Analysis of sugars and amino acids in aphid honeydew by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography - Mass spectrometry.

Past analyses of sugar and amino acid composition of aphid honeydews have been completed using diverse instrumentation. Here we report the use of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometric (MS/MS) detector for the analysis of seven saccharides (xylose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, trehalose, melezitose and raffinose) and five amino acids (glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, serine, and asparagine). Limits of quantitation ranged from 0.05 mg/L (melezitose) to 1.0 mg/L (fructose) for sugars and from 0.10 mg/L (glutamic acid) to 3.66 mg/L (asparagine) for amino acids. Sample preparation was fast and simple, requiring only the washing of foils used to collect aphid honeydew with hot (80 °C) water and sonication of samples prior to HILIC/MS/MS analysis for both classes of analytes. No analyte derivatization was required and excellent chromatographic characteristics were observed. For those studying honeydew-mediated interactions in the field, this technique allows for rapid characterization of ecologically important amino acids and sugars.•Composition of seven saccharides in Aphis asclepiadis honeydew including xylose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, trehalose, melezitose,and raffinose, and five standard amino acids including glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, serine, and asparagine, were analyzed using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.•All polar analytes were analyzed without derivatization using HILIC-MS with chromatographic run times of 7 min (sugars) and 10 min (amino acids).

Health-related quality of life, service utilization and costs of low language: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Low language (LL) is a common childhood condition affecting 7-17% of children. It is associated with life-long adverse outcomes and can affect various aspects of a child's life. However, the literature on its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), service use and costs are limited. To date, there has been no systematic review of the overall economic burden of LL. A systematic review regarding the economic burden of LL is important for clinical, educational, policy decision-making and theoretical aspects. We adopted the term 'low language' to refer to children whose language performance falls below well-recognized cut-points regardless of known or unknown aetiology. AIMS: To review the literature systematically on how LL is associated with HRQoL, service utilization and costs. METHODS & PROCEDURES: A systematic search was conducted across various databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, up to July 2017. Data on study design, population and outcomes were extracted and screened by two pairs of reviewers with the revision of other experts in the panel on any discrepancies. The Effective Public Health Practice Project tool was used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. The findings of the included studies were summarized in a narrative synthesis. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: We identified 22 relevant articles, of which 12 reported HRQoL and 11 reported service utilization and costs associated with LL. Preference-based instruments, which include the relative importance attached to different aspects of HRQoL, were less employed in the literature. Most studies found poorer HRQoL in children with LL compared with their peers. About half the families having children with LL did not actively seek professional help, and many families felt they did not receive sufficient services when needed. Healthcare costs associated with LL were substantial. Non-healthcare costs were largely unexplored. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: LL was associated with reduced children's HRQoL, higher service use and costs. Under-servicing was evident in children with LL. LL also imposed large costs on the healthcare system. Further research is required to examine (1) the overall HRQoL of children with LL, in particular studies using and testing the performance of preference-based instruments; and (2) the service use and costs specific to LL, especially non-healthcare costs.

Cost-effectiveness of community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to examine, from a limited societal perspective, the cost-effectiveness of community-based obesity prevention interventions (CBIs)-defined as a programme of community-level strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity for Australian children (aged 5-18 years). METHODS: The effectiveness of CBIs was determined by undertaking a literature review and meta-analysis. Commonly implemented strategies to increase physical activity and improve nutrition were costed (in 2010 Australian dollars) to determine the average cost of a generic programme. A multiple cohort Markov model that simulates diseases associated with overweight and obesity was used to estimate the health benefits, measured as health-adjusted life years (HALYs) and healthcare-related cost offsets from diseases averted due to exposure to the intervention. Health and cost outcomes were estimated over the lifetime of the target population. Monte-Carlo simulation was used to assess second-order uncertainty of input parameters to estimate mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Scenario analyses tested variations in programme intensity, target population, and duration of effect. RESULTS: The meta-analysis revealed a small but significant difference in BMI z-score (mean difference of - 0.07 (95% UI: - 0.13 to - 0.01)) favouring the CBI community compared with the control. The estimated net cost of implementing CBIs across all local government areas (LGAs) in Australia was AUD426M (95% UI: AUD3M to AUD823M) over 3 years. This resulted in 51,792 HALYs gained (95% UI: 6816 to 96,972) over the lifetime of the cohort. The mean ICER was AUD8155 per HALY gained (95% UI: AUD237 to AUD81,021), with a 95% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness to pay threshold of AUD50,000 per HALY. CONCLUSIONS: CBIs are cost-effective obesity prevention initiatives; however, implementation across Australia will be (relatively) expensive when compared with current investments in preventive health.

Cost effectiveness of tobacco control policies in Vietnam: the case of population-level interventions.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking is one of the leading public health problems in the world. It is also possible to prevent and/or reduce the harm from tobacco use through the use of cost-effective tobacco control measures. However, most of this evidence comes from developed countries and little research has been conducted on this issue in developing countries. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyse the cost effectiveness of four population-level tobacco control interventions in Vietnam. METHODS: Four tobacco control interventions were evaluated: excise tax increase; graphic warning labels on cigarette packs; mass media campaigns; and smoking bans (in public or in work places). A multi-state life table model was constructed in Microsoft® Excel to examine the cost effectiveness of the tobacco control intervention options. A government perspective was adopted, with costing conducted using a bottom-up approach. Health improvement was considered in terms of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted. All assumptions were subject to sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. RESULTS: All the interventions fell within the definition of being very cost effective according to the threshold level suggested by the WHO (i.e.

The costs of traumatic brain injury due to motorcycle accidents in Hanoi, Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in Vietnam. The purpose of this study is to estimate the costs, in the first year post-injury, of non-fatal traumatic brain injury (TBI) in motorcycle users not wearing helmets in Hanoi, Vietnam. The costs are calculated from the perspective of the injured patients and their families, and include quantification of direct, indirect and intangible costs, using years lost due to disability as a proxy. METHODS: The study was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data on treatment and rehabilitation costs, employment and support were obtained from patients and their families using a structured questionnaire and The European Quality of Life instrument (EQ6D). RESULTS: Thirty-five patients and their families were interviewed. On average, patients with severe, moderate and minor TBI incurred direct costs at USD 2,365, USD 1,390 and USD 849, with time lost for normal activities averaging 54 weeks, 26 weeks and 17 weeks and years lived with disability (YLD) of 0.46, 0.25 and 0.15 year, respectively. CONCLUSION: All three component costs of TBI were high; the direct cost accounted for the largest proportion, with costs rising with the severity of TBI. The results suggest that the burden of TBI can be catastrophic for families because of high direct costs, significant time off work for patients and caregivers, and impact on health-related quality of life. Further research is warranted to explore the actual social and economic benefits of mandatory helmet use.