A model of mother tongue-based bilingual education in Vietnam: Achievements and lessons learnt

This articlesummarizes findings from the implementation of the mother tongue-based bilingual education model and the tracer study on the students who participated in the mother tongue-based bilingual education program at preschool and primary schools and transitioned to higher levels of education in the framework of the UNICEFfunded "Learning for children" project. The research team would like to thank UNICEF Viet Nam,the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Departments of Education and Training of Lao Cai, Gia Lai and Tra Vinh provinces, and educational managers, teachers and students in the three provinces for their support and cooperation.Education practices in ethnic minority areas in Vietnam with regional and ethnic differences influence its educational development. In particular, the language difference is a factor because the language used in teaching and learning is Vietnamese, not the mother tongue. Therefore, the mother tonguebased bilingual education model was developed to provide quick and convenient access to Vietnamese (the nation’s official language) and knowledge for students in ethnic minority areas. Its approach is to use the ethnic students’ mother tongues as the initial foundation in their first schooling years. The outstanding results of the successfully tested model have contributed to the improvement of the quality of ethnic minority education in Vietnam

ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF AGRITOURISM IN BINH DINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM

This study evaluates the potential for agritourism development in Binh Dinh Province, Central Vietnam. The analytical hierarchical process is used to determine the weights of four factors with 25 measurement criteria to assess agritourism potential. The research results show that Binh Dinh Province has great agritourism potential based on four evaluation factors, including (1) local agricultural tourism resources, (2) the trend for agritourism development and the agritourism market, (3) the local community’s willingness, and (4) the supporting activities of the local government. In particular, the local agricultural tourism resources factor received the highest score, followed by the local community’s willingness and the supporting activities of the local government. The trend for agritourism development and the agritourism market was rated the lowest. Therefore, Binh Dinh has viable opportunities to encourage the growth of agritourism to improve farmers’ livelihoodsDu lịch nông nghiệp đem lại nhiều cơ hội cho phát triển kinh tế cũng như đa dạng hóa các loại hình du lịch và cải thiện đời sống sinh kế của người dân. Nghiên cứu sử dụng phương pháp phân tích thứ bậc (AHP) để tính các trọng số của các tiêu chí đánh giá tiềm năng phát triển du lịch nông nghiệp tại các huyện, thị xã phía bắc tỉnh Bình Định. Tiếp theo, kết quả mô hình hóa sơ đồ mạng cho thấy cả 4 địa phương An Lão, Hoài Ân, Phù Mỹ, thị xã Hoài Nhơn đều được đánh giá ở mức điểm cao về tiềm năng phát triển du lịch nông nghiệp trên các khía cạnh tài nguyên du lịch, xu hướng phát triển du lịch, sự ủng hộ của người dân địa phương và sự quan tâm của chính quyền địa phương. Tuy nhiên, yếu tố xu hướng phát triển thị trường du lịch nông nghiệp được đánh giá ở mức điểm thấp hơn. Điều này cũng xuất phát từ việc phát triển du lịch nông nghiệp tại các huyện, thị xã phía Bắc tỉnh Bình Định cũng mới bắt đầu nhận được sự quan tâm trong vài năm gần đây, số lượt khách tham quan các huyện, thị xã phía Bắc tỉnh Bình Định còn ít so với tiềm năng du lịch của địa bàn

STUDY ON NITRIFICATION PROCESS BY AERATED SUBMERGED BIOFILTER (ASBF)

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

Sesquiterpenes and sterols from the soft coral Sinularia cruciata

Two sesquiterpenes as sinularianin D (1) and 1S*,4S*,5S*,10R*-4,10-guaianediol (2), and three sterols as 24-methylenecholestane-3β,5α,6β-triol-6-monoacetate (3), 3β,7α-dihydroxyergosta-5,24(28)-diene (4), and 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-17-one (5), were isolated from a methanol extract of the soft coral Sinularia cruciata. Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D-NMR experiments and comparison of their NMR data with reported values. This is the first report of these compounds from S. cruciat

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

TRITERPENOID AND STEROL COMPOUNDS ISOLATED FROM ANODENDRON PANICULATUM (ROXB.) A. DC.

This phytochemical study on the aerial parts of Anodendron paniculatum led to the isolation of three triterpenes, namely ursolic acid (1), esculentic acid (2), cycloartenol (3), and one sterol: desmosterol (4). Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds against the growth of human cancer cell lines was evaluated using the sulforhodamine B bioassay. Compounds 1 exhibited a moderate cytotoxicity against the LU–1 and MKN–7 cell lines with IC50 values of 44.37 ± 5.40 and 30.89 ± 3.60 μg/mL, respectively. Meanwhile, compound 4 possessed moderate cytotoxic effects toward the LU–1, KB, Hep–G2, MKN–7 and SW–480 cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 28.11 ± 1.95 to 41.41 ± 2.31 μg/mL

Study on biocharacteristics of Symbiodinium sp. isolated from soft coral in coastal water of Quang Nam, south central Vietnam

