The role of urban agriculture for a resilient city

Humans are simultaneously facing challenges as climate change, epidemics and scarcity of food and water. It is estimated that by 2021 over 690 million of people will face hunger; by 2050 the global population will increase up to 10 billion with 68% of the population living in urban areas. By providing 30% of self-sufficient food in 2030, urban agriculture will be a practical concept to face these challenges. The work studies the role of agricultural land as a critical part for a resilient city. Parameters related to food production are also explored. As study case, this work aims to investigate the current food security of the Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC), offering productive green solutions at different scales from land-use planning, urban design to green roofs. For a production of 6.7 kg/day of vegetables a day, the costs of are approximately $10,000 for nearly 5.6 square meters of land; this points out A-Go-Gro technology as an effective measure for vertical farming. For example, 0.18 ha of green space can produce 2 tons of vegetables per day in the Lake View settlement (district 2 in HCMC). Moreover, due to green roofs, stormwater volumes directed into the sewer system are decreased by 65% and the penetration of electromagnetic radiation is reduced by 99.4%.Loài người đang đồng thời đối mặt với những thách thức như biến đổi khí hậu, dịch bệnh, khan hiếm thực phẩm và nước. Ước tính đến năm 2021 có hơn 690 triệu người đói và đến năm 2050 dân số toàn cầu tăng lên gần 10 tỷ người, với 68% sống ở khu vực thành thị. Được sử dụng để tự cung tự cấp 30% lương thực vào năm 2030, nông nghiệp đô thị là một khái niệm hiệu quả cho những thách thức. Bài báo là nghiên cứu đất nông nghiệp như một phần quan trọng cho một thành phố có khả năng phục hồi. Các thông số liên quan đến sản xuất lương thực được nghiên cứu. Bài báo cũng tìm hiểu an ninh lương thực của thành phố Hồ Chí Minh hiện nay. Hơn nữa, bài báo đưa ra các giải pháp phủ xanh hiệu quả trên các quy mô khác từ quy hoạch sử dụng đất, thiết kế đô thị đến mái nhà xanh tại các hộ gia đình. Với chi phí 10.000 USD và gần 5,6 mét vuông đất trồng 6,7 kg rau mỗi ngày, công nghệ A-Go-Gro là một biện pháp hữu hiệu cho canh tác theo chiều dọc. Như vậy 0,18 ha không gian xanh có thể sản xuất 2 tấn rau mỗi ngày tại khu dân cư Lake View ở quận 2. Hơn nữa, bằng cách làm mái nhà xanh, nước mưa giảm đến 65% vào hệ thống cống và sự xâm nhập bức xạ điện từ giảm 99,4%

DNA barcoding for identification of some fish species (Carangidae) in Vietnam coastal area

Carangidae family has got about 148 species belonging to 32 genera. In Vietnam, Carangidae is of high commercial value and playing an important role in the ecosystem. In the context Vietnam has received yellow card for seafood since Nov. 2017 by the EU, in which one of the main reasons was related to the restriction of traceability. In this study, DNA barcoding technique of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was used to classify 56 specimens of Carangidae from three coastal areas (Northern, Central and Southern) in Vietnam to evaluate the effectiveness compared to the morphological classification method. Results showed that 21 species belonging to 16 genera were determined by the COI barcode while 18 species (16 genera) were determined when using morphological method. Seriola quinqueradiata and Trachinotus anak were newly recorded in Vietnam. From 56 sequences with 660 bp of mtDNA (COI), total 27 haplotypes were detected; haplotype diversity (h) and nucleotide diversity (π) were 0.903 ± 0.00060 and 0.14%, respectively. The DNA barcodes of COI gene of 21 species in Carangidae which were developed in this study could be used as a basis for comparison and traceability of their products. In addition, the results showed the high potentiality in using COI barcode to identify Carangidae fish in Vietnam

A Multi-Center Randomized Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Gatifloxacin versus Ciprofloxacin for the Treatment of Shigellosis in Vietnamese Children

The bacterial genus Shigella is the most common cause of dysentery (diarrhea containing blood and/or mucus) and the disease is common in developing countries with limitations in sanitation. Children are most at risk of infection and frequently require hospitalization and antimicrobial therapy. The WHO currently recommends the fluoroquinolone, ciprofloxacin, for the treatment of childhood Shigella infections. In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of organisms that exhibit resistance to nalidixic acid (an antimicrobial related to ciprofloxacin), corresponding with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. We hypothesized that infections with Shigella strains that demonstrate resistance to nalidixic acid may prevent effective treatment with ciprofloxacin. We performed a randomized controlled trial to compare 3 day ciprofloxacin therapy with 3 days of gatifloxacin, a newer generation fluoroquinolone with greater activity than ciprofloxacin. We measured treatment failure and time to the cessation of individual disease symptoms in 249 children with dysentery treated with gatifloxacin and 245 treated with ciprofloxacin. We could identify no significant differences in treatment failure between the two groups or in time to the cessation of individual symptoms. We conclude that, in Vietnam, ciprofloxacin and gatifloxacin are similarly effective for the treatment of acute dysentery

