Current status of cysticercosis in Vietnam

This English review concerning the current status of cysticercosis in Vietnam has been compiled from various reports of studies conducted over the past 15 years, which have appeared in national publications in Vietnamese, in order to make the information available to the international community. Hospital surveys indicate that cysticercosis is emerging as a serious health problem in the country though most of the information comes from the Hanoi area. Many more men than women are being treated for cysticercosis with most patients being young to middle-aged adults though several juvenile cases have been seen in the south. Clinical manifestations of the disease in humans include subcutaneous nodules, epileptic seizures, severe headache, impaired vision and memory loss. Albendazole has been found to be the best drug for treating cysticercosis though it does not appear to be totally effective for curing cerebral cysts. Information concerning porcine and bovine cysticercosis is very limited and based mostly on passive surveillance at Hanoi slaughterhouses. Surveys for human taeniasis in central and northern provinces indicate a prevalence of 0.2-7.2%. However, techniques of low sensitivity were used and the results are inconclusive since it is unknown with which species of tapeworm the people were infected. In addition to Taenia solium which causes human cysticercosis, T. saginata and T. asiatica are also known to be present in Vietnam. Risk factors investigated thus far with regard to transmission of T. solium suggest that consumption of raw pork, inadequate or absent meat inspection and control, poor sanitation in some areas, and the use of untreated human waste as fertilizer for crops may play important roles in Vietnam but this remains to be validated. The evidence thus far collected suggests that a national surveillance program for cysticercosis is a great need for Vietnam. The authors recommend further research on the epidemiology and impact of cysticercosis in both human and pig hosts in order to determine whether a prevention and control program in Vietnam would be merited and cost effective.     

Unraveling the effect of Al doping on CO adsorption at ZnO(101̄0)

Understanding the effect of Al doping on CO adsorption at ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0) is crucial for designing a high-performance CO gas sensor. In this work, we investigated the adsorption properties of CO on pristine and Al-doped ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0) by performing DFT+U calculations. It is found that the doping of Al on ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0) induces the semiconductor-to-metal transition and thus enhances the conductance of the substrate. Compared to the pristine ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0), the adsorption energy of CO on the Al-doped surfaces is significantly enhanced since Al doping has the effect of strengthening the adsorption bond. The bonding analysis reveals that CO adsorbs on pristine ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0) via the sole σ-dative donation between the CO HOMO 5σ and the empty states of the Zn cation while π-back donation from filled states of Zn or Al cations to the CO 2π* LUMO is facilitated on the Al-doped surfaces. The π-back donation also results in the red-shift of the CO stretching frequency on the Al-doped surfaces, contrasting to the blue-shift on the pristine surface. The simulated results demonstrate that the doping of Al to a three-fold coordinated site on ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0) is highly beneficial for boosting the performance of the CO gas sensor. Our theoretical investigation provides fundamental insights into the effect of Al doping on the sensing mechanism for CO at the ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0) surface.

Al doping enhances the adsorption of CO on ZnO(10$\bar{1}$0) by facilitating π-back donation from the surface to CO.     

Consumer involvement in the tertiary‐level education of mental health professionals: A systematic review

A systematic review of the published work on consumer involvement in the education of health professionals was undertaken using the PRISMA guidelines. Searches of the CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsychINFO electronic databases returned 487 records, and 20 met the inclusion criteria. Further papers were obtained through scanning the reference lists of those articles included from the initial published work search (n = 9) and contacting researchers in the field (n = 1). Thirty papers (representing 28 studies) were included in this review. Findings from three studies indicate that consumer involvement in the education of mental health professionals is limited and variable across professions. Evaluations of consumer involvement in 16 courses suggest that students gain insight into consumers' perspectives of: (i) what life is like for people with mental illness; (ii) mental illness itself; (iii) the experiences of admission to, and treatment within, mental health services; and (iv) how these services could be improved. Some students and educators, however, raised numerous concerns about consumer involvement in education (e.g. whether consumers were pursuing their own agendas, whether consumers' views were representative). Evaluations of consumer involvement in education are limited in that their main focus is on the perceptions of students. The findings of this review suggest that public policy expectations regarding consumer involvement in mental health services appear to be slowly affecting the education of mental health professionals. Future research needs to focus on determining the effect of consumer involvement in education on the behaviours and attitudes of students in healthcare environments.     

Etiology and epidemiology of diarrhea in children in Hanoi, Vietnam.

OBJECTIVES: This paper provides a preliminary picture of diarrhea with regards to etiology, clinical symptoms, and some related epidemiologic factors in children less than five years of age living in Hanoi, Vietnam. METHODS: The study population included 587 children with diarrhea and 249 age-matched healthy controls. The identification of pathogens was carried out by the conventional methods in combination with ELISA, immunoseparation, and PCR. The antibiotic susceptibility was determined by MIC following the NCCLS recommendations. RESULTS: Of those with diarrhea, 40.9% were less than one year old and 71.0% were less than two years old. A potential pathogen was identified in 67.3% of children with diarrhea. They were group A rotavirus, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp, and enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis, with prevalences of 46.7%, 22.5%, 4.7%, and 7.3%, respectively. No Salmonella spp or Vibrio cholerae were isolated. Rotavirus and diarrheagenic E. coli were predominant in children less than two years of age, while Shigella spp, and enterotoxigenic B. fragilis were mostly seen in the older children. Diarrheagenic E. coli and Shigella spp showed high prevalence of resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Children attending the hospitals had fever (43.6%), vomiting (53.8%), and dehydration (82.6%). Watery stool was predominant with a prevalence of 66.4%, followed by mucous stool (21.0%). The mean episodes of stools per day was seven, ranging from two to 23 episodes. Before attending hospitals, 162/587 (27.6%) children had been given antibiotics. Overall, more children got diarrhea in (i) poor families; (ii) families where piped water and a latrine were lacking; (iii) families where mothers washed their hands less often before feeding the children; (iv) families where mothers had a low level of education; (v) families where information on health and sanitation less often reached their households. CONCLUSIONS: Group A rotavirus, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp, and enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis play an important role in causing diarrhea in children in Hanoi, Vietnam. Epidemiological factors such as lack of fresh water supply, unhygienic septic tank, low family income, lack of health information, and low educational level of parents could contribute to the morbidity of diarrhea in children.     

