Search

Thang Tran Tat,1 Ky Ngo Duc,2 Phuong Pham Hong,3 Huynh Nguyen Sa,1 Kien Nguyen Trung,4 Ha Nguyen Thi Thu,5 Khoa Le Ha,6 Dung Nguyen Huu,7 Thang Thai Doan,8 Thang Le Viet5 1Department of Cornea and Conjunctiva, Nghe An Eye Hospital, Nghe An, Vietnam; 2Department of Endocrinology, Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, Nghe An, Vietnam; 3Department of Cardiology, Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, Nghe An, Vietnam; 4Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 5Organ Transplantation Center, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 6Hanoi Medical University, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 7Hemodialysis Center, Bach Mai Hospital, Ha Noi, Vietnam; 8Department of Epidemiology, TTH Vinh General Hospital, Nghe An, VietnamCorrespondence: Thang Le Viet, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, 261 Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Vietnam, Tel +84982249968, Email lethangviet@yahoo.co.ukAim: To determine the prevalence of dry eye (DE) and some related factors in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN).Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on 338 people, who were divided into 2 groups: 169 T2DN patients and 169 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) without renal complications as a control group. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and test fluorescein tear-film break-up time (TBUT) were done in all 338 subjects. Patients with OSDI scores < 13 and TBUT values equal to or under 10 seconds were diagnosed with dry eye.Results: The prevalence of DE in T2DN patients was significantly higher than T2DM group (55.6% versus 37.3%). The T2DN groups with dry eye had a median duration of DM, the proportion of hypertension, peripheral nerve complications, anemia, proportion of using insulin, and concentration of plasma glucose, HbA1C, urea, creatinine, CRP-hs significantly higher than those of T2DN without dry eye. Advanced age, high HbA1C level, and decreased eGFR were independent factors associated with dry eye in T2DN patients.Conclusion: Dry eye was a common condition associated with advanced age, high HbA1C levels, and decreased GFR in T2DN patients.Keywords: type 2 diabetic nephropathy, dry eye, glomerular filtration rate, hemoglobin A1C

AIM: To determine the dry eye (DE) rate and its relationship with disease stage in patients with primary hypertension. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 432 patients with primary hypertension (with an equal number of patients in each group: 144 in stage I, II, and III hypertension) and 144 healthy subjects as a control group. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Schirmer I test without anesthetics were conducted on all 576 subjects. Subjects with OSDI scores

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting isolation measures created an increase in the usage of smart devices and internet among adolescents. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of internet addiction, the prevalence of high level of anxiety as well as to examine factors associated with the high level of anxiety among adolescents in Hanoi, Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Data was collected using respondent-driven sampling and Google online survey forms from a sample of 5,325 school students aged 11–17 in Hanoi between October and December 2021. A short scale consisting of 5 items was used to measure internet addiction and the GAD-7 was used to measure adolescent anxiety level. Results The findings revealed that 22.8% and 7.32% of adolescents experienced moderate and severe anxiety. About 32.7% of the study sample exhibited at least three internet addiction indicators. Logistic regression analysis identified significant predictors for high levels of adolescent anxiety. Being female, family experiencing economic difficulties, and exposure to domestic violence were associated with higher risk of anxiety disorder (OR 1.78, 1.45, and 2.89, respectively). Both average daily online time and internet addiction demonstrated gradient association with high level of anxiety. Conclusion The prevalence of internet addiction and high level of anxiety were high among adolescents in Hanoi, Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the importance of implementing measures at the family and school levels to promote a balanced and healthy approach to smart device use among adolescents.

In the context of economic integration and climate change, the companies need to conduct corporate social responsibility practices to meet the sustainable development. This study attempts to assess the extent of corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) in case of 601 listed Vietnamese enterprises. Data is gathered from Vietnamese listed annual reports, financial statements, and other sources. The amount of voluntary and mandatory CSRD is measured by Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) recommendations and Vietnamese regulations, respectively. The findings indicate that the general level of CSRD in Vietnam is low, no mandatory CSR items are revealed by all enterprises, and the amount of CSRD varies by industry sector. To enhance the CSRD of Vietnamese listed firms, local government is suggested to strengthen propaganda for enterprises on the obligations and benefits of implementing CSR.

