Molecular phylogeny of Annonaceae species from Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve based on two chloroplast gene regions

In this study, based on molecular biology techniques, the matK and trnL-F regions of ten Annonaceae species grown in Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, Vietnam were successfully amplified and sequenced for the first time. Along with other highly homologous DNA sequences from the GenBank database, the molecular phylogeny of ten studied species was also established. By using the alignment tool of NCBI database, the percentage of identity among sequences of studied species was also presented. The study aims to partially contribute to the further understanding of the evolutionary relationships among Annonaceae species

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF COLLOCATIONS IN ACADEMIC ESSAYS OF ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS OF THE HIGH-QUALITY PROGRAM AT CAN THO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

One of the main goals of language learners is to master all four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing when it comes to their acquisition of the target language. However, during the process of learning English, learners inevitably face a variety of challenges related to their writing including grammatical errors, word choice, organization, idea development, and most importantly their difficulties in using collocations (Duong & Nguyen, 2021). Therefore, this study has been conducted to investigate the students’ use of English collocations in their academic essays associated with their difficulties so that appropriate pedagogical approaches and practices would be taken into consideration in order to help students improve their English collocational competences in academic writing. This descriptive study was carried out with 103 English-majored students of the High-quality program of the School of Foreign Languages at Can Tho University, Vietnam. A 5-point Likert scale survey with 18 questionnaire items was employed to examine the frequency of students' exposure to as well as their usage of English collocations, and their difficulties in using English collocations. The results of this study have shown that the most commonly used collocations in the students’ academic essays were ‘verb + noun’, and ‘adjective + noun’ lexical collocations. Additionally, the research outcomes have revealed that the types of English collocations that the students were more likely to make the most mistakes belonged to ‘verb + adverb’, and ‘adjective + noun’ lexical collocations.  Article visualizations

Isolation and identification of phenolic compounds from the leaf extract of Cassia alata L.

Cassia alata is one of the most important species of the genus Cassia which is rich in anthraquinones and polyphenols. This plant is used as a medicinal material of which the leaves are known to have laxative and antibiotic properties. In our study, the methanol leaf extract of C. alata showed a significant antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria strains Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. The organic layers such as n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous layers, were prepared by partitioning the methanol extract with n-hexane and ethyl acetate successively.  We successfully isolated and identified the structures of five compounds from C. alata leaves. Their structures were elucidated by MS and NMR spectroscopic methods as well as comparison with literature data. These compounds were determined to be methyl 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoate (1), kaempferol (2), (-)epiafzelechin (3), kaempferol-3-O-glucoside (4) and kaempferol-3-O-gentiobioside (5). Keywords. Cassia alata L., epiafzelechin, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-gentiobioside

Chemical profiles and biological activities of acetone extracts of nine Annonaceae plants

This study investigated the chemical components and bioactivities of acetone leaf extracts of nine Annonaceae plants collected in the Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, Vietnam. A total of 182 constituents were identified, with linolenic acid, diaeudesmin, germacrene D, 1-octadecenoic acid, 8-(3-octyl-2-oxiranyl)-1-octanol, oleic acid, and phenylmethyl ester being the major compounds. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was evaluated using a disc diffusion assay. Eight of the nine extracts, except for the Mitrephora thorelii extract, showed an inhibition effect against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined using DPPH assay, and the cytotoxic activity was deter mined using SRB assay. The results showed that the acetone extracts of Artabotrys hexapetalus, Uvularia grandiflora, Polyalthia luensis, Xylopia pierrei, Sphaerocoryne affinis, Desmos cochinchinensis, Uvaria littoralis, Mitrephora thorelii, and Goniothalamus touranensis had significant activity with IC50 for the DPPH radical scavenging activity ranging from 18.56 to 702.33 μg/mL, and the IC50 for the cytotoxic effects ranged from 5.39 to 251.77 μg/mL. Overall, the results obtained provide experimental evidence for the potential use of these plants in medicine and other related fields

Student preferences, expectations and anxieties regarding an online exchange program: reports from Japan and Vietnam

Online cultural exchanges between students of different nationalities may be quite common in this digital age but expanding and adjusting them to include new and more specialized participants can be a challenging task. The Online Cultural Exchange Program (OCEP), currently hosted by the University of Miyazaki (Japan) has been functioning successfully since 2007 (see Araki, Shirasaka, and Larson, 2008), gradually expanding its scope from nursing students alone to include engineering and agriculture majors, consisting largely of online written personal introductions and light-hearted cultural exchanges. However, recent planned expansions of the program into the Faculty of Medicine between the host university in Japan and a new participant in Vietnam has demanded a re-evaluation of what is expected from the program with regard to its utility for medical students. In order to develop a focus suited to the academic and professional needs of medical students in both the hosting university (Miyazaki, Japan) and the new Vietnamese participant (Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy) a pre-program survey was designed by the authors in order to gauge medical students’ expectations, specific interests, preferences, anxieties, and abilities to fruitfully participate in such a program. In this paper, some salient results of these surveys are presented, along with the implications of moving the program towards a more professional and academic focus, and cultural factors that may affect participant expectations and potential outcomes. We expect that the data generated from these surveys may inform and influence similar international online exchange and learning programs being established elsewhere

