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This article summarises developments in the Australian economy in 2021. The recovery that was underway from the COVID‐19 recession was interrupted by the second wave of the pandemic and the associated policy responses, particularly in Victoria and New South Wales. We discuss the challenges facing the Australian economy as it once again re‐opens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial atomic layer deposition (SALD) is a recent approach 100 times faster than conventional atomic layer deposition (ALD), even at atmospheric pressure. Previous works exploited these assets focussing on high‐rate, large‐area deposition for scaling‐up into mass production. Conversely, this work shows that SALD indeed represents an ideal platform for area‐selective deposition of functional materials by proper design and miniaturization of close‐proximity SALD heads. In particular, the potential offered by 3D printing is used to fabricate low‐cost customized close‐proximity heads, which can be easily designed and modified to obtain different deposition areas, free‐form patterns, and even complex multimaterial structures. Finally, by designing a miniaturized head with circular concentric gas channels, 3D printing of functional materials can be performed with nanometric resolution in Z. This constitutes a new gas‐phase 3D printing approach. Because the process is based on ALD reactions, conformal and continuous thin films of functional materials can be printed at low temperatures and with high deposition rate in the open air. This approach represents a new versatile way of printing functional materials and devices with spatial and topological control, thus extending the potential of SALD and ALD in general, and opening a new avenue in the field of area‐selective deposition of functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic activity in Australia continued to improve in 2017–2018 with growth spreading across the mainland state economies. Labour market conditions in Australia improved markedly in 2017–2018 while the inflation rate was steady around the lower end of the Reserve Bank of Australia's 2–3 per cent target band. Real wage growth was weak and is likely to remain weak in 2018–2019, putting downward pressure on household consumption. Output growth in 2018–2019 is likely to be solid with prospects of the Chinese economy and trade tensions between China and the United States posing the greatest downside risk to the Australian economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Australian economic condition in 2016 and the impact of international economic events on the country's economy. Several countries influenced Australian economy which include the U.S., European countries such as Germany, Great Britain and France, and Japan. The trends noted in the country include growth in net exports, growth in the housing market, and an improvement in the unemployment rate.

In this work, the effect of a slight change in the composition of the Al-Fe amorphous alloys (from Al84Fe16 to Al82Fe18) and the substitution of Y for Al (2 at.%) on their crystallization kinetics was studied. According to the X-ray diffraction analysis, powders of the Al84Fe16, Al82Fe18, and Al82Fe16Y2 alloys with a fully amorphous structure were formed after 100 h of mechanical milling of the mixtures of the elemental powders. The crystallization behavior of the alloys was also studied by transmission electron microscopy. Upon heating up to a temperature of the first exothermic peak, α-Al crystals precipitated from the amorphous Al84Fe16 matrix. During crystallization of the Al82Fe18 alloy, crystals of the Al6Fe intermetallic compound formed along with α-Al crystals. Substitution of Y for 2 at.% of Al in the Al82Fe16Y2 alloy made crystallization of the alloy more complicated: α-Al, Al6Fe, and Fe4Y crystals coexisted with an amorphous phase. The activation energies corresponding to the first crystallization event of the alloys were calculated using the Kissinger and Ozawa methods. The values obtained by these two methods were in good agreement with each other and the same trends of changing with the alloy composition were observed. The Avrami exponent n was determined from the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation and showed that crystallization at the first stage is interface-controlled growth for all the three powder alloys studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the uncertainties and challenges of the economic condition of Australia in 2015-2016. It outlines the important economic trends in 2014-2015 that are remnants of the 2013-2014 including the sluggish growth of the domestic final demand. Also emphasized are impact of China's economy on the uncertain macroeconomic outlook and the anticipation that subdued wage growth, increased unemployment rate and weak growth on domestic demand will likely to persist.

The article discusses developments in the economy of Australia as of March 2015. Stability of U.S. economic recovery and Japan's sales tax hike are cited as uncertainties surrounding global economic conditions in 2014. Particular focus is given to the growth in Australia's terms of trade, as well as domestic economic activity during the 2013-14 period. Topics discussed include state of the labor market, inflation trends, and macroprudential policies.

We assessed the infection risks related to the use of wastewater in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, by using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). Giardia lamblia and Escherichia coli were isolated and identified in wastewater samples from the canal and lagoon. The exposure assessment was conducted using a cross-sectional survey by questionnaire with 150 individuals who were in contact with the wastewater during their daily activities of swimming, fishing, washing, and collecting materials for reuse. Risk was characterised using the Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations. Results showed high contamination of water by G. lamblia and E. coli (12.8 CFU/100 mL to 2.97 x 104 CFU/100 mL and from 0 cyst/L to 18.5 cysts/L, respectively). Estimates of yearly average infection risks for E. coli (90.07-99.90%, assuming that 8% of E. coli were E. coli O157:H7) and G. lamblia (9.4-34.78%) were much higher than the acceptable risk (10-4). These results suggest the need for wastewater treatment plants, raising awareness in the population in contact with urban wastewater and lagoon water. Our study also showed that QMRA is appropriate to study health risks in settings with limited data and budget resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the performance of the Australian economy in 2012-2013. It discusses gross domestic product (GDP), budget deficit, cash rate and inflation. It mentions that terms of trade declined by 14.1 percent. It also focuses on growth projection by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for various countries such as China and the U.S.

The article focuses on the relativities on the global growth on employment and gross domestic product (GDP) and its implications on Australia in terms of real exchange rate and trade. It explores the state of economy in the country in 2012 and 2013. It states that the differential rates of growth in manufacturing and mining will continue, however, value-added services must be considered as next driver of employment and growth.

The article analyzes the economic condition of Australia from 2011-2012. It highlights three aspects of the international economy that affect the Australian economy in the said period such as jobless growth, pattern of commodity trade and paradox of thrift. Moreover, it provides economic outlook on the gross domestic product (GDP), commodity prices and employment by 2012.

We studied the effects of lead pollution on testate amoebae communities living on Sphagnum fallax by growing this moss under controlled conditions. A progressive series of lead (Pb) concentration was used in the growing solution of the mosses: 0 (control), 625 and 2500μgL−1. The mosses were sampled and analysed for accumulated Pb and testate amoeba communities after 0, 6, 12, and 20 weeks. Species richness, total density and total biomass of testate amoebae declined in response to the Pb treatment and changed over time. The Pb×Time cross-effect was significant for species richness, and total density but not for the total biomass and Shannon diversity. Furthermore, the testate amoebae species richness and the total density were negatively correlated to the Pb concentrations actually accumulated in the moss at the end of the experiment. Species-specific responses of testate amoebae to Pb pollution were identified. Our results thus confirm the sensitivity of testate amoebae to lead pollution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes a comprehensive study on the optimum gate workfunction (GWF) for four-terminal-driven multigate MOSFETs (4T-MUGFETs). CMOS 4T-MUGFETs with HfO2 high-κ gate insulator (EOT = 1.4 nm) and TiN metal gate have been experimentally demonstrated, and their optimum GWF has been thoroughly investigated. Based on the investigation, it was concluded that the optimum GWF is around 4.32 eV for the NMOS 4T-MUGFETs while 5.17 eV for PMOS 4T-MUGFETs. The reason for the existence of the optimum GWF for the 4T-MUGFETs has been comprehensively explained on the basis of the universal relationship between the initial Vth in the 3T-mode (VthDG), Vth in the 4T-mode (Vth(G1)), and the second gate bias in the 4T-mode (Vg2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexibly controllable threshold-voltage (Vth) asymmetric gate-oxide thickness (Tox) four-terminal (4T) FinFETs with HfO2 [equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) = 1.4 nm] for the drive gate and HfO2 + thick SiO2 (EOT = 6.4–9.4 nm) for the Vth-control gate have been successfully fabricated by utilizing ion-bombardment-enhanced etching process. Owing to the slightly thick Vth-control gate oxide, the subthreshold slope (S) is significantly improved as compared to the symmetrically thin Tox 4T-FinFETs. As a result, the asymmetric Tox 4T-FinFETs gain higher Ion than that for the symmetrically thin Tox 4T-FinFETs under the same Ioff conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted agent worldwide and is etiologically linked to several cancers, including cervical and genital cancers. NKG2D, an activating receptor expressed by NK cells, plays an important role in cancer immune-surveillance. We analyzed the impact of a NKG2D gene variant, rs1049174, on the incidence of HPV-related cancers in Vietnamese patients and utilized various molecular approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of NKG2D receptor regulation by rs1049174. In a group of 123 patients with HPV+ anogenital cancers, the low cytotoxicity allele LNK was significantly associated with increased cancer susceptibility (p = 0.016). Similar results were also observed in a group of 153 women with cervical cancer (p = 0.05). In functional studies, NK cells from individuals with LNK genotype showed a lower NKG2D expression and displayed less efficient NKG2D-mediated functions than NK cells with HNK genotype. Notably, the rs1049174 variant occurs within a targeting site for miR-1245, a negative regulator of NKG2D expression. Compared with the higher cytotoxicity allele HNK, the LNK allele was more efficiently targeted by miR-1245 and thus determined lower NKG2D expression in NK cells with the LNK genotype. The NKG2D variants may influence cancer immunosurveillance and thus determine susceptibility to various malignancies, including HPV-induced cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Entamoeba histolytica is an important protozoan intestinal infection in resource-poor settings, including Vietnam. The study objective was to assess risk factors of E. histolytica infection in a community in Vietnam, where wastewater and human excreta are used in agriculture. A case-control study was conducted among residents of Hanam province, Northern Vietnam. Cases (n = 46) infected with E. histolytica and non-infected controls (n = 138) were identified in a cross-sectional survey among 794 randomly selected individuals and matched for age, sex and place of residence. Potential risk factors including exposure to human and animal excreta and household wastewater were assessed with a questionnaire. Results People from households with an average socio-economic status had a much higher risk of E. histolytica infection (odds ratio [OR]=4.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-14.0) compared with those from households with a good socioeconomic status. Those individuals who never or rarely used soap for hand washing had a 3.4 times higher risk for infection (OR=3.4, 95% CI: 1.1-10.0), compared to those who used always soap. In contrast, none of the factors related to use of human or animal excreta was statistically significant associated with E. histolytica infection. People having close contact with domestic animals presented a greater risk of E. histolytica infection (OR = 5.9, 95% CI: 1.8-19.0) than those without animal contact. E. histolytica infection was not associated with direct contact with Nhue river water, pond water and household's sanitary conditions, type of latrine or water source used. Conclusions Our study suggests that in settings where human and animal excreta and Nhue River water are intensively used in agriculture, socio-economic and personal hygiene factors determine infection with E. histolytica, rather than exposure to human and animal excreta in agricultural activities.

Background: Persistent challenges of fragmented, food safety management in low- and middle-income countries underscore the need for more robustly coordinated mechanisms. National food safety technical working groups, operating under a One Health framework, offer potential in streamlining coordination efforts to effectively address these challenges. However, more clarity regarding their formation and functioning is important for understanding how to best establish and support such groups. The aim of this study is to systematically document the development process of established groups in Vietnam and Ethiopia., Methods: We assess the process used to establish and support the technical working groups against six critical success factors for multisectoral collaboration: drive change, define, design, realise, relate, and capture success. To do so, we review meeting minutes, Terms of Reference, and other related publications., Results: The analysis underscores the importance of financial and technical support by development partners in initiating working groups while also highlighting the challenge posed by the absence of legal frameworks to secure government commitment. Embedding the technical working groups within existing government structures - such as One Health platforms - from the outset could help to ensure the active participation and sustainability of such groups., Conclusion: Both Vietnam and Ethiopia have established operational and institutionalized technical working groups to bolster national food safety efforts under a One Health framework. The approaches employed in these countries could serve as valuable models for others seeking to establish comparable multisectoral collaborative mechanisms to address emerging health risks., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Livestock is a strategic part of the small-farm economy in Southeast Asia's society, providing food income, clothing, fertilizer, and draught power. However, incidences or outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) are due to converging factors such as the natural hazards' aftermath, climate change, deforestation, urban growth, changing production conditions, and market chains. Therefore, this affects productivity and impacts farmers' livelihoods with small holdings. The literature review was carried out to understand the current situation of TADs in Southeast Asia, identifying knowledge gaps to provide actions for disease control and prevention in the region. We have attempted to summarise the scientific literature in English on the prevalence data of TADs in Southeast Asia between 2011 and March 2022. Relatively few studies evaluated the distribution of TAD, where most of the studies focused on diseases that are important for international trade, such as avian influenza (AI), African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Newcastle disease (ND). Traditional production systems have received little attention in such studies as they belonged to mainly smallholders. The outbreaks of ASF and lumpy skin disease (LSD) in 2019 resulted in increased research activity between 2019-2022, while the other TADs were ignored in this period. For new emerging TADs diseases such as ASF and LSD, there is only information about the first detection without prevalence information. Therefore, further epidemiological investigations are necessary to reduce the gaps in disease surveillance reporting systems and support the prevention and reduction of further outbreaks.

