Allelic polymorphism of crtRB1 and LcyE genes related to the β-carotene content in Vietnamese traditional maize accessions,

Maize is the third most important food crop after wheat and rice. Maize is used as food for more than a billion people around the world and is used as animal feed, especially, poultry. The concentration of carotenoids, especially, β-carotene in maize grains, is very low. Therefore, the study of increasing the amount of provitamin A carotenoids including β-carotene is important. In maize, different alleles of crtRB1 and LcyE genes have a significant effect on β-carotene content. In this paper, we present the results of the study of allele polymorphism of these two genes related to the provitamin A carotenoid content in some traditional maize accessions collected from several regions in North and Central Highlands of Vietnam. The results showed that there were polymorphisms at the 3’ and 5’ ends of the crtRB1 and LcyE genes. Among 22 maize accessions, the proportion of favorable alleles at the 3’ end of crtRB1 gene was relatively high (5/22 = 22.73%). Similar results were obtained for alleles at 3’ end of the LcyE gene. Especially, there is an accession (Northern white gold maize) that carries favorable alleles at the 3’ ends of both crtRB1 and LcyE genes. While all investigated maize accessions did not carry favorable alleles at the 5’ end of both crtRB1 and LcyE genes. The identification of traditional maize accessions that carry favorable alleles for increasing b-carotene content opens up potential to exploit indigenous genetic resources for genetic research as well as to develop maize varieties with high β- carotene content.

MODELO DE CONSULTA ESCOLAR NO VIETNÃ: ESTUDO DE CASO DE PROFESSORES EM TEMPO PARCIAL

The school consultation model in Vietnam currently being implemented according to Circular No. 31/2017/TT-BGDDT effective from February 2, 2018, is the “Part-time teacher” model. The purpose of this exploratory study is to test the awareness of officials and teachers about the effectiveness of elements in the “part-time teacher” school consultation model in high schools in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The research sample was randomly selected from 4 high school heads and from teacher pedagogical training courses and management training classes, with 538 participants, of which teachers (69.0%), and managers (31.0%); in the study sample, there were (36.2%) participating in the school’s psychology team. Research subjects (28.6%) were trained in psychological consultation capacity by topic; (8.9%) training in psychological counseling capacity and granting training certificates; (5.4%) training for bachelor of psychology and master of psychology; (57.1%) had not studied through the psychological counseling competency program. The instrument’s validity and reliability were verified through the evaluation of Cronbach alpha analysis, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). When analyzing the EFA factor, the results of the factors in the model have a positive correlation of 76.2% (R2 = 1.00), in the factors of personnel conducting consultations, policies for personnel participating in consultations, and policies for consulting personnel. Joining the school counseling team, the consultation process and the consultation room have not been paying attention.O modelo de consulta escolar no Vietname que está atualmente a ser implementado de acordo com a Circular n.º 31/2017/TT-BGDDT, em vigor a partir de 2 de fevereiro de 2018, é o modelo “Professor a tempo parcial”. O objectivo deste estudo exploratório é testar a sensibilização de funcionários e professores sobre a eficácia dos elementos do modelo de consulta escolar de “professores a tempo parcial” em escolas secundárias na cidade de Ho Chi Minh, Vietname. A amostra da pesquisa foi selecionada aleatoriamente entre 4 diretores de escolas de ensino médio e de cursos de formação pedagógica de professores e turmas de formação gerencial, com 538 participantes, sendo professores (69,0%) e gestores (31,0%); na amostra do estudo havia (36,2%) participantes da equipe de psicologia da escola. Os sujeitos da pesquisa (28,6%) foram capacitados em capacidade de consulta psicológica por tema; (8,9%) formação em capacidade de aconselhamento psicológico e concessão de certificados de formação; (5,4%) formação para bacharel em psicologia e mestre em psicologia; (57,1%) não haviam cursado o programa de competência em aconselhamento psicológico. A validade e a confiabilidade do instrumento foram verificadas por meio da avaliação da análise alfa de Cronbach e da análise fatorial exploratória (AFE). Ao analisar o fator AFE, os resultados dos fatores do modelo apresentam correlação positiva de 76,2% (R2 = 1,00), nos fatores pessoal que realiza consultas, políticas para pessoal participante de consultas e políticas para pessoal consultor. Juntando-se à equipe de aconselhamento escolar, o processo de consulta e o consultório não têm prestado atenção