Abstract In practical applications of passive sonar principles for extracting characteristic frequencies of acoustic signals, scientists typically employ traditional time-frequency domain transformation methods such as Mel-frequency, Short time Fourier transform (STFT), and Wavelet transform (WT). However, these solutions still face limitations in resolution and information loss when transforming data collected over extended periods. In this paper, we present a study using a two-stage approach that combines pre-processing by Cubic-splines interpolation (CSI) with a probability distribution in the hidden space with Siamese triple loss network model for classifying marine mammal (MM) communication signals. The Cubic-splines interpolation technique is tested with the STFT transformation to generate STFT-CSI spectrograms, which enforce stronger relationships between characteristic frequencies, enhancing the connectivity of spectrograms and highlighting frequency-based features. Additionally, stacking spectrograms generated by three consecutive methods, Mel, STFT-CSI, and Wavelet, into a feature spectrogram optimizes the advantages of each method across different frequency bands, resulting in a more effective classification process. The proposed solution using an Siamese Neural Network-Variational Auto Encoder (SNN-VAE) model also overcomes the drawbacks of the Auto-Encoder (AE) structure, including loss of discontinuity and loss of completeness during decoding. The classification accuracy of marine mammal signals using the SNN-VAE model increases by 11% and 20% compared to using the AE model (2013), and by 6% compared to using the Resnet model (2022) on the same actual dataset NOAA from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - United State of America.

Toan Nguyen Duy,1,2 Quyen Dao Bui Quy,3 Loc Nguyen Duc,4 Diem Ho Viet Le,5 Khoa Le Ha,6 Tuyen Do Gia,6 Kien Nguyen Trung,1,2 Tam Nguyen Van,1,2 Oanh Nguyen Oanh,1,2 Thang Le Viet1,2 1Military Hospital 103, Hanoi, Vietnam; 2Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam; 3Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; 4An Sinh Hospital, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; 5Link-02 Clinic, Pham Ngoc Thach, Da Lat, Lam Dong, Vietnam; 6Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, VietnamCorrespondence: Thang Le Viet, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Department of Nephrology and Hemodialysis, 261 Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Hanoi, Vietnam, Tel +84982249968, Email lethangviet@yahoo.co.ukObjective: To evaluate the value of contrast volume/glomerular filtration ratio (Vc/eGFR ratio) and urine Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (uNGAL) in predicting the progression contract associated-acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in planned percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients.Patients and Methods: We examined 387 adult patients who had undergone planned percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We determined acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) using the criteria set by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). We calculated the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the CKD-EPI formula based on serum creatinine levels. To determine the Vc/eGFR ratio, we considered the contrast medium volume and eGFR for each patient. Additionally, we measured urine NGAL levels using the ELISA method.Results: The percentage of CA-AKI patients who developed CKD after planned PCI was 36.36%. Within the CA-AKI to CKD group, the Vc/eGFR ratio was 2.82, and uNGAL levels were significantly higher at 72.74 ng/mL compared to 1.93 ng/mL for Vc/eGFR ratio and 46.57 ng/mL for uNGAL in the recovery CA-AKI group. This difference was statistically significant (p< 0.001). Diabetic mellitus, urine NGAL concentration, and Vc/eGFR ratio were found to be independent factors in the progression of CA-AKI to CKD. The Vc/eGFR ratio and uNGAL showed predictive capabilities for progressing CA-AKI to CKD with an AUC of 0.884 and 0.878, respectively. The sensitivity was 81.3% for both, while the specificity was 89.3% for Vc/eGFR ratio and 85.7% for uNGAL.Conclusion: The Vc/eGFR ratio and uNGAL were good predictors for CA-AKI to CKD in planned PCI patients.Keywords: planned percutaneous coronary intervention, contract associated-acute kidney injury, CA-AKI progression to CKD, Vc/eGFR ratio, uNGAL

