Community Reporting Increases Safety in Quang Tri Province

Established in 2001, Project RENEW—Restoring the Environment and Neutralizing the Effects of the War—develops and tests new ways of providing effective responses to the humanitarian challenge caused by explosive remnants of war. In accordance with international standards, the project embraces major pillars of mine action including surveys and assessments for the development of a mine action database, clearance, risk education, victim assistance and community development

Morphology and DNA marker for distinguishing Paphiopedilum hangianum and Paphiopedilum emersonii from Vietnam

Genus Paphiopedilum has species having lovely flowers which are incredibly attractive to everyone. Their ornamental and commercial value caused over-collection and illegal poaching and trade. Due to these reasons, nowadays, the Venus slipper orchids are facing to deplete in nature. Therefore, it is important to consider these species conservation. Mainly, it is necessary to prioritize the identification and phylogenetic analysis methods of the genus Paphiopedilum which includes many species with similar morphological characteristics. Consequently, it isn't easy to distinguish the identical species of this genus when the plants are young or not yet fully flowering. Therefore, this study aimed to distinguish two Paphiopedilum species, i.e. P. hangianum and P. emersonii, which have similar morphological characteristics, through comparative morphological analysis and differences in DNA barcoding sequences. To solve the problem associated with species identifications, a morphological comparison table was created with the four DNA sequence markers matK, rbcL, rpoC1 and trnH-psbA. The results of the morphological analysis showed that P. hangianum and P. emersonii are significantly different from each other in the flower's characteristics. While the difference in leaf morphology of both selected species is found very little, it is also distinguishable upon careful comparison. Moreover, the DNA barcoding indicator gave accurate and rapid distinctions between the two species, even when     the plants are young or without flowers. Furthermore, this DNA barcoding can establish an evolutionary relationship between the two selected species and the other species of the genus Paphiopedilum. The results of this study also suggested that the indicator trnH-psbA is a suitable marker for distinguishing these two species and can be applied for the phylogenetic analysis of the genus Paphiopedilum in Vietnam

Simple thermal-electrical model of photovoltaic panels with cooler-integrated sun tracker

This paper presents a simple thermal-electrical model of a photovoltaic panel with a cooler-integrated sun tracker. Based on the model and obtained weather data, we analyzed the improved overall efficiency in a year as well as the performance in each typical weather case for photovoltaic panels with fixed-tilt systems with a tilt angle equal to latitude, fixed-tilt systems with cooler, a single-axis sun tracker, and a cooler-integrated single-axis sun tracker. The results show that on a sunny summer day with few clouds, the performance of the photovoltaic panels with the proposed system improved and reached 32.76% compared with the fixed-tilt systems. On a sunny day with clouds in the wet, rainy season, because of the low air temperature and the high wind speed, the photovoltaic panel temperature was lower than the cooler’s initial set temperature; the performance of the photovoltaic panel with the proposed system improved by 12.55% compared with the fixed-tilt system. Simulation results show that, over one year, the overall efficiency of the proposed system markedly improved by 16.35, 13.03, and 3.68% compared with the photovoltaic panel with the fixed-tilt system, the cooler, and the single-axis sun tracker, respectively. The simulation results can serve as a premise for future experimental models

Topic choice for a STEM lesson with local practice context

One of the main features of STEM education is to be oriented towards practical activities and knowledge application to solve real-life problems. However, in the first step of deployment, teachers often use copied problem contexts from abroad. There are many difficulties in approaching, creating excitement and motivation for students when it is not close to their real life. The more relevant the topic to the real local context is, the more important it is to motivate students to participate and at the same time make it easy for teachers to find topics for the STEM educational model. In this study, when choosing a topic associated with a real local context, both teachers and students easily reach and achieve goals with the STEM educational model

