Sustainability assessment of Vietnam's electricity planning: Using section 1 of the 2009 hydropower sustainability assessment protocol

The Draft Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) was first introduced in Vietnam at the National Consultant Workshop organized by Vietnam Water Partnership (VNWP) in November 2009. Although the structure of HSAP is relatively complex and new to Vietnam, the participants (from Government agencies, experts, investors, and Vietnamese and international civil society organizations) had the impression that the HSAP has the potential to be a useful tool for participatory assessment of the sustainability of a hydropower project and broader planning. With the assistance of the M-POWER (Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience), a national group of experts in multiple disciplines from government agencies, national organisations and NGOs was mobilized to conduct a rapid sustainability assessment of the energy and hydropower development policy and plan in Vietnam. Section I of the draft HSAP 2009 was used as an assessment tool. The assessment focused on the quality of the process of developing and implementing the strategic development of the electricity sector in general and hydropower development of Vietnam in particular. Even though the rapid assessment framework of HSAP was quite new to the Assessment Team and the assessment subjects are broad, the Team and participants in this trial learned positive and negative lessons that can serve as a basis for future assessment exercises to enable deeper and more comprehensive assessment. The assessment report includes four major parts: 1) Introduction and background, 2) Water and hydropower development in Vietnam; 3) Rapid assessment - process and discussion of results; and 4) Lessons learned from the assessment and recommendations for draft HSAP 2009

THÀNH PHẦN LOÀI LƯỠNG CƯ (AMPHIBIA) VÀ BÒ SÁT (REPTILIA) Ở HUYỆN ĐỨC CƠ, TỈNH GIA LAI

As a result of our field work caried out in 2020 and 2021, we herein report the first herpetofaunal list of Duc Co dictrict, Gia Lai province, comprising 21 species of amphibians (14 genera, six families, two orders) and 40 species of reptiles (35 genera, 16 families, 2 orders). Remarkably, nine species are recored for the fist time in Gia Lai province, namely Kalophrynus interlineatus, Limnonectes dabanus, Dixonius minhlei, Lygosoma bowringii, Dendrelaphis subocularis, Lycodon subcinctus, Heosemys grandis, Siebenrockiella crassicollis, and Indotestudo elongata. In terms of conservation concern, 10 species are listed the Vietnam Red Data Book (2007) and 10 species in the IUCN Red List (2021).Nghiên cứu tiến hành trong hai năm 2020–2021 tại huyện Đức Cơ, tỉnh Gia Lai, đã ghi nhận 21 loài lưỡng cư thuộc 14 giống, 6 họ, 2 bộ và 40 loài bò sát thuộc 35 giống, 16 họ, 2 bộ. Đáng chú ý, kết quả nghiên cứu đã bổ sung 9 loài cho khu hệ lưỡng cư, bò sát (LCBS) của tỉnh Gia Lai bao gồm: Kalophrynus interlineatus, Limnonectes dabanus, Dixonius minhlei, Lygosoma bowringii, Dendrelaphis subocularis, Lycodon subcinctus, Heosemys grandis, Siebenrockiella crassicollis và Indotestudo elongata. Trong đó, 14 loài bị đe dọa cần được ưu tiên bảo tồn gồm 10 loài có tên trong Sách Đỏ Việt Nam (2007) và 10 loài có tên trong Danh lục Đỏ IUCN (2021)

Tuberculous Arthritis of the Knee with Rice Body Formation: A Report of a Rare Case

In this report, we present the case of a 53-year-old man with rice body formation in the right knee caused by tuberculous arthritis (TB arthritis). The patient visited our hospital in January 2018 with a seven-month history of swelling and pain in the right knee. He had no previous history of tuberculosis, and the results of the routine laboratory tests were within normal limits; he also tested negative for rheumatoid factor. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed multiple rice bodies in the right knee, measuring 5-8 mm. He underwent an arthroscopic operation in the right knee in January 2018 and received antituberculosis polytherapy for 6 months. He was followed-up for more than 01 year. The patient regained good function of the operated knee with no evidence of recurrence during the last follow-up in February 2019. Conclusion. The biggest challenge in diagnosing tuberculosis arthritis is the consideration of its possibility in the differential diagnosis, not only in endemic countries where tuberculosis is frequent. A high level of suspicion for TB should be maintained for every infection of the knee joint, particularly in the case of intra-articular rice bodies

A Hybrid Approach Using GIS-Based Fuzzy AHP–TOPSIS Assessing Flood Hazards along the South-Central Coast of Vietnam

