Search

This paper discusses the development of artistic collaboration during the global lockdown, related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The art work under study involves the author’s practices of ecological sound art and intercultural collaboration in collaboration with Canadian composer and improviser John Oliver. A primary outcome of this work was the album Isolation Journal, released in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. One feature of Isolation Journal was how it revisited site-specific recordings made in Vietnam, on the countryside north of Hanoi, for an installation made by Östersjö in collaboration with Nguyễn Thanh Thủy and Matthew Sansom [Östersjö, Stefan, and Thanh Thủy Nguyễn. 2016. “The Sounds of Hanoi and the After-Image of the Homeland.” Journal of Sonic Studies 12. https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/246523/246546]. Through remote interactions, and by building a complex sampler instrument using Östersjö's recordings of Aeolian đàn đáy, a traditional Vietnamese lute, as well as field recordings from the site, Oliver and Östersjö created the album Isolation Journal through remote interaction. This in turn became a fundamental building block when the author's Vietnamese/Swedish group The Six Tones took the initiative to develop a scene for telematic performance at Manzi Art Space in Hanoi. This series started out with a concert with John Oliver, The Six Tones and guest performers from Hanoi in July 2020. Building on audio and video documentation, as well as on qualitative interviews with the participating co-performers, an analysis of the emergence of discursive voice [Gorton, David, and Stefan Östersjö. 2019. “Austerity Measures I: Performing the Discursive Voice.” In Voices, Bodies, Practices: Performing Musical Subjectivities, edited by Catherine Laws, William Brooks, David Gorton, Nguyễn Thanh Thủy, Stefan Östersjö, and Jeremy J. Wells, 29–79. Orpheus Institute Series. Leuven: Leuven University Press] is drawn from these two internally linked artistic projects. The paper develops the analytical framework of tele-copresence, a synthesis of the contrasting concepts of telepresence and copresence, as a means for analysing the virtual presence which emerges through such remote musical interaction.  [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the energy imbalance issue of a series-connected lithium-iron battery pack, this paper proposes an active equalization method based on a reduced-order solving strategy for the Hanoi Tower problem. The proposed scheme utilizes a combined structure of a switching-network circuit and a bidirectional Cuk converter and leverages an ultracapacitor cell as the energy-transfer carrier. Simulation and comparison demonstrate that the exchange of unbalanced energy within the battery pack can be achieved. The proposed approach can effectively achieve various balancing modes such as cell-to-cell, cell-to-string, string-to-cell, and string-to-string with a relatively fast balancing speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockage, which arises from accumulated materials like sand, stones, sediment, uncontrolled growth of tree roots within pipes, and the inadvertent partial closure of in-line valves, poses a pervasive challenge in the operational sphere of water distribution networks (WDNs). This results in significant head loss in the pipes, leading to disruptions in the water supply. Identifying such blockages conventionally requires specialized human resources and is often encumbered by cost and time challenges. This paper introduces a method for precisely determining the location and magnitude of blockages within WDNs. This methodology is firmly grounded in a calibration-optimization framework, harnessing a specially crafted hybrid optimization algorithm known as PSOHS, which combines the strengths of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and harmony search (HS) algorithms. Detailed comparisons are drawn between simulated pressure data (derived from the hydraulic network model) and corresponding field data at multiple points to minimize disparities, thereby facilitating the precise identification of potential blockages in a WDN. The proposed method undergoes rigorous evaluation across two benchmark networks (modified Poulakis and Hanoi) under diverse scenarios as well as on an actual WDN. Results from over 60,000 simulated blockage scenarios underscore the method's remarkable proficiency, achieving blockage localization accuracy of 99.9% and magnitude estimation with a maximum absolute error (MAE) of less than 3%. Particularly noteworthy is the superior performance of the PSOHS algorithm as proposed, surpassing the PSO algorithm by enhancing blockage localization accuracy by a minimum of 10.5% and reducing MAE by 3%. Further, adopting the proposed algorithm over the HS algorithm yields improvements of 27.5% and 3.5%, respectively. Applying the proposed method in an actual network effectively pinpointed its blockage. Consequently, this algorithm presents a valuable tool for WDN operators, augmenting their capacity for effective network management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metro line 3 in Hanoi is being constructed using tunnels, which may affect nearby constructions. In addition, Hanoi's earthquakes also pose risks to this Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) line. This paper studies the impact of TBM construction on the surrounding houses along the line, as well as the impact of earthquakes on this line. A 3D numerical model was developed to simulate the static and dynamic behavior of TBM at station 9 in Metro Line 3. The results show that the maximum settlement at the ground surface under seismic load is significantly reduced from 4.6 mm to 0.1 mm when using the jet grouting method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - As Vietnam is a densely populated