STUDY ON LEARNING AUTONOMY STRATEGIES FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS OF HIGH-QUALITY FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS, SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, CAN THO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

This study examined the challenges of self-studying English-speaking skills for first-year English studies majors at Can Tho University. The study aimed to answer questions such as: What self-study strategies can first-year students majoring in high-quality English at School of Foreign Languages at Can Tho University apply to develop speaking skills? The target audience was 96 English studies majors who have studied speaking and listening at Can Tho University. A questionnaire and an interview with 13 students were used to collect data for this study. In order to support the quantitative data, a questionnaire was used, while an interview was used for the qualitative data. This study aimed to find out the difficulties encountered by students, thereby proposing solutions to overcome them and improve the quality of their learning autonomy or self-studying English-speaking skills.  Article visualizations

The Impact of Viral Marketing on Emotion and Impulse Buying Behavior: A Case Study of Online Fashion

Impulsive online shopping is becoming a habit for many young consumers, especially for fashion products. This study aims to analyze the influence of viral marketing on emotions and impulsive online shopping behavior of young people for fashion products in Vietnam. The results showed that viral marketing with characteristics such as entertainment, source credibility, visual appeal, informativeness, and irritation all had a significant impact on emotions and impulsive online shopping behavior. Therefore,some suggestions are proposed for applying viral marketing to promote impulsive online shopping behavior for fashion products. Keywords: Viral marketing, Impulse buying behavior, Online shopping, Emotions, Fashion. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/15-7-03 Publication date: April 30th 202

Screening for actinomyces isolated from soil with the ability to inhibit Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causing rice bacterial blight disease in Vietnam

Bacterial blight disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the major diseases in rice culture of Northen Vietnam, as well as other rice-growing regions of the world. In this study, we isolated and screened for actinomycete strains from Vietnam with the ability to inhibit Xoo isolates from northern Vietnam. From 90 actinomycete strains taken from soil in northern Vietnam in 2010, we screened for their antagonistic activity against 10 races of Xoo causing rice bacterial blight disease. Three actinomycete strains were found to inhibit all 10 Xoo races. Among the three strains, a strain namely VN10-A-44 was shown not to have the ability to produce toxic compounds and was selected for further study. The strain was identified as Streptomyces virginiae by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. We replaced soybean meal with tofu waste in antibiotic producing medium to improve antagonistic activity of VN10-A-44 against the Xoo pathogen and to make use of tofu waste for large-scale fermentation of VN10-A-44. We found that replacing soybean meal with 20 and 30 g of tofu waste/litter in the antibiotic producing medium gave the largest inhibition zone against the Xoo pathogen.Key words: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, rice bacterial blight disease, Streptomyces virginiae, Vietnam

DETERMINATION THE PRIORITY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING OVERSEAS INVESTMENT DESTINATIONS OF BUSINESSES USING AN ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS METHOD

Because of the great benefits overseas investment brings, countries and businesses are increasingly concerned with the question of an ideal investment destination. Many studies have shown that, factors of the consumption market, the infrastructure and resources, economic and political environment have a significant impact on the decision to choose an investment location, however the priority order of these factors are different for various research spaces. By studying the specific case of Viettel Group - one of the largest telecommunications groups in Vietnam that is having many international investment activities in recent years, the study has been verified the priority order of factors influencing the decision to choose an overseas investment location of this corporation. The research outcomes show that the group of factors that have the most influence on investment decisions is the group "Consumption market", more specifically, the sub-factor "Market Size" is considered more than the others.    Keywords: Investment Destinations, Foreign Investment Decision, Analytic Hierarchy Process

Short Tandem Repeats Used in Preimplantation Genetic Testing of Î’-Thalassemia: Genetic Polymorphisms For 15 Linked Loci in the Vietnamese Population

BACKGROUND: β-thalassemia is one of the most common monogenic diseases worldwide. Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) of β-thalassemia is performed to avoid affected pregnancies has become increasingly popular worldwide. In which, the indirect analysis using short tandem repeat (STRs) linking with HBB gene to detect different β-globin (HBB) gene mutation is a simple, accurate, economical and also provides additional control of contamination and allele-drop-out ADO. AIM: This study established microsatellite markers for PGT of Vietnamese β-thalassemia patient. METHODS: Fifteen (15) STRs gathered from 5 populations were identified by in silico tools within 1 Mb flanking the HBB gene. The multiplex PCR reaction was optimized and performed on 106 DNA samples from at-risk families. RESULTS: After estimating, PIC values were ≥ 0.7 for all markers, with expected heterozygosity and observed heterozygosity values ranged from 0.81 to 0.92 and 0.53 to 0.86, respectively. One hundred percent of individuals had at least seven heterozygous markers and were found to be heterozygous for at least two markers on either side of the HBB gene. The STRs panel was successfully performed on one at-risk family. CONCLUSION: In general, a pentadecaplex marker (all < 1 Mb from the HBB gene) assay was constituted for β-thalassemia PGT on Vietnamese population

