Seed priming with sodium nitroprusside enhances the growth of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) under drought stress

Peanuts are a nutrient-dense legume with high lipid, protein, vitamin and mineral content. Peanut development is harmed by drought stress, particularly during the germination and seedling stages. Finding ways to mitigate the impacts of drought stress will have positive effects on peanut production. Seed priming, a short-gun strategy for modulating the impact of abiotic stressors on agricultural plants, has lately piqued the attention of researchers to instill drought tolerance in important crops. In this study, peanut seeds (VD01-2 cultivar) were used as material to investigate the role of priming with sodium nitroprusside at different concentrations (10, 15, 20 and 25 mg L-1) in preventing the damage of peanuts triggered by drought stress. Morphological, physiological and biochemical changes during the development of peanuts in the drought stress condition were analyzed. The results show that moderate drought stress (60% of field capacity) reduced germination and seedling growth. Drought stress reduced relative water content, photosynthesis, and the content of chlorophyll and starch significantly over the control. Seed priming with 20 mg L-1 sodium nitroprusside was effective in increasing these above mentioned growth parameters. Further, the priming of 20 mg L-1 sodium nitroprusside enhanced respiration rate and carotenoid, soluble sugar and proline content compared to the control

Effects of drought stress on growth and flavonoid accumulation of fish mint (Houttuynia cordata Thumb.)

Fish mint (Houttuynia cordata Thumb.) is a popular medicinal plant grown primarily because of its pharmacological values. Drought stress has on the relationship between growth and physio-biochemical changes, especially flavonoid content. The impacts of various drought stress conditions on the fish mint development were investigated, including 85% of field capacity (FC), 75% FC, 65% FC and 55% FC in 14, 21 and 28 days. Agronomic, physiological and biochemical parameters during the growth of fish mint plants under drought stress conditions were assessed. According to the results of variance analysis, drought stress results in a considerable drop in the measured parameters (shoot height, leaf number, leaf area and fresh weight). Similarly, all of the above-mentioned parameters were also decreased with increasing the number of drought days. Furthermore, drought period and level caused a drop in respiration, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll and starch content. The concentration of carotenoids and flavonoids, on the other hand, increased dramatically as drought stress periods and levels increased. In comparison to the control, the drought treatment (65% FC) in 7 days maintained the growth rate and increased flavonoid accumulation from 2.42 mg to 3.04 mg. These findings might give a scientific foundation for growing fish mint plants under drought stress to boost flavonoid content

THE MANAGEMENT OF SPORTS RESOURCES IN HOCHIMINH NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

Governance plays a very important role in most social organizations. For any organization, company, or a country, a community, the role of governance becomes more important than ever. For schools, the term management is somewhat strange to some people, especially the term “sports management”, which attracts little interest from the leadership. But sport in school is also one of the school's organizations to meet the goal of comprehensive human education. Therefore, the organization of the school requires good governance and management, which is considered to be an essential part to the success of education. Good governance will help the physical training and sport activities to improve the quality of physical training and sports, enhance the movement of physical training and sports activities and especially find the sports talent for the country.  Article visualizations

Caractérisation de la propolis d’abeille provenant du Canada, de la Roumanie et du Brésil

