Factors Affecting Intention to Purchase Voluntary Pension Insurance in Vietnam

The research was carried out with the aim to identify factors affecting the intention to purchase voluntary pension insurance in Vietnam. With data collected from 334 subjects across the country, mainly in Hanoi, the results showed that attitude towards risk, subjective norms, percieved behavioral control, past experiences and corporate branding have positive influences on the central factor, which is intent. After quantitative analysis, the study proposes recommendations for businesses to improve their services as well as methods of distribution to meet the needs of potential customers to save in pension funds. Additionally, the study will provide the basis for regulators to come up with measures to promote the retirement insurance market and at the same time, raise public awareness about social security. Keywords: voluntary pension insurances, pension funds, puchase intention, TPB, annuity. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-10-06 Publication date:May 31st 2021

Synthesis of hydroxyl terminated liquid natural rubber by oxidative depolymerization of deproteinized natural rubber

Hydroxyl terminated liquid natural rubber (HTLNR) was prepared by the depolymerization of deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) in mixture of toluene and water at 60oC for 24 hours in the presence of ammonium persulfate as an initiator and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a homogenizing agent. GPC analysis revealed that the number-average molecular weight (Mn) and weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of HTLNR were found to be 4.334×103 g/mol and 11.702×103 g/mol, respectively, with polydispersity index (PDI) of  2.7. The chemical structure of HTLNR was determined by FTIR and 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopic analysis. The mechanism of depolymerization and hydroxylation of NR to form HTNR based on the analytical data is also suggested in this study

Lattice-based Public Key Encryption with Multi-Ciphertexts Equality Test in Cloud Computing

Nowadays, together with stormy technology advancement, billions of interconnected devices are constantly collecting data around us. In that fashion, privacy protection has become a major concern. The data must be in encrypted form before being stored on the cloud servers. As a result, the cloud servers are unable to perform calculations on en- crypted data, such as searching and matching keywords. In the PKE- MET setting, a cloud server can perform an equality test on a number of ciphertexts which encrypted with the same designated number. In this paper, we propose, for the first time, an efficient construction of a quantum-safe PKE-MET system based on the hardness of the Learning with Errors (LWE) problem in the lattice setting. Furthermore, we also discuss the first lattice-base public key encryption with flexible multi- ciphertext equality test (PKE-FMET) constructions, which allow per- forming equality test on multiple ciphertexts whose designated numbers are less than a threshold number. Our proposed schemes are proven to be secure in the standard model

Effect of Different Types of Liquid Natural Rubbers on the Modification of DGEBA-Based Epoxy Resin

Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)-based epoxy and varying content of hydroxyl terminated liquid natural rubber (HTNR) or carboxyl-terminated liquid natural rubber (CTNR) were cured using an aromatic amine hardener. The ultimate aim of the study was to modify the brittle epoxy matrix by liquid rubber to improve the toughness characteristics. Tensile, flexural, and fracture toughness behaviors of neat as well as modified networks have been studied to observe the effect of different types of  liquid natural rubber modification. The morphological evolution of the toughened networks was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the observations were used effectively to explain the impact properties of the network having varying content of liquid natural rubbers. The results showed that the impact resistance of both HTNR-modified DGEBA and CTNR-modified DGEBA was superior to that of the pure epoxy resin, among which the impact resistance of CTNR-modified DGEBA was better than that of HTNR-modified DGEBA. For all the composites with HTNR or CTNR, the impact resistance increased with elastomer concentration up to 15.0 parts per hundred parts of resin (phr). Higher concentration of the elastomers resulted in larger particles and gave lower impact values. These results allow the conclusion that 15 phr is the maximum content of HTPB or CTNR that might be added in DGEBA composites for a positive effect upon the impact strength

FIRST RECORD OF CANTHARELLUS MINOR IN VIETNAM

This species of mushroom with orange fruiting bodies and yellow flesh grows in clumps on the forest land in the coordinates 11o56'34.45" N, 108o28'33.56" E in the pine (Pinus kesiya) forest, Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. The results of analysis on the morphology, both macro- and micro-morphological characteristics of this mushroom showed that, pileus: 5-15 mm wide, infundibuliform; yellowish to orange; margin incurred, wavy-liked margin, non-striate; Pileus surface: smooth, scaleless, yellowish; Lamellae: distant, decurrent, not intervenose, concolorous to pileus; Context: concolourous to the pileus, slight sweetness, aromatic flavor; Stipe: cylindrical shape, surface smooth, concolourous to pileus, 1-2 mm diameter, 20-50 mm length; Basidiospores: 6-11.5 x 4-6.5 μm, ovoid-ellipsoid with smooth surface; Basidia: 65 x 10 μm, cornuted 4-6 spores per basidium. Phylogenetic analysis of nrLSU sequence yielded consistent topology in different taxa of Cantharellus. The phylogenetic position of XC02 was obtained and accepted at sub-generic level: subgenus Parvocantharellus. This clade was suggested to be monophyletic, and separated from other sub-generic levels. Morphologically phylogenetically distinct from the other species of clade 4, such as C. appalachiensis, C. tabernensis, C. aff. Congolensis. The highly supported monophyletic group with referent Cantharellus minor was obtained with the bootstrap value of 99, indicated that XC02 was significant closely to Cantharellus minor. Phylogenetic of nrLSU analysis revealed clades with statistical support corresponding to morphological observation, thus, XC2 was concluded as Cantharellus minor

