Evaluation of loading capacity of corroded reinforced concrete beams using experiment and finite element method

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) beams using experiments and a proposed finite element (FE) model, which is able to consider the reduction of the reinforcement diameter and adhesion force. The developed FE model comprised of three main components including concrete elements, reinforcing bar elements, and adhesion elements, in which the plane cross-section hypothesis was adopted. Thus, the necessary number of elements in the model of corroded RC beam was greatly reduced, while the accuracy of the model was still ensured. An experimental test was employed to verify the developed FE model. The results show that the proposed FE model in this study is capable of modeling RC beams under corrosion effects. Additionally, the rebar diameter and adhesion force have a significant influence on the load-carrying capacity of corroded RC beams. Moreover, a series of experimental tests of corrosive RC beams including 1-month, 2-month, and 3-month corrosion levels was conducted for various exposed times to investigate the influences of the corrosion time on the strength of RC beams. It reveals that the effect of the corrosion time on the strength of RC beams show to be pronounced

Morphodynamic modeling and causes of closure of My A inlet

Morphodynamics and sediment transport of the My A inlet in the low flow season are modeled using Delft3D. The simulation model takes into account the forcing of waves, tides and river flows. Model outputs of sediment transport and morphological changes of allow analysing the mechanism and cause of inlet closure. The analysis shows that longshore sediment is accreted on the northern side of the inlet both on the ebb tidal delta and along the north coast, but onshore sediment transport by wave reworking is the main process to close the inlet

Determinants Influencing Knowledge Sharing Behavior A Case Study Among Banking Members in Vietnam

Due to the increasing competition of financial sector, banks are striving for their tangible and intangible benefits. Banks can get the sustainable competitive advantage in the market by enhancing their performance through knowledge sharing behavior. The study aims to evaluate different factors level influencing knowledge sharing behavior among banking members in Vietnam. The model and hypotheses are developed based on quantitative research. Data was collected through self-administered close-ended questionnaire from a sample of 432 banking members. For analysis purpose, SPSS 22 were used to confirm the validity concerns and determine the proposed relationship among selected variables. The output reveals that useage of social media are the strongest influencers of students’ satisfaction, followed by knowledge self-efficacy, management support, knowledge management, social trust and Personal use of IT infrastructure, while Reward System, Bank are found to have no impact on knowledge sharing behavior. This study provides a ‘snapshot’ to the management about the provision of current situation and proposes suggestions to improve the sharing culture within minimum resources to get the sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Keywords: Evaluation, knowledge sharing behavior, knowledge management, banking sector, banking members. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-8-02 Publication date: April 30th 202

Bilateral Heterogeneity in an Upwelling Mantle via Double Subduction of Oceanic Lithosphere

Vietnam is a major field of Cenozoic volcanism in Southeast (SE) Asia. Two contrasting models have been proposed to explain the mantle upwelling and volcanism in this region; collision of the Indian and Eurasian continents or subduction of the Pacific or Indo-Australian oceanic lithosphere. To place constraints on the origin of the intraplate volcanism in SE Asia, new geochronological and geochemical data for Cenozoic basalts in Vietnam are presented. Based largely on Sr-Nd-Pb isotope systematics, it was found that the sources of basalts from Central and Southern Vietnam are chemically distinct forming a sharp boundary at 13.5°N. The basalts north of the boundary show isotopic features similar to Enriched Mantle type 2 (EM2) ocean island basalts. Whereas the basalts south of the boundary show isotopic features similar to Enriched Mantle type 1 (EM1) ocean island basalts. The EM1 and EM2 basalts display positive Sr anomalies and elevated Pb/Ce and Th/La ratios, respectively. Such features suggest the origins of the sources through the recycling of deeply-subducted crustal lithologies. Furthermore, subduction of dense oceanic lithosphere can induce a convecting cell in the upper mantle. Therefore, we suggest that the chemically different basalts from Central and Southern Vietnam represent the surface expression of melting in two different convecting cells, one is driven by subduction of the Pacific plate and the other by subduction of the Indo-Australian plate

Early detection of slight bruises in apples by cost-efficient near-infrared imaging

