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African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a deadly, highly contagious disease in both domestic pigs and wild boar. With mortality up to 100%, the disease has been making a serious impact on the swine industry worldwide. Because no effective antiviral treatment has been observed, proactive prevention such as vaccination remains the key to controlling the outbreak. In the pursuit of expediting vaccine development, our current work has made the first report for heterologous production of the viral outer envelope glycoprotein CD2v extracellular domain (CD2v ED), a proposed promising vaccine antigen candidate in the "green" synthetic host Nicotiana benthamiana. Protein oligomerization strategies were implemented to increase the immunogenicity of the target antigen. Herein, the protein was expressed in oligomeric forms based on the C-terminally fused GCN4pII trimerization motif and GCN4pII_TP oligomerization motif. Quantitative western blot analysis showed significantly higher expression of trimeric CD2v ED_GCN4pII with a yield of about 12 mg/100 g of fresh weight, in comparison to oligomeric CD2v ED_GCN4pII_TP, revealing the former is the better choice for further studies. The results of purification and size determination by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) illustrated that CD2v ED_GCN4pII was successfully produced in stable oligomeric forms throughout the extraction, purification, and analysis process. Most importantly, purified CD2v ED_GCN4pII was demonstrated to induce both humoral and cellular immunity responses in mice to extents equivalent to those of the live attenuated vaccine ASFV-G-∆I177L, suggesting it as the potential subunit vaccine candidate for preventing ASFV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of this study is to synthesize biochar (Fe-SB) derived from sucrose through hydrothermal carbonization coupling with goethite activation and utilize it as an adsorbent to remove methylene blue (MB). FTIR, SEM, and BET were used to analyze the biochar characterization. Factors affecting the adsorption of MB on Fe-SB, including temperature, pH, salt, and different water sources, were also meticulously investigated. SEM results indicate that the morphology of the biochar derived from sucrose has a spherical shape, and the goethite crystal has a needle-like structure that successfully deposits on the adsorbent. The specific surface area of Fe-SB is 568 m2/g and contains enormous functional groups of O–H, C = C, and C–O. In the condition of pH 8, Fe-SB had a maximum adsorption capability of 476.2 mg/g. The adsorption capacity of biochar for MB removal consists of various adsorption mechanisms. In conclusion, Fe-SB, a novel material, pinpoints a promising and environmentally friendly adsorbent for the removal of MB from aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacity deionization (CDI), which combines capacitive carbon electrodes and redox-active electrodes, has emerged as a promising method for water desalination. It enables higher ion removal capacity than CDI-containing carbonaceous electrodes. Our work aimed to synthesize layered structure δ-MnO2/CNTs composites via the sol-gel method, examining their suitability for hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI). The XRD results showed a layered structure birnessite for all composites with a distance interlayer over 7.0 Å, while the SEM images confirmed the intercopration of MnO2 particles and CNT fibers. The electrochemical evaluations evidenced the role of CNTs in enhancing the charge transfer and ionic diffusion in composites. Composite δ-MnO2/CNTs presented a specific capacitance of 160 F g−1 at a charge-discharge rate of 1 A g-1 upon 1600 cycles. In salt removal performance, the asymmetric cell AC||δ-MnO2/CNTs-1 showed the highest salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of 30.2 mg g−1 and fast average salt adsorption rate (ASAR) of 3 mg g−1 s−1 under a constant applied potential 1.4 V in 200 ppm NaCl, rendering it a promising candidate for efficient and sustainable desalination technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to improve the thermal stability of 42 kDa chitinase from T. asperellum SH16 produced in N. benthamiana through site-directed mutagenesis for application in post-harvest fruit and vegetable preservation. In this work, thermostable mutants were predicted using bioinformatics tools, gene expression was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot, chitinase activity was determined spectrophotometrically, and the antifungal activity of chitinase was evaluated through inhibition of mycelial growth. The results showed that six selected mutants were successfully expressed in N. benthamiana and had in vitro antifungal activity against Colletotrichum siamense AD1.2. Among them, mutant I168L has a higher optimal temperature, thermal stability, and enzymatic activity than native chitinase and other mutants. Further analysis showed that, after 6 h of treatment at 40 °C, the relative activity of I168L remained about 50%, but that of native chitinase was only more than 15%. Besides, the I168L mutant could maintain a relative activity of about 78% and 50% after 30 min at 60ºC and 70ºC, while the native chitinase had only 38% and 12%, respectively. The Km and Vmax of the I168L mutant were both lower than those of native chitinase: 6.99 mg/mL and 254 units/mg vs. 11.24 mg/mL and 512 units/mg, respectively. Mutant I168L showed the ability to prevent and treat chili anthracnose disease caused by C. siamense CH26.1, which was many times stronger than the native chitinase at 35ºC. This finding suggests that the thermostable chitinase, I168L, has potential for applications in post-harvest fruit and vegetable preservation.Key message: This study screened insilico a mutant chitinase named I168L, derived from Trichoderma asperellum. The I168L exhibited significantly greater thermostability and Collectotrichum antifungal activity than the native chitinase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous deep learning-based studies were mainly conducted on detecting periapical lesions; limited information in classification, such as the periapical index (PAI) scoring system, is available. The study aimed to apply two deep learning models, Faster R-CNN and YOLOv4, in detecting and classifying periapical lesions using the PAI score from periapical radiographs (PR) in three different regions of the dental arch: anterior teeth, premolars, and molars. Methods: Out of 2658 PR selected for the study, 2122 PR were used for training, 268 PR were used for validation and 268 PR were used for testing. The diagnosis made by experienced dentists was used as the reference diagnosis. Results: The Faster R-CNN and YOLOv4 models obtained great sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision for detecting periapical lesions. No clear difference in the performance of both models among these three regions was found. The true prediction of Faster R-CNN was 89%, 83.01% and 91.84% for PAI 3, PAI 4 and PAI 5 lesions, respectively. The corresponding values of YOLOv4 were 68.06%, 50.94%, and 65.31%. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the potential of YOLOv4 and Faster R-CNN models for detecting and classifying periapical lesions based on the PAI scoring system using periapical radiographs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsustainable economic development and ecological degradation are major challenges for human beings. Human welfare can be obtained by promoting transition towards cleaner and more efficient energy usage, adopting environmental legislation, and reforming financial system. However, prior studies overlook the role of energy transition, environmental policies, and green financial policies on ecological footprint. Hence, this research investigates the heterogeneous effects of energy transition, environmental policies, and green financial policies on environmental footprint of 27 OECD nations. For this purpose, we examine the period from 2000 to 2019 using the non-additive fixed effects quantile regression. Our results show that energy transition exerts a harmful impact on ecological sustainability in countries with relatively better ecological quality while leading to an improvement in ecological sustainability in countries with relatively worse ecological quality. It is concluded that environmental policy and green financial policy significantly reduce ecological footprint in OECD countries. The favorable impact of environmental policy intensifies as ecological quality degrades while the favorable impact of green financial policy varies considerably across the distribution of ecological footprint. These findings have significant policy implications in the quest for environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) through the reduction of copper hydroxide using ascorbic acid and then Cu2O NPs modified with triacetoxy(vinyl)silane (TVAS) (m-Cu2O) by solution method were achieved. FTIR analysis of the unmodified Cu2O NPs and m-Cu2O NPs revealed the presence of absorption characteristics corresponding to Cu–O–Si linkages in the FTIR spectra of m-Cu2O NPs, which is strong evidence that the Cu2O NPs have been successfully modified. The characteristics and properties of m-Cu2O NPs were determined and compared to those of the u-Cu2O NPs. The results indicated that the modification process had an insignificant effect on the crystal structure and morphology of Cu2O NPs. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the crystal grain size of m-Cu2O NPs slightly increased, measuring 41.04 nm compared to 38.36 nm for the u-Cu2O NPs, this change was minor. However, the m-Cu2O NPs demonstrated enhanced dispersion into acrylic emulsion polymer, resulting in improved abrasion resistance and thermal stability of the acrylic coating. In comparison with an acrylic coating filled with the u-Cu2O NPs, the coating filled with m-Cu2O NPs exhibited a 70% increase in abrasion resistance and better thermal stability. Importantly, the antibacterial performance against E. coli and S. aureus of acrylic coating filled with m-Cu2O NPs was similar to that of the u-Cu2O NPs nanocomposite coating. These findings underscore the versatility and benefits of chemical modification in enhancing specific properties of the acrylic coating without compromising antibacterial efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furfural is a promising platform substance derived from biomass and widely applied in various industrial sectors. In this current work, two main components in biomass, namely cellulose and hemicellulose, were remarkably exploited for carbonization and sulfonation processes, in turn being respectively the synthesis of sulfonated graphene oxide-like (CB − SGO) catalyst and then utilization in the furfural-derived biomass conversion. The catalyst was characteristically analyzed by modern analytical methods, the results reveal that CB − SGO catalysts were shaped as arbitrarily stacked sheets similar to the structure and morphology of graphene oxide and contained various oxygen functional groups. In addition, CB − SGO plays the role of a catalyst for the conversion of biomass-derived hemicellulose into furfural with a notable efficiency of 25.3% upon sulfonated CB − GO catalyst with H2SO4 2 M. The highest furfural efficiency (66.86%) of the CB − SGO 2 M was also affirmed with the optimal conditions at 190 °C, 60 min, a 5 mg catalyst system within a solvent mixture of water and ɣ-valerolactone (volume ratio of 4:1). Conclusively, this study proposes an alternative solution for biomass to synthesize catalysts efficiently converting hemicellulose into furfural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry is a healthy, beneficial fruit and one of the most valuable exports for most countries. However, diseases could produce poor-quality strawberries and affect the consumer's health. Thus, quality inspection is a crucial stage in processing production. Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models can be used to identify specific diseases. Even yet, the performance of Vision Transformer (ViT) has recently improved by using transfer learning to detect strawberry diseases. The goal is to train this model to recognize those diseases, applying fine-tuning to increase the precision of the results to obtain high accuracy. Strawberry photos from the collection are divided into seven classes and mainly focus on strawberry leaves, berries, and flower diseases. The findings demonstrate the benefits of using the ViT model, which outperforms a similar approach to strawberry disease classification with accuracy and an F1-score of 0.927 and 0.927, respectively, on the Strawberry Disease Detection dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-delay is an unavoidable factor in analyzing and designing any networked system since in most scenarios, it decreases the performance or even destabilizes the system. In this paper, we study the newly proposed matrix-scaled consensus (MSC) algorithms under the presence of communication time delays. Both networks of single- and double-integrator agents are considered, and for each scenario, a corresponding delay margin will be given. The analysis hinges on the Nyquist stability criteria and the algebraic solution of quasi-polynomials associated with the MSC models. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the correctness of theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent years, piezocatalysis process is attracting extensive attention as an emerging technology to remove persistent organic pollutants. Its advantage is that it relies on mechanical energy and is independent of electricity and light source, unlike electrocatalysis or photocatalysis processes. In this research, 2H-MoS2/g-C3N4 heterojunction materials were successfully fabricated via the hydrothermal method and utilized as piezocatalyst in the treatment of Rhodamine B. This material exhibited a highly efficient piezo-catalyst effect, with the piezo-response amplitudes of 78.8 mV, almost doubled compared to 39.8 mV of 2H-MoS2. The degradation of Rhodamine B by ultrasonic irradiation could reach 75.4% only after 5 s and then 94.9% in 60 s without light assistance. This ultra-rapid degradation rate is attributed to the electron–hole pairs and transfer of the charge-carriers on the surface of 2H-MoS2 and g-C3N4 via S-scheme heterojunction model, which was confirmed by density functional theory study. The piezo-catalytic ability of the material can still be improved for better treatment of other organic pollutants in aqueous environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The encapsulation of cells within droplets is a crucial aspect of various cell analysis applications. Current research has focused on accurately detecting and identifying cell types or cell counts within droplets using object detection in bright-field images. However, there are only a few in-depth investigations into the impact of the image data quality acquired from optical systems on computer vision models. This study examines several popular machine learning object detection models to analyze scenarios complicating the identification of bead locations within a droplet, posing challenges for computer vision models. A microfluidic droplet generation system was developed and implemented, coupled with optical devices to capture images of encapsulated beads within the droplet. To identify the most efficient model, a specific dataset was meticulously selected from the overall data, encompassing images depicting overlapping beads and edge-drifting scenarios. The proposed method achieved up to 98.2% accuracy on the testing dataset and 95% in real-time testing with the YOLOv8 model, enhancing bead count precision within droplets and clarifying the correlation between accuracy and frame recognition thresholds. This work holds particular importance in single-cell sorting, where precision is critical in ensuring meaningful outcomes, particularly concerning rare cell types such as cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remotely sensed evapotranspiration (ETRS) shows promise for enhancing hydrological models, especially in regions lacking in situ streamflow observations. However, model calibration studies showed conflicting results regarding the ability of ETRS products to improve streamflow simulation. Rather than relying on model calibration, here we produce the first randomized experiment that explores the full streamflow–ET skill distribution, and also the first probabilistic assessment of the value of different global ETRS products for streamflow simulation. Using 280,000 randomized SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model runs across seven catchments and four ETRS products, we show that the relationship between ET and streamflow skills is complex, and simultaneous improvement in both skills is only possible in a limited range. Parameter sensitivity analysis indicates that the most sensitive parameters can have opposite contributions to ET and streamflow skills, leading to skill trade-offs. Conditional probability assessment reveals that models with good ET skills are likely to produce good streamflow skills, but not vice versa. We suggest that randomized experiments such as ours should be performed before model calibration to determine whether using ETRS is worthwhile, and to help in interpreting the calibration results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-leaved Homalomena (LLH, Homalomena pendula) represents an endangered medicinal plant species within Vietnam, primarily attributed to its recognized tonic properties. Despite its imminent threat of extinction within Vietnamese ecosystems, the development of a robust protocol for molecular species identification and large-scale propagation of LLH remains absent. Consequently, we present the first conservation endeavor for LLH based on plant micropropagation techniques, with plant materials validated through anatomical observations and DNA barcoding (rbcL). Our investigation yielded five rbcL sequences specific to LLH, serving as the current best barcode for LLH identification and thereby facilitating forthcoming taxonomic endeavors. Optimization of in vitro culture conditions revealed that the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine, 0.5 mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid, and 60 g/L mashed potato, alongside the incorporation of 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid to the basal MS medium, yielded optimal outcomes for shoot proliferation and root development, respectively. After successful micropropagation, acclimatization of rooted plantlets to a substrate comprising soil, coconut coir, and rice husk (in a 1:1:1 ratio) culminated in a 100% survival rate among the plants.Key message: The first established protocol for species identification and micropropagation of H. pendula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Vietnam sugarcane industry faces to many challenges during the last few years since Covid-19 pandemic. However, the industry has a significant increase in the last 2 years thanks to many factors that make a remarkable transformation of the industry. This paper reviews the factors affecting this significant transformation of the sugarcane industry and toward the trend of net zero and sustainable transformation of sugarcane value chain and sugar industry in Vietnam such as digitalization of the supply chain, research and development of co-products from sugar processing, application of big data and AI in consumer insight of the R&D process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of industries has caused severe impacts on the environment and increased the demand of using energy. In this work, reduced graphene oxide-doped water hyacinth carbon aerogels (rGO/WHCA) were synthesized by cross-linking cellulose with poly(vinyl alcohol) as a binder and addition of graphene oxide (GO) as rGO precursors, followed by freeze-drying and pyrolysis techniques. The obtained materials were studied for adsorption of methylene blue (MB) in water and applied as electrodes for the supercapacitor. The impact of GO content on the characteristics, adsorption performance, and electrochemical properties of the rGO/WHCA were investigated. Besides, the concurrent effects of the adsorption time, and MB concentration on the adsorption capacity were evaluated via the response surface methodology according to the Box–Behnken model. The obtained rGO/WHCA materials exhibited ultralow density, high porosity, and an abundance of meso- and micropores structures. Especially, rGO/WHCA materials showed a great ability for removing MB in water with the highest adsorption capacity up to 95.03 mg/g after 420 min with the initial MB concentration of 150 ppm at pH 9 and performed the electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) in a three-electrode system with an outstanding specific capacitance of 272.08 F/g at current density of 0.5 A/g. The obtained results open a potential pathway of using biomass sources, like water hyacinth, for solving environmental issues and the demand for energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traceability via quick response (QR) codes is regarded as a clever way to learn specifics about a product's history, from its creation to its transit and preservation before reaching consumers. The QR code can, however, be easily copied and faked. Therefore, we suggest a novel strategy to prevent tampering with this code. The method is divided into two primary phases: concealing a security element in the QR code and determining how similar the QR code on the goods is to the real ones. For the first problem, error-correcting coding is used to encode and decode the secret feature in order to manage faults in noisy communication channels. A deep neural network is used to both conceal and extract the information encoded in a QR code, and the suggested network creates watermarked QR code images with good quality and noise tolerance. The network has the ability to be resilient to actual distortions brought on by the printing and photographing processes. In order to measure the similarity of QR codes, we create neural networks based on the Siamese network design. To assess whether a QR code is real or fraudulent, the hidden characteristic extracted from the acquired QR code and the outcome of QR code similarity estimation are merged. With an average accuracy of 98%, the proposed technique performs competitively and has been used in practice for QR code authentication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, environmental pollution due to centralized industrialization has occurred rapidly around the world; thus, efficient remediation is in dire requirement. In this literature, the carbon aerogel material was fabricated using the lotus receptacle (LCA) via a hydrothermal treatment and N2-atmosphere pyrolysis. Characterization was conducted using various solid phase analyses to confirm the successful upcycling of carbon aerogel from the mentioned waste by-product. The synthesized material was consequently applied for the adsorption of diesel oil and methylene blue, yielding up to 80 and 99% removal efficiency for the two contaminants, respectively, wherein several factors such as the absorbent dose and dye concentration as well as the adsorption kinetic were also assessed. Besides, the electrochemical properties were additionally assessed to consummate the application of the material in the electrochemical field, which reveals the promising applicability of the fabricated LCA not only as an efficient adsorbent for wastewater treatment but also as a good capacitor with great sustainability even after 500 consecutive charging–discharging cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study substituted