Saigon University

In the context of globalization and ongoing state modernization, the merger and reorganization of administrative units have become central components of administrative reform in Viet Nam. These reforms aim to streamline the state apparatus, enhance governance efficiency, and improve public service delivery. However, beyond their organizational objectives, administrative mergers generate significant legal and social implications, particularly regarding the protection of citizens’ lawful rights and legitimate interests. Although the Vietnamese legal framework—grounded in the 2013 Constitution and the Law on the Organization of Local Government—provides a formal basis for adjusting administrative boundaries, it primarily focuses on structural and managerial criteria such as population size and territorial standards. Mechanisms specifically designed to safeguard citizens’ rights during transitional periods remain limited. In practice, the merger of district- and commune-level units may directly affect residency rights, civil registration procedures, access to public services, land-use and property rights, and the exercise of complaint and denunciation mechanisms. Without adequate safeguards, such reforms risk undermining legal certainty and continuity in the enjoyment of fundamental rights. The implementation experience in Ho Chi Minh City illustrates the multidimensional challenges of administrative restructuring in a densely populated and rapidly urbanizing environment. Changes in administrative nomenclature and boundaries have required residents to update personal documents and adjust to reorganized public service systems. Transitional inconsistencies have at times created procedural burdens, disrupted access to administrative services, and generated uncertainty in land management and urban planning. Vulnerable groups, including migrants and economically disadvantaged residents, may face disproportionate difficulties during these transitions. Moreover, consultation and participation mechanisms, although formally provided for by law, often remain limited in substantive effectiveness, thereby affecting public trust and the perceived legitimacy of reform policies. From a comparative perspective, international experiences—particularly within the European Union, Japan, and South Korea—demonstrate that successful administrative mergers are typically accompanied by robust rights-impact assessments, meaningful community consultation, transitional protection measures, and transparency in decision-making. These approaches align with broader principles of good governance and international human rights standards, which emphasize participation, accountability, and legal certainty. Based on legal analysis and practical observations, several improvements are necessary to ensure that administrative reform does not diminish citizens’ rights. These include institutionalizing mandatory rights-impact assessments prior to mergers; strengthening substantive public consultation and participatory mechanisms; ensuring transitional protection of administrative and civil entitlements; enhancing safeguards for property and land-use rights; and reinforcing complaint and access-to-justice systems. Furthermore, integrating digital governance tools and modern urban management models can reduce procedural burdens and improve transparency during administrative transitions. In conclusion, while the merger of administrative units is a necessary step in modernizing governance, it must be implemented within a rights-based framework. Placing citizens’ lawful rights and legitimate interests at the center of reform is essential to ensuring that administrative restructuring contributes to sustainable development, social stability, and the consolidation of a rule-of-law state.

Helicteres isora L. is a traditionally recognized medicinal plant in Asia, used for the treatment of gastrointestinal, metabolic, respiratory, and infectious diseases, with different parts exhibiting diverse pharmacological activities. In the present investigation, the fruits of H. isora L. were successfully investigated, leading to the isolation of β-sitosterol (1), betulinic acid (2), ursolic acid (3), 3b-hydroxyurs-11-ene-28(13)-lactone (4), ergosterol-5,8-peroxide (5), syringaresinol (6), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside (7), curcumin (8), demethoxycurcumin (9), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (10). The inhibitory effects of all isolated compounds on α-glucosidase and xanthine oxidase (XO) were assessed. Among them, compound 9 exhibited the most potent α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 75.5 ± 0.06 µM), whereas compound 8 showed weak XO inhibition (IC50 95.0 ± 0.16 µM). In the molecular docking results, compounds 8 - 10 demonstrated strong α-glucosidase inhibition with conserved interactions at key residues (Asp203, Trp299, Trp406, Met444, Phe575, and Arg526), and their predicted physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties support their potential as orally active, locally acting antidiabetic agents. HIGHLIGHTS Ten compounds (1 - 10) were isolated from the fruits of Thai Helicteres isora, including 5 triterpenoids (1 - 5), 1 lignan (6), 1 triterpenoid glycoside (7), and 3 curcuminoids (8 - 10). This study reports the isolation of compounds 2 - 10 from isora L. for the first time. Compounds 8 - 10 exhibited potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, with compound 9 being the most active (IC50 5 ± 0.06 µM), surpassing acarbose (IC50 198.9 ± 0.02 µM). Molecular docking revealed that compounds 8 - 10 shared conserved binding interactions with key α-glucosidase residues (Asp203, Trp299, Trp406, Met444, Phe575, and Arg526). In silico ADMET predictions suggested favorable solubility and intestinal permeability profiles, supporting their potential as orally active, locally acting antidiabetic agents. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Federated learning (FL) offers a robust approach for privacy-preserving model training across distributed clients, but its performance often declines significantly under non-independent and identically distributed data, a critical challenge in real-world scenarios. Existing methods frequently face issues such as slow convergence, reliance on heuristic regularization, or substantial communication overhead. To address these challenges, we propose SelfDistillCore, a federated learning framework that combines a sparsification technique with a momentum-based aggregation rule using an exponentially weighted moving average. By transmitting only the top K% of parameter updates and using momentum to balance historical and new updates, SelfDistillCore mitigates client drift and reduces communication costs. Experimental results show that SelfDistillCore significantly enhances convergence stability, improves resilience to data heterogeneity, increases scalability, and reduces communication costs by 19% to 70% compared to standard baselines. The code of SelfDistillCore can be found at https://github.com/dongld-2020/selfdistillcore_pj .

