Sterols from stems of Momordica cochinchinesis (Lour.) Spreng.

Three known sterols, polypodine B (1), (22E,24R)-24-methylcholesta-2,22-diene-3β,5α,6β-triol (2) and chondrillasterol (3) were isolated from the stems of Momordica cochinchinesis (Lour.) Spreng. Their chemical structures were successfully determined using NMR and ESI-MS analysis as well as in comparison with the reported data. All compounds were reported from Momordica genus for the first time. Keywords. Momordica cochinchinesis, Cucurbitaceae, steroid

The Mediating Effects of Switching Costs on the Relationship between Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty: A Study in Retail Banking Industry in Vietnam

This paper develops and empirically tests the mediating role of switching costs in service quality - loyalty and satisfaction-loyalty relationships. Especially, different types of switching costs are tested separately providing more insights into their roles. A research model about the interrelationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, switching costs and customer loyalty is developed. Based on this model, a survey is conducted with retail banking customers, with and 261valid respondents. The hypotheses are then proposed and tested using Structural equation modeling technique (SEM). The analysis reveals that: positive switching cost is a significant mediator for both service quality-loyalty and satisfaction-loyalty relationships, while negative switching cost only mediates the service quality-loyalty relationship. These findings suggest that building and managing switching costs are necessary following-up steps after customer satisfaction for achieving long-term customer loyalty

The mediating effects of switching costs on the relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty: A study in retail banking industry in Vietnam

This paper develops and empirically tests the mediating role of switching costs in service quality - loyalty and satisfaction-loyalty relationships. Specially, different types of switching costs are tested separately providing more insights about their roles. This approach extended the insights on mediating effects of switching costs by differentiate the roles of positive switching costs and negative switching costs in the model. A research model about the interrelationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, switching costs and customer loyalty is developed. Based on this model, a survey is conducted with retail banking customers, with and 261 valid respondents. The hypotheses are then proposed and tested using Structural equation modeling technique (SEM). The analysis reveals that: positive switching cost is a significant mediator for both service quality-loyalty and satisfaction-loyalty relationships, while negative switching cost only mediates the service quality-loyalty relationship. These findings suggest that building and managing switching costs are necessary following-up steps after customer satisfaction for achieving long-term customer loyalty. However, using the right types of switching costs is necessary to significantly boost the loyalty from customers. © ExcelingTech Pub, UK

STUDY ON REMOVING COLOR IN THE EXTRACT SOLUTION FROM VEGETABLES FOR ANALYZING ORGANOCHLORIDE PESTICIDES RESIDUE IN HANOI MARKETS

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

EFL Vietnamese Teachers’ Perception Toward Critical Thinking in the Classroom

The 21st academic curriculum worldwide has emphasized Critical Thinking as one of the paramount thinking skills. However, the fact that whether EFL teachers- as direct guides in the classroom- have thoroughly grasped the concept, have been exposed to the concept or equipped with adequate methods and approaches to teach critical thinking in daily lessons remains questionable. This paper aims to present the Vietnamese EFL teachers’ perceptions of critical thinking and provide an overview of their current practices of critical thinking skills. The paper emphasized the extent of understanding of critical thinking that Vietnamese EFL teachers show in comparison with definitions in the literature, and how they apply what they understand in the EFL classroom. Participants of the study are 5 teachers who have teaching experience of more than 3 years, and the researchers collected data through in-depth interviews. The findings revealed a lack of information and training from the participants as well as some challenges in practicing the skills due to time-constraints or inadequate general knowledge and limited language level of students. This paper gives EFL managers and practitioners’ assessment criteria for whether to include or exclude critical thinking in their classes and sheds light on how Vietnamese EFL teachers can structure their lessons to critical thinking in the classroom