country with stable economic growth and rising concern for environmental problems in recent years, people are increasingly showing more interest in organic food. This study aims to explore the purchase intention of Vietnamese Generation Z (Gen Z) towards organic food. Methodology - We extended the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) with three specific pro-environmental factors that are health consciousness, environmental concern, and knowledge of organic food, to investigate the purchase intention of Gen Z. A self-administered online survey was conducted in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City as they are most populated cities in the country. Findings – 426 valid responses were received for data analysis after three months. Linear regression analysis was run in SPSS software to test six hypotheses. Research findings reveal that attitude has the most substantial influence on the purchase intention of Gen Z, followed by health consciousness, subjective norms, and personal norms. Notably, environmental concerns and knowledge of organic food do not necessarily affect Gen Z’s purchase intention. Our findings suggest that related stakeholders in the organic food market adjust their production and marketing tactics to attract Gen Z better. Novelty – The novelty of this paper is attributed to our effort to integrate pro-environmental variables into the TPB to test their impact on organic food purchase intention in a new research context of a transition country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of urban residents in the Global South are turning to rooftop gardening, whether through soil or hydroponics, to cultivate their own vegetables, fruit, and herbs. In Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, rooftop gardening serves as an important alternative to traditional wet markets and more recently established supermarkets. In this paper, we examine the motivations, practices, and constraints of Hanoi's rooftop gardeners, along with the level of government support or disapproval for rooftop gardening. Our study is grounded in critical urban geography and urban political ecology and specific debates regarding informal life politics. Our findings reveal that Hanoi's rooftop gardeners feel confronted by a critical food safety crisis, emphasising their need to access safe, fresh, and affordable produce through rooftop gardening. Simultaneously, they express scepticism about the capacity and willingness of formal political institutions at both the municipal and national levels to address and resolve these concerns. We explore whether Hanoi's urban rooftop gardeners can be considered to be engaging in a form of everyday life politics and examine the dynamics emerging in this regard. We conclude by offering potential policy recommendations for Global South cities to support urban gardening communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the morphologies of Villages-in-the-City (ViCs) in Kunming in China and Hanoi in Vietnam, that are undergoing rapid urbanisation and urban transformation. In China, the term Chengzhongcun refers to development of rural settlements that have been included in the urban districts arising from city expansion. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the phrase Làng trong phố is used to describe settlements in urban areas that used to be rural villages. Both types of settlements share many common characteristics linked to rural background, and to social and economic policies in these two countries. The findings illustrate that spatial transformations are generated by fundamental economic and social changes, and that the influences of land policies and roles played by local government in each country have significant impacts on the formation of the ViCs. Although the planning processes are managed though top-down systems, the diverse practices and small scale and cost-effective tactics contribute to the transitions of the ViCs. The morphological differences between ViCs development in two countries are due to differences in management modes and land use rights. The outcome of this paper contributes to the deeper understanding about similarities and differences of ViCs in the Global South. • This paper examines and compare the morphologies of Villages-in-the-City in Kunming in China and Hanoi in Vietnam. • The diverse practices and small scale tactics contribute to the transition from rural to urban live styles in both places. • The differences between ViCs developments are due to different modes of management and land use rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges in molecular science is to model a chemical complex and predict its thermochemical properties. Various researchers have developed a number of hypothetical techniques in this regard, and one of them is focused on the topological indices. A topological index is a number associated with a molecule's structural graph that is considered to be capable of predicting certain chemical and physical properties of molecules. Degree-based topological indices are one of the groups of topological indices that are crucial in chemical graph theory. Shannon's entropy is a fundamental factor of a subclass of topological indices that measures the structural information of the graphs. In this study, we examine the entropy based on topological indices such as the first and second Zagreb indices, the general Randić index, the harmonic and sum-connectivity index of Hanoi graph. Moreover, we determine a number of multiplicative invariants, and different polynomials for Hanoi graphs with graphical illustrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The weighted Tower of Hanoi problem is a new generalization of the classical Tower of Hanoi problem, where a move of a disc between two pegs i and j is weighted by a positive real w i j . This new problem generalizes the concept of finding the minimum number of moves to solve the Tower of Hanoi, to find a sequence of moves with the minimum total weight. We present an optimal dynamic algorithm to solve the weighted Tower of Hanoi problem, as well as some of its properties. We also show the link of this generalization to the Tower of Hanoi variants with restricted disc moves, and how this new problem can generalize the concept of restricting a disc move. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-tech vegetable production is becoming a priority in agricultural development in Vietnam in the context of digital economic development. This study aims at identifying factors involving the adoption of high technology in vegetable production by local farmers in Hanoi. We used the theory of planned behavior and other farmers’ personal, social and economic factors to develop empirical model and hypotheses. Primary data was collected from a survey of 450 vegetable producers in Hanoi using cluster sampling method combined with random selection. Then, binary logit model was used to analyze the impact of influencing factors. Results showed that there were 7 factors having significant influences the decision to apply technology in vegetable production of farmers including attitude on high tech production, access to information, size of farm, member of extension organization, education level, access to credit and perceived behavior control, in which attitude variable was the most influential factor. Main management implications raised included enhancing access to technological information, providing demostration visits, giving more extension services, improving social inclusion and implementing hi- tech training for farmers in vegetable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The employment of recycled materials from construction and demolition waste (CDW) for mixing recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is widely practiced in developed countries. In Vietnam, however, being a developing country with a rapid rate of urbanization, especially in major cities, the substantial amount of CDW generated is still mainly treated by landfilling. To promote the recycling of CDW, studies of the performance of structural members fabricated with recycled aggregates must be conducted, which are lacking in quantity in Vietnam. Adopting a standard experiment set up of reinforced beams, the study employed local recycled coarse aggregates in Hanoi, Vietnam, produced from crushed concrete and crushed brick (which is mixed with crushed concrete at controlled percentages) to conduct experiments to observe flexural behaviors with reference to equivalent natural aggregate concrete (NAC) such as cracking load, ultimate load, crack pattern, crack width, etc. The results showed that the ultimate loads were only reduced by less than 10% for all percentages of recycled coarse aggregate produced from crushed brick in the concrete mix, compared to the reference beams using NAC. However, the cracking loads of RAC beams were significantly reduced by 17.86% to 50.45% when increasing the content of crushed brick from 0% to 70%. Moreover, together with an increase in the number of flexural cracks, the deflections of RAC beams also increased with increasing content of crushed brick, demonstrating a reduction in the stiffness of the beams. These observations may serve as recommendations to structural engineers in Vietnam when designing flexural RAC members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the reconstruction of the pressure head map of a water distribution system (WDS). This approach relies on historical data collected from a reduced number of sensors placed at some nodes of the WDS. Thus, a Gaussian regression process is then applied to estimate the pressure head at those nodes without a sensor, which allows the reconstruction of the pressure map for the whole network. Then, for leak diagnosis purposes, a dataset of pressure head maps of the WDN is created considering leaky scenarios, and a correlation method is applied to estimate the leak location. Then, for clarity, the Hanoi network is used to evaluate the performance of this leak diagnosis strategy in a simulation environment, assuming the availability of only three sensors. The results showed the potential for pressure head map reconstruction and leak localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because land is an entity that possesses both biophysical and geophysical features, it can be subdivided into several land covers and put to a variety of diverse uses. In this study, transformation matrices are generated using JAXA map data in order to conduct an analysis of the inter-land variability. In Hanoi, data collection took place over the course of four years (1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020). According to Vietnam's legislation, this timeframe is also equivalent to three phases of land use planning (LUP). According to the findings, the area of land used for urban development is expanding at a quick rate in this metropolitan region (by more than 13%), but the area used for rice production has experienced a significant decline (by approx. 