DIPLOMATIC STRUGGLE FOR MAINTAINING THE REVOLUTION AND STRENGTHENING THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT IN VIETNAM FROM SEPTEMBER 1945 TO THE 1946 PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT

After the successful August 1945 Revolution in Vietnam, the imperialist forces and reactionary henchmen in Vietnam conspired together to attempt to overthrow the newly established revolutionary government and destroy the achievements of the Vietnamese revolution. In this extremely dangerous situation, relying on the revolutionary momentum and strength of the newly liberated nation, the diplomatic struggle was soon deployed with clever and flexible strategies and measures that contributed to an important part in creating a temporary pause in order to maintain and strengthen the revolutionary government and to take advantage of preparing the strength for the national resistance war. The article focuses on clarifying the process of peaceful diplomatic struggle with Chiang Kai-shek's army in North Vietnam and stepping up the resistance against the French colonialists' re-invasion in South Vietnam by the Indochinese Communist Party and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The process of diplomatic struggle was deferred with France, coming to a preliminary agreement on March 6, 1946, pushing Chiang Kai-shek's army out of Vietnam.  Article visualizations

IMPLEMENTING “THE GREAT UNION OF THE PEOPLE” TO PROTECT AND BUILD A REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT IN VIETNAM IN THE PERIOD 1945 – 1946

The strength of a country lies in its people. In order to succeed in every revolutionary cause, that source of strength must be exploited and mobilized first. Over the past 90 years, the Communist Party of Vietnam has had many successes and valuable experiences in promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc, typically in the years 1945-1946. By properly and creatively solving the problem of national unity, the Party has mobilized the entire nation's potential to the fullest in the work of protecting and building the government, bringing the revolution through the perilous period, creating the premise for glorious victories in the long-term resistance war against French colonialism and American imperialism and today's doi moi. The article focuses on clarifying the requirement to unite the whole people in Vietnam after the August Revolution in 1945, contents and measures to unite and unify the whole people in the years 1945-1946 and draws some comments.  Article visualizations

Responses of Daphnia Magna to Chronic Exposure of Cadmium and Nickel Mixtures

The present study assessed the chronic toxicity of cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) mixtures to Daphnia magna. Using a titration design, Ni concentrations of 20, 40, 80, 100, 120, 140, and 160 μg/L were tested alone and simultaneously titrated in increments against a constant concentration of 1.5 μg/L Cd. The results demonstrated that Cd at 1.5 μg/L was highly toxic to D. magna, and Ni alone concentrations ≥80 μg/L were toxic to D. magna survival, reproduction, and growth. No Ni alone concentration was found to induce a toxic effect on undeveloped embryos and the time to first brood. Only the Ni alone treatment containing 200 μg/L affected the reproductive rates of D. magna. For CdNi mixtures, Ni concentrations of 20, 40, and 80 μg/L were found to strongly protect D. magna from Cd toxicity at the survival and growth endpoints, resulting in less-than-additive effects, but not on the reproductive endpoint. At higher concentrations, Ni exceeded the necessary concentration needed to protect D. magna, and appeared to contribute to the toxicity. Overall, the results of metal uptake support the competitive binding mechanism at the biotic ligand and explain the less-than-additive effects observed in the CdNi mixtures concentration. The embryonic effects of CdNi mixtures are not explained by the competitive binding mechanism at the biotic ligand. More research is needed to determine the mechanisms that produce embryonic impairment when cellular metals interact. Overall, the results of the present study are relevant for the development of improved environmental quality guidelines for metal mixtures

