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Conamomum vietnamense is an endemic and rare species from Vietnam. The aim of this study is to determine the chemical compositions, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the acetone extracts obtained from the different organs of this species for the first time. A total of 82 components were identified from the acetone extracts of leaf, flower, and rhizome of C. vietnamense using Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) technique. Furthermore, the agar disk-diffusion method was also used to determine the antibacterial activity of the C. vietnamense extracts. Accordingly, the leaf extract was found to be effective against eight out of nine bacterial strains while the flower and rhizome extracts displayed activity against four out of nine tested bacteria. In addition, the three organs of C. vietnamense also possessed the high DPPH scavenging properties. The results of this study indicate that C. vietnamense extracts have the potential to be developed into pharmaceutical products in the future.

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to deficiency of C1 Inhibitor (C1INH-HAE) is a rare, unpredictable and potentially fatal genetic disorder. There are relatively few systematic population prevalence studies, with reports from various countries of between 1 in 20,000 and 1 in 150,000. and no Australian data. The therapeutic landscape for HAE has changed dramatically in recent years with a focus on highly effective prophylaxis, with the aim of total suppression of angioedema and achievement of a normal life. Objectives: Epidemiological survey of HAE in South Australia, with description of patient characteristics, quality of life and treatment, with a focus on prophylaxis. Methods: Case ascertainment was conducted over 18 months from January 2021 to July 2022, using a range of approaches with the aim of identifying all people with C1INH-HAE in South Australia. Questionnaires were administered to consenting patients utilising established HAE-specific and general survey instruments. Results: We identified 35 people with HAE in South Australia, yielding a population prevalence of 1 in 52,400, in line with average established international prevalence. HAE was identified in 4 patients of Indigenous Australian heritage. Seventeen of 31 adult patients completed an additional multi-questionnaire survey, revealing overall satisfactory disease control. Most common prophylactic therapies were danazol, lanadelumab, and subcutaneous C1 inhibitor. Many patients (mostly male) with milder disease had responded well to low-dose danazol with good tolerance and have continued to use it, whereas patients with higher disease burden are now using newer therapies, and overall satisfaction with current prophylaxis is high. Conclusions: Prevalence of HAE in South Australia aligns with international reports. Our population survey indicates that current long-term prophylaxis therapies including danazol, lanadelumab and C1-inhibitor, applied to appropriate patients taking into account disease activity and drug risks and tolerance, are effective for HAE attack prevention and produce high levels of satisfaction.

Hydrotalcite-Ag nanoparticles (HT-Ag NPs) have garnered significant attention in research due to their remarkable antibacterial activity and excellent photocatalytic properties. Consequently, they have been utilized in various fields, such as pharmaceuticals, medicine, electronics, and environmental treatment. However, the synthesis of HT-Ag nanoparticles often involves the use of NaBH4, a chemical reducing agent, to reduce Ag (I) ions and form Ag NPs on HT. Nevertheless, the residue of chemical reducing agents can lead to environmental pollution as above mentioned. The approach of utilizing plant extracts for the synthesis of Ag NPs decorated on HT has captivated many scientists due to its eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable process. Additionally, the plant extract plays a crucial role in stabilizing Ag NPs within HT-Ag structures. This paper presents a green synthesis of hydrotalcite-silver (HT-Ag) nanosheets using an AgNO3 salt solution as a precursor and areca (Areca catechu L.) nut extract as a reducing agent. The HT nanosheets, synthesized by a co-precipitation method combined with a hydrothermal method, exhibited an ordered lamellar layer structure. The areca seed extract in 99.5 % ethanol solvent acts as a reducing agent to convert Ag(I) ions into silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The presence of Ag NPs on the surface of HT nanosheets was confirmed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD, AAS, HR-TEM, and SEM methods. The results indicated that Ag NPs are spherical in shape and uniformly dispersed on the surface of HT. The particle size of Ag NPs ranged from 15 nm to 40 nm. The yield of the Ag NPs synthesis process on HT ranged from 60.79 % to 85.89 %, depending on the concentration of AgNO3 salt solution. The antibacterial properties, including their effectiveness against E. coli and S. aureus, were tested using the agar well diffusion method to determine the zone of inhibition. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of HT-Ag nanosheets has also been evaluated. Specifically, the study focused on evaluating the antibacterial activity of HT-Ag nanosheets using a marine Gram-negative bacterium, P. stutzeri B27, to explore their potential applications in materials designed for use in marine environments. Furthermore, the durability of HT-Ag nanosheets was assessed. The obtained results demonstrated that the Ag NPs decorated on HT exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. stutzeri B27, making them suitable for applications as antibacterial and enhancing additives for polymer systems, particularly in materials used in marine environments.

The mean sea surface in different regions is non-equipotential, rendering Vietnam's traditional approach, which relies on the Hon-Dau tide gauge station as a reference, not yet scientifically invalid. To overcome this, our study utilized the Vietnam national mean dynamic topography model (MDTVN22) for depth observations, particularly in the Gulf of Tonkin. Covering 3430 monitoring sites in Hai Phong and 813 sites in Quang Ninh, our experiments highlighted a 5 to 6 mm difference between the mean sea surface and MDTVN22 references. • Our research establishes a resilient methodology, integrating shore tide gauge station data and the MDTVN22 model, aimed at enhancing precision in depth observations. • Validation experiments in Hai Phong demonstrate a minimal discrepancy of ±0.006 m between measurements obtained from the traditional mean sea surface and the MDTVN22 model. • These findings underscore the significance of adopting the MDTVN22 model for improved accuracy in assessing Vietnam's seabed topography.

This study delves into the intricate dynamics of trilingual education, focusing primarily on Vietnamese students majoring in French and simultaneously learning English as a foreign language. Themes emerging from the semi-structured interviews encompass dual linguistic socialization, constructing knowledge through French while learning English, perceived insufficiencies in real-world English exposure, language interference, and the profound role Vietnamese plays in third language acquisition. Additionally, motivational aspects, perceived hierarchies of languages, cultural isolation, cognitive space struggles, institutional prioritizations, and the interplay of cultural identities come to the fore. Utilizing the frameworks of Sociocultural Theory, Constructivist Theory, and Input Hypothesis, the research contextualizes these themes, uncovering the challenges and enrichments of this trilingual journey. The study's implications suggest the necessity for tailored pedagogical strategies and support systems for trilingual learners. This work contributes significantly to the growing discourse on multilingual education, providing educators, policymakers, and learners with valuable perspectives.

