Factors Affecting Cooperation in the International Supply Chain of Seafood Enterprises: the Case of Vietnamese

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to analyze and evaluate factors affecting cooperation in the international supply chain of Vietnamese seafood enterprises.   Theoretical framework: Operations in international business context are associated with high risks, so cooperation in supply chain helps to improve management flexibility. On the other hand, acccording to the theory of resource dependency, resource sharing and information sharing strategies can affect the quality and the level of cooperation among supply chain partners.   Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the aim of this study, a literature survey related to supply chain and supply chain cooperation is carried out, and empirical analysis is conducted among 327 partners in seafood industry with the results analyzed using Cronbach’s Alpha analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and linear regression analysis (RA).   Findings: Research results have confirmed that there are six main factors directly affecting the international supply chain cooperation of Vietnamese seafood enterprises including: (1) Trust; (2) Power; (3) Distance; (4) Government policy; (5) Cooperation strategies and (6) Information sharing.   Research/Practical & Social implication: The encouraging policies and simplified export regulations are to be implemented by the government, VASEP and enterprises so the knowledge about international supply chain cooperation will be promoted with the help of comprehensive future research directions.   Originality/value: This is literally one of the first research works in Vietnam to incorporate the information sharing component into the model of affecting factors for international supply chain cooperation. Regardless of business uncertainties, the study shed new light on supply chain cooperation and promote firms to gain an edge in the global marketplace

Two new species of Dixonius from Vietnam and Laos with a discussion of the taxonomy of Dixonius (Squamata, Gekkonidae)

Integrated analyses using maximum likelihood (ML), Bayesian inference (BI), principal component analysis (PCA), discriminate analysis of principal components (DAPC), multiple factor analysis (MFA), and analysis of variance (ANOVA) recovered two new diagnosable species of gekkonid lizards in the genus Dixonius, one from the Central Highlands, Gia Lai Province, Vietnam and another from the Vientiane Province, Laos. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2) and adjacent tRNAs showed that Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov. is the sister species of D. minhlei from Dong Nai Province, Vietnam and is nested within a clade that also includes the sister species D. siamensis and D. somchanhae. Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov. is the sister species to D. lao from Khammouane Province, Laos and is embedded in a clade with D. vietnamensis, D. taoi, and undescribed species from Thailand. Multivariate (PCA, DAPC, and MFA) and univariate (ANOVA) analyses using combinations of 15 meristic (scale counts), six morphometric (measurements), and five categorical (color pattern and morphology) characters from 44 specimens encompassing all eight species of Dixonius from Vietnam and Laos clearly illustrate Dixonius gialaiensis sp. nov. and Dixonius muangfuangensis sp. nov. are statistically different and discretely diagnosable from all closely related species of Dixonius. These integrative analyses also highlight additional taxonomic issues that remain unresolved within Dixonius and the need for additional studies. The discovery of these new species further emphasizes the underappreciated herpetological diversity of the genus Dixonius and illustrates the continued need for field work in these regions

A new species of Lycodon Boie, 1826 (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

Luu, Vinh Quang, Ziegler, Thomas, Ha, Nghia Van, Le, Minh Duc, Hoang, Tuoi Thi (2019): A new species of Lycodon Boie, 1826 (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Zootaxa 4586 (2): 261-277, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4586.2.

A new species of Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from Trang An Landscape Complex, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam

Luu, Vinh Quang, Ziegler, Thomas, Ha, Nghia Van, Lo, Oanh Van, Hoang, Tuoi Thi, Ngo, Hanh Thi, Le, Minh Duc, Tran, Dung Hoang, Nguyen, Truong Quang (2020): A new species of Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from Trang An Landscape Complex, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. Zootaxa 4877 (1): 174-184, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4877.1.