As COVID-19 has shown, pandemics and outbreaks of emerging infections such as Zika, Nipah, monkeypox and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, especially emerging zoonotic diseases, continue to occur and may even be increasing in Southeast Asia. In addition, these infections often result from environmental changes and human behaviour. Overall, public health surveillance to identify gaps in the literature and early warning signs are essential in this region. A systematic review investigated the prevalence of emerging zoonotic diseases over 11 years from 2011 to 2022 in Southeast Asia to understand the status of emerging zoonotic diseases, as well as to provide necessary actions for disease control and prevention in the region. During the 2011-2022 period, studies on pigs, poultry, ruminants, companion animals and wildlife in Southeast Asia were reviewed thoroughly to assess the quality of reporting items for inclusion in the systematic review. The review was performed on 26 studies of pigs, 6 studies of poultry, 21 studies of ruminants, 28 studies of companion animals and 25 studies of wildlife in Southeast Asia, which provide a snapshot of the prevalence of the emerging zoonotic disease across the country. The findings from the review showed that emerging zoonotic diseases were prevalent across the region and identified a few zoonotic diseases associated with poultry, mainly stemming from Cambodia and Vietnam, as high priority in Southeast Asia. Clinical relevance : Appropriate prevention and control measures should be taken to mitigate the emerging zoonotic diseases in Southeast Asia.

Background: In recent years, Vietnam has suffered multiple epizootics of influenza in poultry., Methods: From 10 January 2019 to 26 April 2021, we employed a One Health influenza surveillance approach at live bird markets (LBMs) and swine farms in Northern Vietnam. When the COVID-19 pandemic permitted, each month, field teams collected oral secretion samples from poultry and pigs, animal facility bioaerosol and fecal samples, and animal worker nasal washes at 4 LBMs and 5 swine farms across 5 sites. Initially samples were screened with molecular assays followed by culture in embryonated eggs (poultry swabs) or Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (human or swine swabs)., Results: Many of the 3493 samples collected had either molecular or culture evidence for influenza A virus, including 314 (37.5%) of the 837 poultry oropharyngeal swabs, 144 (25.1%) of the 574 bioaerosol samples, 438 (34.9%) of the 1257 poultry fecal swab samples, and 16 (1.9%) of the 828 human nasal washes. Culturing poultry samples yielded 454 influenza A isolates, 83 of which were H5, and 70 (84.3%) of these were highly pathogenic. Additionally, a positive human sample had a H9N2 avian-like PB1 gene. In contrast, the prevalence of influenza A in the swine farms was much lower with only 6 (0.4%) of the 1700 total swine farm samples studied, having molecular evidence for influenza A virus., Conclusions: This study suggests that Vietnam's LBMs continue to harbor high prevalences of avian influenza A viruses, including many highly pathogenic H5N6 strains, which will continue to threaten poultry and humans., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. All authors: No reported conflicts., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Adopting One Health approaches is key for addressing interconnected health challenges. Yet, how to best put One Health into practice in research-for-development initiatives aiming to 'deliver impacts' remains unclear. Drawing on the CGIAR Initiative on One Health - a global initiative to address zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and food and water safety - we reflect on challenges during program conception and implementation, prompting us to suggest improvements in multisectoral collaboration, coordination, and communication. Our approach involves conducting a researcher-centered process evaluation, comprising individual interviews that are subsequently thematically analyzed and synthesized. The key takeaway is that limited time for planning processes and short program timelines compared to envisioned development impacts may impede research-for-development efforts. Yet, collaborative work can be successful when adequate time and resources are allocated for planning with minimal disruption throughout implementation. Additionally, due to the multifaceted nature of One Health initiatives, it is important to pay attention to co-benefits and trade-offs, where taking action in one aspect may yield advantages and disadvantages in another, aiding to identify sustainable One Health development pathways. Forming close partnerships with national governments and local stakeholders is essential not only to promote sustainability but also to ensure local relevance, enhancing the potential for meaningful impact. Finally, regularly assessing progress toward development goals is critical as development stands as an overarching objective., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest is stated., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Traditional pork value chains dominate the production and distribution of pork in Vietnam; however, the high level of microbiological contamination in pork may increase the risk of food-borne disease for consumers. There is limited evidence about how to feasibly and scalably reduce microbial contamination in pork sold in traditional markets. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of light-touch interventions for changing worker behaviour in small-scale slaughterhouses and vendors at traditional pork shops, as well as to identify risk factors for pork contamination. The intervention packages consisted of providing hygiene tools and delivering a food safety training which had been designed in a participatory way and covered 10 small-scale slaughterhouses and 29 pork shops. Pig carcasses, retailed pork, contact surfaces, and hands were sampled to measure the total bacterial count (TBC) and Salmonella contamination before, three and six weeks after the intervention, and trainee practices were observed at the same time. Linear and generalized linear mixed effects models were constructed to identify risk factors for TBC and Salmonella contamination at the slaughterhouses and pork shops. The interventions at slaughterhouses and pork shops both showed a slight reduction of TBC contamination in pig carcasses and Salmonella prevalence in retailed pork, while the TBC in retailed pork decreased only marginally. For slaughterhouses, the regression model indicated that smoking or eating during slaughtering (indicating poor hygienic practices) was associated with TBC increasing, while cleaning floors and wearing boots reduced TBC contamination. For pork shops, using rough materials (cardboard or wood) to display pork was the only factor increasing TBC contamination in pork, whereas cleaning knives was associated with lower TBC. Besides, the presence of supporters and wearing aprons reduced the probability of Salmonella contamination in pork. The findings highlight the effectiveness of light-touch interventions in reducing microbial contamination in pig carcasses at small-scale slaughterhouses and pork at traditional shops over the study period., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Access to informal fresh food markets plays a vital role in household food security and dietary quality in transitioning rural economies. However, it is not well understood if market access also improves child nutrition and if the improvement applies to all socioeconomic groups. In this secondary research study, we combined a national listing of food markets (n = 503) with a national household survey to examine the associations of market access with diet and height across wealth groups in children aged 6 to 23 months in rural Cambodia. All children under two years of age with dietary data (n = 1537) or anthropometry data (n = 989) were selected from the household survey. Food markets were geocoded using Google Maps or villages' geographical coordinates publicly available in the Open Development Mekong data platform. Regression calibration was then used to estimate household distance to the nearest market. Descriptive results indicated a highly uneven distribution of food markets with median household distance to the nearest markets ranging between 4 km (IQR: 3-8 km) in the lowland areas and 9 km (IQR: 4-17 km) in the highland areas. Results from the multivariate linear regressions showed that distance to the nearest market was modestly associated with child dietary diversity score (β: -0.17; 95% CI: -0.29, -0.05) but it was not related to child height-for-age z-score, and that household wealth did not modify the associations between distance to markets and child dietary diversity score. These findings suggest that improving access to food markets alone might not lead to meaningful improvement in child diet. Detailed surveys on household food acquisition are needed to clarify the role of food markets relative to other food sources such as subsistence fisheries, subsistence gardening and mobile food traders., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Duong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

While evaluations play a critical role in accounting for and learning from context, it is unclear how evaluations can take account of climate change. Our objective was to explore how climate change and its interaction with other contextual factors influenced One Health food safety programs. To do so, we integrated questions about climate change into a qualitative evaluation study of an ongoing, multi-sectoral program aiming to improve pork safety in Vietnam called SafePORK. We conducted remote interviews with program researchers ( n  = 7) and program participants ( n  = 23). Based on our analysis, researchers believed climate change had potential impacts on the program but noted evidence was lacking, while program participants (slaughterhouse workers and retailers) shared how they were experiencing and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Climate change also interacted with other contextual factors to introduce additional complexities. Our study underscored the importance of assessing climate factors in evaluation and building adaptive capacity in programming., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Improving diet quality of preschool children is challenging in countries undergoing food environment and nutrition transition. However, few studies have sought to understand how mothers in these countries decide what and how to feed their children. This study