EFFECT OF POLYCAPROLACTONE ON CHARACTERISTICS AND MORPHOLOGY OF ALGINATE/CHITOSAN/LOVASTATINE COMPOSITE FILMS

In this work, alginate (AG)/chitosan (CS)/lovastatine (LS) AG/CS/PCL/LS composite films using polycaprolactone (PCL)  are prepared by solution method with the ratio of AG/CS and LS content fixed at 4/1 and 10 wt.% (in comparison with the total weight of CS and AG), respectively.  The PCL content is used at 3, 5 and 10 wt.% (in compared with total weight of AG, CS and LS). The role of PCL as a compatibilizer in AG)/CS)/LS composites is considered by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) methods. Based on the change in FTIR spectra, morphology and thermal parameters of AG/CS/PCL/LS composites, it can be seen that PCL has effectiveness of compatibility for AG, CS, and LS as well as plasticity for the composites. Besides, the influence of PCL content on the swelling degree of the composites is also investigated.

Effects of Electroporation on Biological Membranes Exposed to High Potentials

This study first considers that voltages of cellular organelle membranes could significanly surpass these of plasma membranes under the influence of ultrashort and high-intensity electric pulse. This is due to the voltages induced on the membrane. Using an approximate theory coordinated with the Kotnik's analytical method, considering the electroporation, we focus on the reactions of cell membranes placed in a trapezoidal pulse. Then, we discuss conductive power dissipations of normal cell and cancer cell generated by a sinusoidal exposure which include dielectric relaxation effects. In comparison with  the complex numerical calculations of Joshi \textit{et al}, our results are in very good agreement

Longitudinal survey of Plasmodium falciparum infection in Vietnam: characteristics of antimalarial resistance and their associated factors.

Plasmodium falciparum is the main cause of human malaria and is one of the important pathogens causing high rates of morbidity and mortality. The total number of malaria patients in Vietnam has gradually decreased over the last decade. However, the spread of pathogens with drug resistance remains a significant problem. Defining the trend in genotypes related to drug resistance is essential for the control of malaria in Vietnam. We undertook a longitudinal survey of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 2001, 2002, and 2005 to 2007. The pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfdhfr, and pfdhps genes were analyzed by sequencing; and correlations by study year, age, gender, and genotype were identified statistically. The ratio of the chloroquine resistance genotype pfcrt 76T was found to have decreased rapidly after 2002. High numbers of mutations in the pfdhfr and pfdhps genes were observed only in 2001 and 2002, while the emergence of parasites with a new K540Y mutation in the P. falciparum dihydropteroate synthetase (PfDHPS) was observed in 2002. For males and those in younger age brackets, a correlation between vulnerability to P. falciparum infection and strains with pfcrt 76K or strains with decreased numbers of mutations in pfdhfr and pfdhps was demonstrated. The parasites with pfcrt 76T exhibited a greater number of mutations in pfdhfr and pfdhps

Studying Magnetic Fields and Dust in M17 Using Polarized Thermal Dust Emission Observed by SOFIA/HAWC

We report on the highest spatial resolution measurement to date of magnetic fields (B-fields) in M17 using thermal dust polarization measurements taken by SOFIA/HAWC+ centered at a wavelength of 154 μm. Using the Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi method, in which the polarization angle dispersion calculated using the structure function technique is the quantity directly observed by SOFIA/HAWC+, we found the presence of strong B-fields of 980 ± 230 and 1665 ± 885 μG in the lower-density M17-N and higher-density M17-S regions, respectively. The B-field morphology in M17-N possibly mimics the fields in gravitationally collapsing molecular cores, while in M17-S the fields run perpendicular to the density structure. M17-S also displays a pillar feature and an asymmetric large-scale hourglass-shaped field. We use the mean B-field strengths to determine Alfvénic Mach numbers for both regions, finding that B-fields dominate over turbulence. We calculate the mass-to-flux ratio, λ, finding λ = 0.07 for M17-N and 0.28 for M17-S. These subcritical λ values are consistent with the lack of massive stars formed in M17. To study dust physics, we analyze the relationship between dust polarization fraction, p, emission intensity, I, gas column density, N(H2), polarization angle dispersion function, S, and dust temperature, T d. p decreases with intensity as I −α with α = 0.51. p tends to first increase with T d, but then decreases at higher T d. The latter feature, seen in M17-N at high T d when N(H2) and S decrease, is evidence of the radiative torque disruption effect