CHARACTERISTICS OF QUATERNARY SEDIMENTARY FACIES IN RELATION TO WATER BEARING CAPACITY OF AQUIFERS AND AQUICLUDES IN RED RIVER DELTA, VIETNAM

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

Building Comprehensive Sex Education Plans for Teenagers: Groundwork-Based Research Design Application

Although sexual education is an important part of a child’s education and upbringing, in Vietnam, sex education is not an official subject in school, and young people’s awareness of Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) is still limited. While sex education at school is necessary, it is not the only way nor sufficient enough to change teenage sexual behavior. A parent’s role could involve communicating about values, providing a positive family environment, and monitoring their children’s behavior. This topic explores the awareness of teenagers about CSE and the availability of teaching CSE in Vietnamese schools and families. Data was collected via an online survey of 89 teenagers and 119 parents whose children are teenagers. The findings revealed that the target group is not fully aware of CSE and in particular, they also feel the importance of the family in this regard but are afraid to share gender issues with their parents and tend to find information on their own through the internet. Keywords: teenagers, sex education, reproductive health, Vietnam, sex and sexualit

Research on Criteria for Operational Audit of Expenditure from State Budget in Vietnam

In Vietnam, operational audits have been upgraded as an independent form of audit in the operation of the supreme audit agency. However, because it was introduced later than other types of audit, it is still confusing and general in setting criteria of audit. There are no specific guidelines for auditing expenditure from state budget. Therefore, the formation and application of audit criteria in the audit practice of expenditure from state budget has not been effective, spontaneous and influenced by the actual capacity of assigned auditors. Meanwhile, in order to perform the proper audit function, the most important thing is to build up the evaluation criteria. Based on data collected both secondary and primary from interviewing auditors, experts in the field of state budget, we conducted the synthesis, analysis, evaluation, comparison and clarification of research issues. The results show that the formation of audit criteria is not really reasonable; criteria for economic efficiency and effectiveness are sometimes unclear. Therefore, this study is to identify and develop criteria for evaluating the operational audit of expenditure from state budget in Vietnam. Keywords: Criteria, economy, efficiency, effectiveness, operational audit. DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/10-10-18 Publication date:May 31st 201

Groundwork-Based Research to Design Application SCC - Building a Sustainable Community for Children in Mountainous Area

Children’s clothing is a prime example of fast fashion, as their continuous growth requires frequent purchases. This not only impacts the environment but also puts financial strain on parents. Concurrently, many highland children lack essential material and educational resources, contributing to poverty in the region. To address these challenges, local authorities urgently require a sustainable solution that supports children, communities, and localities, fostering comprehensive development. The project development criteria are evaluated based on the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Data was collected through an online survey of 50 married individuals, 162 non-married individuals, and interviews with those who have organized events for children in the highlands. Additionally, insights were obtained from three children from disadvantaged areas. The results indicate that all target groups show a keen interest in social activities for children. Parents facing difficulties accessing charities, and the lack of effective collaboration between charities and local authorities, hinders sustainable development efforts. Keywords: children, SDG, social sustainabilty, communit

Factors affecting career turnover intention after graduation among nursing students: A cross-sectional study in Central Vietnam

Background & Aim: Turnover intention can predict the actual turnover behavior of nurses. Previous studies identified a variety of factors influencing nurses' turnover intention. However, few studies investigate nursing students' career turnover intention. This study aimed to examine turnover intention and associated factors among nursing students in Central Vietnam. Methods & Materials: A cross-sectional study was implemented among 425 nursing students recruited through a multistage sampling technique from April to May 2022. Data were collected using a questionnaire including demographic characteristics, fear of COVID-19, perceived academic stress, and turnover intention. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics and study variables. Independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were computed to examine the association between variables. Results: Approximately one-third (32.5%) of the respondents will look for jobs without patient contact, 32.2% would not study nursing if given a choice, and 31.1% often think of not staying in the nursing profession. The sum scores of turnover intention ranged from 3 to 15 with a mean of 9.19 (SD= 2.49). The turnover intention was associated with the year of study, the reason to study nursing, and preparation for nursing school (p<.05). Perceived academic stress had a moderate correlation with turnover intention (r= -.325, p<.05). In contrast, the association between fear of COVID-19 and turnover intention was not significant. Conclusion: A considerable number of nursing students had turnover intention upon graduation. Factors affecting turnover intention should be considered to retain students in educational programs and avoid a future nursing shortage

