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Despite the discovery of several closely related viruses in bats, the direct evolutionary progenitor of SARS-CoV-2 has not yet been identified. In this study, we investigated potential animal sources of SARS-related coronaviruses using archived specimens from Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) and Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade, and from common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) raised on wildlife farms in Viet Nam. A total of 696 pangolin and civet specimens were screened for the presence of viral RNA from five zoonotic viral families and from Sarbecoviruses using primers specifically designed for pangolin coronaviruses. We also performed a curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, to illustrate the global pangolin supply chain in the context of Viet Nam where the trade confiscated pangolins were sampled for this study. All specimens from pangolins and civets sampled along the wildlife supply chains between February 2017 and July 2018, in Viet Nam and tested with conventional PCR assays designed to detect flavivirus, paramyxovirus, filovirus, coronavirus, and orthomyxovirus RNA were negative. Civet samples were also negative for Sarbecoviruses, but 12 specimens from seven live pangolins confiscated in Hung Yen province, northern Viet Nam, in 2018 were positive for Sarbecoviruses. Our phylogenetic trees based on two fragments of the RdRp gene revealed that the Sarbecoviruses identified in these pangolins were closely related to pangolin coronaviruses detected in pangolins confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, China. Our curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, reflected what is known about pangolin trafficking globally. Pangolins confiscated in Viet Nam were largely in transit, moving toward downstream consumers in China. Confiscations included pangolin scales sourced originally from Africa (and African species of pangolins), or pangolin carcasses and live pangolins native to Southeast Asia (predominately the Sunda pangolin) sourced from neighboring range countries and moving through Viet Nam toward provinces bordering China.

AbstractDigital transformation is a keyword that has not only been mentioned in recent years but is also strongly applied by companies. However, the benefits of digital transformation for companies are still an issue that needs to be researched. Therefore, this study is conducted to determine the dynamics of digital transformation on banking business results. The research was conducted with joint stock commercial banks in Vietnam listed on the stock exchange. Based on text analysis on annual reports to measure banks’ digital transformation level from 2015 to 2021. Research results have shown that digital transformation has a negative impact on bank’s performance (through the return on assets and return on equity). Furthermore, the study also found that there was a paradoxical situation where COVID-19 increased the profits of banks. This result provides exciting discussions related to digital transformation and bank performance.

AbstractMany companies have been and are implementing diversification to take advantage of capital, reduce risks, and increase revenue for enterprises. At the same time, government support is considered to have positive implications for companies. This study was conducted to assess the impact of diversification and government support on the firm performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. Data was collected on 1,342 SMEs in Vietnam from 2011 to 2015. The analysis results show that diversification has a positive effect on firm performance (through return on assets). However, diversification has no impact on return on equity. The results show that the resource-based view theory is supported when enterprises implement meaningful diversification. The study also shows that the trade-off theory is supported when companies diversify. Government support has no impact on firm performance. The research will help enterprises orient themselves appropriately when deciding to diversify or register and receive support from the government.

This qualitative study reports the results of sensemaking when teacher-practitioner inquiry in professional development (PD) is carried out for 120 Vietnamese K-12 and college teachers. The PD was designed to prepare teachers to teach with different newly-approved English language coursebooks using a genre-based systemic functional linguistic approach (SFL). During scaffolds in workshops, teaching staff guided teachers in cooperating and drafting lessons using genre-based SFL, examining the lessons’ impacts on students’ responses. Teachers also journaled to unravel the knitted instructional complexities and express their willingness to adapt to emerging teaching practices. Data were collected via the video recordings, teachers’ interviews, and content analysis of their inquiry products. Four themes representing the complexities in teachers’ sensemaking of scaffolded collaborative PD were: 1. Improved teacher agency in terms of planning and instruction; 2. Research-based experiential learning creating a venue for intrinsic motivation to innovate in instruction; 3. An overwhelming feeling of inequity between high and low-resourced instructional situations; 4. The mismatch between teachers’ advocacy for desired deep-learning approach and the traditional ideology of rote learning for exams.

Outbreaks of emerging coronaviruses in the past two decades and the current pandemic of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged in China highlight the importance of this viral family as a zoonotic public health threat. To gain a better understanding of coronavirus presence and diversity in wildlife at wildlife-human interfaces in three southern provinces in Viet Nam 2013-2014, we used consensus Polymerase Chain Reactions to detect coronavirus sequences. In comparison to previous studies, we observed high proportions of positive samples among field rats (34.0%, 239/702) destined for human consumption and insectivorous bats in guano farms (74.8%, 234/313) adjacent to human dwellings. Most notably among field rats, the odds of coronavirus RNA detection significantly increased along the supply chain from field rats sold by traders (reference group; 20.7% positivity, 39/188) by a factor of 2.2 for field rats sold in large markets (32.0%, 116/363) and 10.0 for field rats sold and served in restaurants (55.6%, 84/151). Coronaviruses were also detected in rodents on the majority of wildlife farms sampled (60.7%, 17/28). These coronaviruses were found in the Malayan porcupines (6.0%, 20/331) and bamboo rats (6.3%, 6/96) that are raised on wildlife farms for human consumption as food. We identified six known coronaviruses in bats and rodents, clustered in three Coronaviridae genera, including the Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammacoronaviruses. Our analysis also suggested either mixing of animal excreta in the environment or interspecies transmission of coronaviruses, as both bat and avian coronaviruses were detected in rodent feces on wildlife farms. The mixing of multiple coronaviruses, and their apparent amplification along the wildlife supply chain into restaurants, suggests maximal risk for end consumers and likely underpins the mechanisms of zoonotic spillover to people.

