THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC SERVICE MOTIVATION, WORK ENJOYMENT, AND TASK PERFORMANCE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN VIETNAM

This study aimed to examine the impact of health workers' public service motivation during their participation in response to the Covid-19 pandemic at a time of the highest number of infections and deaths in Vietnam. This study was conducted through a cross-sectional survey using an intentional sampling technique (n=200). In addition, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to illustrate the proposed hypotheses. We found that compassion in the workplace, self-sacrifice, and attraction to policy-making impacted work enjoyment positively and significantly. In particular, there was a positive and significant relationship between work enjoyment and task performance but no evidence of the relationship between Commitment to the public interest and work enjoyment. This study further demonstrates the importance of public service motivation of health workers in pandemic response, as previous studies have found. This finding suggests that the government and policymakers in Vietnam should develop policies to promote health workers' public service motivation during their engagement in response to the health crisis.&nbsp

USING PROBLEM-BASED SITUATIONS IN TEACHING FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A STUDY ON THE VIETNAMESE CURRICULUM

Resolving issues in problem-based situations requires creativity and flexible thinking. Teaching through such scenarios not only creates engaging learning environments but also fosters holistic student development by promoting critical thinking, creativity, and social skills. Elementary school students are rapidly growing physically and mentally. Educating them on problem-solving at this stage establishes a strong foundation for future success. Implementing problem-based scenarios in teaching helps students learn to handle challenging situations, building confidence and creativity. By using such scenarios, students can connect the knowledge they acquire with real-life experiences, enhancing their understanding of its importance and application. This article explores theoretical principles for integrating problem-based scenarios in education, proposes a methodology, and presents various types of problem-based scenarios in elementary school instruction to enhance teaching effectiveness.  Article visualizations

Level of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Financial Performance: A Case Study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Research aims: This study examines the influence of firm size, firm age, current ratio, and type of audit company on the corporate social responsibility disclosure level and its impact on the financial performance of listed enterprises in Vietnam.Design/Methodology/Approach: Financial data were collected from the annual reports of 109 enterprises listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, Vietnam, from 2016 to 2020. This research employed the Random Effects Model (REM), Fixed Effects Model (FEM), and Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) to deal with the drawbacks of the regression models, as mentioned.Research findings: The findings support the positive influence of firm size, firm age, and the type of auditing firm on the level of CSR information disclosure of listed manufacturing enterprises. Also, the extent of CSR disclosure positively affected financial performance, confirming the positive relationship between CSR disclosure level and financial performance.Theoretical contribution/Originality: This study contributes to governance theory by expanding and combining stakeholder and legitimacy theories with criteria for measuring the level of CSR disclosure in the Vietnamese context. Therefore, the study results are a valuable reference for theorists who tirelessly pursue the CSR topic.Practitioner/Policy implication: This study proposes recommendations for practitioners who should focus on enhancing the level of CSR disclosure to generate more benefits and result in better financial performance. Also, policy implications should be raising the senior managers’ awareness of the level of CSR disclosure, firm size, firm age, and type of audit and establishing a stable legal framework for the level of CSR disclosure in line with international standards and practices.Research limitation/Implication: The sample data were only collected from manufacturing companies listed on Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, and the analyzed content and measurement of the level of CSR disclosure primely relied on the enterprises’ annual reports

Potential mitigation contribution from coffee agroforestry in three regions of Viet Nam

Coffee agroforestry is one of the main agroforestry systems in Viet Nam in terms of total land area in the country, potential economic contribution, and ecosystem services provided by the shading tree species in the system. This report presents the results of a study that aimed to estimate potential mitigation contribution from carbon storage from coffee agroforestry systems in the three regions of the country. The estimated C storage of arabica coffee systems in the Northwest region of Viet Nam ranges from 2.6 to 17.0 ton ha-1. Potential storage at province level reaches 246,224 ton in Son La province, as it has a higher total area of coffee plantations than Dien Bien province. In the Southeast and Central Highlands region, the estimated C storage of robusta and arabica coffee agroforestry systems ranges from 5.8 to 10.4 ton ha-1, in general due to variation in shading tree species and density. The potential C storage at province level can reach up to 2.1 million ton as in the case of Dak Lak province. From local interviews with provincial authorities and smallholder farmers in the three regions, stakeholders could see the economic and environmental benefits that can be derived from the coffee agroforestry systems. However, the lack of knowledge in planting design and plot management options constrain farmers from transforming their coffee monoculture into agroforestry systems, or expanding the system into available areas for coffee cultivation. We recommend that the provincial authorities keep supporting and encouraging research on coffee agroforestry and provide reliable technical guidance for farmers to develop coffee agroforestry systems with appropriate design