The vitality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) toward sustainability has been rising rapidly in business activities. Good CSR practices are one of the most critical instruments to satisfy stakeholders’ interests and improve business performance. This study explores the nexus between economic, social, and environmental dimensions of CSR and firm performance based on a balanced scorecard. The sample includes 336 Vietnamese enterprises, excluding financial firms. The survey was conducted from March to June 2021. The empirical results of the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) demonstrate that CSR significantly affects company performance. The economic dimensions of CSR have the strongest impact on financial performance (p < 0.01; t > 2.57; sample mean is 0.362). However, the environmental dimensions of CSR have not been found to influence customer performance. This study also finds that the three dimensions of CSR positively impact learning and growth, which lead to higher internal business processes and then better customer performance, eventually positively influencing profitable results. Consequently, the firm’s leaders should have strategies for effective CSR implementation to increase financial performance and achieve sustainable development goals. Furthermore, the government and other organizations should actively improve legal policies and regulations related to CSR in order to ensure organizational and national sustainability. AcknowledgmentThis study is funded by Funds for Science and Technology Development of the University of Danang under project number B2020-DN07-08.

AbstractVocabulary plays a significant role in the learning process of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, especially undergraduates who need to read academic materials and listen to specialized lectures in English. However, retaining lexical items is still a challenging task for many EFL learners. The current study seeks to examine the effectiveness of a constructivist approach in improving EFL learners’ vocabulary retention, mainly meaning recall, as well as investigate their attitude towards this learning method. To achieve this aim, a quasi-experimental design, including a pretest and a posttest, was employed with the participation of 75 EFL Vietnamese undergraduates. The participants were assigned into two groups: the control group (Group 1, N = 37) and the experimental group (Group 2, N = 38). While Group 1 was taught in a conventional way, Group 2 received vocabulary training following the constructivist approach. At the end of the eight-week treatment, a questionnaire was administered to the experimental group to gauge their view on vocabulary learning using constructivism. The results showed that Group 2 retained lexical items more effectively than Group 1. Furthermore, the experimental group had a favorable opinion of learning vocabulary in the constructivist approach. Recommendations for future studies as well as implications for teachers regarding vocabulary and constructivism, were presented in detail.

AbstractThere are legal requirements for a bank to be officially listed on the Vietnam stock exchange; hence by the end of 2020, Vietnam’s banking industry had 43% of banks officially listed on the stock exchange and 57% of banks not officially listed. Accordingly, the difference between these two groups of banks is clear. This study aims to find empirical evidence for a one-way relationship between corporate social responsibility expenditure (CSRE) and the financial performance of Vietnamese commercial banks. In addition, the study also looks for the influence of each component of CSRE, including Community, Government, and Employee Responsibility, on the financial performance of listed and unlisted banks. Using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) controlling for heteroscedasticity, serial correlation, and endogeneity effects, the research results of the study show that CSRE as a cost reduces the bank’s financial efficiency; however, social responsibility spending with the community is a positive factor that increases the bank’s financial efficiency through creating an image and good impression with society and customers. Especially significantly stronger for commercial banks that have been officially listed on the stock exchange. Research results show the need to strengthen CSR implementation in the banking industry.

The study aims to provide empirical evidence for a one-way relationship between corporate environmental responsibility (CER) and financial performance (FP) in the banking industry, with special consideration into the moderating role of legal regulations and ownership structures. Net interest margin (NIM), return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) are selected to measure FP while the content analysis method is adopted to examine CER. The study used regression analysis with the two-step system generalised method of moments (Sys-GMM) on a sample of 29 Vietnamese commercial banks from 2012 to 2019, and the positive impacts of CER on banks’ FP were identified. Analysis of these data revealed that listed banks have a higher level of information disclosure than unlisted banks, but the positive relationship between CER and FP is weaker in listed banks. Similarly, while state-owned banks have a higher degree of disclosure than privately-controlled banks, the relationship between their CER and FP is weaker. The paper also provides some recommendations and suggests future research implications.

Quinazolinone synthesis usually requires employing sensitive substrates, hazardous solvents, large excess oxidants, and expensive catalysts. In this study, an efficient and environmentally benign pathway was developed to synthesize 2-phenylquinazolin-4(3H)-one via oxidative coupling between commercially available and stable chemicals, including 2-aminobenzamide and benzyl alcohol without toxic oxidizing agents and transition-metal catalysts. A high yield of the desired product (up to 84%) was obtained at 120°C for 24 h in the presence of oxygen as a green oxidant and t-BuONa as a base. Importantly, the study scope was expanded toward successfully producing various 2-phenylquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives in moderate-to-good yields. Furthermore, control experiments proposed that the conversion involved the initial partial oxidation of benzyl alcohol to the benzaldehyde intermediate under basic conditions, followed by the condensation, intramolecular nucleophilic addition, and oxidative dehydrogenation to 2-phenylquinazolin-4(3H)-one.

