The Relationship of Preterm and Small for Gestational Age with Child Cognition During School-Age Years.

Background: Children born preterm and/or small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk of poor cognitive outcomes, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the cognitive and academic deficits during the school-age years in children born preterm or SGA compared with those in children born term adequate for gestational age (AGA) in rural Vietnam.

Methods: Children born to women in a preconception micronutrient supplementation trial in Vietnam were classified into 3 groups: preterm AGA (n =138), term SGA (n =169), and term AGA (n = 1134).

Growth patterns of preterm and small for gestational age children during the first 10 years of life.

Background: Preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) remain significant public health concerns worldwide. Yet limited evidence exists on their growth patterns during childhood from low-or middle-income countries.

Objectives: We investigated the postnatal growth patterns of preterm and SGA compared to term appropriate for gestational age (AGA) children from birth to 10-11y, and examined the impact of birth status on child nutritional status during the school age years.

Investigating rater-student interaction, gender bias, and major bias in the assessment of research seminar presentation.

The study aims to investigate the severity of raters toward examinees' performances and to analyze biases subject to genders and academic majors based on the rater-examinee interactions. Data were collected across a 13-week research seminar course in English. Six raters were selected to rate 33 examinees using 18-item criteria.

Multifunctional nanocomposite based on polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose nanocrystals, titanium dioxide, and apple peel extract for food packaging.

Although polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a potential biodegradable food packaging material, it has several critical limitations: low mechanical strength, poor ultraviolet (UV) and water vapor barrier properties, and lack of antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Previous studies have used cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to improve the mechanical and water vapor barrier properties of the PVA matrix. In this study, a multifunctional nanocomposite for food packaging applications was developed by incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO) and apple peel extract (APE) into a PVA/CNC matrix.

PVA/CNC/TiO nanocomposite for food-packaging: Improved mechanical, UV/water vapor barrier, and antimicrobial properties.

Although polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a promising biodegradable packaging material, it presents some disadvantages for food packaging such as poor ultraviolet (UV) and water vapor barrier properties, low mechanical strength, poor water resistance, and lack of antimicrobial properties. To overcome these limitations, novel PVA/cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)/titanium dioxide (TiO) nanocomposites were developed, characterized, and demonstrated for potential food packaging applications. The mechanical strength, water vapor barrier, and UV barrier properties of PVA/CNC/TiO 5 % film (5 wt% TiO in the PVA/CNC matrix with 5 wt% of CNCs) increased by 55.

Role of heat treatment in improving replication quality of PDMS double-casting.

An efficient and eco-friendly method utilizing the heat treatment of the PDMS master is proposed for improving the replication quality of PDMS double-casting. The effects of heat treatment on interfacial adhesion are investigated in terms of uncured low molecular weight chains, surface energy, and surface roughness. The PDMS master treated at 150 °C for 72 h shows the highest replication quality of micropatterns with a diameter and height of 30 μm.

Polyvinyl alcohol/cellulose nanocrystals/alkyl ketene dimer nanocomposite as a novel biodegradable food packing material.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is used in many applications because of its excellent physicochemical properties, non-toxicity, and biodegradability. However, its relatively low water resistance, poor water vapor/ultraviolet (UV) barrier properties, and poor mechanical properties compared with conventional polymers limit its applications in food packaging. In this study, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) were used to overcome these issues.

Vietnamese non-English-major students' motivation to learn English: from activity theory perspective.

The purpose of this study was to investigate Vietnamese non-English majors' motivation to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) based on the activity theory perspective. The participants included 1,565 students with at least one semester of university-level English, of whom 13 participated in the semi-structured interviews. The data was collected using the five-point Likert scale motivation and desire surveys with 16 items and individual face-to-face interviews.

Designing and validating the learner autonomy perception questionnaire.

The present study aimed to design and validate a questionnaire to investigate students' perceptions of learner autonomy in the context of Vietnamese tertiary education. The questionnaire was adapted from various well-established scales in the literature, and then the back-translation method was used to produce a version in Vietnamese. After the questionnaire development process, 1,565 non-English majors at seven different tertiary institutions in Vietnam voluntarily participated in the study and completed the questionnaire.

Reassessment of the positive predictive value and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF: a diagnostic accuracy study in the context of community-wide screening for tuberculosis.

Background: Community-wide screening for tuberculosis with Xpert MTB/RIF as a primary screening tool overcomes some of the limitations of conventional screening. However, concerns exist about the low positive predictive value of this test in screening settings. We did a cross-sectional assessment of this diagnostic test to directly estimate the actual positive predictive value of Xpert MTB/RIF when used in the setting of community-wide screening for tuberculosis, and to draw an inference about the specificity of the test for tuberculosis detection.

The association and a potential pathway between gender-based violence and induced abortion in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam.

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) has profound adverse consequences on women's physical, mental, and reproductive health. Although Vietnam has high rates of induced abortion and GBV, literature examining this relationship is lacking.

Objective: This study examines the association of GBV with induced abortion among married or partnered women of reproductive age in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam.