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Understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of anguillid eels is crucial for effective management. In this study, we used the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop marker to identify anguillid glass eels and assessed their genetic diversity across six sampling sites spanning three Southeast Asian countries. We also examined the population structures of Anguilla marmorata and A. celebesensis. We validated nine distinct species and subspecies of anguillid eels from 465 specimens collected in Indonesia (n = 246), the Philippines (n = 119), and Vietnam (n = 100). High gene diversities were observed across the species, ranging from 0.979 (A. celebesensis) to 1.000 (A. bicolor bicolor, A. marmorata, and A. interioris). Correspondingly, nucleotide diversity values were relatively low, varying from 0.036 (A. marmorata) to 0.057 (A. interioris). A. marmorata (n = 162) displayed a broad distribution, being observed across all six sites, with a significant yet low average fixation index of 0.05755. Pairwise comparisons of FST values between Cimandiri and other locations (except for Cagayan) were relatively high and statistically significant (p < 0.01), indicating significant genetic differentiation of Cimandiri samples compared to most locations in this study. On the other hand, A. celebesensis (n = 110), exhibited a non-significant and low fixation index (0.007), indicating no genetic differentiation in samples from Poso and Poigar Rivers, Indonesia. Our findings highlight the essential need for coordinated management strategies among regions that share common stocks. Additionally, this study underscores the efficacy of the mtDNA D-loop in precisely identifying glass eel species/subspecies and elucidating the genetic diversity and population structure of tropical anguillid eels.

While mobile internet diffusion in the last decade has led to significant growth and improvements in household income and employment, much less has been studied on education attainment outcomes, which matter especially for developing countries’ human capital policies for development catch-up. In this paper, we find that 3G internet diffusion improves lower-secondary school attainment but discourages upper-secondary achievement of youth in Viet Nam. We rationalize these findings through an education – employment tradeoff perspective by considering the opportunity costs of schooling vis `a vis employment. We show that the diffusion of fast mobile broadband internet is associated with more job opportunities and reduced returns to schooling during the period 2012-2016 following fast diffusion. Our results offer implications for developing countries’ education and human capital development policies in the age of (mobile) digitalization.

This thesis examines how alcohol is problematised and sought to be governed in Vietnamese policy. As both a commodity and a cultural symbol, alcohol has provided a space in which different modes, discourses, and institutions of power (from the French colonial administration in the first half of the twentieth century to the current government) have come to organise themselves and justify the need to govern in a certain way. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Health, an alcohol policy framework to control alcohol use, production, and dissemination in Viet Nam was promulgated in 2019 with a policy-building process that can be traced back to 2008. This thesis draws from the poststructural conceptual lens and analytical tools of the What’s the Problem Represented to be framework developed by Carol Bacchi, combining document analysis (official policy texts together with policy-building and lobbying materials) and semi-structured interview data with experts from various sectors to interrogate the representations of alcohol problems in policy discourses and how they make possible ‘unexamined ways’ of knowing and being. The analysis aims to highlight the instabilities, contradictions, and contingencies in the constitution of alcohol discourses and subjects in this policy space and consider how they can be thought about differently. The discourses that emerge in this policy space rely on the stabilisation and containment of volatile concepts like addiction and risk, as well as the reduction of heterogenous imaginings of alcohol-related realities and experiences into rigid ways of thinking and being for the sake of control. These discourses constitute individuals as singular and self-enterprising subjects with biomechanical bodies and an innate efficacy for free choice and control. This constitution responsibilises the subjects for the management of conducts and relations around alcohol-related risks, conceived as inherently harmful, anterior to knowledge and discourse, and exogen

Urban flooding is a major challenge for many megacities in low-elevation coastal zones (LECZs), especially in Southeast Asia. In these regions, the effects of environmental stressors overlap with rapid urbanization, which significantly aggravates the hazard potential. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in southern Vietnam is a prime example of this set of problems and therefore a suitable case study to apply the concept of low-regret disaster risk adaptation as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In order to explore and evaluate potential options of hazard mitigation, a hydro-numerical model was employed to scrutinize the effectiveness of two adaptation strategies: (1) a classic flood protection scheme including a large-scale ring dike as currently constructed in HCMC and (2) the widespread installation of small-scale rainwater detention as envisioned in the framework of the Chinese Sponge City Program (SCP). A third adaptation scenario (3) assesses the combination of both approaches (1) and (2). From a hydrological point of view, the reduction in various flood intensity proxies that were computed within this study suggests that large-scale flood protection is comparable but slightly more effective than small-scale rainwater storage: for instance, the two adaptation options could reduce the normalized flood severity index (INFS), which is a measure combining flood depth and duration, by 17.9 % and 17.7 %, respectively. The number of flood-prone manufacturing firms that would be protected after adaptation, in turn, is nearly 2 times higher for the ring dike than for the Sponge City approach. However, the numerical results also reveal that both response options can be implemented in parallel, not only without reducing their individual effectiveness but also complementarily with considerable added value. Additionally, from a governance perspective, decentralized rainwater storage conforms ideally to the low-regret paradigm: while the existing large-sc

Viet Nam has a coastline of 3,200 km with thousands of islands providing diverse habitats for benthic harmful algal species including species of Gambierdiscus. Some of these species produce ciguatera toxins, which may accumulate in large carnivore fish potentially posing major threats to public health. This study reports five species of Gambierdiscus from Vietnamese waters, notably G. australes, G. caribaeus, G. carpenteri, G. pacificus, and G. vietnamensis sp. nov. All species are identified morphologically by LM and SEM, and identifications are supported by molecular analyses of nuclear rDNA (D1–D3 and D8–D10 domains of LSU, SSU, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) based on cultured material collected during 2010–2021. Statistical analyses of morphometric measurements may be used to differentiate some species if a sufficiently large number of cells are examined. Gambierdiscus vietnamensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to other strongly reticulated species, such as G. belizeanus and possibly G. pacificus; the latter species is morphologically indistinguishable from G. vietnamensis sp. nov., but they are genetically distinct, and molecular analysis is deemed necessary for proper identification of the new species. This study also revealed that strains denoted G. pacificus from Hainan Island (China) should be included in G. vietnamensis sp. nov.

Viet Nam is challenged by extensive marine plastic pollution, however, remediation efforts are hampered by undefined sources to the coastal environment. This study surveyed the abundance, type, and source of beached plastic litter at seven beaches along the coast of Nha Trang, Viet Nam. A total of 4754 beached plastic litter items (>2 cm) yielded a mean abundance of 19.8 ± 19.5 items m-2 corresponding to 116 ± 226 g DW m-2. Our results demonstrate that plastic litter related to fishing and aquaculture constituted at least 62 % of the total by weight and 38 % by number, showing that these two sectors are responsible for a significant part of the plastic pollution along the coast. Hence, we argue that improved management of the fishing and aquaculture sectors could substantially reduce marine plastic pollution along Viet Nam's coast.

Vietnam is among the top countries in the world at risk of natural hazards so that efficient real-time environment monitoring is becoming essential. The continuous development in information and communication technology is inspiring the development of the smart monitoring systems for environmental management and protection. This paper presents an energy efficient, long range sensor system for Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart environment monitoring and early warning. The proposed system combines the novel energy efficient temperature. Beat sensors integrated with the LoRaWAN communication protocol and web interface. The experimental results are achieved to clarify the efficiency of the proposed sensor system and its potential applications in the real systems.

Viet Nam has a coastline of 3200 km with thousands of islands providing diverse habitats for benthic harmful algal species including species of Gambierdiscus. Some of these species produce ciguatera toxins, which may accumulate in large carnivore fish potentially posing major threats to public health. This study reports five species of Gambierdiscus from Vietnamese waters, notably G. australes, G. caribaeus, G. carpenteri, G. pacificus, and G. vietnamensis sp. nov. All species are identified morphologically by LM and SEM, and identifications are supported by molecular analyses of nuclear rDNA (D1–D3 and D8–D10 domains of LSU, SSU, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) based on cultured material collected during 2010–2021. Statistical analyses of morphometric measurements may be used to differentiate some species if a sufficiently large number of cells are examined. Gambierdiscus vietnamensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to other strongly reticulated species, such as G. belizeanus and possibly G. pacificus; the latter species is morphologically indistinguishable from G. vietnamensis sp. nov., but they are genetically distinct, and molecular analysis is deemed necessary for proper identification of the new species. This study also revealed that strains denoted G. pacificus from Hainan Island (China) should be included in G. vietnamensis sp. nov., Viet Nam has a coastline of 3200 km with thousands of islands providing diverse habitats for benthic harmful algal species including species of Gambierdiscus. Some of these species produce ciguatera toxins, which may accumulate in large carnivore fish potentially posing major threats to public health. This study reports five species of Gambierdiscus from Vietnamese waters, notably G. australes, G. caribaeus, G. carpenteri, G. pacificus, and G. vietnamensis sp. nov. All species are identified morphologically by LM and SEM, and identifications are supported by molecular analyses of nuclear rDNA (D1–D3 and D8–D10 domains of LSU, SSU, and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) based on cultured material collected during 2010–2021. Statistical analyses of morphometric measurements may be used to differentiate some species if a sufficiently large number of cells are examined. Gambierdiscus vietnamensis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to other strongly reticulated species, such as G. belizeanus and possibly G. pacificus; the latter species is morphologically indistinguishable from G. vietnamensis sp. nov., but they are genetically distinct, and molecular analysis is deemed necessary for proper identification of the new species. This study also revealed that strains denoted G. pacificus from Hainan Island (China) should be included in G. vietnamensis sp. nov.

Purpose: This article analyzes Vietnam's sustainable development strategy when participating in the Southeast Asian Community of Nations (ASEAN) based on 3 pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community. The admission of labour by member states participating in ASEAN's labour market will become a more cohesive political-economic entity, a community "united in diversity"; continue to be an open and important regional cooperation organization in the Asia-Pacific. Theoretical reference: The overall objective of the ASEAN Community is to build the Association into a deeper and more binding intergovernmental cooperation organization based on the legal basis of the ASEAN Charter; but not a supranational and non-closed organization that still expands cooperation with the outside. Methods: the article analyzes the factors affecting the outlook, the labour market in ASEAN has gradually transformed into an intergovernmental cooperation organization with a higher level of legal binding and deeper links but has not become a supranational organization. In that process, Vietnam's participation in the ASEAN labour market is an inevitable process of the ASEAN Economic Community. Results and conclusions: In the economic field, this is an area with important strides and is currently a driving force for accelerating the process of regional integration. Up to now, ASEAN has basically fulfilled its commitments on the formation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), with most tariff lines having been reduced to 0-5%. ASEAN has identified 12 priority areas for early integration to further boost intra-regional trade. Intra-regional trade currently reaches about US$300 billion and accounts for about 25 per cent of ASEAN's total trade. Vietnam's participation in the ASEAN Economic Community has favorable factors and challenges. Vietnam needs to improve policies in training high-quality human resources to meet labor standards in the ASEAN Economic

BackgroundA baseline of hepatitis C virus (HCV) burden and other HCV epidemiological profiles is necessary for HCV micro-elimination in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. This study aimed to determine HCV exposure and prevalence of HCV viremia as well as the proportion of HCV testing and treatment uptake among participants.MethodsFrom 2019 to 2020, the probability proportionate to size sampling method was deployed to representatively invite approximately 20,000 adults (18 or older) throughout HCMC to free screening and linkage to care for HCV.FindingsIn HCMC, the weighted prevalence of anti-HCV was 1·3% (95% CI, 1·1%-1·6%). Individuals born from 1945 to 1964 had the anti-HCV prevalence of 3·6% (95% CI, 3·0%-4·2%) and represented 40·4% of all HCV cases. There were wide variations in anti-HCV prevalence in HCMC, including variations between districts, risk factors, and socioeconomic statuses. A baseline HCV continuum of care for the city demonstrated that only 28·5% (85/298, 95%CI 23·4-33·7%) of persons with anti-HCV (+) were aware of their HCV status, with 77.6% (66/85, 95%CI 68·8-86·5%) diagnosing HCV incidentally, 82·7% (62/75, 95%CI 74·1-91·2%) initiating anti-HCV therapy, and 53.6% (30/56, 95%CI 40·5-66·6%) achieving HCV cures.InterpretationThere remains a considerable disease burden of HCV in HCMC of which a significant proportion was in the age group born between 1945 to 1964. Additionally, there were significant gaps in HCV awareness, screening, and access to care in the community in Viet Nam. Thus, future interventions must have pragmatic targets, be tailored to the local needs, and emphasise screening.FundingThis work was supported by investigator-sponsored research grants from Gilead Sciences Inc. (Grant No: IN-US-987-5382); Roche Diagnostic International Ltd. (Grant No. SUB-000196); and in-kind donations from Abbott Diagnostic Viet Nam; Hepatitis B Foundation; Medic Medical Center, Viet Nam; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Center of Excellenc

