A new electric-blue tarantula species of the genus Chilobrachys Karsh, 1892 from Thailand (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae)

The enchanting phenomenon of blue coloration in animals arises from the fact that blue is one of the rarest colors found in nature, and it is a structural color that is produced by the arrangement of biological photonic nanostructures, rather than pigments. This unique coloration has evolved independently in many different species, adding to the fascination and diversity of coloration patterns in the animal kingdom. This study describes a new species of Chilobrachys Karsch, 1892 from southern Thailand that exhibits a blue-violet hue resembling the color of electrical sparks. Photographic illustrations, a morphological description, and the natural habitat of the new species are given. The diagnosis, palpal-bulb structures, spermathecae, and stridulatory organ morphology of related species are discussed.

Health Status and Health Service Utilization among Vietnamese Farmers in a Mountainous Province

Problems of poor health status and low health service use among farmers in mountainous areas have not been fully investigated. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Son La, a mountainous province in Vietnam, to assess the self-rated health and health care service utilization among farmers. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the self-rated health. Multivariate Tobit, Poisson, and logistic regression were employed to identify related factors. Among 197 farmers, the mean VAS score was 67.8 (SD = 15.5). Approximately 40% of participants reported health problems, and the most popular morbidity was hypertension—56.4%. There were 28.9% and 50.3% of farmers using inpatient and outpatient treatments in the last 12 months, respectively. Age, educational level, family income, marital status, alcohol use, and source of information have been identified as associated factors with self-rated health status and morbidities, while age, gender, education, and morbidities were related to health service utilization. Data indicated a high proportion of health issues and a high rate of health care service use among farmers in a mountainous area of Vietnam. Adaptable health policies and prevention programs or preventive health services should be implemented regularly in mountainous regions to protect farmers from the onset of morbidities and to enhance their health.

Concurrent drug use among methadone maintenance patients in mountainous areas in northern Vietnam

OBJECTIVES

With the rise in methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for drug users in Vietnam, there has been growing interest in understanding if and how often MMT patients engage in concurrent illicit drug use while on methadone therapy in various settings. This study examined factors associated with concurrent opioid use among patients on MMT in a mountainous area in Vietnam.

SETTING

One urban and one rural MMT clinics in Tuyen Quang province.

PARTICIPANTS

Survey participants consisted of patients who were taking MMT at the selected study sites. A convenience sampling approach was used to recruit the participants.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Participants were asked a series of questions about their socioeconomic status, current alcohol and tobacco use, health problems (measured by the EuroQol-Five Dimension-Five Level instrument), psychological distress (measured by Kessler score), and factors associated with current and/or previous drug use. Regression models were used to determine factors associated with concurrent drug use among MMT patients.

RESULTS

Among the 241 male MMT patients included in the study, 13.4% reported concurrent opioid use. On average, the longer patients had been enrolled in MMT, the less likely they were to concurrently use drugs. Conversely, patients with higher levels of psychological distress were more likely to engage in concurrent drug use while on MMT.

CONCLUSION

Longer duration of MMT was significantly correlated with reduced illicit drug use among participants. Higher levels of psychological distress were associated with increased use of illicit drugs among MMT patients. Regardless of distance, long-term MMT is still effective and should be expanded in mountainous areas.