Preserve and Promote the Traditional Cultural Values of the Tay and Nung people in Tourism Development in Cao Bang Province, Vietnam

The development of tourism linked to the unique cultural values of each ethnic community is becoming an essential trend in the tourism sector. The Tay and Nung ethnic communities in Cao Bang province are among the ethnic minority groups in Vietnam, with rich cultural and social lives that hold significant importance in tourism development. The traditional cultural values of the Tay and Nung people deeply embody the cultural identity of the ethnic group and represent a rich cultural potential in the tourism development of Cao Bang province. Successfully managing the relationship between preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the Tay and Nung people in Cao Bang province in connection with sustainable tourism development will contribute to changing livelihoods, enhancing the quality of life for the people, and ensuring the sustainable development of the country

Synthesis, structural characterization, and application of N-doped TiO2 photocatalyst under visible-light irradiation

N-doped TiO2 nanomaterials were prepared with the sol-gel method. The structure and properties of the materials were characterized by using XRD, UV-Vis, SEM, EDX, and IR techniques. The optimal dose of ammonium chloride for doping is 600 mg. The optical absorption edge of N-TiO2 displays a redshift, and a long tail occurs in the presence of nitrogen in the material. Thereby, N-TiO2 may exhibit improved absorption properties under visible light and the solar irradiation. The photocatalytic activity was investigated on the degradation of rhodamine B. The optimal amount of the photocatalyst is 1.8 g/L under visible light

Impacts of Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services on Local livelihoods in A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Viet Nam

This paper analyses the impacts of the national Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) policy in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province, Viet Nam. There are mixed impacts of PFES in A Luoi district. While some surveyed households have experienced increases in income since PFES, for many other incomes have fallen. Our findings show PFES impacts on local communities and individuals are limited because most forest areas are managed by state agencies, leaving only 17.9% of PFES payments being channeled to these groups, while the rest goes to state government agencies and commune people’s committees. This disparity in PFES payments has further widened the income gap between state agencies and local households.  PFES payments currently contribute little to household incomes, averaging only 2.64% of total earnings. PFES has little impact and additionality in advancing land tenure security and reducing natural forest product exploitation for generating income as impacts are similar to those found in non-PFES villages. PFES poverty reduction impacts vary from village to village, but in general, percentages of poor households receiving PFES payments range from 1% to 59%

THE DETERMINANTS OF POVERTY IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA KEY ECONOMIC ZONE IN VIETNAM

This paper investigates the determinants of poverty in Mekong River Delta Key Economic Zone in Vietnam for a sample of 604 households in Can Tho province, An Giang province, KienGiang province and Ca Mau province in 2012. Explanatory variables include demographic, nature, region, finance and physical. Using Binary Logistics regression, results show the complexity of the issues, wherein the financial variable has been the most important influence of poverty in this area

Antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of ostruthin, a TREK-1 channel activator

We screened a library of botanical compounds purified from plants of Vietnam for modulators of the activity of a two-pore domain K+ channel, TREK-1, and we identified a hydroxycoumarin-related compound, ostruthin, as an activator of this channel. Ostruthin increased whole-cell TREK-1 channel currents in 293T cells at a low concentration (EC50 = 5.3 μM), and also activity of the TREK-2 channel (EC50 = 3.7 mM). In contrast, ostruthin inhibited other K+ channels, e.g. human ether-à-go-go-related gene (HERG1), inward-rectifier (Kir2.1), voltage-gated (Kv1.4), and two-pore domain (TASK-1) at higher concentrations, without affecting voltage-gated potassium channel (KCNQ1 and 3). We tested the effect of this compound on mouse anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and found anxiolytic activity in the open-field, elevated plus maze, and light/dark box tests. Of note, ostruthin also showed antidepressive effects in the forced swim and tail suspension tests, although previous studies reported that inhibition of TREK-1 channels resulted in an antidepressive effect. The anxiolytic and antidepressive effect was diminished by co-administration of a TREK-1 blocker, amlodipine, indicating the involvement of TREK-1 channels. Administration of ostruthin suppressed the stress-induced increase in anti-c-Fos immunoreactivity in the lateral septum, without affecting immunoreactivity in other mood disorder-related nuclei, e.g. the amygdala, paraventricular nuclei, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Ostruthin may exert its anxiolytic and antidepressive effects through a different mechanism from current drugs

Digital Transformation of the Banking Industry in Developing Countries

Purpose:  The study's objective is to test the impact of digital transactions on banking performance. Based on the previous research and the actual situations, it has been recognized that the critical role of digital banking is in developing the banking industry, especially in developing countries.   Theoretical framework:  In the next section, the study presents background information to promote the research. The digital transformation has changed how customers use financial services. This has pushed banks to adapt more quickly to the wave of digital transformation if they don't want to lose their valuable customer base.   Design/methodology/approach:  the methodology applied uses POOL, FEM, REM, and FGLS models to examine the impact of banking transactions made by digital technology on the bank's deposit and lending revenue. This article studies banking operations on digital platforms from 2012 to 2019 in developing countries.   Findings: The article's findings showed that digital banks' flexible products and services bring many benefits with a high level of interaction, such as supporting the relationship between customers and banks and improving operating revenue.   Research, Practical & Social implications: Practical implications enhanced the development potential of digital banking is relatively large, stemming from the market demand development orientation of the banking industry.   Originality/value: The paper's originality and value help banks invest in digital technology as the way forward to better serve their customers

A SURVEY ON THE DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING ESSAYS OF ENGLISH MAJORED SOPHOMORES AT TAY DO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

This thesis “A study on the difficulties in writing essays of English-majored sophomores at Tay Do University” was conducted to examine the difficulties that second-year students majoring in English often met in writing essays. For this purpose, the participants in this study were 100 English majored sophomores in classes 14A, 14B and 14C at Tay Do University. The interview with 3 extended statements for English majored teachers and a questionnaire with 25 closed statements for students is used as instruments to collect the data. The data from the interview and questionnaire were collected to make clear and prove the problems that the students have had in writing essays. The study figured out some difficulties about background knowledge, vocabulary, grammar structure, idea arrangement and orthography in writing essays faced by English majors sophomores at Tay Do University. Besides, this study also helps students realize their challenges and improve their writing essays.  Article visualizations

Numerical simulation of all-normal dispersion visible to near-infrared supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers with core filled chloroform

This study proposes a photonic crystal fiber made of fused silica glass, with the core infiltrated with chloroform as a new source of supercontinuum (SC) spectrum. We numerically study the guiding properties of the fiber structure in terms of characteristic dispersion and mode area of the fundamental mode. Based on the results, we optimized the structural geometries of the CHCl3-core photonic crystal fiber to support the broadband SC generations. The fiber structure with a lattice constant of 1 μm, a filling factor of 0.8, and the diameter of the first-ring air holes equaling 0.5 μm operates in all-normal dispersion. The SC with a broadened spectral bandwidth of 0.64 to 1.80 μm is formed by using a pump pulse with a wavelength of 850 nm, 120 fs duration, and power of 0.833 kW. That fiber would be a good candidate for all-fiber SC sources as cost-effective alternative to glass core fibers