Flooding in Mekong River Delta, Viet Nam

human development, climate change

Enabling PhD students to write their own manuscripts

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A TAXONOMIC KEY FOR YELLOW CAMELLIAS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF VIETNAM

Eighteen yellow Camellia species are found in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Their morphological characteristics are described and illustrated. Based on the morphological characteristics of the leaves, flowers, and fruit, a dichotomous key has been constructed

Communal or Separate Rearing of Families in Selective Breeding of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

This study reports on investigation of ways of improving the breeding programme for growth-related traits in common carp in Vietnam. The base population was synthesized following a single pair mating scheme from six carp stocks: (1) 2nd generation of family selection; (2) Hungarian 6th generation of mass selection; (3) Hungarian scaled carp; (4) Indonesian yellow 6th generation of mass selection; (5) Indonesian yellow carp; and (6) Vietnamese 6th generation of mass selection. The next two selected generations were produced using a partial factorial mating scheme, with each family being split and reared using communal early rearing (CER) or separate early rearing (SER) methods. The second generation (G2) was produced from selected fish from the CER G1 group. The total number of selection, control and reference families was 135 in the G1 and 101 in the G2 respectively. The control and reference (Hungarian P33 line) families were produced by single pair mating (reference families with the G2 only). Seven microsatellite loci were used for parentage assignment in the CER groups: 96.8% of the offspring (1284 individuals) and 96.2% offspring (1341 individuals) were unambiguously assigned to 113 families (selection, control) in the G1 and 99 families (selection, control and reference) in the G2 generations, respectively. Restricted maximum likelihood in the individual model was used to estimate phenotypic and genetic parameters. In CER, the estimated heritability values of common carp were from 0.20 ± 0.04 to 0.29 ± 0.05 for both weight and length at final harvest, indicating substantial additive genetic variation for selection on growth-related traits. The overall obtained maternal and common environmental effects were consistently close to zero. The average of direct response to selection for body weight was 15.0% per generation. In SER, the number of families in the G1 and G2 were 135 (selection and control) and 101 (selection, control and reference), respectively. The heritability estimates were from 0.20 ± 0.07 to 0.31 ± 0.08 at final measurement. Common environmental (full-sib family) effect were all lower at tagging and slightly higher at last measurement, ranging from 0.05 to 0.22. The response in each generation of selection as the difference between the selection and control lines was 8.1% on average for weight at final harvest, lower than under CER. The high genetic correlations of growth-related traits between the third (one year old, mature) and second (7 months old) measurements could allow selection to be based on the earlier assessment, reducing handling stress close to spawning. The benefits of using microsatellite markers to ascertain parentage, achieve greater growth rate (close to farming systems), shorten time to maturity and selection, and the overall relative merits of using CER v’s SER in this genetic improvement programme are discussed

The Role and Characteristic of Love in 1 Corinthians 13

In this paper, I discuss the role and characteristics of Love in 1 Corinthians 13. Before going into detailed treatment of this topic, I sought to clarify why Paul writes this letter, and the coherent unity of the letter. I also recognize that it is necessary to clarify the term ‘Love’ in the context of First Corinthians. It is equally important to discern the thematic weight and the position of chapter 13 in the context of the whole epistle. I utilize the structural criticism which considers the chapter in question as the central part of the ‘sandwiched’ construction between chapters 12 and 14. Chapter 12 outlines the principal importance of the various gifts: while chapter 14 articulates the phenomenon of tongues and the relationship to transmitting the Word into the world. In considering the central theme of the paper, I seek to explore the indispensable role of ‘Love’ among other essential Spiritual gifts; without Love, Faith and Hope and Good works are of empty significance. My inquiry into this topic led me to the inevitable analyzing and discussing the characteristics of Love. It is interesting to note that there is a structural, internal technique utilized by Paul. It can be deduced that he used a particular system of combining two positives, eight negatives, and then five more favorable terms to do justice to the concept of Love. In the final part of the exposition, I concentrate on expounding the eternal nature of Love and its surpassing quality compared to other gifts of the Spirit. After analyzing the role and nature of Love in the central section of my analysis, I mention the position of 1 Corinthians 13 in the Church’s current life, especially in Pope Francis’s teachings. Specifically, it is my purpose to shed light upon the concept of Love from a modern Christian literary/theological point of view. Ultimately, I was able to develop a basis of New Testament understanding and find important resonance within the primary theme and internal thought of 1 Cor. 13 and two recent Apostolic documents: Amoris Laetitia and Fratelli Tutti