The emergence of palm payment systems signals a transformative shift in digital transaction. While widely adopted in developed countries, their presence in developing economies remains limited and under-researched. This study examines factors influencing the adoption intention of palm payment through the UTAUT2 framework, integrating perceived trust as a key determinant. Data from 413 respondents were analyzed mix methods (PLS-SEM, ANN, and fsQCA). Firstly, this study employs the PLS-SEM approach due to its suitability for small sample sizes and its robustness against violations of multivariate normality assumptions. However, a major limitation in prior research using single-method approaches, particularly PLS-SEM, is the inability to fully address measurement errors. This study overcomes this issue by integrating ANN and fsQCA to validate and complement PLS-SEM results. ANN helps mitigate measurement error concerns by identifying patterns beyond linear relationships, reducing reliance on strict parametric assumptions. Meanwhile, fsQCA provides a configurational perspective, testing how different combinations of factors lead to adoption, thereby compensating for potential biases in individual variable estimates. The combined use of methods strengthens result reliability by cross-verifying findings through distinct analytical lenses, reducing the risk of over-or underestimating effects due to measurement inconsistencies. Findings reveal that hedonic motivation, price value, habit, perceived trust, social influence, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, and effort expectancy significantly drive adoption intention. Theoretically, this study extends UTAUT2 by revealing the role of biometric trust in contactless payments. Methodologically, it confirms the value of a mixed-methods approach. Practically, it offers insights for enhancing biometric payment adoption in emerging markets.

Abstract Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is a well-established criterion for corporate social performance, but its financial materiality remains elusive. This study aims to unpack the nuanced and often contentious relationship between ESG and corporate financial performance, focusing not just on if ESG matters but more critically, on how, when, and for whom it becomes a significant value driver. Using a Random Forest model and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), we analyze a large panel dataset of publicly listed firms across Asia, the United States, and Europe from 2017 to 2024. The results show that firms with high ESG ratings exhibited greater resilience during the COVID-19 crisis period, confirming ESG's role as a risk mitigation factor. Moreover, our findings refine stakeholder theory by showing that satisfying stakeholder interests is not uniformly rewarded; rather, its financial benefits are conditional on both industry context and existing financial strength. These findings provide a data-driven rationale for strategic ESG investments.

This article analyzes the current status of quality management in self-assessment activities at preschools in Ho Chi Minh City within the context of the educational reform program. The survey results indicate that both teachers and management staff have a good understanding of the importance of quality management in self-assessment activities. Regarding quality management planning, teachers show a higher level of agreement, emphasizing the need for specific plans and reasonable timelines. Notably, teachers rate the self-assessment process and related criteria higher than management staff. Interview results reveal that both groups acknowledge the importance of quality management, but there are differences in their perceptions of the necessary factors for improvement. The self-assessment process needs to comply with national quality standards and apply the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle. To effectively manage the quality of self-assessment activities, it is essential to establish a comprehensive quality management system that combines theory and practice, requiring efforts from teachers, management staff, and active participation from parents.