The Possibility of ECERS and SSTEW as View Point of Process Quality over Countries: Focusing on the Practices of Asia-Pacific Region

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibilities of ECERS (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale) and SSTEW (Sustained Shared Thinking Emotional Well-being) between countries through defining the common characteristics of the Asia-Pacific region. Recently, discussions on the process quality in the quality of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) have been increasing. At the same time, rating scales for process quality have been developed and become popularized. This study focused on ECERS-3 and SSTEW. In our previous study, we defined the common characteristics of the Asia-Pacific region through analyzing “Innovative Pedagogical Approaches in Early Childhood Care and Education” (UNESCO, 2015). That research led to considering the possibility of using ECERS-3 and SSTEW. There are two main findings. First, it has been used as evaluation tools prior to now, but this study identified the characteristics of ECEC across the Asia-Pacific region. Second, we suggested a new use for ECERS and SSTEW compared with the original version with respect to the capture of various characteristics. We captured the characteristics from watching video, in about ten minutes. In the original version, we had to observe for three-four hours, but our purpose was to explore the possibilities. Two scales were used and the results were judged valid when similar items were checked. Thus, this study served as a new try about rating scales.本研究の成果の一部はThe First joint Symposium on Education by Hong Kong Baptist University and Hiroshima University で発表した

IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A PURPLE NONSULFUR BACTERIUM ISOLATED FROM COASTAL AREA OF HAI PHONG FOR USING IN PRODUCTION OF UNSATURATED FATTY ACID (OMEGA 6, 7, 9)

Purple nonsulfur bacteria are a group that has so much biotechnological applications, particularly in producing of functional food rich with unsaturated fatty acids. A purple nonsulfur bacterium (named HPB.6) was chosen based on its strong growth, high lipid and synthesis of unsaturated fatty acid (omega 6,7,9). Studying on basic biological characteristics showed that the cells of HPB.6 were observed as ovoid-rod shape, none motility, Gram negative staining. The diameter of single bacterium was about 0.8-1.0 µm. The cells divide by binary fission and had bacteriochlorophyll a (Bchl a). This bacterium grew well on medium with carbon and nitrogen sources such as acetate, succinate, pyruvate, butyrate, glutamate, arginine, leucine, tyrosine, alanine, methionine, threonine, glutamine, yeast extract and NH4Cl. This selected strain grew well on medium with salt concentrations from 1.5 - 6.0% (optimum 3%), pH from 5.0 to 8.0 (optimum at pH 6.5) and could withstand Na2S at 4.0 - 5.2 mM. Based on morphological, physiological properties and 16S rRNA analysis received demonstrated that HPB.6 strain belongs to the species Rhodovulum sulfidophilum

Biocontrol of Alternaria alternata YZU, a causal of stem end rot disease on pitaya, with soil phosphate solubilizing bacteria

Stem end rot is the most destructive disease caused by Alternaria alternata YZU in pitaya-growing regions of Vietnam. This study was conducted to characterize antagonistic phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) from rhizosphere soil for their biocontrol activities against A. alternata YZU and evaluate the effect of temperature, pH, and water activity on that antagonism. Among seven PSB isolated from 45 rhizosphere soil samples, PSB31 (identified as Bacillus sp. strain IMAU61039, Accession number: MF803700.1) exhibited the highest antagonistic activity against A. alternata YZU with an average inhibition diameter of 0.65 ± 0.05 cm. The results also show that the strain PSB31 controlled the mycelial growth of A. alternata YZU by secreting antifungal metabolites. The most potent inhibitory activity was identified under in vitro conditions of 25 °C, pH 7, and aw 1. The isolated PSB31 could be a potential biological control agent against A. alternata YZU