Phototrophic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium (= zooxanthellae) are well known as symbionts of corals. They play an important role in maintaining the healthy as well as establishment of new reefs. In addition, products such as toxins or pigments from these symbiotic microalgae are potentially important for applications in the biomedical sciences, especially in new drug development. In this study, we isolated successfully a symbiotic microalga from soft coral Sinularia sp. which was collected in Cu Lao Cham coastal waters of Quang Nam province. Based on morphological characteristics and 18S rRNA gene sequences, isolated SHM8 strain was identified as Symbiodinium goreaui. This symbiont was cultured in different media such as ASP-A8, F2, ES, IMK, K, and L1. L1 culture medium supplemented with taurine concentration of 4.88 mM led to the cell density of SHM8 strain increased in 50% compared to control on day 2 in cultivation; amino acid mixture enhanced cell density by 31.7% on day 5 in cultivation. Supplementation of carbon source (bicarbonate salt of 16.8 g/L) and nitrogen source (nitrate salt of 0.055 g/L) enhanced the cell density by 40% and 27%, respectively on day 6 in culture. Obtained results in this study proved that this microalga can live independently without host. Successful isolation and cultivation of Symbiodinium microalga are one of the necessary conditions for promising researches on the natural bioactive substances from this microalgal biomass in the future in Vietnam.   Citation: Dang Diem Hong, Pham Van Nhat, Hoang Thi Huong Quynh, Luu Thi Tam, Ngo Thi Hoai Thu, Nguyen Cam Ha, Hoang Thi Lan Anh, Nguyen Hoai Nam, Nguyen Thi Minh Hang, Chau Van Minh, 2017. Study on biocharacteristics of Symbiodinium sp. isolated from soft coral in coastal water of Quang Nam, south central Vietnam. Tap chi Sinh hoc, 39(3): 367-375. DOI: 10.15625/0866-7160/v39n3.10112. *Corresponding author: [email protected] Received 19 June 2017, accepted 20 August 201

The Complete Chloroplast Genome of An <i>Ophiorrhiza baviensis</i> Drake Species Reveals Its Molecular Structure, Comparative, and Phylogenetic Relationships

Ophiorrhiza baviensis Drake, a flowering medical plant in the Rubiaceae, exists uncertainly within the Ophiorrhiza genus’ evolutionary relationships. For the first time, the whole chloroplast (cp) genome of an O. baviensis Drake species was sequenced and annotated. Our findings demonstrate that the complete cp genome of O. baviensis is 154,770 bp in size, encoding a total of 128 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNAs, and 33 tRNAs. A total of 59 SSRs were screened in the studied cp genome, along with six highly variable loci, which can be applied to generate significant molecular markers for the Ophiorrhiza genus. The comparative analysis of the O. baviensis cp genome with two published others of the Ophiorrhiza genus revealed a high similarity; however, there were some notable gene rearrangements in the O. densa plastome. The maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the concatenation of the rps16 gene and the trnL-trnF intergenic spacer sequence, indicating a close relationship between the studied O. baviensis and other Ophiorrhiza. This study will provide a theoretical molecular basis for identifying O. baviensis Drake, as well as species of the Ophiorrhiza genus, and contribute to shedding light on the chloroplast genome evolution of Rubiaceae

ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA NHIỆT ĐỘ THIÊU KẾT ĐẾN MỘT SỐ TÍNH CHẤT VẬT LÝ CỦA HỆ GỐM (K0,5Na0,5)NbO3

This paper reports the synthesis of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) ceramics by using an improved conventional method. The influence of sintering temperatures of the fabricated ceramics on the piezoelectric and dielectric properties was studied. It was found that density increases greatly within a narrow temperature range, and reaches the highest value of 4.2 g/cm3 at 1090 °C, corresponding to a dense microstructure with the tetragonal grain shape. However, when sintering temperature slightly exceeds the optimal one, the density tends to decrease, accompanied by the appearance of abnormal grain growth, which is considered to be due to the intensified volatilization of alkali metal oxides. At a sintering temperature of 1090 °C, the highest values of electromechanical coupling factor (kp) and the piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of the ceramics being 0.22 and 61 pC/N, respectively, may be related to homogenous grains size of orthorhombic phase.Hệ gốm K0,5Na0,5NbO3 (KNN) được chế tạo thành công bằng phương pháp phản ứng pha rắn. Ảnh hưởng của nhiệt độ thiêu kết đến tính chất điện môi và áp điện của hệ gốm KNN đã được nghiên cứu. Kết quả thực nghiệm cho thấy mật độ gốm biến thiên khi tăng nhiệt độ thiêu kết và đạt giá trị cao nhất là 4,2 g/cm3 khi thiêu kết tại 1090 °C, tương ứng với sự hình thành các hạt gốm có dạng tứ giác phân bố khá đồng đều. Tại nhiệt độ thiêu kết 1090 °C, gốm có hệ số liên kết điện cơ theo phương bán kính (kp) và hệ số áp điện (d33) đạt giá trị cao nhất, lần lượt là 0,22 và 61 pC/N, ứng với kích thước các hạt gốm khá đồng đều

Characterizing Seasonal Variation in Landfill Leachate Using Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) at Nam Son Solid Waste Landfill in Hanoi, Vietnam

The improper treatment of landfill leachates is one of the major problems associated with waste landfilling and causes serious environmental pollution at waste landfill sites and their surroundings. To develop a suitable landfill leachate treatment system and to minimize the risk of environmental pollution, it is important to characterize seasonal and temporal variations of landfill leachates. This study investigated the leachate quality of the Nam Son waste landfill in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2017–2019 and characterized the potential risks of landfill leachate using a leachate pollution index (LPI). The results of this study showed that the seasonal and temporal variation of the overall LPI during the monitoring period was small and in the range of 20–25 (values 2.5 times higher than the maximum permissible limits of Vietnam National Technical Regulation on Industrial Wastewater). The LPI sub-indices attributed to organic and inorganic pollutants were major components of the LPI. Especially, the annually averaged values of LPI of inorganic pollutants were 7.7 times higher than the maximum permissible limits, suggesting that the treatment of inorganic pollutants, such as ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+–N) and total nitrogen (TN), is highly required at Nam Son landfill to prevent environmental pollution surrounding the landfill site