A STUDY ON THE DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS OF ENGLISH-MAJORED SOPHOMORES AT TAY DO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

The research entitled “A study on the difficulties in writing argumentative essays of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University” was conducted with the purpose of pointing out some common difficulties of sophomores in writing argumentative essays. The participants of this study were 90 English-majored sophomores of course 13, and two teachers who teach English language at Tay Do University. In this study process, questionnaire and interview were used as two instruments to collect the data. The results of the research would show that English majored sophomores met difficulties in term of linguistic competence (vocabulary, grammar and coherence), organization and development of an argumentative essay, and the lack of critical thinking. Article visualizations

A SURVEY ON COMMON ERRORS IN STUDYING SPEAKING SKILL OF ENGLISH-MAJORED FRESHMEN AT TAY DO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

Speaking is regarded as the most important aspect of communication skills, and it contributes to the success of language learners in their studies and careers, as well as the success of teachers in their teaching process. However, English-majored students, especially English-majored freshmen, usually face some errors in speaking English. Consequently, this research, entitled "A Survey on Common Errors in Studying Speaking Skills of English-majored Freshmen at Tay Do University" was conducted to figure out some common problems in speaking English that these English-majored students have encountered. The participants of this research were 80 students from two classes, English 15A and English 15B, at Tay Do University. The main research instrument for collecting the data was a questionnaire. The findings of this research pointed out the participants’ errors in speaking skills problems (pronunciation, grammar tense, pronunciation, mother tongue, vocabulary) and psychological problems (anxiety of error, lack of motivation, shyness, lack of confidence). The results showed that the students had errors in their speaking skills. Thanks to the results, some useful solutions were proposed for English-majored students.  Article visualizations

Factors affecting the decision to choose a university of high school students: A study in An Giang Province, Vietnam

It is important to provide high school students with the necessary information for them to consult and make a decision to choose a university. The study aims to identify and evaluate the influence of factors in the decision to choose a university for high school students. The questionnaire survey method was used to collect data from 393 students from eight high schools in An Giang Province, Vietnam. Exploratory factor analysis and linear regression were used to analyze the data. The research results show that students are quite satisfied and quite certain with their decision to choose a university, while there are six important factors affecting the decision to choose a university. Influential factors with decreasing order of magnitude are: i) Factors consulted by teachers, family, friends, and relatives; ii) Factors of future job opportunities; iii) Factors of media activities; iv) Factors of learning conditions; v) Factors of university reputation; vi) Factors belong to the students themselves. The findings of the study show that there is no statistically significant difference between the group of males and females, between grades 10, 11, and 12. Besides, there is a statistically significant difference between students in high schools. The findings of this study have theoretical and practical implications for university admissions in Vietnam. Proposals made to university administrators were discussed. From the research results, we want to help students find the right university, and support universities to improve the efficiency of admissions

Characteristics of shear strength at the interface between two soil layers in ring shear apparatus

The slopes containing discontinuous planes such as bedding planes, rupture, or boundary between two soil layers are often prone to sliding. Thus, the characteristics of shear strength mobilized along the discontinuous planes should be examined. In this study, the shear strength at the interface between two different soil layers will be investigated based on ring shear test. The combined sample comprising of one kaolin layer and one kaolin + bentonite mixture layer was used to simulate the discontinuous planes between two soil layers. A number of ring shear tests were conducted on these samples at a normal stress of 98 kPa and shear rates from 0.02 to 20 mm/min using a multi-stage of shearing rates procedure. The research results indicate that the shear strength at the interface sharply increases to reach the peak value after a small shear displacement, then drops to the residual value. The residual interface strength tends to increase with increasing shear rates above 2 mm/min and the level of increase in residual interface strength depends on the contact surface. Furthermore, the effect of the order sample layer in combined samples can be ignored when determining the peak, the residual interface strengths as well as the rate effect on residual interface strength in the laboratory