Exploring Italian Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Fashion: The Roles of Eco-Consciousness and Vintage Preference

Studying the psychology behind the purchase of eco-friendly products and second-hand items can offer valuable insights to promote sustainable consumer behavior. This paper examines factors influencing Italian consumers’ willingness to pay regarding bio-based clothing and second-hand items. Drawing from data collected from 402 Italian participants, we examine how motivations and socio-demographic factors are associated with willingness to pay in the context of sustainable fashion. Our findings reveal that motivations related to environmental concerns are positively associated with consumers’ willingness to pay higher premiums for bio-based clothing. Higher income and education levels are also associated with the willingness to pay higher premiums. Meanwhile, motivation related to vintage appeal is associated with lower desired discounts for second-hand items, particularly among older consumers. Gender differences also influence discount preferences, with men seeking larger discounts on second-hand clothing compared to women. By providing insights into Italian consumers’ sustainable fashion choices, this study offers implications for businesses, policymakers, and researchers aiming to promote eco-conscious consumption and sustainability in the fashion industry

Hemorrhagic Meningioma With Symptom of Convulsion: A Rare Presentation of Parietal Meningioma

Meningioma is the most common, extra-axial, non-glial intracranial tumor with an incidence of 2.3-5.5/100 000, accounting for 20%-30% of all primary brain tumor diagnoses in adults. Meningiomas associated with intratumoral hemorrhage are very rare occurring in 0.5%-2.4%. of individuals. Herein, we report a rare case of hemorrhagic meningioma with the symptom of convulsion. The case was a 68-year-old woman admitted to the hospital with severe headache and convulsions. Computed tomography revealed an increase in heterogeneous lesion measuring 4 × 3 × 2.5 cm at the right parietal lobe. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a grossly stable homogeneously enhancing extra-axial mass measuring 43 × 33 × 28 mm, small calcified peripheral, intratumoral hemorrhage. Histopathology showed a multi-celled meningioma with bleeding areas (WHO grade I)

COPPER HEXACYANOFERRATE (II): SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND CESIUM, STRONTIUM ADSORBENT APPLICATION

Low-cost nanoscale copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHF), a good selective adsorbent for cesium (Cs+) removal, was prepared using the chemical co-precipitation method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were conducted to determine the CuHF morphology. Copper hexacyanoferrate, Cu13[Fe(CN)6]14.(2K).10H2O, has a cubic structure (space group F-43m) in the range of 10-30 nm and a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 462.42 m2/g. The removal of Cs+ and Sr2+ is dependent on pH; the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of CuHF is achieved at a pH = 6. From the Langmuir model, qmax = 143.95 mg/g for Cs+ and 79.26 mg/g for Sr2+, respectively. At high concentrations, Na+, Ca2+, and K+ ions have very little effect on Cs+ removal, and Na+ and K+ ions have a higher affinity for removing Sr2+ than Ca2+ at all concentrations. CuHF has a high affinity for alkaline cations in the order: Cs+ > K+ > Na+ > Ca2+ > Sr2+, as proposed and discussed

A Phase 2/3 double blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study in healthy adult participants in Vietnam to examine the safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated whole virion, alum adjuvanted, A(H5N1) influenza vaccine (IVACFLU-A/H5N1)

Abstract Background A global shortfall of vaccines for avian influenza A(H5N1) would occur, especially in low- and-middle income countries, if a pandemic were to occur. To address this issue, development of a pre-pandemic influenza vaccine was initiated in 2012, leveraging a recently established influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity in Vietnam. Methods This was a Phase 2/3, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study to test the safety and immunogenicity of IVACFLU-A/H5N1 vaccine in healthy adults. Phase 2 was a dose selection study, in which 300 participants were randomized to one of the three groups (15 mcg, 30 mcg, or placebo). Safety and immunogenicity were assessed in all participants. In Phase 3, 630 participants were randomized to receive the IVACFLU-A/H5N1 vaccine dose selected in Phase 2 (15 mcg, n = 525) or placebo (n = 105). Safety was assessed in all Phase 3 participants and immunogenicity was measured in a subset of participants. Results The vaccine was well tolerated and most of the adverse events were mild and of short duration. Mild pain at the injection site was the most common adverse event seen in 60 percent of participants in the vaccine group in Phase 3. In Phase 2, both 15 mcg and 30 mcg doses were immunogenic, so the lower dose was selected for further testing in Phase 3. In Phase 3 overall seroconversion rates were 68 percent for hemagglutination inhibition (HI), 51 percent for microneutralization (MN) and 56 percent for single radial hemolysis (SRH). The seroprotection rates were 44 percent for HI, 41 percent for MN and 55 percent for SRH. The GMT ratio was 5.31 and 3.7 for HI and MN respectively; GMA was 4.75 for the SRH. Conclusion The IVACFLU A/H5N1 was safe and immunogenic. Development of this pandemic avian influenza vaccine is a welcome addition to the limited global pool of these vaccines. ClinicalTrials.gov register NCT02612909