Cementless TKA use as an alternative to cemented TKA in high BMI patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Obesity is prevalent, with nearly one-third of the world's population being classified as obese. In patients with high body mass index (BMI)/body mass undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is an increase in strain placed on the implant fixation interfaces. As such, component fixation is a potential concern when performing TKA in the obese patient. To address the growing concerns around the longevity of implant fixation, some have advocated cementless over cemented fixation. However, there is no clear consensus on whether a cementless fixation has more favourable outcomes. The aim of this paper was to present a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing evidence to establish if cementless TKA has a lower rate of aseptic loosening in high BMI patients when compared to cemented TKA procedures. Methods: A systematic review was performed, and the following databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (1946 to date), PubMed (1966 to date) and Excerpta Medica Database (1974 to date) were searched. All studies comparing cementless to cemented TKA in patients with BMI > 30 were considered. Meta-analysis compared aseptic loosening and all-cause revision between cemented and uncemented implant use in BMI > 30 patients. Results: The search returned 91 articles in total; after duplicates were removed, the yield was 44 studies. Of the remaining studies that were assessed, three studies met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio for all-cause revisions was 0.17 (95%, 0.08-0.36) in favour of uncemented implants (p < 0.01). The pooled odds ratio for aseptic loosening was 0.15 (95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.90) in favour of uncemented implants (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Meta-analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in all-cause revisions and revisions for aseptic loosening when using uncemented fixation in high BMI patients when compared to the use of cemented implants. Level of Evidence: The level of evidence is 1 for our systematic review.

Organophosphate esters and their metabolites in silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) of the Vietnamese coastal areas: Spatial-temporal distribution and exposure risk.

A large number of studies on organophosphate esters (tri-OPEs) in marine organisms have not assessed the simultaneous occurrence of tri-OPEs and their metabolites (di-OPEs) in these species. This research investigated the concentration and geographical distribution of 15 tri-OPEs and 7 di-OPEs in 172 samples of Pampus argenteus that were collected annually from 2021 to 2023 at three distinct locations along the Vietnamese coast. As a result, tri-OPEs and di-OPEs were detected in numerous fish samples, indicating their widespread spatial and temporal occurrence in marine fish and pointing out the importance of monitoring their levels. The tri-OPEs and di-OPEs ranged within 2.1-38.9 ng g-1 dry weight (dw) and 3.2-263.4 ng g-1 dw, respectively. The mean concentrations of tri-OPEs ranged from 0.4 (TIPrP) to 5.4 ng g-1 dw (TBOEP), with TBOEP and TEHP having the highest mean values. In addition, the profiles of tri-OPEs in fish exhibited a descending order: Σalkyl OPEs > ΣCl-alkyl OPEs > Σaryl OPEs. The di-OPEs, namely BEHP and DMP, had the highest mean levels, measuring 33.4 ng g-1 dw and 23.8 ng g-1 dw, respectively. Furthermore, there have been significant findings of strong positive correlations between di-OPEs and tri-OPE pairs (p < 0.05). It is worth noting that there is a noticeable difference in the composition of tri-OPEs between the North and other regions. Despite these findings, the presence of OPE-contaminated fish did not pose any health risks to Vietnam's coastal population.

Surgical complications in neuromuscular scoliosis surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis of the last ten years.

