Computation of transient viscous flows using indirect radial basis function networks

In this paper, an indirect/integrated radial-basis-function network (IRBFN) method is further developed to solve transient partial differential equations (PDEs) governing fluid flow problems. Spatial derivatives are discretized using one- and two-dimensional IRBFN interpolation schemes, whereas temporal derivatives are approximated using a method of lines and a finite-difference technique. In the case of moving interface problems, the IRBFN method is combined with the level set method to capture the evolution of the interface. The accuracy of the method is investigated by considering several benchmark test problems, including the classical lid-driven cavity flow. Very accurate results are achieved using relatively low numbers of data points

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

Combination of whole genome sequencing and supervised machine learning provides unambiguous identification of eae-positive Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

Introduction: The objective of this study was to develop, using a genome wide machine learning approach, an unambiguous model to predict the presence of highly pathogenic STEC in E. coli reads assemblies derived from complex samples containing potentially multiple E. coli strains. Our approach has taken into account the high genomic plasticity of E. coli and utilized the stratification of STEC and E. coli pathogroups classification based on the serotype and virulence factors to identify specific combinations of biomarkers for improved characterization of eae-positive STEC (also named EHEC for enterohemorrhagic E.coli) which are associated with bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in human. Methods: The Machine Learning (ML) approach was used in this study on a large curated dataset composed of 1,493 E. coli genome sequences and 1,178 Coding Sequences (CDS). Feature selection has been performed using eight classification algorithms, resulting in a reduction of the number of CDS to six. From this reduced dataset, the eight ML models were trained with hyper-parameter tuning and cross-validation steps. Results and discussion: It is remarkable that only using these six genes, EHEC can be clearly identified from E. coli read assemblies obtained from in silico mixtures and complex samples such as milk metagenomes. These various combinations of discriminative biomarkers can be implemented as novel marker genes for the unambiguous EHEC characterization from different E. coli strains mixtures as well as from raw milk metagenomesPeer Reviewe

Factors influencing well-being of special education teachers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Increasing numbers of special education teachers are leaving jobs across different cultures and countries, which leads to teachers’ well-being has gotten more attention over the past decades. This study aims to investigate the levels of well-being and explore the factors influencing well-being in special education teachers in Vietnam. Special education teachers (N = 81) from three special education schools and a special education Centre in Vietnam were involved in the current study. Descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were used to examine the levels of well-being and determine whether life satisfaction, job satisfaction, self-compassion, and salary and benefits influencing the well-being levels among teachers. The results show a positive correlation between well-being and job satisfaction, life satisfaction, self-compassion, and salary and benefits. Additionally, multiple regression analysis reveals that life satisfaction, self-compassion, and salary and benefits influence well-being levels positively, meaning that teachers with increased life satisfaction, self-compassion, and salary and benefits have higher levels of well-being. The present findings contribute to the general discussion about the nature of well-being and the influential factors in teachers’ well-being. It is highly suggested that organizations/schools provide appropriate policies and increase the special education teachers' well-being in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Intervention Design Elements Are Associated with Frontline Health Workers\u27 Performance to Deliver Infant and Young Child Nutrition Services in Bangladesh and Vietnam