Abstract Background Globally, most people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and their households experience catastrophic costs of illness, diagnosis, and care. However, the factors associated with experiencing catastrophic costs are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with catastrophic costs incurrence among MDR-TB-affected households in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. Methods Between October 2020 and April 2022, data were collected using a locally-adapted, longitudinal WHO TB Patient Cost Survey in ten districts of HCMC. Ninety-four people with MDR-TB being treated with a nine-month TB regimen were surveyed at three time points: after two weeks of treatment initiation, completion of the intensive phase and the end of the treatment (approximately five and 10 months post-treatment initiation respectively). The catastrophic costs threshold was defined as total TB-related costs exceeding 20% of annual pre-TB household income. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with experiencing catastrophic costs. A sensitivity analysis examined the prevalence of catastrophic costs using alternative thresholds and cost estimation approaches. Results Most participants (81/93 [87%]) experienced catastrophic costs despite the majority 86/93 (93%) receiving economic support through existing social protection schemes. Among participant households experiencing and not experiencing catastrophic costs, median household income was similar before MDR-TB treatment. However, by the end of MDR-TB treatment, median household income was lower (258 [IQR: 0–516] USD vs. 656 [IQR: 462–989] USD; p = 0.003), and median income loss was higher (2838 [IQR: 1548–5418] USD vs. 301 [IQR: 0–824] USD; p

Background: Vietnam and Australia have a long-standing history of collaboration in various fields, notably education, science, and technology. However, the results of this partnership remain indeterminate.Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the current state of research coop-eration between Australia and Vietnam with reference to the following aspects: (1) increase in the number of research publications over time; (2) proportion of open access (OA) publications in total publications; (3) collaboration involving countries other than Australia and Vietnam; (4) funding sources; (5) top institutions; (6) subject areas; and (7) research topics.Methods: Scopus data set was analysed to identify those papers with two or more authors, with at least one author from Australia and at least one from Vietnam.Results: Most (nearly 84%) of research papers arising out of such collaborative research were published between 2014 and 2022 (7020 of the total of 8460 documents), and almost half (49.6%) of those are OA. Besides Australia and Vietnam, the authors of those papers were from other countries as well nor were the agencies that funded the research reported in those papers limited to Australia or Vietnam. Among the countries involved in terms of co-authorship or funding, the United States was the most influential. The institutional collaborations formed three distinct clusters, each with a varying number of members and a different university at the core (Australian in two clusters and Vietnamese in the third). Medicine was the most frequent field of collaborative research, and the most frequent topics were Vietnam, coronavirus disease 2019, and climate change.Conclusions: The findings offer useful insights to policymakers as well as to senior management of academic institutes in Vietnam and Australia. The study also extends our understanding of collaborative research between the Global North and the Global South.

The problem of calibrating phased array antennas in a noisy environment using an autocorrelation algorithm is investigated and a mathematical model of the autocorrelation calibration method is presented. The proposed calibration system is based on far-field scanning of the phased array antenna in an environment with internal noise and external interference. The proposed method is applied to a phased array antenna and compared with traditional rotating-element electric-field vector methods, which involve identifying the maximum and minimum vector–sum points (REVmax and REVmin, respectively). The proposed calibration system is verified for a phased array antenna at 3 GHz. Experimental verification of the mathematical model of the proposed method demonstrates that the autocorrelation method is more accurate than the rotating-element electric-field vector methods in determining the amplitude and phase shifts. The measured peak gain of the combined beam in the E-plane increased from 7.83 to 8.37 dB and 3.57 to 4.36 dB compared to the REVmax and REVmin methods, respectively, and the phase error improved from 47° to 55.48° and 19.43° to 29.16°, respectively. The proposed method can be considered an effective solution for large-scale phase calibration at both in-field and in-factory levels, even in the presence of external interference.

Background: Plagiarism by researchers and college students in Vietnam has become a major concern for publishers. Many cases of master’s theses of graduate students in Vietnam being cancelled or their diplomas being revoked for plagiarism are recorded, and some scientists also have been warned or criticized for plagiarism or self-plagiarism.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyse the use in educational research of 13 popular text-matching software packages at universities in Vietnam.Methods: The study was based on semistructured interviews of 104 researchers from 18 universities in Vietnam with reference to the use of text-matching software by the researchers.Results: The three most commonly used text-matching software packages were Turnitin, DoIT, and iThenticate. Three-fourths of the 18 universities employ text-matching software and although 17 out of 104 researchers were unfamiliar with such software. Universities in Vietnam primarily require plagiarism checks for master’s theses (79 out of 104 responses) and doctoral dissertations (72 out of 104 responses). Out of 104 participants, 32 use them for graduate theses or project reports, and 45 use them for research papers and project reports.Conclusions: Many universities in Vietnam are yet to specify the requirements for use of text-matching software, and most researchers and students use it only when prompted by publishers or institutions. Researchers in educational science typically lack the financial resources and the requisite skills for using text-matching software.

The food and beverage industry in Vietnam has developed dramatically, resulting in a highly competitive market. To win the competition, the restaurant managers not only strive to increase customer satisfaction but also create customers’ positive electronic Word-Of-Mouth (eWOM). This study aims to investigate the relationship between customer satisfaction, customer trust, customer loyalty, and eWOM. The quantitative method was implemented to examine the hypotheses in the research model. Data were collected from Ho Chi Minh City respondents using a convenient sampling method. Self-administrated questionnaires were delivered via the Internet for data collection. After data screening, 299 responses were qualified for analysis. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was employed by SmartPLS software version 3.0. The measurement model test showed that one item of customer trust has a factor loading of less than 0.7 as a result, this item was removed from the research model. The structural model evaluation revealed the highly predictive accuracy of the model as all dependent variables have R2 values above 0.5. A bootstrapping test with 5,000 subsamples also showed that customer loyalty significantly influences eWOM, but customer trust does not. Customer satisfaction directly and significantly impacts customer trust and loyalty but has little influence on eWOM. However, the relationship between customer satisfaction and eWOM is significant without the presence of customer loyalty and trust. The indirect effect test also determines the full mediation role of customer loyalty in the relationship between customer satisfaction and eWOM.

Abstract The emergence of viruses and their variants has made virus taxonomy more important than ever before in controlling the spread of diseases. The creation of efficient treatments and cures that target particular virus properties can be aided by understanding virus taxonomy. Alignment-based methods are commonly used for this task, but are computationally expensive and time-consuming, especially when dealing with large datasets or when detecting new virus variants is time sensitive. An alternative approach, the encoded method, has been developed that does not require prior sequence alignment and provides faster results. However, each encoded method has its own claimed accuracy. Therefore, careful evaluation and comparison of the performance of different encoded methods are essential to identify the most accurate and reliable approach for virus taxonomy classification. This study aims to address this issue by providing a comprehensive and comparative analysis of the potential of encoded methods for virus classification and phylogenetics. We compared the vectors generated for each encoded method using distance metrics to determine their similarity to alignment-based methods. The results and their validation show that K-merNV followed by CgrDft encoded methods, perform similarly to state-of-the-art multi-sequence alignment methods. This is the first study to incorporate and compare encoded methods that will facilitate future research in making more informed decisions regarding selection of a suitable method for virus taxonomy.

Abstract The impact of cancer interventions has been conducted in several research due to the significant burden of this non-communicable disease. The interventions that played an important role in the improvement of the patient’s quality of life (QoL) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) can be classified into two main groups: pharmaceutical and non-pharmacological methods. However, studies so far often analyze a specific group of interventions for specific types of cancer. Thus, in this systematic review and meta-analysis, we synthesized the overall impact of cancer interventions on patients’ quality of life in several cancers. In this research, we followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) to search the longitudinal original research on the Web of Science (WOS) database. After that, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Jadad Scale were used to assess the quality of non-randomized control trials and randomized control trials, respectively. Then, the characteristics of the included studies were described in the six main fields table and the random effect model with robust estimation was applied to analyze the impact of interventions on the health utility of patients. From the database, 122 longitudinal original research were included in the meta-regression, with most of them having high or fair quality. The European Organization for the research and treatment of cancer scale for quality of life (EORTC-QLQ) was the most used health utility measurement at 65.15%. In the adjusted effect models, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) had significant statistics in all models when we compared it with the EQ-5D Scale (p

Abstract The interplay between 3D chromatin architecture and gene silencing is incompletely understood. Here, we report a novel point mutation in the non-canonical SMC protein SMCHD1 that enhances its silencing capacity at endogenous developmental targets. Moreover, it also results in enhanced silencing at the facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy associated macrosatellite-array, D4Z4, resulting in enhanced repression of DUX4 encoded by this repeat. Heightened SMCHD1 silencing perturbs developmental Hox gene activation, causing a homeotic transformation in mice. Paradoxically, the mutant SMCHD1 appears to enhance insulation against other epigenetic regulators, including PRC2 and CTCF, while depleting long range chromatin interactions akin to what is observed in the absence of SMCHD1. These data suggest that SMCHD1’s role in long range chromatin interactions is not directly linked to gene silencing or insulating the chromatin, refining the model for how the different levels of SMCHD1-mediated chromatin regulation interact to bring about gene silencing in normal development and disease.

Abstract This research investigates the effectiveness of utilizing analytic rubrics in peer-assessment (PA) and self-assessment (SA) methodologies to enhance the proficiency of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ essay writing skills in the Vietnamese context. It further contributes to the existing body of literature regarding formative assessment and its potential to improve student learning outcomes. A total of 44 university students, all English majors, were divided into two distinct groups, each consisting of 22 participants. One group applied analytic rubrics for SA, while the other used the same tool for PA. The writing performance of the two groups was assessed and compared in pre and post-tests. The findings revealed no significant difference between the SA and PA groups in the pre-test. However, in the post-test, the SA group demonstrated significantly superior performance compared to the PA group, with noticeable improvements across all evaluated criteria. Moreover, these results showed that the use of analytic rubrics in SA and PA methods positively impacted the EFL students’ writing skills, particularly in the areas of content and language use. This has practical implications for teachers, curriculum developers, and policymakers in designing and implementing formative assessment strategies for EFL learners. Further research is needed to examine the long-term effects of employing analytic rubrics, and to understand the potential influence of other contextual factors on student learning outcomes.

This study investigates the critical factors influencing shoot and root regeneration from Homalomena gigantea rhizome cuttings, providing valuable insights for rhizome cutting practices for this plant species. Three key experiments were conducted to assess the impact of plant growth regula- tor (PGR) concentrations, cutting length, and cutting section on regeneration. In the first experiment, different concentrations of α-NAA and BAP were examined, revealing that PGR selection and concentration play a pivotal role in shoot and root induction and plantlet development. The highest success rates were observed at 150 ppm α-NAA and 100 ppm BAP, although there was a trade-off between the quantity and quality of plantlets, emphasizing the need for a balanced plant regulator selection. The second experiment investigated the influence of rhizome cutting length. Longer cuttings, particularly at 5 and 7 cm, consistently led to better shoot and root development, highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate cutting lengths. In the third experiment, cutting sections (apical, middle, and distal) without PGR concentrations were assessed, with all sections showing high regeneration rates. However, the apical section produced the highest-quality plantlets with superior growth parameters, followed by the middle section, while the distal section exhibited lower effectiveness. In summary, these findings underscore the significance of PGR choice and concentration, cutting length, and cut- ting section for successful regeneration of H. gigantea from rhizome cuttings. These insights provide valuable guidance for enhancing rhizome cuttings methods for this plant species and promoting efficient propagation.

Land use transformation in the rapidly growing megacity of Bengaluru in South India has greatly influenced its lake ecosystems. To gain insights into the dynamics of lake ecosystems along an urban-rural gradient, we analyzed lake-cover changes (along with a 300 m buffer zone) of six lakes from 2002 to 2022. The lakes studied were Bellandur and Dodda Bommasandra (urban), Attur and Puttenhalli (peri‑urban), and Chudahalli and Vrishabhavathi (rural). Supervised maximum likelihood Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) classifications were conducted on 162 freely available, RGB Google Earth (GE) images to distinguish between macrophytes, algae, water, and dried land inside the lakes, and built-up and non built-up area in the buffer zone. Antagonistic relationships between macrophytes and algae were observed at all locations. Rainfall was positively correlated with the wet surface area (that is macrophytes, algae, and water) in comparatively dry lakes. Similarly, air temperature was negatively correlated with the wet surface area except for the Vrishabhavathi Lake. However, the built-up area in the buffer zone did not show a consistent correlation with the wet surface area, most likely because of sewage connections of certain lakes with distant urban areas.

Plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration has been recognized as a safe and effective treatment modality for patients with gastric variceal bleeding. The hallmark of this technique is to block the gastrorenal shunt (GRS) using an Amplatzer Vascular Plug, followed by infusion of gelatin sponge particles to completely occlude the varices. To ensure shunt occlusion and avoid device migration, the plug must be oversized by at least 20% compared to the shunt diameter. However, the maximal diameter of the commercially available plug is 22 mm, making the procedure technically infeasible for GRSs ≥ 18 mm. We report two challenging cases of recurrent gastric variceal bleeding due to liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Both patients had a giant and tortuous GRS with multiple dilated segments separated by waists. The transverse diameters of the GRSs were 24-30 mm and 23-32 mm, and the proximal waist diameters were 14 mm and 16 mm, respectively. Both GRSs were successfully embolized with 22-mm plugs. No bleeding recurrence was documented during 24 months.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) appearing in non-coding genomic regions in CVDs. The SNPs may alter gene expression by modifying transcription factor (TF) binding sites and lead to functional consequences in cardiovascular traits or diseases. To understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, it is crucial to identify which variations are involved and how they affect TF binding. Methods The SNEEP (SNP exploration and analysis using epigenomics data) pipeline was used to identify regulatory SNPs, which alter the binding behavior of TFs and link GWAS SNPs to their potential target genes for six CVDs. The human-induced pluripotent stem cells derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), monoculture cardiac organoids (MCOs) and self-organized cardiac organoids (SCOs) were used in the study. Gene expression, cardiomyocyte size and cardiac contractility were assessed. Results By using our integrative computational pipeline, we identified 1905 regulatory SNPs in CVD GWAS data. These were associated with hundreds of genes, half of them non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), suggesting novel CVD genes. We experimentally tested 40 CVD-associated non-coding RNAs, among them RP11-98F14.11, RPL23AP92, IGBP1P1, and CTD-2383I20.1, which were upregulated in hiPSC-CMs, MCOs and SCOs under hypoxic conditions. Further experiments showed that IGBP1P1 depletion rescued expression of hypertrophic marker genes, reduced hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte size and improved hypoxia-reduced cardiac contractility in hiPSC-CMs and MCOs. Conclusions IGBP1P1 is a novel ncRNA with key regulatory functions in modulating cardiomyocyte size and cardiac function in our disease models. Our data suggest ncRNA IGBP1P1 as a potential therapeutic target to improve cardiac function in CVDs.

Vietnam’s seaport system currently includes 298 ports with 588 wharves (a total length of approximately 92,275 m), which is vital in developing Vietnam’s marine economy. The piled pier, a type of wharf structure, is widely used and accounts for up to 90%, while the remaining 10% is made up of other types of wharf structures, such as gravity and sheet pile quay walls. Most wharves have been operating for over 10 years and some for even more than 50 years. Noticeably, wharves are highly vulnerable and degrade rapidly due to many factors, especially heavy load impacts and severe environmental conditions. Additionally, wharves have a higher risk of deterioration than other inland infrastructure, such as buildings and bridges. Consequently, determining a wharf’s health is an important task in maintaining normal working conditions, extending its lifecycle, and avoiding other severe damage that could lead to dangers to the safety of vehicles, facilities, and humans. Moreover, regulated quality inspections usually include only simple inspections, e.g., displacement, settlement, geometric height, and tilt; the visual inspection and determination of dimensions by simple length-measuring equipment; concrete strength testing by ultrasonic and rebound hammers; and the experimental identification of the chloride ion concentration, chloride diffusion coefficient, corrosion activity of rebar in concrete, and steel thickness. These testing methods often give local results depending on the number of test samples. Therefore, advanced diagnostic techniques for assessing the technical condition of piled piers need to be studied. The impact vibration test (IVT) is a powerful non-destructive evaluation method that indicates the overall health of structures, e.g., underground and foundation structures, according to official standards. Hence, the IVT is expected to help engineers detect the potential deterioration of overall structures. It is fundamental that, if a structure is degraded, its natural frequency will be affected. A structure’s health index and technical condition are determined based on this change. However, the IVT does not seem to be widely applied to piled piers, with no published standard; hence, controversial issues related to accuracy and reliability still remain. This motivates the present study to recommend an adjusted factor (equal to 1.16) for the health index (classified in official standards for other structures) through numerical and experimental approaches before officially applying the IVT method to piled piers. The current work focuses on the health index using the design natural frequency, which is more practical in common cases where previous historical data and the standard natural frequency are unavailable. This study also examines a huge number of influencing factors and situations through theoretical analysis, experience, and field experiments to propose an adjusted indicator. The results are achieved with several assumptions of damages, such as the degradation of materials and local damages to structural components. With the proposed adjusted indicator, the overall health of piled piers can be assessed quickly and accurately by IVT inspections in cases of incidents, accidents due to collisions, cargo falls during loading and unloading, or subsidence and erosion due to natural disasters, storms, and floods.

In the original publication [...]

Background: Biomarker testing has gradually become standard of care in precision oncology to help physicians select optimal treatment for patients. Compared to single-gene or small gene panel testing, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) has emerged as a more time- and tissue-efficient method. This study demonstrated in-depth analytical validation of K-4CARE, a CGP assay that integrates circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) tracking for residual cancer surveillance.Methods: The assay utilized a panel of 473 cancer-relevant genes with a total length of 1.7 Mb. Reference standards were used to evaluate limit of detection (LOD), concordance, sensitivity, specificity and precision of the assay to detect single nucleotide variants (SNVs), small insertion/deletions (Indels), gene amplification and fusion, microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB). The assay was then benchmarked against orthogonal methods using 155 clinical samples from 10 cancer types. In selected cancers, top tumor-derived somatic mutations, as ranked by our proprietary algorithm, were used to detect ctDNA in the plasma.Results: For detection of somatic SNVs and Indels, gene fusion and amplification, the assay had sensitivity of >99%, 94% and >99% respectively, and specificity of >99%. Detection of germline variants also achieved sensitivity and specificity of >99%. For TMB measurement, the correlation coefficient between whole-exome sequencing and our targeted panel was 97%. MSI analysis when benchmarked against polymerase chain reaction method showed sensitivity of 94% and specificity of >99%. The concordance between our assay and the TruSight Oncology 500 assay for detection of somatic variants, TMB and MSI measurement was 100%, 89%, and 98% respectively. When CGP-informed mutations were used to personalize ctDNA tracking, the detection rate of ctDNA in liquid biopsy was 79%, and clinical utility in cancer surveillance was demonstrated in 2 case studies.Conclusion: K-4CARE™ assay provides comprehensive and reliable genomic information that fulfills all guideline-based biomarker testing for both targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Integration of ctDNA tracking helps clinicians to further monitor treatment response and ultimately provide well-rounded care to cancer patients.

