The COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of Vietnam as a middle power

Limited capability and political will have caused the great powers to fail to demonstrate their global leadership in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created greater room to manoeuvre for other countries to influence international affairs. Preliminary achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 crisis have buttressed the rising global status of small and medium-sized states, including Vietnam. Although Vietnam has recently been recognised as an emerging middle power, scepticism looms regarding whether this higher international status is beyond its capacity. We argue that the pandemic may act as a catalyst for Vietnam to further elevate its strategic role as a middle power on the international stage in the medium and long term

Pencil lead graphite electrochemically modified with polyglutamic acid as a sensor for detection of enrofloxacin in aqueous media

This study investigates the modification of pencil lead graphite electrodes with polyglutamic acid using an effective and fast static method to develop a sensor for the detection of enrofloxacin (ENR). The successful fabrication of pGA on the electrode surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The conditions of electrochemical modification, including the applied potentials and number of cycles in the potentiostatic process, were systematically investigated to determine their effects on the ENR electrochemical response. The pH of the electrolyte media was also explored to elucidate the electrochemical reaction mechanism of ENR. The developed electrochemical sensor was evaluated using square wave stripping voltammetry for ENR detection. Under optimal conditions, the sensor demonstrated good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation of 4.3% (from five measurements) for ENR signal detection. A linear relationship between ENR concentration and its peak current was observed in the concentration range of 0.1 to 5 µM, with a high correlation coefficient of 0.9988. The limit of detection for ENR using the sensor was 0.12 µM. Our findings provide valuable insights into the design and optimisation of pencil lead graphite electrode-based sensors for ENR detection in aqueous media

Endoparasites in pigs raised in smallholder farms in Hung Yen province of Vietnam

As being part of an ongoing project, assessing animal health and food safety risks in smallholder pig value chains in Hung Yen province of Vietnam, the presence of endoparasites was investigated in a repeated study. Three communes, with a total of 545 smallhoder pig farms, from three districts were selected. In each commune, ten farms were randomly chosen. On farm data including farm management and biosecurity measures were recorded by using a checklist and observations. From each farm, one pooled fecal sample was collected from a randomly chosen barn monthly and followed from June to December 2014 for seven months. Fecal samples were analyzed for intestinal parasites by floatation and sedimentation methods. The intensity of most commonly seen parasites was determined by the McMaster counting technique. In 198 collected fecal samples, six types of parasites were detected, namely Eimeria 89 (44.95%), Ascaris suum 43 (21.72%), Strongyloides sp. 41 (20.71%), Trichocephalus suis 19 (9.60%), Fasciolopsis buski 10 (5.05%), and Fasciola 2 (1.01%). Highest intensities were observed for Eimeria (maximum 80900 oocyst/g), followed by Ascaris suum (2400 egg/g), Strongyloides sp. (1900 egg/g), and Trichocephalus suis (1300 egg/g); the others were reported at much lower intensities. Infection levels and intensities of the parasites tended to be higher during the hot months, June to September. No significant difference between communes was found. At least one type of parasites was present in 137 samples (69.19%). Most of farms (96.67%) were positive for at least one type of parasites in at least one sample. There was a significant difference in infection level of endoparasites between biogas and non-biogas farms. The general high parasite burden reported in this study will be addressed in future interventions which will include parasite control apart from other measures

Indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation: Case studies of ethnic minorities in the Northern Mountain Region of Vietnam