Potential mitigation contribution from agroforestry to Viet Nam’s NDC

Viet Nam is among the 196 Parties in the Paris Agreement that has committed to low-emission development pathways. The country has formulated national climate change mitigation strategies that relate to forestry and agricultural sector, with a potential revision in 2019 that can include agroforestry (AF), provided that the potential mitigation contribution from this sector can be monitored and reported. This paper presents two approaches to measurement and reporting of AF, based on potential expansion domain (PED) of main AF systems in different regions across the country and the spatial distribution of trees outside forests (TOF), to estimate the potential mitigation contribution from AF, represented by total aboveground carbon (C) sequestration at national scale. Based on the PED approach, the total PED area of different AFs such as coffee, rubber or acacia-based, not including natural forest lands, is ≈10.1 million ha, or about 1/3 of the total land area in the country. Assuming the baseline land uses in the PED can be classified as “cultivated and managed lands,” which according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has an average C stock 5 ton ha-1, expansion of the main AF systems across the country results in 262 ± 77 million tons of sequestered C per year, for ten years after plantation. The related total establishment cost for the expansion is USD 24.3 ± 11.3 billion. Using the TOF approach to estimate total tree coverage outside natural forest lands in 2010, total C storage of AF in Viet Nam is ≈355 million ton C, with an average of ≈21.8 ton C ha-1 from ≈20 million ha or about 2/3 of the total land area in the country. Comparing the PED and TOF approach under similar land coverage area of ≈10.1 million ha, the latter estimates a total C storage of ≈ 220 million ton C. By assuming it as total baseline C storage for the PED approach, the potential C gain from AF expansion is ≈92 million ton C, compared to ≈262 million ton C under the assumption of 5 ton ha-1 as average C stock for baseline land uses. This potential mitigation contribution from AF can be reported to relevant authorities, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and its sub-institutions, that have a mandate to revise the potential mitigation contribution from the Agriculture and Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry sector to the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The challenges in integrating the potential contribution from AF to the agriculture sector or land use sector that focuses on forestry, or as a segregated land use category, should be further discussed with the relevant authorities

Ammonia oxidation capacity of bacillus bacteria in swine wastewater after biogas treatment

Nitrogen removal with biological methods plays a crucial role in wastewater treatment technology. The treatment begins with the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite to facilitate the subsequent nitrification and denitrification. Various strains of ammonia-oxidising bacteria have been reported. In this study, we use three Bacillus bacteria isolated from swine wastewater to oxidise ammonia. Different initial densities (103, 104, 105, and 106 CFU·mL–1) of each strain were examined. The results show that the combination of all the bacteria at a ratio of 1:1:1 and a density of 105 CFU·mL–1 exhibits the most effect. The findings contribute to the diversity of ammonia-oxidising bacterial species and pose a great potential for applying these strains in wastewater treatment

Nitrite metabolism of several bacterial strains isolated from abattoir and swine wastewater after biogas treatment

In nitrogen treatment with biological methods, nitrite metabolism is an intermediate process that facilitates other processes involving different bacteria strains. In this study, we isolated two nitrite-oxidising bacteria strains from abattoir wastewater and wastewater from biogas tanks of an industrial pig farm in Ha Tinh province. The bacteria strains grow, develop, and metabolise nitrite at pH 6–8 and 30–37 °C. The samples with the nitrite concentration up to 750 mg·L–1 were oxidised within four days of incubation, and the nitrite metabolism rate was proportional to the concentration of nitrite tested. Under severe conditions (salinity up to 3% NaCl, a low dissolved oxygen level of 0.1 mg·L–1), the two isolated bacterial strains exhibited their effective growth and nitrite metabolism capacity. The results enrich the database of nitrite-oxidising bacteria and are prospective in wastewater treatment