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Environmental and materials scientists are becoming more interested in catalytic materials for use in filtration and remediation of contaminated gas.. In this study, Ag/SnO2 catalysts were adorned onto a polypropylene (PP) membrane to eliminate nitrogen oxide (NOx) gas. The catalyst-coated membrane achieved an efficiency of 63.62% and exhibited a low generation of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), just 2.51%. It is noteworthy that even after five cycle experiments, the Ag/SnO2/PP catalytic membrane showed remarkable resilience, retaining a high removal efficiency of approximately 58.2%. Furthermore, the catalytic membrane demonstrated a positive trend in transforming NOx into eco-friendly products, hence decreasing the generation of NO2 byproducts. These encouraging findings demonstrate the Ag/SnO2 catalysts' potential for treating contaminated gasses in the near future in catalytic membrane technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of vacuum pressure mode has not been studied depth yet. Effect of vacuum pressure on the quality of vacuum‐fried banana slices was studies in this work. Three vacuum frying processes were conducted and tested. Classically, two constant vacuum pressures 80 (CVF‐80) and 180 mmHg (CVF‐180) were applied in the frying process at 90°C. One novel frying method with gradient vacuum pressure (GVF) changed from 760 to 80 mmHg was conducted and adapted. The frying temperature was kept at 90°C. The frying processes were monitoring by moisture contents and 4% was generally accepted as moisture content of final product. Meanwhile, the frying times of CVF‐80, CVF‐180 and GVF were 50, 80 and 60 min, whereas the brightness values (L*) were corresponded to 71.07, 71.36, 67.25, respectively. The GVF samples were brightest with lowest hardness value (30.8 N) and the CVF‐180 was darkest with highest hardness value (36.87 N). The microstructure analysis showed that the GVF increase in both size and number of pores in comparison with CVF. Additionally, based on the paired comparison sensorial test the GVF fried banana slices were crisper than CVF samples. Our results revealed that the GVF method improves the quality of vacuum‐fried banana slices, thus it can be good alternative method for production of banana snack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By drawing on institutional theory and new public management (NPM) theory, this study examines the intervening roles of performance measurement systems (PMS) and financial autonomy on the relationship between top management support (TMS) and the performance of public organizations in an emerging market. The research model and hypotheses have been tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with 219 survey responses from accountants and managers working in public sector organizations (PSOs) in Vietnam. Results support both direct and indirect relationships between TMS and performance through PMS. Analysis shows that financial autonomy is the moderating variable for the relationship (1) between TMS and PMS, and (2) between PMS and organizational performance. From these findings, this study proposes theoretical and managerial implications to improve TMS and PMS to enhance performance in Vietnam's public organizations. This paper especially suggests that policymakers in developing countries reform financial autonomy and the market principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by a variety of enteroviruses, and occurs in large outbreaks in which a small proportion of children deteriorate rapidly with cardiopulmonary failure. Determining which children are likely to deteriorate is difficult and health systems may become overloaded during outbreaks as many children require hospitalization for monitoring. Heart rate variability (HRV) may help distinguish those with more severe diseases but requires simple scalable methods to collect ECG data. We carried out a prospective observational study to examine the feasibility of using wearable devices to measure HRV in 142 children admitted with HFMD at a children's hospital in Vietnam. ECG data were collected in all children. HRV indices calculated were lower in those with enterovirus A71 associated HFMD compared to those with other viral pathogens. HRV analysis collected from wearable devices is feasible in a low and middle income country (LMIC) and may help classify disease severity in HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of real earnings management (REM) on earnings persistence and informativeness and also considered in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. REM is quantified by two aggregate metrics. The sample consists of 2256 firm‐year observations of listed companies in Vietnam from 2016 to 2021. We find evidence that REM is negatively associated with the persistence of earnings and its components, with REM affecting cash flows more strongly than accruals. We also find that REM limits the relationship between current earnings and future cash flows. Furthermore, when confronted with the COVID‐19 pandemic, the effect of REM on earnings quality does not improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of powder diets may promote development of the predator Geocoris ochropterus (Fieber) when densities are low in greenhouses or fields. Development and nymphal survival ratio of G. ochropterus fed on different powder diets including silkworm pupae (A), crickets (B), silkworm pupae and sunflower seed (C) and crickets and sunflower seed (D) were examined. Total average development period was 30.14 days for instars fed on silkworm pupae, 34.43 days for instars fed on crickets, 26.28 days for instars fed on silkworm pupae and sunflower seed and 29.67 days for instars fed on crickets and sunflower seed, and they were significantly different. Head width, body length, forewing length, dry body weight of adults and sex ratio were not affected by the different diets. There were significantly different found in survival rates among the diets when the nymph reached 5th instar. Results indicate that the combination powder of silkworm pupae and sunflower seed will promise as an alternative diet in the greenhouses to maintain the population of G. ochropterus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce the super-oscillation technique with the binary phase mask to obtain the line-shape point spread function which produces a super-resolution image in confocal scanning fluorescence microscopy. By rotating the binary phase mask for the four different angles, the line-shape point spread function spins the corresponding angles. From obtained dataset, the Richardson–Lucy deconvolution algorithm is used to acquire the super-resolution image. The imaging results demonstrated the ability of the proposed method to improve the spatial resolution in the confocal scanning fluorescence microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the Perinatal Mental Health for Refugee Women (PMHRW) Project is to investigate the impact of the war on perinatal mental health: anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, and birth trauma symptoms. It will also evaluate the factors that serve as protective elements for the development of these potential diagnoses (such as personality traits, social support, sociodemographic characteristics, and access to medical/mental health services). Method: An international observational cohort study with baseline data is being assessed in Ukraine (for internal refugees) and several European Countries (for external refugees). The study includes as participants both pregnant women and those who have recently given birth (with babies up to 1 year old). The assessment includes measures on depression (EPDS), anxiety (GAD-7), experiences during birth (City Birth Questionnaire), post-traumatic stress symptoms [Impact of events scale—revised (PTSD-R)], Personality (10-Item Personality Inventory-TIPI), and a questionnaire for socio-demographic data which also such social support. Conclusion: This study will provide needed information for determining the impact of the Ukrainian Crisis on perinatal mental health by studying potential risk and protective factors. The data collected will be used to inform policymakers with useful information that can be used in the development of plans to protect and promote the mental health of the perinatal refugees impacted by this event. Also, it is our hope that data collected from this study will serve to plant the seeds for further research regarding the impact of the crisis in Ukraine on the offspring and to analyze how these events are affecting further generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents who are willing to perform first aid can help prevent injuries and ultimately death among themselves and others involved in accidents or injuries. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of students' willingness to perform first aid procedures and additionally examine associated factors among high school students in Hue, Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study utilizing multi-stage stratified random sampling was conducted between April to July 2020 by investigating 798 high school students in Hue, Vietnam. Participants were invited to complete a self-reported questionnaire pertaining to individual demographic characteristics, personal perception of self-efficacy, and willingness to perform first aid. To better interpret these findings, both multivariable linear and Poisson regression models were fitted to evaluate the association between individual student characteristics and the willingness to perform first aid. Results: The prevalence of having willingness to perform first aid (defined as ≥4 points out of 5 to all three questions) was 49.9% (95%CI:28.6–71.2%). The major reported barriers in performing first aid were fear of making mistakes and hurting victims (34.4%, 95%CI:31.9–37.0%), no prior first aid training (29.8%, 95%CI:25.9–33.9%), and forgetting first aid steps (23.0%, 95%CI:15.8–32.2%). By employing the multivariable linear regression model, it was identified that students with high (β = 0.614, 95%CI:0.009–1.219) or very high (β = 1.64, 95%CI:0.857–2.422) levels of self-efficacy appeared to be more willing to perform first aid. Similarly, in the Poisson regression models, compared to neutral students, students who reported high (PR = 1.214, 95%CI:1.048–1.407) or very high (PR = 1.871, 95%CI:1.049–3.337) levels of self-efficacy were more willing to perform first aid. Conclusions: The level of willingness