23%). However, the pattern is not consistent from one planning period to the next. The research results are also linked to land use practices in Hanoi in the discussion section. This points to the compatibility with the current state of Vietnam's linear economic growth in recent times, as well as negative issues, such as land waste and forecasts of spatial changes in Hanoi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive rehabilitation, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skill acquisition, and coaching games such as chess often require tutoring decision-making strategies. The advancement of AI-driven tutoring systems for facilitating human learning requires an understanding of the impact of evaluative feedback on human decision-making and skill development. To this end, we conduct human experiments using Amazon Mechanical Turk to study the influence of evaluative feedback on human decision-making in sequential tasks. In these experiments, participants solve the Tower of Hanoi puzzle and receive AI-generated feedback while solving it. We examine how this feedback affects their learning and skill transfer to related tasks. Additionally, treating humans as noisy optimal agents, we employ maximum entropy inverse reinforcement learning to analyze the effect of feedback on the implicit human reward structure that guides their decision making. Lastly, we explore various computational models to understand how people incorporate evaluative feedback into their decision-making processes. Our findings underscore that humans perceive evaluative feedback as indicative of their long-term strategic success, thus aiding in skill acquisition and transfer in sequential decision-making tasks. Moreover, we demonstrate that evaluative feedback fosters a more structured and organized learning experience compared to learning without feedback. Furthermore, our results indicate that providing intermediate goals alone does not significantly enhance human learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talaromyces sp. DC2 is an endophytic fungus that was isolated from the stem of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don in Hanoi, Vietnam and is capable of producing vinca alkaloids. This study utilizes the PacBio Sequel technology to completely sequence the whole genome of Talaromyces sp. DC2The genome study revealed that DC2 contains a total of 34.58 Mb spanned by 156 contigs, with a GC content of 46.5%. The identification and prediction of functional protein-coding genes, tRNA, and rRNA were comprehensively predicted and highly annotated using various BLAST databases, including non-redundant (Nr) protein sequence, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG), and Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZy) databases. The genome of DC2 has a total of 149, 227, 65, 153, 53, and 6 genes responsible for cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin, chitin, starch, and inulin degradation, respectively. The Antibiotics and Secondary Metabolites Analysis Shell (AntiSMASH) analyses revealed that strain DC2 possesses 20 biosynthetic gene clusters responsible for producing secondary metabolites. The strain DC2 has also been found to harbor the DDC gene encoding aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase enzyme. Conclusively, this study has provided a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in secondary metabolites and the ability of the Talaromyces sp. DC2 strain to degrade plant cell walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the establishment of a 239Pu Be neutron reference field at the Military Institute for Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Hanoi, Viet Nam. The evaluation of the field parameters due to neutrons of the total component was performed using an in-house developed Bonner sphere spectrometer in combination with the output data from the FRUIT unfolding code. As results, these following field parameters were obtained for neutrons of the total component, at several points of interest: (i) neutron fluence spectrum; (ii) integral neutron fluence rate - ϕ , unit in cm − 2 s − 1 ; (iii) neutron ambient dose rate (a new operational quantity) - H ̇ ∗ , unit in μ Sv h − 1 ; (iv) neutron ambient dose equivalent rate (an old operational quantity) - H ̇ ∗ (10) , unit in μ Sv h − 1 ; (v) neutron fluence-to-ambient dose conversion coefficient - h ∗ , unit in pSv cm 2 ; (vi) fluence-averaged neutron energy - E ¯ , unit in MeV; and (vii) ambient dose-averaged neutron energy - E ˜ , unit in MeV. The standard combined uncertainties of H ̇ ∗ and H ̇ ∗ (10) due to the total neutron component were estimated within 10%, considered as acceptable for measurements of H ̇ ∗ and/or H ̇ ∗ (10) less than 50 μ Sv h − 1 . In addition, the fluence-to-ambient dose equivalent conversion coefficient (h) for the direct neutron component was also deduced. The standard deviation of h between those obtained from this work and from published data was calculated as within 5.7%, acceptable for radiation protection purpose. • Physical and dosimetric parameters of a 239Pu Be neutron reference field were characterized. • The commercial neutron unfolding code (FRUIT) was used to derive neutron fluence spectra at the points of interest. • The standard combined uncertainties of ambient-dose rates, H ̇ ∗ were within 10%, consistent to the ISO 12789-2 criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Vietnamese state is envisioning Hanoi as a prosperous, 'civilised' capital city with fast, 'modern' mobilities and their corresponding infrastructures, including expressways and an elevated railway. Concurrently, slower informal paratransit are increasingly discouraged and marginalised, threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of three-wheeler motorbike delivery drivers. Despite official registration as disabled war veterans, 'real' three-wheeler drivers find themselves in an ever more conscribed environment, while other drivers attempting to maintain livelihoods in this way are deemed 'fake' by officials and further ostracised. Drawing on conceptual debates regarding people as infrastructure and mobility (in)justice, and ethnographic fieldwork with three-wheeler drivers, I detail how drivers (both 'real' and 'fake') must negotiate inconsistent policies, a growing discourse that they are obsolete and hence disposable, and new infrastructures incompatible with their livelihoods. Combined, these elements create specific mobility experiences and frictions to which drivers react with subtle and inventive tactics to maintain their rights to the city's streets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a less-powerful