Factors Related To Job Satisfaction Of Professional Nurses, Hanoi, Vietnam

Background: Nurses’ job satisfaction has long been recognized as a crucial indicator of hospital because it is positively related to job performance, nurse retention, patient satisfaction, and quality of nurisng care and negatively related to job stress, burnout, absenteeism and turnover. Conditions of work and psychological empowerment are important factors that influence job satisfaction. Aim of the study: This research had examined the job satisfaction of professional nurses in public hospitals, Hanoi, Vietnam, and the contributing factors on it. Methods: A correlation study was applied in this research. The study was conducted, based on a sample of 356 nurses of Bach Mai Hospital, Viet Duc Hospital, and E Hanoi Hospital from September to October 2015. Research instrument were four self-administered, including 1) the 7 items personal factors; 2) the 44-items of the Index of Work satisfaction; 3) the 12-items perceived empowerment of the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II); 4) the 12-items of the Psychological Empowerment scale . Data was analyzes using percentages, means, and standard deviation. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Chi-square test were applied to determine the relationships among the study variables. Results: The level of satisfaction of professional nurses is moderate. Demographic factors including working unit, education level, and working experience were not significantly correlated with job satisfaction. However, conditions of work and psychological empowerment postively and significantly related to job satisfaction (r = .42, r = .28, p < .05). Conclusion: In this study, nurses’satisfaction is not high. Nurse managers are suggested to pay more attention to professional nurses on the empowerment to promote nurse’s job satisfaction

Credit market segmentation in rural areas

Segmentation of the rural credit markets is present in various countries in the world but remain only partially understood. This thesis contributes to filling this gap. Using data from the rural credit markets of Thua Thien Hue Province in Phu Thuong Commune it aims to: (i) identify the main providers, borrower groups and their characteristics in the credit market; (ii) to learn about the performance of the segmented credit market; (iii) and to explain the reasons and conditions for rural credit market segmentation. This study presents an analytical literature survey and analysis of survey data which includes the results from a household survey, group discussions, individual interviews and observations. The analyses are conducted from the viewpoint of both the lenders and the borrowers to see how their particular characteristics influence their credit transactions as well as market segmentation. The results of the research reveals that the formal, semi formal and informal sector co-exists and operates in the rural credit markets of Phu Thuong commune. Beside the similarities in business place and responsibility in supplying loans to local clients, each credit sector have had particular characteristics in term of kind of credit products/services, number of transactions, credit transaction terms, as well as process of disbursing credit. The segmentation of Phu Thuong credit market is recognized in each term/clause of a credit transaction. In that light, the credit market is segmented in aspects of purpose, duration, interest rate, and amount of loans. With regard to loan purposes, the segmentation is not only seen from the credit sector aspect but also in terms of the different lenders. Regarding to duration of loans, formal lenders have provided loans with long duration, informal sector have lent short period loans, while semi formal lenders have dominated medium term loans. From borrower’s aspect, segmenting within each household group by loan duration is not obvious. In terms of loan size, agricultural households have obtained credit with the smallest amount on average, and a major part coming from the formal sector. The mixed group and nonfarm group have been not much different in credit volume. However, the biggest part in volume of credit of agricultural households and mixed households has come from the formal sector, whereas, in the nonfarm group, the biggest share has belonged to the informal sector. Though segmented by loan size, the market has still been based on the interaction among credit sectors, as only 4.44% of households have just obtained credit from one of the sectors. The segmentation of interest rate has been obvious among credit sectors, especially between formal sector and the two other sectors. Average interest rate of loans in formal sector is lowest, approximately a half of that in semi formal sector and informal one. From borrowers’ aspect, the segmentation of interest rate among household groups has not been clear because of the variety of credit sources from which households ask for loans. Regarding the reasons of segmenting credit market, the policy issue, information and conditions of transaction have been recorded as the main reasons

Changes of benthic macroinvertebrates in Thi Vai River and Cai Mep Estuaries under polluted conditions with industrial wastewater

