Technical manual: Rice straw management towards circular economy and low emission in the Mekong Delta

The document “Technical manual: Rice straw management towards circular economy and low emission in the Mekong Delta” introduces readers to the characteristics of rice straw, the current status of its treatment, and the management process for using rice straw in a circular way to reduce GHG emissions in rice production. This manual will be a handbook for farmers, extension officers, cooperatives, and others who are interested in rice production that is associated with circular greenhouse gas emission reduction

Assessing the performance of overseas tuberculosis screening programs: a study among US-bound immigrants in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis cases in foreign-born persons account for more than 50% of all tuberculosis cases in the United States. The Institute of Medicine has recommended enhancing overseas screening as one measure to support tuberculosis elimination efforts. We assessed the ability of overseas tuberculosis screening (chest radiograph followed by 3 acid-fast bacilli sputum smears for persons with abnormal chest radiographs [suggestive of active tuberculosis]) to detect pulmonary tuberculosis disease among US-bound immigrants with abnormal chest radiographs. METHODS: During October 1998 to October 1999, 14 098 US immigrant visa applicants were screened overseas in Vietnam. Adult applicants with abnormal chest radiographs were enrolled to assess screening test characteristics among this group using mycobacterial culture as the gold standard for pulmonary tuberculosis disease diagnosis. Risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis disease were also evaluated. RESULTS: Among 1179 adult applicants with abnormal chest radiographs, 82 (7.0%) had positive acid-fast bacilli smear results, and 183 (15.5%) had positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture results (pulmonary tuberculosis disease). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of serial acid-fast bacilli screening among this group were 34.4% (63/183), 98.1% (977/996), 76.8% (63/82), and 89.1% (977/1097), respectively. Risk factors for pulmonary tuberculosis disease included younger age (18-34 years), no history of tuberculosis or treatment, reported symptoms, and cavitation or consolidation on chest radiograph. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of current overseas screening to detect tuberculosis among immigrants with abnormal chest radiographs is low. Improved diagnostic methods, enhanced screening measures, and postmigration follow-up are essential to control tuberculosis among immigrants and support US and global tuberculosis elimination

Tuberculosis screening by tuberculosis skin test or QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay among an immigrant population with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and BCG vaccination.

RationaleEach year 1 million persons acquire permanent U.S. residency visas after tuberculosis (TB) screening. Most applicants undergo a 2-stage screening with tuberculin skin test (TST) followed by CXR only if TST-positive at > 5 mm. Due to cross reaction with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), TST may yield false positive results in BCG-vaccinated persons. Interferon gamma release assays exclude antigens found in BCG. In Vietnam, like most high TB-prevalence countries, there is universal BCG vaccination at birth.Objectives1. Compare the sensitivity of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay (QFT) and TST for culture-positive pulmonary TB. 2. Compare the age-specific and overall prevalence of positive TST and QFT among applicants with normal and abnormal CXR.MethodsWe obtained TST and QFT results on 996 applicants with abnormal CXR, of whom 132 had TB, and 479 with normal CXR.ResultsThe sensitivity for tuberculosis was 86.4% for QFT; 89.4%, 81.1%, and 52.3% for TST at 5, 10, and 15 mm. The estimated prevalence of positive results at age 15-19 years was 22% and 42% for QFT and TST at 10 mm, respectively. The prevalence increased thereafter by 0.7% year of age for TST and 2.1% for QFT, the latter being more consistent with the increase in TB among applicants.ConclusionsDuring 2-stage screening, QFT is as sensitive as TST in detecting TB with fewer requiring CXR and being diagnosed with LTBI. These data support the use of QFT over TST in this population

Tuberculin Skin Tests versus Interferon-Gamma Release Assays in Tuberculosis Screening among Immigrant Visa Applicants

Objective. Use of tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) and interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) as part of tuberculosis (TB) screening among immigrants from high TB-burden countries has not been fully evaluated. Methods. Prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (MTBI) based on TST, or the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT-G), was determined among immigrant applicants in Vietnam bound for the United States (US); factors associated with test results and discordance were assessed; predictive values of TST and QFT-G for identifying chest radiographs (CXRs) consistent with TB were calculated. Results. Of 1,246 immigrant visa applicants studied, 57.9% were TST positive, 28.3% were QFT-G positive, and test agreement was 59.4%. Increasing age was associated with positive TST results, positive QFT-G results, TST-positive but QFT-G-negative discordance, and abnormal CXRs consistent with TB. Positive predictive values of TST and QFT-G for an abnormal CXR were 25.9% and 25.6%, respectively. Conclusion. The estimated prevalence of MTBI among US-bound visa applicants in Vietnam based on TST was twice that based on QFT-G, and 14 times higher than a TST-based estimate of MTBI prevalence reported for the general US population in 2000. QFT-G was not better than TST at predicting abnormal CXRs consistent with TB

Tuberculosis screening among visa applicants.