state threatened by a rising China in both security and economic domains irrespective of increasing economic cooperation and sharing a border and political affinity with China, Vietnam is expected to warmly welcome the United States (US) -led Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) The country, nonetheless, has remained low-key in responding to the IPS. The article argues that Hanoi is truly interested in a regional rules-based order promoted in the IPS, but it has proposed a hedging response to this strategy through cautious statements and limited engagement in into this strategy. Vietnam’s hedging response to the IPS is framed by its post-Doi Moi foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and diversification. The year 2023 marks a milestone in bilateral relations between the US and Vietnam as both states upgraded their diplomatic relations to comprehensive strategic partnership which is the highest level in Vietnamese diplomatic ranking. This may become a favourable catalyst for further cooperation between Washington and Hanoi under the IPS within the context of a rising China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vietnam's primary mechanism of achieving sustainable funding for universal health coverage (UHC) and financial protection has been through its social health insurance (SHI) scheme. Steady progress towards access has been made and by 2020, over 90% of the population were enrolled in SHI. In 2022, as part of a larger transition towards the increased domestic financing of healthcare, tuberculosis (TB) services were integrated into SHI. This change required people with TB to use SHI for treatment at district-level facilities or to pay out of pocket for services. This study was conducted in preparation for this transition. It aimed to understand more about uninsured people with TB, assess the feasibility of enrolling them into SHI, and identify the barriers they faced in this process. Methods: A mixed-method case study was conducted using a convergent parallel design between November 2018 and January 2022 in ten districts of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Quantitative data were collected through a pilot intervention that aimed to facilitate SHI enrollment for uninsured individuals with TB. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 participants, who were purposively sampled for maximum variation. Qualitative data were analyzed through an inductive approach and themes were identified through framework analysis. Quantitative and qualitative data sources were triangulated. Results: We attempted to enroll 115 uninsured people with TB into SHI; 76.5% were able to enroll. On average, it took 34.5 days to obtain a SHI card and it cost USD 66 per household. The themes indicated that a lack of knowledge, high costs for annual premiums, and the household-based registration requirement were barriers to SHI enrollment. Participants indicated that alternative enrolment mechanisms and greater procedural flexibility, particularly for undocumented people, is required to achieve full population coverage with SHI in urban centers. Conclusions: Significant addressable barriers to SHI enrolment for people affected by TB were identified. A quarter of individuals remained unable to enroll after receiving enhanced support due to lack of required documentation. The experience gained during this health financing transition is relevant for other middle-income countries as they address the provision of financial protection for the treatment of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Viet Nam, tuberculosis (TB) represents a devastating life-event with an exorbitant price tag, partly due to lost income from daily directly observed therapy in public sector care. Thus, persons with TB may seek care in the private sector for its flexibility, convenience, and privacy. Our study aimed to measure income changes, costs and catastrophic cost incurrence among TB-affected households in the public and private sector. Methods: Between October 2020 and March 2022, we conducted 110 longitudinal patient cost interviews, among 50 patients privately treated for TB and 60 TB patients treated by the National TB Program (NTP) in Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. Using a local adaptation of the WHO TB patient cost survey tool, participants were interviewed during the intensive phase, continuation phase and post-treatment. We compared income levels, direct and indirect treatment costs, catastrophic costs using Wilcoxon rank-sum and chi-squared tests and associated risk factors between the two cohorts using multivariate regression. Results: The pre-treatment median monthly household income was significantly higher in the private sector versus NTP cohort (USD 868 vs USD 578; P = 0.010). However, private sector treatment was also significantly costlier (USD 2075 vs USD 1313; P = 0.005), driven by direct medical costs which were 4.6 times higher than costs reported by NTP participants (USD 754 vs USD 164; P < 0.001). This resulted in no significant difference in catastrophic costs between the two cohorts (Private: 55% vs NTP: 52%; P = 0.675). Factors associated with catastrophic cost included being a single-person household [adjusted odds ratio (aOR = 13.71; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36–138.14; P = 0.026], unemployment during treatment (aOR = 10.86; 95% CI: 2.64–44.60; P < 0.001) and experiencing TB-related stigma (aOR = 37.90; 95% CI: 1.72–831.73; P = 0.021). Conclusions: Persons with TB in Viet Nam face similarly high risk of catastrophic costs whether treated in the public or private sector. Patient costs could be reduced through expanded insurance reimbursement to minimize direct medical costs in the private sector, use of remote monitoring and multi-week/month dosing strategies to avert economic costs in the public sector and greater access to social protection