Plastic waste in sandy beaches and surface water in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam: abundance, characterization, and sources.

The occurrence and characterization of marine debris on beaches bring opportunities to track back the anthropogenic activities around shorelines as well as aid in waste management and control. In this study, the three largest beaches in Thanh Hoa (Vietnam) were examined for plastic waste, including macroplastics (≥ 5 mm) on sandy beaches and microplastics (MPs) (< 5 mm) in surface water. Among 3803 items collected on the beaches, plastic waste accounted for more than 98%. The majority of the plastic wastes found on these beaches were derived from fishing boats and food preservation foam packaging. The FT-IR data indicated that the macroplastics comprised 77% polystyrene, 17% polypropylene, and 6% high-density polyethylene, while MPs discovered in surface water included other forms of plastics such as polyethylene- acrylate, styrene/butadiene rubber gasket, ethylene/propylene copolymer, and zein purified. FT-IR data demonstrated that MPs might also be originated from automobile tire wear, the air, and skincare products, besides being degraded from macroplastics. The highest abundance of MPs was 44.1 items/m3 at Hai Tien beach, while the lowest was 15.5 items/m3 at Sam Son beach. The results showed that fragment form was the most frequent MP shape, accounting for 61.4 ± 14.3% of total MPs. MPs with a diameter smaller than 500 µm accounted for 70.2 ± 7.6% of all MPs. According to our research, MPs were transformed, transported, and accumulated due to anthropogenic activities and environmental processes. This study provided a comprehensive knowledge of plastic waste, essential in devising long-term development strategies in these locations.

Determination of the Assigned Values of Blood Cells by an Impedance Method for Hematological Reference Samples Used in Hematology External Quality Assessment (EQA) Programs.

The research into and production of hematological reference samples used to implement an external quality assessment (EQA) to check the quality of hematology tests are necessary for hematology laboratories in Vietnam. In this research, the study team determined the assessment values of blood cell count (human RBCs, pseudo-leucocytes, and pseudo-platelets) by the impedance method used in hematology EQA programs. The hematological reference samples were controlled at three concentration levels: low, normal, and high. Determination of the assigned value (mean ± 2SD) was performed for the following hematology analyzer series by impedance method: ABX Micros 60, Celldyn 1700, and Mindray BC 2000. Each device was sent to 10 different laboratories for evaluation. Research results for assigned values of each model (ABX Micros 60, Celldyn 1700, and Mindray BC 2000) were determined at the three concentrations. For the ABX Micros 60 and Celldyn 1700 series, 80% of laboratories had analytical results within assigned values. For the Mindray BC 2000 series, 100% of laboratories had analytical results within assigned values. The measurement results for the number of human RBCs, pseudo-leucocytes, and pseudo-platelets on each analyzer were similar between the 10 laboratories; the results of the three hematology analyzer series using the impedance method were different and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Thus, hematological reference samples for measuring the number of blood cells meeting the standards so that they can evaluate the results of laboratories using the impedance method: ABX, Celldyn 1700, Mindray BC 2000.

Heavy metals in surface sediments of the intertidal Thai Binh Coast, Gulf of Tonkin, East Sea, Vietnam: distribution, accumulation, and contamination assessment.

Heavy metals contamination in sediments may endanger ecosystems and human health via the food chain. In fact, there is little to no understanding about heavy metal accumulation in surface sediment of one of the most economically important marine bodies for Vietnam, the Thai Binh Coast, where five large rivers co-discharge into the Gulf of Tonkin. Twenty-seven surface sediment samples were collected from the intertidal regions and analyzed for: arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The studied area exhibited a large spatial variation in the concentration of heavy metals, e.g., the dry sediment concentration of Cd was the least (0.05-0.49 mg.kg-1), whereas that of Zn was the greatest (45.4-252 mg.kg-1). Based on the geoaccumulation index ([Formula: see text]), most of the studied heavy metals were accumulated at low pollution levels, except four locations exhibited moderately and highly polluted levels of Hg with [Formula: see text] Hg values from 1.92 to 2.66. However, the high contamination factor value implicated that not only Hg but also all other detected heavy metals in this area resulted from anthropogenic activities along the coast and the river upstream. This implied the need for quick action from the government. In addition, numerous analytical methods were used to see the association between metals, total organic carbon (TOC), and particle size distribution, including Pearson correlation coefficient (P) and principal component analysis (PCA). Hg demonstrates lowest connection with TOC (PHg-TOC ~ 0) but individual heavy metal correlations are largely positive, with many reaching 1.0 (e.g., PNi-Cr = 0.89, PCd-As = 0.72, PNi-Cu = 0.76, and PCu-Cr = 0.72). From the PCA diagram, we can observe that those sampling points in the positive direction of PC1 were expected to have a high concentration of Cu, Zn, As, Ni while having extremely little sand content.

When the liver gets stiff, the tough get moving.

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by FibroScan-determined transient elastography is a noninvasive approach to estimate liver fibrosis severity. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), advanced liver fibrosis is excluded by normal liver stiffness, but a wide range of cutoffs have been used to predict advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis. This may be partly because steatosis (measured by controlled attenuation parameter [CAP]) contributes to liver stiffness and also because LSM fluctuates in NAFLD. In a recent pivotal study, one-third of patients with liver stiffness > 12.0 kPa showed reversal after 4-6 months; these cases did not have advanced liver fibrosis on biopsy. We performed serial FibroScans 6-36 months apart in 73 NAFLD patients, 38 with LSM > 10 kPa at entry. Those who lost ≥ 1 kg of weight (n = 31) significantly reduced liver stiffness (3.6 ± 6.1 vs 0.53 ± 4.1 kPa, P < 0.05) and CAP score (39 ± 63 dB/m of loss vs 24 ± 65 dB/m of gain, P < 0.05) compared with those who did not (n = 29). Patients who reported increased physical activity (n = 25) also reduced liver stiffness (3.6 ± 6 vs 0.35 ± 6 kPa) and CAP (20 ± 71 dB/m of loss vs 32 ± 71 dB/m of gain). Overall, those with improved LSM were significantly more likely to have lost weight and/or improved physical activity. These effects of lifestyle adjustments partly explain why a single measurement of 12.0 kPa is not a reliable cutoff for advanced liver fibrosis in NAFLD. In addition to repeating the study after 6-12 months, documentation of response to lifestyle advice and weight reduction should be determined before assuming any cutoff indicates advanced liver fibrosis. Despite this reservation about diagnostic accuracy, we consider that measurement of liver stiffness and CAP score serve to motivate patients to enact lifestyle modifications that can improve NAFLD severity.

Cost of providing the expanded programme on immunization: findings from a facility-based study in Viet Nam, 2005.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate and analyse the costs for providing the expanded programme on immunization (EPI) in a rural community in the north of Viet Nam in 2005. METHODS: An ingredient approach was used to collect cost data from the perspective of the service providers. FINDINGS: The total annual cost of EPI in Bavi district was US$58,460 [purchasing power parity (PPP) 282,076]. Vaccines and supplies were the largest cost category (33%), followed by personnel costs (30.2%). The largest share of the total cost was due to activities at commune level (38%). The average cost per fully vaccinated child (FVC) was US$4.81 (PPP 23.21), much lower than the figure of US$15 that is generally accepted as the cost-effective threshold for EPI in developing countries. CONCLUSION: This empirical study indicates that EPI has been implemented efficiently in rural Viet Nam, but that opportunities exist to make it even more efficient.