Fusarium is one of the most important fungal genera of plant pathogens that affect the cultivation of a wide range of crops. Agricultural losses caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) directly affect the income, subsistence, and nourishment of thousands of farmers worldwide. For Viet Nam, predictions on the impact of Foc for the future are dramatic, with an estimated loss in the banana production area of 8% within the next five years and up to 71% within the next 25 years. In the current study, we applied a combined morphological-molecular approach to assess the taxonomic identity and phylogenetic position of the different Foc isolates collected in northern Viet Nam. In addition, we aimed to estimate the proportion of the different Fusarium races infecting bananas in northern Viet Nam. The morphology of the isolates was investigated by growing the collected Fusarium isolates on four distinct nutritious media (PDA, SNA, CLA, and OMA). Molecular phylogenetic relationships were inferred by sequencing partial rpb1, rpb2, and tef1a genes and adding the obtained sequences into a phylogenetic framework. Molecular characterization shows that c. 74% of the Fusarium isolates obtained from infected banana pseudostem tissue belong to F. tardichlamydosporum. Compared to F. tardichlamydosporum, F. odoratissimum accounts for c.10% of the Fusarium wilt in northern Viet Nam, demonstrating that Foc TR4 is not yet a dominant strain in the region. Fusarium cugenangense - considered to cause Race 2 infections among bananas - is only found in c. 10% of the tissue material that was obtained from infected Vietnamese bananas. Additionally, one of the isolates cultured from diseased bananas was phylogenetically not positioned within the F. oxysporum species complex (FOSC), but in contrast, fell within the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC). As a result, a possible new pathogen for bananas may have been found. Besides being present on several ABB 'Tay banana', F. tardichlamy

Sourced breeders from domesticated broodstocks have played an essential role in the steady development of shrimp culture in many countries. In the present study, two experiments were performed in Tra Vinh province, Vietnam, to compare the culturing benefits of sourced breeding stocks from domesticated and non-domesticated Penaeus monodon broodstock. The first 90-day experiment was randomly arranged with three repetitions in six earthen ponds (1,500–2,000 m2). Experimental shrimp (PL12) were stocked at a density of 20 ind. m−2. The second experiment was randomly designed with three repetitions in six composite tanks (6.0 m3). PL15 of experimental shrimp were cultured at a density of 30 ind. m−2 for 120 days. Grobest pellet feed (40 % protein) was used in both experiments. At experiment termination, the mean weight (26.09 g) and length (15.68 cm) under pond culture, as well as respective values of 15.57 g, and 13.21 cm under tank culture, for D-shrimp were significantly higher than those of W-shrimp (p<0.05). Similarly, the survival rate (84.33 %), FCR (0.98), and yield (3,558 kg ha−1) under pond culture, as well as the survival rate (87.59 %) and yield (470 g m−3) under tank culture, of D-shrimp were significantly better than those of W-shrimp (p<0.05). These results prove that the grow-out culture of shrimp postlarvae from domesticated broodstocks resulted in superior performance to those from wild broodstocks.

My dissertation, Embodied Nonalignment: Vietnamese Diasporic Aesthetics and Cold War Mediations, is a transnational study of how contemporary Vietnamese and Vietnamese diasporic cultural productions mediate Cold War epistemologies through what I call an aesthetics of embodied nonalignment. Building on the legacy of the Non-Aligned Movement, my dissertation argues that nonalignment can be understood beyond its past origins as a nationalist venture characterized by internationalist state policies, alliances, and politics. Rather, my dissertation re-articulates nonalignment as an embodied diasporic method, reading practice, and epistemological critique of empire that can continue to respond to past, contemporary, and transnational dynamics of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity. As such, it draws on critical race, ethnic, and feminist studies methodologies to offer an eclectic archive of fine art by current Vietnamese and Vietnamese diasporic artists that use their art practice to unsettle the political terms, cartographies, and historiographies of empire in and in relation to Việt Nam. Borrowing from and pushing against certain dimensions of diplomatic history and art criticism, each chapter illuminates central analytics related to an aesthetics of embodied nonalignment by using a multi-sensorial and embodied hermeneutic that invokes the haptic, poetic, and sonic. Chapter One analyzes how independent filmmaker Nguyễn Trinh Thi cinematically uses the sense of touch to unsettle the history and ongoing project of Việt settler colonialism that continues to threaten Chăm lives. Chapter Two demonstrates how the poetic imaginaries created between the mixed-race descendants of Senegalese colonial soldiers and Vietnamese civilian women reveal the contours of French white supremacy and métissage noir in an art installation by multi-media artist Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn. Lastly, Chapter Three explores how installation artist Hương Ngô repurposes inter-generational stories of post-war Vie

STUDY QUESTION: Is one cycle of IVM non-inferior to one cycle of conventional in IVF with respect to live birth rates in women with high antral follicle counts (AFCs)? SUMMARY ANSWER: We could not demonstrate non-inferiority of IVM compared with IVF. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: IVF with ovarian hyperstimulation has limitations in some subgroups of women at high risk of ovarian stimulation, such as those with polycystic ovary syndrome. IVM is an alternative ART for these women. IVM may be a feasible alternative to IVF in women with a high AFC, but there is a lack of data from randomized clinical trials comparing IVM with IVF in women at high risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This single-center, randomized, controlled non-inferiority trial was conducted at an academic infertility center in Vietnam from January 2018 to April 2019. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: In total, 546 women with an indication for ART and a high AFC (>=24 follicles in both ovaries) were randomized to the IVM (n = 273) group or the IVF (n = 273) group; each underwent one cycle of IVM with a prematuration step versus one cycle of IVF using a standard gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist triggering. The primary endpoint was live birth rate after the first embryo transfer. The non-inferiority margin for IVM versus IVF was-10%. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Live birth after the first embryo transfer occurred in 96 women (35.2%) in the IVM group and 118 women (43.2%) in the IVF group (absolute risk difference-8.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI)-16.6%, 0.5%). Cumulative ongoing pregnancy rates at 12 months after randomization were 44.0% in the IVM group and 62.6% in the IVF group (absolute risk difference-18.7%; 95% CI-27.3%,-10.1%). Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome did not occur in the IVM group, versus two cases in the IVF group. There were no statistically significant differences between the

This research developed a theoretical framework to better understand the role and influence of social capital in ethnic minority communities, and elucidated how the social capital can promote community participation through social capital changes. In doing so, the research has laid a foundation for better engagement for ethnic minority population using social capital with a view to achieving better project planning and success of rural water supply projects in the developing country context and beyond.