SECURE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF ADAPTIVE ENERGY HARVESTING ENABLED RELAYING NETWORKS

In this paper, the impact of the jamming signal on the secrecy performance of Energy Harvesting (EH) enabled dual-hop amplify-and-forward relaying network is investigated. First, the security outage probability analysis is studied for conventional networks under a single passive eavesdropper attack. Then, the outage performance analysis in two cases regarding energy harvesting is investigated. Moreover, the proposed work enhances Physical Layer (PHY) security performance of two-hop relaying model using Cooperative Jamming Dual-Hop Techniques (CJDH). For this purpose, new closed-form expressions are derived for the outage probability of CJDH model in the presence of interference over Rayleigh fading channels. A power allocation optimization problem for energy harvesting protocol is formulated and solved for enhancing the system security. The derived analytical formulas herein are supported by numerical and simulation results to clarify the main contributions of the paper

Factors Influence on Promotion Mix in E-marketing: Case of Technology Services Enterprise in Vietnam

Purpose: The objective of this study is to clarify factors affecting the promotion mix in E-Marketing, with specific target audience being enterprises operating in the technology service industry in Vietnam.   Theoretical framework: Based on the promotion theory and social exchange theory, this study focuses on the factors that influence on the promotion decision in firms.   Design/Methodology/Approach: This study applies both qualitative and quantitative methods with data collected from a questionnaire survey.   Findings: There are 4 factors respectively Sales Promotion, Advertising, Public Relations and Personal Selling that affect the mixed promotion activities in E-Marketing of technology service enterprises in Vietnam.   Research, practical & social implications: This study propose solutions to improve the promotion activities in the e – marketing of firms in Vietnam.   Originality/Value: This study is one of the early studies that have focused in this field in Vietnam.Propósito: El objetivo de este estudio es aclarar los factores que afectan la combinación de promoción en E-Marketing, con un público objetivo específico que son las empresas que operan en la industria de servicios de tecnología en Vietnam. Marco teórico: Basado en la teoría de la promoción y la teoría del intercambio social, este estudio se centra en los factores que influyen en la decisión de promoción en las empresas. Diseño/metodología/enfoque: este estudio aplica métodos cualitativos y cuantitativos con datos recopilados de una encuesta de cuestionario. Hallazgos: Existen 4 factores, respectivamente, Promoción de Ventas, Publicidad, Relaciones Públicas y Ventas Personales que afectan las actividades mixtas de promoción en E-Marketing de las empresas de servicios de tecnología en Vietnam. Implicaciones de investigación, prácticas y sociales: este estudio propone soluciones para mejorar las actividades de promoción en el marketing electrónico de las empresas en Vietnam. Originalidad/valor: Este estudio es uno de los primeros que se han centrado en este campo en Vietnam.Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo é esclarecer os fatores que afetam o mix de promoção no E-Marketing, tendo como público-alvo específico as empresas que operam no setor de serviços de tecnologia no Vietnã.. Referencial teórico: Com base na teoria da promoção e na teoria das trocas sociais, este estudo se concentra nos fatores que influenciam a decisão de promoção nas empresas.. Desenho/metodologia/abordagem: Este estudo aplica métodos qualitativos e quantitativos com dados coletados de uma pesquisa por questionário. Resultados: Existem 4 fatores, respectivamente, Promoção de Vendas, Publicidade, Relações Públicas e Vendas Pessoais que afetam as atividades de promoção mista em E-Marketing de empresas de serviços de tecnologia no Vietnã. Pesquisa, implicações práticas e sociais: Este estudo propõe soluções para melhorar as atividades de promoção no e – marketing de empresas no Vietnã. Originalidade/valor: Este estudo é um dos primeiros estudos que se concentraram neste campo no Vietnã. Palavras-chave:  Mix de promoção; E-Marketing; Serviços de tecnologia; Vietn

Preliminary data on the aquatic invertebrate fauna of the Ma River, Thanh Hoa province: Research article

