. Psychometric analyses supported internal consistency reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity of the scale. The findings suggest that the construction of this new mental well-being scale for Thai people is reliable and valid. This scale will be a useful tool for addressing and identifying mental health problems among the Thai population., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Trichinellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the ingestion of the Trichinella nematode. With a worldwide incidence of approximately 10,000 cases per year, Trichinella spiralis is responsible for most human infections. There are no specific signs or symptoms of this parasitic infection. Muscle biopsy is the gold diagnostic standard for trichinellosis, but the technique is invasive and unable to detect the early stage of infection. Although immunodiagnostics are also available, antibody detection usually occurs after 3 weeks and prolonged up to 19 years after the acute phase. Therefore, additional diagnostic biomarkers must be identified to improve trichinellosis diagnosis. This study aimed to measure concentration changes in mouse serum proteins prior to T. spiralis infection and 2, 4 and 8 weeks after infection, and to identify T. spiralis circulating proteins and antigens using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Mouse muscle-related proteins including inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H2, a protein involved in the response to muscle tissue damage, were up-regulated in mouse sera during the T. spiralis larvae invasion. Additionally, 33 circulatory parasite proteins were identified in infected mouse sera. Notably, T. spiralis long-chain fatty acid transport protein 1 could be detected in the early stage of infection and peroxidasin-like protein was identified 2, 4 and 8 weeks after infection. Seventeen T. spiralis circulating antigens were detected in mouse immune complexes, with PX domain protein being found 2, 4 and 8 weeks after infection. Because peroxidasin-like protein and PX domain protein were detected at all post-infection time points, sequence alignments of these proteins were performed, which showed they are conserved among Trichinella spp. and have less similarity to the human and murine sequences. Integrative analysis of T. spiralis biomarkers throughout the course of infection may reveal additional diagnostic targets to improve early diagnosis of trichinellosis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has emerged as a major threat to global public health. Epidemiological and infection controls associated with CRKP are challenging because of several potential elements involved in a complicated cycle of transmission. Here, we proposed a comprehensive mathematical model to investigate the transmission dynamics of CRKP, determine factors affecting the prevalence, and evaluate the impact of interventions on transmission. The model includes the essential compartments, which are uncolonized, asymptomatic colonized, symptomatic colonized, and relapsed patients. Additionally, symptomatic colonized and relapsed patients were further classified into subpopulations according to their number of treatment failures or relapses. We found that the admission of colonized patients and use of antibiotics significantly impacted the endemic transmission in health care units. Thus, we introduced the treatment efficacy, defined by combining the treatment duration and probability of successful treatment, to characterize and describe the effects of antibiotic treatment on transmission. We showed that a high antibiotic treatment efficacy results in a significantly reduced likelihood of patient readmission in the health care unit. Additionally, our findings demonstrate that CRKP transmission with different epidemiological characteristics must be controlled using distinct interventions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective : In this pilot study, craniofacial changes associated with biomimetic oral appliance therapy (BOAT) were investigated to test the hypothesis of non-surgical remodeling of the maxillary air sinuses in rhinosinusitis. Methods : Three consecutive Korean patients (mean age 9.3 yrs) presented to a dental office with a history of chronic rhinosinusitis. After obtaining informed consent, 3D cone-beam CT scans were taken that showed circumferential mucosal thickening and inflammatory maxillary sinus disease, obstructed ostiomeatuses, and enlarged inferior turbinates. All cases were treated using BOAT (DNA appliance®). Results : Approximately 10 months after BOAT, the paranasal sinuses were aerated without mucosal thickening; the sinus walls were intact, and the ostiomeatal units were patent. All mean craniofacial parameters measured increased, except the transpalatal bone width, which remained unchanged. Discussion : Although enhancement of the maxillary air sinuses through non-surgical remodeling is suspected in these three cases of pediatric rhinosinusitis, additional studies are warranted.

Green soybean ( Glycine max L.) pods (GSP) are agro-industrial waste from the production of frozen green soybean and milk. These pods contain natural antioxidants and various bioactive compounds that are still underutilized. Polyphenols and flavonoids in GSP were extracted by ultrasound technique and used in the antioxidant fortification of green soybean milk. The ultrasound extraction that yielded the highest total polyphenol content and antioxidant activities was 50% amplitude for 10 min. Response surface methodology was applied to analyze an optimum ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) condition of these variables. The highest desirability was found to be 50% amplitude with an extraction time of 10.5 min. Under these conditions, the experimental total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity were well matched with the predicted values (R 2 > 0.70). Fortification of the GSP extracts (1-3% v / v ) in green soybean milk resulted in higher levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner. Procyanidins were found to be the main polyphenols in dried GSP crude extracts, which were present at a concentration of 0.72 ± 0.01 mg/100 g. The addition of GSP extracts obtained by using an ultrasound technique to green soybean milk increased its bioactive compound content, especially procyanidins, as well as its antioxidant activity.