Using a solvent-free method, zeolite NaA was synthesized from raw kaolin, collected from Binh Duong, Vietnam. The synthesis involved thermal hydration under an alkaline solution. The catalysts based on binary nickel-silver nanoparticles were prepared through in situ reduction of metal salts in aqueous zeolitic suspension using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent. The catalysts were fully characterized by various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The physicochemical properties of these catalysts were studied in detail, in which the formation of body-centered cubic crystal zeolite NaA (1-2 μm) containing the spherical shape of metallic nanoparticles with a particle size around 8–20 nm was observed. The hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol was performed to confirm the high catalytic activity and stability of the 10%NiAg/ZA catalyst. The results showed that the catalyst achieved over 91% conversion initially and 73% conversion after five re-uses.

Sausage is a convenient food that is widely consumed in the world and in Vietnam. Due to the rapid development of this product, the authenticity of many famous brands has faded by the rise of adulteration. Therefore, in this study, principal component analysis (PCA) was combined with chemical analysis to identify 6 sausage brands. Sausage samples were dried and then ground to a fine powder for both instrumental analyses of attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Dried measurements of ATR-FTIR was performed directly on the ZnSe crystal, while elemental data were obtained through microwave digestion before the ICP-MS analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) within the framework software of XLSTAT and STATISTICA 12 was performed on the spectroscopy and elemental dataset of sausage samples. PCA visualized the distinction of 6 sausage brands on both datasets of ATR-FTIR and ICP-MS. The classification on the spectroscopy profile showed that although more than 90% variation of the dataset was explained on the first two PCs, the difference between several brands was not detected as the distribution of data overlapped with one another. The PCA observation of the elemental composition on PC1 and PC3 has separated the sausage brands into 6 distinctive groups. Besides, several key elements contributed to the brands’ identification have been detected, and the most distinctive elements are Na, K, Ca, and Ba. PCA visualization showed the feasibility of the classification of sausage samples from different brands when combined with the results of FT-IR and ICP-MS methods. The experiment was able to differentiate the sausages from the 5 brands using multivariate statistics.

This study investigated the chemical components and bioactivities of acetone leaf extracts of nine Annonaceae plants collected in the Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, Vietnam. A total of 182 constituents were identified, with linolenic acid, diaeudesmin, germacrene D, 1-octadecenoic acid, 8-(3-octyl-2-oxiranyl)-1-octanol, oleic acid, and phenylmethyl ester being the major compounds. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was evaluated using a disc diffusion assay. Eight of the nine extracts, except for the Mitrephora thorelii extract, showed an inhibition effect against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined using DPPH assay, and the cytotoxic activity was deter mined using SRB assay. The results showed that the acetone extracts of Artabotrys hexapetalus, Uvularia grandiflora, Polyalthia luensis, Xylopia pierrei, Sphaerocoryne affinis, Desmos cochinchinensis, Uvaria littoralis, Mitrephora thorelii, and Goniothalamus touranensis had significant activity with IC50 for the DPPH radical scavenging activity ranging from 18.56 to 702.33 μg/mL, and the IC50 for the cytotoxic effects ranged from 5.39 to 251.77 μg/mL. Overall, the results obtained provide experimental evidence for the potential use of these plants in medicine and other related fields.

In Viet Nam, antibiotic is an important class of drugs because infectious diseases in Viet Nam is the top ratio of infections and death. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) accounted for 82.1% of all isolates of S. aureus as the cause of death related to hospital-acquired pneumonia. Developing towards our ongoing studies of screening anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity of several local plants, we herein revealed the anti-MRSA activity of the extract of Carallia brachiata L. cultivated in Vietnam. The dilution method was performed to confirm the MIC value of fractions that contained anti-MRSA activity. The capacity of Carallia brachiata L. extract to inhibit MRSA’s hemolytic properties was determined by culturing MRSA on blood agar plates. The fractions from the ethanol Carallia brachiata L. extract were collected using liquid-liquid phase separation. According to the results, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of ethyl acetate Carallia brachiata L. extract fraction against MRSA is approximately 2.5 mg/mL. The hemolytic capacity of MRSA is inhibited by ethyl acetate Carallia brachiata L. extract fraction. The potency of anti-MRSA activity of Carallia brachiata L. extract is reported for the first time.

ABSTRACTThe current study aims to examine the relationship between gratitude and parental support through the mediation of perceived stress and the influence of parental support on adolescent professional help-seeking for mental health problems. 1987 participants completed the survey, including 41.4% boys and 58.6% girls aged 11–15 years. The findings indicated that (i) parental support mediated the relationship between perceived stress and professional psychological help-seeking attitudes; (ii) perceived stress mediated the effect of gratitude on parental support; (iii) gratitude predicted professional psychological help-seeking attitudes through perceived stress and parental support; and (iv) gratitude predicted positively adolescents’ academic achievement. The study highlights the potential influence of parental support on adolescents’ professional help-seeking attitudes. Mental health services should be developed to be more accessible to adolescents to facilitate more independent help-seeking. Prevention and intervention programmes for adolescents may be more effective at decreasing stress symptoms by combining gratitude interventions.

This scholarly examination qualitatively probes the pivotal functions of supporting staff in enhancing academic performance within higher education in Vietnam’s Mekong region. The research design involved purposive sampling of 10 participants from two different higher education institutions in the Mekong region of Vietnam. Five were academic staff members, including lecturers and professors, and the other five were supporting staff involved in various departments like administration, human resources, and technical support. Participants were engaged in focus-group discussions, which were transcribed and analyzed thematically to elicit a nuanced understanding of the research questions. Utilizing focus-group discussions and semi-structured interviews, it provides deep insights into the intricate dynamic between academic and non-academic roles. The study emphasizes the multifaceted contributions of supporting staff who function as stress reducers, knowledge conduits, role integrators, infrastructural overseers, and administrative efficiency boosters, among others. It calls for policy modifications that recognize and exploit the varied roles of auxiliary personnel in higher education institutions. The study also discusses implications for stakeholders like institutions, staff, policymakers, and researchers, while suggesting potential areas for further exploration. This research enriches existing literature by offering a detailed understanding of supporting staff roles within the Vietnamese higher education context.

