It has been stated that the quality of the aromatic rice variety, Khao Dawk Mali 105 is influenced by the environment of the production area or cultivation method. In this study, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline content of various rice samples in Thailand was investigated. The results showed that the samples from the Northeastern region, where Khao Dawk Mali 105 was cropped in rain-fed paddy fields, were higher in 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline content. The "Tungkularonghai" area, stated as being the highest quality rice production area, had the highest content among the areas in Northeastern Thailand. Samples collected from non-drought condition areas showed lower content even in the Tungkularonghai area. However, differences in seeding method did not affect 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline content in the Tungkularonghai area. These results showed that dry climate might be a factor for 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline content in Khao Dawk Mali 105. Since Khao Dawk Mali 105 is a photosensitive variety, it was expected that the ripening stage becomes uniform at a certain period which should be suitable for 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline formation in paddy fields.

Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC), an important agent of infectious diarrhoea, is constantly evolving, making it necessary for its periodic monitoring. Unfortunately, DEC genotypes in Ghana remain uncharacterised. We focused on characterising the molecular serotypes, virulence factors, multilocus sequence types, and the phylogenetic relatedness among different DEC pathotypes recovered from stool samples of paediatric patients with diarrhoea symptoms from the Western region of Ghana. We detected all five common DEC pathotypes, with majority being enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) isolates harbouring the heat-labile enterotoxin gene. The DEC strains exhibited a diverse serotypic identity with novel and other outbreak strains. Sequence type (ST)38, ST316, and ST1722 were the most prevalent STs, and clonal complex (CC)10 was the most common CC. A close evolutionary distance was observed among most of the isolates. Coli surface antigen 6 was the most prevalent (44%, n = 11) ETEC-specific colonisation factor. Nearly all of the isolates harboured lpfA, and the frequencies of other virulence genes, such as pap and cnf1, were 7.9% and 18.4%, respectively. This study provides insights into the important and novel genotypes circulating in the Western region of Ghana that should be monitored for public health.

Tellurite is highly toxic to most bacteria owing to its strong oxidative ability. However, some bacteria demonstrate tellurite resistance. In particular, some Escherichia coli strains, including Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7, are known to be resistant to tellurite. This resistance is involved in ter operon, which is usually located on a prophage-like element of the chromosome. The characteristics of the ter operon have been investigated mainly by genome analysis of pathogenic E. coli; however, the distribution and structural characteristics of the ter operon in other E. coli are almost unknown. To clarify these points, we examined 106 E. coli strains carrying the ter operon from various animals. The draft genomes of 34 representative strains revealed that ter operons were clearly classified into four subtypes, ter-type 1–4, at the nucleotide sequence level. Complete genomic sequences revealed that operons belonging to three ter-types (1, 3, and 4) were located on the prophage-like elements on the chromosome, whereas the ter-type 2 operon was located on the IncHI2 plasmid. The positions of the tRNASer, tRNAMet, and tRNAPhe indicated the insertion sites of elements carrying the ter operons. Using the PCR method developed in this study, 106 strains were classified as type 1 (n = 66), 2 (n = 13), 3 (n = 8), and 4 (n = 17), and two strains carried both types 1 and 2. Furthermore, significant differences in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tellurite were observed between strains carrying ter-type 4 and the others (p < 0.05). The ter-type was also closely related to the isolation source, with types 2 and 4 associated with chickens and deer, respectively. This study provided new insights related not only to genetic characteristics of the ter operons, but also to phenotypic and ecological characteristics that may be related to the diversity of the operon.

Epidemiological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Southern Vietnam has been well reported as in Globocan 2018 while data from the North has still not been fully presented. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective descriptive study on 198 advanced HCC patients treated at 3 major hospitals in Northern Vietnam to describe demographic features, HCC risk factors, and correlation among them in patients with advanced HCC. This information will lead to prevention efforts and provide information for allocating funds for treatment. The median age at diagnosis was 57 years (range: 19-86) and the male/female ratio was 8.9/1. The proportions of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were 81.3% and 5.6%, respectively. Hepatitis C virus infection rate was significantly higher in patients <50 years old (12.5% vs 3.3%, P = .016). There was no significant difference in age or viral hepatitis infection status by gender. Only 7.6% of patients diagnosed with advanced HCC were asymptomatic. In conclusion, with the high rate of HBV infection among patients with advanced HCC, it is necessary for increasing prevention efforts in HBV screening. Furthermore, HCV infection should be noticed in patients with advanced HCC younger than 50 years old.