SEASONAL VARIATION OF PHYTOPLANKTON FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN TUYEN LAM RESERVOIR, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, VIETNAM

Seasonal changes in freshwater phytoplankton assemblages at Tuyen Lam Reservoir in the Central Highlands of Vietnam were classified into 23 functional groups based on physiological, morphological, and ecological characteristics. A total of 168 species were recorded during 10 surveys from 2015 to 2019 at 7 sampling sites, with Chlorophyta dominating in number of species. Phytoplankton abundance varied from 0.18×105 to 21.2×105 cells/L during the study period, mainly due to cyanobacteria. Seven of the 23 functional groups were considered to be dominant (relative density &gt; 5%).  The dominant functional groups were groups M and G in the dry season and groups M, G, P, and E in the rainy season. Group M (Microcystis aeruginosa) was the most common in both seasons, while group P (Closterium, Staurastrum, Aulacoseira), group E (Dinobryon, Synura), and group G (Sphaerocystis, Eudorina) were more common in the rainy season. The Shannon diversity index (H¢) showed that phytoplankton communities were relatively diverse and that most of the study sites were lightly polluted. However, the ecological status has deteriorated at some locations due to the overgrowth of group M, leading to eutrophication in this reservoir. This study highlights the usefulness of functional groups in the study of seasonal changes in phytoplankton dynamics. Functional groups are applied for the first time at Tuyen Lam Reservoir and can be used to predict early-stage cyanobacterial blooms in future studies

Board Independence and Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence on Mediating Role of Market Competition From the Vietnamese Market

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of board independence on the financial performance of companies listed on the Vietnamese stock exchanges with the mediating role of market competition.   Theoretical framework: The topic is based on agency theory, resource dependency theory and stewardship theory. The independence of the board of directors (BOD) is measured in two aspects: the duality and the non-executive members of BOD. This study approaches the measurement of market competition according to the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI). After calculating the HHI, the study will classify companies in a highly competitive market or a low competitive market.   Design/methodology/approach: The study uses secondary data from the financial statements of companies listed on the Vietnamese stock market with the collection period from 2016 to 2020. The data analysis methods comprise of Pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), Fixed effects model (FEM), Random effects model (REM) and Generalized method of moments estimation (GMM).   Findings: The results of GMM showed that CEO duality is found to have a negative effect on the financial performance of listed firms. Meanwhile, the statistical evidence shows that the percentage of non-executive board members and market competition positively affect the financial performance. In addition, the evidence showed that market competition could reduce the positive influence of the percentage of non-executive board members on financial performance of listed companies.   Research, Practical &amp; Social implications: The study has proposed some governance implications to improve the financial performance of listed firms such as limiting CEO duality, increasing the percentage of non-executive board members and empower the management board in a highly competitive market and choosing the appropriate size of the board.   Originality/value: The value of the study is to provide more scientific basis for policy makers in Vietnam and help listed companies choose and make decisions related to BOD to improve financial efficiency

RECOVERY OF POLY(3-HYDROXYBUTYRATE) FROM Yangia sp. ND199 BY SIMPLE DIGESTION WITH SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a biodegradable polymer synthesized intracellularly by many microorganisms. After extraction from the cells, they possess the common features of non-toxic, biocompatible, biodegradable and recyclable. These features render them highly competitive with polypropylene or other petroleum-derived plastics, especially in medicine. The isolation and purification of PHA from bacterial cells are the key step of PHA production process. There are several methods have been used for OHA purification, these include solvent extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, and chemical digestion. In this study we used chemical digestion method for purification of PHB from Yangia sp. ND199. Among various chemical tested (NaOH, HCl, KOH, NaOCl, and SDS), NaOCl was found as an efficient chemical for PHB recovery and PHB purity from Yangia sp. ND199. The optimal purity and recovery conditions were a ratio of 1:1 (v/v, solution containing 100 g/l bacterial cells and solution containing 6% NaOCl), a 30 oC temperature and a 1 h treatment time. Under such conditions, a purity of 99% and a recovery of 94% were obtained. This method is sumple and can be developed and used for industrial scale