Alcohol is a commonly used substance among Vietnamese medical students, especially males. Vietnamese male medical students drink more alcohol, report more intentions to binge drink, and experience more alcohol-related problems than females. As medical students’ alcohol consumption may influence their attitudes and medical practice relating to alcohol counseling and prevention, research about the cultural and drinking norms underlying the drinking behavior of Vietnamese male medical students is warranted. This study aims to explore the norms underlying drinking behavior of Vietnamese male medical students. A qualitative study including 32 in-depth interviews with Vietnamese male medical students at a medical university. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. This study found Vietnamese male medical students considered alcohol consumption as a way to show their masculinity and become accepted by groups. Given these beliefs and adherence to norms, they followed rules to force others to consume more alcohol or be intoxicated in drinking occasions among medical students. This study showed the importance of gender and group norms in influencing Vietnamese male medical students’ alcohol consumption. These norms should be considered in future research and interventions addressing alcohol use among this target population.

Viet Nam is ranked No 5 in global plastic waste contribution to the marine environment. The long coastline in Viet Nam provides a livelihood for millions of households as well as food security for the whole country. The use of plastics per capita increased nearly elevenfold, from 3.8 kg/person in 1990 to 41 kg/person in 2015. The two highly populated cities (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) alone generate 80 tonnes of plastic waste every day. Landfilling is the primary treatment method of solid waste while recycling is still limited. Tax for plastic bags exists, but implementation is not efficient. Application of Extended Producer Responsibility still faces many constraints. Regular monitoring and data collection related to the status of marine plastic waste pollution are inadequate. Moving forward Viet Nam needs to focus on a number of issues including strengthening the legislation, raising awareness, promoting research on innovative recycling technologies, and promoting international cooperation. This paper investigates current issues, challenges, and constraints in managing plastic waste in Viet Nam and makes recommendations for improvement. The paper utilises an unsystematic narrative overview as the research method.

Identification of species of the dinoflagellate genus Ostreopsis is difficult because several species have been poorly described, others misidentified in the literature, and the type species, O. siamensis, has not been described by contemporary taxonomic methods. In the present study, it is argued that Ostreopsis sp. 6 as described by previous authors is similar to the type species, and we offer an emended description of O. siamensis by LM, SEM, and molecular analyses of nuclear LSU and ITS rDNA based on material collected a few hundred kilometers from the type locality in the Gulf of Thailand and along the Vietnamese east coast. Ostreopsis siamensis is genetically different from the species reported as O. cf. siamensis in the literature and the latter should be described as a separate species. It is also concluded that with the poor knowledge of the morphological variability of many species of Ostreopsis, O. siamensis may not be distinguished from other similar-sized species by its morphological features, and hence molecular data are needed for reliable identification. The species Ostreopsis lenticularis and Ostreopsis cf. ovata were also found and described.

With increased burden of malnutrition on global health, there is a need to set clear and transparent priorities for action in food systems at a global and local level. While priority settings methods are available for several adjacent domains, such as nutrition and health policies, setting priorities for food system research has not been documented and streamlined. The challenges involve food systems' multisector, multi-stakeholder and multi-outcome nature. Where data exists, it is not easy to aggregate data from across food system dimensions and stakeholders to make an informed analysis of the overall picture of the food system, as well as current and potential food system trade-offs to inform research and policy. Once research priorities are set, they risk staying on paper and never make their ways to concrete outputs and outcomes. In this paper, we documented and assessed the inclusive process of setting research priorities for a local food system, taking Vietnamese food systems as a case study. From this exercise, we examined how priority setting for food systems research could learn from and improve upon earlier priority setting research practices in other domains. We discussed the lessons for research and policies in local food systems, such as the need for a concrete follow-up plan accompanying the priority setting process.

There is limited evidence on food environment in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and the application of food environment frameworks and associated metrics in such settings. Our study examines how food environment varies across an urban-peri-urban-rural gradient from three sites in North Viet Nam and its relationship with child undernutrition status and household consumption of processed food. By comparing three food environments, we present a picture of the food environment in a typical emerging economy with specific features such as non-market food sources (own production and food transfers) and dominance of the informal retail sector. We combined quantitative data (static geospatial data at neighborhood level and household survey) and qualitative data (in-depth interviews with shoppers). We found that across the three study sites, traditional open and street markets remain the most important outlets for respondents. Contrary to the common concern that urban households are the major consumers of processed foods, peri-urban and rural areas on average had higher consumption of ultra-processed foods than in urban areas. The low price levels of processed foods and the presence of processed foods even among the traditional convenience stores, those in closest proximity to the rural households, offer potential explanations of this result. Regarding undernutrition, low retail diversity and a household’s dependence on own production have important implications for the high prevalence of child undernutrition in rural areas. Our findings add to the current discussion on the critical role of the food environment on nutrition, such as the potential link between economic marginalization and access to food, and the role of food supply channels in consumption of processed foods.

When it comes to basic rights of the fetus, including the right to life, theoretical studies around the world on human rights of the fetus still have not reached an agreement on approaches and explanation. Criminal law at the international and national levels still leaves the possibility of protecting the unborn child. Viet Nam’s criminal law is no exception to this trend. In addition, Viet Nam is currently facing human trafficking with new methods and tricks. Children are bought and paid for while still in the womb, then born abroad and given to traffickers. Children are only protected by criminal law for human trafficking if they are born, alive, and detected by the authorities. While the act of trafficking in fetuses is often easily detected by the authorities right from the stage of purchasing and paying, it is not feasible to prosecute this act for human trafficking under the criminal law of Viet Nam. This reduces the criminal law’s ability to suppress crime, at the same time, leaves many fetuses unprotected. Should criminal law be left outside the legal mechanism to protect children while in the fetal stage? This article suggests considering fetus trafficking as a form of human trafficking and to criminalize fetus trafficking. Criminal law should recognize fetus trafficking as a sign of crime or an early stage in the criminal process of human trafficking, because children need special care and protection, including appropriate legal protection before and after birth, due to their physical and mental immaturity.