Histopathology is the most important issue in research pharmacy and clinical medicine. Microdiagnosis is a method of identifying and orienting treatment as well as disease prognosis. In testing acute toxicity, the young leaves of mangoe extract (Mangifera indica L., MIL) was investigated based on analysis and comparison of liver/kidney microstructure of normal mice (Mus musculus L.) and mice that drank at high doses of MIL. The liver and kidney of laboratory mice were separated from groups of normal mice drinking distilled water (physiological control), normal mice drinking 1000 mg/kg, normal mice taking 2500 mg/kg and rats taking 5000 mg/kg b.w., only one time. The observed results showed that the microstructure of the liver/kidney of rats drinking methanol extract MIL were damaged when compared to physiological control mice. This means that high doses of MIL have adverse effects on the liver/kidney of normal mice. From these results, it is concluded that MIL extract should not be taken arbitrarily not only in the body with any pathogenesis but also in the healthy body without the guidance of the pharmacist.

Abstract Despite pioneering as the holy grail in photocatalysts, abundant reports have demonstrated that g-C3N4 performs poor photocatalytic activity due to its high recombination rate of photo-induced charge carriers. Many efforts have been conducted to overcome this limitation in which the semiconductor–semiconductor coupling strategies toward heterojunction formation were considered as the easiest but the most effective method. Herein, a one-pot solid-state reaction of thiourea and sodium molybdate as precursors at different temperatures under N2 gas was applied for preparing composites of MoS2/g-C3N4. The physicochemical characterization of the final products determines the variation in contents of components (MoS2 and g-C3N4) via the increase of synthesis temperature. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the MoS2/g-C3N4 composites was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B in an aqueous solution under visible light. Therein, composites synthesized at 500 °C showed the best photocatalytic performance with a degradation efficiency of 90%, much higher than that of single g-C3N4. The significant improvement in photocatalytic performance is attributed to the enhancement in light-harvesting and extension in photo-induced charge carriers’ lifetime of composites which are originated from the synergic effect between the components. Besides, the photocatalytic mechanism is demonstrated to well-fit into the S-scheme pathway with apparent evidences.

Constructing appropriate heterojunction systems has been considered the most promising among different methods for achieving effective charge transfer and separation to improve photocatalytic performance. Herein, SnS2/g-C3N4 composites consisting of SnS2 nanosheets loaded on a porous g-C3N4 matrix were successfully prepared via direct calcination from the precursors of tin (IV) chloride and thiourea. Under visible light, all the composites outperformed pure SnS2 and g-C3N4 in terms of Rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation, and the highest removal efficiency after 6 h of irradiation was 92.22%. Their photocatalytic performance was significantly enhanced because of the positive synergistic relationship between semiconductors (SnS2 and g-C3N4) and the rational Step-scheme charge transfer mechanism. Thus, these composites contributed to the strong redox power, high migration efficiency, and extended lifetime of photogenerated carriers.

Social work education is considered essential in developing the social work profession in Vietnam to set a foundation for the profession in the late 1980s. Since officially given a training code in 2004 and recognition of the professional status in 2010, the development of social work education has been significantly expanded in the number of training institutions and programs provided at various levels with only two schools providing undergraduate programs in 2003 to 35 in 2024, including 10 MSW and two PhD programs. After two decades of fast development, there have been considerable issues and challenges in maintaining the quality and professionalization of social work education. As an imported discipline, social work education depends on programs and resources from other countries. Hence, indigenization has become an increasing issue and challenge in Vietnam and other countries in the Global South. This paper presents the result of a short survey of 30 training institutions and an online questionnaire of 116 social work educators, practitioners, policymakers and social service managers. The paper examines the process of development, challenges and how to promote indigenous social work training programs to appropriately meet local needs and context and ensure regional and global standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundApproximately 1. 07 million people in Vietnam are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). To address this epidemic, the South East Asian Research Collaborative in Hepatitis (SEARCH) launched a 600-patient cohort study and two clinical trials, both investigating shortened treatment strategies for chronic HCV infection with direct-acting antiviral drugs. We conducted ethnographic research with a subset of trial participants and found that the majority were aware of HCV infection and its implications and were motivated to seek treatment. However, people who inject drugs (PWID), and other groups at risk for HCV were under-represented, although injecting drug use is associated with high rates of HCV.Material and MethodsWe designed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study to engage in dialogues surrounding HCV and other community-prioritized health issues with underserved groups at risk for HCV in Ho Chi Minh City. The project consists of three phases: situation analysis, CBPR implementation, and dissemination. In this paper, we describe the results of the first phase (i.e., the situation analysis) in which we conducted desk research and organized stakeholder mapping meetings with representatives from local non-government and community-based organizations where we used participatory research methods to identify and analyze key stakeholders working with underserved populations.ResultsTwenty six institutions or groups working with the key underserved populations were identified. Insights about the challenges and dynamics of underserved communities were also gathered. Two working groups made up of representatives from the NGO and CBO level were formed.DiscussionUsing the information provided by local key stakeholders to shape the project has helped us to build solid relationships, give the groups a sense of ownership from the early stages, and made the project more context specific. These steps are not only important preliminary steps for participatory studies but also for other research that takes place within the communities.

Hedera helix has been reported to contain a wide range of metabolites and produce many pharmacological effects. This research demonstrates the determination and evaluation of the phytochemical profiling of H. helix grown in central Vietnam. Methanolic extract of ivy had been analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS). MS, and MS/MS experiments were manipulated using both negative and positive ionization modes to provide molecular mass information and production spectra for the structural elucidation of compounds. A total of 46 compounds including 24 triterpene saponins and other compounds were successfully identified of which four established saponin structures have been reported for the first time. This study has provided a base for building a quality control of the raw materials according to the profile of triterpene saponins and assessment of pharmaceutical ingredients of H. helix planted in Vietnam.