Background: Frontline health workers (FLWs) are needed for delivering interventions at scale to reduce maternal and child undernutrition, but low- and middle-income countries often face inadequate FLW performance.Objectives: We examined whether and how intervention design elements such as training, supervision, and mass media improved FLW performance in delivering nutrition services.Methods: Survey data were collected in 2010 and 2014 as part of impact evaluations of Alive & Thrive (A&T) interventions to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in Bangladesh and Vietnam. FLWs in A&T intensive (A&T-I) areas received specialized IYCF training, job aids, and regular supportive supervision. Those in non-intensive (A&T-NI) areas received standard government training and supervision. There was mass media exposure in both areas. Multiple regression was used to test differences in exposure to intervention design elements and performance outcomes between the 2 program areas. Path analyses were conducted to examine the paths from exposure to performance outcomes measured at FLW and end-user levels.Results: Compared to FLWs in A&T-NI areas, those in A&T-I areas had higher scores in training (by 1.3-3.6 of 10 points), supportive supervision (0.3-3.5 points), and mass media exposure (0.3-3.5 points). These intervention design elements were significantly associated with FLW knowledge and motivation, which in turn improved service delivery. FLW-level performance outcomes contributed to improving end-user-level outcomes such as higher service received (beta = 0.12-1.04 in Bangladesh and 0.11-0.96 in Vietnam) and maternal knowledge (beta = 0.12-0.17 in Bangladesh and 0.04-0.21 in Vietnam).Conclusions: Training, supervision, and mass media exposure can be implemented at large scale and contribute to improved FLW service delivery by enhancing knowledge and motivation, which in turn positively influence mother\u27s service utilization and IYCF knowledge. Training, supervision, and mass media to enhance service provision should be considered when designing interventions. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01678716 (Bangladesh) and NCT01676623 (Vietnam)

Determinants of organic food purchasing intention: an empirical study of local consumers in Da Nang city, Central Vietnam

With the rapid economic development in the past decades, Vietnamese people are more and more aware of the role of safe food for their health and that of their families. Currently, the trend of organic food consumption is happening faster, especially in urban areas. The study aims to determine the influence of transparent information and knowledge about organic products on consumers' attitudes, trust, and subjective norms affecting their purchase intention of organic products. Data were collected from 420 consumers in Da Nang city, Central Vietnam. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) method and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to evaluate the scale's reliability and identify the impact factors. The results show that attitudes and trust have a positive relationship with the intention to buy organic food. In addition, research shows that trust is a predecessor of attitudes and mediates the relationship between information, knowledge about organic food, and intention to buy organic food. The study's findings are consistent with previous literature and provide implications for food managers, organic food businesses, and the community

Vocational Orientation and the Need for Establishing Career Counselling Office in Vietnamese Schools

School psychology is a field that has been receiving a lot of attention recently in Vietnam as it prepares to restructure the general education curriculum. In particular, vocational orientation and career counseling are most concerned due to the emergence of new subjects in the educational curriculum - Experimental and Vocational Orientation Activities. The objective of this study is to investigate the current situation of vocational orientation problems and the need for career counseling of Vietnamese high school students to provide evidence to develop the school counseling activities and the School Psychology in Vietnam. This is a quantitative study used a questionnaire to examine the current situation of vocational orientation problems and the need for career counseling of 1200 high school students in Vietnam to illustrate the importance of vocational orientation work. The results showed that Vietnamese high school students faced many vocational orientation problems and wanted support from school counselors. But the reality did not meet the needs of students: Vietnamese schools lacked a team of school counselors both in quality and quantity, also lack of school counseling offices in almost high schools. This result is expected to contribute to the development of the School Psychology in Vietnam, but firstly, to promote the establishment of counseling office at least one office per school

The Relationship between Online Learning and Student Satisfaction with Training Quality in Private Universities during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims to explore the relationship between the influential factors of online learning and the satisfaction of economics and business majors with the quality of their training in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 900 students in private universities completed a questionnaire. The principal findings of this research are that the students are satisfied with their online learning and that learning conferencing software is the most important driving factor leading to the students’ satisfaction when compared with learning conditions and learning devices. Another interesting finding is that the experience of using learning conferencing software results in a slight difference in the students’ perceived level of satisfaction, adding that users with more than two years’ experience are more satisfied with their training quality than users with less than one year’s experience. However, the results also show that students want to switch to offline learning when the pandemic is over. This study should, therefore, be of value to higher education authorities wishing to understand their students’ perceptions of online learning. In addition, results from the study suggest more managerial approaches as well as improve the online teaching quality during the pandemic