BackgroundHaving a child with a disability is a heavy burden for mothers, especially in developing countries, where there is little available financial or other government support. Having a child with a disability is also linked to mental health problems and poor quality of life. Communities rich in social capital and individuals who have high levels of personal social capital generally enjoy day-to-day and long-term health and social benefits but this has not been investigated in Vietnam among mothers of children with disabilities. This study aims to investigate these mothers’ distress in terms of their social capital.MethodsA cross-sectional study based on an interviewer-assisted survey included 172 mothers of children with moderate/severe disabilities in two provinces of Vietnam (one in the North and one in central Vietnam), using a newly translated and modified version of the Australian community participation questionnaire, several measures of personal social cohesion, and Kessler's 10-item measure of general psychological distress. Hierarchical linear regression modelling was used to explore the relationships among socio-demographic factors, multiple components of structural and cognitive social capita, and mothers’ distress controlling for a wide range of socio-demographic characteristics, the nature of the child's disability, and mothers’ personality (extroversion).ResultsMothers in this study were highly and multiply disadvantaged, and they had very high levels of distress and low levels of community participation. Furthermore, most forms of participation were associated with greater, not less, distress. Socio-demographic characteristics, child's disability, and mothers’ personality did little to explain variance in mothers’ distress, but types and amounts of participation were important predictors. The final regression model explained 29% of variance in distress, with major contributions made by living in a mountainous area, having a ‘reserved’ personality, and frequency and types of participation.ConclusionVietnamese mothers whose children have disabilities are extremely marginalised and distressed. They have only modest social capital, but the little they have tends to be related to better mental health. Being from the mountains; being ‘reserved’; spending time with friends, neighbours, and in educational activities; and trusting others are related to better mental health among these women. However, several types of participation are associated with worse mental health. Such activities should be avoided in any interventions designed to increase social capital as a mental health promotion strategy.

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This article traces the evolution of special education policies and services and the introduction of inclusive education as a service delivery model in Viet Nam. The impact of a series of inclusion initiation projects and resultant goals of the Ministry of Education and Training to expand inclusive education nationally are described along with the existing barriers to change and a proposed systems change model for facilitating the ongoing expansion of inclusive education throughout the country.

Nanosized LaFeO3material was prepared by 3 methods: high energy milling, citrate gel, and coprecipitation. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) show that the orthorhombic LaFeO3phase was well formed at a low sintering temperature of 500°C in the citrate-gel and co-precipitation methods. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations indicate that the particle size of the LaFeO3powder varies from 10 nm to 50 nm depending on the preparation method. The magnetic properties through magnetization versus temperatureM(T)and magnetization verses magnetic fieldM(H)characteristics show that the nano-LaFeO3exhibits a weak ferromagnetic behavior in the room temperature, and theM(H)curves are well fitted by Langevin functions.

BackgroundSocial capital has been recognized as a major social determinant of health, but less attention has been given to social capital of persons with musculoskeletal impairments. The present study aimed to explore the associations between social capital and life satisfaction of persons with musculoskeletal impairments in Hanoi, Vietnam.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Hanoi, Vietnam. From June to July 2008, we collected data from 136 persons with musculoskeletal impairments who belonged to disabled people's groups. Social capital was measured using a short version of the Adapted Social Capital Assessment Tool that included group membership, support from groups, support from individuals, citizenship activities, and cognitive social capital. Life satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. As possible confounding factors, we measured socio-economic factors and disability-related factors such as activities of daily living.ResultsAfter controlling for confounding effects, group membership remained significantly associated with the level of life satisfaction reported by the persons with musculoskeletal impairments. In particular, being an active member of two or more groups was associated with higher life satisfaction. In contrast, other components of social capital such as citizenship activities and cognitive social capital were not significant in the multiple regression analysis of this study.ConclusionsThe findings suggest the importance of considering an active participation in multiple groups toward the enhancement of the life satisfaction among persons with musculoskeletal impairments. To encourage persons with musculoskeletal impairments to have multiple active memberships, their access to groups should be facilitated and enhanced.

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We investigate the chemo-photothermal effects of gold nanorods (GNRs) coated using mesoporous silica (mSiO 2 ) loading doxorubicin (DOX). When the mesoporous silica layer is embedded by doxorubicin drugs, a significant change in absorption spectra enables to quantify the drug loading. We carried out photothermal experiments on saline and livers of mice having GNRs@mSiO 2 and GNRs@mSiO 2 -DOX. We also injected the gold nanostructures into many tumor-implanted mice and used laser illumination on some of them. By measuring the weight and size of tumors, the distinct efficiency of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy on treatment is determined. We experimentally confirm the accumulation of gold nanostructures in the liver.

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