Prospects for Food Fermentation in South-East Asia, Topics From the Tropical Fermentation and Biotechnology Network at the End of the AsiFood Erasmus+Project

Fermentation has been used for centuries to produce food in South-East Asia and some foods of this region are famous in the whole world. However, in the twenty first century, issues like food safety and quality must be addressed in a world changing from local business to globalization. In Western countries, the answer to these questions has been made through hygienisation, generalization of the use of starters, specialization of agriculture and use of long-distance transportation. This may have resulted in a loss in the taste and typicity of the products, in an extensive use of antibiotics and other chemicals and eventually, in a loss in the confidence of consumers to the products. The challenges awaiting fermentation in South-East Asia are thus to improve safety and quality in a sustainable system producing tasty and typical fermented products and valorising by-products. At the end of the “AsiFood Erasmus+ project” (www.asifood.org), the goal of this paper is to present and discuss these challenges as addressed by the Tropical Fermentation Network, a group of researchers from universities, research centers and companies in Asia and Europe. This paper presents current actions and prospects on hygienic, environmental, sensorial and nutritional qualities of traditional fermented food including screening of functional bacteria and starters, food safety strategies, research for new antimicrobial compounds, development of more sustainable fermentations and valorisation of by-products. A specificity of this network is also the multidisciplinary approach dealing with microbiology, food, chemical, sensorial, and genetic analyses, biotechnology, food supply chain, consumers and ethnology

Genome sequences of a novel Vietnamese bat bunyavirus

To document the viral zoonotic risks in Vietnam, fecal samples were systematically collected from a number of mammals in southern Vietnam and subjected to agnostic deep sequencing. We describe here novel Vietnamese bunyavirus sequences detected in bat feces. The complete L and S segments from 14 viruses were determined

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

RP-HPLC and UV Spectrophotometric Analysis of Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, and Caffeine in Solid Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms by Derivative, Fourier, and Wavelet Transforms: A Comparison Study

Different signal-transforming algorithms were applied for UV spectrophotometric analysis of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and caffeine in ternary mixtures. Phosphate buffer pH 7.2 was used as the spectrophotometric solvent. Severe overlapping spectra could be resolved into individual bands in the range of wavelengths 200–300 nm by using Savitzky–Golay smoothing and differentiation, trigonometric Fourier series, and mother wavelet functions (i.e., sym6, haar, coif3, and mexh). To optimize spectral recoveries, the concentration of various types of divisors (single, double, and successive) was tested. The developed spectrophotometric methods showed linearity over the ranges 20–40 mg/L for paracetamol, 12–32 mg/L for ibuprofen, and 1–3.5 mg/L for caffeine (R2 > 0.990). They could be successfully applied to the assay and dissolution test of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and caffeine in their combined tablets and capsules, with accuracy (99.1–101.5% recovery) and precision (RSD 0.05, suggesting possible interchange between UV spectrophotometric and HPLC methods for routine analysis of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and caffeine in their solid pharmaceutical dosage forms

Improved co-oxidation of beta-carotene to beta-ionone using xanthine oxidase-generated reactive oxygen species in a multiphasic system.

International audiencebeta-Ionone, an aroma compound exhibiting flower notes, can be obtained from beta-carotene in a cooxidation system utilizing xanthine oxidase-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS have to be controlled as, although they can give rise to beta-ionone, they may also degrade it. In this work, the biotransformation of beta-carotene into beta-ionone was investigated in systems containing variable proportions of decane to extract beta-ionone before degradation. The use of 50% or 90% decane resulted in increased production yields. Tween 80, which was added to further improve the production, slightly decreased the reactivity of the medium and the extraction of beta-carotene, but increased the extraction of beta-ionone. In total, the addition of Tween 80 significantly improved the yields of conversion, which reached 34% with 50% decane and 2.5 g/L Tween 80 compared to 10% without decane and Tween 80. These results show that it is possible to control a ROS-mediated reaction by the addition of a solvent phase and by modifing the medium composition

Developing competence to prevent children's diseases for preschool teachers in Vietnam

Objective of the study: to assess the current situation of preschool teachers' competence in preventing childhood diseases, from this situation, suggesting a direction to develop the competence of preschool teachers to cope with childhood diseases in Vietnam. Method of the study: We use consulting methods through telephone, email and through questionnaire designed by Google Form. The rating scale is divided into 5 levels (Good, Fair, Average, Weak, Poor). The survey was conducted directly and online with 25 administrators (officers of Education and Training, the Principal, the Vice Principal of Kindergarten) and 118 preschool teachers in Lao Cai city, Lao Cai province. Conducting period: From April 2021 to November 2021. Result of the study: The current situation of preschool teachers' ability to prevent childhood diseases in the area of the study has some limitations, such as: the competence of some members of the Board of Education, the management staff, who is directly the principal, still have some limitations; the awareness of a part of management staff and teachers is not very complete about the importance of fostering skills in preventing contagious diseases in children for teachers of Kindergarten

