Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure: Effect on Farmers' Sperm Quality in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Objectives: Using pesticides in the An Giang province is widespread. However, studies on the health effect of organophosphate pesticide have not been updated within the past 12 years. This study aimed to assess exposure to organophosphate pesticides and their effects on sperm quality among farmers in the An Giang Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Development of a robust blood smear preparation procedure for external quality assessment.

Introduction: The external quality assessment (EQA) scheme is particularly important for laboratory performance evaluation. Peripheral blood smears are necessary to identify morphological features, and the procedure for preparing such smears must be robust to meet the ISO 15189 standard. Although blood smear preparation is a routine activity in medical laboratories, an appropriate procedure for preparing a series of blood smears with high homogeneity and durable stability for EQA purposes has not yet been published elsewhere.

A New Beam Model for Simulation of the Mechanical Behaviour of Variable Thickness Functionally Graded Material Beams Based on Modified First Order Shear Deformation Theory.

There are many beam models to simulate the variable thickness functionally graded material (FGM) beam, each model has advantages and disadvantages in computer aided engineering of the mechanical behavior of this beam. In this work, a new model of beam is presented to study the mechanical static bending, free vibration, and buckling behavior of the variable thickness functionally graded material beams. The formulations are based on modified first order shear deformation theory and interpolating polynomials.

Prescription patterns and treatment outcomes of MDR-TB patients treated within and outside the National Tuberculosis Programme in Pham Ngoc Thach hospital, Viet Nam.

Objective: To describe and analyse the prescription patterns and treatment outcomes of MDR-TB patients managed within Green Light Committee (GLC) and outside (non-GLC) the National TB programme in Viet Nam.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study with two elements: (i) in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with clinical doctors, hospital pharmacists, and the non-GLC patients with MDR-TB; (ii) review of treatment cards and patients' charts of all GLC and non-GLC patients with MDR-TB put on treatment during 2010.

Results: Of 282 patients with MDR-TB, comprising 79 (28%) GLC patients MDR-TB and 203 (72%) non-GLC patients with MDR-TB, were enrolled in the study.