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is a valuable medicinal plant and a source of a broad spectrum of biologically active ginsenosides of different structural groups. Overexploitation and low adaptability to planation cultivation have made this species vulnerable to human pressure and prompted the development of cell cultivation as a sustainable alternative to harvesting wild plants for their bioactive components. Despite high interest in biotechnological production, little is known about the main factors affecting cell growth and ginsenoside biosynthesis of this species under conditions. In this study, the potential of cell cultures of as a biotechnological source of ginsenosides was was assessed. Six suspension cell lines that were developed from different sections of a single rhizome through a multi-step culture optimization process and maintained for over 3 years on media with different mineral salt base and varying contents of auxins and cytokinins. These cell lines were evaluated for productivity parameters and cytological characteristics. Ginsenoside profiles were assessed using a combination of the reversed-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-TOF-MS). All lines demonstrated good growth with a specific growth rate of 0.1-0.2 day , economic coefficient of 0.31-0.70, productivity on dry weight (DW) of 0.30-0.83 gDW (L·day) , and maximum biomass accumulation varying from 10 to 22 gDW L . Ginsenosides of the protopanaxadiol (Rb1, Rb2/Rb3, malonyl-Rb1, and malonyl-Rb2/Rb3), oleanolic acid (R0 and chikusetsusaponin IV), and ocotillol (vinaginsenoside R1) groups and their isomers were identified in cell biomass extracts. Chikusetsusaponin IV was identified in cell culture for the first time. These results suggest that suspension cell cultures of Vietnamese ginseng have a high potential for the biotechnological production of biomass containing ginsenosides, particularly of the oleanolic acid and ocotillol groups.

Based on a combination of molecular and morphological data, we herein report a new species within the bufonid Bufo gargarizans species complex. This is a widespread species complex with distribution from eastern Russia and the Korean Peninsula to China and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Records of this species have been documented in the Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces near the border with Vietnam and, for the first time from Vietnam, in Ha Giang Province. The new record of Bufo cf. gargarizans from Vietnam is from Ha Tinh Province. This species has never been reported from Vietnam so far south, about 550 km south from the previously known locality in Ha Giang Province. The female specimen was found in the Ha Tinh Province, Vu Quang National Park of central Vietnam and two specimens (male and female) were found Ha Giang Province. They are clearly distinguished from B. gargarizans and all the mentioned species by a specific color pattern on the belly and creamy-yellowish throat with large, bright red speckles. Genetic divergences of three Vietnam specimens from Ha Giang and Ha Tinh Provinces in the ND2 gene sequences between the B. sp. nov. and all other congeners ranged from 4.3% (with B. andrewsi) to 7.0% (with B. stejnegeri). We give a description of the morphological characters and coloration of the new record and provide an expanded diagnosis.

Purpose: This study explores the effect of local budget retention rate changes (RER) on total factor productivity (TFP) and its components in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a two-system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator and data from 2012 to 2019 across all 63 provinces/cities of Vietnam. Findings: The study finds that local budget retention rates significantly influence public investment, affecting scale and allocation efficiency. The reallocation of budgets between regions and from the central government to local levels incurs certain costs, often resulting in economically robust provinces experiencing reductions in their retention rates. Practical implications Recognizing the challenges of immediate structural budget changes due to cultural and historical factors, the study suggests a more gradual policy approach. It emphasizes the importance of policy predictability, as abrupt reductions in the retention rate lead to higher costs than gradual reductions, thus implementing budget policies with a clearer timeline. This study provides insight into local budget allocation regimes and their impact on productivity in transitioning countries. Originality/value: First, the study provides fresh evidence of the impact of retention rate changes on TFP and its components in Vietnam. Second, the study provides insights into the mechanisms of the nexus of increased budget spending, capital efficiency and, most importantly, attaining improvement in education. We also offer further insights into inefficient budget allocation agents in Vietnam, especially in large cities, which should alert scholars to explore this topic further in the future.

Despite widespread adoption of Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (SCMC) in English as a foreign language (EFL) education, the relationship between social presence and learning outcomes remains poorly understood. This study examined the impact of social presence on student involvement and psychological pressure among Saudi EFL learners, challenging assumptions that higher social presence universally enhances engagement. A mixed-method, cross-sectional survey investigated perceptions of 183 female Saudi secondary and intermediate students (aged 14-19) using questionnaires with Likert-scale items and open-ended questions to assess involvement and anxiety across different social presence configurations in SCMC environments. Findings revealed a significant inverse relationship between social presence and student involvement, with 77% reporting enhanced participation when temporal control decreased immediate social pressure, and 61% experiencing reduced anxiety through visual anonymity. Students valued “limited social presence” (61.6% positive response), enabling comfortable participation without fear of judgment. Qualitative data showed that reduced social presence created a “safe environment”, encouraging language experimentation and risk-taking behaviour essential for EFL development. This study challenges educational assumptions by demonstrating that strategic reduction of social presence simultaneously increases meaningful involvement and decreases counterproductive pressure. We introduce an optimal social presence threshold model enabling effective SCMC learning when connections are sufficient for interactions but reduced enough to minimise anxiety's inhibiting effects. In culturally conservative EFL contexts, reduced social presence provides culturally sensitive solutions to foreign-language anxiety while maintaining educational effectiveness, offering essential guidance for designing SCMC platforms that prioritise psychological safety alongside pedagogical goals.

The incidence of aortic stenosis (AS) increases with age and is a serious problem in an aging society. In recent years, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been performed widely; however, older patients may be ineligible for TAVI or surgical treatment because of medical ineligibility. Symptom‐based rehabilitation is required for these patients to maintain and improve their physical function and ability to perform activities of daily living. No studies have examined exercise safety for older patients with severe AS who are ineligible for TAVI or surgery. We summarized the safety of exercise for older patients with severe AS, collecting 7 studies on maximal exercise stress tests and 16 studies on preoperative physical examinations. From this review, it may be unlikely that exercise under appropriate management can cause hemodynamic changes, leading to death. However, there were no studies on exercise intervention for older patients with AS who are chosen for conservative management. The optimal exercise intensity for symptomatic older patients with AS undergoing conservative management and the effects of continuous exercise intervention require future study. We summarized the safety of exercise for older patients with severe AS. From this review, it may be unlikely that exercise under appropriate management can cause hemodynamic changes, leading to death. There were no studies on exercise intervention for older patients with AS who are chosen for conservative management, the optimal exercise intensity and the effects of continuous exercise intervention require future study.

Across a sample of short-latency neiuons, snake images generated a response faster than the other stimuli; interestingly, for the non-snake stimuli, these short- latency neiuons also responded faster to angry monkey faces than to emotionally-neutral monkey faces, hands, or geomet- ric shapes. Because the pulvinar is closely associated with various attentional operations, including attentional filtering and engagement, the presence of snake-selective neiuons would seem to explain the efficient visual search for snakes and other fearful stimuli. Because the macaques tested in this experiment had no known exposiue to snakes, the temptation might be to con- clude that these snake detectors were innate or had a predetermined developmental coiuse.

A combination process was developed in laboratory scale including microwave (MW) coagulation and iron/carbon micro-electrolysis (Fe/C ME) in series for treatment of heavy oil produced water (HOPW) with high concentrations of oil and chemical oxygen demand and high corrosion rates. The effects of coagulant dosage, MW irradiation time, settling time, and Fe:C mass ratio on the actual treatment results were investigated. The use of MW irradiation brought some benefits including enhancing oil removal, reducing coagulation consumption, shortening settling time and lowering corrosion rate. During the 30-day continuous treatment period, the Fe-based metallic glasses/activated carbon (MGs/AC) ME system exhibited high performance stability, whereas the iron shavings/AC ME system had good performance for only 8 days. The total reduction percentages of oil, suspended solids and corrosion rate were 95.5%, 98.3% and 96.5%, respectively, in the combined MW coagulation-MGs/AC ME system, and the corrosion rate of the treated HOPW was only 0.025 mm/year. The quality parameters of the treated heavy oil produced water (HOPW) could completely meet the requirements of the C1 grade in the SY/T 5329-1994 standard for wastewater reinjection in oilfields. Moreover, the biodegradability of the HOPW was greatly improved after treatment, creating favorable conditions for subsequent biological treatment if not reinjection.