Mineralogical characteristics of arsenopyrite and pyrite in Bo Va and Nam Quang gold-sulfide deposits (Northeast Vietnam)

Crystal morphology and chemical composition of arsenopyrite and pyrite in the Nam Quang and Bo Va deposits of the Song Hien basin (Northeast Vietnam) are studied in detail. Arsenopyrite crystals often form elongated crystals. Their chemical composition are relatively poor in As, but rich in S with S/As ratios often 1.1, impurity elements such as Ni, Co, Sb, and sometimes containing gold (up to 0.02 wt.%). Pyrite is characterized by the stoichiometric composition, but contains relatively high arsenic and sometimes contain gold. The correlation between the concentration of As and Au in pyrite has been recorded. The morphology and chemical composition of arsenopyrite and pyrite of Bo Va and Nam Quang deposits can be correlated to those in the Au-sulfide deposits in black shale in Kazastan and southestern China.ReferencesTrần Trọng Hòa (chủ biên), 1996: Xây dựng mô hình điều tra, sử dụng hợp lý, bảo vệ môi trường trong quá trình khai thác tài nguyên khoáng sản quý hiếm tỉnh Cao Bằng. Lưu trữ Viện Địa chất, Hà Nội. Trần Trọng Hòa, Polyakov G.V., Trần Tuấn Anh, Borisenko A.S., Izokh A.E., Balyakin P.A., Ngô Thị Phượng, Phạm Thị Dung, 2011: Hoạt động magma và sinh khoáng nội mảng miền Bắc Việt Nam. Nxb. Khoa học Tự nhiên và Công nghệ, 368tr. Trần Trọng Hòa, Nevolko P., Ngô Thị Phượng, Trần Tuấn Anh, Phạm Thị Dung, Bùi Ấn Niên, Nguyễn Xuân Huyên, Nguyễn Thùy Dương, Vũ Hoàng Ly, Trần Văn Hiếu, 2013: Các tụ khoáng vàng-sulfide trong các thành tạo lục nguyên - carbonat rift Sông Hiến, ÐBVN. Tuyển tập Báo cáo KHCN toàn quốc năm 2013. ISBN: 978-604-59-0693-4; tr.131-140. Nông Thế Tàng (chủ biên), 1996: Báo cáo Khảo sát và tìm kiếm đánh giá vàng gốc Nam Quang, Bảo Lạc, Cao Bằng. Lưu trữ Trung tâm Thông tin lưu trữ Địa chất, Hà Nội. Chen M.H., Mao J.W., Bierlein F.P., Norman T., Uttley P.J., 2011: Structural features and metallogenesis of the Carlin-type Lannigou gold deposit, Guizhou Province, China. OreGeol. Rev.43 (1), 217-234. Fleet, M.E., Mumin, A.H., 1997: Gold-bearing pyrite and arsenopyrite from Carlin Trend gold deposits and laboratory synthesis: American Mineralogist, v. 82, p.182-193. Kovalev K.R., Kalinin Yu.A., Naumov E.A., Kolesnikova M.K., Korolyuk V.N., 2011: Gold-bearing arsenopyrite in eastern Kazakhstan gold-sulfide deposits. Russian Geology and Geophysics 52, 178-192. Kovalev K.R., Kalinin Yu.A., Polynov V.I., Kydyrbekov E.L., Borisenko A.S., Naumov E.A., Netesov M.I., Klimenko A.G., and Kolesnikova M.K., 2012: ISSN 1075-7015, Geology of Ore Deposits, vol. 54, No.4, 254-275. Peters S.G., HuangJ.Z., Li Z.P., JingC.G., 2007: Sedimentary rock-hosted Au deposits of the Dian-Qian-Guiarea, Guizhou, Yunnan Provinces, and Guangxi District, China. Ore Geol. Rev.31,170-204. Volkova A. V., Genkina A. D., and Academician of the RAS Goncharovb V. I., 2006. New data on invisible gold in disseminated sulfide ores of the Natalka deposit. Vol. 409A, No 6, pp. 879-883. Zhong H.R., Chao S.W., Wu B.X., Zhi T.G., Hofstra A.H., 2002: Geology and geochemistry of Carlin- type gold deposits in China Mineralium Deposita 37:378-39. Zhou T.H., Goldfarb R.J., Phillips G.N., 2002: Tectonics and metallogeny of gold deposits in China. Mineralium Deposita 37, 249-282.