This study aims to understand the impact of perceived values of digital content marketing (DCM) on consumer’s experiential evaluations. It also explores the impact of consumer’s experiential evaluations on brand loyalty, and the mediating impact of prior brand attitude on the relationship between customer’s experiential evaluations and brand loyalty. This study utilizes a quantitative method, surveying 290 respondents in the context of Vietnam. The initial phase of this investigation is tested with a pilot study. Several statistical tools are applied to analyze the data, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation model (SEM). The findings show that three out of four dimensions of DCM’s value perception, such as informative value, entertainment value, and social value, have a significantly positive impact on experiential evaluations. Experiential evaluations also significantly and positively affect brand loyalty, while brand attitude does not mediate the association between experiential evaluations and brand loyalty. These findings will strengthen current knowledge on this DCM issue by providing contextual insights from Vietnam. The practical implications are also provided.

An increasing interest in nanocomposites prepared from agricultural/industrial byproducts has been paid for environmental remediation, especially in water treatment. This study reports the facile preparation of a low-cost magnetic biocomposite of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) incorporated with biopolymers extracted from durian husk, called bp-Fe3O4 and examined in the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye. Here, Fe2O3 NPs were first recovered from red mud waste and then converted to magnetic nanostructured Fe3O4 using a one-pot process via carbon combustion. The bp-Fe3O4 inherited the characteristics of each constituent component, while showing slightly higher saturation magnetization than the bare Fe3O4 NPs (19.84 and 18.66 emu/g, respectively), allowing for easy separation from the aqueous solution using a suitable magnet. The MB adsorption on bp-Fe3O4 reached an equilibrium state within 60 min reaction and achieved >90% of removal (at 50 mg/L MB) at an optimal pH range of 6–8. The effective adsorption of MB dye was attributed to both the hydroxylated-Fe3O4 NPs and biopolymers. The material showed excellent reusability tested up to the seventh MB adsorption cycle (decreased by

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Vietnamese women, but its mutational landscape and actionable alterations for targeted therapies remain unknown. After treatment, a sensitive biomarker to complement conventional imaging to monitor patients is also lacking. In this prospective multi‐center study, 134 early‐stage breast cancer patients eligible for curative‐intent surgery were recruited. Genomic DNA from tumor tissues and paired white blood cells were sequenced to profile all tumor‐derived mutations in 95 cancer‐associated genes. Our bioinformatic algorithm was then utilized to identify top mutations for individual patients. Serial plasma samples were collected before surgery and at scheduled visits after surgery. Personalized assay tracking the selected mutations were performed to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the plasma. We found that the mutational landscape of the Vietnamese was largely similar to other Asian cohorts, showing higher TP53 mutation frequency than in Caucasians. Alterations in PIK3CA and PI3K signaling were dominant, particularly in our triple‐negative subgroup. Using top‐ranked mutations, we detected ctDNA in pre‐operative plasma in 24.6–43.5% of the hormone‐receptor‐positive groups and 76.9–80.8% of the hormone‐receptor‐negative groups. The detection rate was associated with breast cancer subtypes and clinicopathological features that increased the risk of relapse. Interim analysis after a 15‐month follow‐up revealed post‐operative detection of ctDNA in all three patients that had recurrence, with a lead time of 7–13 months ahead of clinical diagnosis. Our personalized assay is streamlined and affordable with promising clinical utility in residual cancer surveillance. We also generated the first somatic variant dataset for Vietnamese breast cancer women that could lay the foundation for precision cancer medicine in Vietnam.

Various types of dermal fillers have been developing for soft tissue augmentation. Even though many fillers have been approved and strictly regulated by authorities, homemade products for body contouring procedures are widely available and easily purchased on websites without prescriptions. It is challenging for radiologists to interpret radiological findings of complicated breast augmentation of unknown origin. While ultrasound is the modality of choice for initial work-up, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a role as the gold standard in evaluating the integrity of prosthetic implants. Using silicone or water-only MRI sequences may also be able to distinguish them. We report a rare case of breast abscess of a young female patient after self-injection of the mixture of ultrasound gel and shoe glue. The clinical and imaging aspect, especially MRI imaging, will be discussed.

We reported a case of a 48-year-old female patient admitted to the hospital due to balance disorder which progressed rapidly within 1 week. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging showed significant atrophy and hyperintensities at the middle cerebellar peduncles and the “hot cross bun” sign of the pons. The final diagnosis was probable multiple system atrophy, cerebellar subtype. The clinical and imaging findings will be discussed as well as a brief literature review.

While investigating the death of a hippopotamus at a zoo in Hanoi, Vietnam, we isolated SARS-CoV-2 and sequenced the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene from different organs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the SARS-CoV-2 strain was closely related to 3 human SARS-CoV-2 strains in Vietnam.

Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Haraldson (abbreviated as F. multiflora), belonging to Polygonaceae family, has long been used in traditional medicine. Polyphenols, main compounds in F. multiflora roots, have high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, etc. Processing F. multiflora roots is necessary to reduce their negative effect on liver. Study on processing red F. multiflora roots and optimizing the extraction of polyphenols from processed red F. multiflora root product is to decrease the liver toxicity and to find the optimal conditions for extract of polyphenols from processed product. This study deals with the influence of some factors including to the ratio of solvent and medicinal herbs (mL/g), extraction temperature (?C), extraction time (min) on polyphenol content and its activity in red F. multiflora roots. Raw material has been processed by the stewing method with black bean water, then by ultrasonic extraction immersed on an ES-600N device (the ultrasonic capacity of 600W, the particle size of powder of 0.5-1.0 mm). Polyphenol content and its activities were evaluated by Folin-Ciocalteu technique and DPPH method. The response surface method combined with the Box-Behnken design was used to optimize polyphenol extraction. The optimization results obtained on the raw sample were the solvent/medicinal herb ratio of 5.7/1, the extraction temperature of 42.4?C, the extraction time of 47.6 min while the optimal extraction conditions for processed sample were the solvent/medicinal herb ratio 11.2/1, extraction temperature of 53?C, extraction time of 52 min. At the optimal extraction conditions of F. multiflora roots, the polyphenol content and its activity of raw sample were 60.41?0.14 mgGAE/g and 65.98?0.22%, respectively. They were lower than those of the processed sample, 59.91?0.17 mgGAE/g and 80.18?0.21%, respectively. These results indicated that the processing is necessary for polyphenol extraction from F. multiflora roots to obtain the products having high antioxidation activity.