sodium molybdate dehydrate (Na2MoO4.2H2O) in MS medium (Murashige and Skoog 1962) with molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles (MoO3NPs) to evaluate their impact on the morphogenesis, growth, absorption of metal-mineral elements and the activity of antioxidant enzymes of chrysanthemum. The results indicated that 100% callus formation was observed when 1-month-old leaf explants were cultured on medium supplemented with MoO3NPs and Na2MoO4.2H2O in basic MS medium, while leaf explants cultured on MS medium without Na2MoO4.2H2O did not induce callus induction. In addition, the treatment with 223.5 µL/L MoO3NPs resulted in the highest shoot regeneration (33.33%), with 1 shoot per explant, and shoot height (1.14 cm), and fresh weight (1.21 g) compared to those in others and control treatments. Meanwhile, 1-month-old stem node (1 cm) explants cultured on medium supplemented with 149 µL/L MoO3NPs recorded 100% shoot regeneration and the highest number of shoots larger than 2 cm (5 shoots/stem node), shoot height (3.23 cm) and fresh weight (1.87 g) of the shoot cluster after 30 days of culture. During the regeneration stage, the activity of antioxidant enzymes in 149 µg/L MoO3NPs treatment was better than the control (+) treatment (except for SOD) and all the other treatments. Similar results were also observed during the shoot multiplication phase, where either the lack or surplus of Mo in the culture medium also caused the decline of SOD, CAT, and APX enzymes activity. Besides, at the concentration of 6.4 µg/L MoO3NPs in the culture media, nutrients are absorbed more efficiently and rapidly by explants. These findings suggest that substituting ion salt in the culture medium with MoO3NPs led to enhanced absorption, providing a micro-mineral source for plants to support biosynthesis and essential functions. The chrysanthemum plantlets exhibited enhanced rooting and growth when treated with 149 µg/L MoO3NPs, particularly during the rooting stage after 15 days of culture.Key message: Molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles effected on the morphogenesis, growth, absorption of metal-mineral elements and the activity of antioxidant enzymes of chrysanthemum [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses manifold consequences to the world's ecosystems and human well-being. Greenhouse gas emissions reduction and climate-friendly technological innovations at the corporate level are considered effective measures to mitigate climate change. Using the Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) to analyze 178 enterprises listed in the Standard and Poor's 500 companies from 2016 to 2021, this paper examines how companies' climate risk-mitigating efforts can affect their market value. We found that emitted carbon dioxide negatively affects the stock price. Meanwhile, companies' income and climate risk-mitigating efforts, including producing eco-friendly products, using renewable energy, and environmental investments, are positively associated with their share value. However, the effects of these efforts are conditional on the companies' income. Based on these findings, we suggest that building an eco-surplus culture among investors and improving their climate change knowledge can be a promising approach to promoting a corporation's mitigation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied an electro-Fenton process using chemically modified activated carbon derived from rubber seed shells loaded with α-FeOOH (RSCF) as catalyst to remove tetracycline residues from aquatic environment. Catalyst characteristics were evaluated using SEM, EDS, XRD, and XPS, showing successful insertion of iron onto the activated carbon. The effects of the parameters were investigated, and the highest treatment efficiency was achieved at pH of 3, Fe: H2O2 ratio (w/w) of 500:1, catalyst dose of 1 g/L, initial TCH concentration of 100 mg/L, and electric current of 150 mA, with more than 90% of TCH being eliminated within 30 min. Furthermore, even after five cycles of use, the treatment efficiency remains above 90%. The rate constant is calculated to be 0.218 min-1, with high regression coefficients (R2 = 0.93). The activation energy (Ea) was found to be 32.2 kJ/mol, indicating that the degradation of TCH was a simple reaction with a low activation energy. These findings showed that the RSCF is a highly efficient and cost-effective catalyst for TCH degradation. Moreover, the use of e-Fenton process has the advantage of high efficiency, low cost thanks to the recyclability of the catalyst, and environmental friendliness thanks to less use of H2O2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of digital business on the ease of establishing new companies in 28 European countries from 2011 to 2019. A digital business can be described in terms of e-commerce, specifically e-commerce sales. Additionally, it encompasses e-business, with a focus on customer relationship management (CRM) usage. The study analyzes the digitalization-entrepreneurship nexus using the panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) model. Additionally, we employ the dynamic fixed-effects estimator (DFE) within the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to measure both short-run and long-run effects. Our findings suggest that digital business positively influences the density of entrepreneurship in a country. Our results remain robust when combining various econometric techniques with additional explanatory variables. However, the positive effects of digital business on the entrepreneurial sector become evident only in the long run. The use of digital business benefits the entrepreneurial sector by reducing the amount of time and money required to establish a new business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex modulus (G*) is one of the important criteria for asphalt classification according to AASHTO M320-10, and is often used to predict the linear viscoelastic behavior of asphalt binders. In addition, phase angle (φ) characterizes the deformation resilience of asphalt and is used to assess the ratio between the viscous and elastic components. It is thus important to quickly and accurately estimate these two indicators. The purpose of this investigation is to construct an extreme gradient boosting (XGB) model to predict G* and φ of graphene oxide (GO) modified asphalt at medium and high temperatures. Two data sets are gathered from previously published experiments, consisting of 357 samples for G* and 339 samples for φ, and these are used to develop the XGB model using nine inputs representing the asphalt binder components. The findings show that XGB is an excellent predictor of G* and φ of GO-modified asphalt, evaluated by the coefficient of determination R2 (R2 = 0.990 and 0.9903 for G* and φ, respectively) and root mean square error (RMSE = 31.499 and 1.08 for G * and φ, respectively). In addition, the model's performance is compared with experimental results and five other machine learning (ML) models to highlight its accuracy. In the final step, the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) value analysis is conducted to assess the impact of each input and the correlation between pairs of important features on asphalt's two physical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study successfully synthesized nano-SiO2 and Nd2O3 materials applying as fertilizers for growth of the Paramignya trimera (Oliv.) Guill. (Rutaceae), a well-known medicinal plant in Vietnam and Thailand for treatment of numerous cancers. The cultivation results indicated that the individual uses of nano-SiO2 and Nd2O3, respectively, induced stem and root growth of the P. trimera. Therefore, applications of nano-Nd2O3 and SiO2 mixture exhibited synergic effects to greatly enhance stem and root growth of the P. trimera. The plant height, root length, stem and root weight of the mixture Nd2O3 and SiO2 exposed plant were greatly higher than those of the