GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISES IN THE 20TH CENTURY AND LESSONS FOR VIETNAM

The research examines the general overview of major financial crises worldwide in the 20th century to answer the question of what creates a large-scale global economic crisis and relates to the potential risks for a crisis nowadays. The study indicates the contexts, causes, happenings/impacts, and measures had been done in three crises: (i) The Great Depression of 1929-1939; (ii) The 1973 oil crisis; (iii) The 1997 Asian financial crisis. From these, lessons and experiences for Vietnam are derived from each crisis. The lessons learned from the 1929-1933 economic crisis highlight that the interconnectedness of different sectors in the economy leads to the vulnerability of the stock market to bubbles, and the need for swift government intervention. Things we learned from the 1973 oil crisis are the importance of having reserves, energy independence, a focus on renewable energy, and a coherent regional strategy. Regarding the 1997 financial and monetary crisis, the lesson drawn is that market liberalization is dangerous, and there is a need for a reliable international financial regulatory mechanism and reducing foreign debt through foreign currency. Additionally, it is necessary to allow for more flexible exchange rates

EU-VIETNAM FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (EVFTA) AND VIETNAM AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS EXPORT: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

EVFTA is a newly generated free trade agreement with the highest level of commitment that a partner has for Vietnam among the FTAs ​​ signed. Regarding agricultural products, which are Vietnam's strengths, the EVFTA's commitments bring opportunities to expand and diversify export markets; increase exports and promote the improvement of agricultural product quality. In order to meet the strict requirements of the EU, stakeholders including the Government, production facilities, and exporters of Vietnamese agricultural products must take advantage of opportunities and overcome challenges as a result of the EVFTA. By analyzing opportunities and challenges, the article proposes some solutions to take advantage of opportunities and remove difficulties in exporting Vietnamese agricultural products to the EU

Optimization of Lung Surfactant Coating of siRNA Polyplexes for Pulmonary Delivery

Purpose The aim of this study was to understand how coating with a pulmonary surfactant, namely Alveofact, affects the physicochemical parameters as well as in vitro behavior of polyethylenimine (PEI) polyplexes for pulmonary siRNA delivery. Methods Alveofact-coated polyplexes were prepared at different Alveofact:PEI coating ratios and analyzed in terms of size, PDI and zeta potential as well as morphology by transmission electron microscopy. The biological behavior was evaluated in a lung epithelial cell line regarding cell viability, cellular uptake via flow cytometry and gene downregulation by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, a 3D ALI culture model was established to test the mucus diffusion and cellular uptake by confocal microscopy as well as gene silencing activity by qRT-PCR. Results After optimizing the coating process by testing different Alveofact:PEI coating ratios, a formulation with suitable parameters for lung delivery was obtained. In lung epithelial cells, Alveofact-coated polyplexes were well tolerated and internalized. Furthermore, the coating improved the siRNA-mediated gene silencing efficiency. Alveofact-coated polyplexes were then tested on a 3D air-liquid interface (ALI) culture model that, by expressing tight junctions and secreting mucus, resembles important traits of the lung epithelium. Here, we identified the optimal Alveofact:PEI coating ratio to achieve diffusion through the mucus layer while retaining gene silencing activity. Interestingly, the latter underlined the importance of establishing appropriate in vitro models to achieve more consistent results that better predict the in vivo activity. Conclusion The addition of a coating with pulmonary surfactant to polymeric cationic polyplexes represents a valuable formulation strategy to improve local delivery of siRNA to the lungs

Relationship between clinicopathologic factors and FDG avidity in radioiodine-negative recurrent or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the relationship between clinicopathologic factors, BRAF METHODS: From 2015 to 2018 all patients with suspected recurrent or metastatic radioiodine-negative DTC patients who underwent FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) were retrospectively reviewed. Suspected lesions on FDG PET/CT were biopsied and underwent BRAF RESULTS: Sixty-three consecutive patients, 55 (87.3%) female, with median age of 48 (range 17-81) were included. The majority of patients had BRAF CONCLUSION: The majority of recurrent or metastatic RAI-negative DTC have BRA

RECONSTRUCTION OF DIVACANCY IN ZIGZAG-BUCKLED SILICENE NANORIBBONS

In this study, we use a tight binding model to investigate structural and electronic changes in zigzag-buckled silicene nanoribbons (ZBSiNRs) with two vacancies at different positions. We divide the defects into two categories based on a difference in geometric properties. The results show that the first- and second-order interaction parameters of two atoms of the same type play an important role in the electronic properties of this material. Vacancies near the edge have a stronger effect than those near the center of the ribbons. We further show that each type of divacancy will give a different result under the influence of a perpendicular electric field. This is a favorable condition for controlling the conductive state of materials in future applications in the semiconductor and thermoelectric industries

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REPORT OF VIETNAMESE HOTEL ENTERPRISES

