Central Control Of Body Fat And Thermoregulation Through Shared And Separate Sympathetic Circuitries And Sensory Feedback

More than 30% of the population suffers from obesity, which increases the risk of death and secondary health problems. Body fat [white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT)] are innervated and regulated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). WAT stores energy, while BAT generates heat for thermoregulation. Fat also has sensory innervations, but the roles of sensory nerves are still being elucidated. Hence, understanding the neuroanatomy of the SNS innervations of fat and the neural regulation of fat metabolism will be valuable for advancing obesity treatment. Using trans-synaptic tract tracers with unique fluorescent proteins, we defined and compared the SNS innervations of visceral fat [mesenteric WAT (MWAT)] and subcutaneous fat [inguinal WAT (IWAT)] and of IWAT and interscapular BAT (IBAT) in Siberian hamsters. MWAT and IWAT have moderately shared SNS innervations within the hindbrain, but separate SNS innervations in rostral regions. In contrast, IWAT and IBAT have relatively separate SNS circuitries throughout the brain yet some overlap in SNS nuclei known to regulate thermogenesis. We tested for the presence of functional coordination between IWAT and IBAT defined by overlap in IWAT SNS and IBAT SNS innervations. When IBAT function was impaired by SNS denervation, IWAT SNS drive, thermogenic activity, and beige adipocyte recruitment increased in cold exposed hamsters likely through coordination with IWAT SNS pathways. Conversely, we found that only SNS drive to IWAT increased during acute food deprivation suggesting that populations of SNS neurons singly innervating each fat depot may contribute to differential SNS drive to fat. Lastly, we demonstrated that IWAT sensory nerves mediate the functional coordination between IWAT and IBAT and the regulation of SNS drive to fat. The absence of IWAT sensory feedback via sensory denervation differentially decreased SNS drive to IBAT and IWAT itself, but not to MWAT, retroperitoneal WAT, and epididymal WAT in cold exposed hamsters. Collectively, the studies in this dissertation provide neuroanatomical evidence of separate and shared SNS brain sites likely receiving sensory signaling and regulating SNS drive to fat, and direct evidence of the roles of SNS and sensory nerves innervating fat to energetic homeostasis and thermoregulation

Public private partnership in sustainable tourism development in Trang An landscape complex : Ninh Binh in the context of climate change

The aim was to understand how rapid changes to Trang An through urbanization, tourism, and climate change, are affecting people’s well-being in Truong Yen Commune (Viet Nam). The paper examines the drivers of these changes, and assesses the adaptive capacity of residents, local governments, and the private sector. In an innovative arrangement, the Trang An tourism complex operates through a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Ninh Binh Provincial People’s Committee and the Xuan Truong Corporation, a private company. Local government plays a key role. Proactive comprehensive planning involving government, the private sector, and civil society can reduce environmental and social risks of tourism.The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)Thailand Environment Institute (TEI

Applying online peer feedback via a peer review application in English academic writing

Writing in English is widely regarded as a challenging skill since most students have found many problems somewhat occupying teachers’ time to help them overcome. Peer feedback, where students analyze and suggest revisions to each other’s work (Sukumaran & Dass, 2014), is a worthwhile alternative to teacher-based feedback, and its benefits in academic writing have been thoroughly examined. With great convenience, Google Classroom Peer Review (GCPR) recently began to capture teachers’ attention as an innovative online peer feedback tool. This study conducted a quasi-experiment to determine the impact of online peer feedback (OPFB) via GCPR on 32 first-year students and their attitudes toward online peer feedback. Three writing exercises as well as a questionnaire were used to gather the information. The findings show that the experimental group significantly improved their vocabulary and grammar usage in writing compared to the 32 students in the control group. The experimental group expressed their positive opinions of OPFB, regarding free selection and assigned-pair feedback. Additionally, the difficulties and recommendations that the study’s participants gave have greatly enhanced the use of OPFB. The research is eager to offer valuable recommendations for enhancing learners’ academic writing proficiency in further studies because of its practical efficacy

Changes in Vietnamese University Students’ Attitudes towards English Reading via an Extensive Reading Project: A Tri-Component Model Analysis

Whether or not extensive reading transforms Vietnamese university students’ attitudes towards reading using a tri-component analysis model is an uncharted area. This study delved into the reading attitudes of English majors concerning their cognitive, conative, and affective dimensions through a two-month extensive reading (ER) project. Participants were composed of 26 first-year students at a large urban university in Vietnam. Research instruments included a pre-project questionnaire, a post-project questionnaire and book records. The findings revealed a positive change in the students’ reading attitudes, characterized by reinforced belief in the benefits of reading, heightened positive feelings, and an increased intent to read. Recommendations for practice and further research were provided and discussed

Modified cuckoo search algorithm for solving nonconvex economic load dispatch problems