Toward Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for Asia

Environmental and human health challenges are pronounced in Asia, an exceptionally diverse and complex region where influences of global megatrends are extensive and numerous stresses to environmental quality exist. Identifying priorities necessary to engage grand challenges can be facilitated through horizon scanning exercises, and to this end we identified and examined 23 priority research questions needed to advance toward more sustainable environmental quality in Asia, as part of the Global Horizon Scanning Project. Advances in environmental toxicology, environmental chemistry, biological monitoring, and risk‐assessment methodologies are necessary to address the adverse impacts of environmental stressors on ecosystem services and biodiversity, with Asia being home to numerous biodiversity hotspots. Intersections of the food–energy–water nexus are profound in Asia; innovative and aggressive technologies are necessary to provide clean water, ensure food safety, and stimulate energy efficiency, while improving ecological integrity and addressing legacy and emerging threats to public health and the environment, particularly with increased aquaculture production. Asia is the largest chemical‐producing continent globally. Accordingly, sustainable and green chemistry and engineering present decided opportunities to stimulate innovation and realize a number of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Engaging the priority research questions identified herein will require transdisciplinary coordination through existing and nontraditional partnerships within and among countries and sectors. Answering these questions will not be easy but is necessary to achieve more sustainable environmental quality in Asia. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1485–1505. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC

Microplastic Ingestion by Daphnia Magna and its Enhancement on Algal Growth

The rapid increase in plastic use over the last few decades has resulted in plastic pollution in freshwater and marine ecosystems. However, more attention has been paid to plastic pollution in marine ecosystems than to freshwater ecosystems. This research determined microplastic ingestion by Daphnia magna and the potential effect of microplastics on the organism\u27s survival and reproduction. The study also examined the potential of microplastics to enhance algal growth in support of understanding effects of microplastic ingestion on the organism. When exposed to 25, 50, and 100 mg/L fluorescent green polyethylene microbeads at size of 63–75 μm, D. magna ingested significant amount of plastic microbeads. The number of ingested beads increased with increasing particle concentration and exposure time. However, no significant effect on survival and reproduction was observed although the gut of D. magna was filled with plastic microbeads. In the algal experiment, Raphidocelis subcapitata grew more in the exposure media with the present of plastic microbeads than without plastic microbeads. This result suggests that plastic microbeads could serve as substrates for R. subcapitata to grow. Raphidocelis subcapitata then could be transferred to the organism\u27s gut and provided energy for survival and reproduction. Results of the present study add to the literature of microplastic ingestion by aquatic organisms. Caution should be taken when interpreting hazards of microplastics based on ingestion, such as the measurement unit and the presence of algae in the environment

Effects of Contaminated St. Lucie River Saltwater Sediments on an Amphipod (Ampelisca abdita) and a Hard-Shell Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria)

The St. Lucie estuary (SLE) ecosystem in South Florida has been shown to be contaminated with metals and pesticides. Our earlier studies also showed that aquatic organisms, especially benthic species in the SLE ecosystem, might be potentially at high risk from copper (Cu) exposure. The objectives of this study were to conduct studies with separate groups of organisms exposed to seven field-collected sediment samples from the St. Lucie River according to standard procedures to evaluate toxicity and tissue concentrations of Cu and zinc (Zn). Short term and longer term whole sediment acute toxicity studies were performed with Ampelisca abdita and Mercenaria mercenaria. Analysis of sediment chemical characteristics showed that Cu and Zn are of most concern because their concentrations in 86 % of the sediments were higher than the threshold effect concentrations for Florida sediment quality criteria and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Screening Quick Reference Tables (SQuiRTs) sediment values. There was no significant effect on survival of the tested organisms. However, increased Cu and Zn concentrations in the test organisms were found. Dry weight of the tested organisms was also inversely related to Cu and Zn concentrations in sediments and organisms. The effects on organism weight and Cu and Zn uptake raise concerns about the organism population dynamics of the ecosystem because benthic organisms are primary food sources in the SLE system and are continuously exposed to Cu- and Zn-contaminated sediments throughout their life cycle. The results of the present study also indicate that Cu and Zn exposures by way of sediment ingestion are important routes of exposure

EFFECTS OF pH OF TEOS SOLUTION ON MORPHOLOGY, THERMAL STABILITY AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF EVA/SILICA NANOCOMPOSITES PREPARED BY SOL-GEL METHOD

Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer/silica nanocomposites (EVA/silica) were prepared by mixing EVA solutions and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) solutions. Silica particles were formed through sol-gel mechanism with the aid of hydrochloric acid catalyst and dispersed in EVA matrix. The pH of TEOS solutions was controlled from 1 to 6. The influence of pH on formation of silica in EVA matrix, as well as morphology, thermal stability of the nanocomposites were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The FTIR spectra of the nanocomposites clearly indicated the presence of silica in EVA matrix, the shifts of Si-O stretching vibration in the nanocomposites in comparison with pure silica were also observed. This can be explained by hydrogen bonding between SiOH groups of the silica and carbonyl groups of vinyl acetate units in EVA. The TGA results of the nanocomposites showed that silica could improve thermal stability of EVA. Comparing preparation conditions at pH from 1 to 4, it is clear that at the lower pH the higher content of silica was formed in EVA matrix, 3.78; 3.70; 2.50 and 2.09 wt.% respectively. The FESEM images of the nanocomposites showed that nanoscale dispersion of silica was observed obviously at pH of 4 - 6, whereas during their preparation at pH of 1 - 3, the obtained silica particles formed mainly in microscale. The pH also affected on the mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break) of EVA/silica nanocomposites. At pH of 1 - 3, the silica particles formed mainly in larger size, thereby they reduced the mechanical properties of EVA. At pH of 4 - 6, the nanosilica particles had significantly improved mechanical properties of EVA, particularly at pH of 4. The improvement of shear modulus of EVA/silica was also discussed

PREPARATION AND FTIR STUDIES OF PMMA/PVC POLYMER BLENDS, PVC-g-PMMA GRAFT COPOLYMERS AND EVALUATING GRAFT CONTENT

This study presents the qualitative and quantitative analyses of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl chloride) blends (PMMA/PVC), as well as PVC-g-PMMA graft copolymers. Graft copolymerizations of methyl mathacrylate (MMA) onto PVC macromolecules were carried out mixture of cyclohexanone/N,N-dimethylformamide as solvents, dibenzoyl peroxide as initiator and nitrogen medium. FTIR spectra of PMMA/PVC blends showed that there were molecular interactions between C=O groups of PMMA and C-Cl groups of PVC. Assignments of infrared absorption bands for specific groups of PMMA/PVC blends have been contributed. Using regression method, linear calibration curve between PMMA mole content and peak areas of C=O groups in FTIR spectra of the blends has been found when C=O peak areas were multiplied by an appropriate factor. PMMA grafted content and total PMMA formed content in PVC-g-PMMA graft copolymers have been evaluated. The results showed that grafted PMMA content was increased since PVC was initiatly dechlorinated by NaOH solution. The grafted PMMA content and total formed PMMA content were 5.05 wt.% and 11.25 wt.% respectively when MMA monomers were grafted onto neat PVC and modified PVC molecules

STUDY ON INSPECTION OF THE PUTATIVE HYBRIDS BETWEEN TRACK-LACKING WILD MALE GAUR (BOS GAURUS) AND DOMESTIC FEMALE COW (BOS TAURUS) IN PHUOC BINH NATIONAL PARK, VIETNAM

Hybridization between wild and domestic bovine occurs widely due to the overlapping of the natural habitat of the wild and human farm animals. Due to the loss of habitat, the number of wild gaur (Bos gaurus) in Vietnam was in serious decline. Since 2009, a male wild gaur (Bos gaurus) has appeared and incorporated with female domestic cows (Bos taurus) in buffer zone Phuoc Binh National Park, on the border with Lam Dong and Ninh Thuan provinces. Then, several calves were born that carried some traits of wild gaur including physical characteristics and behaviors. These calves were supposed to be offspring between wild gaur and domestic cows. In previous study, the karyotypes of putative calves were identified with 2n = 58 and non-homologous chromosome 28 and 29 in these hybrids. In this study, we characterized the putative hybrids between track-lacking Bos gaurus and Bos taurus for breeding and preservation using Cytochrome b analysis, microsatellites and a novel marker growth hormone factor 1 (POU1F1). Cytochrome b analysis indicated the maternal lineage of the putative hybrids, with 100% nucleotide sequence identity. Microsatellite BM861 and sequence of ZFY gene region reveal Bos taurus chromosome Y origin was among the male putative hybrids. Importantly, the analysis of POU1F1 gene sequence on 1 chromosome showed efficacy in determining both Bos gaurus and Bos taurus lineage in the putative hybrids. The karyotyping results were confirmed by molecular analysis and our results provide a feasible way for detecting the putative hybrids between wild and domestic cattle in case of lacking the wild trace