Business and researchers have paid increasingly more attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in term of their sustainable reports. These disclosures supply information for not only managers in strategic decision-making but also other stakeholders in measuring and evaluating corporate social performance (CSP). Although the development of literature on CSR disclosure, the CSR’s measurement is not yet unified because of different perspective and methodology. The question is how to measure CSP through analyzing CSR disclosure. This paper aims to present theoretical background of CSR and CSR disclosure. Based on the conceptual framework, the research exposes the drivers of CSR reporting as well as debates prior research on CSR disclosure and its consequences. Furthermore, a measurement method of CSP proposed built on CSR disclosure index in this paper. It devotes to enrich the corporate social responsibility reporting literature, offers implications for practice as well as outlines promising avenues for future research, especially in the differences of CSR disclosure among different countries.

This paper proposes a method to enhance the quality of detecting and classifying surface vehicle propeller cavitation noise (VPCN) in shallow water by using the improved Detection Envelope Modulation On Noise (DEMON) algorithm in combination with the modified Convolution Neural Network (CNN). To improve the quality of the VPCN spectrogram signal, we apply the DEMON algorithm while analyzing the amplitude variation (AV) to detect the fundamental frequencies of the VPCN signal. To enhance the performance of the traditional CNN, we adapt the size of the sliding window in accordance with the properties of the VPCN spectrogram data, and also reconstruct the CNN layer structure. As for the results, the fundamental frequencies contented in the VPCN spectrogram data can be detected. The analytical results based on the measured data show that the accuracy of the VPCN classification obtained by the proposed method is above 90%, which is higher than those obtained by traditional methods.

Reformatory students are those whose deviant behaviors and habits prevent them from receiving education under normal educational conditions. These students frequently lead a careless, undisciplined lifestyle, being unwilling to work and learn eager to play and demanding. Therefore, when they are admitted to reformatories with severe study and lifestyle requirements, they have great psychological difficulty adjusting to their new environment. Students' psychological issues in adapting to reformatory learning and living regimes are difficult and psychological deficits make it challenging for students to adapt to reformatory learning and living conditions. In Vietnam, 665 students from reformatory schools were polled to determine the causes of psychological issues. According to the findings, a variety of elements contribute to students' psychological difficulties. Individual student conditions such as health, awareness, attitudes and actions as well as inappropriate habits, living without goals or aspirations, etc. are on the subjective side of the equation. On the objective side are the students' conditions, family, education and psychological obstacles brought on by less-than-ideal circumstances which will make it more difficult for community students to adapt. Both the new school and society must pay more attention to reformatory students in order to establish the conditions necessary for successful integration into the new school and ultimate readmission into society for these students.

The problem of juvenile delinquency is a social phenomenon that has existed throughout the history of humanity and a social issue that not only affects the growth of the economy and the maintenance of social security and order, but also has a significant impact on the function and role that the family of juvenile offenders play in society. Using quantitative research design and descriptive statistical methodologies were in the study. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the self-reports of 665 adolescents attending detention centres in Vietnam. This analysis will consider the adolescents' level of ability to self-awareness and expectations of the future maintained by adolescents; The research also discusses the efforts that adolescents have taken to achieve their expectations. The findings indicate that adolescents have a high level of self-awareness regarding regret for previous mistakes, and that self-awareness is indicative of a person who always tries for development and cares about the future. In addition, adolescents assert that they have lofty aspirations for the future and that, despite attending a remedial school, they are making positive efforts to achieve their objectives. Significant theoretical and practical contributions have been made as a result of the research. Providing educators and policymakers with a theoretical framework on which to develop the measurements and strategies that will help young people achieve their goals and be able to reintegrate into the community.