This study aimed to quantify the relationship between factors influencing the investment outcomes of airport infrastructure development in Vietnam. On that premise, suggesting the ideas for applying information technology systems to maximize resources to improve investment outcomes in Vietnam's airport infrastructure development. Data for the study were gathered from the Airports Corporation of Vietnam's annual report and a survey of 316 officials involved in the investment and development of airport infrastructure in Vietnam. The linear regression model is used to quantify the impact of various factors. According to the research findings, the most influential variable according to the survey subject's opinion is the contractor (NT), with an adjusted beta coefficient value of roughly 0.3915.

Extracting similarity and semantic images from images is a hot topic that is used in various semantic retrieval systems. The GP-Tree, a hierarchical clustering tree, is used in the article to retrieve semantic images. The GP-Tree is then used to create a graph of neighboring leaf nodes, resulting in a smaller search list and a reduced chance of missing related similar images. In addition, the neighbor graph is used to build a Self-Organizing Map (SOM) to improve clustering efficiency and image retrieval performance. To improve high-level semantic retrieval efficacy, we also propose extending the current ontology structure. The ontology framework with rich domains represents most of the basic objects. With this ontology, the sets of images are added for the enrichment and can be used for many different sets of images. The SPARQL query is automatically generated from visual words for querying on the ontology. The query result on the ontology is a set of similar images and the definition of its semantics. The proposed method is tested on the WANG and ImageCLEF datasets, and the results are compared to previous publications on the same dataset, demonstrating its efficacy.

Vascular addressins control lymphocyte homing, thus regulating immunity and inflammation, but how addressin expression is patterned remains unknown. Here the authors identify composite DNA elements (NCCEs) that bind NKX2 homeodomain proteins cooperatively with COUP-TFII to define a morphogenetic code that targets transcription of mucosal vascular addressins.

Major advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) have been achieved by effective new agents such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, or monoclonal antibodies. Despite significant progress, MM remains still incurable and, recently, cellular immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for relapsed/refractory MM. The emergence of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology has transformed immunotherapy by enhancing the antitumor functions of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, leading to effective control of hematologic malignancies. Recent advancements in gene delivery to NK cells have paved the way for the clinical application of CAR-NK cell therapy. CAR-NK cell therapy strategies have demonstrated safety, tolerability, and substantial efficacy in treating B cell malignancies in various clinical settings. However, their effectiveness in eliminating MM remains to be established. This review explores multiple approaches to enhance NK cell cytotoxicity, persistence, expansion, and manufacturing processes, and highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with CAR-NK cell therapy against MM. By shedding light on these aspects, this review aims to provide valuable insights into the potential of CAR-NK cell therapy as a promising approach for improving the treatment outcomes of MM patients.

Background: This study aimed to describe the cardiovascular injury and clinical features of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of children with MIS-C (from September 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022) in Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Demographics, clinical history, significant underlying conditions, clinical manifestations, laboratory investigations, and medical management were analyzed. Results: A total of 76 patients were included (median age, 5.9 years old, 2 months–16 years). The male/female ratio was 1.6/1. Most patients (75/76) had no previous medical conditions. The mean time from acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to symptom onset was 39 days. During an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, these patients are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. In addition to fever, gastrointestinal symptoms were also prominent, as observed in our study, with 75%, 73.7%, and 72.3% of patients presenting with abdominal pain, vomiting, and loose stools, respectively. The levels of inflammatory markers increased upon admission and returned to normal levels after treatment. Echocardiography revealed decreased myocardial contractility and coronary injury in 16 (21.1%) and 32 (42.1%) patients, respectively. Most cases (72/76) had no fever within 3 days of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and methylprednisolone treatment. No deaths occurred in this study. The mean duration of hospitalization was 7.2 days. Conclusion: Cardiovascular involvement was observed in approximately 53.9% of the patients. Anti-inflammatory treatment with IVIG and methylprednisolone had a favorable short-term outcome. However, long-term follow-up studies on post-discharge MIS-C cases are needed to make appropriate treatment recommendations in the acute phase.

Abstract Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a common genetic regulatory mechanism that generates distinct 3′ ends for RNA transcripts. Changes in APA have been associated with multiple biological processes and disease phenotypes. However, the role of hormones and their drug analogs in APA remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated transcriptome‐wide the impact of glucocorticoids on APA in 30 human B‐lymphoblastoid cell lines. We found that glucocorticoids could regulate APA for a subset of genes, possibly by changing the expression of 142 RNA‐binding proteins, some with known APA‐regulating properties. Interestingly, genes with glucocorticoid‐mediated APA were enriched in viral translation‐related pathways, while genes with glucocorticoid‐mediated expression were enriched in interferon and interleukin pathways, suggesting that glucocorticoid‐mediated APA might result in functional consequences distinct from gene expression. For example, glucocorticoids, a pharmacotherapy for severe COVID‐19, were found to change the APA but not the expression of LY6E, an important antiviral inhibitor in coronavirus diseases. Glucocorticoid‐mediated APA was also cell‐type‐specific, suggesting an action of glucocorticoids that may be unique to immune regulation. We also observed evidence for genotype‐dependent glucocorticoid‐mediated APA (referred to as pharmacogenomic‐alterative polyadenylation quantitative trait loci), providing potential functional mechanisms for a series of common genetic variants that had previously been associated with immune disorders, but without a clear mechanism. In summary, this study reports a series of observations regarding the impact of glucocorticoids on APA, raising the possibility that this mechanism might have implications for both disease pathophysiology and drug therapy.

Introduction. A method for designing power amplifiers for use in the transmitting channels of X-band transceiver modules is investigated. The design process was aimed at optimizing the relationship between the basic amplifier characteristics, including the operating frequency band, output power level, output linearity, high harmonics suppression, etc. Aim. Investigation of a method for designing an X-band UHF power amplifier, which is capable of optimizing the relationship between its main characteristics. Materials and methods. Theoretical calculations were combined with experimental studies into the design of a UHF power amplifier. The stages of the design process are described in detail, including major ideas, principal circuits, and strip circuits. Evaluations were conducted using the Keysight ADS high frequency circuit simulation tool. Results. A method for designing X-band UHF power amplifiers on the basis of a close combination of theory, simulation, and experimental adjustment was described in detail. Conclusion. A prototype of an X-band PA was developed; an approach to developing a methodology for manufacturing, measuring, and testing X-band PAs is described.

