Resistance of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in 2006 to Pyrethroid Insecticides in Indonesia and its Association with Oxidase and Esterase Levels

Hepatitis B has been one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world and specifically in Indonesia. Although the total conversion of hepatitis B virus (HBV) to chronic disease in Indonesia was reduced by 50%, the total number of hepatitis B cases increased by 2.5 times in 2021. Ineffective HBV immunization program in Indonesia prior to 1997 was addressed by the Ministry of Health through a more comprehensive HBV control, which, among others, involved Health Promotion to increase people’s knowledge and awareness towards hepatitis B infection prevention. In this regard, this study aims to identify the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice/behavior of the Indonesian population towards hepatitis B infection prevention and their willingness for screening, particularly in areas with high prevalence of hepatitis B. This study used a quantitative approach in looking at correlations between this set of knowledge, attitude, and practice, mainly by using Structural Equation Model (SEM) and SmartPLS 3.3.3 toolkit in SPSS. Through an analysis of online questionnaire results from over 400 respondents in four provinces (DKI Jakarta, West Java, DI Yogyakarta, and South Sulawesi), this study shows that respondents have a very high level of knowledge about hepatitis B; high level of positive attitude; and very high level of positive practice towards hepatitis B infection prevention. However, we also noticed some dissonances between the key aspects, namely that knowledge on hepatitis B correlates negatively with the behavior of the respondents and that the behavior also correlates negatively with their willingness for screening. In conclusion, we suggest that factors such as socio-economic context and prior informed knowledge on hepatitis B be considered to build a better strategy of Health Promotion and hepatitis B diagnostic screening among the population.

Since it was first reported, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains an unresolved puzzle for biomedical researchers in different fields. Various treatments, drugs, and interventions were explored as treatments for COVID. Nevertheless, there are no standard and effective therapeutic measures. Meanwhile, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy offers a new approach with minimal side effects. MSCs and MSC-based products possess several biological properties that potentially alleviate COVID-19 symptoms. Generally, there are three classifications of stem cell therapy: cell-based therapy, tissue engineering, and cell-free therapy. This review discusses the MSC-based and cell-free therapies for patients with COVID-19, their potential mechanisms of action, and clinical trials related to these therapies. Cell-based therapies involve the direct use and injection of MSCs into the target tissue or organ. On the other hand, cell-free therapy uses secreted products from cells as the primary material. Cell-free therapy materials can comprise cell secretomes and extracellular vesicles. Each therapeutic approach possesses different benefits and various risks. A better understanding of MSC-based and cell-free therapies is essential for supporting the development of safe and effective COVID-19 therapy.

The present study aims to focus on the bioprospecting of marine macroalgae of Turbinaria species, plenteous biomass of the world ocean. Three types of solvents, i.e., H₂O, MeOH/H₂O (80:20, v/v) and hexane/i‐PrOH (50:50, v/v), were used for extraction. Both the biological activity and the pattern of present chemicals were characterized. For the cell proliferation assay, the human embryonic kidney 293 cells, cervix/breast/pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and osteosarcoma cells were used. For the antioxidant activity determination, both intracellular assay with human embryonic kidney and cervix adenocarcinoma cells, as well as the biochemical DPPH test, were employed. To complete the information about macroalgae composition, organic compounds were characterized by the liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Attention was concentrated mainly on the lipidomic profile characterization. In spite the fact that any significant antiproliferative effect was not observed for cancer cells, both the Turbinaria species were shown to be good protectors against the oxidative stress of the non‐cancer cells. Most of the antioxidants were determined in the hexane/i‐PrOH extract. As regards the lipids identified, most of them belonged to the triacylglycerols followed by sphingomyelins, diacylglycerols, and polar (lyso)phospholipids. Additionally to fatty acids with 14, 16 and 18 carbons, also those with odd carbon numbers were frequently present.

Despite the decreasing cases, SARS-CoV-2, with its endemic status, still threatens public health, and developing a variant-proof vaccine could be a promising strategy to prevent future infection. In this study, utilizing immunoinformatics and reverse vaccinology, we aimed to develop a multi-epitope mRNA vaccine with high population coverage, targeting multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. To design a multivariant vaccine, 20,567 sequences consisting of all SARS-CoV-2's variants of concern whole genome were retrieved. Utilizing an immunoinformatics approach, the selected antigens spike and nucleocapsid proteins were analyzed to predict linear B lymphocyte (LBL), helper T lymphocyte (HTL), and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes. These epitopes were evaluated based on antigenicity, toxicity, allergenicity, conservancy, and coverage at both global and Indonesian levels. The identified epitopes were further subjected to molecular docking analysis with MHC molecules and combined into the design of a multi-epitope vaccine. The validated 3D structure of the vaccine construct (VC) was used in molecular docking with TLR4 and BCR. The vaccine construct's potential in eliciting immune responses was also assessed. The predicted epitopes demonstrated extensive population coverage, encompassing 99.99% of the global population and 99.39% of the Indonesian population, respectively. The selected epitopes consisted of four LBL, five HTL, and three CTL epitopes were combined using linkers to make a multi-epitope construct, which was antigenic, non-allergenic, 257 amino acids long, and most of the structure was coil (61.87%). Furthermore, molecular docking analysis revealed potent interactions between the validated 3D structure and the TLR4 and BCR receptors, while molecular dynamic simulations confirmed the stability of the VC-TLR4 and VC-BCR complexes. Additionally, mRNA codon optimization was performed to enhance vaccine expression efficiency, and secondary structure analysis indicated that the designed mRNA vaccine possessed a stable conformation. As a result, an mRNA vaccine candidate was obtained with high population coverage and could induce a robust and protective immune response against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, further studies are required to validate the safety and efficacy of the proposed vaccine candidate.