Persistent depressive disorder across the adult lifespan: results from clinical and population-based surveys in Germany

Background Although the individual and economic disease burden of depression is particularly high for long-term symptoms, little is known of the lifetime course of chronic depression. Most evidence derives from clinical samples, and the diagnostic distinction between persistent depressive disorder (PDD) and non-chronic major depression (NCMDD) is still debated. Thus, we examined characteristics of PDD among clinical vs. non-clinical cases, and the associated disease burden at a population level. Methods Data were drawn from the mental health module of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1-MH, 2009–2012, n = 4483) and a clinical sample of PDD inpatients at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (2018–2019, n = 45). The DSM-5 definition of PDD was operationalized a priori to the study using interview-based DSM-IV diagnoses of dysthymia and major depression lasting at least 2 years in both surveys. Additional depression characteristics (depression onset, self-classified course, suicidality, comorbid mental disorders, treatment history and current depressive symptoms [Patient Health Questionnaire-9]) were assessed. In the DEGS1-MH, health-related quality of life (Short Form Health Survey-36, SF-36), chronic somatic conditions, number of sick days (past 12 months) or days with limitations in normal daily life activities (past 4 weeks), and health service utilization (past 12 months) were compared for PDD vs. NCMDD. Results PDD cases from the clinical sample had a significantly earlier depression onset, a higher proportion of self-classification as persistent course, and treatment resistance than PDD and NCMDD cases in DEGS1-MH. At a population level, PDD cases showed worse outcomes compared with NCMDD cases in terms of somatic comorbidity, SF-36 mental component score, and activity limitations owing to mental health problems, as well as a higher risk for outpatient mental health care contact. Conclusions The distinction between PDD and NCMDD proposed for DSM-5 seems warranted. Early onset depression, self-classification as persistent depressive course, and treatment resistance are suggested as markers of more severe and chronic depression courses. At a population level, PDD is associated with remarkably higher individual and economic disease burden than NCMDD, highlighting the need to improve medical recognition of chronic courses and establish specific treatment concepts for chronic depression.Peer Reviewe

DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY INDEX METHOD TO ASSESS FRESHNESS AND SHELF LIFE OF BLACK TIGER SHRIMP (PENAEUS MONODON) STORED AT 0 °C

Black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) was harvested and stored at 0 °C for study. A quality index method (QIM) developed to evaluate the freshness of black tiger shrimp is presented in this study. The terms used to describe all the changes related to the texture, colour, and odour are carefully chosen. The development of the QIM scheme includes three main steps: a preliminary scheme to evaluate all the changes of attributes related to quality; a final QIM scheme and training; and a validation of the QIM scheme and an estimation comparing the remaining shelf life and the actual shelf life. The results show that the shelf life of the black tiger shrimp in the ice storage is 8 days. The quality score involving attributes decreases with the storage time and has a correlation close to the linear regression equation. The scheme of the validation quality of the black tiger shrimp using the QIM method allows the estimation of the remaining shelf life

Tunable synthesis of mesoporous carbons from Fe3O (BDC)3 for chloramphenicol antibiotic remediation

Chloramphenicol (CAP) is commonly employed in veterinary clinics, but illegal and uncontrollable consumption can result in its potential contamination in environmental soil, and aquatic matrix, and thereby, regenerating microbial resistance, and antibiotic-resistant genes. Adsorption by efficient, and recyclable adsorbents such as mesoporous carbons (MPCs) is commonly regarded as a “green and sustainable” approach. Herein, the MPCs were facilely synthesized via the pyrolysis of the metal–organic framework Fe3O(BDC)3 with calcination temperatures (x °C) between 600 and 900 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. The characterization results pointed out mesoporous carbon matrix (MPC700) coating zero-valent iron particles with high surface area (~225 m2/g). Also, significant investigations including fabrication condition, CAP concentration, effect of pH, dosage, and ionic strength on the absorptive removal of CAP were systematically studied. The optimal conditions consisted of pH = 6, concentration 10 mg/L and dose 0.5 g/L for the highest chloramphenicol removal efficiency at nearly 100% after 4 h. Furthermore, the nonlinear kinetic and isotherm adsorption studies revealed the monolayer adsorption behavior of CAP onto MPC700 and Fe3O(BDC)3 materials via chemisorption, while the thermodynamic studies implied that the adsorption of CAP was a spontaneous process. Finally, adsorption mechanism including H-bonding, electrostatic attraction, π–π interaction, and metal–bridging interaction was proposed to elucidate how chloramphenicol molecules were adsorbed on the surface of materials. With excellent maximum adsorption capacity (96.3 mg/g), high stability, and good recyclability (4 cycles), the MPC700 nanocomposite could be utilized as a promising alternative for decontamination of chloramphenicol antibiotic from wastewater