Ensuring that " No child is left behind", Vietnamese government has developed more effective and equitable social and economic policies to protect children affected by domestic, school and community violence, especially in social work field over the past decade. This article aims to reflect on the pros and cons of implementing policies related to protect children from violence through the perceptions of local social workers, based on the policy analysis and a qualitative survey involving 30 participants, conducted in 2020. It outlines a framework for practising social work with children, focusing national policies to protect children affected by various forms of violence in the current Vietnamese context. Secondly, the paper examines the awareness of local social workers of those policies and how they performed child protection in three areas: home, school and community. Subsequently, how advantages and disadvantages of performing social work in this domain will be shown for policy recommendation.

The objective of this study was to determine the β-CN phenotypes in cow milk collected from HF and cross-bred HF dairy cattle in Phu Dong, Vietnam. In total, 85 samples of raw milk were collected from 85 individual cows. Beta-casein (β-CN) phenotypes in cow milk were determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). The results showed that three β-CN variants A1, A2 and I were detected and identified in the milk samples. Five β-CN phenotypes A1A1, A1A2, A1I, A2A2 and A2I were found with percentages of 0.035, 0.400, 0.059, 0.482 and 0.024, respectively. The higher proportion of β-CN phenotype A2A2 compared to other phenotypes was expected because of changes in dairy cow breeding in Phu Dong, Vietnam.

In the early 2000s, HIV surveillance in Viet Nam indicated that female sex workers (FSW) were among key populations with highest HIV infection rates. However, data on risk factors for HIV infection to inform prevention programs were limited. Data on HCV prevalence among FSW were scarce but suggested elevated burden in some regions of the country. Between 2004 and 2010, efforts were intensified nationwide to control HIV infection among FSW, and a series of cross-section surveys were conducted; in 2015 a national response was initiated to address high hepatitis C virus (HCV) burden. This thesis aimed to evaluate and inform HIV and HCV prevention among FSW in Viet Nam using empirical data from surveys and integrated analysis with program data. In Chapters 3 and 4, we report high HIV and HCV prevalence and up to 14% active HIV and HCV co-infection in urban settings. Strong associations between injection and non-injection drug use with both infections support the need for a comprehensive HIV and HCV prevention package addressing substance use risks among FSW. Inconsistent condom use was identified as an additional risk factor for HIV in provinces with HIV prevalence ≥10%, but not in provinces with <10% prevalence among street- and venue-based FSW, where only injection drug use was a significant behavioral risk factor. In Chapter 6, we synthesized four surveys conducted across 13 years and programmatic data collected over 23 years in Ho Chi Minh City, where HIV burden is highest. The scale and intensity of program coverage was low by global standards, even during peak funding and intervention coverage, and there was a clear lack of attention to substance use risks. Condom use and HIV testing uptake levels remained low across all years. Only knowledge about HIV transmission risks and perceived risk of infection reflected the scale of these interventions. The key behavioral determinants of consistent condom use were related to substance use, specifically daily alcohol intak

Background: An essential strategy to reduce mortality and disability after stroke is to ensure access to evidence-based care. In developed countries, it has been shown that if hospitals improve the quality of care, the impact of stroke is attenuated. However, in developing countries, data on the processes of care and associated patient outcomes are scarce. We examined the care processes and outcomes among patients with acute stroke from a stroke unit in a major public hospital in Vietnam whereby there are approximately 15,000 hospital admissions for stroke per year. Method(s): We included first-ever strokes admitted to the 115 People's Hospital (June 2017-March 2018). Data were collected in the Registry of Stroke Care Quality which is used in >50 countries. Baseline characteristics, stroke-related factors (e.g., type and severity), processes of care (e.g., thrombolysis), and outcomes at discharge were examined including mortality and functional outcome, assessed as the walking ability without assistance. Result(s): Data were available for 6601 patients with first-ever stroke (44% women, 80% ischemic stroke [IS], median age: 62 years, interquartile range [IQR]: 53-72) who received stroke unit care. The median time from stroke onset to hospital arrival was 15.7 hours (IQR: 5.6-37.5). At admission, the median National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score indicating stroke severity was 7 (IQR: 4-12). Among those with IS, 9% received intravenous thrombolysis. Over 90% of the participants received recommended process of care including dysphasia screening (99%), antihypertensive agents (92%), cholesterol-lowering medication (IS = 99%), and antithrombotic medication (IS = 98%). At discharge (median length of stay: 4 days, IQR: 3-6), 3% of all cases died and 46% were able to walk independently. Advanced age, stroke severity, and not receiving antihypertensive agent(s) were contributing factors to mortality and poorer functional outcome. Conclusion(s): There was a considera

This thesis found binge drinking behaviour was not an extensive problem among Vietnamese medical students but identified various factors and beliefs underlying riskier binge drinking intentions for some students, especially gender, group norms of friends, and role identity as future doctors. Alcohol-related training was an 'add-on' to the Vietnamese current medical curriculum. Stronger educational activities related to alcohol were suggested to consider for future revisions of the medical curriculum. More attention is needed to address the drinking behaviours of doctors, especially surgeons and preventive medicine doctors, and medical students in their transition to becoming future doctors in these specialities.

Vietnam's forests have experienced a notable transformation over the past 20 years from net deforestation to reforestation and expanding forests. Continued reforestation that aims to achieve further economic and environmental benefits remains a national priority and strategy. We explore the current status of plantation forests and highlight possible means to facilitate their expansion in the uplands of Vietnam. We employ mixed method triangulation to empirically explore plantation forests and their economic role in household livelihood, to quantify trade-offs between plantation forests and shifting cultivation, and to assess the constraints on plantation forest expansion in Nghe An province, north-central Vietnam. Results show that forest in the study area expanded by 406,000 ha (71.1%) between 1990 and 2016. Plantation forests increased by nearly 500% (from 32,000 ha to 190,000 ha), while natural forests expanded by 48.1% (from 538,000 ha to 797,000 ha). Plantation forests contributed an average of 35.1 percent of total household income in wealthier households and 27.9 percent of income in poor households. Switching from shifting cultivation to plantation forests would increase total household income and average carbon stock but decrease food provision. Total Economic Value would be higher for plantation forest scenarios if increased carbon stocks in plantations can be monetized. This carbon income might drive conversion of shifting cultivation to plantation forests. Constraints on further expansion of plantation forest are low external cooperation, education, market stability, and agroforestry extension services. Our empirical results inform national plantation forest development, sustainable upland livelihood development, and climate change mitigation programs to ultimately facilitate forest transition and improve the resilience and sustainability of socio-ecological systems. © 2020 by the authors.

