PATHOGENICITY OF EIMERIA SPECIES ISOLATED FROM CHICKEN IN THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE

Abstract: The present study clarifies the effect of locally isolated Eimeria species on chickens in central Vietnam. Oocysts of Eimeria species were isolated from feces suspected to be infected with coccidiosis in 3 farms in Huong Thuy district, Thua Thien Hue province. A total of 54 2-week-old chickens were randomly allocated to 2 groups: 3 replicates containing 9 chickens in each replicate. The chicken in group 1 were orally inoculated with 2×104 isolated oocysts of Eimeria species, while the chickens in group 2 were inoculated with PBS as a control. Growth performance, oocyst output, gross lesions, and histopathological lesions were measured at 5, 10 and 28 days after infection. The chicks in group 1 showed general signs of ruffled feathers, anorexia, huddling together with diarrhea and/or bloody dropping from 4–7 days post-infection. Feed intake, growth performance and body weight in group 1 were lower than those of the control chicks. The oocyst was detected in the feces of chicks in group 1 from 6–14 days post-infection, among them, the number of oocysts reach the peak at 8 days post-infection. At day 5 post-infection, the most damaged part of the intestine is the ceca with a large amount of blood in the ceca content. The histopathological lesions were detected clearly by HE staining at day 5 and 10 post-infection. In conclusion, the locally isolated oocysts of Eimeria species have high virulence to the chickens. The present study provides useful information related to the pathogenicity of Eimeria species which may contribute to coccidiosis diagnosis and treatment in poultry production.Keywords: Eimeria, coccidiosis, infection, central Vietna

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

Influence of foliar application with Moringa oleifera residue fertilizer on growth, and yield quality of leafy vegetables

Biofertilizers produced from organic materials help to promote the growth, and yield quality of crops and is more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizers. Moringa oleifera is a leafy vegetable whose leaves are also used to make biofertilizers. The use of moringa non-edible parts in biofertilizer preparation remains under-explored. In this study, a procedure to produce moringa foliar biofertilizer (MFB) from non-edible parts was developed. The effect of composting time (3 to 4 months) on the quality of MFB was investigated, and four-month incubation was found suitable for biofertilizers yield with the highest nitrogen content and optimal pH. Furthermore, the influences of MFB doses (20 to 100 mL per Litre) on the growth of lettuce and mustard spinach were studied. The yield of these leafy vegetables was the highest at 100 mL per Litre of MFB spray. Finally, MFB was compared with other commercial foliar sprays, including chitosan fertilizer and seaweed fertilizer. Each foliar treatment was applied every five days until five days before harvest. Plant height, the number of leaves, canopy diameter, leaf area index, actual yield, ascorbic acid content, and Brix were found to be similar in lettuce sprayed with MFB, chitosan, and seaweed fertilizers. In conclusion, the application of MFB promoted the growth and yield of mustard spinach

Stakeholder Perceptions towards the Quality of Coursera MOOCs Blended Learning in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study

Coursera MOOCs blended learning (CMBL) has been implemented at a Vietnamese Higher Education Institute (HEI) since the Fall 2019 semester. Our case study, which shows how Coursera MOOCs and the traditional classroom may work together, is unique in the context of Vietnamese higher education. In this case, students must complete the courses and earn certifications through Coursera MOOCs to qualify for the HEI’s offline final examinations. Meanwhile, students also engage in offline mentoring sessions with their classmates and lecturers (mentors). By employing the Service Quality (SERVQUAL) and 3P models, the research was conducted to explore how key factors might influence the quality of CMBL. This research conducted semi-structured interviews and employed thematic analysis with thirty interview participants, including ten administrators, eleven lecturers, three curriculum developers, and six students across four campuses of the HEI. We found that assessment, learning outcomes, learning content, Coursera staff’s responsiveness, offline mentors’ responsiveness and assurance, interaction, and student satisfaction might have considerably significant relationships with the quality of CMBL. On the other hand, Coursera instructors and offline mentors’ reliability have insignificant relationships with the quality of CMBL. This study has both theoretical and practical implications for universities and academics. Regarding the theoretical implications, this qualitative study provides critical criteria to measure the quality of the CMBL. Regarding the practical implications, it provides implications for curriculum development, teaching and learning, and assessment to improve the quality of CMBL. However, the authors could not travel across Vietnam to conduct face-to-face interviews in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, twenty-eight online interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams and two email interviews. A downside of an online interview is that personal qualities that are critical to a study may be amended during the interview, forcing the researcher to rely on the participant’s words. Additionally, unlike a face-to-face interview, an email interview lacks simultaneous communication between the interviewer and the interviewee. Keywords: Higher Education Institution (HEI), blended MOOCs, Coursera MOOCs Blended Learning (CMBL), Coursera MOOCs, offline mentoring, sustainable developmen