aims to explore maternal experiences, perspectives and beliefs when making food choice decisions for preschool children in urban, peri-urban and rural areas in northern Vietnam. Two focus group discussions and 24 in-depth interviews were carried out and analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that mothers across the urban-rural spectrum shared the intention to feed children safe, nutritious food for better health and weight gain while satisfying child food preferences to improve appetite and eating enjoyment. These food choice intentions were embedded within family food traditions, whereby mothers emphasised nutritious food and adopted strict feeding styles during lunch and dinner but were flexible and accommodating of child preferences during breakfast and side meals. These intentions were also embedded within the physical food environment, which provided a mix of healthy and unhealthy food through informal food retailers. Despite these intentions, mothers faced financial constraints and difficulties in managing children's refusal to chew, changes in eating mood and strong eating temperament. These findings support policies to limit the presence of unhealthy food in informal food retail and encourage meal-specific feeding strategies to help children enjoy nutritious food, transition from soft to textured food and become more cooperative during mealtime., (© 2022 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This work proposed a novel procedure of Water Quality Index (WQI) development that could be used for practical applications on a local or regional scale, based on available monitoring data. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the monthly data of 11 water quality parameters (pH, conductivity (EC), total suspended solid (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), five -day biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia (N-NH4), nitrate (N-NO3), phosphate (P-PO4), total coliform, and total dissolved iron monitored at 11 sites at Huong river in the years 2014-2016. From the PCA, the three extracted principal components explained 67% of the total variance of original variables. From the set of communality values, the weight (wi) for each parameter was determined. Linear sub-index functions were established based on the permissible limits from the National Technical Regulations on Surface Water Quality set up by the Vietnam Environment Agency (VEA) to derive the sub-index (qi) for each parameter. The multiplicative formula that is the product of the sub-indices (qi) raised to the respective weights (wi), was used for calculation of the final WQI values. The proposed index (WQI) was then applied to the river with quarterly data of the 11 parameters monitored at ten sites in the years 2017-2020. The WQI representatively reflected the actual status of the river overall water quality, of which 97.8% of the WQI values belonged to grades of EXCELLENT and GOOD, and 2.2% of grade MODERATE. Comparison between the river water quality evaluations resulting from the developed WQI with the WQI adopted by National Sanitation Foundation (NSF-WQI) and the index issued by Vietnam Environment Agency (VN-WQI) indicated that the proposed WQI was more suitable for river quality assessment., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the food supply chain, retailers, and consumers owing to infection awareness. This study evaluated the impacts COVID-19 on ASF retailers' businesses and consumers' livelihoods, as well as their knowledge toward the disease, attitudes, and food safety practices to prevent infections. The study includes a cross-sectional component that was conducted in urban/peri-urban (U/PU) and rural areas in Chiang Mai province. In another part of the study, a structured questionnaire was developed for animal source food (ASF) retailers and consumers, with three primary parts for data analysis: general information, COVID-19 impacts, and knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) assessment. Data corresponding to three periods of interest (before the COVID-19 outbreak, during partial lockdown, and present) were gathered and analyzed. In this study, 155 retailers and 150 consumers participated, of which the majority of the respondents were female (70.3% and 82.7%, respectively) with average ages of 47.4 and 44.9 years, respectively. The most noticeable effect of COVID-19 was a decline in income for retailers and consumers. The KAP scores of consumers in both areas were not significantly different, whereas the retailer attitudes toward COVID-19 prevention and food safety practices scored more highly in rural areas than in U/PU. During the partial lockdown, food safety practices significantly improved relative to the time preceding the outbreak, and these practices have remained constant to the present day. The results revealed that gender, age group, business type, and type of ASF retailers were associated with the KAP of the retailers, whereas gender, age group, education, number of family members, and occupation were associated with the KAP of the consumers. Our findings provide in-depth information about the effects of COVID-19 on ASF retailers and consumers, as well as their KAP regarding the outbreak and food safety, which may serve as support in developing policies for improved health and food safety.