This study aims to investigate the indigenous knowledge (IK) of three ethnic minority groups in the Northern Mountain Region (NMR) of Vietnam. The groups include (1) Tay people who live at lower elevations; (2) a Dao community who tend to live in the middle elevations and (3) Hmong farmers who mainly reside at higher elevations areas of the mountain. This research intends to identify climate change (CC) and its impact on agricultural cultivation and find out how these groups can adapt to CC by applying their IK in agriculture practices. Data was collected through focus group discussions (n=9), in-depth interviews (n=80), and participant observation. From the 80 respondents, 27 live in Bac Kan province, 23 in Yen Bai province and 30 in Son La province; those who had experience in agricultural production, elderly and village heads. The results show that the NMR weather has significant changes that negatively impact agriculture cultivation and local livelihood. Although the respondents are from different ethnic minorities, these farmers are highly aware of the CC risks, leading into adaptation practices. While the Tay people's major adaptation strategies include the use of a variety of native plants and changing planting calendars, the Dao and Hmong people apply intercropping and local techniques methods in terracing fields using local varieties of livestock. Our findings highlight the importance of using the IK of ethnic minorities in adaptation towards CC. A better targeting about the use of local resources in future national policies and projects is encouraged.Nghiên cứu này nhằm thu thập kiến thức bản địa (IK) của ba nhóm dân tộc thiểu số ở Miền núi phía Bắc (MNPB) của Việt Nam bao gồm (1) dân tộc Tày chủ yếu sống ở vùng thấp; (2) Người Dao có xu hướng sống ở các độ cao trung bình; và (3) người Hmông chủ yếu cư trú ở các khu vực đồi núi cao. Nghiên cứu này nhằm xác định tình hình biến đổi khí hậu (BĐKH) và tác động của nó đối với sản xuất nông nghiệp, đồng thời tìm hiểu cách thức các nhóm dân tộc thiểu số này có thể thích ứng với BĐKH bằng cách áp dụng các kiến thức bản địa của họ vào thực tiễn sản xuất nông nghiệp. Dữ liệu được thu thập thông qua thảo luận nhóm tập trung (n = 9), phỏng vấn sâu (n = 80) và quan sát người tham gia. Trong số 80 người được hỏi, có 27 người sống ở tỉnh Bắc Kạn; 23 người ở tỉnh Yên Bái và 30 người ở tỉnh Sơn La, là những người có kinh nghiệm sản xuất nông nghiệp, người cao tuổi và trưởng thôn. Kết quả cho thấy thời tiết ở khu vực MNPB đã có những thay đổi so với trước gây tác động xấu đến canh tác nông nghiệp và sinh kế của cộng đồng. Mặc dù những người được hỏi từ các dân tộc khác nhau nhưng họ đều nhận thức được sự thay đổi này của thời tiết, do đó họ đã có những thích ứng riêng. Trong khi người Tày sử dụng giống cây trồng địa phương và thay đổi lịch thời vụ thì người Dao và Hmong chọn phương pháp xen canh và áp dụng kỹ thuật bản địa trên đất ruộng bậc thang và sử dụng gióng vật nuôi bản địa. Các phát hiện của chúng tôi giúp hiểu được tầm quan trọng của việc sử dụng IK trong thích ứng với BĐKH của các dân tộc thiểu số, từ đó có thể hướng đến mục tiêu tốt hơn việc sử dụng các nguồn lực địa phương trong các chính sách và dự án quốc gia trong tương lai

Biosecurity practices in small-scale pig farms in Hung Yen and Nghe An, Vietnam

With pork representing more than 70% of meat consumption in Vietnam pig production is growing fast and plays an important role in the livestock production. Especially smallholder farms contribute substantial to the pork supply (approximately 80 %) because of consumer preferences, subsistence and commercial purposes. Despite of this considerable market share the overwhelming majority of smallholder pig farms lack of technologies, biosecurity and control measures in terms of diseases, hygiene and environment conditions. As being part of a wider research on improving smallholder pig value chains in Vietnam a longitudinal survey was conducted with the objectives to assess biosecurity practices and related farm management which will be used to identify suitable options for improved disease control. The survey was carried between March and December 2014 in the Hung Yen and Nghe An provinces of Vietnam. Thirty farms were selected randomly in each provinces as a sub-sample from a larger sampling frame (N=416) and visited in fortnightly intervals. On farm data by using a checklist and observations included information on farm management, biosecurity measures, working and feed storage conditions as well as diseases events. In general diseases control measures were found insufficient. The majority of farmers allowed visitors to access the farm without any restrictions (69.7%) throughout the entire observation period. Disinfection mattresses were installed only in 42.7% of visits, and even applied, often not maintained. The use of protective clothes and boots by workers was the exception (81.2%). Pre-weaning piglets were usually not provided with litter (88.9%) and/or heat sources (74.1%), the latter being a particular constraint during the cold season. From an animal welfare perspective it was notable that only approximately half of farms provided permanent water access to their pigs (48%). Poor management was also reported for feed handling and storage with clear signs of rodents or pests in feed (47.9%) and visible signs of moisture (49.4%). Observed gaps in farm management will be addressed in the upcoming intervention phase by developing and testing of packages guided by feasibility, cost benefit and farmers compliance

Discrepancies in Infectivity of Flavivirus and SARS-CoV-2 Clinical Samples: An Improved Assay for Infectious Virus Shedding and Viremia Assessment

