Helminth eggs die-off and nutrients : human excreta storage experiment

Are the current practices of handling human excreta for agricultural purposes by farmers in Vietnam good enough?This study set up an excreta storage experiment to research how to inactivate Ascaris lumbricoides eggs and stillmaintain the nutrient value of human excreta

Интеллектуальная радиосеть с нечеткой конфигурацией

В статье обсуждаются возможности применения одноранговой радиосети стандарта IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) диапазона 2,4 ГГц для работы системы, состоящей из группы малогабаритных мобильных роботов и одного командного пункта. Основная задача группы роботов – проведение разведки во время спасательных операций после техногенных и природных катастроф и аварий. Для сохранения управляемости отдельными роботами и системой в целом предлагается повысить «интеллект» системы связи за счет гибкой маршрутизации каналов между командным пунктом и конкретным мобильным роботом с тем, чтобы иметь систему с автоматическим, интеллектуальным восстановлением канала обмена данных.У статті обговорюються можливості застосування однорангової радіомережі стандарту ІЕЕ 802.15.4 (ZigBee) діапазону 2,4 Ггу для роботи системи, що складається з групи малогабаритних мобільних роботів та одного командного пункту. Основна задача групи роботів – проведення розвідки під час рятувальних операцій після техногенних та природних катастроф і аварій. Для збереження керованості окремими ротами та системою в цілому пропонується підвищити інтелект системи зв’язку за рахунок гнучкої маршрутитизації каналів між командним пунктом та конкретним мобільним роботом з тим, щоб мати систему з автоматичним, інтелектуальним відновлюванням каналу обміну даних.In the article the possibilities of application peer-to-peer radio networks of standard IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) a range of 2,4 GHz for work of the system consisting of small-sized mobile robots group and one command point are discussed. The primary goal of group of robots – is carrying out of investigation during rescue operations after technogenic and natural accidents and failures. For controllability preservation by separate robots and system as a whole, it is offered to raise “intelligence” of a communication system at the expense of flexible routeing of channels between command point and the concrete mobile robot to have system with automatic, intellectual restoration of the channel of data exchange

Extremely Hot Ambient Temperature and Injury-related Mortality

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of extremely hot ambient temperatures on the total number of fatal injuries. Data were collected from a population-based mortality registry of Thanh Hoa, a province in the North Central region of Vietnam. This study qualified the distributed lag non-linear model and calculated the RR and 95% CI adjusted for long-term trend and absolute humidity. For the entire study population with 3,949 registered deaths due to injuries collected during 2005-2007, after the onset of extremely hot ambient temperatures, an increased risk of death was observed on the 9th day RR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.06–1.97) and reached the peak on the 12th day RR (95% CI) = 1.58 (1.14–2.17), and at the 15th day RR (95% CI) = 1.49 (1.08–2.06). Men and old adults were identified as the most vulnerable groups. This study confirmed a positive association between hot temperatures and injury-related deaths in the province of 3.6 million people. The findings motivated further investigation into the effect of warm climate changes and the risk of deaths related to other specific causes such as road traffic, work-related injury, and etc

On how religions could accidentally incite lies and violence: folktales as a cultural transmitter

Folklore has a critical role as a cultural transmitter, all the while being a socially accepted medium for the expressions of culturally contradicting wishes and conducts. In this study of Vietnamese folktales, through the use of Bayesian multilevel modeling and the Markov chain Monte Carlo technique, we offer empirical evidence for how the interplay between religious teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) and deviant behaviors (lying and violence) could affect a folktale’s outcome. The findings indicate that characters who lie and/or commit violent acts tend to have bad endings, as intuition would dictate, but when they are associated with any of the above Three Teachings, the final endings may vary. Positive outcomes are seen in cases where characters associated with Confucianism lie and characters associated with Buddhism act violently. The results supplement the worldwide literature on discrepancies between folklore and real-life conduct, as well as on the contradictory human behaviors vis-à-vis religious teachings. Overall, the study highlights the complexity of human decision-making, especially beyond the folklore realm

University’s shared vision for research and teaching: an international comparative study

How do universities encourage academics to buy into a shared vision while often setting punitive targets in teaching and research? This article explores possible antecedents of a university’s shared vision and its relationships with academics’ research and teaching performance in the era of managerialism. This cross-country study of two large universities in the UK and Vietnam draws on data from multiple sources to uncover the key components of a university’s shared vision. A survey strategy was adopted. Data were collected from different sources, using a stratified random sampling technique from academics of different schools at those universities. A total of 431 survey responses from academics at these universities were included for analysis, employing structure equation modelling. It provides fresh insights into whether having a shared vision can benefit academics’ research and teaching performance. The findings of this study show that while achieving a high degree of shared vision may enhance research performance, it may do little to improve teaching performance. The study provides empirical evidence indicating that a shared vision emerges as strongly rooted within individual employees rather than managers, challenging the common belief that a shared vision emanates primarily from the top down. This article advances social exchange theory (SET) by showing the interdependence of workplace antecedents, personal attributes, interpersonal connections, and performance. It introduces a framework for the relationship between universities’ shared vision with its possible antecedents and with academics’ teaching performance and research performance. The article also discusses useful implications for higher education leaders, based on the findings of the study

Carbon and methane cycling in arsenic-contaminated aquifers

Geogenic arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater is a health threat to millions of people worldwide, particularly in alluvial regions of South and Southeast Asia. Mitigation measures are often hindered by high heterogeneities in As concentrations, the cause(s) of which are elusive. Here we used a comprehensive suite of stable isotope analyses and hydrogeochemical parameters to shed light on the mechanisms in a typical high-As Holocene aquifer near Hanoi where groundwater is advected to a low-As Pleistocene aquifer. Carbon isotope signatures (δ$^{13}$C-CH$_{4}$, δ$^{13}$C-DOC, δ$^{13}$C-DIC) provided evidence that fermentation, methanogenesis and methanotrophy are actively contributing to the As heterogeneity. Methanogenesis occurred concurrently where As levels are high (>200 µg/L) and DOC-enriched aquitard pore water infiltrates into the aquifer. Along the flowpath to the Holocene/Pleistocene aquifer transition, methane oxidation causes a strong shift in δ$^{13}$C-CH$_{4}$ from -87‰ to +47‰, indicating high reactivity. These findings demonstrate a previously overlooked role of methane cycling and DOC infiltration in high-As aquifers