Modern society is undergoing numerous rapid changes, which include both opportunities and challenges for individuals of all ages. In this environment, young people, particularly students, are frequently confronted with situations that need them to choose and make decisions. The primary goal of this study was to (1) investigate variations in students' attitudes toward decision-making processes based on gender and school year. (2) Students, administrators, and lecturers assess the students' own steps in putting decision-making into practice. A sample of 697 students and 120 administrators and lecturers were chosen from six school universities using the random sampling technique. Our research yielded the following results: (1) There is a statistically significant difference in male and female attitudes toward decision-making; and (2) there is a statistically significant difference in freshmen's and seniors' attitudes toward decision-making. Steps in student decision-making include: First, pupils decide to identify the issue. Next, they select the optimal solution. Step three is to make a list of potential possibilities. In the next stage, they collect the necessary information about the problem. Finally, students analyze each plan. This study implies that students, administrators, and lecturers rate students' decision-making processes equally.

Children need rich language learning experiences in school to build language and reading skills. Research suggests that various effective ways to support teacher provision of these experiences. The Classroom Promotion of Oral Language cluster randomized controlled trial (n = 1,360 students; 687 intervention, 673 control) examined whether a teacher professional learning intervention targeting oral language in the first years of school led to improved student outcomes compared to usual teaching practices. The intervention comprised face-to-face professional learning and ongoing support. The primary outcome was student reading ability at Grade 3; secondary outcomes included oral language, reading, and mental health at Grades 1 and 3. No differences were detected between the intervention and control arms. Implications of results and future directions are explored.

BackgroundCorrect olfactory identification requires familiarity with the odor stimuli and is culturally dependent. Existing smell identification tests (SIT) are not culturally specific and may not be reliable in detecting hyposmia in all populations. This study aimed to develop a smell identification test suitable for Vietnamese patients (VSIT).MethodsThe study included 4 phases: 1) survey-based evaluation of the familiarity of 68 odors to identify 18 odors for subsequent testing (N = 1050); 2) smell identification test of 18 odors in healthy patients (N = 50) to determine which 12 should be included in the VSIT; 3) comparison of VSIT scores on 12 odors in patients with hyposmia (N = 60; Brief smell identification test (BSIT) score

Flocking behavior is a common phenomenon in nature, such as flocks of birds and groups of fish. In order to make the agents effectively avoid obstacles and fast form flocking towards the direction of destination point, this paper proposes a fast multiagent obstacle avoidance (FMOA) algorithm. FMOA is illustrated based on the status of whether the flocking has formed. If flocking has not formed, agents should avoid the obstacles toward the direction of target. If otherwise, these agents have reached the state of lattice and then these agents only need to avoid the obstacles and ignore the direction of target. The experimental results show that the proposed FMOA algorithm has better performance in terms of flocking path length. Furthermore, the proposed FMOA algorithm is applied to the formation flying of quad-rotor helicopters. Compared with other technologies to perform the localization of quad-rotor helicopter, this paper innovatively constructs a smart environment by deploying some wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes using the proposed localization algorithm. Finally, the proposed FMOA algorithm is used to conduct the formation flying of these quad-rotor helicopters in the smart environment.

Mitochondria are fascinating organelles, which fulfill multiple cellular functions, as diverse as energy production, fatty acid β oxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and detoxification, and cell death regulation. The coordination of these functions relies on autonomous mitochondrial processes as well as on sustained cross-talk with other organelles and/or the cytosol. Therefore, this implies a tight regulation of mitochondrial functions to ensure cell homeostasis. In many diseases (e.g., cancer, cardiopathies, nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases), mitochondria can receive harmful signals, dysfunction and then, participate to pathogenesis. They can undergo either a decrease of their bioenergetic function or a process called mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) that can coordinate cell death execution. Many studies present evidence that protection of mitochondria limits disease progression and severity. Here, we will review recent strategies to preserve mitochondrial functions via direct or indirect mechanisms of MPT inhibition. Thus, several mitochondrial proteins may be considered for cytoprotective-targeted therapies.