This paper presents the application of modified cuckoo search algorithm (MCSA) for solving economic load dispatch (ELD) problems. The MCSA method is developed to improve the search ability and solution quality of the conventional CSA method. In the MCSA, the evaluation of eggs has divided the initial eggs into two groups, the top egg group with good quality and the abandoned group with worse quality. Moreover, the value of the updated step size in MCSA is adapted as generating a new solution for the abandoned group and the top group via the Levy flights so that a large zone is searched at the beginning and a local zone is foraged as the maximum number of iterations is nearly reached. The MCSA method has been tested on different systems with different characteristics of thermal units and constraints. The result comparison with other methods in the literature has indicated that the MCSA method can be a powerful method for solving the EL

From Negative Aspects and Black Aspects of Vietnam Education to Lessons for Social Sciences Students

In our research, we level strong criticism at the State Professor Council in Vietnam, using the case of Tran Van Tho and other members as a representative illustration of their efforts to impede or restrict the growth of the nation's scientific community. We also do not place enough importance on the publication of bogus news online by various Vietnam publications (Thanhnien.vn and Tuoitre.vn), despite the fact that it may lead to confusion, as well as problems and concern in the community. In addition, we oppose the excessive tuition fees and other expenses that have been imposed by Banking University HCM city Vietnam and other institutions in HCM city in recent years, which have caused difficulties for families, parents, students, and society as a whole. In addition, we use these problematic aspects of the education system in Vietnam as a case study to instruct students majoring in social sciences. After that, the authors apply a strategy based on the laws of Malaysia in order to solve the problem of fake news published in the newspapers tuoi tre and thanh nien in Vietnam throughout the period 2015-2022. After the case discussion that was offered earlier, the authors assess the opinions of President Ho Chi Minh on publishing activities for the purpose of better teaching pupils. This is not the least of the authors' contributions

INVESTIGATING THE EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WITH E-LEARNING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN VIETNAMESE HIGHER EDUCATION

This study uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate the experiences of Vietnamese university students with disabilities (visual/mobility impairments) with e-learning as a consequence of emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. An analysis of the ideas of 20 surveyed students with disabilities at eight universities in Ho Chi Minh City and six students interviewed afterward shows that students can change their study habits to adapt to e-learning and to enjoy this model of learning. However, the participants revealed that they also want to experience face-to-face learning so that they can interact with their lecturers and peers more effectively and in more diverse ways, as well as assimilate lectures more easily. Furthermore, the research shows that various adjustments should be made by system designers, universities, and lecturers to make e-learning friendlier to disabled students. The recommended adjustments include designing easy-to-use learning tools and platforms, providing lecturers with the necessary tools and facilities to design lessons appropriate for all students, providing psychological and technical support for disabled students, choosing user-friendly learning applications and platforms, providing students with suitable learning resources, and modifying testing and assessment methods

Retrieval of material properties of monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides from magnetoexciton energy spectra

Reduced exciton mass, polarizability, and dielectric constant of the surrounding medium are essential properties for semiconduction materials, and they can be extracted recently from the magnetoexciton energies. However, the acceptable accuracy of the previously suggested method requires very high magnetic intensity. Therefore, in the present paper, we propose an alternative method of extracting these material properties from recently available experimental magnetoexciton s-state energies in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). The method is based on the high sensitivity of exciton energies to the material parameters in the Rytova-Keldysh model. It allows us to vary the considered material parameters to get the best fit of the theoretical calculation to the experimental exciton energies for the $1s$, $2s$, and $3s$ states. This procedure gives values of the exciton reduced mass and 2D polarizability. Then, the experimental magnetoexciton spectra compared to the theoretical calculation gives also the average dielectric constant. Concrete applications are presented only for monolayers WSe$_2$ and WS$_2$ from the recently available experimental data. However, the presented approach is universal and can be applied to other monolayer TMDCs. The mentioned fitting procedure requires a fast and effective method of solving the Schr\"{o}dinger of an exciton in monolayer TMDCs with a magnetic field. Therefore, we also develop such a method in this study for highly accurate magnetoexciton energies.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 4 table

THE DIFFICULTIES IN ORAL PRESENTATION OF ENGLISH-MAJORED JUNIORS AT TAY DO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

It could be broadly accepted that oral presentations are becoming important for students. It is required in almost every field and in the university environment. To succeed in the university environment and in their future jobs, these students need to improve their oral presentation skills. However, one of the drawbacks of using oral presentations in the language classroom is that students often find oral presentations extremely challenging. Therefore, the researcher conducted this research with the main goal of finding out common problems when giving an oral presentation to English-majored juniors at Tay Do University. Ninety juniors majoring in English at Tay Do University were selected to take part in the study. Data are gathered through questionnaires and interviews. The researcher used quantitative and qualitative methods to do the research. From the collected data, when they give a presentation, students usually make some mistakes such as problems in vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, psychological and background knowledge. Through this study, they would recognize their own problems when giving a presentation. Besides, understanding students' learning difficulties may also enable teachers to help students develop effective learning strategies and ultimately improve their presentation skills. It is hoped that this research can be helpful for not only students but also teachers in learning and teaching English.  Article visualizations