Factors associated with food safety compliance among street food vendors in Can Tho city, Vietnam: implications for intervention activity design and implementation

Background Street food plays a valuable role in several Asian countries including Vietnam. Improving the safety of street food is an important responsibility for many local food authorities. This study aims to characterize the business profile of fixed and mobile street food vendors, and to compare their compliance with the food safety criteria. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire and observational checklist to assess the ten Vietnamese food safety criteria prescribed under Decision No. 3199/2000/QD-BYT for street food vendors in Can Tho city. A total of 400 street food vendors, composed of fixed and mobile vendors, in urban areas of the city were randomly selected for the survey. Results The study showed significant differences between the two types of street food vendors in educational level (p = 0.017); business profile, including types of foods vended, area in use, number of employees, training in food safety, and business registration paperwork; and the status of compliance with the ten-food hygiene and safety criteria (p < 0.01). Poisson regression analysis found that education attainment (IRR = 1.228, p = 0.015), food safety training (IRR = 4.855, p < 0.01), total business capital (IRR = 1.004, p = 0.031) and total area in use (IRR = 1.007, p = 0.001) appeared to be significantly positively associated with food safety and hygiene compliance. In contrast, mobile vending type was negatively associated with the likelihood of adhering to the ten criteria (IRR = 0.547, p = 0.005). Conclusions These findings emphasize the need for training and education programs to improve food safety knowledge and practice among street food vendors. Basic infrastructure and services, especially clean water, proper sanitation, and waste disposal facilities, should be provided to help street food vendors better practice food safety and hygiene regulations.

Research on rescuers’ training process in toxic / explosive / flammable environments

The paper presents the structuring of physical effort put in by rescuers during training, taking into account the activity specific psychosocial factors, structuring that aimed at streamlining the training process of intervention and rescue personnel in toxic / explosive / flammable environments. Training routes with various degrees of difficulty, allowing the simulation of intervention activities in horizontally and vertically confined spaces, low visibility, high temperature and humidity environments were analysed, for each the specific labour consumption being calculated. A dysfunctional phenomenon caused by the intervention and rescue activity is fatigue, perceived as a body reaction to readjust and restore its functions following intense or repeated body requests for energy consumption. Not only physical fatigue (which can be controlled through exercises) is specific for rescue and intervention activity but also mental fatigue. In addition to physical and technical training, psychosocial training of people who carry out intervention and rescue activities was followed in the training programs.

Effect of Periodic Voluntary Interventions on Trapezius Activation and Fatigue During Light Upper Limb Activity

Objective The effects of diverse periodic interventions on trapezius muscle fatigue and activity during a full day of computer work were investigated. Background Musculoskeletal disorders, including trapezius myalgia, may be associated with repeated exposure to prolonged low-level activity, even during light upper-extremity tasks including computer work. Methods Thirty healthy adults participated in a study that simulated two 6-hour workdays of computer work. One workday involved imposed periodic passive and active interventions aimed at disrupting trapezius contraction monotony (Intervention day), whereas the other workday did not (Control day). Trapezius muscle activity was quantified by the 3-dimensional acceleration of the jolt movement of the acromion produced by electrically induced muscle twitches. The spatio-temporal distribution of trapezius activity was measured through high-density surface electromyography (HD-EMG). Results The twitch acceleration magnitude in one direction was significantly different across measurement periods ( p = 0.0156) on Control day, whereas no significant differences in any direction were observed ( p > 0.05) on Intervention day. The HD-EMG from Intervention day showed that only significant voluntary muscle contractions (swing arms, Jacobson maneuver) induced a decrease in the muscle activation time and an increase in the spatial muscle activation areas ( p < 0.01). Conclusion Disruption of trapezius monotonous activity via brief voluntary contractions effectively modified the ensuing contraction pattern (twitch acceleration along one axis, active epochs reduction, and larger spatial distribution). The observed changes support an associated reduction of muscle fatigue. Application This study suggests that disruptive intervention activity is efficient in reducing the impact of trapezius muscle fatigue.