Abstract Background The Expanded Program on Immunization currently considers offering Human Papilomavirus vaccine on a routine basis in Vietnam. However, as the current available vaccine can prevent only two types HPV 16 and 18, before implementing a large-scale vaccine campaign we need information about the prevalence of infection with only HPV 16 and 18 in Viet Nam. This study was done in 5 large cities in Vietnam to estimate the prevalence of HPV 16 and/or 18 infections and to explore the distribution of other high risk types of HPV among married women in these provinces. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional design with multistage sampling. The sample size included 4500 married women in two rounds (aged ranged from 18-69 years old, median age: 40 year old). Participant were randomly selected, interviewed and given gynaecological examinations. HPV infection status (by real-time PCR kit using TaqMan probe) and HPV genotyping test (by Reverse dot blot) were done for all participants. Results The prevalence of cervical infection with HPV type 16 and/or 18 among married women in this study ranged from 3.1% to 7.4%. Many positive HPV cases (ranged from 24.5% to 56.8%) were infected with other type of high risk HPV which can lead to cervical cancer and cannot prevented by currently available vaccines. In addition to HPV 16 and/or 18, most common types of high risk HPV were types 58, 52, 35 and 45. Awareness about HPV and HPV vaccines was still low in the study samples. Discussion While it is relevant to implement an HPV vaccine campaign in Viet Nam, it is important to note that one can be infected with multiple types of HPV. Vaccination does not protected against all type of high risk HPV types. Future vaccine campaigns should openly disclose this information to women receiving vaccines. Conclusion High prevalence of infection with HPV high risk types was observed in this study. As HPV infection has a high correlation with cervical cancer, this study emphasizes the need for both primary prevention of cervical cancer with HPV vaccines as well as secondary prevention with screening.

Abstract Background Early language delay is a high-prevalence condition of concern to parents and professionals. It may result in lifelong deficits not only in language function, but also in social, emotional/behavioural, academic and economic well-being. Such delays can lead to considerable costs to the individual, the family and to society more widely. The Language for Learning trial tests a population-based intervention in 4 year olds with measured language delay, to determine (1) if it improves language and associated outcomes at ages 5 and 6 years and (2) its cost-effectiveness for families and the health care system. Methods/Design A large-scale randomised trial of a year-long intervention targeting preschoolers with language delay, nested within a well-documented, prospective, population-based cohort of 1464 children in Melbourne, Australia. All children received a 1.25-1.5 hour formal language assessment at their 4th birthday. The 200 children with expressive and/or receptive language scores more than 1.25 standard deviations below the mean were randomised into intervention or ‘usual care’ control arms. The 20-session intervention program comprises 18 one-hour home-based therapeutic sessions in three 6-week blocks, an outcome assessment, and a final feed-back/forward planning session. The therapy utilises a ‘step up-step down’ therapeutic approach depending on the child’s language profile, severity and progress, with standardised, manualised activities covering the four language development domains of: vocabulary and grammar; narrative skills; comprehension monitoring; and phonological awareness/pre-literacy skills. Blinded follow-up assessments at ages 5 and 6 years measure the primary outcome of receptive and expressive language, and secondary outcomes of vocabulary, narrative, and phonological skills. Discussion A key strength of this robust study is the implementation of a therapeutic framework that provides a standardised yet tailored approach for each child, with a focus on specific language domains known to be associated with later language and literacy. The trial responds to identified evidence gaps, has outcomes of direct relevance to families and the community, includes a well-developed economic analysis, and has the potential to improve long-term consequences of early language delay within a public health framework. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN03981121.

Abstract Background Infant crying and sleep problems (e.g. frequent night waking, difficulties settling to sleep) each affect up to 30% of infants and often co-exist. They are costly to manage and associated with adverse outcomes including postnatal depression symptoms, early weaning from breast milk, and later child behaviour problems. Preventing such problems could improve these adverse outcomes and reduce costs to families and the health care system. Anticipatory guidance-i.e. providing parents with information about normal infant sleep and cry patterns, ways to encourage self-settling in infants, and ways to develop feeding and settling routines before the onset of problems-could prevent such problems. This paper outlines the protocol for our study which aims to test an anticipatory guidance approach. Methods/Design 750 families from four Local Government Areas in Melbourne, Australia have been randomised to receive the Baby Business program (intervention group) or usual care (control group) offered by health services. The Baby Business program provides parents with information about infant sleep and crying via a DVD and booklet (mailed soon after birth), telephone consultation (at infant age 6-8 weeks) and parent group session (at infant age 12 weeks). All English speaking parents of healthy newborn infants born at > 32 weeks gestation and referred by their maternal and child health nurse at their first post partum home visit (day 7-10 postpartum), are eligible. The primary outcome is parent report of infant night time sleep as a problem at four months of age and secondary outcomes include parent report of infant daytime sleep or crying as a problem, mean duration of infant sleep and crying/24 hours, parental depression symptoms, parent sleep quality and quantity and health service use. Data will be collected at two weeks (baseline), four months and six months of age. An economic evaluation using a cost-consequences approach will, from a societal perspective, compare costs and health outcomes between the intervention and control groups. Discussion To our knowledge this is the first randomised controlled trial of a program which aims to prevent both infant sleeping and crying problems and associated postnatal depression symptoms. If effective, it could offer an important public health prevention approach to these common, distressing problems. Trial registration number ISRCTN: ISRCTN63834603