La propolis est un produit de la ruche à base de résine de plantes et d’arbres mélangée à de la cire d’abeille. Elle est utilisée pour polir les murs de la ruche et la protéger contre les intrus provenant de l’extérieur. Elle contient un grand nombre de composés incluant les métabolites des plantes, alors elle est un ingrédient des médicaments naturels, des additifs alimentaires et des produits cosmétiques en raison de sa richesse en polyphénols qui lui confèrent ses propriétés anti-oxydantes, anti-inflammatoires et antibiotiques. La composition de la propolis est cependant complexe et très variable en raison de la région de provenance qui est étroitement liée aux résines utilisées par les abeilles. De plus, la présence de contaminants dans l’environnement, comme les pesticides et les éléments traces d’origine anthropique, incluant des métaux lourds, donne un risque d’exposition à ces substances en consommant la propolis ou les extraits de propolis. Plusieurs échantillons de propolis brute ainsi que des teintures commerciales et artisanales provenant du Canada, de la Roumanie et du Brésil ont été analysés. L’extraction des polyphénols totaux des échantillons bruts a été faite 3 fois dans l’éthanol (EtOH) 70 % (v/v) à 70 ̊C, et les teintures ont quant à elles été diluées dans l’EtOH 70 %. Les polyphénols totaux ont ensuite été analysés par spectroscopie moléculaire UV-Vis en utilisant la méthode de Folin- Ciocalteu. Des analyses chromatographiques préliminaires par la chromatographie liquide couplée à la spectrométrie de masse (LC-MS) ont permis de comparer des polyphénols et des pesticides dans deux sources de propolis du Québec, avec une grande similarité entre les deux extraits. Des échantillons bruts ainsi que des extraits éthanoliques et des teintures ont été analysés suite à l’ionisation par plasma à couplage inductif (ICP-MS) et la spectroscopie de fluorescence atomique à vapeur froide (CVAFS) pour déterminer des concentrations de certains éléments traces présents à l’état de trace incluant l’As, le Cd, le Pb et le Hg total.Propolis is a honeybee product made of plant and tree resins mixed with beeswax. It is used to build and repair the walls of the hive and to protect it from outside invaders. It contains a large number of compounds including plant metabolites, and is thus used in natural medications, cosmetic products and as food additives due to its richness in polyphenols, which confer its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. However, the composition of propolis is complex and highly variable because of the geographical location of the resins used by the bees. Furthermore, the presence of contaminants in the environment, such as pesticides and trace elements of anthropogenic origin, brings a risk of exposure to these substances when consuming the propolis. Various raw propolis samples as well as commercial and homemade tinctures from Canada, Romania and Brazil were analysed. The raw samples were extracted 3 times in 70 % EtOH (v/v) at 70 ̊C, whereas the tinctures were diluted in 70 % EtOH. The total polyphenol content was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Preliminary chromatography analyses by LC-MS on two propolis samples from Québec showed that the detected polyphenols and pesticides in their extracts were very similar, with only a few compounds found exclusively in either one or the other sample. Several raw propolis samples, their extracts and some tinctures were analyzed by ICP-MS and CVAFS to determine trace concentrations of heavy metals including As, Cd, Pb and total Hg

Vietnamese Version of Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia at an Outpatient Memory Clinic: A Reliability and Validity Study

Background: In Vietnam, there has been, currently, no standardized tool for depression assessment for people with dementia (PWD). Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) is a widely studied and used scale for PWD worldwide. Objectives: The aim of this study was to standardize the Vietnamese version of the CSDD (V-CSDD) in depression assessment in PWD through reliability and validity examination. Methods: V-CSDD was rated in terms of reliability and validity with gold standard regarding "major depressive episode"and "major depressive-like episode"of DSM-5. Cronbach's α, ICC, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed. Results: V-CSDD was found to have a high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.80), inter-rater reliability at sound ranking (ICC = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.81-0.94), maximum cut-off mark of 13 (sensitivity = 70%, specificity = 92%), and EFA, which suggested that V-CSDD may comprise 5 factors. Conclusions: Results indicate the V-CSDD to be a reliable and valid assessment and to be beneficial in classifying and diagnosing depression in dementia outpatients in clinical contexts

Determinants Influencing Consumers’ Attitude Towards Online Shopping: An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model

This research is conducted for investigating determinants influencing consumers’ attitude towards online shopping. The survey was based on 423 Vietnamese Internet users. Data collected was analyzed in accordance with the process from Cronbach's Alpha to EFA and multiple regression technique. The results show that consumers’ attitude towards online shopping was impacted by perceived usefulness, compatibility and trust. Based on the findings, some recommendations are given for retailers to improve customers’ attitude toward online shopping in the context of Vietnam in particular and in emerging countries in general. Keywords: Attitude, Online shopping, Perceived usefulness, Trust

Review of Literature of Faculty Motivation for Doing Research in Universities

Faculty research in the universities plays a very important role in the education and development of every country in the world. The purpose of this research is to review studies in this field, different approaches in studies, and fundamental theories used for studies. The results obtained from the literature review show that many scholars have conducted researches on the determinants influencing the faculty productivity to do research. Most of studies apply the theories of working motivation. However, not many scholars conduct research on the faculty motivation to do research. The final result of this research provides follow-up suggestions for studies of the motivation for conducting research on the side of lecturers, thereby guiding managers to enhance faculty motivation to do research. Keywords: Motivation, productivity, research, lecturer/faculty. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-20-10 Publication date:July 31st 201