PURPOSE: Surgical correction of neuromuscular scoliosis is often a challenging and extensive procedure. Due to this complexity and the high disease burden that these patients carry, per and post-operative complications are not uncommon. The purpose of this study was to systematically review and describe the pooled rates of postoperative complications and analyze risk factors for complications in neuromuscular scoliosis surgery described in the literature in the last ten years. METHODS: A systematic review of the English literature across multiple databases was conducted using search criteria (neuromuscular scoliosis AND complications) and using PRISMA guidelines (Jan 2012-July 2022). Studies with less than 30 patients and follow-up of < 2 years were excluded. Data extraction and meta-analysis were performed using random mode effect. Statistical analysis was conducted using OpenMeta software. Meta-regression analysis was used to detect risk factors (surgical approach, intraoperative time, intraoperative blood loss, preoperative Cobb angle and patient diagnosis) associated with each complication group. Confidence interval (CI) was set at 95%. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria involving 2155 patients. The level of evidence among studies were III (9) and IV (13). The most common primary diagnosis was cerebral palsy (43%) followed by Duchenne muscle dystrophy (20%), myelomeningocele (7.4%), spinal muscle atrophy (7.1%), Rett syndrome (< 2%) and combined other pathologies (20.2%). The pooled incidence rate of wound complications was the highest, amongst all complications, at 13.3% (CI 10.838 to 16.861); closely followed by respiratory complications (11.8%;CI 5.7 to 19.7). Implant failure occurred in 7.1% cases (CI 6.418 to 11.465), gastrointestinal complications was 5.2%; CI 2.4 to 8), pseudarthrosis in (4.6%;CI 2.2 to 6.9) and neurological deficit in 2.9% (CI 1.989 to 6.086). The pooled rate of revision surgery was (9.6%; CI 6.2 to 12.9). Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 test which results were moderately heterogeneous. Meta-regression analysis revealed that the diagnosis of myelomeningocele or Duchenne muscle dystrophy or spinal muscle atrophy were strongly associated with wound and respiratory complications (p = 0.007 and p = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Wound-related (13.3%) and respiratory complications (11.8%) remain the most common complications among studies after corrective surgery for neuromuscular scoliosis. Both are significantly associated with Duchenne muscle dystrophy, spinal muscle atrophy and myelomeningocele.

Investigation of Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Esters in Hanoi, Vietnam: Assessment Exposure and Estimated Daily Intake.

In recent years, organophosphate esters (OPEs) have become one of the most common additives in various consumer products worldwide, therefore the exposure and impact of OPEs on human health are drawing a lot of attention. In this study, three metabolites of OPEs including bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), diphenyl phosphate (DPhP) and diethyl phosphate (DEP) were investigated in first-morning void urine samples taken from a population (age range: 3-76 years old) in Hanoi, Vietnam. The most dominant urinary OPE metabolite was DEP with the geometric mean of specific gravity adjust (SG-adjusted) concentration were 1960 ng mL-1 and detected frequency (DF) of 98%. Followed by DPhP (8.01 ng mL-1, DF: 100%) and BDCIPP (2.18 ng mL-1, DF: 51%). The results indicated that gender and age might have associations with the OPE metabolites variation in urine samples. The levels of OPE metabolites in urine samples from females were slightly higher than in males. An increase in age seems to have an association with a decrease in DPhP levels in urine. Exposure doses of parent OPEs were evaluated from the unadjusted urinary concentration of corresponding OPE metabolite. The estimated exposure doses of triethyl phosphate (TEP) (mean: 534,000 ng kg-1 d-1) were significantly higher than its corresponding reference dose, suggesting the high potential risk from the current exposure doses of TEP to human health. The results of this work provided the initial information on the occurrence of three OPE metabolites in urine from Hanoi, Vietnam and estimated exposure dose of corresponding parent OPEs.

Occurrence and risk of human exposure to organophosphate flame retardants in indoor air and dust in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The presence and distribution of thirteen organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were investigated in indoor air and dust samples collected in Hanoi, Vietnam. The total OPFRs (Æ©OPFRs) concentrations in indoor air and dust samples were 42.3-358 ng m-3 (median 101 ng m-3) and 1290-17,500 ng g-1 (median 7580 ng g-1), respectively. The profile of OPFRs in both indoor air and dust indicated that tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) was the most dominant compound with a median concentration of 75.3 ng m-3 and 3620 ng g-1, contributing 75.2% and 46.1% to Æ©OPFRs concentrations in indoor air and dust, respectively, followed by tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), with a median concentration of 16.3 ng m-3 and 2500 ng g-1, contributing 14.1% and 33.6% to Æ©OPFRs concentrations in indoor air and dust, respectively. The levels of OPFRs in the indoor air samples and corresponding indoor dust samples showed a strong positive correlation. The total estimated daily intakes (EDItotal) of Æ©OPFRs (via air inhalation, dust ingestion, and dermal absorption) for adults and toddlers under the median and high exposure scenarios were 36.7 and 160 ng kg-1 d-1, and 266 and 1270 ng kg-1 d-1, respectively. Among the investigated exposure pathways, dermal absorption was a primary exposure pathway to OPFRs for both toddlers and adults. The hazard quotients (HQ) ranged from 5.31 × 10-8 to 6.47 × 10-2 (<1), and the lifetime cancer risks (LCR) were from 2.05 × 10-11 to 7.37 × 10-8 (<10-6), indicating that human health risks from exposure to OPFRs in indoor environments are not significant.

Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of organophosphate esters in surface water from rivers and lakes in urban Hanoi, Vietnam.

In this study, an investigation on the pollution status, distribution, and ecological risk to the aquatic organisms of six organophosphate tri-esters (tri-OPEs) and two organophosphate tri-esters (di-OPEs) in surface water in urban Hanoi, Vietnam were conducted. In 37 surveyed water samples (6 rivers and 17 lakes), all eight targeted OPEs were discovered with a detection frequency (DF) of 41-100% and the concentration varied largely from below the method detection limit (

Methadone maintenance treatment in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Multidimensional measure of adherence and associated factors.

Medication adherence has become a major concern in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) worldwide, but little is known about this in Vietnam. This study aimed to identify adherence level among outpatients at district clinics in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study of 450 MMT outpatients was conducted at three clinics in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Participants underwent face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Adherence was measured based on both the number of doses missed under Vietnam Ministry of Health criteria and the level of perceived adherence using a visual analogue scale. The prevalence of adherence based on these measures was 61.8% and 80.9%, respectively. Significantly higher level of adherence was found in young participants who had used drug for a longer period of time, had comorbidity, were on antiretroviral therapy and satisfied with MMT service time. However, lower odds of adhering to MMT were found in participants with higher educational level who were married, spent more than 30 min to go to the clinic and currently used illicit drug. In conclusion, despite a relatively high prevalence of adherence, there were a large number of MMT non-adherence patients in HCMC. Interventions are needed to improve adherence and to enhance MMT programmes in Vietnam.

A Combination of Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry Systems (UPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS), Modified QuEChERS Extraction and Mixed-Mode SPE Clean-Up Method for the Analysis of 656 Pesticide Residues in Rice.

The emerging ungovernable application of pesticides in rice farming has attracted public concerns as these hazardous chemicals leave long-lasting environmental impacts and cause severe health effects. Here, an optimized analytical method was proposed for the measurement of 656 pesticide residues in rice samples collected in Vietnam. We utilized chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry systems (UPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS) combined with a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction method and adopted a mixed-mode SPE clean-up method for the analysis. The results showed that a total of 341 and 315 compounds were determined by UPLC- and GC-MS/MS, respectively. Usage of 10 mL MeCN, 5 mL H2O and 1% glacial acetic acid as extraction solvent outperformed other mixtures in purifying the analytes from the sample matrix. Besides, pressure swing adsorption connected to a C18 cartridge with C18 placed on top exhibited remarkably more extracted compounds of high recovery which resulted in 299 and 318 compounds with recovery ranging from 70 to 120% in GC- and UPLC-MS/MS, respectively. Our optimized protocols also resulted in maximal limits of quantification of 10 µg Kg-1 in both MS methods with repeatability and reproducibility less than 20%. Application of validated method on 20 rice samples collected in Hanoi, Vietnam showed that 14 samples were contaminated with at least one pesticide, and insecticide was the most detected group. Overall, the compliance of all method validation parameters to SANTE/12682/2019 Guideline demonstrates that this protocol can be employed for the effective management of Vietnam's rice in accordance with international requirements.

Contamination status, emission sources, and human health risk of brominated flame retardants in urban indoor dust from Hanoi, Vietnam: the replacement of legacy polybrominated diphenyl ether mixtures by alternative formulations.

This study investigated the occurrence, distribution of several additive brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and some novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in urban indoor dust collected from ten inner districts of Hanoi, Vietnam to assess the contamination status, emission sources, as well as their associated human exposure through indoor dust ingestion and health risks. Total concentrations of PBDEs and NBFRs in indoor dust samples ranged from 43 to 480 ng g-1 (median 170 ng g-1) and from 56 to 2200 ng g-1 (median 180 ng g-1), respectively. The most abundant PBDE congener in these dust samples was BDE-209 with concentrations ranging from 29 to 360 ng g-1, accounting for 62.6-86.5% of total PBDE levels. Among the NBFRs analyzed, decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) was the predominant compound with a mean contribution of 98.6% total NBFR amounts. Significant concentrations of DBDPE were detected in all dust samples (median 180 ng g-1, range 54-2200 ng g-1), due to DBDPE as a substitute for deca-BDE. Other NBFRs such as 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB) and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl (BB-153) were found at very low levels. Based on the measured BFR concentrations, daily intake doses (IDs) of PBDEs and NBFRs via dust ingestion at exposure scenarios using the median and 95th percentile levels for both adults and children were calculated for risk assessment. The results showed that the daily exposure doses via dust ingestion of all compounds, even in the high-exposure scenarios were also lower than their reference dose (RfD) values. The lifetime cancer risks (LTCR) were much lower than the threshold level (10-6), which indicated the acceptable health risks resulting from indoor BFRs exposure for urban residents in Hanoi.

SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in water and wastewater: A critical review about presence and concern.

The presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in water and wastewater has recently been reported. According to the updated literature, the stools and masks of the patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were considered as the primary route of coronavirus transmission into water and wastewater. Most coronavirus types which attack human (possible for SARS-CoV-2) are often inactivated rapidly in water (i.e., the survival of human coronavirus 229E in water being 7 day at 23 °C). However, the survival period of coronavirus in water environments strongly depends on temperature, property of water, concentration of suspended solids and organic matter, solution pH, and dose of disinfectant used. The World Health Organization has stated that the current disinfection process of drinking water could effectively inactivate most of the bacterial and viral communities present in water, especially SARS-CoV-2 (more sensitive to disinfectant like free chlorine). A recent study confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in inflow wastewater (but not detected in outflow one). Although the existence of SARS-CoV-2 in water influents has been confirmed, an important question is whether it can survive or infect after the disinfection process of drinking water. To date, only one study confirmed that the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in water for people was null based on the absence of cytopathic effect (CPE) in infectivity tests. Therefore, further studies should focus on the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in water and wastewater under different operational conditions (i.e., temperature and water matrix) and whether the transmission from COVID-19-contaminated water to human is an emerging concern. Although paper-based devices have been suggested for detecting the traces of SARS-CoV-2 in water, the protocols and appropriate devices should be developed soon. Wastewater and sewage workers should follow the procedures for safety precaution against SARS-CoV-2 exposure.

Evaluating the yield of systematic screening for tuberculosis among three priority groups in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

BACKGROUND: In order to end tuberculosis (TB), it is necessary to expand coverage of TB care services, including systematic screening initiatives. However, more evidence is needed for groups among whom systematic screening is only conditionally recommended by the World Health Organization. This study evaluated concurrent screening in multiple target groups using community health workers (CHW). METHODS: In our two-year intervention study lasting from October 2017 to September 2019, CHWs in six districts of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam verbally screened three urban priority groups: (1) household TB contacts; (2) close TB contacts; and (3) residents of urban priority areas without clear documented exposure to TB including hotspots, boarding homes and urban slums. Eligible persons were referred for further screening with chest radiography and follow-on testing with the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Symptomatic individuals with normal or without radiography results were tested on smear microscopy. We described the TB care cascade and characteristics for each priority group, and calculated yield and number needed to screen. Subsequently, we fitted a mixed-effect logistic regression to identify the association of these target groups and secondary patient covariates with TB treatment initiation. RESULTS: We verbally screened 321 020 people including 24 232 household contacts, 3182 social and close contacts and 293 606 residents of urban priority areas. This resulted in 1138 persons treated for TB, of whom 85 were household contacts, 39 were close contacts and 1014 belonged to urban priority area residents. The yield of active TB in these groups was 351, 1226 and 345 per 100 000, respectively, corresponding to numbers needed to screen of 285, 82 and 290. The fitted model showed that close contacts [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.38-3.11; P < 0.001] and urban priority area residents (aOR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.69-2.79; P < 0.001) had a greater risk of active TB than household contacts. CONCLUSIONS: The study detected a large number of unreached persons with TB, but most of them were not among persons in contact with an index patient. Therefore, while programs should continue to optimize screening in contacts, to close the detection gap in high TB burden settings such as Viet Nam, coverage must be expanded to persons without documented exposure such as residents in hotspots, boarding homes and urban slums.