The pollution on the Thi Vai River has been spreading out rapidly over the two lasted decades caused by the wastewater from the industrial parks in the left bank of Thi Vai River and Cai Mep Estuaries. The evaluation of the benthic macroinvertebrate changes was very necessary to identify the consequences of the industrial wastewater on water quality and aquatic ecosystem of Thi Vai River and Cai Mep Estuaries. In this study, the variables of benthic macroinvertebrates and water quality were investigated in Thi Vai River and Cai Mep Estuaries, Southern Vietnam. The monitoring data of benthic macroinvertebrates and water quality parameters covered the period from 1989 to 2015 at 6 sampling sites in Thi Vai River and Cai Mep Estuaries. The basic water quality parameters were also tested including pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. The biodiversity indices of benthic macroinvertebrates were applied for water quality assessment. The results showed that pH ranged from 6.4 – 7.6 during the monitoring. The DO concentrations were in between 0.20 – 6.70 mg/L. The concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorous ranged from 0.03 – 5.70 mg/L 0.024 – 1.380 mg/L respectively. Macroinvertebrate community in the study area consisted of 36 species of polychaeta, gastropoda, bivalvia, and crustacea, of which, species of polychaeta were dominant in species number. The benthic macroinvertebartes density ranged from 0 – 2.746 individuals/m2 with the main dominant species of Neanthes caudata, Prionospio malmgreni, Paraprionospio pinnata, Trichochaeta carica, Maldane sarsi, Capitella capitata, Terebellides stroemi, Euditylia polymorpha, Grandidierella lignorum, Apseudes vietnamensis. The biodiversity index values during the monitoring characterized for aquatic environmental conditions of mesotrophic to polytrophic. Besides, species richness positively correlated with DO, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. The results confirmed the advantage of using benthic macroinvertebrates and their indices for water quality assessment

Factors Affecting Business Angels Investment in Vietnam

The paper aims at investigating and comparing the factors determining investment decisions by business angels (BAs) from the viewpoints of BAs and startups in Vietnam based on a framework synthesized from a literature review and primary data from in-depth interviews conducted with 8 startups and 15 angel investors. The results show that the startups’ founder, working team, financial issues, product and market, and strategy related to exit and the roles of BAs are startup-related factors determining BAs’ investment in Vietnam. For BA-related factors, the BAs’ experience, investment objectives and preferences, and culture are key determinants. The novelty of the paper is to find out the gaps between the perspectives of BAs and startups, and the difference between Vietnamese and foreign BAs’ viewpoints. The finding is that BAs, more strictly than startups, assess their business plan, financial state, product, market, and targeted consumers. Startups neglect the exit strategy and role of BAs in invested startups. In addition, foreign and domestic BAs have different opinions on startups’ market scale, and expectation of profits and BAs’ roles in startups. The paper ends by providing some implications for Vietnamese startups to attract more angel investment, focusing on improving the quality of human resources, developing a profitable, honest, and realistic business plan, and setting up a long-run vision towards the global market. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-02-07 Full Text: PD

Factors affecting the flipped classroom in the educational context of Vietnam

In the context of the implementation of the 2018 General Education Program, teachers are required to implement a teaching model oriented to the development of students’ quality and competence. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the flipped classroom model of teaching in schools as its advantages are suitable for novel teaching strategies. This study focuses on analyzing factors affecting the application of this model in the teaching and learning process by collecting feedback from 351 teachers from various cities in Vietnam. The questionnaire included Likert-type questions analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics version 20 for quantitative analysis and an open question for qualitative analysis with context and personal information. The research-oriented factors focus on the group of potential internal factors (perception, proficiency, desire and readiness of teachers) and the group of external factors (infrastructure, facilities and support resources, training programs). The results showed that those factors include the school’s infrastructure and information communication technology (ICT) condition, the teacher’s ICT competence as well as competence-related teaching and assessment methodologies and the students’ internet access conditions. Finally, the study offers suggestions on how to apply this model in teaching practice to meet the requirements of educational innovation in Vietnam

Uma pesquisa-ação de 3 anos em uma universidade vietnamita: Alunos como cogeradores de conteúdo das aulas

