Enhanced electrosorption of NaCl and nickel(II) in capacitive deionization by CO2 activation coconut-shell activated carbon

Huynh Le Thanh Nguyen,Tran Thanh Nhut,Ho Thi Thanh Nguyen,Le Xuan Hoa,Le Viet Hai,Nguyen Thai Hoang 한국탄소학회 2022 Carbon Letters Vol.32 No.6

Enhancing the capacitive deionization performance requires the inner structure expansion of porous activated carbon to facilitate the charge storage and electrolyte penetration. This work aimed to modify the porosity of coconut-shell activated carbon (AC) through CO2 activation at high temperature. The electrochemical performance of CO2-activated AC electrodes was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which exhibited that AC-800 had the superior performance with the highest capacitance of 112 F/g at the rate of 0.1 A/g and could operate for up to 4000 cycles. Furthermore, in the capacitive deionization, AC-800 showed salt removal of 9.15 mg/g with a high absorption rate of 2.8 mg/g min and Ni(II) removal of 5.32 mg/g with a rate close to 1 mg/g.min. The results promote the potential application of CO2-activated AC for desalination as well as Ni-removal through capacitance deionization (CDI) technology.

Factors Affecting Enterprise's Satisfaction toward Social Security's Online Public Service: The Case of Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

NGO, Chi Thanh,NGUYEN, Thi Ngoc Mai,NGUYEN, Duy Dat,LE, Hoang Ba Huyen,LE, Van Cuong,LE, Thi Binh Korea Distribution Science Association 2020 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.7 No.9

The study aims to investigate factors affecting enterprise's satisfaction and loyalty toward the Social Security's online public services, looking at the case of Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. This study employs samples with 216 enterprises that use online public system of Thanh Hoa province's Social Security. The research model is closely linked to the SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988). We propose 23 scales that constitute the quality of service, three scales that constitute Customer Satisfaction and three components that constitute Customer Loyalty. This study use the tool of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Cronbach's Alpha test, Confirm Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in order to address the question of satisfaction and loyalty. The result shows that the factor with the most impact is Reliability, next is Capacity of staffs, Tangibles, Attitude of staffs, and the least impacting factor is Empathy; moreover, the results also show that Satisfaction has a strong impact on Customer Loyalty. The findings of this study suggest that Thanh Hoa province's Social Security should: (i) strengthen the reliability of online service system; (ii) build capacity for staffs; (iii) develop the responsiveness of electronic transactions systems; and (iv) improve the empathy of staffs.

Customer Satisfaction in Hotel Services: A Case Study of Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

LE, Quang Hieu,NGUYEN, Thanh Xuan Thi,LE, Thanh Thuy Thi Korea Distribution Science Association 2020 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.7 No.10

The study examines the influence of factors on customer satisfaction in hotel services in Thanh Hoa province of Vietnam. In terms of the tangible facilities of hotels, customers appreciate the availability and the full range of equipment and additional services, as the 3-to-5-star hotels in Thanh Hoa province are almost new, built in the last five years - 7 of 13 hotels were built in 2015. In the process of measuring the effect of factors on satisfaction in hotel services there, the researchers conducted exploratory factor analysis, reliability test, correlation and regression to confirm the relationships of factors. Based on a survey of 380 respondents, the test results showed that the proposed factors have positive impacts on consumer satisfaction; they are: perceived quality (including intangible and tangible elements), brand image, perceived value, and customer relationship management. In particular, intangible elements have the strongest influence on customer satisfaction, followed by tangible elements, brand image, perceived value, and finally, customer relationship management. In addition, the study found that foreigners and higher education customers tend to be more satisfied by the hotels than other groups, which helps to suggest important and appropriate solutions for hotel managers in Thanh Hoa province.

Aluminum in rocks: Optimized microwave-assisted acid digestion and UV-Vis spectrophotometric measurement

Nguyen Thanh-Nho,Thai Huynh-Thuc,Le-Thi Anh-Dao,Do Minh-Huy,Le-Thi Huynh-Mai,Le Quang-Huy,Nguyen-Thi Kim-Sinh,Nguyen Cong-Hau 한국분석과학회 2023 분석과학 Vol.36 No.5

Aluminium (Al) is one of the major elements in rocks and its concentration can be varied, depending on different rock types as well as sources. The present study aimed to propose an analytical method based on the UV-Vis as a cheap, simple, and common instrument equipped in most laboratories for Al quantification in rocks after the microwave assisted acid digestion. The aluminone and 8-hydroxyquinoline were investigated for the colorimetric assay. The results show that the 8-hydroxyquinoline reagent was more favorable in terms of the minimized affects of the potential interferences present in the digested solutions, i.e., Fe3+, Si4+ and F–. The calibration curve was constructed from 0.10 mg/L to 3.00 mg/L with the goodness of linearity (R2 = 0.9996). The limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) were estimated, i.e., 0.029 mg/L and 0.087 mg/L, respectively. The 8-hydroxyquinoline was applied to real rock samples, demonstrating favorable precision (RSD = 0.34 %-1.8 %) and no remarkable differences were found compared to the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as a reference measurement approach.