Đặt vấn đề: Tỷ lệ Creatinine/Cystatin C (Cre/CysC) huyết thanh thường được biết đến như một chỉ dấu thay thế trong chẩn đoán tình trạng thiểu cơ cũng như dự báo kết cục bất lợi ở một số bệnh lý. Tuy nhiên, chưa có nhiều nghiên cứu về mối liên quan giữa tỷ lệ này với các đặc điểm lâm sàng và cận lâm sàng ở bệnh nhân đái tháo đường (ĐTĐ) týp 2. Mục tiêu: Đánh giá mối liên quan giữa tỷ lệ Cre/CysC huyết thanh với các đặc điểm lâm sàng và cận lâm sàng ở bệnh nhân ĐTĐ týp 2. Đối tượng và phương pháp: Nghiên cứu mô tả cắt ngang có phân tích trên 124 bệnh nhân được chẩn đoán ĐTĐ týp 2 đến khám tại khoa Khám bệnh, bệnh viện Quân y 175, từ 01/2025 đến 05/2025. Các dữ liệu được thu thập bao gồm: tuổi, giới, thời gian mắc đái tháo đường, chỉ số khối cơ thể (BMI); các kết quả xét nghiệm máu bao gồm: glucose đói, HbA1c, creatinine, cystatin C. Tỷ lệ Cre/Cys được tính bằng cách lấy nồng độ creatinine (mg/dL) chia cho nồng độ cystain C (mg/L) (x100 nếu áp dụng). Các phân tích tương quan và hồi quy tuyến tính Cre/CysC theo tuổi, giới, BMI, thời gian mắc ĐTĐ, glucose và HbA1c được thực hiện. Kết quả: Trên tổng số 124 bệnh nhân, nam chiếm tỷ lệ 53.2%, tuổi trung vị của bệnh nhân là 51, thời gian mắc ĐTĐ trung vị là 5 năm, chỉ số khối cơ thể là 21.72 kg/m2. Tỷ lệ Cre/CysC trung vị là 11.79. Không có sự khác biệt có ý nghĩa thống kê giữa nam và nữ trong các chỉ số trên (p>0.05). Tỷ lệ Cre/CysC huyết thanh có tương quan nghịch mức độ trung bình với nồng độ glucose và HbA1c, tương quan nghịch mức độ mạnh với BMI, tương quan thuận mức độ yếu với tuổi bệnh nhân (r lần lượt là -0.33, -0.42, -0.78, 0.2827; p<0.05); không có mối liên quan giữa tỷ lệ Cre/CysC với thời gian mắc ĐTĐ (r = -0.13, p>0.05). Kết luận: Tỷ lệ Cre/CysC có xu hướng giảm khi bệnh nhân có BMI cao, nồng độ glucose máu khi đói và HbA1c cao. Đây là những bằng chứng gợi ý cho việc sử dụng tỷ lệ Cre/CysC huyết thanh như một dấu ấn bổ sung trong đánh giá tình trạng khối cơ và tình trạng chuyển hoá ở bệnh nhân ĐTĐ.

In recent years, demand for herbal cosmetics has grown due to their safety, efficacy, and eco-friendliness. Yet, herbal skincare formulations often lack standardization, leading to variable quality. This study focuses on developing and optimizing a herbal moisturizing cream using artificial intelligence (AI) in formulation design. Fourteen natural ingredients, including aloe vera, shea butter, almond oil, hyaluronic acid, and essential oils, were combined into 30 experimental formulations through a Simplex Lattice mixture design. Key properties—pH, viscosity, permeation, and moisturizing ability—were measured and modelled using a fuzzy logic neural network integrated with a genetic algorithm. The optimal formula was then evaluated for texture, absorption, spread ability, and stability. Integrating I(14)-HL(2)-O(4) with genetic algorithms highlights an effective approach for standardizing and optimizing herbal cosmetic formulations, offering a scientific basis for creating high-quality, consistent skincare products.