Flood hazards affect the local economy and the livelihood of residents along the South-Central Coast of Vietnam. Understanding the factors influencing floods’ occurrence potentially contributes to establish mitigation responses to the hazards. This paper deals with an empirical study on applying a combination of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP), the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), and a geographic information system (GIS) to assess flood hazards along the South-Central Coast of Vietnam. Data are collected from focus group discussions (FGDs) with five communal authorities; a questionnaire completed by eight hamlet heads in the Phuoc Thang commune (Binh Dinh province); and documents, reports, and thematic maps provided from official sources. A total of 12 maps of flood factors are prepared. The results show that terrain elevation, creek-bottom terrains, high tide-induced flooding area, and distance to water body are the main factors affecting flood hazards. The An Loi hamlet faces the highest risk for floods, followed by Lac Dien, Luong Binh, and Pho Dong. The map of flood hazards indicates the western part is assessed as low hazard, whereas the eastern part is a very high hazard area. The study findings show that the hybrid approach using GIS-based fuzzy AHP–TOPSIS allows connecting decision makers with the influencing factors of flooding. To mitigate floods, both the Vietnam national government and the Binh Dinh provincial government should integrate natural hazard mitigation into socio-economic development policies

Inhibitive behaviours of unripe banana peel extract for mitigating electrochemical corrosion of carbon steel in aggressively acidic solutions

Waste matter is an abundant source of recyclable materials. This study presented the corrosion inhibitor role of unripe banana peel extract (UBPE) for carbon steel in acidic environments: 1.0 M HCl, 0.5 M H2SO4, and 0.5 M HCl/0.25 M H2SO4. The aim was to demonstrate the robustness of the HCl-UBPE-steel system with respect to competing ions in the solution, and as such, generalizing its mechanism. The localized corrosion in HCl, general corrosion in H2SO4, and their theoretical midpoint were, respectively, subjected to 95.91%, 83.33%, 91.50% corrosion inhibition efficiency when UBPE was added at 3000 ppm. A protective film on the steel surface was found as the cause by electrochemical characterizations and its behavior was explained via protonation of corrosion inhibitor and rust formation on steel surface undering varying acid conditions. Therefore, the work suggests UBPE as corrosion inhibitor for steel in strongly acidic conditions containing chloride and sulfate ions. Unripe banana peel – water extract (UBPWE) acts as an eco-friendly effective inhibitor for steel in aggressively acidic environments.Carbon steel exhibits more localized corrosion in HCl solution, but more general corrosion in H2SO4 condition.UBPWE performed 95.91, 83.33, and 91.50% of inhibition efficiency for steel in HCl, H2SO4, and mixed conditions.The effective inhibition performance is assigned to the presence of a protective layer on the steel surface. Unripe banana peel – water extract (UBPWE) acts as an eco-friendly effective inhibitor for steel in aggressively acidic environments. Carbon steel exhibits more localized corrosion in HCl solution, but more general corrosion in H2SO4 condition. UBPWE performed 95.91, 83.33, and 91.50% of inhibition efficiency for steel in HCl, H2SO4, and mixed conditions. The effective inhibition performance is assigned to the presence of a protective layer on the steel surface.</p

An observational study of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infections among vaccinated healthcare workers in Vietnam

Background Data on breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infections in vaccinated individuals are limited. Methods We studied breakthrough infections among Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccinated healthcare workers in an infectious diseases hospital in Vietnam. We collected demographic and clinical data alongside serial PCR testing, measurement of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and viral whole-genome sequencing. Findings Between 11th–25th June 2021 (7-8 weeks after the second dose), 69 staff tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. 62 participated in the study. Most were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and all recovered. Twenty-two complete-genome sequences were obtained; all were Delta variant and were phylogenetically distinct from contemporary viruses obtained from the community or from hospital patients admitted prior to the outbreak. Viral loads inferred from Ct values were 251 times higher than in cases infected with the original strain in March/April 2020. Median time from diagnosis to negative PCR was 21 days (range 8–33). Neutralizing antibodies (expressed as percentage of inhibition) measured after the second vaccine dose, or at diagnosis, were lower in cases than in uninfected, fully vaccinated controls (median (IQR): 69.4 (50.7-89.1) vs. 91.3 (79.6-94.9), p=0.005 and 59.4 (32.5-73.1) vs. 91.1 (77.3-94.2), p=0.043). There was no correlation between vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody levels and peak viral loads or the development of symptoms. Interpretation Breakthrough Delta variant infections following Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination may cause asymptomatic or mild disease, but are associated with high viral loads, prolonged PCR positivity and low levels of vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. Epidemiological and sequence data suggested ongoing transmission had occurred between fully vaccinated individuals