No abstract

A nanocomposite based on nanoclay and resol that was modified with cardanol, a natural alkyl phenol, shows improvement for the glass-fiber-reinforced epoxy-composite system. Dispersion of the nanocomposite was investigated by X-ray, showing good results obtained by the in situ polymerization method. The mechanical properties of the final composites were improved by doping a 6 wt% of nanoclay in cardanol-modified-resol (CMR) into the epoxy matrix. The results show that a 15 wt% of CMR in epoxy is a most suitable ratio. Using polyamide as a curing agent instead of other traditional systems, such as anhydrides or amines for epoxy resin, overcame important limitations, further allowing for improved processability. The overall composite performance was enhanced. Additionally, the thermal stability of the system was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis.

P. pastoris yeast can express and secrete bio-functional fusion protein sIL33R-Fc IgG1 and this expression system may be beneficial in future studies on the fusion protein.

Background Dengue is the most common vector-borne viral infection. In recent times, an increase in the age of cases with clinical dengue has been reported in the national surveillance system and published literature of Vietnam. This change not only alter the risk of transmission and disease burden in different populations but also will impact for prevention and control strategies. A retrospective study was conducted from 2000 to 2015 in 19 provinces of southern Vietnam to describe the changes in age distribution of dengue cases and circulating serotypes. Methodology/Principal findings The study is a time trend analysis of the data aggregated from the database of dengue surveillance system. The database consisted of clinically diagnosed and laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue in southern Vietnam from 2000 to 2015. In the study period, the mean age of dengue cases increased from 12.2 ± 8.8 years old (y/o) to 16.8 ± 13.3 y/o between 2000 and 2015. Majority of severe cases were observed in the age group of 5–9 y/o and 10–14 y/o. Overall, the mortality and case fatality rates (CFR) were lowest during 2010 to 2015, and all four serotypes of dengue were observed. Conclusions/Significance With the exception of severe form, the age distribution of clinical cases of dengue appears to be shifting towards older age groups. An increase in the mean age of clinical cases of dengue has been observed in southern Vietnam over the past decade, and the highest incidence was observed in age group of 5–14 y/o. All serotypes of dengue were in circulation.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is the most common enteroviral infection in South-East Asia. When evaluating the role of enterovirus 71 (EVA71) as an etiological agent of infectious disease in South Vietnam, we revealed a high proportion of EVA71 among identified species A enteroviruses found in 3542 samples from HFMD cases; 125 samples from cases of enteroviral meningitis; and 130 samples from acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases. These represent 50%, 54.8%, and 51.5%, respectively. According to molecular analysis, 90% of EVA71 were attributed to genotype C4 and 10% were attributed to genotype B5. The predominance of EVA71 circulation among the population proves the need to strengthen surveillance (with monitoring of enterovirus circulation for facilitation of HFMD outbreak prediction) and to increase the effectiveness of preventative measures by the implementation of vaccination against EVA71-associated infections. A phase III trial of a Taiwanese vaccine (EV71vac) in Taiwan and South Vietnam showed its safety, tolerability, and efficacy in children aged 2–71 months. This B4 genotype-based vaccine, which features cross-protection against B5 and C4 genotypes, and other existing EV71 vaccines can serve as a good approach to solving the HFMD problem, which is so important for Vietnam.