Seasonal changes in freshwater phytoplankton assemblages at Tuyen Lam Reservoir in the Central Highlands of Vietnam were classified into 23 functional groups based on physiological, morphological, and ecological characteristics. A total of 168 species were recorded during 10 surveys from 2015 to 2019 at 7 sampling sites, with Chlorophyta dominating in number of species. Phytoplankton abundance varied from 0.18×105 to 21.2×105 cells/L during the study period, mainly due to cyanobacteria. Seven of the 23 functional groups were considered to be dominant (relative density > 5%). The dominant functional groups were groups M and G in the dry season and groups M, G, P, and E in the rainy season. Group M (Microcystis aeruginosa) was the most common in both seasons, while group P (Closterium, Staurastrum, Aulacoseira), group E (Dinobryon, Synura), and group G (Sphaerocystis, Eudorina) were more common in the rainy season. The Shannon diversity index (H¢) showed that phytoplankton communities were relatively diverse and that most of the study sites were lightly polluted. However, the ecological status has deteriorated at some locations due to the overgrowth of group M, leading to eutrophication in this reservoir. This study highlights the usefulness of functional groups in the study of seasonal changes in phytoplankton dynamics. Functional groups are applied for the first time at Tuyen Lam Reservoir and can be used to predict early-stage cyanobacterial blooms in future studies.

This study was carried out to examine the livelihood vulnerabilities encountered by residents in Vietnam’s urban areas during the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. People’s vulnerabilities are approached in terms of employment and income vulnerabilities. The study compares the changes in income and employment of residents in Vietnam’s urban regions during the outbreak of Covid-19 and after the epidemic which is gradually controlled to determine the livelihood losses that people in urban areas face. Data for the study were collected from 206 families in Vietnam’s urban areas that were directly affected by the epidemic. The multivariate regression method is used to evaluate people’s vulnerability during epidemic outbreaks. According to the findings of the study, the income disparity between the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the end of the epidemic is fairly considerable (about VND 7.6189 million/month). The multivariate regression model’s results reveal that the degree of government assistance provided during the epidemic time has the greatest positive impact on people’s income and quality of life (Standardized Coefficients = 0.584), whereas people’s unemployment during the pandemic outbreak period has a negative impact, causing damage to people’s income (Standardized Coefficients = –0.395). The study will recommend new livelihood strategies for residents in the context of Vietnam’s “new normal” based on the findings of the investigation.

In this study, the aim was to create daily ground-level NO2 maps for Vietnam spanning from 2019 to 2021. To achieve this, various machine learning models (including the Mixed Effect Model, Neural Network, and LightGBM) were utilized to process satellite NO2 tropospheric columns from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and TROPOMI, as well as meteorological and land use maps and ground measurement NO2 data. The LightGBM model was found to be the most effective, producing results with a Pearson r of 0.77, RMSE of 7.93 μg/m³, and Mean Relative Error (MRE) of 42.6% compared to ground truth measurements. The annual average NO2 maps from 2019–2021 obtained by the LightGBM model for Vietnam were compared to a global product and ground stations, and it was found to have superior quality with Pearson r of 0.95, RMSE of 2.27 μg/m³, MRE of 9.79%, based on 81 samples.

Transforming data into appropriate formats is crucial because it can speed up the training process and enhance the performance of classification algorithms. It is, however, challenging due to the complicated process, resource-intensive and preserved meaning of the data. This study proposes new approaches to building knowledge representation models using word-embedding and ontology techniques, which can transform text data into digital data and still keep semantic/context information of themselves in order to enhance modeling data later. To evaluate the effectiveness of the built models, a classification framework is proposed and performed on a public real dataset. Experimental results show that the constructed knowledge representation models contribute significantly to the performance of classification methods.

This research study aims to determine the factors affecting the academic staff’s research performance in Vietnam’s higher education context. An online survey was conducted, achieving responses from 207 respondents who were lecturers of different scientific fields in Vietnamese universities. The SAS system was used to process both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study’s results indicated that research competency was the main factor affecting Vietnamese university teachers’ domestic and international research achievements. Meanwhile, English proficiency only had a significant impact at the international level. Additionally, social science academics were less skillful in researching and less productive in international research than other sciences. As a result, some implications for improving academic research performance are discussed in this paper.

Abstract Background Insufficient knowledge of the genetic and phenotypic diversity in the local Beninese goat population combined with the lack of understanding of its adaptive capacity to ongoing environmental and societal changes hampers the development of strategies for better management and genetic improvement. The objective of this study was to establish the current geographical distribution of goats in Benin based on their morphology and model the potential habitat suitability of the three known main goat phenotypes (i.e., Djallonké goat or Type I, Sahelian goat or Type II, and their Crossbreeds or Type III) under climate change scenarios. Ten qualitative and 26 linear body measurements were taken on 2114 adult female goats sampled across the three vegetation zones of the country. Fifteen ratios were generated from the quantitative variables. The data were analyzed using generalized linear model procedures followed by multiple comparisons of least-squares means and multivariate analytical methods, including canonical discrimination analysis and hierarchical ascendant classification. Each goat was then assigned to one of the three aforementioned main goat phenotypes following its morphological characteristics and according to the a priori cluster membership defined in the previous step. The Maximum Entropy algorithm was used to model the current and future distribution of the three goat phenotypes under climate change scenario using the Representative Conservation Pathways 4.5 and 8.5. Results All linear body measurements varied among vegetation zones. In the discriminant function analysis, 71% of the measured individuals were correctly classified in their vegetation zone of origin by seven measured variables and three ratios. The cluster procedure analysis revealed two groups of goats subdivided into the three main phenotypes. The modeling results showed that the currently highly favorable habitats were distributed in the South for Type I, in the North for Type II, and both South and North for Type III. However, under climate change scenarios, the favorable habitats for Type I decreased while those of Types II and III increased. Conclusions The results of this study confirm the spatial variation of the goat population in Benin. The habitat suitability model can be used to support decision-making toward better management of goat genetic diversity in Benin.