Characteristics of shear strength at the interface between two soil layers in ring shear apparatus

The slopes containing discontinuous planes such as bedding planes, rupture, or boundary between two soil layers are often prone to sliding. Thus, the characteristics of shear strength mobilized along the discontinuous planes should be examined. In this study, the shear strength at the interface between two different soil layers will be investigated based on ring shear test. The combined sample comprising of one kaolin layer and one kaolin + bentonite mixture layer was used to simulate the discontinuous planes between two soil layers. A number of ring shear tests were conducted on these samples at a normal stress of 98 kPa and shear rates from 0.02 to 20 mm/min using a multi-stage of shearing rates procedure. The research results indicate that the shear strength at the interface sharply increases to reach the peak value after a small shear displacement, then drops to the residual value. The residual interface strength tends to increase with increasing shear rates above 2 mm/min and the level of increase in residual interface strength depends on the contact surface. Furthermore, the effect of the order sample layer in combined samples can be ignored when determining the peak, the residual interface strengths as well as the rate effect on residual interface strength in the laboratory

Characteristics of basal gastric juice in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis before and after eradication therapy

Purpose: To evaluate the characteristics of basal gastric juice in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients before and after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study on 150 gastritis patients admitted at the Hospital of Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The patients were divided into 2 groups: study group (Helicobacter pylori gastritis patients) and control group (non-Helicobacter pylori gastritis patients). The pH, HCO3- concentration, and activities and concentrations of pepsin, lipase, and amylase were determined before and after treatment in study group. Results: Patients with abnormal gastric juice comprised 76 % of the study population. Mean gastric potential of hydrogen (pH) was 2.31 (range: 1.64 - 7.68), while median concentration of HCO3- was 4.06 mmol/L (range: 0 - 73.04 mmol/L). The concentrations of pepsin, lipase, and amylase were 8.93, 0.93 and 1.38 ppm, respectively. Activities of pepsin, lipase, and amylase were 2.23, 0.28 and 0.04 U/mL, respectively. After the successful eradication of Helicobacter pylori, pH and HCO3- levels decreased, and there were significant differences in activities of pepsin and lipase before and after treatment (p < 0.05). Moreover, the levels of these parameters differed between patients in whom successful eradication was achieved and those in whom eradication failed (p < 0.05). The concentrations and activities of pepsin and lipase were statistically different between pre-treatment and post-treatment stages in both successful and failed Helicobacter pylori eradication categories (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Basal gastric juice differs significantly between Helicobacter pylori-positive and Helicobacter pylori-negative patients. Intragastric ammonia produced by H. pylori may have a role in the increased pH of gastric juice

Synthesis of antiulcer drug esomeprazole.

Esomeprazole (Nexium®), the (S)-isomer of Omeprazole, is the first proton-pump inhibitor developed as a single isomer for the treatment of acid-related diseases. It is used for the treatment of peptic ulcers, gastroesophagal reflux disease, and erosive esophagitis. Herein, we report our synthetic study of esomeprazole sodium salt from the starting    2-mercapto-5-methoxybenzimidazole and 2-(chloromethyl)-4-methoxy-3,5-dimethylpyridine hydrochloride reagents. The Esomeprazole sodium salt was obtained from enantioselectivesulfoxidation reaction in moderate yield with high enantioselectivity

Impact Assessment of Poverty Reduction Programs of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam

The main purpose of this report is to measure the impact of poverty reduction programs and policies of Ho Chi Minh City – the biggest city in Vietnam - in the period 2009-2013 using both quantitative and quality methods. In general, poverty reduction programs have positive impacts on living conditions of poor households. Having access to these programs enables poor/near-poor households to increase income and have better access to decent jobs. In addition, tuition-fee reduction and exemption and health insurance programs help households reduce education and medical expenses. However, there are a number of problems such as limited support fund and poor awareness of the poor/near-poor about the vocational training, unreasonable support mechanism and inconsistency in line departments’ coordination