to perform first aid among high school students in this study population was found to be moderate. Therefore, integrating activities to promote self-efficacy in first aid training could be considered a progressive step towards improving a student's willingness to provide such life-saving procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abstract is an integral part of a scientific paper. Despite the importance of abstracts, very little research has investigated the vocabulary size needed to read abstracts in scientific papers. This present study analyzed the lexical profile of 26 million words from approximately 100,000 scholarly abstracts across 10 major subjects of science. The results showed that the vocabulary size of the most frequent 7,000 and 15,000 word families in the British National Corpus/Corpus of Contemporary American English (BNC/COCA) word list plus proper nouns, marginal words, transparent compounds, acronyms were needed to gain 95% and 98% coverage of the abstract corpus, respectively. However, data from cross-disciplinary analyses demonstrated significant differences in the lexical demands between abstracts of different fields of study. The 570 word families in the Academic Word List were found to make up for 13.77% of the words in the corpus. Implications for the use of abstracts in language classrooms were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a major public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region. Most recent HFMD outbreaks have been caused by enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16), CVA10, and CVA6. There has been no report regarding the epidemiology and genetic diversity of CVA16 in Vietnam. Such knowledge is critical to inform the development of intervention strategies. Materials and Methods: From 2011 to 2017, clinical samples were collected from in- and outpatients enrolled in a HFMD research program conducted at three referral hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Throat or rectal swabs positive for CVA16 with sufficient viral load were selected for whole genome sequencing and evolutionary analysis. Results: Throughout the study period, 320 CVA16 positive samples were collected from 2808 HFMD patients (11.4%). 59.4% of patients were male. The median age was 20.8 months (IQR, 14.96–31.41). Patients resided in HCMC (55.3%), Mekong Delta (22.2%), and South East Vietnam (22.5%). 10% of CVA16 infected patients had moderately severe or severe HFMD. CVA16 positive samples from 153 patients were selected for whole genome sequencing, and 66 complete genomes were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that Vietnamese CVA16 strains belong to a single genogroup B1a that clusters together with isolates from China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, France and Australia. The CVA16 strains of the present study were circulating in Vietnam some 4 years prior to its detection in HFMD cases. Conclusion: We report for the first time on the molecular epidemiology of CVA16 in Vietnam. Unlike EV-A71, which showed frequent replacement between subgenogroups B5 and C4 every 2–3 years in Vietnam, CVA16 displays a less pronounced genetic alternation with only subgenogroup B1a circulating in Vietnam since 2011. Our collective findings emphasize the importance of active surveillance for viral circulation in HFMD endemic countries, critical to informing outbreak response and vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central nervous system (CNS) infection is a serious neurologic condition, although the etiology remains unknown in >50% of patients. We used metagenomic next-generation sequencing to detect viruses in 204 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with acute CNS infection who were enrolled from Vietnam hospitals during 2012-2016. We detected 8 viral species in 107/204 (52.4%) of CSF samples. After virus-specific PCR confirmation, the detection rate was lowered to 30/204 (14.7%). Enteroviruses were the most common viruses detected (n = 23), followed by hepatitis B virus (3), HIV (2), molluscum contagiosum virus (1), and gemycircularvirus (1). Analysis of enterovirus sequences revealed the predominance of echovirus 30 (9). Phylogenetically, the echovirus 30 strains belonged to genogroup V and VIIb. Our results expanded knowledge about the clinical burden of enterovirus in Vietnam and underscore the challenges of identifying a plausible viral pathogen in CSF of patients with CNS infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Little is known about the natural history of asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Methods We conducted a prospective study at a quarantine center for coronavirus disease 2019 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We enrolled quarantined people with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)–confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, collecting clinical data, travel and contact history, and saliva at enrollment and daily nasopharyngeal/throat swabs (NTSs) for RT-PCR testing. We compared the natural history and transmission potential of asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. Results Between 10 March and 4 April 2020, 14 000 quarantined people were tested for SARS-CoV-2; 49 were positive. Of these, 30 participated in the study: 13 (43%) never had symptoms and 17 (57%) were symptomatic. Seventeen (57%) participants imported cases. Compared with symptomatic individuals, asymptomatic people were less likely to have detectable SARS-CoV-2 in NTS collected at enrollment (8/13 [62%] vs 17/17 [100%]; P  = .02). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 20 of 27 (74%) available saliva samples (7 of 11 [64%] in the asymptomatic group and 13 of 16 [81%] in the symptomatic group; P  = .56). Analysis of RT-PCR positivity probability showed that asymptomatic participants had faster viral clearance than symptomatic participants (P  < .001 for difference over the first 19 days). This difference was most pronounced during the first week of follow-up. Two of the asymptomatic individuals appeared to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to 4 contacts. Conclusions Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is common and can be detected by analysis of saliva or NTSs. The NTS viral loads fall faster in asymptomatic individuals, but these individuals appear able to transmit the virus to others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) continues to challenge Asia with pandemic potential. In Vietnam, there have been two major outbreaks occurring during 2011–2012 (>200,000 hospitalizations and >200 deaths) and more recently in 2018 (>130,000 hospitalizations and 17 deaths). Given the high burden and the complex epidemic dynamics of HFMD, synthesizing its clinical and epidemiological data remains essential to inform the development of appropriate interventions and design public health measures. We report the results of a hospital-based study conducted during 2015–2018, covering the severe HFMD outbreak recently documented in Vietnam in 2018. The study was conducted at three major hospitals responsible for receiving HFMD patients from southern Vietnam with a population of over 40 million. A total of 19 enterovirus serotypes were detected in 1196 HFMD patients enrolled in the clinical study during 2015–2018, with enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6), CV-A10 and CV-A16 being the major causes. Despite the emergence of coxsackieviruses, EV-A71 remains the leading cause of severe HFMD in Vietnam. EV-A71 was consistently detected at a higher frequency during the second half of the years. The emergence of EV-A71 subgenogroup C4 in late 2018 was preceded by its low activity during 2017–early 2018. Compared with EV-A71 subgenogroup B5, C4 was more likely to be associated with severe HFMD, representing the first report demonstrating the difference in clinical severity between subgenogroup C4 and B5, the two predominant EV-A71 subgenogroups causing HFMD worldwide. Our data have provided significant insights into important aspects of HFMD over four years (2015–2018) in Vietnam, and emphasize active surveillance for pathogen circulation remains essential to inform the local public health authorities in the development of appropriate intervention strategies to reduce the burden of this emerging infections. Multivalent vaccines are urgently needed to control HFMD. Author summary: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) continues to challenge Asia with pandemic potential. Synthesizing epidemiological data remains essential to inform the development of appropriate interventions. We report the results of a comprehensive hospital-based study conducted in southern Vietnam during 2015–2018. A total of 19 different viruses were detected in 1196 HFMD patients enrolled in the study, with enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6), CV-A10 and CV-A16 being the major causes. EV-A71 was associated with severe HFMD and consistently detected at a higher frequency during the second half of the years. The emergence of EV-A71 subgenogroup C4 in late 2018 was preceded by its low activity during 2017–early 2018. Compared with subgenogroup B5, C4 was more likely to be associated with severe HFMD. Collectively, despite the emergence of coxsackieviruses, EV-A71 remains the major cause of severe HFMD, and multivalent vaccines are urgently needed to control the ongoing HFMD challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we develop a computer code called Numerical Calculation of the Penetration Factor (NCPF) for calculation of the penetration factor in nuclear interactions. The code is valid in both low-energy thermonuclear reactions for astrophysical applications and high-energy interactions of heavy nuclei. Our validation results indicate that this code can be successfully used to determine the penetrability for calculations of the partial widths of thermonuclear reactions and the half-lives of heavy isotopes. By using the code, we evaluate the astrophysical rates of the 22Mg(α,p)25Al reaction and the α-decay half-lives of super-heavy nuclei with atomic numbers up to Z = 118. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we applied the method developed by Santhosh and Safoora in [Phys. Rev. C  94 (2016) 024623; 95 (2017) 064611] to theoretically investigate the fusion, evaporation-residue (ER) and fission cross-sections of the synthesis of the unknown superheavy 3 0 9 , 3 1 2 126 nuclei produced by using the 5 8 Ni + 2 5 1 Cf and 6 4 Zn + 2 4 8 Cm combinations. The charge asymmetry, mass asymmetry and fissility of the DiNuclear System (DNS) in the synthesis of the mentioned combinations are also estimated. The calculated results show that the ER cross-sections for the synthesis of the 3 0 9 − 3 1 7 126 nuclei are predicted to be much less than 1.0 fb. In particular, it has been found that there may exist a valley of the ER cross-sections in the synthesis of a superheavy Z = 1 2 6 element, which produces the 3 1 3 126 isotope. Subsequently, a model for the mass dependence of the ER cross-section in the synthesis of the 3 0 7 − 3 2 0 126 isotopes has been proposed for the first time. On the other hand, the quasi-fission process strongly dominates over the fusion in the two concerned interacting systems. The present results, together with those reported in the previous studies, indicate that the investigated projectile–target combinations are not capable for the synthesis of the 3 0 9 , 3 1 2 126 isotopes due to tiny fusion cross-sections (about 2–3 zb), which go beyond the limitations of available facilities. Further studies are thus recommended to search for alternative interacting systems. In conclusion, this work provides useful information for the synthesis of the gap isotopes 3 0 8 − 3 1 7 126, which have not been well studied up to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Orofacial Pain is the property of Quintessence Publishing Company Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nucleon–nucleus (NA) optical potentials are microscopically generated from a fully self-consistent framework of the particle-vibration coupling (PVC), in which the nucleon–nucleon (NN) effective interaction of the Skyrme type is consistently used to describe the Hartree–Fock (HF) mean-field, the small amplitude collective motions of the target, and the particle-collective states coupling. For the first time, a systematic calculation of low-energy NA elastic scattering off a series of doubly closed-shell nuclei is carried out without ad hoc adjusted parameters. Angular distributions obtained using the present optical potentials are in good agreement with the experimental data. This will be a major step forward in the applications of the Skyrme energy-density-functional theory to build up the global microscopic optical potentials, which are expected to be a powerful tool for the study of unstable (exotic) nuclei at low-incident nucleon energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) were grown directly on printed circuit boards with a 35- μm-thick copper layer using a seedless galvanic-cell hydrothermal process. The hexagonal structure of the synthesized ZnO NRs was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The microstructural characteristics of the as-grown ZnO NRs were investigated by x-ray diffraction analysis, revealing preferred (002) growth direction. Raman and photoluminescence spectra confirmed the high crystalline quality of the ZnO NRs. As-grown ZnO NRs were then grown for 7 h using the galvanic effect for use as the pH membrane of an extended-gate field-effect transistor pH sensor (pH-EGFET). The current-voltage characteristics showed sensitivity of 15.4 mV/pH and 0.26 ( μA)/pH in the linear and saturated region, respectively. Due to their cost effectiveness, low-temperature processing, and ease of fabrication, such devices are potential candidates for use as flexible, low-cost, disposable biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a radially symmetrical conjugate phase mask (PM) pair to yield an invariant imaging property for extending depth-of-field imaging. This conjugate PM pair is a two-radially symmetrical phase function with opposite orientation of the phase modulation. Compared with a single-radially symmetrical PM, the proposed conjugate PM pair shows a symmetrically imaging property on both sides of the focal plane and high magnitude of modulation transfer function (MTF). The quartic phase mask (QPM) with optimized phase parameters is employed to demonstrate our concept. Several evaluation approaches, including point-spread function, MTF, and image simulation, are used to realize the performance comparison among a traditional imaging system, an original QPM system, and a conjugate QPM. The results are proof that the proposed conjugate PM has a superior performance in extending depth of field imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wavefront coding involves the use of an asymmetrical phase mask to extend the depth of field of incoherent imaging systems. The performance of wavefront coding systems depends on designing a suitable phase profile to generate the defocus-invariant imaging characteristic. We proposed a square-root phase mask with two profile factors for achieving a steadier defocused modulation transfer function (MTF). Several evaluation methods are employed for the purpose of performance comparison between the proposed phase mask and the previously suggested phase masks under the constraint condition that the phase parameters are optimized at the same level of noise gain. Numerical results show that the square-root phase mask yields better properties in extended depth of field imaging, especially in acquiring defocus-invariant MTFs and eliminating image artifacts associated with the decoded images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By