The hydro-and morphodynamic processes within the Vietnamese Mekong Delta are heavily impacted by human activity, which in turn affects the livelihood of millions of people. The main drivers that could impact future developments within the delta are local stressors like hydropower development and sand mining, but also global challenges like climate change and relative sea level rise. Within this study, a hydro-morphodynamic model was developed, which focused on a stretch of the Tien River and was nested into a well-calibrated model of the delta's hydrodynamics. Multiple scenarios were developed in order to assess the projected impacts of the different drivers on the river's morphodynamics. Simulations were carried out for a baseline scenario (2000-2010) and for a set of plausible scenarios for a future period (2050-2060). The results for the baseline scenario indicate that the Tien River is already subject to substantial erosion under present-day conditions. For the future period, hydropower development has the highest impact on the local erosion and deposition budget, thus amplifying erosional processes, followed by an increase in sand mining activity and climate change-related variations in discharge. The results also indicate that relative sea level rise only has a minimal impact on the local morphodynamics of this river stretch, while erosional tendencies are slowed by a complete prohibition of sand mining activity. In the future, an unfavourable combination of drivers could increase the local imbalance between erosion and deposition by up to 89%, while the bed level could be incised by an additional 146%. © 2020 by the authors.

Viet Nam is the world's fifth largest producer of pork meat. Salmonella is frequently found at farm level; however, risk factors for Salmonella infection in pigs have not been thoroughly investigated in the production system. In the current study, 123 commercial feed samples were obtained from 103 small, medium and large-scale pig farms in Viet Nam and investigated for the presence of Salmonella in 25 g of feed using the ISO 6579:2002/Cor 1:2004 method. Salmonella was detected in five samples (4.1%; 95% CI 1.75–9.16%). All five samples were found to contain S. Weltevreden as the only serovar. The isolates were subjected to phenotypic and whole genome sequencing analysis for further characterization. They all belonged to ST365 and were sensitive to the 14 antimicrobials tested. Four strains were found to belong to the continental lineage of S. Weltevreden, while one isolate was of the island type. This isolate, contrary to the remaining four isolates contained a prophage homolog to the Vibrio prophage X-29. The findings of only S. Weltevreden, which is often isolated from fish and aquatic samples, suggests that fishmeal used in the feed preparation was a likely source of contamination.

Viet Nam's Central Highlands are a priority region for its National REDD+ Action Plan (NRAP) to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation but are under strong pressures from rubber and coffee production and expansion into forests, and future climate stress. This research explores to what extent REDD+ and sectoral policy interventions have addressed both the direct and underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in this region, with particular focus on the actors and scales that policy interventions must reach to affect driver pressure. National-level policy responses to driver pressures are assessed, with the results indicating poor correlations between the direct drivers and related underlying drivers. The research proposes a framework to guide the policy design and evaluation of response options to enable identification of the causal connections between direct and underlying drivers, and consider future pressures, which actors to target (or not miss) and which scales are best suited for interventions (from international to national, sub-national and local). This is highly relevant for countries pursuing forest and land use sector solutions through Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement and REDD+.

Objective: IVM has been proposed as an alternative to IVF for women at increased risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) due to a high antral follicle count (AFC) and/or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Here, we compare the effectiveness and safety of one IVM and one IVF cycle in women with infertility and high AFC. Design(s): A single-center noninferiority randomized controlled trial (NCT03405701) in Vietnam. Material(s) and Method(s): Women scheduled for assisted reproductive technology (ART) with an AFC>=24 were randomized (1:1 ratio) to IVM or IVF. In the IVM group, oocyte pick-up was performed 42 hours after the last injection of highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (hp-hMG) 150 IU/day; all oocytes were cultured in capacitation pre-maturation medium for 24 h and then transferred to maturation culture for 30 h. Women allocated to IVF underwent ovarian stimulation using a hp-hMG/gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol and oocytes were retrieved 36 h after GnRH agonist trigger. In both groups, mature oocytes were fertilized using intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and all embryos were frozen on day 3; <=2 embryos were transferred in a subsequent frozen cycle. The primary outcome was live birth after first embryo transfer of the started treatment cycle. The planned sample size was 546, assuming an expected live birth rate of 45% in the IVF group, a noninferiority margin of -10%, 90% power and 15% loss to follow-up. While follow-up for live birth is ongoing, we report ongoing pregnancy in this abstract. Result(s): Between January 2018 and December 2018, we randomized 546 women (273 in each group). Baseline characteristics were comparable (mean age 30 years, BMI 22 kg/m2). The ongoing pregnancy rates after the first embryo transfer were 38% and 46%, respectively (difference -8.1% [-16.7%, 0.6%]). Other fertility outcomes after first embryo transfer were also not statistically significant between the groups (Table). All laboratory o

Background and Aims: In developed countries, women appear to receive evidence-based care less often than men. Whether there are sex differences in stroke care and outcomes in developing countries is uncertain. Method(s):We included consecutive strokes admitted to the 115 People's Hospital - a major metropolitan public hospital in Vietnam during Jun 2017-Mar 2018. The data were collected using the REgistry of Stroke Care Quality (RES-Q). Baseline characteristics, clinical care provided in hospital (e.g. stroke unit access, thrombolysis), and outcomes at discharge (mortality and functional outcome assessed by the ability to walk without assistance) were compared between sexes. Result(s): Data were available for 6,601 strokes (44% women, 81% ischemic stroke). Compared to men, women were older (mean age 65 vs 60 years), less often current smokers (16% vs 63%) and had more atrial fibrillation detected by screening (12% vs men 8%; all p values<0.001). More women had assessment for rehabilitation needs <=72 hours (35% vs 31%, p=0.022) or carotid investigation <=7 days after hospital admission (4% vs 6%, p=0.041). There were no differences in receipt of other clinical care between sexes (Figure). Women had somewhat greater inhospital mortality 3.4% vs 2.7%; p=0.139) and lesser ability to walk on discharge (47% vs 44%; p=0.031) than men, but the differences were small and not influenced by the clinical care received. Conclusion(s): Generally, men and women with acute stroke received equivalent hospital care. Outcomes at discharge did not differ by sex. Nonetheless, uncertainty exists over the sex differences in long-term outcomes, requiring longer-term follow-ups. (Figure Presented).

