Seroepidemiology and occult hepatitis B virus infection in young adults in Banjarmasin, Indonesia.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a public health problem in Indonesia. There has been limited data regarding HBV infection in young adult population. This study aimed to evaluate the seroepidemiology of HBV infection and characterize occult HBV variants in healthy young adults in Banjarmasin, Indonesia, who were born before the implementation of the universal infant hepatitis B vaccination.

Development of a poly(ether urethane) system for the controlled release of two novel anti-biofilm agents based on gallium or zinc and its efficacy to prevent bacterial biofilm formation.

Traditional antibiotic therapy to control medical device-based infections typically fails to clear biofilm infections and may even promote the evolution of antibiotic resistant species. We report here the development of two novel antibiofilm agents; gallium (Ga) or zinc (Zn) complexed with protoporphyrin IX (PP) or mesoprotoporphyrin IX (MP) that are both highly effective in negating suspended bacterial growth and biofilm formation. These chelated gallium or zinc complexes act as iron siderophore analogs, supplanting the natural iron uptake of most bacteria.