IMPLEMENT POLICIES ON TRAINING AND FOSTERING CADRES AND CIVIL SERVANTS OF KHMER IN THE MEKONG DELTA, VIETNAM

Cadres and civil servants who are ethnic Khmer people in the Mekong Delta have an essential position and role in implementing the Party's guidelines and guidelines, policies, and laws of the State to present with the people and directly manage society to achieve order, stability, and development. Cadres and civil servants who are ethnic Khmer people are the bridge between the Party, State, and the people, reflecting the people's legitimate thoughts and aspirations for the Party and State. Based on the method of document research, and secondary data, the paper outlines the characteristics of the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta; viewpoints and lines of the Party, policies, and laws of the State on training and retraining policies for cadres and civil servants who are ethnic Khmer people; On the basis of the actual situation of the policy, the thesis has proposed a number of solutions to improve the effectiveness of the policy on training and fostering cadres and civil servants who are ethnic Khmer people in the Mekong Delta.  Article visualizations

Study of Self-diffusion in GaAs Crystal: Temperature Dependence

The self-diffusion of Ga and As atoms in GaAs crystal with the zince-blende structure (ZnS) is investigated by using the statistical moment method (SMM). The activation energy $(Q)$, diffusion coefficient $(D)$, and pre-exponential factor ($D_0$) are expressed by analytical closed expressions. The present analytical formulas are including the anharmonic effects of the lattice vibrations. The obtained results  are applied to GaAs crystal and the SMM calculations of $Q, D$ and $D_0$  are in agreement with the experimental data

Incidence of dengue and chikungunya viruses in mosquitoes and human patients in border provinces of Vietnam

Background: Dengue virus remains a major threat in Vietnam, while chikungunya virus is expected to become one. Surveillance was conducted from 2012 to 2014 in Vietnam to assess the presence of dengue and chikungunya viruses in patients hospitalized with acute fever in five Vietnam provinces neighboring Lao PDR and Cambodia. Surveillance was extended to mosquitoes present in the vicinity of the patients' households. Results: A total 558 human serum samples were collected along with 1104 adult mosquitoes and 12,041 larvae from 2250 households. Dengue virus was found in 17 (3%) human serum samples and in 9 (0.8%) adult mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus was detected in 2 adult mosquitoes (0.18%) while no chikungunya virus was detected in humans. Differing densities of mosquito populations were found, with the highest in the Long An Province border with Cambodia. Long An Province also displayed the lowest rate of infection, despite a very high Breteau Index, high human population density and presence of the main cross border road system. The highest incidence was found in Dac Nong Province, where the Breteau and Container indices were the second lowest. Dengue virus was detected in five Aedes albopictus, three Aedes aegypti and one Culex vishnui. Chikungunya virus was detected in two Ae. aegypti. All infected mosquitoes belonged to haplotypes described in other parts of the world and a number of novel haplotypes were found among uninfected mosquitoes. Conclusions: Dengue is considered to be regularly introduced to Vietnam from Cambodia, mostly through human movement. The data reported here provides a complementary picture. Due to intensive international trade, long-distance transportation of mosquito populations may play a role in the regular importation of dengue in Vietnam through Ho Chi Minh City. It is important to decipher the movement of mosquitoes in Vietnam, not only at the Lao PDR and Cambodia borders but also through international trade routes. Mosquito surveillance programs should address and follow mosquito populations instead of mosquito species

Biological Characteristics and Antimicrobial Activity of Endophytic Streptomyces

Ham Yen orange (Citrus nobilis Lour) is the highly valuable commercial fruit of Vietnam. With the blooming of fruit production and farming area, this specialty crop is facing threats from several serious diseases; therefore the search for new effective biocontrollers is required to prevent the existing excessive use of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals. Endophytic actinomycetes are of great scientific interest due to their high potential of application in agriculture and pharmaceutical research. In this work, endophytic actinomycetes were isolated from a native orange species of Northeast mountainous province Tuyen Quang. Among 49 isolates obtained, the isolate TQR12-4 strongly inhibited test pathogens Colletotrichum truncatum, Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. udum. This isolate gave comparatively high biomass yields on different substrates, for example, carboxy methyl cellulose, starch, protein, and chitin, within a wide range of temperature from 15 to 45°C and pH from 4 to 10. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA gene showed that TQR12-4 shared 99% similarity to Streptomyces prasinopilosus; however, it slightly differed from the latter in spore morphology and hence was named as Streptomyces sp. TQR12-4. A thermostable antifungal substance of nonpeptide nature produced by Streptomyces sp. TQR12-4 had MIC against Fusarium udum of 100 μg/mL and 400 μg/mL respective to extract fractions X4 and X5