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been widely reported for its useful applications in assessing internal fruit qualities. Motivated by apple consumption in the global market, this study aims to evaluate the possibility of applying NIR imaging to detect slight bruises in apple fruits. A simple optical setup was designed, and low-cost system components were used to promote the future development of practical and cost-efficient devices. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, slight bruises were created by a mild impact with a comparably low impact energy of only 0.081 Joules. Experimental results showed that 100% of bruises in Jazz and Gala apples were accurately detected immediately after bruising and within 3 hours of storage. Thus, it is promising to develop customer devices to detect slight bruises for not only apple fruits but also other fruits with soft and thin skin at their early damage stages

Antimicrobial resistance gene expression associated with multidrug resistant Salmonella spp. isolated from retail meat in Hanoi, Vietnam

The purpose of this study was to further characterize the multi-antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic resistance gene expression associated with multi-drug resistance (MDR) in Salmonella spp. isolates from retail meats in Hanoi, Vietnam. A total of 14 Salmonella spp. belonging to 9 serotypes (e.g., Warragul, London, Derby, Indiana, Meleagridis, Give, Rissen, Assine, and Typhimurium) were tested for sensitivity to 8 antibiotics. Resistance to at least one antibiotic was shown in 13 strains (92.85%). The multiple antimicrobial resistances accounted for 64.29% of isolates (9/14). One hundred percent of MDR isolates possessed antibiotic resistant genes, in which 17, 16 and 11 genes were found in Salmonella (Salm) Typhimurium S360, S384, S181 respectively; 12 genes in each strain as Indiana, Warragul, and Meleagridis; 11 genes in Give, 8 genes in Derby and 6 genes in Rissen. Three antibiotic resistance genes (ssaQ, aadA, and gyrB) were present in all isolates, whereas Cephalosporin-resistant gene (e.g., CTX-M3-like) was not detected in any isolates. The results suggest that retail meats could constitute a source of human exposure to multi-drug resistant Salmonella and future research should focus on the impact of these MDR source on the human genome. [Int Microbiol 20(2): 85-93 (2017)]Keywords: Salmonella spp. · multidrug resistance · retail mea

Factors Affecting Successful Quality Assurance Implementation in Vietnamese Higher Education: A Qualitative Study

Quality assurance and accreditation was officially introduced into the higher education system in Vietnam over ten years ago. It is evident that quality assurance has resulted in positive impacts on university management, teaching, learning and research activities. This paper aims to explore factors that aid the successful implementation of higher education quality assurance and accreditation in Vietnam. Through semi-structured interviews with 32 participants, this study identified a number of factors that contributed to quality assurance processes, including awareness of the importance of quality assurance, better institutional manager leadership, support of university lecturers, staff, and students, and the vital responsibility of internal quality assurance staff. These confirm that internal stakeholders play an important role in undertaking quality assurance programmes and activities

Changes in the levels of immunological markers after treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis

Introduction: Monitoring changes in the levels of immune markers is of great significance in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis. Objectives: Determine the change in the concentration of immune markers after treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis caused by cotton dust. Methods : A descriptive, single-group, comparative before and after intervention study on 52 patients with allergic rhinitis caused by cotton dust. Comparison of immunological markers results before and after 36 months of treatment. Results: Total IgE concentration after treatment decreased, the median decreased from 1227.756 U/mL to 676.805 UI/mL. Serum levels of IgG, IgG4, and IgG1 in patients after treatment increased compared to before (p< 0.001). The cytokines also changed in the direction of no longer responding toward allergy. Median IL-17 decreased from 1.752 mg/dL to 0.417 mg/dL. Conclusion: In patients with allergic rhinitis after specific sublingual desensitization treatment, IgE levels and cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-17 are significantly reduced and IgG, IgG4 and IgG1 levels are increased after treatment

Spatiotemporal evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants during large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19, Vietnam, 2021

We analyzed 1,303 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Vietnam, and found the Alpha and Delta variants were responsible for a large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 in 2021. The Delta variant was confined to the AY.57 lineage and caused >1.7 million infections and >32,000 deaths. Viral transmission was strongly affected by nonpharmaceutical interventions