fluorescence enhancement of a proximity-dependent DNA-scaffolded silver nanocluster probe pair and exonuclease III-mediated signal amplification, we present a new fluorescence turn-on mode and its application for specific DNA detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perinatal depression is a prevalent and detrimental condition. Determining modifiable factors associated with it would identify opportunities for prevention. This paper: 1) identifies depressive symptom trajectories and heterogeneity in those trajectories during pregnancy through the first-year postpartum, and 2) examines the association between unintended pregnancy and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms (BDI-II) were collected from low-income Hispanic immigrants ( n=215) five times from early pregnancy to 12-months postpartum. The sample was at high-risk for perinatal depression and recruited from two prenatal care settings. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) was used to identify distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms over the perinatal period. Multinomial logistic regression was then conducted to examine the association between unintended pregnancy (reported at baseline) and the depression trajectory patterns. Three distinct trajectory patterns of depressive symptoms were identified: high during pregnancy, but low postpartum ('Pregnancy High': 9.8%); borderline during pregnancy, with a postpartum increase ('Postpartum High': 10.2%); and low throughout pregnancy and postpartum ('Perinatal Low': 80.0%). Unintended pregnancy was not associated with the 'Pregnancy High' pattern, but was associated with a marginally significant nearly four fold increase in risk of the 'Postpartum High' pattern in depressive symptoms (RRR=3.95, p<0.10). Family planning is a potential strategy for the prevention of postpartum depression. Women who report unintended pregnancies during prenatal care must be educated of their increased risk, even if they do not exhibit antenatal depressive symptoms. Routine depression screening should occur postpartum, and referral to culturally appropriate treatment should follow positive screening results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latina immigrants may be at increased risk for mental illnesses, but have less access to and seek mental health services less often than Black and White counterparts. Guided by the Andersen Behavioral Model of service utilization, the current study employed a medical chart review to elucidate factors associated with use of mental health services at a community health center. Of the clients referred for mental health services, only 36% followed through on the referral. Older age, use of case management services, and depressive symptomatology were predictors of attending mental health services. These findings have implications for community health and mental health providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Salud Mental is the property of Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatria Ramon de la Fuente and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between satisfaction with social support and postpartum depressive symptoms in Latinas. Design: A secondary data analysis of 62 women at "high risk" or "low risk" for postpartum depression (PPD) was conducted during pregnancy and at 1 month postpartum. Results: High-risk Latinas were less satisfied with perceived perinatal support from the baby's father and postnatal support from family and "others." Dissatisfaction with postpartum support from the baby's father was associated with higher depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Dissatisfaction with certain sources of support is related to high risk for PPD. Practice: Health care providers should assess levels and sources of social support as part of their PPD screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative consequences of untreated depression on the health and well-being of women and their children are well-documented, underscoring the need to develop effective interventions to prevent the onset of major depression during the perinatal period. This article describes recruitment data from two randomized controlled trials of preventive interventions for postpartum depression: one conducted with immigrant Latinas in Washington, DC, United States, and the other with women in Mexico City, Mexico. In both countries, pregnant women met a priori eligibility criteria and were randomized into an 8-week theory-based group intervention. Two hundred and seventeen Latinas in the U.S. and 377 women born and raised in Mexico were enrolled in their respective countries. The recruitment rates (i.e., the number of participants who met eligibility criteria, consented, and randomized into the study) were 70% in the U.S. and in Mexico. Issues and recommendations related to recruiting Hispanic women into preventive intervention trials for postpartum depression are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 14-year update to a previously published historical cohort study of aluminum reduction plant workers was conducted [1]. All men with three or more years at an aluminum reduction plant in British Columbia (BC), Canada between the years 1954 and 1997 were included; a total of 