Poplar (Populus adenopoda Maxim.) and radiata pine (Pinus radiata Don.) woods were treated with an aqueous solution containing styrene-acrylic copolymer (SAC) dispersion and sodium silicate (SS). The modifying effects on the mechanical properties of wood were investigated with 10% SAC and varying concentrations of SS. The SAC and the SS deposition occurred in the cell lumina and condensed under catalysis at elevated temperature, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. The wood treated with SAC and SS exhibited a moisture content about 2 times higher than that of the untreated control under 95% relative humidity due to the introduction of hygroscopic silicate. The modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) in the bending, compressive strength, surface hardness, tensile strength, and shear strength of the wood were improved up to 83.9, 82.3, 72.7, 48.3, 38.4, and 53.1%, respectively. However, the impact strength decreased by 39.4% due to the treatments. Accordingly, the combined treatment with SAC/SS has a potential application in the improvement of the wood quality, but the reduction in impact strength could limit its utilization in products for which high dynamic strength is required.

Background. Nurses are one of the population groups with the highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Preventive measures in Vietnamese hospitals on the job have not been proposed to study their effectiveness due to barriers related to the lack of knowledge about MSDs by health care administrators and the lack of human resources with expertise in MSD management in hospitals. Objectives. This study is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of basic interventions (education, physical exercise) to prevent MSDs among district hospital nurses in Vietnam. Material and Methods. A quasi-experimental study was carried out before/after over a period of one year among two groups of nurses, one receiving the intervention ( n = 162 ) and the other the control group ( n = 128 ). The intervention includes 3 components: training on MSDs, ergonomics training, and instructions for physical exercise. The pre- and postintervention assessment tools included the Modified Nordic, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Short-Form (Q-LES-Q-SF), and the Kessler Psychological Distress Questionnaire (K6). A generalized estimating equation analysis was performed to assess the difference between the two groups at two points in time (before and after the intervention) on some indicators (prevalence of MSDs in the last 12 months and 7 days, score for quality of life and psychological distress). Results. There was a significant difference of the test on the prevalence of MSDs in the last 7 days between the 2 groups before and after the intervention with the p   value = 0.016 . This difference occurred in 4 anatomical sites: neck, shoulder/upper arm, wrists/hand, and lower back, with p values being 0.013, 0.011, 0.038, and 0.009, respectively. Conclusions. The intervention measures are probably effective in reducing the prevalence of MSDs at 4 anatomical sites in the last 7 days. More in-depth studies are needed with a combination of measures over a longer period of time to obtain stronger evidence of interventions.

Interrupting the transmission of airborne (<≈5 µm) respiratory pathogens indoors is not a new challenge, but it has attracted unprecedented interest due to the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020–2021. However, bacterial respiratory pathogens with known or potential airborne transmission account for an appreciable proportion of the communicable disease burden globally. We aimed to systematically review quantitative, laboratory-based studies of air disinfection techniques for airborne respiratory bacteria. Three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus) were searched, following PRISMA guidelines. A total of 9596 articles were identified, of which 517 were assessed in detail and of which 26 met the inclusion and quality assessment criteria. Seven air disinfection techniques, including UV-C light, filtration, and face masks, among others, were applied to 13 different bacterial pathogens. More than 80% of studies suggested that air disinfection techniques were more effective at inactivating or killing bacteria than the comparator or baseline condition. However, it was not possible to compare these techniques because of methodological heterogeneity and the relatively small number of the studies. Laboratory studies are useful for demonstrating proof-of-concept and performance under controlled conditions. However, the generalisability of their findings to person-to-person transmission in real-world settings is unclear for most of the pathogens and techniques we assessed.

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