Factor Affecting Customers' Decision to Use Mobile Banking Service: A Case of Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

LE, Hoang Ba Huyen,NGO, Chi Thanh,TRINH, Thi Thu Huyen,NGUYEN, Thi Thu Phuong Korea Distribution Science Association 2020 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.7 No.2

The article aims to identify the main factors affecting customers' decision to use mobile banking service in Vietnam, a case study in Thanh Hoa province. Based on theoretical frameworks of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study has been conducted with 370 questionnaires to consumers who have not yet used and are currently using mobile banking in Thanh Hoa province. The research results indicates that several factors have been evaluated to be more important than others, of which, the social influence is the strongest, the second is the compatibility and some others factors such as perceived ease of use, perceived trust, etc., all affecting the intention to use mobile banking in Thanh Hoa. Based on these important results, the article propose a number of recommendations: (i) Exploiting the advantages of social influence on the increase of intention to use; (ii) Increasing compatibility and minimizing costs for customers when they use Mobile Banking; (iii) Developing a strategy to increase the users' perceived ease of using banking services; (iv) Issuing a policy on increasing the security of Mobile Banking system to meet customers' needs; and (v) Developing an individual customer management system to improve service quality.

Fabrication of Planar Waveguide Chip for Splitting or Combining an Infrared Light Beam

Nguyen Thanh Binh,Nguyen Tat Thanh,Duong Thanh Trung,Nguyen Thanh Huong,Le Quoc Minh 한국물리학회 2008 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.52 No.5

Based on hybrid materials of polymethamethyl acrylat, silica and zirconia (ASZ)/Titania (AST), some planar structures of optical power splitter/combiner type 1×N channels were designed and simulated for making masks by using computer software. Splitter chips were then fabricated by using the thin-film sol-gel technique and their structure was formed by using a direct photo-patterning method with UV light and a mask. A conformation of the waveguide was tested with an Alpha-Step IQ system. The waveguide properties of the splitter were measured with a 1550 nm laser source. The experimental results show that the light was transmitted through the chip with a total output efficiency of around 6% and was separated uniformly at the output channels. Based on hybrid materials of polymethamethyl acrylat, silica and zirconia (ASZ)/Titania (AST), some planar structures of optical power splitter/combiner type 1×N channels were designed and simulated for making masks by using computer software. Splitter chips were then fabricated by using the thin-film sol-gel technique and their structure was formed by using a direct photo-patterning method with UV light and a mask. A conformation of the waveguide was tested with an Alpha-Step IQ system. The waveguide properties of the splitter were measured with a 1550 nm laser source. The experimental results show that the light was transmitted through the chip with a total output efficiency of around 6% and was separated uniformly at the output channels.

Thinning and drilling laser-assisted hatching in thawed embryo transfer: A randomized controlled trial

Le, Minh Tam,Nguyen, Thi Tam An,Nguyen, Thi Thai Thanh,Nguyen, Van Trung,Le, Dinh Duong,Nguyen, Vu Quoc Huy,Cao, Ngoc Thanh,Aints, Alar,Salumets, Andres The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine 2018 Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine Vol.45 No.3

Objective: In frozen and thawed embryos, the zona pellucida (ZP) can be damaged due to hardening. Laser-assisted hatching (LAH) of embryos can increase the pregnancy rate. This study compared thinning and drilling of the ZP before frozen embryo transfer (FET). Methods: Patients were randomly allocated into two groups for LAH using thinning or drilling on day 2 after thawing. Twenty-five percent of the ZP circumference and 50% of the ZP thickness was removed in the thinning group, and a hole $40{\mu}m$ in diameter was made in the drilling group. Results: A total of 171 in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection FET cycles, including 85 cycles with drilling LAH and 86 cycles with thinning LAH, were carried out. The thinning group had a similar ${\beta}$-human chorionic gonadotropin-positive rate (38.4% vs. 29.4%), implantation rate (16.5% vs. 14.4%), clinical pregnancy rate (36.0% vs. 25.9%), miscarriage rate (5.8% vs. 2.4%), ongoing pregnancy rate (30.2% vs. 23.5%), and multiple pregnancy rate (7.0% vs. 10.6%) to the drilling LAH group. There were no significant differences in pregnancy outcomes between subgroups defined based on age (older or younger than 35 years) or ZP thickness (greater or less than $17{\mu}m$) according to the LAH method. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that partial ZP thinning or drilling resulted in similar outcomes in implantation and pregnancy rates using thawed embryos, irrespective of women's age or ZP thickness.