Effect of ESR, FSHB and PRLR Genes on Sperm Traits ofLandrace and Yorkshire Boars in the Tropical EnvironmentalConditions of Vietnam

ABSTRACTBackground: Fertility traits in pigsmade a restricted progress through traditional selection. Applying marker assisted selectioncould improve these traits. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of candidate genes Estrogen Receptor (ESR), FollicleStimulating Hormone Beta (FSHB) and Prolactin Receptor (PRLR) on sperm quality traits of Landrace and Yorkshire boars undertropical conditions in Northern Vietnam.Methods: A total of 6306 ejaculates from 140 boars (92 Landrace and 48 Yorkshire) were collected to estimate sperm ejaculatevolume (VOL), spermatozoon motility (MO), sperm concentration (CO) and total number of spermatozoon in ejaculate (NT). Eartissue samples were collected for genotype identification of SNP present in ESR, FSHB and PRLR genes using PCR-RFLP technique.A mixed model was used to test the effect of different genetic and non-genetic factors on the sperm quality traits.Result:The genotype frequencies of ESR, FSHB and PRLR were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for each breed. Age of boars andmonth of the year had significant effect on all the sperm quality traits (P<0.01) while effect of breed was found to be non-significant onall the sperm quality trait. FSHB gene significantly (P<0.05) affected VOL, MO and CO. Boars with BB genotype showed positiveeffect on VOL but negative effect on MO and CO in comparison with AA genotype boars. ESR gene showed only effect on VOL whilePRLR affected only MO. Boars with AA and AB genotypes of ESR gene had a significantly higher VOL than those with BB genotype(P<0.05). For PRLR gen, AB genotype was associated with higher MO than AA genotype (P<0.05). These results suggest a possibilityof using the existing polymorphisms in ESR, FSHB and PRLR genes to improve some sperm traits of Landrace and Yorkshire boars

A new species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Ha Giang Province, Vietnam

An integrative analysis recovered a new species of the Hemiphyllodactylus typus group from a karst formation in Lung Cu Commune, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, northeastern Vietnam. Hemiphyllodactylus lungcuensis sp. nov. is embedded within clade 6 of the typus group, bearing an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 4.6–20.2% from all other species based on a 1,038 base pair segment of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2). It is diagnosable from other species in clade 6 by statistically significant mean differences in normalized morphometric, meristic, and categorical characters. A multiple factor analysis using the three aforementioned character types recovered its unique, non-overlapping placement in morphospace as statistically significantly different from that of all other species in clade 6. The description of this new Hemiphyllodactylus species contributes to a growing body of literature underscoring the high degree of herpetological diversity and endemism in karst landscapes in Vietnam as well as in the genus Hemiphyllodactylus

Antiproliferative, Anti-Inflammatory Activities, and Molecular Docking Studies of Secondary Metabolites from Macrosolen tricolor

In Vietnam, Macrosolen tricolor is used for the treatment of bloating, broken bones, cough, diarrhea, diuretic, rheumatism, and laxative effects. The study aimed to identify the in vitro antiproliferation and anti-inflammation of all fractions and purified compounds from the M. tricolor whole plants, as well as the in silico molecular docking of the potentially cytotoxic compounds. As the results, fractions (MTH.I, MTH.II, MTE.I, and MTE.II) strongly demonstrated antiproliferative properties against three tested cells, MDA-MB-231, RD, and HepG2 (IC50 values ranged from 4.00 ± 0.20 to 70.60 ± 1.44 μg/mL), as well as anti-inflammatory effects (IC50 values ranged from 4.45 ± 0.08 to 23.00 ± 1.18 μg/mL), whereas other fractions meaningfully evidenced selective cytotoxicity and/or anti-inflammation. Therefore, the phytochemical compositions of the active fractions were illuminated, leading to the characterization of eighteen compounds. Compounds (3–5) revealed the most cytotoxic effects towards all examined cells (IC50 values ranged from 6.88 ± 0.12 to 71.64 ± 1.17 μM) and the strongest anti-inflammatory properties (IC50 values of 16.30 ± 0.92, 7.31 ± 0.55, and 9.23 ± 0.60 μM, respectively). Compound 11 showed potential cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231, RD, and HepG2 cells (IC50 values of 24.42 ± 0.28, 20.60 ± 0.25, and 3.20 ± 0.02 μM, respectively). Furthermore, compounds (4, 5, and 11) interacted with the active site of the apoptosis regulator Bcl-2 protein (PDB ID: 2O2F), were comparable to PAC, and were compatible with their anticancer activity. This project suggests that M. tricolor is a good source of natural antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory agents and contributes to understanding the biological activities of Macrosolen species in traditional Vietnamese medicine