High-Voltage Insulation Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposites by Plasma Polymerization

In organic-inorganic nanocomposites, interfacial regions are primarily influenced by the dispersion uniformity of nanoparticles and the strength of interfacial bonds between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix. The insulating performance of organic-inorganic dielectric nanocomposites is highly influenced by the characteristics of interfacial regions. In this study, we prepare polyethylene oxide (PEO)-like functional layers on silica nanoparticles through plasma polymerization. Epoxy resin/silica nanocomposites are subsequently synthesized with these plasma-polymerized nanoparticles. It is found that plasma at a low power (i.e., 10 W) can significantly increase the concentration of C–O bonds on the surface of silica nanoparticles. This plasma polymerized thin layer can not only improve the dispersion uniformity by increasing the hydrophilicity of the nanoparticles, but also provide anchoring sites to enable the formation of covalent bonds between the organic and inorganic phases. Furthermore, electrical tests reveal improved electrical treeing resistance and decreased dielectric constant of the synthesized nanocomposites, while the dielectric loss of the nanocomposites remains unchanged as compared to the pure epoxy resin.     

Prevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension in an Australian scleroderma population: screening allows for earlier diagnosis

Background:  We sought to determine the prevalence of pulmonary complications and especially pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in an Australian scleroderma population.
Methods:  Between July 2005 and June 2007, physicians in Western Australia were asked to refer patients with scleroderma specifically for pulmonary hypertension screening. All patients were assessed for PAH and other respiratory conditions using echocardiography, lung function testing and clinical assessments. Right heart catheterization was carried out in patients with evidence of increased right ventricular systolic pressure.
Results:  Of the 184 patients analysed, 44 had possible PAH on echocardiography. Right heart catheterization confirmed the diagnosis in 24 (13%). Diffuse interstitial lung disease was found in 32 patients representing a point prevalence of 17.4%. The severity of PAH at diagnosis varied according to whether the patients were referred for screening (group A) or for diagnostic (group B) purposes. The 6-min-walk test distance and median pulmonary vascular resistance were significantly worse in group B versus group A (324 vs 402 m; P = 0.02 and 884 dynes/s per cm⁻⁵ vs 486 dynes/s per cm⁻⁵; P < 0.01, respectively).
Conclusion:  Screening may result in earlier diagnosis of PAH with, in general more mild disease. This is important, given that early treatment for PAH while patients are less symptomatic is associated with improved exercise tolerance and pulmonary haemodynamics: indices indicative of disease progression and clinical worsening.     

Pathogen screening and prognostic factors in children with severe ARDS of pulmonary origin

Background

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the most lethal diseases encountered in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The etiological pathogens and prognostic factors of severe ARDS of pulmonary origin in children with respiratory virus infections were prospectively investigated.

Methods

Enrolled children fulfilled the following criteria: (1) PICU admission; (2) age of 1 month to 16 years; (3) diagnosis of infectious pneumonia and respiratory virus infection; and (4) development of severe ARDS within 72 h after PICU admission. Pathogens were detected in the blood and tracheal lavage fluid using molecular techniques and a conventional culture system. The serum levels of inflammatory mediators on the day of PICU admission were examined.

Results

Fifty‐seven patients (32 boys; median age, 9 months) were enrolled. Multiple virus infections, co‐infection with bacteria/fungus, and bacteremia/fungemia were observed in 60%, 49%, and 32% of children, respectively. Adenovirus‐B, measles virus, and cytomegalovirus were detected predominantly in tracheal lavage fluid. There were no statistically significant differences between non‐survivors and survivors regarding the types of pathogen, incidence of multiple virus infection, gender, age, clinical features, and treatment. The serum levels of interferon (IFN)‐γ and the IFN‐γ/interleukin (IL)‐10 ratio were higher in non‐survivors.

Conclusions

IFN‐γ upregulation as detected on the day of PICU admission was found to be one of the possible prognostic factors affecting a fatal outcome. These results suggest that modulation of inflammatory responses is critical for the clinical management of children with ARDS.     

Fibromatosis of the breast in a male patient

Fibromatosis of the breast is a rare soft tissue lesion that arises from the mammary tissue or the pectoral fascia. We present a case of fibromatosis in a 39-year-old male patient who developed a right lateral breast mass in several weeks without prior trauma or surgery. Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy findings included differential diagnoses of nodular fasciitis and fibromatosis. The patient was referred to a breast surgeon and underwent excisional biopsy. Final pathology report confirmed fibromatosis. The patient tolerated the surgery well and will continue to follow up post-operatively for recurrence.