This paper aims to contribute to the growing literature on the potential benefits of the Internet on rural livelihoods. We estimate the relationship between Internet access and agricultural production in rural Viet Nam using a panel dataset from 2008–2012. This is a time span during which Internet access increased substantially and government‐run and private online outlets providing information about agriculture started to operate. Our findings suggest that Internet access is associated with a 6.8% higher volume of total agricultural output. We find that this result is manifested through more efficient use of fertilizer. Our findings are stronger for younger households. The less developed northern provinces have benefited the most from the arrival of the Internet. The results are weaker in the case of rice, which is related to strong government involvement in rice production and prices.

We are pleased to bring you a new set of articles covering different aspects of the transborder, transnational phenomena with a focus on marketing and consumption in this seventh volume of Transnational Marketing Journal. The Journal’s content is now listed in Elsevier’s ranking and indexing service SCOPUS. Articles published in the journal from 2018 onwards, now can be found in the SCOPUS database. We have also submitted the content to several other ranking agencies and panels around the world and hoping that the work of our authors, editors, and reviewers to maintain a standard will be acknowledged by more platforms soon. In the last twelve months, Transnational Marketing Journal has supported several specialist conferences, and as a result, an upsurge in the number of articles submitted witnessed. This coincides with the indexing successes mentioned above too.

Alcohol use is common among Vietnamese students. Previous qualitative findings showed Vietnamese medical students believed they were not binge drinkers while reporting many binge drinking occasions they participated in or witnessed. This dichotomy warrants examination. This study aims to establish drinking patterns and examine the factors underlying Vietnamese medical students' binge drinking intention and behaviour. This study used a prospective-correlational design, with two waves of data collection, drawing from established health behaviour models. At Time 1, 206 students completed the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, the standard Theory of Planned Behaviour measures (attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control) and their underlying beliefs, as well as group norm, role identity, drinking culture and past binge drinking behaviour. At Time 2, 156 medical students reported their binge drinking behaviour 2 weeks later. Only 6.8% of participants were classified as problematic drinkers and few participants reported binge drinking occasions at the 2-week follow-up. Perceived behavioural control, friends' group norms, role identity as future doctors, and past behaviour significantly predicted binge drinking intentions and key beliefs were identified. This study indicated Vietnamese medical students' limited engagement with binge drinking and identified key factors to address for those with risky drinking behaviour intentions.

Over the last years, the conventional agricultural system has increasingly been pointed out as one of the most problematic sector for the environment and the global public health. At the same time, the organic farming sector has more and more been presented as a sustainable answer to that problem. However, its implementation comes with numerous challenges, such as the procuration of a third-party based organic farming certification which is too costly for small-scale farmers. Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) can be a good alternative to that since they are local, voluntary-based processes of monitoring and evaluation of food production and therefore enable a low-priced transition towards organic farming. In this thesis, I will argue that such self-organized community systems can also enable the strengthening of social links within a community and participation in the public life. This research aims at analyzing the social impacts that PGSs have had on the development of organic farming and will take the Vietnamese PGSs as a focus. The findings show that participatory guarantee systems have had the following social impacts on the community they were implemented in; they enhanced participation in the community’s life and build trustful relationship between the community’s members, thus offering an efficient alternative where the Vietnamese organic farming regime has failed in its lack of involvement of the different actors within the safe food certification process and its lack of trust-building social relationships between them.

Aim: Low-dietary intake is a common problem and cause of malnutrition during hospitalisation. This study aims to determine the current dietary intake and food sources of hospitalised adults in Ho Chi Minh City. Methods: Participants were adult patients from six general public hospitals in a multi-site survey undertaken in 2016. Dietary intakes for all foods consumed in the previous day were collected via interview using the 24 hours recall method. Nutritional status was assessed using Subjective Global Assessment or BMI. Results: Data were collected from 887 participants. Most food consumed in hospital was from non-regulated foodservices. Food was self-provided and home-cooked (27.7%), bought from outside the hospital (13.6%), from the hospital canteen (16.8%) or a combination of these (39.4%). Only 1.3% of food was provided by the hospital. Energy intakes were very low with a median of 3550 kJ/day; and only 4.2% of participants met 100% of their energy requirements. Decreased appetite, fullness or restrictions due to medical indications were the most common reasons for low-dietary intake. Malnourished participants were 2.2 times more likely to have low-dietary intake compared to well-nourished participants. Conclusions: Non-regulated foodservices in hospital were not able to meet the dietary requirements of patients leading to hospital malnutrition. Standardisation of food from on-site canteens, covering meal costs from universal medical insurance, and developing guides for food provisioning for patients’ families are potential solutions to improve patient nutritional status.

Drought is a climatic event regarding prolonged "drier than normal" conditions. Precipitation deficits, crop-moisture stress, soil-water unbalance, sudden stream flow cut-offs and low carrying capacity of ecosystems are responses to drought. Drought can occur in humid to arid climates, however, drought is more severe in arid and semi-arid areas due to the fact that in those distinctive areas, water resources are extremely limited and restricted. Additionally, local ecologies and ecosystems in arid regions are very fragile. Once a water competition occurs, critical services of ecosystems such as pure water, recreation, and land productivity will be threatened. This research focuses on prolonged drought events that have been occurring more frequently in a coastal province of South Central Vietnam – named Binh Thuan. The study area is distinctive because its climate is characterized as one of the driest provinces in Vietnam. Annual rainfall in the North and near the coast of the province is less than 800 mm per year. During 6 months of dry season, there is almost no rain, or less than 50 mm. Due to precipitation deficits and high surface temperatures in recent years, meteorological droughts have occurred more frequently, and lasted longer, thereby stressing water resources for vegetation, wildlife, households, and industry. The occurrence of prolonged droughts has constrained economic activities in the coastal areas, especially agriculture and aquaculture. Furthermore, a long duration of dry conditions coupled with unsustainable land management (such as overgrazing), "drought-sensitive" soils in areas with sand and barren lands may introduce and accelerate risks of desertification processes (land productivity deterioration and unable to recover). This research uses geospatial technologies to monitor drought severity and drought impacts on land use and land cover. Chapter 1 is a brief introduction and literature review of the drought context in Binh Thuan Province to pl