Thailand was the first country reporting the first Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected individual outside mainland China. Here we delineated the course of the COVID-19 outbreak together with the timeline of the control measures and public health policies employed by the Thai government during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand. Based on the comprehensive epidemiological data, we reconstructed the dynamics of COVID-19 transmission in Thailand using a stochastic modeling approach. Our stochastic model incorporated the effects of individual heterogeneity in infectiousness on disease transmission, which allows us to capture relevant features of superspreading events. We found that our model could accurately capture the transmission dynamics of the first COVID-19 epidemic wave in Thailand. The model predicted that at the end of the first wave, the number of cumulative confirmed cases was 3091 (95%CI: 2782-3400). We also estimated the time-varying reproduction number (R t ) during the first epidemic wave. We found that after implementing the nationwide interventions, the R t in Thailand decreased from the peak value of 5.67 to a value below one in less than one month, indicating that the control measures employed by the Thai government during the first COVID-19 epidemic wave were effective. Finally, the effects of transmission heterogeneity and control measures on the likelihood of outbreak extinction were also investigated., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

HIV viral load is more reliable tool for monitoring treatment throughout the course of HIV/AIDS, but the test may be expensive in resource-limited settings. Therefore, enumeration of CD4 T-lymphocyte count remains important in these settings. This study evaluated the performance of BDFACSPresto, a near-patient CD4 counter planned to be used in primary healthcare clinics in Thailand. Results of percent, absolute CD4 count and hemoglobin (Hb) on the FACSPresto were compared with the TriTEST/TruCOUNT/BDFACSCalibur method and a Sysmex hematology analyzer. Phase I of the study was performed in an ISO15189 laboratory. Both percentage and absolute values showed Passing-Bablok slopes within 0.98-1.06 and 0.97-1.13, mean Bland-Altman biases of +1.2% and +20.5 cells/µL, respectively. In phase II, venous and some capillary blood samples were analyzed in four primary healthcare clinics. The results showed good correlation between capillary and venous blood. For venous blood samples, regression lines showed slopes of 1.01-1.05 and 1.01-1.07 for all percentage and absolute values. The overall mean biases were +0.9% and +17.0 cells/µL. For Hb, Passing-Bablok regression result gave slope within 1.01-1.07 and mean bias of -0.06 g/dL. Thus, CD4 enumeration in blood by the FACSPresto is reliable and can be performed to an identical standard at primary healthcare clinics.

HIV-infected patients are at increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) acquisition and HPV-associated diseases. This study set out to determine whether a two-dose (2D) HPV vaccination schedule was sufficient in HIV-infected adolescents with immune reconstitution (IR) following antiretroviral treatment. Participants aged 9-15 years who had CD4 cell counts > 500 cells/mm 3 and HIV-1 RNA < 40 copies/mL for at least one year were assigned to the 2D schedule, while older participants or those without IR received a three-dose (3D) schedule. Antibodies to HPV-16 and -18 were measured using a pseudovirion-based neutralization assay. A total of 96 subjects were enrolled; 31.3% and 68.7% received the 2D and 3D schedule, respectively. Of these, 66.7% and 57.6% of the 2D and 3D participants, respectively, were male. The seroconversion rates for HPV-16 and HPV-18 were 100% in all cases, except for HPV-18 in males who received the 3D schedule (97.4%). In males, the anti-HPV-16 geometric mean titers (GMTs) were 6859.3 (95% confidence interval, 4394.3-10,707.1) and 7011.1 (4648.8-10,573.9) in the 2D and 3D groups ( p = 0.946), respectively, and the anti-HPV-18 GMTs were 2039.3 (1432.2-2903.8) and 2859.8 (1810.0-4518.4) in the 2D and 3D ( p = 0.313) groups, respectively. In females, the anti-HPV-16 GMTs were 15,758.7 (8868.0-28,003.4) and 26,241.6 (16,972.7-40,572.3) in the 2D and 3D groups ( p = 0.197), respectively, and the anti-HPV-18 GMTs were 5971.4 (3026.8-11,780.6) and 9993.1 (5950.8-16,781.1) in the 2D and 3D groups ( p = 0.271), respectively. In summary, a 2D schedule is as immunogenic in young adolescents with IR as a 3D schedule in older subjects and those without IR.

