Search

This study aims to evaluate the impact of transparency of budget structure on risk of getting into financial distress in Vietnam. The article uses data regarding equity proportion from the financial reports of business entities on Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), divided into four main categories, namely large ownership, institutional ownership, managerial ownership, and state ownership ratio, to find the relation between the allocation of equity and the chance a company having financial failure. From the mentioned information, the research attempts to explain the relations, as well as suggestions for companies to prepare and avoid financial distress from an equity structure perspective. Results from the study’s sample show insignificant correlations between the share of owners and financial distress situation of a company, which plays a part to help the overall estimation of risk in businesses as a whole.

The concept of fiscal transparency holds significant importance; however, its attainment poses considerable challenges. Current discourse suggests that the concept of transparency lacks sophistication. To tackle this hurdle regarding public expenditure, analytical approaches that pertain to the general concept of transparency can be utilized. The present paper aims to ascertain the determinants of the openness of the provincial budget and its subcategories by human development, technology access, as well as industrialization progress, in addition to other relevant indicators. This study aims to ascertain the fundamental principles that underpin the achievement of efficient transparency in public expenditure. In terms of outcomes, the overall model has limited relations to the hypotheses. For the elemental dependent variables, the impact of various forms of transparency on the attainment of public policy goals varies, but generally have similar results. The study has attempted to conclude the components for an optimal transparent budget system, thus providing a suggestion for effective schemes later on.

Ride-hailing services (RHS) are widely expected to serve as an alternative to conventional private transportation modes. However, numerous studies on RHS’s impact on private modes’ usage provide inconclusive evidence. Notably, few studies have analyzed RHS’s impacts on modal changes in the context of motorcycle-based societies. This study attempts to identify the critical factors affecting RHS users’ private mode usage (private cars and motorcycles) in response to RHS appearance in Hanoi, Vietnam, a motorcycle-based society. Two empirical analyses were performed with sample data of 642 individuals collected from face-to-face interviews using paper-based questionnaire sheets in Hanoi from December 19 to 21, 2020. The first analysis employed a linear regression model to explain the changes in individuals’ private mode usage before and after RHS adoption. The second analysis estimated a logistic regression model to examine an individual’s private mode choice when RHS are unavailable. Robustness tests were also performed. The results revealed that RHS users’ future vehicle ownership intentions, reasons for using RHS instead of private modes, motorcycle ownership, and public transport usage significantly reduce the impacts of RHS on private mode usage. The reasons for using RHS rather than private modes were found not strong enough to make an essential change to reduce the frequency of private modes usage. The results also showed there is a difference between the RHS’s impacts on motorcycle use and car use. They suggested that policy makers should be aware of the unique factors in motorcycle-based societies such as Hanoi when formulating urban transportation strategies. Finally, the findings further supported an idea that multivariate analyses are more suitable than the simple descriptive statistics method to understand how the motivation for using RHS influences the impacts of RHS on private mode usage.

Highly selective etching of silicon nitride (Si3N4) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) has received considerable attention from the semiconductor community owing to its precise patterning and cost efficiency. We investigated the etching selectivity of Si3N4 and SiO2 in an NF3/O2 radio-frequency glow discharge. The etch rate linearly depended on the source and bias powers, whereas the etch selectivity was affected by the power and ratio of the gas mixture. We found that the selectivity can be controlled by lowering the power with a suitable gas ratio, which affects the surface reaction during the etching process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the Si3N4 and QMS measurements support the effect of surface reaction on the selectivity change by surface oxidation and nitrogen reduction with the increasing flow of O2. We suggest that the creation of SiOxNy bonds on the surface by NO oxidation is the key mechanism to change the etch selectivity of Si3N4 over SiO2.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are known for their intriguing optical properties, low toxicity, and high biocompatibility, which make them promising for biomedical applications. In this study, CQDs were synthesized by subjecting orange juice to microplasma as a carbon source at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures. The resulting CQDs exhibited a narrow size distribution, with an average diameter of approximately 4.5 nm and a pH value of 5.67. These CQDs exhibited strong blue emission characteristics. The antibacterial properties of the CQDs against Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains were evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration assays. The study revealed that an effective inhibition of E. coli was achieved at a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.1 ppm, while the minimum bactericidal concentration for this bacterial strain was 1 ppm, resulting in an average antibacterial efficacy of 57%. Notably, the antibacterial effects of the CQDs were observed without the need for additional light or oxidants, demonstrating the applicability of CQDs in combating bacterial strains.

We have designed an excellent visible-light-driven and high-performance photocatalyst with a Ag-Cu2O-ZnO nanowire heterostructure in our work by combining the hydrothermal approach with plasma–liquid technology. The structural and morphological characteristics and optical properties of the samples were evaluated using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and spectrophotometry, respectively. The results show that the Ag nanoparticles are mainly positioned on the Cu2O nanoclusters compared with the ZnO nanowire surface, forming broccoli-like Ag-Cu2O nanoclusters during the Ar gas plasma treatment process in an aqueous solution. The diameter of the Ag/Cu2O nanoclusters ranges from 150 to 180 nm. The Ag-Cu2O-ZnO nanowires exhibited improved photocatalytic performance, decomposing approximately 98% methyl orange dye in 30 min. This is a consequence of the synergistic interactions between the p-n heterojunction formed at the Cu2O-ZnO interfaces and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of the Ag nanoparticles, which broaden the visible light absorption range and effectively separate the photogenerated charge carriers.