individual nano-material exposed plants. The extraction experiments indicated that ostruthin, a valuable medicinal substance, accumulated in the roots of the P. trimera rather than in its stems. The ostruthin content in the root of the Nd2O3 exposed P. trimera was also greatly higher than those in the control and SiO2-exposed plants. This indicated that the Nd2O3 nano-materials not only induced root growth but also aided the accumulation of ostruthin in the roots of the P. trimera. This open new era on combination application of nano-SiO2 and Nd2O3 for growth of the P. Trimera as well as other medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the amine-functionalized ZIF-11 material was fabricated through post-synthesis modification by using 2-aminobenzimidazole (ABI) to introduce ligand for detection of copper ions, enhancing the stability of ZIF-11 in aqueous solution, and generation an aggregation-fluorescent nanomaterials. A comprehensive set of characterization techniques, including Powder X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis, was employed to elucidate the properties of the amine-functionalized ZIF-11 and CUR loaded nanocomposites. This modification partially replaced the benzimidazole linkers in the ZIF-11-ABI structure with ABI linkers, enhancing the stability of the ZIF-11 in water. The fluorescence properties of curcumin in ZIF-11-ABI and ZIF-11 exhibited differences in copper ion capture sites. The observed fluorescence quenching of ZIF-11-ABI when immersed in a copper solution indicated the disruption of dimerization between zinc clusters and curcumin, caused by copper ions interacting with enol groups. These findings suggest that curcumin incorporated into ZIF-11-ABI has excellent potential as a marker material for the detection of copper ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The military-industrial complex, military operations, and wars are major contributors to exacerbating both climate change and biodiversity crises. However, their environmental impacts are often shadowed due to national security reasons. The current paper aims to go through the devastating impacts of military operations and wars on climate change and biodiversity loss and challenges that hinder the inclusion of military-related activities into environmental crisis mitigation efforts. The information blind spot induced by concerns about national security reasons jeopardizes the efforts to involve the military-industrial complex and military operations in the global climate and biodiversity agendas. Besides that, many military-related challenges, such as specificity of operational requirements and lifecycles, dependence on fossil fuels, complex supply change, inadequate civilian technologies and innovations, and requirements of structural changes, can hinder emission reduction. Meanwhile, wars and conflicts not only threaten to drain all human and material resources available to tackle environmental problems but also inflict long-lasting destructions, pains, and trauma that can lead to hatred and distrust among nations and parties. With the rising hatred and distrust, global agreement and commitment to address climate change and biodiversity will hardly be achieved. Thus, promoting peace is the humanistic and planetary conscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical properties play a key role in many applications of optical products. PC and PMMA plastic materials are well known for secondary optics production thanks to their high refractive index. It has been discovered that the majority of plastic materials rarely possess good tensile and impact properties simultaneously. Recently, PMMA and PC have been taken into account to improve tensile yield and impact strength. This paper aims to analyze the effects of PC contents and molding conditions on the mechanical and optical behaviors of injection molded PC/PMMA blends. Experimental tensile yield strength was verified by previous models. The results show that tensile strength and toughness increase with PC composition of PC/PMMA blends, especially when PC content reaches 80wt.%. The tensile strength largely enhances before moving to the breakup point. Furthermore, optical behavior characterized by the illumination intensity of the blends greatly depends on the screw revolution of injection molding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 genome has become a crucial technique in the management of COVID-19, aiding the pandemic response and supporting effective public health interventions. Typically, whole-genomic sequencing is used along with PCR-based target enrichment techniques to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants, which is a complicated and time-consuming process that requires central laboratory facilities. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop rapid and cost-effective tools for precise on-site detection and identification of SARS-CoV-2 strains. In this study, we demonstrate the rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 and identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants by amplification and sequencing of the entire SARS-CoV-2 S gene using isothermal enzymatic recombinase amplification combined with the advanced Oxford nanopore sequencing technique. The entire procedure, from sampling to sequencing, takes less than 8 hours and can be performed with limited resources. The newly developed method has noteworthy implications for examining the transmission dynamics of the virus, detecting novel genetic variants, and assessing the effect of mutations on diagnostic approaches, antiviral treatments, and vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, heterogeneous catalytic ozonation using fly ash (FA) modified ZnO nanoparticles to the decolorization of acid orange II (AOII) was studied. The combination of ZnO and fly ash via an incipient wetness impregnation method to form ZOFA composites created a synergistic effect that led to efficient catalytic ozonation activity towards AOII degradation and decolorization compared with individual ozonation processes. From the experimental results, ZOFA composite with the optimal weight ratio between ZnO NPs and FA was 20 wt% (denoted as ZOFA-20) that exhibited outstanding catalytic ozonation activity. Moreover, through other investigations including initial pH conditions and catalyst dosage, AOII could be effectively and optimally eliminated by 0.5 g of ZOFA-20 with an initial pH value of 11. The corresponding k value was measured as 0.248 min−1 with a maximum TOC removal content of 77.27%. Besides, ZOFA-20 could show high catalytic ozonation activity even at highly concentrated AOII concentrations while it could also retain its excellent stability and reusability over 5 continuous AOII removal cycles. From the experimental and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results, hydroxyl radical (·OH) was the main active species during the catalytic ozonation of AOII. The present study provides a promising approach to prepare novel composite-based fly ash that would be applicable for removing azo dye and other dye pollutants in water via a catalytic ozonation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) metal halide perovskites feature several specific advantages over others 2D materials, such as facile wet chemical synthesis and layers exfoliation, high composition combination especially the choice of organic cations as well as 2D phase, excellent confinement for exciton. In this paper, we present a fundamental study of diaminonaphthalene lead iodide (DANPI) perovskite, a Dion–Jacobson 2D perovskite based on divalent cation organic spacer 1,5-diaminonaphthalene. We report its material synthesis, optical and structural characterization as well as DFT calculations. Hydro-iodic acid-based wet chemistry was used to prepare DANPI crystals and, by cast-capping, thin films as well. Both DANPI materials show a dominant emission peak at about 519 nm with a full width