Peatmass Change and Water Level Influencing Regenerated Melaleuca Forest after a Fire in U Minh Thuong National Park, Vietnam

Following the largest forest fire in Vietnam in 2002, various activities were undertaken to sustain the mangrove forest on peat soil remnants in the Mekong Delta region. These activities included promoting natural regeneration, afforestation, and rapid forest restoration measures, in addition to other protective measures such as rainwater retention to maintain moisture levels for fire prevention. However, two critical challenges emerged: allowing the forest to naturally regenerate would lead to annual forest fires but maintaining a constant water level through year-round water retention would harm biodiversity. The study was conducted in U Minh Thuong National Park to address forest regeneration. After a major forest fire in Vietnam, various measures were taken to promote forest regeneration, including afforestation, silvicultural solutions, and hydrological techniques such as rainwater storage to maintain humidity and prevent future fires. A hand drill was used to collect samples, and a total of 15 plots were set up to survey the growth of the forest at three peat thickness levels. At each of the three collection sites, samples of one kg were collected and labeled according to the site as UTM1, UTM2, and UTM3. The samples were then sent to the laboratory of the Southern Institute of Forestry Science for analysis. There was a relationship between the chemical indicators of peat and the evolution of the Melaleuca forest. Peat thickness and flooding regime significantly influenced the growth of the Melaleuca forest, while another identified relationship was between peat chemical indicators and forest growth. The chemical composition of peat water changed significantly due to the rainy and dry seasons, with nutrient content and pH affecting forest growth. Peat thickness and flooding regime were essential in regulating forest growth. These studies highlight the importance of considering multiple factors, such as peat thickness and chemical properties, when developing effective forest restoration strategies. By understanding the relationship between peat thickness, chemical properties, and forest growth, forest managers can develop targeted strategies to promote regeneration while minimizing negative impacts on biodiversity

STUDY ON FLUORINATION AND HYDROGENATION IN TRANSPARENT CONDUCTING ZINC OXIDE THIN FILMS

Fluorination and hydrogenation are known as two methods for enhancing crystalline structural and electrical properties of ZnO material. The ZnO thin films normally require a low resistivity and a high transmittance for using as high-performance transparent electrodes in optoelectronic applications. In this study, we report successful preparation of fluorinated and hydrogenated ZnO thin films (FZO and HFZO) by using d.c. magnetron sputtering technique. The hydrogenation was carried out by depositing the films in hydrogen plasma atmosphere, while a highly-sintered body of ZnO and ZnF2 compound was employed as a sputtering target for the fluorination. The results show that the strong improvements in carrier concentration, mobility and resistivity of the FZO and HFZO films as compared to the pure ZnO films. The carrier concentration increases to 2x1020 cm-3 which is mainly due to the hydrogenation. The effect combination of the fluorination and the hydrogenation is responsibility for enhancing the mobility up to 43 cm2/Vs. These results give rise to two-order reduction in resistivity, from 0.06 Ohm.cm (ZnO) to 7.5x10-4 Ohm.cm (HFZO), which can be a good choice for thin-film electrode application. In addition, the crystalline structure and optical transmission of the films are also discussed

Finding optimal reactive power dispatch solutions by using a novel improved stochastic fractal search optimization algorithm

In this paper, a novel improved Stochastic Fractal Search optimization algorithm (ISFSOA) is proposed for finding effective solutions of a complex optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem with consideration of all constraints in transmission power network. Three different objectives consisting of total power loss (TPL), total voltage deviation (TVD) and voltage stabilization enhancement index are independently optimized by running the proposed ISFSOA and standard Stochastic Fractal Search optimization algorithm (SFSOA). The potential search of the proposed ISFSOA can be highly improved since diffusion process of SFSOA is modified. Compared to SFSOA, the proposed method can explore large search zones and exploit local search zones effectively based on the comparison of solution quality. One standard IEEE 30-bus system with three study cases is employed for testing the proposed method and compared to other so far applied methods. For each study case, the proposed method together with SFSOA are run fifty run and three main results consisting of the best, mean and standard deviation fitness function are compared. The indication is that the proposed method can find more promising solutions for the three cases and its search ability is always more stable than those of SFSOA. The comparison with other methods also give the same evaluation that the proposed method can be superior to almost all compared methods. As a result, it can conclude that the proposed modification is really appropriate for SFSOA in dealing with ORPD problem and the method can be used for other engineering optimization problems