Abstract Background In the context of rising food prices, there is a need for evidence on the most effective approaches for promoting healthy eating. Individually-targeted behavioural interventions for increasing food-related skills show promise, but are unlikely to be effective in the absence of structural supports. Fiscal policies have been advocated as a means of promoting healthy eating and reducing obesity and nutrition-related disease, but there is little empirical evidence of their effectiveness. This paper describes the Supermarket Healthy Eating for LiFe (SHELf) study, a randomised controlled trial to investigate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a tailored skill-building intervention and a price reduction intervention, separately and in combination, against a control condition for promoting purchase and consumption of healthy foods and beverages in women from high and low socioeconomic groups. Methods/design SHELf comprises a randomised controlled trial design, with participants randomised to receive either (1) a skill-building intervention; (2) price reductions on fruits, vegetables and low-joule soft drink beverages and water; (3) a combination of skill-building and price reductions; or (4) a control condition. Five hundred women from high and low socioeconomic areas will be recruited through a store loyalty card program and local media. Randomisation will occur on receipt of informed consent and baseline questionnaire. An economic evaluation from a societal perspective using a cost-consequences approach will compare the costs and outcomes between intervention and control groups. Discussion This study will build on a pivotal partnership with a major national supermarket chain and the Heart Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of intervention strategies aimed at increasing women's purchasing and consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased purchasing and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. It will be among the first internationally to examine the effects of two promising approaches - skill-building and price reductions - on diet amongst women. Trial Registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN39432901

BackgroundYoung onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD) is a distinct entity from typical late onset Parkinson's disease (LOPD). The influene of non-motor features on the health - related quality of life (HRQoL) in LOPD has been previously reported, but little is known about the impact of non-motor features in YOPD.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the relationship between non-motor burden and HRQoL in patients with YOPD.MethodsThis was an observational, cross-sectional study in patients with a PD, whose age at disease onset ranged from 21 to 40 years (YOPD). Participants were assessed with the MDS Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) and the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39; range 0-100). Spearman's rank test was used to identify correlations between NMSS domains and several dimension of HRQoL. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent predictors of HRQoL as measured by PDQ-39 summary index.Results89 patients with YOPD mean (SD) age = 42.15 (5.84) participated. Patients reported 10.17 (4.74) non-motor symptoms, the most common (75%) and severe (median = 3) of which was was fatigue (IQR = 7). The most frequently reported and severely affected NMSS domain was sleep/fatigue (89.9%, median = 8; IQR = 13) followed by mood/cognition (83.1%, median = 6; IQR = 18) and attention/memory (82%, median = 5; IQR = 8). The mean (SD) summary index of PDQ-39 was 32.89 (16.8). The means (SD) of each PDQ-39 dimensions were: mobility 37.33 (21.96), ADL 42.93 (25.33), emotional well-being 39.77 (25.47), stigma 38.19 (28.44), social support 19.03 (22.89), cognition 29.59 (20.63), communication 26.96 (23.57), and bodily discomfort 29.96 (23.19). With the exception of gastrointestinal tract and sexual function, all other NMSS domain scores were correlated with the PDQ-39 summary index. The multivariate model revealed that three NMSS domains including sleep/fatigue, mood/cognition and attention/memory accompanied with UPDRS part III were independent predictors of HRQoL as measured by PDQ-39SI.ConclusionsNon-motor symptoms pertaining to sleep disturbances/fatigue, mood/cognition and attention/memory negatively impact HRQoL in patients with YOPD.