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors affecting the publication of sustainability reports from the perspective of managers at 4-5 star hotels in Vietnam. Issues of corporate size, profitability, legal regulation, corporate governance and technology of the company were mentioned as factors that may affect the publication of the report on sustainable development. The author has synthesized the relevant background theory as well as previous outstanding studies on the issue of publishing sustainable development reports. SPSS 20 software was used to test the relationship between the factors affecting the publication of the Sustainable Development Report based on the manager's point of view. The results of the study show that the factors of business size, profitability, and legal regulations all affect the publication of sustainable development reports at 4-5 star hotels in Vietnam. A new finding of this study is that the two factors of corporate governance and the company's technology combine into a public governance factor based on technology and it is the technology that has the strongest influence on the publication of the Sustainable Development Report. The study once again confirms the relationship between the factors affecting the publication of the Sustainable Development Report and is a document to help researchers understand better in the research context in Vietnam, one of the leading countries in the world developing countries and have limited access to and use of secondary data

Antibacterial Nanocomposites Based on Fe 3

For the vulcanized natural rubber (NR), incorporation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into the NR matrix did not exhibit the bactericidal property against Escherichia coli (E. coli). However, incorporation of AgNPs into polyethylene (PE) matrix showed good antibacterial activities to both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In the present work, NR/PE (85/15) blends have been prepared by melt blending with presence of compatibilizer in an internal mixer. To possess antibacterial property, AgNPs (5–10 nm) or Fe3O4–Ag hybrid nanoparticles (FAgNPs, 8 nm/16 nm) were added into PE matrix before its blending with NR component. The tensile test indicated that the presence of compatibilizer in NR/PE blend significantly enhanced the tensile strength and elongation at break (up to 35% and 38% increases, resp.). The antibacterial activity test was performed by monitoring of the bacterial lag-log growth phases with the presence of nanocomposites in the E. coli cell culture reactor. The antibacterial test showed that the presence of FAgNPs in NR/PE blend had a better antibacterial activity than that obtained with the lone AgNPs. Two similar reasons were proposed: (i) the faster Ag+ release rate from the Fe3O4–Ag hybrid nanoparticles due to the electron transfer from AgNP to Fe3O4 nanoparticle and (ii) the fact that the ionization of AgNPs in hybrid nanostructure might be accelerated by Fe3+ ions

Vegetable seed systems among ethnic minority communities in northern Vietnam

Despite the potential of vegetables for nutrition and income in Northern Vietnam, inadequate access to quality seed is a major constraint affecting production, diversity and diet quality. Both self-saved seed and bought seed are important sources for farmers and are linked to the primary purpose of production, market access, seed production knowledge and skills, and trustworthiness of the source. Vegetable diversity, seasonal availability and seed access varies with ethnic group, location, type of and specific vegetables requiring contextualisation of nutrition-sensitive interventions. There are opportunities for farmer sharing and exchange of seeds, vegetables, and knowledge, for safeguarding diversity, promote dietary quality, and improve farmer income

Impact of Educational Intervention Concerning Awareness and Behaviors Relating to Avian Influenza (H5N1) in a High-Risk Population in Vietnam

BACKGROUND: Early initiation of treatment is essential for treatment of avian influenza A/H5N1 viral infection in humans, as the disease can lead to rapid development of severe pneumonia which can result in death. Contact with infected poultry is known to be a significant risk factor for contraction of H5N1 infection. However, handling and encountering poultry are a part of most peoples' daily lives, especially in rural communities in Vietnam where epidemic outbreaks among poultry have been continuously reported. Enhancing proper knowledge relating to H5N1 and to the importance of early initiation of treatment are crucial. The aim of this study was to develop an effective educational program to enhance awareness of H5N1 and motivate people to access to health care earlier when H5N1 infection is suspected or likely. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A study was conducted in two agricultural communities (intervention and control groups) in the Ninh Binh province in Vietnam, where epidemic outbreaks of avian influenza have recently occurred in birds. A unique educational intervention was developed and provided to the intervention group, and no intervention was provided to the control group. A knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) survey was conducted in both groups with a face-to-face interview by trained local healthcare workers at time points before and after the educational intervention. KAP scores were compared between the different time points and between the groups. How educational intervention influenced awareness relating to H5N1 and accessibility of healthcare in the population was analyzed. The study indicated an increased awareness of H5N1 and increased reliance on local health care workers. CONCLUSIONS: The novel educational program which was developed for this study impacted awareness of H5N1, and resulted in more people seeking early access to healthcare, and also resulted in earlier medical intervention for patients with H5N1 avian influenza infection in Vietnam

Hydrogen production by newly isolated Clostridium species from cow rumen in pure- and co-cultures on a broad range of carbon sources

Three novel hydrogen-generating strains, ST1, ST4, and ST5, were isolated from the rumen of cow in Vietnam, and respectively identified as Clostridium beijerinckii ST1, Clostridium bifermentans ST4, and Clostridium butyricum ST5, based on 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis and physiobiochemical characteristics. The dark fermentative hydrogen production of these isolated Clostridium strains was performed and characterized in both pure- and co-cultures from various carbon sources including sucrose, glucose, lactose, xylose, molasses, cassava stumps, and rice distillers wet grains with soluble. The highest hydrogen production was achieved from a co-culture with three Clostridium strains. To optimize the operational conditions of temperature, time, and substrate concentration for the high-level production of hydrogen, response surface methodology in a Box-Behnken design was used. The results revealed a maximum hydrogen production of 1.13 ± 0.015 L H2/L medium by the three-strain co-culture under the following fermentation conditions: 11.63 g/L sucrose, 36.1 °C, in 51.13 h