Factors that Affect Customers Satisfaction: An Empirical Study of Export-Import Service Consultant Companies in Vietnam

LE, Thai Thanh Dat,HO, Thi Thanh Ngan,LE, Nguyen Truc Quyen,HUYNH, Thi Khanh Tuyen,NGUYEN, Minh Tri,LUU, Thi Mai Anh,HOANG, Thi Phuong Thao,NGUYEN, Trong Luan Korea Distribution Science Association 2022 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.9 No.6

The purpose of the study is to analyze the significant impacts of expectations, performance, complaints, and fairness that affect consumer satisfaction. The methodology involves reviewing and referencing relevant literature carefully, then proposing a model for customer satisfaction. This study is empirically based on a survey with 50 respondents who work in the field of import and export in the region stretching from the north to the south of Vietnam. The sampling method used in this study is the in-depth interview method. The results show that: (1) expectation has a specific impact on customer satisfaction, (2) performance has a positive impact on customer satisfaction, and (3) complaint which is an intermediary factor between expectation, performance, and fairness has an impact on satisfaction, (4) fairness has a positive effect on satisfaction, in addition, fairness is an extremely important feature when customers choose an import-export service. Research implies that increasing expectations, performance, and fairness results in an improved customer experience and satisfaction when they use the service. It is suggested that the complaint factor continue to be studied and looked into because it still has some effect on satisfaction and is an intermediate variable that changes how the other factors relate to each other.

Does conventional freezing affect sperm DNA fragmentation?

Le, Minh Tam,Nguyen, Thai Thanh Thi,Nguyen, Tung Thanh,Nguyen, Trung Van,Nguyen, Tam An Thi,Nguyen, Quoc Huy Vu,Cao, Thanh Ngoc The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine 2019 Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine Vol.46 No.2

Objective: Sperm cryopreservation has been widely used in assisted reproductive technology, as it offers great potential for the treatment of some types of male infertility. However, cryopreservation may result in changes in membrane lipid composition and acrosome status, as well as reductions in sperm motility and viability. This study aimed to evaluate sperm DNA fragmentation damage caused by conventional freezing using the sperm chromatin dispersion test. Methods: In total, 120 fresh human semen samples were frozen by conventional methods, using SpermFreeze Solution as a cryoprotectant. Routine semen analysis and a Halosperm test (using the Halosperm kit) were performed on each sample before freezing and after thawing. Semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation were compared between these groups. Results: There was a significant decrease in sperm progressive motility, viability, and normal morphology after conventional freezing (32.78%, 79.58%, and 3.87% vs. 16%, 55.99%, and 2.55%, respectively). The sperm head, midpiece, and tail defect rate increased slightly after freezing. Furthermore, the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was significantly higher after thawing than before freezing (19.21% prior to freezing vs. 22.23% after thawing). Significant increases in the DFI after cryopreservation were observed in samples with both normal and abnormal motility and morphology, as well as in those with normal viability. Conclusion: Conventional freezing seems to damage some sperm parameters, in particular causing a reduction in sperm DNA integrity.

The Determinants of Environmental Information Disclosure in Vietnam Listed Companies

NGUYEN, Thi Le Hang,NGUYEN, Thi Thu Hien,NGUYEN, Thi Thanh Huyen,LE, Thi Hong Anh,NGUYEN, Van Cong Korea Distribution Science Association 2020 The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Busine Vol.7 No.2

Environmental pollution and climate change in Vietnam are now becoming a major concern. This situation is increasing the pressure on the companies to improve their social responsibility in production and business activities and disclose the environmental information to meet the requirements of stakeholders. This study investigates the internal and external factors of the company that affects the environmental information disclosure of listed companies on the Vietnam stock market as business sector, firm size, corporate manager perceptions, profitability, financial leverage, community pressure, pressures from stakeholders, government pressure influencing environmental information disclosure. Analytical data collected through the survey of 120 listed companies on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE). By testing Cronbach's Alpha, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and logistic regression analysis, the results of the study show that the level of environmental information disclosure of listed companies on the stock market in Vietnam depends heavily on government regulations, followed by the pressure from stakeholders, community pressure, views of business managers, companies size, business sector, and particularly profitability and financial leverage factors that have a negative relationship with environmental information disclosure.