Plasmonic photocatalytic nanocomposites of TiO2 and Au nanoparticles (NPs) have recently attracted the attention of researchers, who aim to improve the photocatalytic activity of potential TiO2 NPs. In this study, we report photocatalytic activity enhancement for a Au/TiO2 nanocomposite prepared by the plasma–liquid interaction method using an atmospheric microplasma apparatus. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the prepared Au/TiO2 is demonstrated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in water under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation. The prior treatment of TiO2 with microplasma in a NH3 and H2O2 solution is found to strongly improve the photocatalytic activity of both the treated TiO2 NPs, as well as the synthesized Au/TiO2 nanocomposite.

Coal-fired power plant fly ash is a global environmental concern due to its small particle size, heavy metal content, and increased emissions. Although widely used in concrete, geopolymer, and fly ash brick production, a large amount of fly ash remains in storage sites or is used in landfills due to inadequate raw material quality, resulting in a waste of a recoverable resource. Therefore, the ongoing need is to develop new methods for recycling fly ash. The present review differentiates the physiochemical properties of fly ash from two coal combustion processes: fluidized bed combustion and pulverized coal combustion. It then discusses applications that can consume fly ash without strict chemical requirements, focusing on firing-associated methods. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of fly ash recycling are discussed.

This study assessed the performance of domesticated tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon postlarvae and mud crab Scylla paramamosain co‐cultured in 90 extensive rice‐shrimp ponds in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam from 2022 to Sep 2023. Limited supplementary feeding was applied for only 20% of the studied ponds. Results show that ponds stocked with domesticated postlarvae produced significantly larger shrimps at harvest and had better postlarvae usage efficiency (P < 0.05) compared with those stocked with older postlarvae produced by wild‐caught broodstock. Furthermore, a combination of stocking domesticated postlarvae and using organic fertilizer for pond preparation and during the crop was found to significantly improve productivity by 28% and final harvest size by 67% (P < 0.05). Larger shrimps fetched 54% higher farm‐gate prices, thus significantly increasing gross revenue for farmers. Co‐culture of mud crab in rice‐shrimp ponds at low densities (0.2–0.7 pcs/m2) was popular and profitable. Productivity was 116–187 kg/ha/crop with a profit margin up to 92.8%. Income from mud crab was very similar to that from shrimp. The results of this study suggest that domesticated postlarvae of P. monodon should be used for stocking extensive systems, preferably in combination of using organic fertilizer to enhance natural foods. Further improvement of income and profit can be achieved if more attention is paid on crablet quality and quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) causes the tropical disease melioidosis that afflicts an estimated 165,000 people each year. Bp is a facultative intracellular pathogen that transits through distinct intracellular stages including attachment to host cells, invasion through the endocytic pathway, escape from the endosome, replication in the cytoplasm, generation of protrusions towards neighboring cells, and host cell fusion allowing Bp infection to spread without exiting the intracellular environment. We have identified a TetR-like transcriptional regulator, BP1026B_II1561, that is up-regulated during the late stages of infection as Bp protrudes toward neighboring cells. We have characterized BP1026B_ II1561 and determined that it has a role in pathogenesis. A deletional mutant of BP1026B_II1561 is attenuated in RAW264.7 macrophage and BALB/c mouse models of infection. Using RNA-seq, we found that BP1026B_II1561 controls secondary metabolite biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, and propanoate metabolism. In addition, we identified that BP1026B_II1561 directly controls expression of an outer membrane porin and genes in the shikimate biosynthetic pathway using ChIP-seq. Transposon mutants of genes within the BP1026B_ II1561 regulon show defects during intracellular replication in RAW264.7 cells confirming the role of this transcriptional regulator and the pathways it controls in pathogenesis. BP1026B_II1561 also up-regulates the majority of the enzymes in shikimate and tryptophan biosynthetic pathways, suggesting their importance for Bp physiology. To investigate this, we tested fluorinated analogs of anthranilate and tryptophan, intermediates and products of the shikimate and tryptophan biosynthetic pathways, respectively, and showed inhibition of Bp growth at nanomolar concentrations. The expression of these pathways by BP1026b_II1561 and during intracellular infection combined with the inhibition of Bp growth by fluorotryptophan/anthranilate highlights these pathways as potential targets for therapeutic intervention against melioidosis. In the present study, we have identified BP1026B_II1561 as a critical transcriptional regulator for Bp pathogenesis and partially characterized its role during host cell infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs), synthesized through controlled microplasma treatment of orange juice, exhibit unique luminescent characteristics. The impact of synthesis time on particle size was investigated. Deconvoluted emission spectra displayed broad bands, peaking at an excitation wavelength of 350 nm for CQD sizes of 2.06, 2.4, and 3.09 nm, indicating multiple fluorescence peaks. This suggests a mixture of CQDs with different excitation energies on their surfaces. Luminescence kinetics unveiled three exponential decay components with time constants of 2.73, 4.61, and 3.27 ns, indicating multiple luminescent centers. Emission behavior affected by excitation wavelengths ranging from 350 to 490 nm suggests that quantum transition probabilities are influenced by impurities or defects. These findings emphasize the size‐dependent optical properties and exciton self‐trapping (EST) emission of CQDs. The calculation of the Huang‐Rhys factor S values underscores the profound influence of carrier‐phonon coupling and the Huang‐Rhys factor on the emergence of ESTs within CQDs. Understanding these interactions is crucial for fully utilizing the capabilities of CQDs in applications spanning optoelectronics, sensors, bioimaging, and various technological fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]