<div><p>a) Number of Vietnamese applicants (N=20,100) for U.S. immigration having a chest radiograph not consistent with TB (Normal-CXR, n=17,802), having a chest radiograph consistent with TB, but not culture confirmed (TB-CXR, n=2,087), or having culture-confirmed pulmonary TB (TB, n=211) by 5-year age group. b) The percentage with a chest radiograph consistent with TB. </p> <p>*APC=annual percent change per year of age.</p></div

Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) and QFT-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) response among participants, by tuberculosis group (rows) and three cutpoints for a positive TST (columns) at 5mm, 10mm, and 15mm induration.

<p>The area within a circle corresponds with the number of participants with a positive test; the area of the intersection of circles corresponds with the number of participants positive by both tests. </p

Figure 3

<div><p><b>Proportion positive QFT-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) and Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) with positive at >5 mm induration (TST-5), >10 mm induration (TST-10), and >15 mm induration (TST-15) among four groups:</b> A) participants with chest radiographs not suggestive of TB (N=479); B) participants with chest radiographs suggestive of TB with negative sputum culture for TB (N=864); C) participants with chest radiographs suggestive of TB with positive sputum culture for TB (N=132); D) all U.S.-bound Vietnamese immigrant applicants (estimated).</p><p>*APC=annual percent change per year of age.</p></div

Power Sector Vision Towards 100% Renewable Electricity by 2050 In Greater Mekong Region - Vietnam Report Part A

Part A was prepared by Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance(VSEA), leading by the Clean Energy and Sustainable Developmentlab (CleanED/USTH), as a technical summary of the full report.Editor in Chief & Technical Editor of the full report: Jean-Philippe DenruyterThe full report has been prepared by Intelligent Energy Systems PtyLtd (IES) and Mekong Economics (MKE) in relation to provisionof services to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).Although electricity from renewable resources, primarilyfrom hydro energy, has been increasing in Vietnam inthe last two decades, fossil fuel-based electricity stilldominates the power generation system in the country.The share of power generation capacity from coal andgas was nearly 54% in 2015 . This share is expected to further increase in the coming yearsbased on the official power development plan of Vietnam, despite Vietnamese fossil energyresources being scarce, with its oil and gas reserves likely to be depleted in the few decadesto come . Hence, a necessary question is: could Vietnam be successful in achieving a lowcarbon power system and pursue a low carbon economy in the next few decades? Or willthe country continue its dependence on fossil fuels?The Intelligent Energy Systems Pty Ltd (“IES”) and Mekong Economics (“MKE”) werecommissioned by WWF – Greater Mekong Programme Office (“WWF-GMPO”) toundertake a project called “Power Sector Vision: Alternatives for power generation inthe Greater Mekong Sub-region”. This was to develop scenarios for the power sectorof countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) that are in line with WWF’s GlobalEnergy Vision that outlines a 100% renewable energy supply by 2050. The objectivesof WWF’s energy vision are: (i) contribute to reduction of global greenhouse emissions(reduction by >80% based on1990 levels by 2050); (ii) reduce dependency on unsustainablehydro and nuclear power; (iii) enhance energy access; (iv) take advantage of new technologiesand solutions; (v) enhance power sector planning frameworks: multi-stakeholder participatoryprocess; and (vi) develop enhancements for energy policy frameworks.The purpose of Power Sector Vision report is to provide detailed country-level descriptionsof three scenarios for the power sector of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (Viet Nam):• Business as Usual (BAU) power generation development path which is based oncurrent power planning practices, current policy objectives.• Sustainable Energy Sector (SES) scenario, where measures are taken to maximallydeploy renewable energy and energy efficiency measures to achieve a near-100%renewable energy power sector; and• Advanced Sustainable Energy Sector (ASES) scenario, which assumes a more rapidadvancement and deployment of new and renewable technologies as compared to theSES.The scenarios were based on public data, independent assessments of resource potentials,information obtained from published reports and power system modelling of the GMSregion for the period 2015 to 2050