An Evaluation of Programmatic Community-Based Chest X-ray Screening for Tuberculosis in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Across Asia, a large proportion of people with tuberculosis (TB) do not report symptoms, have mild symptoms or only experience symptoms for a short duration. These individuals may not seek care at health facilities or may be missed by symptom screening, resulting in sustained TB transmission in the community. We evaluated the yields of TB from 114 days of community-based, mobile chest X-ray (CXR) screening. The yields at each step of the TB screening cascade were tabulated and we compared cohorts of participants who reported having a prolonged cough and those reporting no cough or one of short duration. We estimated the marginal yields of TB using different diagnostic algorithms and calculated the relative diagnostic costs and cost per case for each algorithm. A total of 34,529 participants were screened by CXR, detecting 256 people with Xpert-positive TB. Only 50% of those diagnosed with TB were detected among participants reporting a prolonged cough. The study's screening algorithm detected almost 4 times as much TB as the National TB Program's standard diagnostic algorithm. Community-based, mobile chest X-ray screening can be a high yielding strategy which is able to identify people with TB who would likely otherwise have been missed by existing health services.

Comprehensive Study of Organic Micro-pollutants in Flooded Paddy Soils in Central Vietnam: Levels, Pollution Pathways and Sources.

In order to assess the environmental impacts caused by flood to the paddy field, 940 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were screened in paddy soil samples taken in central Vietnam before and after flooding. The concentration of 166 SVOCs in soil samples ranged from 0.031 to 2241 (mean 89.1) µg kg-1 dry wt. Chemicals originating from household sources showed the highest level, followed by chemicals originating from agriculture. Since untreated domestic wastewater used for agricultural irrigation, organic micro-pollutants in domestic wastewater is the main source of pollutants in paddy soil. However, contamination levels of pollutants in paddy soil after flooding were lower than those before flooding, possibly due to the removal of pollutants by floodwater. As a result, pollution characteristic of pollutants at sampling locations were different before flooding while they became similar after flooding due to the dispersion and elution of organic pollutants from soil into floodwaters.

A comparative impact evaluation of two human resource models for community-based active tuberculosis case finding in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

BACKGROUND: To achieve the WHO End TB Strategy targets, it is necessary to detect and treat more people with active TB early. Scale-up of active case finding (ACF) may be one strategy to achieve that goal. Given human resource constraints in the health systems of most high TB burden countries, volunteer community health workers (CHW) have been widely used to economically scale up TB ACF. However, more evidence is needed on the most cost-effective compensation models for these CHWs and their potential impact on case finding to inform optimal scale-up policies. METHODS: We conducted a two-year, controlled intervention study in 12 districts of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. We engaged CHWs as salaried employees (3 districts) or incentivized volunteers (3 districts) to conduct ACF among contacts of people with TB and urban priority groups. Eligible persons were asked to attend health services for radiographic screening and rapid molecular diagnosis or smear microscopy. Individuals diagnosed with TB were linked to appropriate care. Six districts providing routine NTP care served as control area. We evaluated additional cases notified and conducted comparative interrupted time series (ITS) analyses to assess the impact of ACF by human resource model on TB case notifications. RESULTS: We verbally screened 321,020 persons in the community, of whom 70,439 were eligible for testing and 1138 of them started TB treatment. ACF activities resulted in a + 15.9% [95% CI: + 15.0%, + 16.7%] rise in All Forms TB notifications in the intervention areas compared to control areas. The ITS analyses detected significant positive post-intervention trend differences in All Forms TB notification rates between the intervention and control areas (p = 0.001), as well as between the employee and volunteer human resource models (p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Both salaried and volunteer CHW human resource models demonstrated additionality in case notifications compared to routine case finding by the government TB program. The salaried employee CHW model achieved a greater impact on notifications and should be prioritized for scale-up, given sufficient resources.

Innovative spherical biochar for pharmaceutical removal from water: Insight into adsorption mechanism.