mechanism in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfills have the potential to contribute to mercury (Hg) pollution, due to the burial of waste containing mercury. Mercury from domestic waste can enter the soil surrounding landfills through surface runoff and leachate. In this study, we assessed the levels of Hg in the paddy soil around the Nam Son landfill, the largest landfill in the North of Vietnam, during both rainy (September 2021) and dry (January 2022) seasons. The concentration of Hg was in the range of 20.5 to 79.7 μg/kg dry w.t. in Bac Son and Nam Son, and 16.6 μg/kg dry w.t. at a higher reference site. In most of the samples, the rainy season showed higher Hg concentrations than the dry season. Soil samples taken closer to the landfill exhibited higher levels of Hg contamination compared to those in more distant paddy areas, suggesting a decreasing trend of Hg concentration as one moves away from the pollution source. Additionally, Hg concentration was found to decrease vertically from the surface, with the higher value observed in the surface layer (0–5 cm), and the lower in the bottom layer (20–25 cm). The geo-accumulation index showed that all the sampling points were moderately to heavily polluted, indicating that Hg was lost from the waste source in the landfill. This study provides valuable insights into the spatial and vertical distribution of Hg pollution in the topsoil and highlights the importance of managing and assessing the risks of Hg-containing waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the mental health status of high school students in Hanoi, Vietnam, focusing on depression, anxiety, stress, and academic burnout. Using the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-S-23) scale, the study assesses the prevalence of these conditions among students and their awareness of these issues. The findings reveal significant levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout risk, with notable differences based on gender and grade level. The study underscores the importance of mental health interventions and burnout prevention programs in schools. It also highlights the potential of the BAT-S-23 scale as a tool for assessing burnout. The results are expected to contribute to the development of effective strategies for promoting student mental health and managing burnout, thereby holding significant implications for the future of mental health management in the Vietnamese educational setting. Future research should focus on identifying the specific factors contributing to these mental health issues among high school students in Vietnam and developing targeted interventions to address them. Despite some limitations, the study offers important contributions to the ongoing efforts to promote mental health and academic success among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The priority of this study is to contribute to the literature by examining herding behavior at different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this study aims to investigate the herding behavior conditioned on market liquidity and information demand. Design/methodology/approach: This study investigates herding behavior in Vietnam's stock exchanges (Ha Noi Stock Exchange and Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange) on a sample of daily stock closing prices of 425 firms from 2018 to the first half of 2022. Findings: The research confirms the existence of herding behavior not only for the whole but also during and post-COVID periods. These results are robust in both bull and bear markets, further confirming the influence of COVID-19 on herding in Vietnamese background. Moreover, when the authors condition exogenous factors for each period, the herding tendency is more evident at the medium market liquidity level than at high and low levels. Besides, the pandemic causes herding behavior of investors with low and medium information demand. Research limitations/implications: These findings imply some recommendations that facilitate investors, policymakers and researchers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Originality/value: The study contributes to the herding literature by examining herd behavior during the post-COVID period, suggesting the long-term impact of the health crisis. Furthermore, the research provides new evidence of herding behavior conditioned on market liquidity and information demand during different COVID sub-periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While values have been studied as key antecedents of behaviors in general and pro-environmental behaviors in particular, empirical evidence has been mixed. The purpose of this study is to identify external moderators that may help facilitate the routes from values to pro-environmental behaviors. In particular, this investigates the role of different environmental information exposure in the environmental value-behavior relationship. Survey data was collected from 293 respondents from three urban groups of consumers in Hanoi, Vietnam. The research results reveal that environmental problem-related information exposure is ineffective in activating biospheric-altruistic value for pro-environmental consumption behaviors. Additionally, exposure to information about pro-environmental actions seems to demotivate pro-environmental consumption behaviors of biospheric-altruistic people and of those who value authority and influential power while fostering the behaviors among people who value economic benefit. Theoretically, this study highlights the importance of external factors in the human value-behavior relationship. Practically. the research results provide valuable insight into effective information campaign design to construct sustainable consumption culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pertussis is a highly contagious and dangerous respiratory disease that threatens children's health in many countries, including Vietnam, despite vaccine coverage. From 2015 to 2018, Vietnam experienced an increasing number of pertussis patients. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the trend and examine the seasonal variations of pertussis in North Vietnam. Methods: Data were collected from medical records of all under-5-year-old inpatients admitted to the National Children's Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam (VNCH) 2015–2018. A descriptive analysis was performed to describe the distribution of incident cases by year and season. Linear multivariable regression was conducted to investigate the association between the incidence of cases and seasonality adjusted by age and vaccination status. Results: We identified 1063 laboratory-confirmed patients during 2015–2018, including 247 (23.2%) severe patients. The number of pertussis patients admitted to VNCH per 1000 hospitalizations was 3.2 in 2015, compared to 1.9, 3.1, and 2.1 in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively. Outbreaks occurred biennially; however, there was no significant difference in the number of severe patients over this period. Most cases occurred in the hot season (509 patients, or nearly half of the study population). With the adjustment of the vaccination rate and average age, the risk of pertussis-associated hospitalization in the mild season and the hot season was 21% (95% CI [0.12; 0.3]) and 15% (95% CI [0.05; 0.25]) higher than that in the warm season, respectively. The rate of hospitalizations was high in the mild season (28.9%) and the warm season (30.8%), nearly twice as much as that in the hot season; nevertheless, the death rate was only striking high in the mild season, about 5–6 times as much as those in the other seasons. Conclusion: The pertussis incidence in Northern Vietnam varied between seasons, peaking in the hot season (April-July). However, severe patients and deaths increased in the mild season (December-March). Interventions, for example, communication activities on pertussis and vaccination, are of immense importance in lowering the prevalence of pertussis. In addition, early diagnoses and early warnings performed by health professionals should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid rain poses a worldwide environmental concern, impacting ecosystems and human health, even within Vietnam. This research delves into its occurrence across a range of urban and rural settings in the country. This study evaluated the acid rain in Hanoi, Hoa Binh in 2000-2020 and Ho Chi Minh in 2014-2020. Irregular acid rain, influenced by human activities and atmospheric convection, is observed in the study areas. Interestingly, while serving as pivotal growth centers with similar developmental levels and emissions, Hanoi encounters a more frequent occurrence of acid rain compared to Ho Chi Minh City. Notably, even in the rural vicinity of Hoa Binh, the prevalence of acid rain exceeds that observed in Ho Chi Minh City. The primary contributor to acidity in rainwater is nss (non-sea-salt)-SO42 - , with NH4 + acting as the neutralizing agent and both predicted to increase in concentration in Hanoi and Hoa Binh. Conversely, NO3 - serves this role and shows an upward trend in Ho Chi Minh. Overall, the results obtained from an extended evaluation period using the EANET database and diverse city characteristics indicate a worrisome escalation of acid rain in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its position as the capital, Hanoi is the political center as well as the second largest economic center of the country. Therefore, the city is always allocated a large budget in construction investment to create material facilities for political tasks and economic and social development. During the implementation of construction projects, a number of difficulties and limitations have appeared. In which, projects are delayed in construction and disbursement, reducing investment efficiency and not meeting the expectations of the government and people. From this fact, the authors have conducted a study to evaluate the causes affecting the time schedule of construction projects in Hanoi. The method F-APH (Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process) was used to analyze data objectively and accurately about the causes affecting the time schedule. From there, these causes are classified into groups of subjective causes (from within the project) and groups of objective causes (from outside the project). The results show that subjective causes, originating from project participants, have a stronger influence than objective causes. A number of specific proposals to the actors involved in construction projects are made to eliminate or limit the impact of the causes of construction progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognizant of the need to refocus breeding efforts toward end‐product quality traits taking into account the preferences of consumers and in consideration of the rapid urbanization in South‐eastern Asia, this study investigated the consumer's preferences for sweetpotato in Hanoi. Using a mixed‐methods research design, the study identified the most preferred and least preferred attributes of both the fresh and boiled product, disaggregated by gender, age, and socioeconomic status. Preferences and associated traits of six popular varieties were determined. Results indicate that while these varieties largely already meet consumers' preferences, consumers have a clear preference for a few varieties for which marginal adjustments are needed to further increase their acceptability among the growing urban population. Our findings indicate the direction of these adjustments and can contribute to inform demand‐led national and international breeding programs and, ultimately, to higher and faster variety uptake and adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]