Viral infections may cause serious human diseases. For instance, the recent appearance of the novel virus, SARS-CoV-2, causing COVID-19, has spread globally and is a serious public health concern. The consumption of healthy, proper, functional, and nutrient-rich foods has an important role in enhancing an individual's immune system and preventing viral infections. Several polysaccharides from natural sources such as algae, bacteria, and fungi have been considered as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration. They are safe, low-toxicity, biodegradable, and have biological activities. In this review, the bioactive polysaccharides derived from various microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and algae were evaluated. Antiviral mechanisms of these polysaccharides were discussed. Finally, the potential use of microbial and algal polysaccharides as an antiviral and immune boosting strategy was addressed. The microbial polysaccharides exhibited several bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumor, and immunomodulatory activities. Some microbes are able to produce sulfated polysaccharides, which are well-known to exert a board spectrum of biological activities, especially antiviral properties. Microbial polysaccharide can inhibit various viruses using different mechanisms. Furthermore, these microbial polysaccharides are also able to modulate immune responses to prevent and/or inhibit virus infections. There are many molecular factors influencing their bioactivities, e.g., functional groups, conformations, compositions, and molecular weight. At this stage of development, microbial polysaccharides will be used as adjuvants, nutrient supplements, and for drug delivery to prevent several virus infections, especially SARS-CoV-2 infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Chaisuwan, Phimolsiripol, Chaiyaso, Techapun, Leksawasdi, Jantanasakulwong, Rachtanapun, Wangtueai, Sommano, You, Regenstein, Barba and Seesuriyachan.)

Objectives: An outbreak of the novel coronavirus in December 2019 caused a worldwide pandemic. This disease also impacts European countries, including Germany. Without effective medicines or vaccines, non-pharmaceutical interventions are the best strategy to reduce the number of cases., Study Design: A deterministic model was simulated to evaluate the number of infectious and healthcare demand., Method: Using an age-structured SEIR model for the COVID-19 transmission, we project the COVID-19-associated demand for hospital and ICU beds within Germany. We estimated the effectiveness of different control measures, including active case-finding and quarantining of asymptomatic persons, self-isolation of people who had contact with an infectious person, and physical distancing, as well as a combination of these control measures., Results: We found that contact tracing could reduce the peak of ICU beds as well as mass testing. The time delay between diagnosis and self-isolation influences the control measures. Physical distancing to limit the contact rate would delay the peak of the outbreak, which results in the demand for ICU beds being below the capacity during the early outbreak., Conclusions: Our study analyzed several scenarios in order to provide policymakers that face the pandemic of COVID-19 with insights into the different measures available. We highlight that the individuals who have had contact with a virus-positive person must be quarantined as soon as possible to reduce contact with possible infectious cases and to reduce transmission. Keeping physical distance and having fewer contacts should be implemented to prevent overwhelming ICU demand., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

In this study, the mucilage polysaccharide (MP) from Amanita hemibapha subspecies javanica was prepared by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation and then fractionated using anion-exchange chromatography equipped with a DEAE Sepharose fast flow column. The most immune-enhancing polysaccharide fraction 2 (MPF2) was subjected to a structural modification such as hydrolysis or over-sulphation. The sulphate and molecular weight (Mw) of over-sulphated (OS1-3) and hydrolysed (HS1-3) derivatives of MPF2 differed between 9.85% and 14.2% and 32.8 and 88.1 × 10 3 g/mol, respectively. Further, the immune-enhancing properties of MPF2 and its derivatives were tested on RAW264.7 and NK cells through various in vitro assays. Interestingly, a low molecular weight of HS1-3 significantly increased the nitric oxide (NO) production ( p < 0.05) more than MPF2, indicating that Mw is a major factor in RAW264.7 cell stimulation. In addition, RAW264.7 cells produced various cytokines by up-regulating mRNA expression levels and the activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. On the other hand, OS1-3-treated natural killer (NK) cells induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells through the expression of IFN-γ, Grandzyme-B, perforin, NKp30, and FasL. These results demonstrated that sulphate derivatives play an important role in NK cell activation. Further, this study also explores how polysaccharide binds to RAW264.7 and NK cells. MPF2 and HS3 may activate RAW264.7 cells via binding to TLR4 receptors, and OS2 could be activated through the CR3 signalling pathways.

