Intestinal parasitic infections are still a crucial problem among communities in Northeast Thailand. Misuse of antiparasitic drugs and unhealthy food behaviors are known. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, behavioral health factors, and motivation for self-treatment of anti-parasitic drugs in this area. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Phra Lap sub-district, Mu Khon Kaen district, Khon Kaen province, Northeast Thailand, in 2016. A total of 419 participants were recruited to complete a self-administered questionnaire and stool examination. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between the risk factor and parasitic infection. Forty-two participants (10%; 95%CI 7.5–13.3) were positive for at least one parasite species. In this community, the most detected intestinal parasite was Opisthorchis viverrini (5.3%), followed by Strongyloides stercoralis (3.1%). A total of 67.5% of the participants had the experience of anti-parasitic drug treatment within previous 1 year, and “Often eat raw food” was the most common reason for the use of anti-parasitic drugs. On multivariate analysis, parasitic infections were significantly associated with male gender (ORadj. 2.42; 95%CI 1.00–5.85), age ≥ 60 years (ORadj. 7.55; 95%CI 1.60–35.76), and often consuming raw food of at least one type (ORadj. 2.37; 95%CI 1.03–5.44). Given these findings, correction of the dietary habit of eating raw fish/meat, which is the most important measure, and limitation of the use of anthelmintic treatment for individuals with stools positive for ova as well as emphasis on sanitary toilets will be implemented for the prevention and control of parasitic infection in endemic communities.

We investigated the anti-cholangiocarcinoma effect of α-mangostin from Garcinia mangostana pericarp extract (GM) in a human cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cell line and a hamster CCA allograft model. In vitro, human CCA cells were treated with GM at various concentrations and for different time periods; then cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis were evaluated using flow cytometry, and metastatic potential with wound healing assays. In vivo, hamster allografts were treated with GM, gemcitabine (positive control) and a placebo (negative control) for 1 month; tumor weight and volume were then determined. Histopathological features and immunostaining (CK19 and PCNA) characteristics were examined by microscopy. The present study found that α-mangostin could: inhibit CCA cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway; induce G1 cell-cycle arrest; and inhibit metastasis. Moreover, α-mangostin could inhibit CCA growth, i.e. reduce tumor mass (weight and size) and alter CCA pathology, as evidenced by reduced positive staining for CK19 and PCNA. The present study thus suggested that α-mangostin is a promising anti-CCA compound whose ready availability in tropical countries might indicate use for prevention and treatment of CCA.

Individuals decide to use public transit in part on the basis of their perception of transit safety, which is determined by various individual and environmental factors. This paper adopts a multilevel approach to analyze how perceptions of bus and train safety in Chicago, Illinois, vary as a function of person-level characteristics—gender, age, ethnicity, income, and frequency of transit ridership—and neighborhood-level characteristics—perceived neighborhood disorder, population density, and level of poverty. Hierarchical linear modeling is applied to a unique data set that combines data from three different sources: Chicago Transit Authority data on individual-level perceptions of transit safety and individual demographics, Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy data on perceptions of neighborhood disorder at the zip code level, and U.S. Census zip code–level demographic data. Findings show that the individual-and zip code–level effects differ depending on whether the estimation predicts bus or train safety perceptions. Additionally, while higher-income individuals and African Americans report lower levels of perceived bus safety, there is an additional zip code effect: low-density and high-poverty areas and neighborhoods with high levels of disorder have significantly lower levels of perceived bus safety. Management and policy implications of the study for both the transit agency and the community in which service is being offered are discussed.

While lettuce offers essential human nutrients, it also contains anti-nutrients, particularly nitrate (NO₃⁻). The use of neem leaf extract as a natural nitrification inhibitor has proven itself promising to remediate lettuce tissue NO₃⁻ content. This study evaluated the effects of neem leaf extract on soil properties, soil nitrification, lettuce growth, yield, and NO₃⁻ content. Five nitrification inhibitor treatments were evaluated: (i) no inhibitor (control), (ii) nitrapyrin, and three rates of neem leaf extract based on the dry weight of the raw material: (iii) 1 g kg⁻¹ soil (Neem1), (iv) 2 g kg⁻¹ soil (Neem2), and (v) 4 g kg⁻¹ soil (Neem4). Neem leaf extract generally increased soil concentrations: P (47.6–55.8 mg kg⁻¹), K (45.8–62.7 mg kg⁻¹), Ca (129–164 mg kg⁻¹), and Mg (29.0–35.7 mg kg⁻¹) compared with the control (50.6 mg P kg⁻¹, 35.3 mg K kg⁻¹, 123 mg Ca kg⁻¹, and 24.8 mg Mg kg⁻¹). Neem leaf extracts significantly increased soil NH₄⁺–N concentrations (13.9–30.2 mg kg⁻¹) and nitrification inhibition (12.5–70.5%), but significantly decreased soil NO₃⁻–N concentrations (6.4–13.2 mg kg⁻¹) and net nitrification rates (0.08–0.23 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) relative to the control (6.6 mg NH₄⁺–N kg⁻¹, 14.7 mg NO₃⁻–N kg⁻¹, 0.26 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹, and 0% nitrification inhibition). The neem leaf extracts significantly decreased shoot fresh weight (13.5–43.1 g plant⁻¹), shoot dry weight (0.84–3.91 g plant⁻¹), and root dry weight (0.14–0.27 g plant⁻¹) compared with the control (52.3 g shoot fresh weight plant⁻¹, 5.36 g shoot dry weight plant⁻¹, and 0.35 g root dry weight plant⁻¹). The significant decreases in the lettuce biomass in the neem extract treatments paralleled the significant decreases in the shoot’s tissue NO₃⁻–N contents and significant increases in tissue NH₄⁺–N content and soil Al concentrations.

A vegetable’s high antinutrients, nitrate (NO₃⁻) and oxalate, could be remediated by neem seed extract. The combined use of neem seed extract with mineral fertilizer and cricket frass was conducted to evaluate their effects on amaranth’s tissue NO₃⁻ and oxalic acid contents by inhibiting nitrification. The effects of five soil amendments were investigated: unamended, mineral fertilizer, and three rates of cricket frass (3.125 Mg ha⁻¹, 6.25 Mg ha⁻¹, and 12.5 Mg ha⁻¹), combined with two rates of neem seed extract: without (−Nm) and with (+Nm) extract. Only the neem extract applied to soils receiving mineral fertilizers decreased soil tissue NO₃⁻−N contents (0.82 g kg⁻¹ for −Nm vs. 0.62 g kg⁻¹ for +Nm). The oxalic acid content of amaranth decreased with mineral fertilizer (0.60 and 0.46 g kg⁻¹ for −Nm and +Nm, respectively), yet increased with the higher rates of cricket frass (1.42–1.52 g kg⁻¹ for −Nm, and 1.23–1.51 g kg⁻¹ for +Nm) compared to the unamended soil (1.05 and 1.00 g kg⁻¹ for −Nm and +Nm). Cations, including K, Ca, Mg, and Na derived from cricket frass, may enhance biosynthesis and the accumulation of oxalic acid. The neem seed extract decreased the tissue’s oxalic contents regardless of soil amendments.