In this study, we developed an innovative spherical biochar with high porosity and excellent paracetamol (PRC) adsorption capacity. The optimal pyrolysis temperatures for the preparation of spherical biochar (derived from pure glucose) and non-spherical biochar (from pomelo peel wastes) were obtained at 900 °C and 700 °C, respectively. Various advanced techniques were applied to characterize the prepared biochars. Spherical and non-spherical biochars exhibited large specific surface area (1292 and 1033 m2/g) and high total pore volume (0.704 and 1.074 cm3/g), respectively. The adsorption behavior of PRC onto two biochars was conducted utilizing batch experiments. Results demonstrated that the adsorption process was slightly affected by the change of solution pH (2-11) and addition of NaCl (0.05-1.0 M) and was able to achieve fast equilibrium (∼120 min). The maximum adsorption capacity of spherical biochar (286 mg/g) for PRC was approximately double that of non-spherical biochar (147 mg/g). The signal of thermodynamic parameters was negative ΔG° and ΔH° values, but positive ΔS° value. The adsorption mechanism consisted of pore-filling, hydrogen bonding formations, n-π and π-π interactions, and van der Waals force. The adsorption capacities of two biochars were insignificantly dependent on different real water samples containing PRC. Consequently, the biochars can serve as a green and promising material for efficiently removing PRC from water.

Auramine O in foods and spices determined by an UPLC-MS/MS method.

Auramine O (AO) is a banned food additive and has been classified as an illegal colourant. Therefore, the presence of AO in food should be strictly monitored. In this study, a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method was applied to monitor AO in 211 food and spice samples. The optimised separation was achieved with a mobile phase consisting of 100 mM ammonium formate at pH 2.9 and acetonitrile, reversed-phase CORTECS T3 column (2.7 µm, 2.1 × 100 mm) operated at 40ºC with a gradient time of 20.0 min (0-95% methanol) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.1 µg/kg and 0.5 µg/kg, respectively. The results showed that 27.0% of samples were contaminated with AO. Considering the common consumption of sour bamboo shout and turmeric powder by so many consumers, AO exposure is significant and should be decreased.

Tuberculosis among economic migrants: a cross-sectional study of the risk of poor treatment outcomes and impact of a treatment adherence intervention among temporary residents in an urban district in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of avoidable deaths. Economic migrants represent a vulnerable population due to their exposure to medical and social risk factors. These factors expose them to higher risks for TB incidence and poor treatment outcomes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated WHO-defined TB treatment outcomes among economic migrants in an urban district of Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. We measured the association of a patient's government-defined residency status with treatment success and loss to follow-up categories at baseline and performed a comparative interrupted time series (ITS) analysis to assess the impact of community-based adherence support on treatment outcomes. Key measures of interest of the ITS were the differences in step change (ß6) and post-intervention trend (ß7). RESULTS: Short-term, inter-province migrants experienced lower treatment success (aRR = 0.95 [95% CI: 0.92-0.99], p = 0.010) and higher loss to follow-up (aOR = 1.98 [95% CI: 1.44-2.72], p < 0.001) than permanent residents. Intra-province migrants were similarly more likely to be lost to follow-up (aOR = 1.86 [95% CI: 1.03-3.36], p = 0.041). There was evidence that patients > 55 years of age (aRR = 0.93 [95% CI: 0.89-0.96], p < 0.001), relapse patients (aRR = 0.89 [95% CI: 0.84-0.94], p < 0.001), and retreatment patients (aRR = 0.62 [95% CI: 0.52-0.75], p < 0.001) had lower treatment success rates. TB/HIV co-infection was also associated with lower treatment success (aRR = 0.77 [95% CI: 0.73-0.82], p < 0.001) and higher loss to follow-up (aOR = 2.18 [95% CI: 1.55-3.06], p < 0.001). The provision of treatment adherence support increased treatment success (IRR(ß6) = 1.07 [95% CI: 1.00, 1.15], p = 0.041) and reduced loss to follow-up (IRR(ß6) = 0.17 [95% CI: 0.04, 0.69], p = 0.013) in the intervention districts. Loss to follow-up continued to decline throughout the post-implementation period (IRR(ß7) = 0.90 [95% CI: 0.83, 0.98], p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Economic migrants, particularly those crossing provincial borders, have higher risk of poor treatment outcomes and should be prioritized for tailored adherence support. In light of accelerating urbanization in many regions of Asia, implementation trials are needed to inform evidence-based design of strategies for this vulnerable population.

Adsorption mechanism of hexavalent chromium onto layered double hydroxides-based adsorbents: A systematic in-depth review.

An attempt has been made in this review to provide some insights into the possible adsorption mechanisms of hexavalent chromium onto layered double hydroxides-based adsorbents by critically examining the past and present literature. Layered double hydroxides (LDH) nanomaterials are typical dual-electronic adsorbents because they exhibit positively charged external surfaces and abundant interlayer anions. A high positive zeta potential value indicates that LDH has a high affinity to Cr(VI) anions in solution through electrostatic attraction. The host interlayer anions (i.e., Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, and CO32-) provide a high anion exchange capacity (53-520 meq/100 g) which is expected to have an excellent exchangeable capacity to Cr(VI) oxyanions in water. Regarding the adsorption-coupled reduction mechanism, when Cr(VI) anions make contact with the electron-donor groups in the LDH, they are partly reduced to Cr(III) cations. The reduced Cr(III) cations are then adsorbed by LDH via numerous interactions, such as isomorphic substitution and complexation. Nonetheless, the adsorption-coupled reduction mechanism is greatly dependent on: (1) the nature of divalent and trivalent salts utilized in LDH preparation, and the types of interlayer anions (i.e., guest intercalated organic anions), and (3) the adsorption experiment conditions. The low Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of LDH (1.80-179 m2/g) suggests that pore filling played an insignificant role in Cr(VI) adsorption. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of LDH (Qomax) toward Cr(VI) was significantly affected by the natures of used inorganic salts and synthetic methods of LDH. The Qomax values range from 16.3 mg/g to 726 mg/g. Almost all adsorption processes of Cr(VI) by LDH-based adsorbent occur spontaneously (ΔG° <0) and endothermically (ΔH° >0) and increase the randomness (ΔS° >0) in the system. Thus, LDH has much potential as a promising material that can effectively remove anion pollutants, especially Cr(VI) anions in industrial wastewater.

Acrylamide in daily food in the metropolitan area of Hanoi, Vietnam.

Acrylamide, a colourless and odourless crystalline solid, formed via the Maillard reaction in food, has been reported with harmful properties for humans, such as toxicity and carcinogenicity. Three hundred and four processed food samples from 17 product types, collected in Hanoi, Vietnam, were analyzed by LC-MS/MS to measure the acrylamide concentration. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of acrylamide were 1 µg Kg-1 and 3 µg Kg-1, respectively. Effectively, the highest acrylamide content is usually found in processed food, which is one of the primary reasons of increased acrylamide content in food. All French fried samples contained acrylamide above 500 µg kg-1. Acrylamide concentration in non-fried noodle, vermicelli, rice noodle, pho, dried vegetable, and rice cracker is lower than in potato chips, fried potatoes, fried cake, and fried noodles. The results could be helpful to estimate exposure and risk assessment of acrylamide in Vietnam.

Target screening analysis of 970 semi-volatile organic compounds adsorbed on atmospheric particulate matter in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnam's rapid economic development has resulted in dramatic increases in construction and the number of transportation vehicles. There is now growing public concern regarding increasing air pollution, especially in big cities; however, little information is available on air quality, particularly regarding semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) adsorbed on atmospheric particulate matter. Here, we determined the frequency and concentrations of 970 SVOCs in 48 air particle samples collected by means of high-volume air sampling in Hanoi, Vietnam, by using a target screening method and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry database. A total of 118 compounds (12.2% of the target compounds) were detected at least once in the samples, and the number of chemicals detected in each sample ranged from 85 to 103 (median, 92). For samples collected near a heavily trafficked road, the concentrations of target compounds in the samples were higher in samples collected during the day than in those collected at night, whereas the opposite was true for samples collected in a highly populated residential area with industrial activities related to the production of fresh noodles. Sixteen PAHs were detected at high concentrations in nearly 100% of the samples. Eighteen pesticides were detected, with permethrin being detected the most frequently (>70% samples), which can be explained by the use of permethrin-based Permecide 50 EC for dengue fever control during the sampling period. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (i.e., bisphenol A, 4-nitrophenol) and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (diethyltoluamide, caffeine) were detected in over 90% of the samples. Seven sterols, five phthalate compounds and five organophosphorus flame retardants were detected in the samples. This is the first comprehensive survey of SVOCs adsorbed on atmospheric particulate matter in Vietnam, and as such, this study provides important new information about the frequency and concentrations of atmospheric SVOC contamination. The variety of chemicals detected in this study implies an abundance of pollution sources; further investigations to determine these pollution sources and the risks posed by the detected SVOCs to human health are warranted.