at half-maximum as small as 14 nm. This peak coincides with the absorption edge of the material at 510 nm (2.43 eV) which suggests an exciton-related recombination process. According to single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements the crystal structure could be either monoclinic P21/c or tetragonal P4212. DFT calculations including spin–orbit coupling show that the DANPI band gap is direct, with a valence band of s-symmetry and a conduction band of p-symmetry. A dominant emission peak at about 519 nm with a full width at half-maximum as small as 14 nm. The crystal structure could be either monoclinic P21/c or tetragonal P4212. The DANPI band gap is direct, at 2.43 eV, with a valence band of s-symmetry and a conduction band of p-symmetry. Suggested Dexter electron exchange process for Wannier excitons to organic Frenkel excitons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there are a relatively large number of studies on the relationship between firm formality and bribery, little is known about how a dynamic business environment affects this relationship. Using longitudinal data collected from biennial surveys of small- and medium-sized firms in Vietnam, this study shows that formal firms are more likely to pay bribes, which are proxied by greasing and rent-seeking bribes, than informal firms in provinces with poor business environments. Nevertheless, when the quality of the local business environment is improved, the formal firms are less likely to commit bribery. They also pay less bribes and have an expectation of paying less bribes in the future. These findings suggest that the focus of anti-corruption strategies should be on improving the quality of the local business environment to support the formal small- and medium-sized firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilli (Capsicum spp.), is a vegetable widely consumed all over the world. It is a crucial ingredient in many culinary dishes and a significant source of income for farmers across various countries. Unfortunately, the cultivation of this crop is not without its challenges, as it can be affected by pathogenic fungi, which can lead to a decrease in yield and quality. To identify the pathogen causing the disease, this study used combined methods, including analyzing morphological features, DNA sequences, and conducting a phylogenetic analysis of multiple genes. The infected samples were randomly harvested from the chilli fields in three provinces of Vietnam: Thua Thien Hue, Quang Binh, and Quang Tri. This study recovered a total of ten isolates from diseased chilli peppers, and based on the phylogenetic analysis of the combined dataset, these isolates were identified as six species, including Colletotrichum scovillei, C. siamense, C. fructicola, C. brevisporum, Fusarium sulawesiense, and Epicoccum latusicollum. These pathogens were found to be the causative agents of chilli disease. In addition to identifying the pathogen species responsible for chilli disease, this research provides valuable insights into the taxonomy, phylogenetic relationships, and diversity of fungal pathogens affecting chilli crops. These findings contribute to the development of effective management strategies to control these diseases and improve chilli production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the presence of Ulrich bundles on cubic fourfolds. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of Ulrich bundles of a specific rank r. As a consequence, we show the existence of a family of non-decomposable Ulrich bundles of rank r on certain cubic fourfolds, which are dependent on approximately r parameters and have wild representation type. Our study also encompasses examples of arithmetically Cohen–Macaulay smooth surfaces that are not intersections of cubic fourfolds and codimension two subvarieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Understanding the mechanisms underlying a stable polarization at the surface of ferroelectric thin films is of particular importance both from a fundamental point of view and to achieve control of the surface polarization itself. In this study, we demonstrate that the X-ray standing wave technique allows the surface polarization profile of a ferroelectric thin film, as opposed to the average film polarity, to be probed directly. The X-ray standing wave technique provides the average Ti and Ba atomic positions, along the out-of-plane direction, near the surface of three differently strained thin films. This technique gives direct access to the local ferroelectric polarization at and below the surface. By employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a detailed overview of the oxygen-containing species adsorbed on the surface is obtained. The different amplitude and orientation of the local ferroelectric polarizations are associated with surface charges attributed to different type, amount and spatial distribution of the oxygen-containing adsorbates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The licensing step of DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination entails resection of DNA ends to generate a single-stranded DNA template for assembly of the repair machinery consisting of the RAD51 recombinase and ancillary factors1. DNA end resection is mechanistically intricate and reliant on the tumour suppressor complex BRCA1–BARD1 (ref. 2). Specifically, three distinct nuclease entities—the 5′–3′ exonuclease EXO1 and heterodimeric complexes of the DNA endonuclease DNA2, with either the BLM or WRN helicase—act in synergy to execute the end resection process3. A major question concerns whether BRCA1–BARD1 directly regulates end resection. Here, using highly purified protein factors, we provide evidence that BRCA1–BARD1 physically interacts with EXO1, BLM and WRN. Importantly, with reconstituted biochemical systems and a single-molecule analytical tool, we show that BRCA1–BARD1 upregulates the activity of all three resection pathways. We also demonstrate that BRCA1 and BARD1 harbour stand-alone modules that contribute to the overall functionality of BRCA1–BARD1. Moreover, analysis of a BARD1 mutant impaired in DNA binding shows the importance of this BARD1 attribute in end resection, both in vitro and in cells. Thus, BRCA1–BARD1 enhances the efficiency of all three long-range DNA end resection pathways during homologous recombination in human cells.Using highly purified protein factors, we provide evidence that BRCA1–BARD1 physically interacts with EXO1, BLM and WRN and upregulates the activity of all three resection pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jeju Volcanic Island is the largest island in South Korea and is considered a continental shelf intraplate volcanic island. In this study, MELTS, a powerful program for modeling magmatic evolution processes, was applied to simulate the fractional crystallization process of the low-alumina alkaline volcanic rock suite on Jeju Island. MELTS modeling was conducted at many isobaric pressures ranging from 2.0 GPa to 0.1 GPa, different oxygen fugacities (fO2) from FMQ-3 to FMQ + 3, and different H2O contents. The results demonstrate that the most suitable fractionation model for the Jeju low-alumina alkaline magma involves a pressure of 0.2 GPa to 0.1 GPa and an oxygen fugacity close to the FMQ buffer. Additionally, an H2O content of 0.5 wt.% is the most consistent with the evolution trend and mineral composition of the natural rock suite on Jeju Island. Although MELTS possesses several limitations in terms of the stability of calibration, such as spinel overestimation and a lack of experiments on hydrous minerals (which should be improved), MELTS performs well in terms of temperature and pressure prediction and in terms of the assessment of other factors of the fractional crystallization process on Jeju Island. Consequently, to evaluate a magmatic process in a particular region, MELTS should be combined with other analyses and not relied upon independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper is a vital micronutrient involved in many biological processes and is an essential component of tumour cell growth and migration. Copper influences tumour growth through a process called cuproplasia, defined as abnormal copper-dependent cell-growth and proliferation. Copper-chelation therapy targeting this process has demonstrated efficacy in several clinical trials against cancer. While the molecular pathways associated with cuproplasia are partially known, genetic heterogeneity across different cancer types has limited the understanding of how cuproplasia impacts patient survival. Utilising RNA-sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) datasets, we generated gene regulatory networks to identify the critical cuproplasia-related genes across 23 different cancer types. From this, we identified a novel 8-gene cuproplasia-related gene signature associated with pan-cancer survival, and a 6-gene prognostic risk score model in low grade glioma. These findings highlight the use of gene regulatory networks to identify cuproplasia-related gene signatures that could be used to generate risk score models. This can potentially identify patients who could benefit from copper-chelation therapy and identifies novel targeted therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite limited opportunities for tenured academic positions, the number of PhD graduates in Social Sciences has steadily risen in countries with developed research systems. The current literature predominantly portrays PhD graduates as victims, either of the higher education system or of their own optimism in pursuing an academic career. This paper takes an alternative stance by spotlighting the agency exhibited by PhD graduates in Social Sciences as they deftly navigate their career pathways amid the constrained academic job market. Specifically, we adopt an ecological perspective of agency to explore how PhD graduates in Social Sciences exercise their agency in navigating their career from the beginning of their PhD candidature until up to 5 years after graduation. We employ a narrative approach to delve into the employment journeys of twenty-three PhD graduates. Within this cohort, we select to report four participants from four Australian universities, each possessing distinct career trajectories. Our analysis highlights agency as the link between various personal and institutional factors that shape our participants' career trajectories. Based on this finding, we offer recommendations for practice and policy changes that appreciate PhD graduates' agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential electricity consumption and time spent at home by household members increased while household income decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Using survey data of Japanese households purchasing electricity from the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, before and during the pandemic, we examine the various dynamics at play involving income, increased time spent at home by both partners and the role of genders in energy consumption. Results show a positive relationship between changes in electricity consumption and changes in household income, suggesting that households reduced their electricity usage following a decrease in income. Interestingly, the results also show that consumption changes are positively correlated to changes in hours spent at home by working husbands but negatively correlated to changes in the hours spent at home by working wives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses fly ash (FA) as a cement replacement in concrete and evaluates the radiological safety of this concrete sample. Different fly ash mixing ratios were investigated and found that with a mixing ratio of 35%, the compressive strength of FA concrete is the highest (from 38 to 48 MPa). Next, we evaluate the radiation safety of the FA concrete by analyzing the isotopes 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K using two low-background gamma spectrometers. The obtained results showed that the use of FA in concrete production is entirely feasible as it meets both construction and radiation safety-related requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop establishment is one of the major rice production operations that strongly affects rice production, productivity, and environmental impacts. This research introduced a new technology and provided scientific evidence for the benefits of mechanized wet direct seeding (mDSR) of rice as compared with the other crop establishment practices commonly applied by farmers for wet direct seeded rice in Mekong River Delta in Vietnam, such as seeding in line using drum-seeder (dDSR) and broadcast seeding (bDSR). The experiment was implemented across two consecutive rice cropping seasons that are Winter-Spring season and Summer-Autumn season in 2020–2021. Treatments included (1–3) mDSR with seeding rates of 30, 50, and 70 kg ha− 1, (4) dDSR with 80 kg ha− 1 seed rate, and (5) bDSR as current farmer practice with seeding rate of 180 kg ha− 1. The fertilizer application was adjusted as per seeding rate with 80:40:30 kg ha− 1 N: P2O5: K2O with lower seed rate 30 and 50 kg ha− 1 in mDSR; 90:40:30 kg ha− 1 N: P2O5: K2O with medium seed rate of 70 to 80 kg ha− 1; and 115:55:40 kg ha− 1 N: P2O5: K2O with high seed rate of 180 kg ha− 1 in bDSR. Mechanized wet direct seeding rice with a lower seed rate of 30 to 70 kg ha− 1 and fertilizer rate by 22–30% reduced variation in seedling density by 40–80% and in yield by 0.1 to 0.3 t ha− 1 and had similar yield to bDSR. In consequence, N productivity was 27 and 32% higher in mDSR as compared to bDSR during the Winter-Spring season and Summer-Autumn seasons, respectively. The use of lower seed rate and fertilizer in mDSR also led to higher income and lower carbon footprint (GHGe per kg of paddy grains) of rice production than the currently used practices of bDSR. Net income of mDSR was comparable to that of dDSR and higher by 145–220 and 171–248 $US than that of bDSR in Winter-Spring season and Summer-Autumn, respectively. The carbon footprint of mDSR rice production compared to bDSR was lower by 22–25% and 12–20% during the Winter-Spring and Summer-Autumn seasons, respectively. Given the above benefits of farming efficiency, higher income, and low emission, mDSR would be a technology package that strongly supports sustainable rice cultivation transformation for the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam. Highlights: Mechanized direct seeding decreased the seed rate by 61–83% compared to broadcast seeding. Mechanized direct seeding increased nitrogen productivity by 27–32% compared to broadcast seeding. Mechanized direct seeding decreased rice carbon footprint by 19–24% compared to broadcast seeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emotional Intelligence is a noteworthy concept in the academic environment due to its theoretical significance and practical implications. The objectives of this research were to investigate (1) the correlation between academic stress, attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help and emotional intelligence, and (2) the mediating role of emotional intelligence. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 908 Vietnamese secondary school students. Three scales were employed to gather demographic variables and self-reported data, including The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, The Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help. Results: The findings indicated substantial differences across many variables, such as gender, grade, and academic performance ranking. The investigation identified significant relationships, including the emotional intelligence of others’ emotion appraisal positively affects self-expectation, while self-emotion appraisal negatively influences self-expectation. The use of emotion was positively associated with the openness to seeking professional help. Moderation analyses revealed age moderating others’ emotion appraisal and despondency, self-emotion appraisal, and openness to seeking professional help. Conclusion: Emotional intelligence exerts a substantial influence on both academic stress levels and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological assistance. The results are analysed using the guidelines for conducting mixed-methods research. Workshops and awareness sessions for educators and students on emotional intelligence can be conducted with the cooperation of all parties concerned because of the endorsement of all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the development of productivity and efficiency analysis techniques, extensive research on the performance of hospitals has been conducted in the last few decades. In this article, we conduct a systematic review supported by a series of bibliometric analyses to obtain a panoramic perspective of the research about the productivity and efficiency of hospitals—a cornerstone of the healthcare system—with a focus on Australia and its peers, i.e., the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. We focus on the bibliometric data in Scopus from 1970 to 2023 and provide a qualitative and critical analysis of major methods and findings in selected published journal articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giam Malut Hopea ferrea Laness (Dipterocarpaceae) is a woody species that has become endangered due to its habitat destruction and overexploitation. In an effort to support and provide conservation and management of this species, we utilized eight microsatellite loci to investigate the genetic diversity and structure of 234 adult trees across eight populations, encompassing its geographic distribution in Vietnam. The genetic diversity of H. ferrea was found to be low in comparison to other dipterocarps, suggesting a reduction in the number of alleles due to anthropogenic activities. Heterozygosity deficits were identified across all studied populations. Interestingly, the coastal populations exhibited higher genetic diversity compared to the Highlands and southeast populations. Bottleneck effects were detected in the majority of populations, with the exception of the two Highlands populations of Chu Mon Ray and York Don. These effects indicated a reduction in the population sizes. The results of genetic differentiation mirrored the genetic structure and revealed three major clusters corresponding to the three distribution areas of the species. A low level of genetic differentiation among populations (FST=0.146) was detected, consistent with the AMOVA analysis. Geographic distance and anthropogenic activities emerged as the major factors limiting gene exchange among populations. Based on these findings, we propose conservation measures for this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary gear manufacturing, power skiving stands out as an efficient process. Therefore, several investigations have applied the skiving process to face gear. However, obtaining the precision of the skived tooth surface is a challenge. So, this study introduces a groundbreaking approach to enhancing face gear manufacturing productivity by addressing deviations in the spur face gear tooth surface arising from geometric and kinematic constraints in the conventional power skiving method. To overcome the limitations in traditional approaches, the development of a flexible model for calculating coefficients that adjust CNC axes' motion and modify the rack cutter was established. The modified tooth topology of the face gear can be obtained by adjusting the machine axis of the CNC machine. A sensitivity correction technique is employed to implement this flexible correction method, utilizing the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm to determine the coefficients governing machine motion. The primary objective is to achieve the necessary normal deviations on the tooth surface of the spur face gear. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by using numerical examples featuring various predetermined target surfaces alongside corresponding machining simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing studies have often ignored the fact that the impact of natural disasters on households may vary according to their dependence on agriculture. Moreover, no study has examined how natural disasters affect food consumption and cause economic damage and, more importantly, whether this effect varies across households. This study aims to explore the influence of natural disasters on the likelihood of households migrating, on their food consumption, remittances, and economic damage. In particular, the study analyzes whether the effect differs among rural households according to their dependence on agriculture. Assembled from three surveys in 2012, 2014, and 2016, we use a unique balanced panel dataset of 1929 households to investigate the influence of natural disasters on migration and household well-being in rural Vietnam. To account for unobservable time-invariant factors that may affect both migration and household well-being, we adopt a fixed-effect estimator. Analyzing a year of natural disasters, we discovered that these do, in fact, cause rural household migration. Further investigation reveals a heterogeneous effect. While natural disasters increase the probability of migration for those with average dependence on agriculture, this is not the case for those with low or high dependence. Natural shocks, however, have an increasing effect on remittances for the former group but not for the latter. Natural shocks cause economic damage for those who are moderately or heavily dependent on agriculture, but not for those who are less reliant on it. In addition, it was found that such shocks reduce the food consumption of those who are heavily reliant on agriculture. The findings imply that migrating may be an effective coping strategy for households with a moderate reliance on agriculture. In light of the finding that households with high reliance have a higher risk of falling into poverty after natural disasters, our study suggests that supportive policies should be prioritized for this vulnerable group. Also, a number of households in this group may face obstacles to migrating. Local government policies supporting their migration should be efficiently implemented, especially for those living in regions prone to natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from linear economy to circular economy (CE), which can reduce natural resource depletion and minimize waste generation, has become a worldwide trend. The current challenge for Vietnam is to identify the key areas for the transition, given that financial resources are limited and that a detailed and comprehensive accounting of waste generation and collection for decision-making is lacking. This study aims at filling the gap by analyzing the waste flows throughout the supply chains and identifying the key areas for the CE transition in Vietnam. The 2018 updated IO table is used as an econometric tool to identify direct and indirect waste collection intensity for all types of waste. The result shows that in terms of waste intensity, among primary sectors, Coke and the group of Mining and Extraction industries (S4-S7) have significant room for reducing waste. In terms of IO interaction, collection rate and recyclable potential of waste, among secondary sectors, Paper production and services (S11), Plastics (S16), and Building materials (S17) should be prioritized for the CE transition in Vietnam. Having a long supply chain and meeting all priority criteria, Plastics is identified as one of the key industries to be selected to exemplify managerial implications to show which solutions/innovations should be proposed in each circular economy period to improve sustainable efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]