The fisheries sector in Viet Nam is encountering several difficulties, especially in terms of the management and monitoring of its fishing vessels that could have led to their continued engagement in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and consequently resulted in the issuance of a “yellow card” by the European Union (EU). The installation of vessel monitoring system (VMS) on fishing vessels has been recommended as one of the essential actions to address the concerns on continued IUU fishing activities, ensure that fishing operations are sustainable, and improve the maritime safety of the fishing vessels and crew. A pilot research study was carried out to assess the impacts of installing VMS on the offshore fishing vessels of Khanh Hoa Province, by making use of the “BlueTraker” VMS device which was chosen from among the many devices available in the market. The results of the study showed that: i) the percentage level of the message transmittal using this VMS device based on national regulations was from 85.5% to 97.3%; ii) the VMS terminals have low power consumption and no impact on the other equipment used onboard the fishing vessels, and is flexible as direct power or backup battery could be used when needed (within 3 full days); iii) the cost of the VMS device is lower compared with other devices for the same purpose so that the concerned fishers expressed their willingness to equip their fishing vessels with such device upon approval by the national fisheries authorities to manage and provide counterpart support, and issuance of other relevant policies; and iv) more than 80% of fisherrespondents were satisfied with the performance of the “BlueTraker” VMS device as a whole. Since it is necessary to combat IUU fishing activities of the country’s fisheries sector, and considering that installation of VMS is one of the measures to address such concern, the use of the VMS device should be required for all offshore fishing vessels throughou

Using a rich panel dataset of small and medium scale manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) active in the manufacturing sector in Viet Nam, this paper investigates the drivers of firm productivity, focusing on the role played by international management standards certification. We test the hypothesis that, accounting for technological innovation (product and process) and other variables related to technological capabilities, international standards are conducive to higher productivity, through improved management practices and business organization. In line with the requirement of continuous improvement implied by most international standards, the main findings show that the possession of an internationally recognized standard certificate leads to significant productivity premium. We further find that the effect of certification on productivity is particularly strong for firms with technological innovation, located in southern provinces, and operating in more scale-intensive industries.

Sommes-nous entrés dans l’ère du plastique ?L’Anthropocène est-il un Plasticocène ?Les enjeux écologiques contemporains nous invitent à porter un regard critique et sensible sur les matières plastiques de synthèse qui ont progressivement investi notre vie quotidienne durant le XXème siècle. Depuis la fin des années 1980, la République Socialiste du Viêt Nam s’est ouverte au commerce international et a adopté un modèle de production et de consommation de masse. Suivre les plastiques nous permet de raconter l’histoire de ce « Renouveau » vietnamien (Đổi mới), une transformation accélérée du régime autoritaire autant que de la vie ordinaire dans les petites et grandes villes du pays. Cette thèse questionne le devenir déchet de ces matières issues de l’extraction des hydrocarbures et leur rapport avec les humains, dans un contexte d’emballement plastique. Elle est constituée d’une série de six plasti-cités, qui sont à la fois des lieux physiques – petites villes et métropoles – et des communautés politiques hybrides. Dans la cité, les humains ne sont jamais seuls. Observer les matières, les choses, les êtres, autrement dit, les non-humains, permet de réfléchir aux principes structurant la vie en commun. Ces plasti-cités sont également des écritures :elles proposent de rendre compte textuellement et plastiquement d’enquêtes de terrain menées au Viêt Nam depuis 2011. La démarche est sensible et fondée sur l’expérience. La narration qui en résulte cherche à construire un équilibre entre éthique et esthétique scientifique, depuis une perspective chiffonnière., Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales, Au sein du manuscrit, les lecteurs trouveront des liens vers des fichiers multimédia qui font partie intégrante de la thèse., info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) has been an important public health challenge in Viet Nam and worldwide. This study was implemented in 2016-2017 using retrospective secondary data to explore associations between monthly DF/DHF cases and climate variables during 2008 to 2015. There were 48 175 DF/DHF cases reported, and the highest number of cases occurred in November. There were significant correlations between monthly DF/DHF cases with monthly mean of evaporation (r = 0.236, P < .05), monthly relative humidity (r = −0.358, P < .05), and monthly total hours of sunshine (r = 0.389, P < .05). The results showed significant correlation in lag models but did not find direct correlations between monthly DF/DHF cases and monthly average rainfall and temperature. The study recommended that health staff in Hanoi should monitor DF/DHF cases at the beginning of epidemic period, starting from May, and apply timely prevention and intervention measures to avoid the spreading of the disease in the following months. A larger scale study for a longer period of time and adjusting for other potential influencing factors could better describe the correlations, modelling/projection, and developing an early warning system for the disease, which is important under the impacts of climate change and climate variability.

PurposeFollowing interventions against trachoma in Viet Nam, impact surveys conducted in 2003-2011 suggested that trachoma was no longer a public health problem. In 2014, we undertook surveillance surveys to estimate prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) and trichiasis.MethodsA population-based prevalence survey was undertaken in 11 evaluation units (EUs) encompassing 24 districts, using Global Trachoma Mapping Project methods. A two-stage cluster sampling design was used in each EU, whereby 20 clusters and 60 children per cluster were sampled. Consenting eligible participants (children aged 1-9 years and adults aged ≥50 years) were examined for trachoma.ResultsA total of 9391 households were surveyed, and 20,185 participants (98.8% of those enumerated) were examined for trachoma. EU-level TF prevalence in 1-9-year-olds ranged from 0% to 1.6%. In one cluster (in Hà Giang Province), the percentage of children with TF was 10.3%. The overall pattern of cluster-level percentages of children with TF, however, was consistent with an exponential distribution, which would be consistent with trachoma disappearing. Among people aged ≥50 years, prevalence of trichiasis by EU ranged from 0% to 0.75%; these estimates are equivalent to 0-0.13% in all ages. The prevalence of trichiasis unknown to the health system among people aged ≥50 years, by EU, ranged from 0% to 0.17%, which is equivalent to 0-0.03% in all ages.ConclusionFindings suggest that trachoma is no longer a public health problem in any of the 11 EUs surveyed. However, given the high proportion of children with TF in one cluster in Hà Giang Province, further investigations will be undertaken.

Mortuary rituals constitute the social nature of death and mourning, often working to ease painful transitions for the deceased and bereaved. In Vietnam, such rituals involve objects, including commodified yet personalized text-artifacts like banners and placards bearing inscriptions in various scripts that are associated with various affects and different political-economic regimes. The material, orthographic, semantic, spatial, and temporal organization of these text-artifacts mobilize sentiments and structure ethical relations at a funeral. Together, they act as prescriptive affordances intended to discipline mourners’ grief. Yet while these objects reflect how subjects valorize “tradition,” their affective force exceeds the bounded subjunctive world fostered by ritual, and it may retrospectively limit possibilities for moral personhood.