Gender influences participation in food value chains (VCs) with implications for VC upgrading. This study investigated roles as well as differences in production activities, awareness, training, and attitudes between men and women in Vietnam's smallholder pig VCs. Data were gathered from a survey of 1,014 actors in different nodes along the chain, and the results showed that both men and women participated in all nodes of the VCs. Women were mainly in charge of routine husbandry activities (e.g., preparing feed, feeding animals, and cleaning pig pens) and participated in input supply (34.7%), pig production (60.2%), pork processing (63.6%), retailing (93.1%), and home preparation and cooking (100%). Men were more often responsible for tasks requiring strength, knowledge, and skills (e.g., disease management) and had greater involvement in larger-scale farming (60-80%) and slaughtering activities (98.0%). Selling of pigs was handled by both genders, but mainly men (73-80%), especially in larger farms. Likely challenges for upgrading pig VCs include limited training for producers, low concern for occupational health risks in all nodes, and misperceptions about food safety. In general, this study found no clear evidence of perceived gender inequality in the smallholder pig VCs in lowland Vietnam. Gendered upgrading in pig VCs should focus on improving women's ability to access veterinary services and animal disease management and on educating relevant VC actors about occupational health risks., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Nguyen-Thi-Duong, Pham-Van, Duong-Nam, Nguyen-Thi-Thu, Ninh-Xuan, Dang-Xuan, Unger, Nguyen-Viet and Grace.)

Non-typhoidal Salmonellae are common foodborne pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis and other illnesses in people. This is the first study to assess the transfer of Salmonella enterica from raw chicken carcasses to ready-to-eat chicken salad in Cambodia. Twelve focus group discussions in four Cambodian provinces collected information on typical household ways of preparing salad. The results informed four laboratory experiments that mimicked household practices, using chicken carcasses inoculated with Salmonella. We developed four scenarios encompassing the range of practices, varying by order of washing (chicken or vegetables first) and change of chopping utensils (same utensils or different). Even though raw carcasses were washed twice, Salmonella was isolated from 32 out of 36 chicken samples (88.9%, 95% CI: 73.0-96.4) and two out of 18 vegetable samples (11.1%, 95% CI: 1.9-36.1). Salmonella was detected on cutting boards (66.7%), knives (50.0%) and hands (22.2%) after one wash; cross-contamination was significantly higher on cutting boards than on knives or hands (p-value < 0.05). The ready-to-eat chicken salad was contaminated in scenario 1 (wash vegetables first, use same utensils), 2 (wash vegetables first, use different utensils) and 3 (wash chicken first, use same utensils) but not 4 (wash chicken first, use different utensils) (77.8%, 11.1%, 22.2% and 0%, respectively). There was significantly higher Salmonella cross-contamination in scenario 1 (wash vegetables first, use same utensils) than in the other three scenarios. These results show how different hygiene practices influence the risk of pathogens contaminating chicken salad. This information could decrease the risk of foodborne disease in Cambodia and provides inputs to a quantitative risk assessment model., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.