New records of potent in-vitro antidiabetic properties of Dalbergia tonkinensis heartwood and the bioactivity-guided isolation of active compounds

[[abstract]]Alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity has been commonly used for the evaluation of antidiabetic property in vitro. The aim of this study is to investigate and characterize Dalbergia tonkinensis as a potential source of antidiabetic compounds. The screening of the active parts used, such as trunk bark, heartwood, and the leaves of Dalbergia tonkinensis indicated that all these extracted parts used with methanol demonstrated potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The in vitro antidiabetic property of Dalbergia tonkinensis was notably recorded for the first time and showed activity (EC50 = 0.17–0.78 mg/mL) comparable to those of reported potent herbal extracts (EC50 = 0.25–4.0 mg/mL) and higher activity than that of acarbose, a commercial antidiabetic drug (EC50 = 1.21 mg/mL). The stability tests revealed that the heartwood of Dalbergia tonkinensis extract (HDT) possesses high pH stability with relative activity in the range of 80–98%. Further bioassay-guided purification led to the isolation of 2 active compounds identified as sativanone and formononetin from the ethyl acetate fraction and water fraction of HDT, respectively. These α-glucosidase inhibitors (aGIs) show promising inhibition against various types of α-glucosidases. Remarkably, these inhibitors were determined as new mammalian aGIs, showing good effect on rat α-glucosidase. The results suggest that Dalbergia tonkinensis is a potent source of aGIs and suggest promise in being developed as functional food with antidiabetic efficacy. The results of this study also enrich our knowledge concerning current biological activity and constituents of Dalbergia tonkinensis species.[[sponsorship]]科技部[[notice]]補正完

Factors Influencing Customers’ Perception of Digital Banking Service Quality in Vietnam

Purpose: This paper examines the impacts of gender, education, and age on consumer’s perception of digital banking service quality in the case of a branch of Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam.   Theoretical framework: Inspired by Parasuraman‘s five dimensions of service quality, this research defined four criteria measured digital banking service quality including the security, the ability, the convenience, and the supported policies for customers. Among different factors influencing consumers’ perception, the authors selected to analyzed impacts of education, gender, and age of consumers.   Design/Methodology/Approach: Primary data was collected from 200 customers who were randomly selected, then analyzed by descriptive statistics. The T-test, Cronbach Alpha, and ANOVA were used to test the differences of consumers’ perception of digital banking service quality by their gender, age, and education.   Findings: The analysis showed that consumers’ perception of digital banking service quality clearly differed by their gender and age. Nevertheless, there was not a clear correlation between educational levels and their perception of security, convenience, and promotion policies of digital banking services.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The findings imply that Vietnamese commercial banks need to improve the quality of digital banking services by: cooperating with Fintech companies to increase security, improving human resource quality, innovating technology and promoting communication activities.   Originality/Value: This study indicated the differences of consumers’ perception of digital banking service quality by their age, gender, and education. All the respondents of the survey are digital banking service users.

An approximate method for analysing non-linear systems subject to random excitation

A solution technique based on the representation of the response of the non-linear system by a polynomial of the response of the linearized system is presented. The relation between the original non-linear system and the linearized system is introduced by considering the so-called extended moment equations and their closed set is to be solved to determine unknowns. For the Vanderpol oscillator subject to white noise excitation, the technique gives good approximation to the response moments as well as the probability density function