The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Awareness and Purchase Intention: Case Study of Vietnam's domestic fashion brands

The study aimed to examine the impact of social media marketing on brand awareness and purchase intention for Vietnamese domestic fashion brands. Quantitative research was conducted on 302 Vietnamese people of Generation Z. The questionnaire designed on Google forms was sent to research samples who were willing to participate. Research results determined the role and benefits of social media marketing in 2 aspects: (1) information about the brand of social media marketing on social networks and (2) brand engagement on social networks. Social media marketing has a positive impact on brand awareness and purchase intention of Vietnamese domestic fashion brands. In particular, brand information when communicating on social networks has a direct and positive impact on brand awareness and purchase intention. Brand engagement on social networks has a positive direct impact on brand awareness and a positive indirect impact on purchase intention through brand awareness. The research results show that Vietnamese domestic fashion brands do quite well in social media marketing, and are highly appreciated by the online community of generation Z in Vietnam. In the future, in order to improve brand awareness and purchase intention, Vietnamese domestic fashion brands need to pay attention to the brand information properties of social media marketing programs and need to invest more in brand engagement characteristics of social networks. Keywords: social media marketing, brand awareness, purchase intentio

NGHIÊN CỨU CHẨN ĐOÁN PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA VÀ MANNHEIMIA HAEMOLYTICA BẰNG KỸ THUẬT MULTIPLEX PCR

The multiplex PCR assay has been used to diagnose different diseases in livestock in Vietnam; however, this method has not been well-applied to sheep diseases. This study developed a multiplex PCR assay to detect the two main agents, Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica, causing Pasteurellosis in sheep. By using two pairs of specific primers, with the optimum concentration of each primer being 5 pM, this method successfully amplified the kmt1 gene from P. multocida and the gcp gene from M. haemolytica in the same reaction containing DNA of P. multocida and M. haemolytica at the lowest concentration of 0.1 ng each. Moreover, this multiplex PCR reaction is not affected by the artificial presence of some other bacterial DNA. In particular, this multiplex PCR showed 100% confidence in a stability test on a small scale with 20 raw DNA samples obtained from direct heat treatment or enrichment before heat treatment of 10 field samples. This is the first study in Vietnam on diagnosing P. multocida and M. haemolytica by multiplex PCR. This method is valuable for detecting P. multocida and M. haemolytica in sheep and serves as a reference for detecting these bacteria in other household animal.Ở Việt Nam, kỹ thuật multiplex PCR đã được sử dụng để chẩn đoán nhiều bệnh trên vật nuôi nhưng kỹ thuật này hiện nay chưa được áp dụng để chẩn đoán bệnh trên cừu. Trong nghiên cứu này, chúng tôi đã phát triển một kỹ thuật multiplex PCR để phát hiện đồng thời hai tác nhân chính gây tụ huyết trùng trên cừu Phan Rang là Pasteurella multocida và Mannheimia haemolytica. Bằng cách sử dụng hai cặp mồi đặc hiệu, với nồng độ tối ưu của mỗi mồi là 5 pM, phương pháp này đã nhân thành công đoạn gen kmt1 từ P. multocida và gcp từ M. haemolytica trong cùng một phản ứng chứa hỗn hợp DNA tổng số của hai vi khuẩn này ở nồng độ thấp nhất là 0,1 ng mỗi loại. Thêm vào đó, phản ứng multiplex PCR này không bị ảnh hưởng bởi sự có mặt nhân tạo của một số DNA từ vi khuẩn khác. Đặc biệt, phương pháp multiplex PCR này có độ ổn định đạt 100% khi thử nghiệm trên quy mô nhỏ với 20 mẫu DNA thô thu được từ phương pháp xử lý nhiệt trực tiếp hay xử lý nhiệt sau khi làm giàu 10 mẫu thực địa. Đây là nghiên cứu đầu tiên ở Việt Nam về việc chẩn đoán tụ huyết trùng trên cừu bằng kỹ thuật multiplex PCR, kỹ thuật không chỉ có giá trị để phát hiện vi khuẩn P. multocida và M. haemolytica ở cừu mà còn có vai trò tham khảo để chẩn đoán những vi khuẩn này trong các đối tượng vật nuôi khác