Guide to Participatory Scenario Planning (PSP): Experiences from the Agro-Climate Information Services for women and ethnic minority farmers in South-East Asia (ACIS) project in Ha Tinh and Dien Bien province, Vietnam

The Participatory scenario planning (PSP) workshop is a valuable knowledge-sharing platform through which stakeholders, including those who support the implementation of PSP (i.e., meteorological and agricultural services) and those who access and use the climate information (i.e., technical experts, and farmers) meet to discuss adaptation actions within the context of climate information. The PSP approach was developed under CARE International’s Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP). It was then adapted to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia under the Agro-Climate Information Services for women and ethnic minority farmers in South-East Asia (ACIS) project by CARE International in Vietnam and World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Vietnam

Synthesis of hydroxyl terminated liquid natural rubber by oxidative depolymerization of deproteinized natural rubber

Hydroxyl terminated liquid natural rubber (HTLNR) was prepared by the depolymerization of deproteinized natural rubber (DPNR) in mixture of toluene and water at 60oC for 24 hours in the presence of ammonium persulfate as an initiator and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a homogenizing agent. GPC analysis revealed that the number-average molecular weight (Mn) and weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of HTLNR were found to be 4.334×103 g/mol and 11.702×103 g/mol, respectively, with polydispersity index (PDI) of  2.7. The chemical structure of HTLNR was determined by FTIR and 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopic analysis. The mechanism of depolymerization and hydroxylation of NR to form HTNR based on the analytical data is also suggested in this study

The Influence of the Level of Guarantee of Operating Expenses on the Application of Accounting Software in Public Non- Business Unit

Public non-business units are established by the state to perform public services and distribute those services to society. Through the document research method, the article has generalized the role, function, and accounting form of public non-business units and the importance of accounting. With this method, we can also evaluate the limitations in accounting and the reasons why many public non-business units do not see the need to apply accounting software in accounting. Three reasons were pointed out: unit leaders did not pay attention to accounting work, lack of funding for implementation and incorrectly identified the reasons for errors in accounting planning. The investigation method also helped us identify how accounting software applications are affected by the level of Guarantee of operating expenses. Analysis results have shown that financially autonomous units have a higher tendency to apply accounting software than units without financial revenue. The research team also proposed a number of solutions such as increasing the understanding and awareness of business unit leaders about the importance of accounting work and accounting software. Implement budget estimates for information technology construction at the unit, properly assessing the key points of existence

Vietnam’s Scientific Publications in the Period of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is considered a global disaster that affects all areas of the world; however, it is also seen as a motivation for domestic and foreign scientists to focus on researching solutions to reduce its damage. This article aims to explore the correlation of scientific publications of countries in Southeast Asia, among research fields in Vietnam and among topics published by Vietnamese educational institutions in the context of a pandemic. 1392 Southeast Asian countries’ publications related to COVID-19 were referenced from the Scopus database, including 123 articles from Vietnam (up to August 27th, 2020). Statistics show that Vietnam ranks fifth in the number of scientific publications with research cooperation of researchers from 20 different countries. Regarding the research fields of Vietnam, medicine is the main research topic, social science ranks third following environmental science. In the field of social science, articles focus on four key topics: epidemic prevention, reduction of pandemic effects on life and socioeconomics, factors related to online learning of students, healthcare for the elderly. From the analysis results, the authors recommend that researchers should pay attention to other topics in the social sciences that have not been published, such as psychological effects of infected or suspected nCovi, the impact of COVID-19 to disadvantaged groups in society..

TỐI ƯU HÓA ĐIỀU KIỆN NUÔI CẤY VÀ KHẢO SÁT KHẢ NĂNG PHÂN HỦY DIBENZOFURAN VÀ NAPHTHALENE CỦA CHỦNG VI KHUẨN Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans 4B1

The pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds caused by herbicide residues contaminated with dioxin from the war and other wastes from industrial activities has left severe consequences to human health and the environment. Bioremediation using microorganisms capable of decomposing pollutant compounds exhibits more advantages than physicochemical treatment methods as it is highly efficient, economically feasible, sustainable, and eco-friendly. In this study, Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans strain 4B1, isolated from dioxin-contaminated soil in Vietnam, was optimized the culture conditions and evaluated its abilities to degrade dibenzofuran and naphthalene. The results revealed that strain 4B1 showed the best growth on mineral salts medium supplemented with dibenzofuran 1250 mg/L or naphthalene 750 mg/L, pH 7.0, incubated at 45°C and 180 rpm with a cell density of 9,42 × 107 và 5,6 × 107 CFU/mL, respectively. Gas chromatography analysis of the substrate concentrations indicated that strain 4B1 could degrade 79.76% of 1250 mg/L dibenzofuran and 83.03% of 750 mg/L naphthalene after 72 hours of incubation at optimal conditions. These results make Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans 4B1 a potential candidate for application in bioremediation of environments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds.Ô nhiễm các hợp chất hydrocarbon thơm đa vòng gây ra do dư lượng chất độc chiến tranh hoặc từ chất thải của các hoạt động công nghiệp đã để lại nhiều hậu quả nghiêm trọng cho sức khỏe con người và môi trường sinh thái. Phương pháp phục hồi sinh học sử dụng các vi sinh vật có khả năng phân hủy các hợp chất ô nhiễm cho thấy hiệu quả xử lý cao, chi phí thấp, bền vững và thân thiện với môi trường hơn so với các phương pháp lý hóa thông thường. Trong nghiên cứu này, chủng vi khuẩn Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans 4B1, phân lập từ đất nhiễm dioxin, được nghiên cứu tối ưu hóa các điều kiện nuôi cấy và đánh giá khả năng phân hủy các hợp chất dibenzofuran và naphthalene. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy chủng vi khuẩn này sinh trưởng tốt nhất trên môi trường muối khoáng bổ sung 1250 mg/L dibenzofuran hoặc 750 mg/L naphthalene, pH 7,0, nuôi cấy ở nhiệt độ 45°C và tốc độ khuấy trộn 180 vòng/phút với mật độ tế bào lần lượt là 9,42 × 107 và 5,6 × 107 CFU/mL. Phân tích sắc ký khí hàm lượng cơ chất còn lại trong môi trường nuôi cấy cho thấy chủng 4B1 có khả năng phân hủy dibenzofuran và naphthalene với hiệu suất lần lượt là 79,76% và 83,03% sau 72 giờ nuôi cấy. Kết quả này là cơ sở cho việc ứng dụng chủng vi khuẩn Paenibacillus naphthalenovorans 4B1 trong nghiên cứu xử lý các môi trường bị ô nhiễm các hợp chất hydrocarbon thơm đa vòng

Disclosure of HIV Status in Healthcare Settings: Practices and Considerations among Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam.

ObjectiveThis study investigated women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA)'s practices and decision-making regarding disclosure of HIV status in healthcare settings in Vietnam. Introduction: Disclosure of HIV status in healthcare settings is under-studied.MethodsWe conducted in-depth interviews with 30 WLHA in Hanoi, Vietnam. Thematic analysis was conducted to investigate the patterns, considerations, and consequences of HIV disclosure. Results: Most participants chose a selective disclosure strategy based on the type of procedure and healthcare setting. They considered several factors: concerns about stigma/discrimination, risks of confidentiality breach, relevance to healthcare provision, and altruism towards protecting providers and other patients. Selective disclosure or non-disclosure often prevented participants from accessing comprehensive care. Conclusion: The study underscores the need to prepare WLHA to make informed decisions regarding disclosure and provide them with service navigations and support. It also highlights the necessity of reducing stigma and enhancing confidentiality protection to ensure safe disclosure in healthcare settings

THE AMOUNT AND SPECIATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS TRANSPORTED FROM RICE FIELD TO CANAL DURING A FLOODING EVENT

Trace element pollution of soils, sediments and surface water can pose a risk for the local population and the environment of Vietnam. Rice fields can be affected by storm events, which cause the release of trace elements into surface water and transport them into drinking wells. The aim of this study was to investigate if dissolved and suspended As, Pb and Zn concentrations in surface water of a paddy rice fields and an irrigation canals increased during a flooding event and exceed the Vietnamese Surface Water Quality Standards and WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. The study site is a rice field area in the Thanh Hoa province in Central Vietnam, which experiences an average of 2.4 storms every year causing overflow of streams and low-order canals. Concentrations of As increased during the flooding event with dissolved As being the prevailing fraction, which followed a late flush behavior. Lead showed no significant difference in concentration over time. Zn concentrations only increased significantly in the canal upstream the field in the morning of the first day. Suspended Zn dominated at that time, following the first flush behavior of TSS concentrations. Concentrations of As, Pb and Zn did not exceed the Vietnamese Surface Water Quality Standards or WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality at any time and they are therefore of no concern for the health of the local populatio

Actionability of Climate Services in Southeast Asia: Findings from ACIS baseline surveys in Vietnam, Lao PDR and Cambodia

The baseline study under the project, “Agro-Climate Information Services for women and ethnic minority (ACIS) farmers in Southeast Asia,” strongly suggests that climate services must better suit farmers’ needs of climate information. In this Info note, the actionability of climate services can be improved by looking at the following factors: availability, accessibility, timeliness, understandability, and usefulness. Based on these factors, the study revealed that climate services are available in all countries covered by the ACIS project. However, issues on accessibility surfaced in the conduct of the study. Ethnic minority women are in the risk of experiencing particular marginalization, in particular due to language and extensionists more often meet men. Aside from accessibility issues, the study found that meteorologists and extension officers lack the necessary skills to package climate services in a more understandable manner for farmers