Cassava starch was blended with glycerol to prepare thermoplastic starch (TPS). Thermoplastic starch was premixed with sericin (TPSS) by solution mixing and then melt-blended with polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (PEMAH). The effect of sericin on the mechanical properties, morphology, thermal properties, rheology, and reaction mechanism was investigated. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the TPSS10/PEMAH blend were improved to 12.2 MPa and 100.4%, respectively. The TPS/PEMAH morphology presented polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride particles (2 μm) dispersed in the thermoplastic starch matrix, which decreased in size to approximately 200 nm when 5% sericin was used. The melting temperature of polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (121 °C) decreased to 111 °C because of the small crystal size of the polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride phase. The viscosity of TPS/PEMAH increased with increasing sericin content because of the chain extension. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the reaction between the amino groups of sericin and the maleic anhydride groups of polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride. This reaction reduced the interfacial tension between thermoplastic starch and polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride, which improved the compatibility, mechanical properties, and morphology of the blend., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

A mixture of corn starch and glycerol plasticizer (CSG) was blended with latex natural rubber (LNR) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The addition of 10 phr of CMC improved the Young's modulus (6.7 MPa), tensile strength (8 MPa), and elongation at break (80%) of the CSG/LNR blend. The morphology of the CSG/LNR/CMC blends showed a uniform distribution of LNR particles (1-3 µm) in the CSG matrix. The addition of CMC enhanced the swelling ability and water droplet contact angle of the blends owing to the swelling properties, interfacial crosslinking, and amphiphilic structure of CMC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the reaction between the C=C bond of LNR and the carboxyl groups (-COO - ) of CMC, in which the Na + ions in CMC acted as a catalyst. Notably, the mechanical properties of the CSG/LNR/CMC blend were improved owing to the miscibility of CSG/CMC and the CMC/LNR interfacial reaction. The CSG/LNR/CMC biodegradable polymer with high mechanical properties and interfacial tension can be used for packaging, agriculture, and medical applications., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Kimura's disease is a rare inflammatory disease that usually appears in head and neck region. We reported natural history of the disease and treatment outcome of radiotherapy (RT) in Chiang Mai University Hospital., Methods: A retrospective review was performed for all Kimura's disease patients treated with radiotherapy at our center between 2002 and 2017., Results: A total of 20 patients with Kimura's disease were reviewed. There were 14 men and 6 women. All patients presented with the mass in head and neck region. Eleven patients were treated with a definitive intent with RT, 9 patients were treated with RT after recurrence from other modalities. All patients were treated with local external beam RT with 2 Gy per fraction to a median total dose of 30 Gy (range 30-40). The median follow-up time was 4 years (range 1-16.5 years). One patient died from HIV opportunistic infection after 1.5 year of radiation with complete response of Kimura's disease. Most of the patients responded to radiotherapy and controlled the disease at the time of analysis. Two patients had multiple recurrences at new areas outside radiotherapy field. Skin toxicity grade 1 was the most common late side effect which was found in 8 (44%) patients. We did not find severe late toxicity or second malignancy in this patient cohort., Conclusion: : Good local control of Kimura's disease can be achieved, with a radiation dose of 30-40 Gy, with insignificant late toxicities. We suggest that radiotherapy should be one of the treatments of choice for Kimura's disease both in primary or recurrence setting., Competing Interests: None

This study aimed to select thermotolerant yeast for bioethanol production from cellulose-rich corncob (CRC) residue. An effective yeast strain was identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae TC-5. Bioethanol production from CRC residue via separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF), simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), and prehydrolysis-SSF (pre-SSF) using this strain were examined at 35-42 °C compared with the use of commercial S. cerevisiae . Temperatures up to 40 °C did not affect ethanol production by TC-5. The ethanol concentration obtained via the commercial S. cerevisiae decreased with increasing temperatures. The highest bioethanol concentrations obtained via SHF, SSF, and pre-SSF at 35-40 °C of strain TC-5 were not significantly different (20.13-21.64 g/L). The SSF process, with the highest ethanol productivity (0.291 g/L/h), was chosen to study the effect of solid loading at 40 °C. A CRC level of 12.5% ( w / v ) via fed-batch SSF resulted in the highest ethanol concentrations of 38.23 g/L. Thereafter, bioethanol production via fed-batch SSF with 12.5% ( w / v ) CRC was performed in 5-L bioreactor. The maximum ethanol concentration and ethanol productivity values were 31.96 g/L and 0.222 g/L/h, respectively. The thermotolerant S. cerevisiae TC-5 is promising yeast for bioethanol production under elevated temperatures via SSF and the use of second-generation substrates.