In the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution with unlimited technological advancement and innovation, how can educators innovate their teaching and facilitate their students in their learning process, so that students can accumulate required skills and achieve the set learning outcomes of each course they take? In order to find out the answer, the authors have revised some literature concerning BYOD trend, active learning strategies, flipped classroom and learner-generated content as the theoretical base for their study. Action research has been conducted at a Vietnamese university with the participation of English-majored students in Theory of English Translation and Interpreting classes from 3 different intakes. The findings include students’ positive perception towards the content-generation practices. Some achievements and challenges in the teaching and learning process have also been reported. This paper also recommends further studies so that the practice could be utilized to the best outcomes.En el contexto de la Cuarta Revolución Industrial con un avance tecnológico e innovación ilimitados, ¿cómo pueden los educadores innovar su enseñanza y facilitar a sus estudiantes su proceso de aprendizaje, para que los estudiantes puedan acumular las habilidades requeridas y lograr los resultados de aprendizaje establecidos en cada curso que toman? Para encontrar la respuesta, los autores han revisado cierta literatura sobre la tendencia BYOD, las estrategias de aprendizaje activo, el aula invertida y el contenido generado por el alumno como base teórica para su estudio. Se llevó a cabo una investigación de acción en una universidad vietnamita con la participación de estudiantes con especialización en inglés en clases de Teoría de la traducción e interpretación en inglés de 3 tomas diferentes. Los hallazgos incluyen la percepción positiva de los estudiantes hacia las prácticas de generación de contenidos. También se reportan algunos logros y desafíos en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje. Este documento también recomienda más estudios para que la práctica pueda utilizarse con los mejores resultados.No contexto da 4ª Revolução Industrial, com avanço tecnológico e inovação ilimitados, como os educadores podem inovar seu ensino e facilitar seus alunos em seu processo de aprendizagem, para que os alunos possam acumular as habilidades necessárias e alcançar os resultados de aprendizagem definidos de cada curso que fazem? Para encontrar a resposta, os autores revisaram alguma literatura sobre a tendência BYOD, estratégias de aprendizagem ativa, sala de aula invertida e conteúdo gerado pelo aluno como base teórica para seu estudo. Uma pesquisa-ação foi realizada em uma universidade vietnamita com a participação de alunos formados em inglês nas aulas de Teoria da Tradução e Interpretação do Inglês de 3 diferentes entradas. Os resultados incluem a percepção positiva dos alunos em relação às práticas de geração de conteúdo. Algumas conquistas e desafios no processo de ensino e aprendizagem também foram relatados. Este artigo também recomenda mais estudos para que a prática possa ser utilizada para os melhores resultados

The complete mitochondrial genome of Paragonimus ohirai (Paragonimidae: Trematoda: Platyhelminthes) and its comparison with P. Westermani congeners and other trematodes

We present the complete mitochondrial genome of Paragonimus ohirai Miyazaki, 1939 and compare its features with those of previously reported mitochondrial genomes of the pathogenic lung-fluke, Paragonimus westermani, and other members of the genus. The circular mitochondrial DNA molecule of the single fully sequenced individual of P. ohirai was 14,818 bp in length, containing 12 protein-coding, two ribosomal RNA and 22 transfer RNA genes. As is common among trematodes, an atp8 gene was absent from the mitogenome of P. ohirai and the 50 end of nad4 overlapped with the 30 end of nad4L by 40 bp. Paragonimusohirai and four forms/strains of P. westermani from South Korea and India, exhibited remarkably different base compositions and hence codon usage in protein-coding genes. In the fully sequenced P. ohirai individual, the non-coding region started with two long identical repeats (292 bp each), separated by tRNAGlu. These were followed by an array of six short tandem repeats (STR), 117 bp each. Numbers of the short tandem repeats varied among P. ohirai individuals. A phylogenetic tree inferred from concatenated mitochondrial protein sequences of 50 strains encompassing 42 species of trematodes belonging to 14 families identified a monophyletic Paragonimidae in the class Trematoda. Characterization of additional mitogenomes in the genus Paragonimus will be useful for biomedical studies and development of molecular tools and mitochondrial markers for diagnostic, identification, hybridization and phylogenetic/epidemiological/evolutionary studies

Using fly ash treated by NaOH and H2SO4 solutions for Hg2+ and Cd2+ ion adsorption.

This paper presents the results of adsorption ability of heavy metal ions (Hg2+ and Cd2+) by fly ash (FA) before and after treatment using NaOH and H2SO4 solutions.  Original- and treated FA were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Specific surface area of FA before and after treatment was calculated by Brunauer – Emmett – Teller (BET) isotherm equation. The obtained results indicated that the morphology and specific surface area of FA changed clearly after treatment by acid or alkaline solutions. Adsorption capacity the Hg2+ and Cd2+ ion by FA was determined from data of UV-Vis spectra. After treatment, the adsorption capacity of ions by FA increased remarkably in comparison with non-treated FA. The FA treated by NaOH solution has the adsorption capacity higher than FA treated by H2SO4 solution. The maximum adsorption capacity of the FA treated by NaOH solution for Cd2+ and Hg2+ ions at room temperature is 28.97 and 14.60 mg/g, respectively. The equilibrium adsorption data were described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The results showed that equilibrium data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm. Keywords. Fly ash, treatment, adsorption capacity, heavy metal, Langmuir isotherm