A field survey for the invertebrate fauna conducted in the Ma River, Thanh Hoa province in 2013. The research applied multivariable analysis performed by the Primer v.6 software, such as CLUSTER, one-way ANOSIM, BEST and DIVERSE. The results showed a list of 138 aquatic invertebrate species. Of these, most were freshwater wide-distributing species coupled with others characterized for brackish and marine waters. The biodiversity status was quite high compared to several other rivers in the North of Vietnam. The list contained many economic-valued species and 2 of these were listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam. The aquatic invertebrates showed a significant relation to the two different combinations of physiochemical factors for zooplanktons and zoobenthos, respectively. The values of the species number, abundance and Shannon-Weiner index for both of zooplanktons and zoobenthos showed a curved trend from the upper river segments to lower river segments. These figures for zooplanktons peaked in the middle river segments, whereas the numbers for zoobenthos achieved the highest numbers in the estuaries. The species composition of the estuaries differentiated significantly from that of other freshwater habitats.Năm 2013 đã tiến hành một đợt điều tra khu hệ động vật không xương sống sông Mã, tỉnh Thanh Hóa. Nghiên cứu sử các phân tích đa biến thông qua phần mền Primer v.6, bao gồm: CLUSTER, one-way ANOSIM, BEST và DIVERSE. Kết quả phân tích thu được 138 loài với thành phần loài chủ yếu là những loài nước ngọt thường gặp và phân bố rộng, ngoài ra còn có các loài đặc trưng cho nước lợ và mặn. Trong số các loài thu được, nhiều loài có giá trị kinh tế và 2 loài có tên trong Sách Đỏ Việt Nam. Khu hệ động vật không xương sống sông Mã có quan hệ chặt với hai nhóm chỉ số thủy lý hóa học khác nhau, tương ứng cho động vật nổi và động vật đáy. Giá trị các chỉ số sinh học gồm số lượng loài, mật độ và Shannon-Weiner hồi quy theo đường cong phi tuyến từ thượng lưu tới hạ lưu; đạt giá trị cao nhất tại cửa sông đối với động vật đáy và vùng trung lưu với động vật nổi. Thành phần loài cửa sông khác biệt rõ rệt với thành phần loài các sinh cảnh nước ngọt khác

Risk Factors of Streptococcus suis Infection in Vietnam. A Case-Control Study

Background: Streptococcus suis infection, an emerging zoonosis, is an increasing public health problem across South East Asia and the most common cause of acute bacterial meningitis in adults in Vietnam. Little is known of the risk factors underlying the disease. Methods and Findings: A case-control study with appropriate hospital and matched community controls for each patient was conducted between May 2006 and June 2009. Potential risk factors were assessed using a standardized questionnaire and investigation of throat and rectal S. suis carriage in cases, controls and their pigs, using real-time PCR and culture of swab samples. We recruited 101 cases of S. suis meningitis, 303 hospital controls and 300 community controls. By multivariate analysis, risk factors identified for S. suis infection as compared to either control group included eating "high risk" dishes, including such dishes as undercooked pig blood and pig intestine (OR1 = 2.22; 95% CI = [1.15-4.28] and OR2 = 4.44; 95% CI = [2.15-9.15]), occupations related to pigs (OR1 = 3.84; 95% CI = [1.32-11.11] and OR2 = 5.52; 95% CI = [1.49-20.39]), and exposures to pigs or pork in the presence of skin injuries (OR1 = 7.48; 95% CI = [1.97-28.44] and OR2 = 15.96; 95% CI = [2.97-85.72]). S. suis specific DNA was detected in rectal and throat swabs of 6 patients and was cultured from 2 rectal samples, but was not detected in such samples of 1522 healthy individuals or patients without S. suis infection. Conclusions: This case control study, the largest prospective epidemiological assessment of this disease, has identified the most important risk factors associated with S. suis bacterial meningitis to be eating 'high risk' dishes popular in parts of Asia, occupational exposure to pigs and pig products, and preparation of pork in the presence of skin lesions. These risk factors can be addressed in public health campaigns aimed at preventing S. suis infectio

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead