The Determinants of Bank Profitability in Vietnam during the period 2009-2015

This paper analyses unemployment and GDP growth as prospective macroeconomic determinants together with economies of scale, capital adequacy, non-interest income activities, interbank funding, earnings stability, cost efficiency and risk management including credit, liquidity and insolvency risks as prospective bank-specific determinants of bank performance in Vietnam. A panel data comprising 42 commercial banks from 2009- 2015 is examined. I employ a dynamic two-stage SGMM approach to run regression on ROAA following two models: one with loan loss provisions and the other with interbank ratio to capture these crucial features of the Vietnamese banking industry while ensuring the validity of the econometric model. X-efficiency scores for banks are obtained in the first stage using SFA approach before incorporated in the SGMM model as an endogenous independent variable. Empirical results suggest that liquidity, earnings stability, interbank funding and cost efficiency significantly positively affect profitability whilst an adverse impact is significant for non-interest income, capital adequacy, credit risk and insolvency risk. Interestingly, bank profit is positively influenced by unemployment and their relationship is significant in LLP model

Building Comprehensive Sex Education Plans for Teenagers: Groundwork-Based Research Design Application

Although sexual education is an important part of a child’s education and upbringing, in Vietnam, sex education is not an official subject in school, and young people’s awareness of Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) is still limited. While sex education at school is necessary, it is not the only way nor sufficient enough to change teenage sexual behavior. A parent’s role could involve communicating about values, providing a positive family environment, and monitoring their children’s behavior. This topic explores the awareness of teenagers about CSE and the availability of teaching CSE in Vietnamese schools and families. Data was collected via an online survey of 89 teenagers and 119 parents whose children are teenagers. The findings revealed that the target group is not fully aware of CSE and in particular, they also feel the importance of the family in this regard but are afraid to share gender issues with their parents and tend to find information on their own through the internet. Keywords: teenagers, sex education, reproductive health, Vietnam, sex and sexualit

EXTRACTION AND PROPERTY STUDIES OF COENZYME Q10 FROM RECOMBINANT AGROBACTERIUM TUMEFACIENS

In this report, some results of extraction and characterization of CoQ10 from recombinant A. tumefaciens are presented. Four different cell breaking methods (sonication, acidic treatment, ethanol treatment, and enzymatic lysis) in combination with the extracting steps were carried out to extract CoQ10 and the results showed that ethanol treatment was the most efficient method. Appropriate conditions for CoQ10 extraction were 25 oC, 24 hours incubation and ethanol solvent/biomass ratio of 10:1 (ml/g). Characterization of extracted CoQ10 showed that CoQ10 was sensitive to light, but stable in the temperature ranges of 4 – 60 oC and the pH range of 6.0 – 9.0. Obtained results in present study should be applied in the large scale for CoQ10 extraction, providing the CoQ10 product for testing production of functional foods

Burden of diarrheal diseases from biogas wastewater exposure among smallholder farmers in Ha Nam province, Vietnam

Livestock production has developed rapidly in Vietnam in recent years, particularly at the small-scale which account for 65% of the total livestock production. Biogas systems are commonly used to treat livestock waste, however, the health risks from biogas wastewater exposure at smallholder farms are not yet well understood. A quantitative microbial risk assessment approach was applied to estimate the burden of diarrheal diseases from biogas wastewater exposure among 451 smallholder farmers using biogas systems in Ha Nam province. A total of 150 biogas wastewater samples were collected and analysed for E. coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium. The study showed that farmers faced diarrheal disease risks due to exposure to biogas wastewater at different exposure scenarios. The calculated annual risk of diarrheal disease by E. coli ranked from 0.15 to 0.21; by Giardia ranked from 0.022 to 0.095; and by Cryptosporidium ranked from 0.006 to 0.015. The estimated diarrheal diseases burden from pathogens in all exposure scenarios largely exceeded the reference level of health outcome target of 10-6DALYs loss per person per year recommended by WHO. The results suggest the importance in reducing concentrations of pathogens in biogas wastewater before use in the fields as a means for mitigating public health impacts

A community participatory intervention model to reduce the health risks from biogas wastewater in Hanam Province, Vietnam

In Vietnam, using biogas to treat livestock waste is common, in particular on small holder farms. However, most small holder farms do not know how to use biogas correctly and wastewater can affect health and the environment. Using a participatory approach with farmers and other stakeholders we developed and implemented a set of interventions in Hanam province to reduce health risks from biogas wastewater. Twenty-four pig farmers were selected as a "core group" to be instrumental in developing the interventions and training other farmers to correctly use biogas. The intervention model was piloted for 6 months. Several outputs were obtained including i) approval and enforcement of a "huong uoc - village law" on environmental protection; ii) training of 24 farmers from the core group in communication skills to share information on using biogas; iii) development of a 6-step program of pig cage cleaning to limit waste loaded to biogas to improve the efficiency of biogas production; iv) a health monitoring books for humans and animals for use by families in the community. The results provided evidence that applying the participatory approach can lead to improved knowledge and practices of farmer using biogas and can reduce the health risks from biogas wastewater

Prevalence and associated factors of chronic constipation among Japanese university students

BackgroundChronic constipation (CC) is one of the most frequently reported gastrointestinal disorders in the general population and a prominent problem among university students. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and the associated factors of CC among Japanese university students.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among university students at Hiroshima University, Japan. Students answered the web questionnaire when making a web reservation for the health checkup (April 1 to May 31, 2023). The web questionnaire consisted of four sections, including baseline characteristics, lifestyle factors, family history of CC, and three scales to assess depression and eating disorders: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)-26 and Bulimic Investigatory Test (BITE). CC was diagnosed using Rome IV criteria. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine CC-related factors.ResultsOut of 10,500 individuals who participated in the annual health checkup, 7,496 participants answered the web questionnaire, of whom 5,386 answered all the survey questions. The mean age of the students was 21.1 ± 4.1 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.17. The prevalence of CC was 13.7%. Factors significantly associated with CC in the multivariate model were first-degree family members with CC [Odd ratio (OR): 2.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.31–3.31], severe depression according to BDI scale (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.96–3.43), female sex (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.69–2.36), and short sleep duration of 6 hours or less per day (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09–1.50). Lack of physical exercise tended to be associated with CC (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.00–1.40).ConclusionsCC is prevalent among Japanese university students. Significant risk factors for CC included the first-degree family history of CC, severe depression, female sex, and short sleep duration. Lack of physical exercise tended to be associated with CC. This may contribute to implementing suitable education health programs, health care professionals, and public health policies to identify individuals at risk for CC to prevent and treat CC effectively