Le guide anticipatorie nell'ambulatorio del pediatra

Anticipatory guidance is a paediatrician’s daily intervention activity and is useful in supporting children’s development. Its design, implementation and dissemination require specific commitment and such actions underlie its effectiveness. The present review illustrates the characteristics of paediatric anticipatory guidance and describes technical methods of dissemination as well as some interventions in which this method was utilized.

Reflective Critical Thinking Skills of Student Leaders inHigher Education Institutions for Development

The Higher Education plays an important role in the Financial Development, in Economic Growth and in the Environmental Science. The purpose of the study is to train student leaders to become reflective and critical thinkers in their environment. There is a need for an intervention by student leaders in higher education institutions on environmental education. Thus, a seminar-workshop that will improve student leadership and critical thinking capabilities is a smart approach. This research aimed to describe the strategies for the recognition and realistic implementation of reflective critical thinking skills to students in their studies, their families and the community or environment. It also aimed to bring out the general importance of environmental education in their life as students. This study uses a qualitative method using critical analysis and survey. Graphical, ranking, and tabular techniques were also used to present the results. This was attended by 40 student leaders who engaged in the intervention activity. The data obtained has been summarized and analyzed. As a result, the different methods were ranked accordingly when determining areas for development. In the end, the researchers have come up with a Reflective Critical Thinking Cycle in Environmental Education that can be used and extended to oneself, the family, and the society. The research findings based on the intervention should be consistently done to show students how to balance academic and extra-curricular activities and in dealing with their environment

Edukasi Dermatitis Atopik Terhadap Orangtua/Wali Siswa di TK dan KB Tunas Daud Mataram

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, recurrent skin inflammatory disease that commonly affects children. There is an increasing prevalence of AD in South East Asia and this creates a high economic burden in addition to reducing patients’ and family quality of life. Correct understandings of the disease and its management are very important for family or caregiver of children with AD. Nevertheless, misunderstandings, lack of information and adherence to therapy and poor self-management are the main reasons of dissatisfaction with treatment. Parents often mistook food allergy as the cause of DA and this lead to unnecessary avoidance of certain food. This potentially leads to nutritional problems in children. This educational intervention activity aimed to increase parent and teachers’ knowledge regarding the cause and symptoms of AD, as well as appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approach for children with AD. This activity was delivered in the form of lecture and discussion, and 75 parents and teachers participated in this event. Almost half of the participants (34 people) had not heard about AD previously. Based on the analysis of pretest (median 5.00) and posttest (median 8.00) results, we found a significant improvement of knowledge on AD among participants (p < 0.01). Pretest scores were associated with participants’ age, while posttest scores were associated with participants’ education level. In conclusion, this educational intervention had been successfully improved participants’ knowledge of AD.

TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL SPEAKING SKILLS TO WORKERS OF A HERITAGE MUSEUM

This paper describes a study program of teaching the English language for a specific purpose, to workers employed in a Heritage Museum in South India. The need for the program arose from the requests of the management as the workers were involved in showcasing the museum, its activities and artifacts, largely using the English language to visitors and tourists from varied language-speaking states within India and abroad. This paper examines the effectiveness of ‘show and tell’ and related activities at facilitating a group of skilled artisans and workers’ production of English sentence structures. Seven learners employed in the heritage museum carried out monologue and dialogue activities designed to enhance speaking skills, particularly related to their profession. Pre- and post-intervention test activities were recorded and analyzed to examine if ‘show and tell’ and related activities facilitated the learners' speaking skills. Activities were video-recorded and transcribed to determine the fluency of the learners. Fluency was interpreted in terms of the number of pauses, false starts, repetitions that occurred within the speech. The results showed that the learners produced more fluent sentences on the post-intervention activity. Implications of the use of monologue and dialogue activities using the situated learning approach on fluency are discussed.

Examination of Summer Campers’ Physical Activity Interest and Behavior

This study has provided insight into the complex relationship between situational interest, the social environment, competence, and behavior. This quasi-experiential design included a pre-test questionnaire, intervention activity of throwing and catching a football, and post-test questionnaire administered to forty children aged 7–13 enrolled in a summer camp. The results of this study supported a theoretical approach that hypothesized that competence positively influences situational interest. The implications for summer camp owners and counselors support providing an environment that is supportive of elementary-age children participating in an established curriculum that results in positive interactions and activities where summer campers can perceive that they are competent.