6,423 workers. A total of 662 men were diagnosed with cancer, representing a 400% increase from the original study. Standardized mortality and incidence ratios were used to compare the cancer mortality and incidence of the cohort to that of the BC population. Poisson regression was used to examine risk by cumulative exposure to coal tar pitch volatiles (CTPV) measured as benzene soluble materials (BSM) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). The risk for bladder cancer was related to cumulative exposure to CTPV measured as BSM and BaP (p trends <0.001), and the risk for stomach cancer was related to exposure measured by BaP (p trend BaP <0.05). The risks for lung cancer (p trend <0.001), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (p trend <0.001), and kidney cancer (p trend <0.01) also increased with increasing exposure, although the overall rates were similar to that of the general population. Analysis of the joint effect of smoking and CTPV exposure on cancer showed the observed dose–response relationships to be independent of smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The British Columbia randomized radiation trial was designed to determine the survival impact of locoregional radiation therapy in premenopausal patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer treated by modified radical mastectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Three hundred eighteen patients were assigned to receive no further therapy or radiation therapy (37.5 Gy in 16 fractions). Previous analysis at the 15-year follow-up showed that radiation therapy was associated with a statistically significant improvement in breast cancer survival but that improvement in overall survival was of only borderline statistical significance. We report the analysis of data from the 20-year follow-up. Methods: Survival was analyzed by the Kaplan­Meier method. Relative risk estimates were calculated by the Wald test from the proportional hazards regression model. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: At the 20 year follow up (median follow up for live patients: 249 months) chemotherapy and radiation therapy, compared with chemotherapy alone, were associated with a statistically significant improvement in all end points analyzed, including survival free of isolated locoregional recurrences (74% versus 90%, respectively; relative risk ERR] = 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.18 to 0.71; P = .002), systemic relapse-free survival (31% versus 48%; RR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49 to 0.88; P = .004), breast cancer-free survival (48% versus 30%; RR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.47 to 0.83; P = .001), event-free survival (35% versus 25%; RR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.54 to 0.92; P = .009), breast cancer-specific survival (53% versus 38%: RR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.49 to 0.90; P = .008), and, in contrast to the 15-year follow-up results, overall survival (47% versus 37%; RR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.55 to 0.98; P = .03). Long-term toxicities, including cardiac deaths (1.8% versus 0.6%), were minimal for both arms. Conclusion: For patients with high-risk breast cancer treated with modified radical mastectomy, treatment with radiation therapy (schedule of 16 fractions) and adjuvant chemotherapy leads to better survival outcomes than chemotherapy alone, and it is well tolerated, with acceptable long-term toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify subgroups of pregnant women at imminent (1 year) risk for major depressive episodes. Participants were 84 low-income, predominantly Mexican women using public sector obstetrics services who participated in monthly interviews during pregnancy and up to 6 months postpartum. Participants were designated a priori as "more vulnerable" or "less vulnerable" to future perinatal depression based on evidence of mood regulation problems defined as (a) a self-reported history of major depressive episodes, (MDE) and/or(b) high current depressive symptom scores on a continuous depression scale. Two definitions of a major depressive episode based on meeting 2 or 3 DSM-IV MDE criteria, were used to measure the incidence of a new major depressive episode. Results suggest that more vulnerable groups (i. e., with the greatest mood regulation problems) had a higher incidence of major depressive episodes than less vulnerable groups. Implications for screening and developing preventive interventions for postpartum depression are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we describe an approach for predicting average hourly concentrations of ambient PM10 in Vancouver. We know our solution also applies to hourly ozone fields and believe it may be quite generally applicable. We use a hierarchical Bayesian approach. At the primary level we model the logarithmic field as a trend model plus Gaussian stochastic residual. That trend model depends on hourly meteorological predictors and is common to all sites. The stochastic component consists of a 24-hour vector response that we model as a multivariate AR(3) temporal process with common spatial parameters. Removing the trend and AR structure leaves ‘whitened’ time series of vector series. With this approach (as opposed to using 24 separate univariate time series models), there is little loss of spatial correlation in these residuals compared with that in just the detrended residuals (prior to removing the AR component). Moreover our multivariate approach enables predictions for any given hour to ‘borrow strength’ through its correlation with adjoining hours. On this basis we develop a spatial predictive distribution for these residuals at unmonitored sites. By transforming the predicted residuals back to the original data scales we can impute Vancouver's hourly PM10 field. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the diathesis-stress model of sociotropy and autonomy in the prediction of dysphoria and self-reported hostility. Participants were 39 women who had recently relocated to the United States. Because participants relocated at approximately the same time and for the same reasons (husband enrolled in a university program), we were able to measure multiple stressors that occurred in the same context (relocation). We measured stress comprehensively using semistructured interviews and coded each negative stressor into interpersonal and achievement categories. The match between sociotropy and interpersonal stressors predicted dysphoria, whereas the match between autonomy and achievement stressors predicted hostility. Implications for the diathesis-stress model of sociotropy–autonomy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background Meningoencephalitis is a devastating disease worldwide. Current diagnosis fails to establish the cause in ≥50% of patients. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has emerged as pan-pathogen assays for infectious diseases diagnosis, but few studies have been conducted in resource-limited settings. Methods We assessed the performance of mNGS in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 66 consecutively treated adults with meningoencephalitis in a tertiary referral hospital for infectious diseases in Vietnam, a resource-limited setting. All mNGS results were confirmed by viral-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). As a complementary analysis, 6 viral PCR-positive samples were analyzed using MinION-based metagenomics. Results Routine diagnosis could identify a virus in 15 (22.7%) patients, including herpes simplex virus (HSV; n = 7) and varicella zoster virus (VZV; n = 1) by PCR, and mumps virus (n = 4), dengue virus (DENV; n = 2), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV; n = 1) by serological diagnosis. mNGS detected HSV, VZV, and mumps virus in 5/7, 1/1, and 1/4 of the CSF positive by routine assays, respectively, but it detected DENV and JEV in none of the positive CSF. Additionally, mNGS detected enteroviruses in 7 patients of unknown cause. Metagenomic MinION-Nanopore sequencing could detect a virus in 5/6 PCR-positive CSF samples, including HSV in 1 CSF sample that was negative by mNGS, suggesting that the sensitivity of MinION is comparable with that of mNGS/PCR. Conclusions In a single assay, metagenomics could accurately detect a wide spectrum of neurotropic viruses in the CSF of meningoencephalitis patients. Further studies are needed to determine the value that real-time sequencing may contribute to the diagnosis and management of meningoencephalitis patients, especially in resource-limited settings where pathogen-specific assays are limited in number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) has become a major public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region. Knowledge of its economic burden is essential for policy makers in prioritizing the development and implementation of interventions. Methods A multi-hospital-based study was prospectively conducted at 3 major hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during 2016–2017. Data on direct and productivity costs were collected alongside clinical information and samples and demographic information from study participants. Results A total of 466 patients were enrolled. Two hundred three of 466 (43.6%) patients lived in Ho Chi Minh City, and 72/466 (15.5%) had severe HFMD. An enterovirus was identified in 74% of 466 patients, with EV-A71, CV-A6, CV-A10, and CV-A16 being the most common viruses identified (236/466, 50.6%). The mean economic burden per case was estimated at US$400.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], $353.80–$448.90), of which the total direct (medical) costs accounted for 69.7%. There were considerable differences in direct medical costs between groups of patients with different clinical severities and pathogens (ie, EV-A71 vs non-EV-A71). In Vietnam, during 2016–2017, the economic burden posed by HFMD was US$90 761 749 (95% CI, $79 033 973–$103 009 756). Conclusions Our findings are of public health significance because for the first time we demonstrate that HFMD causes a substantial economic burden in Vietnam, and although multivalent vaccines are required to control HFMD, effective EV-A71 vaccine could substantially reduce the burden posed by severe HFMD. The results will be helpful for health policy makers in prioritizing resources for the development and implementation of intervention strategies to reduce the burden of HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]