Pedagogy undergraduates’ perception on twenty-first century skills

Teachers head up their students to the bright future, their role is indispensable, especially in the 21st century, which expects them to be energetic and flexible to apply knowledge to the daily life and carrier task. Examining the perception on 21st century skills teaching of pedagogy teacher-to-be undergraduates - plays a vital role in identifying deficits in teachers’ professional development; as well as organizing training programs to enhance their knowledge and skills. To the best of our knowledge, no study to date has examined pedagogy undergraduates’ perception in Vietnam. This study aimed at examining Vietnamese undergraduates' perception on teaching the 21st century skills. Our crosssectional study used the 21st Century Skills Teaching Scale. Descriptive analysis and ANOVA were performed in this research. The results showed that: (1) Vietnamese pedagogy students had a high level of perception on teaching the 21st century skills; (2) there was no gender difference in their perception; and (3) there was no significant difference in their perception regard to their school years and (4) there was significant difference between those having joined soft skill courses at their university and those having not joined anyone

Numerical study and experimental investigation of an electrohydrodynamic device for inertial sensing

We present a multi-physics simulation associated with experimental investigation for an electrohydrodynamic gyroscope based on ion wind corona discharge. The present device consisting of multiple point-ring electrodes generates a synthetic jet flow of ions for inertial sensing applications. Meanwhile the residual charge of jet is neutralized by an external ring electrode to guarantee the ion wind stable while circulating inside the device's channels. The working principle including the generation and then circulation of jet flow within the present device is firstly demonstrated by a numerical simulation and the feasibility and stability of the device are then successfully investigated by experimental work. Results show owing to the ion wind corona discharge based approach associated with new configuration, the present device is robust and consumes low energy

Physical therapy for sleep apnea: a smartphone application for home-based physical therapy for patients with obstructive sleep apnea

PurposeIn this study, we described “PT for Sleep Apnea”, a smartphone application for home-based physical therapy of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).MethodsThe application was created in a joint program between the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (UMP), Vietnam, and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan. Exercises maneuvers were derived from the exercise program previously published by the partner group at National Cheng Kung University. They included exercises for upper airway and respiratory muscle training and general endurance training.ResultsThe application provides video and in-text tutorials for users to follow at home and a schedule function to assist the user in organizing the training program, which may improve the efficacy of home-based physical therapy in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.ConclusionIn the future, our group plans to conduct a user study and randomized-controlled trials to investigate whether our application can benefit patients with OSA

Challenges and Lessons Learned in the Development of a Participatory Learning and Action Intervention to Tackle Antibiotic Resistance: Experiences From Northern Vietnam

Antibiotic use in the community for humans and animals is high in Vietnam, driven by easy access to over-the counter medicines and poor understanding of the role of antibiotics. This has contributed to antibiotic resistance levels that are amongst the highest in the world. To address this problem, we developed a participatory learning and action (PLA) intervention. Here we describe challenges and lessons learned while developing and testing this intervention in preparation for a large-scale One Health trial in northern Vietnam. We tested the PLA approach using community-led photography, and then reflected on how this approach worked in practice. We reviewed and discussed implementation documentation and developed and refined themes. Five main themes were identified related to challenges and lessons learned: understanding the local context, stakeholder relationship development, participant recruitment, building trust and motivation, and engagement with the topic of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Partnerships with national and local authorities provided an important foundation for building relationships with communities, and enhanced visibility and credibility of activities. Partnership development required managing relationships, clarifying roles, and accommodating different management styles. When recruiting participants, we had to balance preferences for top-down and bottom-up approaches. Building trust and motivation took time and was challenged by limited study team presence in the community. Open discussions around expectations and appropriate incentives were re-visited throughout the process. Financial incentives provided initial motivation to participate, while less tangible benefits like collective knowledge, social connections, desire to help the community, and new skills, sustained longer-term motivation. Lack of awareness and perceived importance of the problem of AMR, affected initial motivation. Developing mutual understanding through use of common and simplified language helped when discussing the complexities of this topic. A sense of ownership emerged as the study progressed and participants understood more about AMR, how it related to their own concerns, and incorporated their own ideas into activities. PLA can be a powerful way of stimulating community action and bringing people together to tackle a common problem. Understanding the nuances of local power structures, and allowing time for stakeholder relationship development and consensus-building are important considerations when designing engagement projects