Infectivity and neutralizing antibody titers of flavivirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are frequently measured using the conventional plaque assay. While the assay is useful in the determination of infectivity, conventional plaque assays generally possess lower sensitivity and are time-consuming compared to nucleic acid amplification tests. In this study, a microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), Avicel, was evaluated as an alternative to the conventional virus overlay medium, methylcellulose, for a plaque assay. The plaque assay was performed using dengue and COVID-19 clinical samples and laboratory-established flavivirus and SARS-CoV-2 strains. In virus titration of clinical samples, the plaques were significantly larger, and the virus titers were higher when Avicel MCC-containing overlay medium was used than with conventional methylcellulose overlay medium. In addition, for some clinical samples and laboratory virus strains, infectious particles were detected as plaques in the Avicel MCC-containing medium, but not in the conventional methylcellulose medium. The results suggest that the viremia titer determined using the new overlay medium containing Avicel MCC may better reflect the innate infectious and plaque-forming capabilities of clinical samples and better reflect virus infectivity

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Competitiveness of beverage firms listed on the Vietnam stock market

&lt;p&gt;In a market economy, competition is a common phenomenon and has important implications for economic development in countries. The main purpose of this study is to empirically examine the competitiveness index of beverage firms listed on the Vietnamese stock market. The authors collected secondary data from previous studies on beverage firms listed on the Vietnamese stock market in the period 2018–2022. For this purpose, in this study, we use the market share (MS) variable to measure the competitiveness index of beverage firms. We have performed a number of analyses, such as descriptive statistics and comparisons, with the support of Stata software to evaluate and measure the competitiveness index of beverage firms listed on the stock market in Vietnam. The results show that there is a large difference in the competitiveness indicators of beverage firms listed on the Vietnamese stock market. The difference in competitiveness index between beverage firms listed on HNX and HSX is statistically significant.&lt;/p&gt

Determination of Sudan I and II in Food by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography after Simultaneous Adsorption on Nanosilica

Analytical techniques for analyte quantification are often complex, time-consuming, and costly. Further, samples must be carefully prepared to make them suitable for each analytical technique, thus increasing complexity and cost and often requiring toxic solvents. In this paper, we propose a simple and quick method for the pre-concentration of analytes using a nonporous adsorbent: nanosilica, which is prepared from rice husks, an ecofriendly waste material. Subsequently, analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector was used for accurate analyte quantification. To test our method, Sudan I and II dyes were selected because these are potential carcinogens that are often used to adulterate foods because of their bright colors. Although nanosilica has been used as an adsorbent before, the adsorption of hydrophobic organic dyes has not been investigated to date. Thus, the optimal conditions for dye adsorption on nanosilica were systematically studied and found to be 1 mM KCl, pH 3.0, and an adsorption time of 120 min, and the maximum adsorption capacities of the nanosilica for Sudan I and II were 0.619 and 0.699 mg·g−1, respectively. The adsorption of the dyes on the nanosilica is discussed in detail with respect to the surface area, functional groups, zeta potential, and adsorption isotherms. Under optimal conditions, the extraction efficiencies of Sudan I and Sudan II reached 98.3% and 92.8%, respectively, and the proposed method was applied for the analysis of several foods and achieved high recoveries (80–100%)

The impact of innovation on exports of Vietnamese manufacturing and processing enterprises: the moderating role of environmental uncertainty

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of innovation dimensions on the export activities of Vietnamese manufacturing and processing enterprises, considering the moderating role of environmental uncertainty. By applying the Probit Effect Random Regulatory Model (RE Probit) and xtTobit, the study utilizes three different sources of secondary data in the period 2016–2019: the General Statistics Office (GSO)’s annual enterprise census, the Survey on the use of technology in the production of manufacturing and processing companies by GSO, and the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to determine the correlation between the research variables. The research findings demonstrate that innovation positively affects both the propensity and intensity of exports. Specifically, when compared to non-innovative firms, those that prioritize innovation observe a notable 12.4% increase in export propensity and a 1.4% enhancement in export intensity. Moreover, the study highlights the moderating role of environmental uncertainty, encompassing challenges related to basic infrastructure, transport infrastructure, communication infrastructure, and institutional environment, in mitigating the impact of innovation on export outcomes. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of how process and product innovation affect export propensity and intensity while considering the complexities introduced by environmental uncertainty. Consequently, the study offers several implications that can aid policymakers in enhancing export performance, particularly in dynamic and changing environments